Avatar: The Banished Prince Part 1 - Air

Chapter 1: Agni Kai

Prince Zuko held in a breath, and released it, feeling the warm surge of his inner fire fill his young arms and legs with its energy. Standing atop the raised arena, surrounded by torches bearing his natural element, the young prince did his best to cast aside the feeling of having hundreds of eyes upon him, like a flock of vultures waiting for a stranded animal to take its final breath. Zuko was aware that many of the eyes upon him today looked down in disapproval, he had insulted a well-respected General of his Father's army in the middle of a war meeting after all, it was to be expected. Zuko pondered a while as to whether or not he would face the General himself, or would he nominate a champion to face him instead. Zuko grimaced, that did not seem likely, for although the general was well past his prime, he had not risen to his rank on sheer intelligence alone, but such thoughts kept him distracted from the growing knot in his stomach. Pushing these thoughts aside, he turned to face his approaching opponent, and felt his blood freeze under the hateful glare of his own father, Fire Lord Ozai, approaching, his chest bare and arms wrapped in the traditional black bands of the Agni Kai, and in that instance, Zuko knew the General would not be his opponent, nor would a representative champion. He had spoken out in his Father's war council, and so it was his Father that he would face.

"Please Father, I only had the Fire Nation's best interests at heart, I'm sorry I spoke out of turn." The Young Prince stammered, fear and panic quickly rising in his voice as the Fire Lord approached, his immense presence making Zuko feel like he was suffocating.

"You will fight for your honour." His Father's words were laced with malice as Zuko kneeled before him, as unable to stop his body from trembling as he was to stop the tears leaking from his eyelids.

"I meant you no disrespect, I am your loyal son." He pleaded.

"Rise and fight Prince Zuko!" was the Fire Lord's only response.

"I won't fight you."

"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher."

Zuko looked up fearfully, just in time for the fire of his Father's wrath to fill his vision, then there was the agonizing sensation of the fire searing his skin, and then, nothing.

As the Fire Lord stood over his unconscious son, the hands of all those present took part in a respectful, well-rehearsed, yet emotionless clap, save for two people seated closer to the action than anyone else, who, though seated next to one another, displayed polar opposite reactions to the scene before them. Princess Azula laughed, giving her Father an enthusiastic standing ovation, her wicked eyes laid gleefully upon her Brother's burnt form as he was whisked away by the medical team. Just to her left, her Uncle, the retired General Iroh, looked upon the same scene in abject horror, unable to believe the cruelty his own Brother had inflicted upon his Nephew. The smell of charred flesh reached his nose, and, though it was an odour he was all too familiar with, he resisted the urge to retch. Wordlessly, he removed himself from his seat and stormed out of the arena, unnoticed by his Niece, too wrapped up in her own twisted revelry. Outside he splashed some cold water on his face to calm his nerves, panting. His thoughts went to Lu Ten, his deceased son, unable to even imagine enacting such an act of cruelty upon him. As his initial feeling of shock died down, it was replaced almost immediately by a red hot rush of rage, as he stormed down the halls of the Royal Palace towards his Brother's Office.

Ozai did not look surprised when he finally arrived at his office, only to find his Brother sat in one of the chairs before his desk.

"Brother," he spoke calmly, too calmly for one who had just incinerated one half of their child's face, Iroh noted bitterly. "To what do I owe the pleasure."

"I think we both know the answer to that Ozai," the Former General growled. "What were you thinking? How could you possibly do that to Prince Zuko?"

Ozai scoffed, seating himself on his chair. He was once again dressed in his royal finery, and his golden hairpiece glimmered beautifully in the candlelight. There was not a hair out of place, not a single sign that just twenty minutes ago he had just been mutilating his only son.

"Prince Zuko received a just punishment for his insolence," he answered. "He embarrassed me in front of my top Generals, an act of such disrespect has never been carried out in the history of our family, it is shameful to see such behaviour from my own son and heir."

A soft growl of frustration left his lips. "In fact, Prince Zuko has been nothing but an embarrassment for this family for the entirety of his wretched existence. In fact," the shadows of a small smirk began to cross his face. "Today's pitiful performance was the last straw, to throw himself down during an Agni Kai and beg for mercy, he has shamed this family for the last time."

Iroh shifted uncomfortably in his chair, the feelings of rage that led him before the Fire Lord giving way to fear, as he began to realise that his Nephew's suffering had not ended. "Ozai, please, you have punished the boy enough alre-"

"Prince Zuko is from this point, banished from the Fire Nation, and I will no longer recognise him as my heir." Ozai's voice rose above his own, in that commanding tone that Iroh knew would hear no further pleading, but Iroh had to try, he couldn't just sit by and let his thirteen year old Nephew suffer such a cruel fate.

"Brother," he pleaded desperately. "Prince Zuko is just a boy, he meant no disrespect, please, just allow him a chance to restore his honour."

He suspected his words had fallen upon deaf ears, until a thoughtful expression crossed the Fire Lord's face.

"Hmm," he mused. Then, slowly grinning, he faced his Brother. "There is perhaps one thing he can do…"

Prince Zuko's one functioning eye looked down in his hands as he sat in his bed, the scroll containing the words and "conditions" of his banishment clutched tightly, he could see his knuckles turning white as the edges they held scrunched up. Finding the Avatar… But the Avatar had not be seen for almost a hundred years, it was impossible, he could never possibly hope to restore his honour. He had been granted a small ship, as well as a crew, to aid his voyage, his new home, he thought to himself. None of this felt real to him, he was barely even aware of his Uncle's presence beside him, a sorrowful expression upon his usually jovial expression. Zuko turned his head slowly towards towards Iroh, as the weight of his Father's words slowly began crashing down on his mind, like waves upon the beaches of Ember Island. His thoughts went to his days there, back when Azula was not so cruel, back when his Father smiled upon him, and his mother…

Zuko's eye met his Uncle's. Trembling, barely able to hold back the tears that began to blur his vision, Zuko spoke, his voice trembling as his body did.

"Uncle," his words were barely above a whisper. "What do I do, I cannot possibly hope to find the Avatar, it's not…" His words trailed off.

His Uncle's eyes widened with pity, accompanied by tremendous sadness. But then, they snapped back into a look of focus and determination, the eyes of the Dragon of the West.

"Have hope, Prince Zuko," he spoke, his voice firm, yet not unkind. "Though no one has seen the Avatar in all these years, he, or she, must be out there somewhere, I know that if we are unshaken in our conviction, and strong in our resolve, we will surely be able to locate our missing Avatar."

Prince Zuko did not share his Uncle's confidence. "Be that as it may Uncle, how is it possible that I will succeed where older and wiser men have failed, what hope truly is there? Although, it's not like I have much of a choice." He cast his eyes downwards again as the damning words left his mouth, only for them to widen when his Uncle's words truly sunk in.

"Wait Uncle, what do you mean by 'we'?"

"Why Prince Zuko," Iroh's eyes had regained their usual tenderness, which were accompanied by the gentle grin he usually wore alongside them. "I couldn't possibly let you do this alone. I promise you, I will not set foot on Fire Nation soil until I can walk on it with you again, side by side."

Zuko's one eye widened further at his Uncle's heartfelt words, they felt like the kindest words anyone had ever spoken to him after everything his Father had said to him that day, and, no longer able to contain himself, began to sob, uncontrollably. Iroh was out of his chair in an instant, pulling his distraught Nephew into his arms, and there he held him, letting the Banished Prince's sobs muffle into his tunic.