Love Doesn't Come Easy

Chapter 2: Ghosts of the Past

Mizuki awoke from her sleep and got ready for today's traveling. She touched her amber pendant around her neck and smiled. A few weeks before Zuko's banishment he went with Iroh and her to the market. She was staring at an amber pendant and Zuko bought it and later placed the necklace around her neck. "Something to always remind you of me." He had said.

She packed up their things and started to brush Appa. It was the least she could do to help the newly formed Team Avatar. She was anxious to see Zuko though. Once there on the mainland of the Earth Kingdom she can leave them for the North Pole... or would she rather help Aang? "Morning." Aang said bright and cheery. "Good Morning Aang." She smiled at him.

~~~

They started their journey to the Southern Air Temple. Mizuki was casually bending water in the air into different shapes. "Soo can I ask you something Princess Mizuki?" Sokka asked. "Of course. Though I'd liked to be called Mizuki. Princess makes me seem above you three."

"Right... anyways, why did you become Prince Douche's consort?"

"I was maybe five or six when I was brought to Fire Lord Azulon. Just like legend he was dark and scary. I feared him but overtime I learned to adore Azulon. He had a good heart behind his cruelty. He himself once fell in love with a water bender so he pardoned my father. He claimed that I would be married into the family through Lu Ten, but when Lu Ten died during the Siege of Ba Sing Se I was to marry Zuko. He wasn't always so brooding and angry. He was a cheerful, bright, energetic kid with a heart of gold. I easily fell in love with him and waited everyday until the day we were sixteen to marry! I dreamed of our wedding..." her smile faded. "Then Zuko got banished after an Agni Kai with his father. His father burned his eye as a show of punishment for being weak. He had spoken out against the 41st division being used as fodder. They were new kids to the army. They were going to be slaughtered. So he spoke out and the rest is history. To regain his honor he had to capture the Avatar. I went with him because I promised myself to look after him. I promised Ursa, his mother, I would protect him. I already failed in that. I just couldn't stand it any longer. I haven't seen my mother in three years. She's been in the North Pole since the Agni Kai. She wrote frequently to me though. So at least I have that."

"Also what's with that necklace."

"Oh..." Mizuki blushed and touched the pendant. "Zuko bought it for me saying that it was something to remember him by. I remember going so red I was the color of my dress." She chuckled. "He's just misguided, lost, like most of us are in this war."

They reached the Southern Air Temple and Mizuki was shocked. The temple was old but it was beautiful nonetheless. She went off on her own to explore before making it to a big door. She saw Aang, Katara, and Sokka coming. "Oh there you are Zuki!"

"Zuki?" She echoed. "It's your nickname... if you don't like it-"

"I like it Aang." She smiled kindly at him. Aang opened the big door and inside was a bunch of Avatar Statues. She knew some of them from her own knowledge and sneaking into the Dragon Catacombs with Zuko. She looked at Avatar Roku and said, "You couldn't kill your best friend... it became your biggest regret. I don't know if I would have been able to do it either but duty to the world before relations..."

"How do you know it's Avatar Roku?" Katara asked. "Fire Lord Sozin's scrolls in the Dragon Catacombs. He wrote about how Roku was his best friend and later enemy. He wears the Crowned Prince Artifact given to him by Sozin. That artifact was lost when Roku died." Her heart dropped into her stomach.

~~~

They landed on Kyoshi Island as Aang wanted to ride the Elephant-Koi. She rolled her eyes as she watched Aang. "He's gonna get himself killed." Momo curled around her neck and she scratched behind the lemurs ear. Aang eventually flew into Sokka before getting changed. Then a bunch of green clad warriors captured them. They were tied to a wooden post. "Show yourselves cowards!" She heard Sokka say. Mizuki wanted to punch him but having been tied to a wooden pole she couldn't. She observed the warriors in front of them. "Where were the men that ambushed us?"

"There were no men!" One of the warriors said getting closer to them. "Forgive my brother, he can be an idiot sometimes."

"If that isn't the understatement of a year." Mizuki mumbled. "Oh your the Fire Prince's Consort! Why are you here?"

"I plan to return to my mother in the North Pole. The Avatar and his friends are traveling there to seek knowledge from a water bending master. I tagged along."

"You're not going to spy on us?" The mayor squinted his eyes are her. "No, I have no need to spy. I'm on your side."

"I highly doubt that."

"Then I shall leave first thing tomorrow with some supplies. I just really want to see my mom again."

"Her mother is Princess Akua of the Northern Water Tribe." Katara said with a small smile. "Impossible-"

"It's not. She married Admiral Kazan of the Fire Nation, they had me and my younger sister." Mizuki explained. "Oh and Aang's the Avatar." She added as an afterthought.

Luckily Aang airbended and got them out of that situation. True to her word she left Kyoshi Island and went to the mainland of the Earth Kingdom. She traveled a couple weeks by ostrich horse before getting a ferry to the North Pole. A few water benders stopped the ferry to check her identity before they allowed her inside the city. She observed the ice houses and felt at home here for some reason. She was then requested to see Chief Arnook. Her uncle. She walks up the steps to the ice palace with two guards behind her.

It was extremely different than the Fire Nation. Here everything was blue and white. She liked it. Inside the palace she saw her uncle, her cousin, her sister, and her mother. Akua's eyes sparkled seeing her daughter. She said nothing though.

"Princess Mizuki. You have returned home." Chief Arnook smiled. She smiled too. Arnook came down from his pedestal and hugged her. She hugged him back. She had very few memories with him but she still loved her uncle. Her mother and sister ran up to her and hugged her tightly. "Euna, Mom!" She hugged them back tightly. Her fourteen year old sister smiled at her brightly. "Where's Zuzu?"

"Oh... we.. had a bit of an argument and I asked Uncle if I could leave to come to the North Pole. It Zuko loves me he'll find me." Her mother smiled sadly. "I had many arguments with your father. Oh speaking of which Kazan is here visiting!"

"Dad's here?"

"Yes!" She had never seen her mother so happy. She was glad. A man dressed in all blue with pale skin, golden eyes, and black hair walked from the right of them. "Mizuki!" Kazan hugged his daughter and kissed her forehead. "I missed you."

"I missed you too dad." She started to cry and hugged him tightly. "Come on let's get you settled into your room." Mizuki nodded but clung to her father's side the entire walk. "The North is so cold." He complained light heartedly to her mother. "The Fire Nation is ugly hot." She said back. Mizuki and Euna laughed. "I missed this. I missed us." Mizuki said softly. While her heart yearned for Zuko it also felt strangely calm here with her family.

~~~

I know she's moved quite fast everywhere but I just don't want more and more people to recognize her as the Banished Prince's consort and then have the Fire Lord question why his son's future wife is traveling alone.