Zuko paled. He couldn't help but look at Katara as she looked at him, they both looked terrified.

"They knew," sokka stated realizing.

"It's over, the fire lord is probably long gone," Aang kept his head down ashamed that he failed.

"No," Zuko gulped. "He wouldn't go to far,"

"Zukos right, my instincts tell me he wouldn't go to far, he could have a secret bunker, somewhere safe during an invasion but close to lead his nation," Sokka put a hand on his chin thinking.

"If it's an underground bunker you're looking for in your girl," Toph finally spoke knowing she would be the best.

"The mechanist gave me this timing device, it looks like we have about ten minutes until the full eclipse, ten minutes to find the fire lord," Sokka told them.

"We can still do this, we can still win," Aang smiled knowing it wasn't over.

"Wait if they knew we were coming it could all be a trap, maybe we should use the time we have left to make sure we all get out of here safely," katara stopped them from going to far.

"Everyone who is here today came prepared to risk their life for this mission, they know what's at stake, if there is still a chance and there's still hope I think they'd want Aang to go for it," Hakoda cut in seeing Sokka indecisive.

"What do you think? You're the one that has to face him," Sokka turned to Aang. "What ever you decide I'm with you,"

"I've got to try," Aang told them seriously.

"Take appa and go, you don't have much time," katara nodded as they needed to get a move on.

Toph, Sokka and Aang quickly flew off as they left the troops. Katara sighed and stood to keep fighting.

"Zuko can you-" she turned but he wasn't there.

"Zuko?" She looked around confused. He was gone?

-

Zuko panted as he ran as fast as he could through the woods, they wouldn't make it, there was only so many places the fire lord would be. Maybe he'd be in the bunker but his father was smart.

Zuko stopped catching his breath as he stood at the edge of the valley where a cave was. He lit a flame in his palm and walked into the cave quickly. He soon saw torches that began to light the cave and saw the small door where the bunker would be. There was multiple entrances and exists.

His rage bubbling up as he clenched his fists tightly, Zuko let out a yell and kicked the door with a powerful blast of fire to have the door swing open.

A crowd of soldiers stood surprised seeing an intruder but Zuko was faster to take them out without a second thought.

He slammed the last one against the metal door with a gold frame and let the soldier fall with the others. He inhaled a deep breath collecting himself. There was only one person they'd be protecting.

Zuko opened the door and looked ahead.

There sat Ozai with other soldiers at his side while he was drinking a cup of tea.

"Prince Zuko?" A condescending voice hummed surprised noticing the boy.

"I was not expecting to see you today," Ozai set his cup on the tray and a servant came to take it away.

Zuko felt a heat leave his heart that only could mean the eclipse had started.

"Why are You here? You know your a wanted criminal by the fire nation," Ozai tilted his head to the side. Zuko could feel his father's eyes staring at the scar on his face. The mark he left last time they saw each other.

"We both know why I must be here," zuko finally spoke.

"The first time we've reunited after three years, and during an eclipse, this should be interesting," Ozai grinned a little.

He waved off the guards and the two were left alone.

"Are you apart of this little invasion?" Ozai asked with a sigh as if he was bored.

"I am, and not only that I am right next to the avatar who's alive," zuko nodded firmly.

Ozais face dropped from cockiness to disturbance. He didn't know.

"Get out!" Ozai barked. "Get out of my sight if you know what's good for you,"

"No, you don't get to order me around, I'm not a prince and I am not a child," Zuko snarled back.

"You will obey me or this defiant breath will be your last!" The fire lord raised his voice. Zuko grabbed his blade and held it at his father.

"I'm a wanted criminal, I obey nobody," Zuko taunted.

"I am going to speak and you will listen or I will slaughter you here and now!" Zuko barked back taking a step forward. Ozai looked at him but sat down slowly.

"Alright, speak boy," Ozai hissed glaring.

"For so long I have been wanting to make this nation proud, to make you proud, to feel worthy of some sort, and for the past three years I have shed blood, sweat and tears, burying our soldiers, burying my friends for you, our great and mighty fire lord who has sacrificed others for your personal greed and power," Zuko spat as he finally spoke freely.

"Our mighty fire lord, my father, I thought I had to redeem myself and my honor, to fight and one day die for you on enemy land. You, my father, who banished me to be a soldier, for what? Taking out of turn! You, my father, who challenged a thirteen year old boy to an Agni kai, how can you possibly justify a dual with a child?" Zuko pointed his blade again with anger.

"It was to teach you respect-" "I was cruel!" Zuko didn't let him finish his justification.

"It was cruel and it was wrong," he frowned in disgust.

"Then you have learned nothing," Ozai scoffed.

"I have learned everything!" Zuko raised his voice again with the anger that has built up.

"I've been out there in the world! I have seen this war up close and ugly, both sides, I've lost brothers that have truly cared for my life, I have seen mothers lose their sons and husbands, I have seen it all, and it is truly pointless, this war will have no end because of your selfishness," he shook his head.

"As long as I can remember I have been taught that the fire nation is the greatest civilization in history, and somehow the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world, what an amazing lie that is," Zuko scoffed at the irony of that tale.

"The people of the world are terrified of us, they don't see us as great, they hate us! And we deserve it,"

"We have created an era of fear in the world, and if we don't want the world to destroy itself we need to replace it, with peace and kindness," zukos voice softened at the idea of the world in harmony again.

Ozai laughed.

"I guess you're more like your uncle than I thought," Ozai chuckled.

"I guess I am," Zuko agreed.

"Maybe I should treat you more like that traitor,"

Zuko looked at him not understanding. What could he mean...

"Where is uncle?" Zuko couldn't help but ask.

"Well he just loved the sweet letters you wrote, we decided he may like them more in prison," Ozai hummed satisfied, seeing zukos eyes widen.

"What?" He whispered.

"I don't know how many have been sent between you two but it's enough to know that he was plotting my downfall, that's a serious crime you know," ozai chuckled seeing the devastation on the boys face.

"I-I never sent him letters about the invasion," zuko shook his head.

"No you didn't, but to help you on your journey with his words of wisdom, it almost seemed like he was preparing to dethrone me and have you take the throne, I felt threatened I guess, so I threw him in a cell to rot," he shrugged a little.

"Where is uncle?!" Zuko snapped.

"Far from here, you'll never find him," ozai smirked.

Zuko growled but knew it was a way for Ozai to get him to attack first, he didn't trust his father to not have any tricks.

"So now with your mother dead and your uncle on his way to death, where will you go little soldier boy?" Ozai mocked his son.

"My mother? She... she was only banished, she's not dead," Zuko gulped.

"Nuh uh uh," Ozai wagged a finger.

"She was suppose to be banished, but some of us felt that was to merciful, I mean she killed my father, an eye for an eye, a life for a life,"

Zuko stared at him, trying to find any hint of him lying. But Ozai was calm and confident in his words.

"What happened that night?" Zuko asked.

"Fire lord azlon commanded me to kill you, to feel the pain of losing a son like your uncle, and I was going to do it.. but your mother found out and would protect you at any cost, so she proposed a plan, one so I would become fire lord and you would be spared, so she killed your grandfather,"Ozai explained to him as he stood.

"How do you know she's dead?" Zuko rasped.

"I was given her head on a gold platter, she was on her way out but someone found her body mangled by 'wild animals' or so I'm told," Ozai smiled wickedly, it was obvious he sent the order to have her killed.

"I was given her head to confirm it was her corpse, and threw her body out to the sea to have, lost in the ocean," he chuckled.

Zuko couldn't help but feel a single tear run down his face.

"Your lying... she was your wife!" Zuko cried out.

"She was just a object for my success, she was a beauty by my side, but her love for you and your sister was sickening, she was weak and had to go," ozai didn't seem bothered and shrugged it off.

"Who delivered her to you?" Zuko dared to ask.

"Commander Xai, he offered to bury her but I thought it would be a waste," Ozai closed his eyes smirking. Zuko clenched his jaw horrified.

The heat returned in their hearts. The eclipse was over.

Zuko gasped when he saw lightening form at ozais fingers and was directed at him. Not a moment to spare as he caught the lightening in his own fingertips. His body felt like it was floating yet being weight down at the same time as he held the lightening not letting it near his heart.

Ozais face dropped as he saw his son's stance of his bending and looked back at him with hate. Zuko did his best to point back at his father but the lightening went flying out of his grip and hit the wall behind Ozai and sent the two flying from impact.

Zuko gasped for a breath as his father had his bending back. He had to escape, he couldn't face him now. Not now. Not after learning everything.

He scrambled up to his feet and sprinted out of the bunker and back to where he came from the cave.

Hearing his father's screams and cusses echoing behind him, Zuko kept running as he choked on his own demise. He failed to the world.

The fire lord will live to see tomorrow.

Zuko ran out of the cave as he could see the field ahead, the end of the valley.

He dropped to his knees as a scream ripped out of his throat.

Zuko slammed his fists on the ground as he screamed and screamed till his voice was raw.

He covered his face as he kept his head down in shame. His mother was truly dead. His uncle was never to be seen again for all he knew. Xai, the troops. Lee.

Zuko couldn't explain how he felt, disgust of his own flesh and blood, terror of facing people again, resentment of the world. It was the worst feeling to describe. There was grief for his poor mother, his loving uncle. He lost his mother again with no hope to ever see her.

A few tears dropped on the earth below him. His body trembled as he forced himself to stand.

He had to go back. They would be retreating. Aang would be back.

He had to go back to his friends.

Zuko wiped his face and started to make his way back to the invasion. He picked up the pace til he was running, he would run till his lungs burned and his legs gave out, he deserved it.

Katara was helping her father as they were outside the palace city with no soldiers around. It was to quiet.

She looked over her shoulder seeing a blur in the corner of her eye. She saw Zuko returning from wherever he was coming from.

"Zuko!?" Katara gasped and immediately started to run towards him.

Zuko ran straight into her as they hugged each other relieved they were okay, Zuko buried his face in her shoulder and hugged her tighter than he'd ever hugged anyone. Katara could feel his heart rapidly beating and his body shaking. She held him close not sure what he just went through.

"You ran away," she whispered.

"Aang didn't do it, we lost," Zuko breathed and she looked just as afraid now.

"Did you.. did you find him?" Katara pulled away to look him in the eyes. Zuko nodded.

"I failed," he had another tear run down his face. He couldn't be strong to pretend he didn't hear what he did.

Katara wiped away the tear and knew this was a conversation for later.

"It's okay, don't tell anyone, we'll make something up," Katara whispered reassuringly, he nodded still shaking from adrenaline but Katara grabbed his hands.

"You need to calm down, breathe," she told him worried people may notice them.

Katara looked above as something was in the sky that wasn't appa. It was the war balloons but so much bigger...

"We need to get back," Zuko saw them and pushed Katara ahead to go back as he was better than before.

"They're back," Jet pointed where appa was flying in.

"It was all a fucking trap!" Sokka yelled frustrated.

"Azula knew we were coming, she plotted out every move!" He jumped down with Toph.

Sokka froze as he stared at Zuko for a minute. Sudden tension on Sokkas face but he didn't say a word. Something else was up.

"We gotta get to the beaches as fast as we can, if we can make it to the subs maybe we can get away safely," he put his attention back to his sister and father.

"They've got air power but so do I, I'm going to do what I can to slow them down," aang opened his new glider and went back to the air before they lost any more time.

"Appa, you and I can help, Zuko I need you," katara climbed on the bison.

"Why Zuko?" Sokka narrowed his eyes.

"Our bending has a long range to attack from, yipp yipp," Katara took flight as Zuko was already on the back.

Sokka looked at Toph but she shook her head. He tsked a little but they had to keep moving to escape now.

"Everyone let's get back to the subs!" Sokka called out.