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BOOK ONE:

LIFE

CHAPTER SIX:

A FAMILIAR TRAIL

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"My dear Zuko..."

Within the heart of the reborn royal,

Three pairs of molten gazes he will find.

Two belong to the crimson and its foil;

An azure snake of soul, body and mind.

"Prince Zuko."

A palace of thorns. A prison of ice.

She awaits, sat upon an empty throne.

Those fragile eyes are watering with cries.

As the flames surround what was once their home.

"ZUZU!"


Zuko bolted up from his bedroll in a cold sweat. His eyes were wide, and his breath ragged. His right hand clutched at his heart, where the sharp shock of an increasingly familiar phantom pain radiated outward through him. These dreams were plaguing him more and more lately, ever since he took the port town alongside the liberated rig prisoners.

It's been a few days since then. The earthbenders all set off to return to their respective homes, eager to see their families once more. The morning before they split up from the rebels, they seemed to regard Zuko differently. Looks of gratefulness and respect were directed his way. From most of them, anyway.

The lanky Ping even came up to offer his thanks to the prince personally, which Zuko accepted with an awkward smile. He could remember their following conversation clearly.

"Just wait a little while longer, Poi! Daddy's coming home!"

"Wait, you're Poi's father?"

"You know my son? Is he okay?!"

Zuko's face had gone from surprised to wincing as the man gripped him with a strength that you wouldn't expect from his skinny form.

"Yeah, he's alright. He… he's very brave."

Catching the double meaning behind those words, Ping sighed in equal parts relief and exasperation as his hands released Zuko's shoulders.

"He's a troublemaker, that's for sure. You kept him safe then?"

At Zuko's nod, Ping gave a sincere smile.

"Thank you. That means more to me than the world."

Zuko couldn't help but feel jealous of Poi in that moment.

The forest floor was dyed in the shades of dawn, and Zuko steadied his breath. As promised, he was escorting Kwang and a few other earthbenders back to their home: a village just a little too far away to be safe for weary ex-prisoners. They had docked the previous evening, having crossed a river to get to this wooded trail. Most of Zuko's auxiliary crew stayed behind with the ship as the rest moved inland.

The journey was fine so far given how short it was, but while most of the prisoners may have changed their minds about Zuko's crew, Kwang was definitely not one of them. From the prison rig till now, the burly man had been abrasive and dismissive toward any of the Fire Nation around him.

"The way you fought on the rig. I've never seen firebending like that."

"It's a... special form. It emphasizes the life-giving aspects of fire."

"Pah, as if fire can give anything but death."

That exchange occurred just the other day, on the ship's deck. The prince himself was more disappointed than annoyed - he wasn't expecting to be liked given how the man had been acting since they met. Shen, on the other hand, glared daggers at him from where he was posted. The young soldier had been uncharacteristically quiet as of late, conflict obviously playing over his features since they escaped the rig.

'Not that I don't get it. We should be done by the end of today, at least.' Zuko thought. 'More importantly…'

The more pressing issue at the moment was how familiar this route felt - it's been gnawing at him since they disembarked. They were on a forested path that could be found all over the western Earth Kingdom. It was verdant, with an abundance of shade. Not an uncommon sight by any means. And yet.

'There's something I'm forgetting about this place. Something important. I'm sure of it.'

"Hmhmm~"

A joyously idle humming brought him out of his thoughts. It could only belong to one person.

"Uncle?"

"Ah, nephew! Finally awake I see!"

The elderly man was fussing with his tea set over a recently restarted bonfire. In other words, typical behaviour for General Iroh. Looking around the camp, Zuko saw that they were the first two to rise, which was often the case. Firebenders rise with the sun after all, and they were the most powerful ones there.

The disheveled prince fought his way out of his bedroll as his uncle continued to speak.

"You were tossing and turning for a while now. I got worried, so I thought I'd make you some fine tea! It is a great remedy for nightmares."

"Tea is your remedy for everything, uncle."

Despite his retort, he couldn't keep the grateful smile off his face as he straightened his clothes out.

"That may be so, but I found a very special flower this morning: a white dragon bush! Can you believe it, Prince Zuko? It's said to produce a tea so delicious, it's heartbreaking."

The smile on Zuko's face shattered into sheer alarm. As Iroh went to pour him a cup, he dashed forward and high kicked the pot out of his uncle's hands, shattering it into oblivion. Iroh's horrified expression formed from behind an explosion of shimmering leaf juice. It was only after he heard the splash that he could finally respond.

"ZUKO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he yelled in anger and confusion. His nephew had just ruined such a delicacy!

"It wasn't the white dragon bush that you found, uncle - it was the white jade bush! You were about to serve me a deadly poison!"

"I already thought of that! I have some bacui berries right here, see? Or were they maka'ole-"

Zuko snatched the sprig of berries out of his uncle's hand and set it aflame. The ashes fell through his fingers.

"You're not about to turn me blind, on top of everything."

"How do you know about such things anyway, nephew?"

He fixed his uncle with a tired look.

"How do you think I know?"

Iroh thought for a moment.

"You've developed an interest in rare teas?"

"No."


It was long into the day before the dense grasses beneath their feet turned into a well-worn dirt path. The makeshift assembly of two different nations had found their way onto the main roads. Or at least, what passes for main roads in a region as remote as this. They were getting close.

"Looks like their spirits are rising so close to home."

Lieutenant Jee addressed Zuko as they walked, and the man was right. Even the less chatty earthbenders were excitedly talking about what they would do, who they would see, and what they would eat when they got home. Even from where the two were walking a good distance behind them, they could overhear yelling and laughter from the former prisoners marching on.

"So they are," the prince replied, his eyes fixed ahead of him.

"Have you given any thought on what to do after we finish this?"

That got the prince's attention. It was a fair question. It would be foolish to expect any sort of reward for this, let alone manpower. Their rebellion was left at the same strength, minus some rations, as when they first began. If anything, they were in a worse position. No doubt the capital would hear of their prison break sooner rather than later.

"We'll have to keep liberating small settlements where we can," Zuko finally replied. "Until the Earth King recognizes us, at least."

"And if he doesn't?"

That was always a risk. They wouldn't be able to sustain themselves without help, not indefinitely. And definitely not with the promised threat of the Fire Lord and his armies rising every passing moment. Unfortunately, there was no other plan.

"We'll just have to hope."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that," Jee sighed. "But I also expected it. Rebellions aren't exactly reliable long-term."

"Sorry I couldn't give you a better answer," Zuko said placatingly.

"But it's the best we've got right now. Let me know our next destination at least, when you have it."

"EVERYONE! I SEE IT!"

The deafening shout from Kwang made both Zuko and Jee jump. Just on the horizon, they could make out the beginnings of roofed houses, wooden fences, and tilled land. To many there, it was what they've been longing to witness for years.

"Ah! I see it too!"

"We're home!"

"WOO!"

And with that began the stampede. All at once, the earthbenders charged forward. Some even used their bending to speed themselves up, leaving the path towards their agrarian paradise a bit of a mess.

"I'll go make sure they don't trample anyone," Jee said before running to catch up with them. He didn't catch the look of recognition that found its way onto the prince's face.

"So, what did you do here before, exactly?"

Iroh walked up beside him then, having been the group's rearguard till now. After their tea incident in the morning, Zuko told his uncle about the last time they visited this place, but didn't have the time to get into the specifics before the rest of the camp woke up.

Zuko debated not saying anything. His time here wasn't exactly his proudest moment, far from it. But he already felt guilty withholding his greatest failure from his uncle. Revealing this minor one would have to do to try and assuage that guilt. So with a completely straight face, he admitted it.

"I stole the village doctor's family ostrich horse."

"You did WHAT?!"


When Zuko and Iroh arrived at the entrance to the village, they were met with a heartwarming sight. What looked like its entire population had come out to meet the returnees. Families were reunited - hugging, laughing, crying. Some eyed the clearly Fire Nation soldiers with a justified wariness. But whether it was the fact that their loved ones had finally come home, or the fact that their loved ones seemed to not care, their caution was more or less disregarded.

From across the way, Jee looked to Zuko and showed him a rare smile. This was the kind of sight they were fighting for. Zuko himself, though, was keeping his eyes out for a familiar face. It was then that his ears picked up a conversation not far from him, amidst the mass of people.

"So that's the boy who saved you, dear?"

"I'm going to say hi to him."

"Song, wait! He's still a prince of the Fire Nation!"

Zuko went stock still as he absorbed this new information, even as the hanbok clad girl in question approached him.

'Kwang is Song's dad?!'

"Hi!"

"Hwuh?"

So out of it was he that he made some embarrassing noise when her face popped up right in front of him.

"Prince Zuko, right? Father told me that you saved him. Saved everyone."

"I told you that he was dangerous."

"Oh hush, dear."

Song's mother and Kwang - her father, Zuko reminded himself - soon followed after their overly compassionate daughter. Iroh looked between the girl and his nephew, and that's when he sprouted a mischievous grin. Horrifically, he mistook Zuko's flustering for enamorment.

"Y-yeah, that's m-"

"You've heard correctly! This charming young man is Prince Zuko," he said, slapping him a little too roughly on the back.

"Guh!"

"And I am his equally charming uncle! Who might you be, miss?"

Song giggled at the old man's antics, while her mother smiled. Kwang on the other hand, caught on to what Iroh was trying to do, and glared at the prince with even more murderous intent as if to clearly say - don't you DARE try anything.

"My name is Song, I work at the hospital here. This is my mother," she said, gesturing to the older woman on her right. "And you've already met my father."

"He. Has." Kwang grinded those words through his teeth, still glaring. Zuko adopted an expression that wordlessly replied - how is this my fault?!

"It's nice to meet you, Lady Song!"

"Oh please, it's just Song," she replied to the boisterous general. "Welcome to our little farming village, and thank you for saving my father."

She bowed to the Fire Nation royalty then, as did her mother. Kwang only crossed his arms and huffed. Zuko was continually baffled that the burly man was related to these people. They couldn't be more opposed!

When Song rose from her bow, she couldn't help but stare at the angry, red scar adorning the visage of the boy before her. A short silence occurred before Zuko turned his good side to face her.

"You don't have to stare," he said with a little more irritation than he intended, but exactly as much as he felt.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! It's just..."

She took a few steps then, as if to get a closer look. Zuko turned his head even more sharply away.

"So even the prince… You've been hurt, haven't you?"

That made him turn back. Slowly at first, and then fully. How she could say that with such concern, after everything, he had no idea.

Seeing that Zuko still hadn't replied, she continued on. "I've been hurt too."

"Song…"

"It's alright, mother."

Brushing off her mother's worry, she rolled up her dress slightly to show her calves. Revealing her own scars only for a moment, she dropped her shaking hands and hid them once more. Kwang was taken aback, and then quickly turned to rage. To her own surprise, Zuko didn't look surprised at all. He just looked guilty. The depth of his guilt she did not know. She could not know. Still, she reached out her hand to the boy's face.

"Could I-?"

"PRINCE ZUKO! PRINCE ZUKO!"

She quickly retracted it though, when a sudden shouting emerged from the trees nearby. The voices were followed by several haggard men, stumbling out from the bushes. The rest of the group quickly turned to the newcomers as well, and Zuko rushed towards them.

"Helmsman? Chef? What happened?"

They took a moment, clearly out of breath, then the helmsman began his explanation. "Not long after you left, sir, a squad of Fire Nation soldiers followed. It's like they knew we were coming! We've been running all night, but they're not far-"

"LOOK!"

It was a village woman who spotted them: a group of soldiers, around ten in number, nearing the mouth of the settlement. The rest of the villagers started to panic.

"YOU! YOU LED THEM HERE!" Kwang stomped over to the prince, muscles visibly tensing in preparation for combat.

"What?! Why would I save you from prison just to do that?!"

"YOU'VE ALREADY TAKEN SO MUCH FROM US, AND NOW YOU SET YOUR SIGHTS ON THE WHOLE VILLAGE!"

While this confrontation was happening, Zuko's crew looked equally confused. The villagers got behind the newly freed earthbenders, who were now facing down the previously friendly Fire Nation, determined and outraged. The invading soldiers were now in spitting distance, closing in on the disarray. And that's when it happened.

"He didn't call them here, I did. I sent out a messenger hawk to Gaipan the night before we left."

There, standing at the village's entrance, was a young soldier. Jee and Iroh quickly got ready in response, keeping the earthbenders and the villagers behind them as they faced this threat. The rest of Zuko's crew followed suit.

Zuko just stood shocked.

"Shen?"

"Yeah."

Saying that, his reinforcements arrived and formed around him, getting into telltale stances that threatened streams of flame. The villagers cowered, but did not move. They didn't dare move.

"Why?"

"You ask me 'why'?!" Shen turned livid, his fists clenched so tightly that they were turning white. "When you told me that you wanted to change the Fire Nation, I agreed with you. I saw how we were treating innocent people from other nations, and I hated it. But you've gone too far with this! Way too far!"

He inhaled, then exhaled. A necessary breath to take, else he felt he'd attack right then and there.

"You know, I volunteered to be on your ship. To join your crew. It was the only chance I had to serve with the great Dragon of the West. The same man my father served with at the walls of Ba Sing Se. The man my father died for. Even if in exile, that's all I wanted."

It was becoming clear to Zuko now.

"...I lost my parents to this war. That's why I'm here."

"In the end, we spent a year doing nothing but kicking over rocks, hunting a ghost. I accepted that. But I've just spent the past week watching you fight against our people, and for what? For men like him?!" He shot a finger at Kwang. "Men who would rather see us all dead?! The same kind of man who killed my father! And who knows how many others!"

Song looked at her father mortified, seeking an answer. He just looked away from her innocent eyes - he could do nothing to deny that claim. It was how he felt, after all. And who could blame him after everything he's been through?

"Disgraced or not, you're supposed to be OUR prince, DAMMIT!"

Shen's anger rose and rose, until finally, it burst. With that final word shouted, a wave of fire erupted from his stamping foot. Inadvertent or not, it elicited shrieks from the villagers, and even higher alert from all combatants. Jee called out to the soldier then.

"Do you really think you can win, boy?"

On one side, were two hands worth of regular Fire Nation soldiers. On the other was a combined force of earthbenders, firebenders, and the Dragon of the West. It was as one-sided as it could be. Shen knew that, but even so.

"I couldn't just do nothing."

A tense moment passed, both sides looking at each other for any sign of movement. Any twitch at all that could spark the imminent clash. Zuko though, was still standing in the open, and that was a chance he could seize.

But in the prince's eyes, Shen didn't see fear, or anger, or malice.

Only regret, pity, and strangest of all, understanding.

It infuriated him.

"ZUKO! I CHALLENGE YOU TO AGNI KAI!"