Sighing deeply, Zuko sat alone by the turtle duck pond that he and his mother had sat by together two years ago this day. “I’m taller then I had been back then,”Zuko spoke softly to no one.

Forced to grow up quicker then normal after the loss of his mother and his fathers surprising ascension to Fire Lord, Zuko could no longer be considered the child he’d been. His father expected even more from him now considering that he was now the son of the Fire Lord thus Zuko had to be stronger all the time for all his actions now reflected back on the Fire Lord.

“Of course Azula had no problem showing how strong she was. Everyday she grows in more and more favor with  father, to the Fire Lord, Azula is the Fire of the Fire nation and I am nothing but the smoke.”

“Quack!” startled out of his dark thoughts Zuko nearly jumped to his feet when the mother turtle duck came swimming up near him with her babies swimming along behind her. Staring angrily after them Zuko picked up a handful of stones and readied to toss them. “Stupid turtle duck!” He shouted, and then suddenly stopping with his arm poised in the air and a shocked expression on his face as terrible thoughts and feeling came flooding into his mind.

“Thoughts and feelings he had been trying to suppress for two years now!”

The stones he had been holding slipped from his hand while Zuko fell forward on his hands and knee’s clenching his teeth in rage.

“But my rage isn’t do to the turtle ducks,”Zuko said in realization. It was do to the fact that he was trying to suppress this sadness deep within him a sadness he never wanted to let surface. “So why is it trying to surface now?”

“These feelings of abandonment and loss and sadness just won’t leave me alone! Why? Why can’t I just forget?” Zuko clutched the side’s of his head and began to grind his teeth together. “I will not cry! I will not cry over her any more!” Images of his mother began to flow into his mind. “NO I don’t want to see her! She abandoned me I needed her and she left me.....alone.” Tears were know streaming down Zuko’s face, he glanced at himself in his reflection from the pond and upon seeing himself crying he quickly hid his face in his hands.

“Still crying over mom are we Zu Zu?” Azula said as she appeared from behind the tree with that sick smirk of her’s. Jumping quickly to his feet Zuko turned around to face her hastily trying to wipe the tears from his face.

“Azula what are you doing here?” Zuko demanded.

“What I can’t come to see my one and only dearest brother.” Azula replied giving Zuko a sweet false smile.

“Ha ha very funny Azula now what are you really doing here?”
“Fine if you’re going to be so mean I guess I’ll tell you. I came over here cause once again I saw you sniffling and whining over the fact that you killed mom.”  Azula said every word with and emotionless tone.

“Stop saying that I did not kill mom!” Zuko let one foot step forward and he clenched his fists at his sides. It looked like he was preparing to fight.

“Come now Zu Zu stop denying it, you know mom died to save you because dad was going to have you killed.”

“That’s a lie Dad loves me he would have never ordered me to be killed.” Zuko responded, although he didn’t sound to sure when he said it.

“Is it? Is it really a lie, we know that in order for father to claim the throne before Iroh, Grandpa said father needed to feel the pain of losing a first born son. Of course since you are the first born son he could have only meant you when he made that statement, so in order to preserve the fire nation dad was going to have you killed so he could have the throne instead of that twit Iroh. That night when I came and told you you’re duty to die for our Father you went into a panic and got our dear departed mother involved knowing that she would never allow you to die. So in she went and pleaded with the Fire lord to take her life instead of your’s. Thus making you responsible for her death for if you had just excepted the fact that father was going to have you killed in the name of the fire nation, mom would still be alive.” Azula statement was all spoken in a very matter of fact tone but to zuko it cut into him as if she had been throwing daggers with each word.

“I never meant to get mom involved and I never thought she’d go and die for me.It can’t be my fault...can it?”

             Azula answered him. “Yes it can be your fault and it is your fault so all this pain and misery you’re feeling you can only blame on yourself.” Zuko stepped back from his sister and let his hands unclench at his sides. He did not let himself look up at Azula but instead stared down at the grass. He would not give her the satisfaction of seeing how bad her words had hurt him.

“Truth hurts doesn’t it Zu Zu.” Azula smiled her disturbing smile of being satisfied. Satisfied that she had caused Zuko pain. “Well if you’re just going to stand there like a tree stump and not say anything in you’re defense I’m going to go practice my new fire bending moves. Moves that you’ll never be able to master even if you practiced every hour of your miserable life, well ta ta Zu zu.” With that Azula finally left Zuko alone like he had been before. Up above thunder boomed from dark storm clouds and a strong wind began to blow yet Zuko just stood there unmoving, staring down his eyes cast in shadow.

“Azula always lies Azula always lies.” drops fell onto the grass that Zuko was staring at but it wasn’t the first rain drops. They were Zuko’s tears.