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I don’t own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

Day 1 – Zigzag

Fire Lord Zuko’s arms circled in the air for maybe the hundredth time that night on the training grounds. Hs fingertips left some sparks behind them, but when the two met and he shot his right arm forward…

BOOM!

With a lot of smoke and an explosion his body flew backwards in the air. He rolled on the ground twice or three times before he finally stopped with his face downwards. Unfortunately for his uncle – who happened to arrive in that moment – he remained on the ground fuming for some moments, making the old man run up to him – as much as his old bones let him. The last two years left their signs on both of them.

“Zuko!” The nineteen-year-old firebender gritted his teeth while raising his head then slammed one of his fists in the ground with small flames running around it before rising up, helped by his old uncle. “Are you all right? What happened? Why couldn’t you bend lightning…?”

“Because I can’t do it anymore!” The teen snapped, shaking off the old man’s hand from his shoulder.

Iroh gave his back a questioning look. “What do you mean by that?”

His nephew heaved a sigh. He lowered his head but did not turn back to look at him. “It’s gone. And I don’t know why…” The young fire lord murmured before Iroh stepped beside him, but even now he brought his gaze away from his uncle. The funny thing was that whenever his nephew lied, he did the same…

“I see,” The Dragon of the West put his hands in his sleeves with a small nod. “And since when have you faced this problem?”

Zuko couldn’t help frowning because his uncle managed to ask this question as if he had meant something entirely different… but he shrugged that thought away before answering. “I could not create a single lightning for a month now.”

Iroh nodded in thought. “So since you broke up with Mai?”

“That was at least a week before it!” Zuko almost yelled, but restrained himself, going on in a lower voice. “That has nothing to do with it.” There was a moment of silence but as Iroh did not say anything, he added with only a whisper. “Since I’ve talked with Azula…”

His uncle started coughing before turning him in his place with disbelief all over his face. “You did what?!”

Zuko raised his hands while trying to calm Iroh down. “Look, it is ok. I’ve talked with her from time to time since she’s in that cell… she means no harm without her bending.”

“She would still love to see you dead, did you forget that?”

The boy only let a sad half-smile come to his lips. “No, I didn’t.”

Retired General Iroh let out a deep breath as he bowed his head behind him. “What did she say to you?” His nephew’s gaze wandered up at the night sky. The moon and the stars were just as beautiful as that night…

-- FLASHBACK --

The huge metal doors closed behind him when he stopped at the edge of the red carpet. Right before him, in the middle of at least a dozen pillows – all different shades of red – knelt a girl. With lowered head, her slim fingers massaging her temples, Princess Azula murmured seemingly ahead of her. “It’s been a month already…? You always come with this headache.”

“Hi Azula.” Zuko said before sitting at the edge of the carpet. “How are you?”

The princess slowly raised up her head her hair flowing around her face and her golden eyes, which used to flare once whenever he had appeared, carried a calm, almost happy look. “How does a bird feel in a cage?”

The young fire lord lowered his gaze, but it only made his sister laugh out lightly. “You look miserable today… it’s a refreshing sight.” She grinned, but as he did not give her a glare as she hoped so, her lips formed a pout.

“We broke up.”

Azula looked at him with a raised brow, but then a smile appeared on her face as she sat up. “I knew it…”

This time he looked up at her at once. “Was Mai here?”

“No.” His sister leaned backwards, holding a red silk pillow in her arms. “Let’s just say after that prison incident she did not exactly miss me.”

Zuko frowned hardly at her. “Then how…?”

Her laugh silenced him. Azula sat up, placing the pillow in her lap with a smirk. “So you seriously don’t know?” He only blinked at her, and her golden eyes filled with a smile. “Gods Zuzu, you’re such an idiot.”

“What are you implying, damn it?!” He snapped which made her slightly shake her head.

“Do you remember what you told me the last time, about the avatar and that water girl?” Azula asked with an eyebrow up, gaining a nod from her brother. “That they visited you together, and how strange she had been around you?” Her gaze turned upwards for a moment. “The first thing I told you was that I was surprised that they got together at all…”

“What does this have to do with me and Mai?” He started, but she leaned forward with a smirk.

“Tell me, why did you break up?”

“It… didn’t work out actually.” He answered lowly but he still did not get where she headed with these questions… maybe her mind was still not completely clear. “We’ve become distant; maybe we’ve been apart for too long, I don’t know…”

“Oh Zuzu, there is a more obvious reason to this.” Azula seemed rather happy. “You did not love her.”

“You are wrong! I did love her.” He said sharply, but she only shrugged.

“You loved when she kissed you. That’s a big difference…”

“What would you know about love?” Zuko asked coldly. “You’ve never loved anyone except yourself!”

Azula’s eyes narrowed, but she did not retort anything. She crossed her arms before her while the edge of her lips curled upwards again. “Do you remember that day, our last fight?” Her eyes showed a glint of her once fearful cold fire as she started speaking while holding his gaze. “You did not win, it was her who won after you fall…”

Zuko’s expressions darkened. He got to his feet and spoke while the dark red robes around him fall back to place. “I’m not going to listen to this.” He said before turned to leave. “Good-bye…”

“Why do you think I aimed at her?” Her voice made him froze in mid-move. He only peeked back at her from the corner of his scarred eye. And now she was wearing that evil smile again… “Not in my wildest dreams have I expected that you’ll jump before her like that…”

“Azula, stop.” He said, but his voice did not sound as strong as he wanted it to. As if something inside him wanted to hear what she has to say.

“You were still shaking on the ground, but you were reaching out towards her while she tried to avoid my flames…”

“I said stop it!” He yelled, but the girl on the ground did not even move a muscle.

“Remember her eyes? How did they fill with tears because of such a pathetic fool like you?” Azula let out a laugh again, but this sounded more like the crazed ones he heard from her at the beginning. He felt a pang of guilt and pity for his sister now.

“Azula, please…” He stepped towards her, but she still went on making him stop.

“The poor girl… that little peasant…” The princess chuckled. “She was so lost, so sad when I told her how much Mai loved you…” Zuko’s fingers formed fists by his sides. “And how much you loved her!”

Was that the reason why she avoided me back then? He clenched his jaw. And how Mai appeared so soon?

“She ran straight into the avatar’s opened arms to forget you! How couldn’t you see it?” Her cold laugh suddenly made him shiver. He retreated from her form, turning on his heels to get out of that room. Away from her treacherous thoughts and teasing voice… “And now it’s too late!” Azula always lies… His hands banged on the metal door, signing the guards to open it.

The two guards either swallowed or stepped back when they have looked in Princess Azula’s cold golden eyes. “Sweet dreams, brother! See you next month...”

As the double doors started closing, her laughter rang through the corridors behind him and he had to force himself not to push his hands above his ears.

-- NOW --

“Zuko,” His uncle’s voice made him snap out of his thoughts. “What did she say to you?”

The young bender’s gaze only slowly left his uncle’s worried one. “Nothing…” He said with only a whisper, but before Iroh could have reached out for him, he already returned to his bending moves, this time only making fire appear around him. His uncle knew that he could have gotten to him through the flames anyway, but when he had been like this it was better to leave him to his thoughts. He was not that young boy anymore who he taught the basics of firebending. He had been Fire Lord for two years now, and did not need the proverbs of an old tea-maker any longer…

“General Iroh?” A voice sounded from behind him, and the old man heaved a sigh. Retired. Retired General. When he turned back, he saw a young guard standing behind him, who now straightened up even more, taking off his helmet with unsure moves to salute him, which made Iroh slightly smile. “T-there is an ambassador, asking for permission to talk with the fire lord!”

The Dragon of the West leaned closer to the guard signing him to answer lowly. “Who is it?” When he heard the name, his smile returned. “Lead her in…”

Zuko’s flames whirled around him while his arms circled in the air. The original red and yellow fire mixed with shade of pink and purple ones as he felt sweat ran down his neck and back, between his shoulder blades while his mind raced back in time because of the memories Azula whirled inside him. He remembered what people said about them… him and Mai…

The perfect royal pair… full of grace and elegance.
Did you hear that they had a childhood crush? - Oh, that’s so romantic…!
Aren’t they the best couple you’ve seen…?

Why did he not see the same before? Why couldn’t he feel as happy as he was expected to?

Of course, there had been gossips about his friends too. Avatar Aang and his Lady Katara…
They are so sweet and innocent…
He saved her many times. – And he saved the whole world too! He’s a hero everyone loves… I so envy her!
Yes, they were meant to be together…!

Why did he not cheer for his friends as much as Mai did…? Why was that when a certain pair of blue eyes met his gaze, he did not see the same look like in Aang’s grey ones?

And what does it matter now?! He waved his arms with a last yell, letting the fire slowly perish in the air. He took deep breaths while looking down at his hands… then slowly his gaze reached the skin above his chest. Azula’s voice rang one last time in his ears: “She ran straight into the avatar’s opened arms to forget you! How couldn’t you see it?”

His breathing slowly evened as the heat left the air around him. A slight breeze caressed his tired body, but the question forming in his mind made it feel hard and cold. What are you going to do now?

He slowly straightened up. She’s with Aang now. And she is happy… there’s only one thing for me to do… His lips formed a sad smile as his gaze turned to the sky. “I will let you go…” He whispered.

Then his arms started circling in the air, and the sparks followed his fingertips through the motions without disappearing…

A slim figure stepped out from the shadows right in that moment as the lightning left Zuko’s fingers, zigzagging through the air. The loud thunder covered the low footsteps of her form before she got closer to him from behind… her tanned fingers removed the dark blue hood from her head, letting the moon’s light shine upon the blue pendant in her neck. “Fire Lord…”

When the firebender turned in his place, his smile slowly changed into a disbelieving expression. “You…?” His mouth stayed open until Katara stepped towards him.

“I have…” She started but she hesitantly stopped, averting her gaze. “Heard about Mai.” Zuko finally got over his surprise, closing his mouth as she went on. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you…” Her lips formed a smile, but he saw it was rather nervous than happy. “Maybe I should have told you a long time ago…”

“Where is Aang?” He blurted out. His voice came out hoarsely and somehow sounded alien from his own…

“He brought me here.” Zuko was about to look around, when her voice stopped him. “But he’s gone now.” The waterbender finally looked up at him, her soothing blue eyes locked with his golden ones for a long moment before she spoke again. “We are no longer together…”