(A/N- Okay people, here it is. I guarantee you like or your money back! Anyway, keep in mind that I wrote this before Season Two ever started, but you will see a lot of season two incorporated into my story. If your asking yourself how I wrote it before season two and it is only being posted presently, it is because I am writing it seperately by hand, and I am already on Chapter 7 as far as that goes. Thanks for giving my story a chance and your time, I love you all! HailZuko!)
Chapter 1-The City of Omashu
Prince Zuko lay on his hard bed in his little room, his arms folded under his head. He was quite angry with himself. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard on the task at hand. The Avatar. The little monk suddenly appeared in his mind, the blue arrow on his head swimming slightly. Then, as it usually did, the image suddenly twisted and shifted itself into... her.
Zuko growled in frustration, throwing his covers off. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I might as well give up on sleep altogether," he muttered glumly to himself.
As he arose from his bed, he found himself once more regretting the day he had defied his father... and even more so, the day he had refused to duel him. If only he hadn't spoken out at the stupid war meeting that fateful day. Then, he wouldn't be forced to chase the Avatar, and he never would have laid eyes on Sokka or Katara. Katara...
The name echoed in his head, and caressed his mind like a soft hand. His eyes glazed over as he remembered the fight at the North Pole. Soft hands... Katara's soft, skilled hands... repeatedly encasing him in ice. Unfortunately, his stupid pride had allowed her icy gestures to temporarily extinguish the ever-growing flame in his heart that existed for the girl. And he had hurt her. Not permanently, thank goodness, but enough to knock her out nonetheless. And tick her off.
The banished prince walked gloomily out onto the deck of the dead Admiral Zhao's fire navy ship. No matter how he wished that he could've rescued the bitter Admiral as he struggled within the watery clutches of the Avatar, he couldn't help being partially relieved that that obstacle was out of the way at least. His life was complicated enough as it was.
As his eyes finally adjusted to the light of the early morning sunrise, he was very surprised to see his lazy uncle up before the sun was.
"Uncle, what is it?" he rasped, his voice still slightly groggy despite his lack of sleep. "News on the Avatar's whereabouts?"
His uncle sighed contentedly, never turning from his position at the bow, staring out toward their destination, unbeknownst to Zuko. "It is a nice day, Prince Zuko," he breathed. "I figured since it can only grow nicer, we should stop in the nearby Earth Kingdom city just to the west. I believe I can see its shore now. Unless I'm mistaken, I believe it's called--"
"OMASHU!" Zuko exclaimed. "Are you insane? That crazy king of theirs will flatten us!"
General Iroh finally turned to regard his nephew. "Do not think I am so simple as to believe that we can walk out of Omashu unscathed. But, if we were to walk in as Earth Kingdom peasants, I'm sure nobody would give us a second glance."
"There's just one problem with your plan, Uncle. We haven't the resources to dress as earthbenders... not even peasants."
His uncle smiled pleasantly. "Ah, that is where you are wrong, Zuko! I do not know what Zhao had up his sleeve, but I found a trunk full of every kind of disguise you could imagine down in the ship's cargo-hold. So we are set. We can drop anchor behind that mountain just north of the city. We will have quite a walk, but I am in need of the exercise." With this, he cheerfully patted his belly.
About an hour or so later, Zuko and Iroh began the long walk up the thin, steep trail towards the gates of Omashu. Zuko walked stiffly, uncomfortable in the rough, scratchy peasant clothes. As he scratched at his left shoulder and belly, he looked in disbelief at his uncle, who was humming a tune and walking quite comfortably, it seemed.
"Uncle," whispered Zuko as they neared the gate. "Are you sure about this? I have a bad feeling--"
"Ssh!" Iroh hissed. "You must learn to relax. And remember, call me Dad, not Uncle. And your name is..."
Zuko rolled his eyes. "Haku, I know. Rrg, I hate having my hair shoved beneath this ridiculous hat--"
"Quiet!" whispered Iroh as they approached the gates, which were guarded by two Earth Nation soldiers.
The first soldier glared at them as they drew near. Taking a solid step forward, he swung a fist upward, levitating a giant boulder above their heads. "State your business," he growled.
Zuko clenched his fists and opened his mouth to make a nasty comment, but Iroh quickly stepped forward. "Please, Sir. We are peasants from an Earth Kingdom to the north. We wonder if we may gain entrance to your plentiful marketplace. May we?"
The second soldier raised a brow at Iroh. "You do not walk as if you are a peasant. You walk tall, as if you are royalty."
"I walk tall because I am proud," corrected Iroh. "I do not allow the war or the oppressive Fire Nation to put an invisible weight upon my shoulders. I have faith that the world will triumph over the Fire Lord and his army when the time is right."
Zuko's face relaxed into an amused smile. His was impressed. His uncle was a good liar.
"I see," said the first soldier, suddenly looking bored as he dropped the boulder behind the two imposters. "Open the gate."
As the gate rumbled open, Iroh spoke out of the side of his mouth to Zuko. "Keep your head down, Son."
Zuko nodded once and obeyed as they entered. Iroh smiled as Zuko stalked head, scratching his lower back in aggravation. This should be interesting, he thought as he followed Zuko into the marketplace.
"Keep it up, Aang, you're doing great!" shouted Katara encouragingly.
"Yeah, just peachy!" grunted Aang, sweat pouring down his face as he struggled, arms above his head, to hold a gigantic boulder in the air as long as possible.
Sokka ground his teeth tensely. "Okay, enlighten me again as to why he has to stand beneath the boulder. He'll crush himself!"
"Think about it," said King Bumi, never taking his eyes off of the young airbender. "He has to know his own strength and his personal limitations. He must know when he has just enough energy to cast the stone aside."
"And if he misjudges? Then what?"
King Bumi scratched his head in thought. "Hmm, I didn't think that far into it. Oopsy. I uh, guess he'd crush himself."
Sokka nodded. "Oh."
Suddenly, Aang dropped his arms in exhaustion and a big cloud of just arose as the boulder came crashing down to the floor of Bumi's battle arena.
Katara squeaked and watched the dust settle anxiously. She gasped as she saw that Aang had not managed to make it out from beneath the boulder. "Oh no! Aang!" she shouted desperately at the giant rock from her perch on the balcony.
Suddenly, Sokka jumped back, teetered a bit, and then landed on his butt with an "oomph" as Aang spun up gracefully from the ground and touched down lightly where Sokka had just been standing. He smiled at King Bumi and bowed slightly before turning to Katara. His smug grin disappeared when he noticed her deep frown. He laughed sheepishly. "Did I scare you?"
"Let's put it this way... If you do that to me again, you will become one with the ground PERMANENTLY!"
Aang cowered on the spot, his left eye twitching violently. "Gotcha," he squeaked.
Suddenly, the lesson was interrupted as a palace guard rushed in. "I'm sorry to interrupt, King Bumi, but I felt I must inform you of a disturbance in the marketplace. A young man is making quite a scene and is upsetting some of our most valuable vendors."
King Bumi nodded. "Go on."
"He is an out-of-towner and male, probably around fifteen or sixteen. He appears to be a peasant."
"Oh, alright. Bring him to me."
The guard bowed and rushed away. Bumi motioned for the others to follow him as he proceeded to the Throne Room. "Well, we needed a break anyhow," he said to himself more than the others. "Your arms are going to feel like noodles for a while, Aang."
"So I noticed," mumbled Aang, massaging his right forearm.
Bumi sat down at his rather large throne and, with a wave of his arm, conjured three smaller ones consisting of earth beside his own seat for the children to sit at.
"Do you get trouble-makers like this often?" Sokka asked as he settled upon his hard earthen seat.
"Mm, not really. But I'm certain it's nothing to worry about. Probably just a traveler making a scene so his pick-pocketing partner can pick the place penniless. Hee hee, try saying that five times fast."
Aang laughed and engaged in the task of doing so along with Bumi. Sokka and Katara glanced at each other and giggled as the old friends laughingly tripped over their words.
Just then, everybody paused as the guards entered with two prisoners, one calm as can be while the other grunted and struggled. Bumi raised an eyebrow at the scorch marks on one of the guards' clothes as they drew near.
"King Bumi, we were forced to bind their hands," said the guard that stood beside the calm man. "We suspect they may both be firebenders, and one is for sure."
"Kneel before our King," growled the other guard, pushing the violent prisoner roughly to his knees.
"Unhand me, filth!" protested the prisoner, finally raising his face enough to be seen beneath his hat.
Aang's mouth dropped open. "Zuko!"
Prince Zuko stopped struggling and snapped his attention to those seated before him. "The Avatar!" he said wildly, and lunged toward Aang.