Zuko the firelord

After being here for what seems like weeks the day finally arrived.Zuko and his merry band of firemen have arrived. So I decided to mess with him. When I found him I leaned in close and said in his ear.

"Long live Fire Lord Zuko."

Zuko's reaction was priceless. He froze for a second, just staring at me in shock. I quickly spun and took off through the crowd of warriors, giving plenty of space between myself and the prince. I wasn't exactly sure what his reaction would be , but I guess he could make me sweaty because he cant kill me. Besides, I needed him to follow me for a nice chat.

I pushed my way through the Kyoshi warriors , who mostly ignored me. Zuko on the other hand kept being stopped by attacking warriors, one of whom I was sure was Sokka. I slipped behind a house and waited. Four seconds later Zuko, without his rhino came charging after me. Both hands alight with fire. I instinctively ducked, slapping my hands to the ground as a bolt of the flames shot over my head. "What you dont like your fortune being told?" I shouted, I had figured that he might be angry but this was beyond what I had assumed.

"You dare mock me?" Zuko bellowed back, smoke pouring from his nose and mouth. I blinked then sat up, and looked at him. Zuko thought I had been mocking him. Well now I understood why he was so angry. "I'm not making fun of you," I pointed out, standing, "You are the next fire lord." "I'm banished," Zuko snarled, "I won't become Fire Lord unless I capture the avatar." I eyed his position. He was tense, body ridged. He was prepared to start fighting. Then again, so was I. Neither of us really trusted the other. "That's one of your options of many I suggest finding your own path," I admitted, "maybe showing your people that you fight for them, show them that you would a better leader then Ozai is then

overthrow him."

"Blasphemy." Zuko snarled, his hands lighting up again. Fury built up inside me as a hundred faces assaulted my memory. Faces of those I knew and those who I had yet to met. Katara and Sokka who lost their mother, forcing Katara to replace her and become a mother to her elder brother. Aang who had lost everything because of the fire nation. The children of the water tribe, so young but having to learn how to defend themselves so they could simply survive.Then came characters I had yet to meet. Teo who lost his mother and ability to walk then nearly his home because of the fire nation. Bato who had been burned so badly that his family had to leave him behind for at least a week. Haru who's father was locked away by the fire nation until he had no hope left. Iroh, crying over the makeshift memorial of Lu-Ten in Ba-Sing-Se. Zuko. What sort of father could do that to his own son? "Blasphemy?" I snarled, pulling myself to my full height. I was shorter then Zuko but at that moment I didn't care. I looked at him straight on, green eyes to gold. "Blasphemy?" I repeated again. "Is it blasphemy to want a cruel dictator taken off the throne? Do you even know how much pain your so called father has inflicted? Because of him families have been torn apart, lives ripped to shreds. Some of those children will never see their parents again. And he hasn't just left the earth kingdom that way. Look at what he's done to his country. Heck, look at what he has done to his own family." That was a wrong step on my side. Zuko completely caught fire, it flickered and burned up his arms and almost to his shoulders.

"MY FATHER DID WHAT HE HAD TO BECAUSE I NEEDED A LESSON."

"YOUR FATHER BURNED YOU BECAUSE BECAUSE YOUR ARE TEN TIMES THE MAN HE EVER COULD DREAM OF BEING." I bellowed back, my voice unusually high. Zuko reeled like he had been shot, eyes wide.

"You are a kind, compassionate person Zuko." I said softly, "Your father saw that and recognized it as a threat. You would have stopped the entire war once you understood what was going on. You have the heart to be a good leader, one your people would love. If your father had let you stay and remain the way you were then his own people would rise up against him and give you the crown. Besides Iroh, you are the only one in the royal family deserving of the peoples love." Zuko stared at me, mouth slack. He didn't seem to know what to say. We were silent for a long time. Finally Zuko croaked out, his voice suddenly hoarse.

"How…why....what… who are you?" I laughed gently and replied.

"I'm a kind spirit who guides the mistreated to new heights. I shrugged and allowed myself to relax . Zuko didn't, instead he suddenly stood erect and looked at me with huge eyes.

"What?" I asked, confused. Why was he looking at me like that?

"Nothing," he replied, a little too quickly. He looked so lost all of a sudden, like his armour was to big for him. I paused then looked back to the village. I could smell smoke. Stiffening I looked at Zuko.

"Your men are burning down the village. I need to go, my friends are probably leaving soon anyways. If you want, call for the avatar. Aang will fight you and you can keep on this wild goose chase or… I'll leave that to you. Still if you change your mind, you know where I'll be." I turned to leave when Zuko asked for something I never expected from him.

"What's your name again?"

"Wrathos" I feel for the water in the sky and make it rain with no movement so it looks like it happened naturally. Then I left him alone to his thoughts.

Zuko

*Zuko POV*

"Long Live Fire Lord Zuko." I stared at the strange spirit. He was the same one who had humiliated me at the South Pole. I would recognize the peasant anywhere and once again he was mocking me. I felt my internal fire ignite, adding to my anger. The spirit sprinted away, adding salt to the wound. he was a coward, unwilling to even face the one he insulted. I snarled and began pushing my way through the group of little girls. The rhino was taking to long, at this rate I'd lose him. I jumped off pushing through the crowd, occasionally shooting a blast of fire at the girls in green. I felt my frustration spike as another girl attacked me. With a cry of rage I pushed her backwards into a house. She slammed against the wall with a resounding crack, her green and gold headpiece falling off. There was a shout of anger and other girl in green, this one with a vaguely similar hairstyle charged up to me. I knocked her aside, ignoring her panicked cries.

I followed the spirit behind a row of wooden houses. There he turned and looked at me. I shot my fist out, I knew it wont hit but I didnt care it pleased my rage. Sending an intense stream of fire at his head. He would pay for insulting me. He dropped to the ground unlike like before. Then he looked up, his eyes blazing with a green flame. "What did you not like your fortune?" he mocked.

"You dare mock me?" I shouted back. I didn't care about whether or not he got injured. His words were not going to be tolerated. He was throwing my banishment back in my face, mocking me. "I'm not making fun of you," he replied "You are the next fire lord." How could he say something so stupid and impossible? How would I, a banished prince with no honour ever become fire lord. It wouldn't happen, not without the avatar in chains on my boat.

"I'm banished, I won't become Fire Lord unless I capture the avatar." I glared at him. He didn't react to my look. Instead he seemed to be assessing me, looking for my week points perhaps. Good luck. I snorted. He looked up to met my eyes. He seemed to have calmed down somewhat.

"That's one of your options of many I suggest finding your own path ," he replied. One of my options, it was my only option. Also dont give me that path crap I got enough from uncle. Zhao's words echoed in my head, 'you're just a banished prince. Your own father doesn't even want you.'

"another," he continued catching my attention, "is showing your people that you fight for them, show them that you would be a better leader then Ozai, then overthrow him." I froze. he was suggesting I overthrow my father, did he know what he was saying? No one in the fire nation would ever accept my rule if I overthrew my father. I would be assassinated before I could even accept the crown. "Blasphemy." I snarled. How could I overthrow my father. He had done what he had to. Punish his only son so that he could learn from his mistake. My father was all powerful in the fire nation, no one would ever challenge his word there. It was exactly what I had said, blasphemy. My hands caught on fire. I needed to show this ignorant spirit that he knew nothing of Agni and her people.

Blasphemy?" he snarled, lips curling over his teeth like some feral animal pulling himself to his full height. If he was attempting to intimidate me it wasn't bad. He looked at me straight on, green blazing eyes meting my gold ones.

"Blasphemy?" he repeated again before starting in on me, taking several steps forward unconsciously.

"Is it blasphemy to want a cruel dictator taken off the throne? Do you even know how much pain your so called father has inflicted? Because of him, families have been torn apart, lives ripped to shreds." he threw her arm out, as if gesturing to the entire island we were standing upon.

"Some of those children will never see their parents again. And he hasn't just left the earth kingdom that way. Look at what he's done to his country. Heck, look at what he has done to his own family." Look what he has done to his own family. This spirit knew something, something about the royal family that no one else but nobles knew. But he was wrong. My father had done nothing to hurt his country, he loved the fire nation.

"MY FATHER DID WHAT HE HAD TO BECAUSE I NEEDED TO LEARN A LESSON."

"YOUR FATHER BURNED YOU BECAUSE BECAUSE YOUR ARE TEN TIMES THE MAN HE EVER COULD DREAM OF BEING." I reeled back, stunned. This strange spirit, this thing should have stayed where it came from. However its information it knew is disturbing. It not only knew it was my father who burned me, but also believed that I was better then him. His voice rang in my ears. Ten times the man he ever could dream of being. Ten times the man he ever could dream of being. I was snapped out of my train of thought by him once again. This time his voice soft and low. "You are a kind, compassionate person Zuko. your father saw that and recognized it as a threat. You would have stopped the entire war once you understood what was going on." There was no way he honestly believed that. Why did he think so highly of me. What he see that I didn't?

"You have the heart to be a good leader," he continued, "one your people would love. If your father had let you stay and remain the way you were then his own people would rise up against him and give you the crown. Besides Iroh, you are the only one in the royal family deserving of the peoples love." I had the heart of a good leader? Who was this spirit? How did he know me? What did he now about me? All those questions and more swirled around my head. I needed to know.

"How… what… who are you?" I stuttered all the questions trying to escape at once, leaving my voice hoarse and giving me a large stutter.

he smiled coyly as though he knew something I didn't, which he must otherwise he wouldn't have been able to hang it over my head. Otherwise he wouldn't know me so well.

"I'm a kind spirit who guides mistreated people to new hights." the way he said it with burning conviction in his voice made me wonder.Yet… it hit me like a blot of lighting. He wasn't bold brute or brash like the earth kingdom, he wasn't dark enough to be water tribe and the air benders were extinct. That only left one nation as his homeland. Fire nation.This spirit was once fire nation. It was the only answer that made sense, the fact he looked like he belonged to one of the higher classes of the earth kingdom wasn't that unusual, it was exceptionally common in the colonies or in the poorer parts of my homeland. Our homeland technically.Also the way he talked about the firenation, no other nation citizens in hundreds of years would say anything like that.

"What?" The he asked, looking confused. Had he not meant to give the hint or was I dong something strange? I shook myself out of my stupor.

"Nothing," I blurted, suddenly not wanting to disappoint him. He was from my homeland and he believed I would be a better Fire Lord then my father.Maybe he watched me in the spirit world all this time somehow. Part of me, a part that spoke in Azula's voice whispered that he was delusional. I ignored it. I wanted to believe that he honestly believed in me. I wasn't sure why but it felt… nice. The boy looked up and closed his eyes. I wasn't sure what he was doing until he turned back to me.

"Your men are burning down the village. I need to go, my friends are probably leaving soon anyways. If you want, call for the avatar. Aang will fight you and you can keep on this wild goose chase or… I'll leave that to you. Still if you change your mind, you know where I'll be." he turned away when it occurred to me, I didn't know something that was very important.

"What's your name?"

"Wrathos." he smiled then ran off. I stayed still for a moment before hurtling back into the battle.As I was running the clouds were gathering and it started to rain. Running to my men I searched the skies. There, the bison with the brown arrow was taking off. On its back was the familiar forms of the avatar and his water tribe peasant friend. Wratho's and the water tribe boy weren't there.

*My POV*

I slipped out from behind the houses. Somehow the Kyoshi warriors were holding the fire soldiers off fairly well. Could it be possible that Zuko was the best trained on his ship besides Iroh? That didn't make sense but it was beginning to look that way. Maybe me sparing with then improved them this much.....no.Than again, the Kyoshi warriors were fighting with a ferocity I had never seen from them before. I didn't have a chance to wonder why because I heard Sokka call my name.

"Wrathos!" I turned, a smile on my face only for it to freeze there. Sokka was crouched next to a wooden building, one of the few that wasn't burning at all. Beside him was Suki, but he wasn't kissing him, she wasn't moving at all. Her head lolled to the side, unconscious and her left leg was bent at an angle that shouldn't exist on a human body. I felt sick. Suki, sweet, kind, Suki was badly injured. I tore over to Sokka, taking a spot beside him. First things first.

"Is she breathing?" Sokka nodded, I noticed his hands were shaking as he supported her head. I worried for a moment that her neck was broken but it didn't look that way, not that I knew everything. I had gone through basic training for it in the acedemy.

I then dug into my pocket and pulled out a scroll poof in then looked through my medicbag (Maybe it was because he though it was a magic trick or the urgency and didnt pay it any mind), pulling out a pair of rods and white cloth strips.

"You," I snapped at Sokka, "grab her leg here, firmly." Sokka did as i asked, wrapping his hands above the break. I then grabbed on her side of the break and with a sickening sound set the leg back into a normal position. Quickly I took both rods and wrapped the linen cloths around the rods and Suki's leg. Once that was completely wrapped up i took a small container, uncorked it and waved it under Suki's nose. The leader of the Kyoshi warriors woke slowly. She seemed a little out of it, her head lolling to the side as she nearly fell asleep again. I cursed. beside me

"What's wrong?" sokka asked.

"She's hit her head and get a concussion and sleeping can cause a coma." i replied tersely, "if she falls asleep she may never wake up." I started, looking at Suki in shock. Well this might cost me in the future, but I dont want to cause a bigger butterfly effect.I started applying timelord energy into her head. "What is that"

I replied "Lots of spiritual energy it will cost me dearly, but will heal her to better then full health." I noticed Sokka waving the smelling salts under Suki's nose to keep her awake. Suki responded quickly, whispering something that only Sokka could hear. Sokka replied, equally as quiet. I left the two to their private conversation and instead turned to focus on the village around us. Zuko's soldiers were gone, only the blackened fire damage and injured Kyoshi warriors that said they had been here.

"Is Suki going to be okay?" Kai asked, looking worriedly at her leader who was still softly conversing with Sokka who suddenly seemed very bashful. Had I missed something?

"Yes she will make a full recovery but it cost me more then I thought. I won't be able to continue my journey with the avatar , for I'll need to go back to the spirit world sooner now. At most I can continue on a few more adventures, but not for more then 5 months at best." I walk off not saying another word.

It began to downpour rain hard. I mitigated the rain around me. As the heavy downpour struck all at once drenching everyone. I noticed that the fires were out. Still it did the trick and by the time the water stopped all the fires were definitely out.(that will cause a drought for a while)

I turned to see Aang running up to me.

"Where's Sokka? We got to go."

"He's with Suki," I quickly explained, "she was hurt in the battle pretty badly." Aang's expression went from worried, to that of a kicked puppy. I didn't have time to wonder why.

"Will she be okay?" He asked. I nodded.

"She'll be fine, now we need to go right?" Aang nodded so I turned back and called to Sokka. The water tribe warrior looked up and hurried over. Aang gestured to us and we followed him quickly to where Appa stood near the wooden statue of Kyoshi. Sokka and I clambered up along with Aang.

"Yip yip!" Aang cried and we took off. As we flew I looked over Appa's back to stare into the water. I caught myself smiling at the sight of Zuko's ship. I was sure I had started to make a difference and from now on.