Plot Summary: After chasing Aang, Sokka, and Katara to Avatar Roku's Temple, what if Zuko hadn't been accidentally freed by Roku? What if Fire Sage Shyu did not flee with the other sages in the wake of Roku's wrath? What if, he became an unwilling companion on the Avatar's journey?

A/N: This story begins during the second part of Season 1 Episode 8: Avatar Roku (Winter Solstice, Part 2). I have always had a problem with the way that Ruko burned away the chains that tied Sokka, Katara, Sage Shyu, and Zuko to the pillars outside the fire temple sanctum without even singing their clothes. Flame hot enough to melt chains would melt flesh long before the chains themselves melted or were incinerated.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. It belongs to Nickelodeon and its respectful owners.

In all of Prince Zuko's sixteen years, there were few times in his life that he had ever felt as enraged as he did at this very moment. Before him stood five Fire Sages, sages whose sacred duty was to the Fire Nation and its people, and they just let the Avatar, enemy of the Fire Nation, into the Inner Sanctum of Avatar Roku's Temple.

"Why did you help the Avatar?" shouted Zuko.

"Because it was once the sage's duty" one of the Fire Sage calmly replied. "It is still our duty," he added with conviction.

He couldn't believe this! Here he was standing with a traitor Fire Sage when the Avatar had already arrived at his intended destination. Of all the piles upon piles of scrolls that Zuko had read regarding the one being in the world who could bend all four elements, he knew that contact between the current Avatar and one of the Avatar's former lives was not in his best interest. Who knows what kind of power the Avatar would be able to call to his command? The vortex that the Avatar summoned at the South Pole was bad enough. Facing the Avatar without his crew or uncle for backup was asking for trouble. If he did not capture the Avatar and get back to his skiff before Zhao arrived, he would be in for a fight. He had just run a blockade not two hours before. He should know better to even think of that spawn of Koh. If his luck continues like this...

Throughout the hall, slow clapping echoed a rhythmic slow beat. If anyone could make clapping sound arrogant, Zhao had found a way. Out of the shadows stepped Commander Zhao flanked by six fully armored Fire Nation soldiers poised and ready for battle. Zuko was too late. An ever-present conceited smirk was present on the Commander's face as he regarded those before him in utter contempt. "What a moving and heartfelt performance." Zhao, emboldened by the shock visible on the apparent traitors' faces, assured of his imminent victory over the Avatar, could not resist paying Zuko back for the disgrace that was their Agni Kai. "I'm sure your father will understand when you explain why you've betrayed him." Nearly three years ago, Zhao was present at Zuko's fateful duel. If you asked him, the Prince was not punished enough. He still had that pesky habit of failing to realize who his superiors were.

Zuko dropped from his bending stance while a soldier discreetly circled around the room to Zuko's left. His obvious blind spot where his severe burn scar limits his peripheral vision. The Head Sage immediately welcomed Zhao with a bow of respect and subservience. Zhao continued his monologue as if he had never heard the priest utter a single word.

"….and Prince Zuko. It was a noble effort, but your little smokescreen didn't work." The realization that Zhao had outsmarted him enraged the young prince to heights he barely thought possible. "Two traitors in one day. The Fire Lord will be pleased." As Zhao uttered these words, the guard advanced and seized Zuko's wrists, forcing them behind his back. Zuko stalled in a moment of shock. Uncle's many lectures about him not thinking things through suddenly hit him with full force.

Realizing that he was outnumbered, Zuko attacked Zhao in the only way he had left, an assault on the Commander's pride. "You're too late Zhao! The Avatar's inside and the doors are sealed."

Zhao simply regarded this development with a glance at the door and a raised eyebrow. Was the boy really that foolish and naïve? Most definitely. Zuko was but a spoiled, banished prince after all: useless, weak, and oh so ignorant!

"No matter. Sooner or later, he has to come out." The smirk on his face grew. "Unfortunately for you, there will be no more chances for you to apprehend the Avatar for we are taking you into custody immediately."

Zuko's expression turned murderous. "You can't do this!"

"Yes, I can. You knew the terms of your banishment and you openly defied them." Zhao gave a brief chuckle at some joke only he was privy to. Almost as an afterthought, he added: "Still, what can you expect from the traitor prince of the Fire Nation? An exile burned and banished by his own father? Disgusting." A low gasp was heard from one of the Avatar's companions. The soft noise gained the attention of both men.

Zuko was ashamed himself. How could slip up like this? How could he forget his surroundings and allow a guard to restrain him? How could he forget about the peasants? In the grand scheme of things, the two water tribe peasants meant very little to his mission. However, wherever the Avatar went, they were sure to follow, possibly. The Avatar would most likely know of his shame in little time because of Zhao.

Though Zuko had chased the Avatar through the Southern Isles, he knew nothing about those the Avatar traveled with except for three things. First, the water tribe male was in the possession of an infernal weapon that could strike an opponent from behind. Second, one of the two peasants had at least some skill in strategy and maneuvering. He first believed it was the Avatar, but after seeing him leap from the back of his Sky Bison into serpent-infested waters and infiltrating the fire nation, Zuko was having second thoughts. Finally, the water tribe girl had a big mouth on her. The way she painted a target on herself at Lóngzhōu Prison...was disturbing. Had the Avatar and her kin not come to rescue her, she would likely be dead or worse, maimed.

Commander Zhao glanced towards the Avatar's companions with passing interest. So, they did not know who had been pursuing them until now? Interesting.

Zhao met the gaze of the Fire Nation soldier holding Zuko restrained. "Tie him up and leave him with the water tribe scum."

Zuko struggled little as the six guards surrounded him and chained him to one of the grand pillars supporting the massive hallway and ornate roof of the building. If it was another one-on-one fight with Zhao, he was more than ready. However, facing six trained Firebenders, four Fire Sages, Zhao, and the Avatar was too much, even for him.

"We will deal with the traitors and rebels later, for now, surround the entrance to the temple sanctum. The Avatar will not be given a chance to escape. You will see Prince Zuko what real soldiers can do under the command of a competent leader." All soldiers drop into an offensive stance with their right arms extended to divert an oncoming attack while leaving the left arm low and close to guard one's center and unleash a devastating counter. "When those doors open, unleash all your firepower!"

The female water tribe member asked in a small voice: "how's Aang going to make it out of this?"

The male water tribe rebel answered: "how are we going to make it out of this?"

The traitor sage just looked on with a brow furrowed in worry for the Avatar, the Avatar's companions, and himself.

Without warning, a brilliant blue light radiated from inside the sanctum. An unearthly rumbling filled the air whilst a mist flowed from under the ornate doors, permeating the atmosphere with raw power and energy. Zuko had to turn his good eye away from the light's intensity. The doors that were sealed shut from Avatar Ruko's power just moments ago began to slowly creak open.

"Ready," cried Commander Zhao.

There, out of the darkness, two unnaturally cold, glowing eyes were visible.

"No! Aang!" cried the water tribe peasant in fear that her friend was walking right into a trap. The water tribe male struggled in his binds, a vain attempt to break free.

Abruptly Zhao issued the command to fire. Each Fire Nation soldier's left hand formed a fist and bent a strong blast of fire into the darkness, towards the glowing eyes. The jets were redirected to form a spiraling dome of fire that protected the Avatar within.

The flames moved and spun with an intense ferocity that could only be achieved by a Master. As the flames parted in front of the Avatar, all present were surprised to see that it was not a twelve-year-old Airbender. From the inferno, emerged a figure not seen for over a hundred years and he was furious.

"Avatar Roku" breathed Sage Shyu.

No sooner than these words were spoken did the spiritual projection of Avatar Ruko, the Fire Nation Avatar before Aang, take action. He gathered the flames into a dense, burning mass in front of himself before releasing the flame outward. The scorching blast knocked Zhao and his followers to the ground. They immediately retreated in fear of the Avatar's legendary wrath leaving just the Sages and those chained to temple's pillars to face his wrath. The visage of Avatar Ruko turned towards the Fire Sages, his supposed disciples. They gasped in alarm and too departed from the Avatar's presence.

However, Roku's rage was not sated, the evil that had taken root and gathered in this place of worship must not be allowed to continue any further. Sage Shyu felt a shift in the Chi surrounding Avatar Ruko. "The Avatar is going to destroy the temple!" exclaimed Sage Shyu from his place next to the peasant girl. "We have to get out of here."

Zuko, like the trio chained to the opposing column, began to struggle for his life. With the amount of malice and pain palatable in the air, he knew that the sage's words were true.

"Sokka, we are not leaving without Aang!" cried the peasant girl to her kin.

"Katara! I think he'll be fine, but we won't unless he snaps out of it" Sokka half-shouted, half-squeaked at the newly dubbed Katara.

"Wait! I have an idea" rasped the elderly sage. Zuko's head snapped up to look at the motley group. Sage Shyu closed his eyes and drew in a slow, deep breath and began to superheat the chain on his left where the exterior of his left forearm came into contact with the chain. The area quickly became hot and the sizzle of burning flesh could be heard. With the heat radiating from a focus point on his arm, Shyu spun the fingers of his left hand pinned tightly to his back in spiraling motions to draw the molten metal away from his arm as quickly as the iron melted. Farther and farther the link stretched until….it snapped in two. Shyu was left with a painful looking burn on his left forearm, but that move could have just saved his and the Avatar's companion lives. The chains fell away from the trio as the Avatar began to move.

Zuko was becoming distressed at this point in time. Time seemed to progress in slow motion, he needed to act quickly before the Avatar made his next move. Following some of the Sage's example, he formed a fist with his left hand and a dagger of fire formed with his pinky finger forming the "hilt" and focusing the direction of the flames. He bent them towards the length of chain wrapped around his waist and worded to superheat a length. He was bending as much fire onto the chains as possible, yet they would not break. His fire was much cooler and much less focused than Shyu's.

Unfortunately for Zuko, time ran out. The Fire Avatar wasted no time bending his left knee and extended out his left arm and brought it down in a powerful arch of flame. The sheer intensity of which melted feet of solid stone as quickly as a white, hot Dao wreathed in flame would cut through a block of ice, quickly and with little resistance in the hands of a Master. The arch of fire continued to forge onward throughout the hall until the arch of fire rents a large hole into the stone and wood of the solid temple walls. The Avatar then slowly drew up his extended arm with the end of his hand limp towards the lava. With the slightest motion, hundreds of tons of molten rock leaped up from the tunnels and chambers deep within the earth's crust and coursing throughout the temple.

Lava gushed in a narrow cylindrical column hundreds of feet above the surface of the island, through the heart of the temple, and came crashing through the floor of the hallway and the inner sanctum. The pillar of molten rock burst through the roof of the temple and rained from the sky, coating the ground around the temple. The ground surrounding the temple was turned into a burning river. Inside the temple, Avatar Ruko stemmed the flow of lava and directed it to disperse in the lower chambers of the temple and across the main stairway to prevent the return of any more intruders. All the while, Zuko continued to try and break free, but the reinforced steel did not melt and drip away easily.

Miraculously, the Fire Sages, Zhao, and his soldiers make it out of the temple in one piece. The elder Firebenders were able to bend away from the group several smaller pieces of flying lava. As quickly as the attack began, it stopped. Avatar Ruko lowered the arm he held extended towards the ceiling. He faced his palms towards the ground and exhaled while gently lowering his arms. As his arms fell to his sides, a mighty gust of wind whistled through the corridor allowing the inner sanctum to reclaim the ethereal fog that had spewed from the room only moments ago.

Once the fog cleared away, the figure of Aang, the 12-year old air nomad, was revealed. The two peasants rushed over to the kneeling nomad. In that moment, Shyu rushed over to the bound Prince. Taking a lower stance than displayed by Zhao's benders earlier, Shyu extended his right fist with his palm facing the pillar. His left arm was held close to his torso and his elbow near his side. With all of the speed of a leopard-viper, Shyu thrust out his flaming left hand in a forward jab and severed the reinforced steel with ease. Zuko looked at the Sage with amazement. The flame that had surrounded the Sage's hand had nearly grown white with intensity and a focus that made the flame look almost solid. Zuko bolted towards the stairs not wanting to stay in a building whose foundations had been melted.

On the other side of the room, a brief reunion took place.

"We got your back," said Sokka.

"Thanks, where's Shyu?" asked the monk in a daze.

"Over here," said Shyu as he hurried over to the Avatar.

Zuko halted at the top of the stairs when he encountered a lake of lava. "The straits have been destroyed. There's no way down!" he exclaimed and turned towards the group. It might have been Zuko's mission to capture the Avatar, but he wanted to return to the Fire Nation alive. A pillar crashed on the far side of the hall as the building began to collapse. Zuko joined the Avatar, Katara, Shyu, and Sokka at the edge of a gaping hole that leads on the outside of the temple. It was gradually tilting towards the sea below, but the tipping toward was rapidly gaining in momentum as it toppled over towards the sea.

"Look!" cried the water tribe male. Soaring through the sky was the Avatar's accursed Sky Bison and… a winged lemur wearing the Great Sage's hat?

With only moments to spare, all five of the remaining occupants of Roku's Temple slid from the tiled roof and onto the Sky Bison. Behind the survivors, Roku's tower toppled and collapsed down the mountainside until the entire structure was completely consumed by lava or the sea. With a deep, rumbling bellow, the Sky Bison flew away from Crescent Island.

From the safety of his ship, Zhao looked upon the scene with fury. After a beat, he lowered his gaze to those bound before him. "No Prince. No Avatar. The only thing I do have is four traitors."

"But, Commander Zhao, only Shyu helped the Avatar! We knew nothing of his plans" argued the Great Sage.

"Save your story for the Fire Lord. As far as I'm concerned, you're all guilty. Take them to the prison hold," Zhao exclaimed as he turned on his heal to storm into the Captain's quarters. He needed time to plot his next move.

A/N (Part 2): Uh oh, looks like Appa is carrying two too many passengers. The GAang will not be too pleased.

Reflections:

The Fire Sage's Bending Prowess: In Season 2, we are introduced to Azula, the prodigy princess of the Fire Nation; however, all prodigies have to have someone to learn from if they want to become true masters. Azula had to have learned her high-level bending techniques from somewhere. The most probable answer is the Fire Sages. Even though we do not see the Fire Lord doing much in the series acting as Head of State, he is seen meeting with many different people and listening to updates about the war. With a nation to run, Ozai does not have the time to train Azula in order for her to reach her max potential. The only people that we see instructing Azula are Li and Lo. Watching them train Azula does not make sense. Li even mentioned this to Azula when she and Lo were ordered to dual and Agni Kai at the beginning of Sozin's Comet Part 3 (Into the Inferno). Gender aside, I would like to think that Li and Lo are a not sages themselves because they are not benders. The twins are not sages, but they are closely affiliated with them. With this in mind, I believe that the sages should be very powerful benders.

Zuko running the blockade: Zuko is very lucky that Zhao did not report this to Ozai in the original series. It would have been a mark against Zhao's reputation to do so. By letting Zuko into the Fire Nation, Zhao was committing treason (with reason). However, Zuko actively defying the Fire Lord by attempting to gain entry or sailing into Fire Nation water would have incurred the Fire Lord's wrath and likely spare Zhao from severe punishment.

Zhao's comments to Zuko outside the inner sanctum: It is evident that Zuko's banishment was intended to be permanent. Zhao even insinuated as much when he confronted Zuko in Season 1 Episode 3. Being the arrogant hothead that Zhao was, he would not have been able to resist getting a jab in on Zuko at every possible opportunity. We don't know all of what happened while Aang was meeting with Roku, so I felt like any number of thing could have been said by Zhao, things that change the entire narrative of the story. Zhao was humiliated at the Agni Kai. Not just by Zuko, but by Iroh as well. Zhao's defeat was also in the presence of his subordinates. That would have wounded his pride. Just the threat of telling the Fire Lord that Zuko had defied his orders yet again could have made Zuko very afraid of earning his father's disapproval again.

If you have read this far, I want to say "thank you" for giving my story a chance. I am new to writing Fanfiction and Creative Writing for an audience in general. I want to grow as a writer, so I value any and all feedback. Please, leave comments letting me know what you think of the plot and any mistakes that you see. If you like this series, I am also looking for a Beta reader for some of my works.

Until Next Time,

NinjaGhost1752