"Mari, wake up." Zuko shouted, shaking the girl's arm. She groaned opening her eyes slowly
"What is it." She mumbled, rubbing her tired eyes.
"Uncle wants to see you." Zuko smiled.
"Yeah yeah, give me a second." She said before lying back down.
Zuko chuckled before pulling out her clothes from her bag. "Get changed." He said before sitting down in the corner.
Mari sat up on her elbows eyeing the clothes.
Zuko gave her a confused look as to why she was taking so long. "Well? After all this time you're really going to keep him waiting."
"Well I can't change while you're in here."
"Oh my bad." He got up and walked out of the tent.
She rolled her eyes with a laugh before changing out of her sleep clothes.
"Okay I'm done." She said walking out of the tent.
"Come on." Zuko said enthusiastically grabbing her arm and leading her to Iroh's tent.
As Zuko opened the tent flap, Iroh's familiar scent of vanilla and jasmine tea flooded her senses making her smile.
The elderly man turned around and smiled. "Ah Mari, It's good to see you again." He said hugging the girl.
"It's good to see you too, Iroh. How are you doing?"
"I've been good here. I'm glad you're around to keep young Prince Zuko out of trouble."
"Please Uncle, she gets into enough herself." Zuko said from the front of the tent.
The three chuckled, finally reunited after so long.
"Come now, let us go eat with the others."
"Uncle, you're the only person besides the Avatar who could possibly defeat the Father Lord." Zuko said eating his breakfast.
"You mean the Fire Lord." Toph corrected.
"That's what I just said. We need you to come with us." Zuko said, turning his attention from Toph to his Uncle.
"No Zuko. It won't turn out well." Iroh warned.
"You can beat him and we'll be there to help."
"Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don't know that I could, it would be the wrong way to end the war. History would see it as more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother to gain power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord." Iroh said wisely.
"And then, would you come and take your rightful place on the throne?" Zuko asked.
"No. Someone new must take the throne, an idealist with true heart and unquestionable honor. It has to be you, Prince Zuko."
"Unquestionable honor? But I've made so many mistakes."
"Yes you have." His Uncle continued. "You struggled and suffered, but you have always followed your own path. You restored your own honor, and only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation."
"I'll try, Uncle." Zuko nodded.
"Well what if Aang doesn't come back?" Toph asked.
"Sozin's Comet is arriving and our destinies are upon us. Aang will face the Fire Lord. When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now I see my destiny is to take it back from the Fire Nation, so the Earth Kingdom can be free again."
"That's why you gathered the members of the White Lotus." Mari pointed out.
"Yes, Mari. Zuko you must return to the Fire Nation, so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. But Azula will be waiting there for you."
"I can handle Azula."
"Not alone, you will need help."
"You're right, Mari?" Zuko said looking up at her.
"Take Katara instead. Not only is she strong, but Azula's lightning is lethal, if anything goes wrong, she may be able to use her healing abilities to help." Mari suggested.
"You both go with Zuko, three against one will better your odds." Iroh said.
The three of them nodded.
"What about us, what's out destiny today?" Sokka asked.
"What do you think it is?" Iroh replied.
"I think that even though we don't know where Aang is, we need to do everything we can to stop the airship fleet." Sokka said.
"And that means, when Aang does face the Fire Lord, we'll be right there, if he needs us." Toph smiled.
Later that day, Sokka, Toph and Suki took an eel hound to the airship tower to intercept the fleets, while Katara, Zuko and Mari prepared to take Appa to the palace.
"So if I'm going to be Fire Lord after this is over, what will you do?" Zuko asked his Uncle.
"After I reconquer Ba Sing Se, I am going to reconquer my teashop and I'm going to play Pai Sho every day!"
The three on Appa looked over to the three on the eel hound and nodded their silent goodbyes before heading off to the war that lie ahead.
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𝙄𝙉 𝙀𝙓𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙉𝙂𝙀 ⤁ prince zuko
Fanfictionafter three years living on her own, young earthbender, mari meets a banashed prince determined to regain his honor in the fire nation. making a deal with the prince, she must help him find the avatar in exchange for his help in finding her mother w...
