A/N: Okay. So, this is first and foremost a challenge. t-rex987 sent me a message the other day asking if I could write a fic where Katara is taken to the fire nation and becomes Zuko's slave. So, that is where this fic is heading. There are a couple of other conditions that I have yet to fulfill, but I will include them as the story goes on as well. This chapter is pretty much just an introductory chapter, and the real story will most likely start within the next couple of chapters. This is very different than the other fics that I have written, and I hope you guys leave feedback to let me know what I can improve on. Just to let you know, this chapter takes place during the episode 'Bato of the Water Tribe,' and it has a very different ending than the one in the episode. And I'm rating this 'T' just to be safe. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I have absolutely NO rights to Avatar: The Last Airbender. If you don't believe me, than that's fine! But I am in fact telling the truth. I have learned the hard way that telling lies gets you nowhere. NOW ON WITH THE STORY!

Bound to the Fire Nation

Iroh gave his nephew a fleeting look after seeing a limp body being flung out of the earth kingdom tavern. "Nephew, are you sure that this is the right pla— " Iroh began to say before being cut off by his nephew walking into the tavern with a cruel demeanor, and then making his way through the crowd.

"Out of my way! Step aside filth!" Zuko shouted as he pushed person after person out of his way so he could reach June as quickly as possible. Zuko had been in places like this before, and he knew that being agreeable was not going to cut it.

He was barely able to restrain himself from rolling his eyes when his uncle said, "He means no offense! I am certain you bathe regularly!" He had half a mind to turn around and tell his uncle that he needed to put some fear in people so that they would be respected, but he had already reached the center of the bar.

Right smack dab in the middle of everything was June. Naturally, she wasn't doing anything that normal women would have done. She was actually arm wrestling someone who appeared to be an earth kingdom commoner, and she was actually winning. Following his own advice, he quickly and rudely said, "I need to talk to you!"

Throwing him and Iroh a quick glance, she quickly answered so that she could focus all of her attention on beating the sweaty peasant whom she was arm wrestling. "Well, if it isn't my new friends. Angry Boy and Uncle Lazy," June said as she turned her head back to her intense game.

Iroh let out a hearty laugh as Jun let out a breath and slammed the man's fist into the table. There was a sudden cacophony of cheers in the bar which was rather loud in the first place.

Zuko gritted his teeth. He didn't have time for foolish games. He needed the avatar, and he wasn't willing to waste any more time by watching bounty hunters like June gamble away their salaries. He could feel a puff of fire threatening to escape his nostrils, but managed to keep his temper reasonably in check.

"Your beast trashed my ship. You have to pay me back!" Zuko said to June in a relatively harsh tone of voice. Around him, the seedy earth kingdom residents were grumbling while throwing extremely large amounts of money onto the table in front of June as well as all around her.

June began to gather up the money on the table in her arms as she said, "Awwww…I'd love to help you out, but I'm a little short on money." She looked up at Zuko and his uncle and then continued on by saying, "DRINKS ON ME!"

June reached for her cup of tea and was about to put it to her lip when Zuko grabbed her arm and growled, "Money isn't what I had in mind."
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They had walked out of the bar and into the little courtyard right outside of it. Zuko pulled a dark blue necklace with a beautifully carved pendant attached to a little gold clasp that was on a silky strand of navy blue ribbon. Zuko held it up so that Jun could see, and said, "I need you to find someone."

June leaned over and then straightened back up. She looked like she was about to burst out laughing, and this only rekindled Zuko's previous anger.

"What happened? Your girlfriend run off on you?" Jun said sarcastically.

"It's not the girl I'm after. It's the bald monk she's travelling with," Zuko responded coolly.

June smiled mischievously and quietly said, "Whatever you say…"

Zuko really wanted to knock her upside the head at this point because she was assuming things that were absolute lies. He wouldn't of course—not with his uncle there at least. He continued the conversation though, despite his frustration with June.

"If you find them, I'll consider the damage to my ship paid for," Zuko said in a tone that was almost menacing.

June barked out a curt laugh and then said, "Forget it." She started to climb up the Shirshu's back, and Zuko was really starting to lose his temper now. Even though he may not have shown it, his uncle knew that he was getting frustrated.

So, naturally, he stepped in on Zuko's behalf and made an offer to June so that Zuko wouldn't do anything rash. "Plus we'll pay your weight in gold!" Iroh said cheerfully.

June smiled and got off the Shirshu within seconds. "Make it your weight, and we got a deal," she said cunningly.

Iroh let out a hearty laugh. Once he was in control of his diaphragm once again, he said. "You got it!"

"Get on!" June ordered as she snatched the necklace from Zuko's clenched fist. They quickly did as they were told while June held up the necklace in front of the Shirshu's nose. After the Shirshu's mouth began to salivate, June gracefully jumped onto the Shirshu, and tugged the reigns. There was a harsh tug on all of their bodies as the Shirshu took off into the night.

They had been travelling for a few solid hours when they came across a village that appeared to have only one resident awake at the early hour. She had long white hair, and she looked as though she was a herbalist.

"Out for a bit of fresh air, are we?" the herbalist asked the young travelers.

Zuko didn't have time for this either. "We're looking for someone!" he snapped severely.

"I hope it's not Miyuki!" the herbalist said as though she were actually worried. "Miyuki… Did you get in trouble with the Fire Nation again?" she asked the white cat.

The cat meowed and then backed away in fear of the giant Shirshu. The woman looked down at the cat for a moment and then glanced back up at Zuko and his traveling companions.

June looked down at the herbalist and then said, "The Avatar's been through here. Let's keep moving!" She picked up her whip and thrust it back down at the Shirshu. The animal gave a mighty lurch, and they were off again as though nothing had happened.

A few hours later, they arrived at Makapu Village. The Shirshu rushed through the entrance of the village and forced some of the residents to run. The Shirshu jumped on top of a nearby building and then paused when they came to a fortune telling parlor with an old woman standing outside the entrance.

Zuko looked down at the woman, and then asked June, "Why are we stopping?"

June answered without hesitation. "Because the girl must have spent a lot of time here," she said with a smirk in her voice.

"We have no time for this!" Zuko said, clearly annoyed. He glanced at June, and when he saw that she had the necklace, he swiftly lurched forward and grabbed it out of her hand.

He then leapt off of the Shirshu and went in front of the giant animal and held the necklace next to its nose. The Shirshu sniffed at it, and then began to stand up on its hind legs.

Zuko felt a moment of shock consume his features, and then ducked right before the Shirshu struck a paralyzing blow to his chest. "HEY! Watch it!" Zuko snapped at the beast that had just tried to injure him.

Iroh let out a somewhat loud string of laughter while June sarcastically said, "Oh look, he likes you!"

The old woman standing outside the building looked up at Iroh and then spoke. "Care to hear your fortune, handsome?" she asked the retired general.

"At my age, there is only really one big surprise left. And I'd just as soon leave it a mystery," Iroh said. Meanwhile, June picked up her whip again, and forced it back down on the Shirshu's tough skin.

This time, the Shirshu actually did stand up on its hind legs, and then took off in the direction of the young water tribe peasant.

Zuko was beginning to grow a bit tired. They had been travelling for half the day and they still hadn't found the avatar.

His face was set into what seemed to be an unchangeable scowl when the Shirshu came across a wooden door, and slammed against it with a lot of power.

The animal entered a quaint little town square where there were some women making and bottling perfumes.

The animal sniffed around for a moment or two, and then jerked towards an exit out of the town. June pulled the reins so that she could talk to Zuko and Iroh.

"We're getting close," she said confidently. Iroh smiled while Zuko's face remained in a scowl. June didn't hesitate to pick up her whip and strike her pet again. The Shirshu took off again for what Zuko hoped to be the last time.

Just a couple of minutes after they had last stopped, the Shirshu was beginning to become extremely twitchy.

Iroh gave Zuko a gentle nudge and a smile that only an uncle could give.

The corner of Zuko's lips twitched. That man had a tendency of getting through the wall he had so carefully built to exclude others from knowing and controlling his feelings.

Then, they came to a clear path, and sure enough, the water tribe girl was there.

The Shirshu quickly cornered the water tribe peasant and her brother. After the Shirshu had stopped moving, June spoke up. "So this is your girlfriend. No wonder she left. She's way too pretty for you."

While she was talking, Zuko jumped off the Shirshu, and leapt to the ground. "Where is he? Where's the avatar?"

The idiotic water tribe boy answered him. "We split up. He's long gone." The girl was far less rigid. She actually looked rather frightened.

But Zuko spent little time thinking about the girl's feelings. He knew they were probably just trying to distract him so he wouldn't be able to find the avatar. "How stupid do you think I am?" Zuko asked the boy.

"Pretty stupid," he answered. Then he grabbed his sister's hand while shouting, "RUN!"

They made a reasonable attempt at escape, but the Shirshu was faster. The animal had shot out it's tongue and paralyzed them before they had even seen it coming. They fell flat on their faces and Zuko took a step towards them.

"Well Nephew, what do you suggest we do now?" Iroh asked Zuko.

Zuko paused for a moment and thought about what he could do. He could of course have the Shirshu look for Aang's scent, or he could resort to his more...ruthless tendencies.

Zuko looked back down at the two water tribe children and decided what he wanted to do with the two of them.

Zuko hesitated a moment before telling his uncle and June what he was going to do.

"Uncle, is it possible to have the water tribe peasant tied up and taken to a nearby village?" Zuko asked his uncle slowly.

His uncle cleared his throat. "I suppose that's possible, but are you sure yo-" his uncle started.

However, he was cut off by his nephew quietly saying, "Yes uncle. Please have the girl taken back to my ship. Now that I think about it, the other peasant can be left here untied. Chances are he will be able to survive without his little party, and we'll be long gone by the time he's no longer paralyzed," Zuko said. Then, he turned to face June. "If you want to be paid, take us back to my ship. We won't pay you otherwise," Zuko said defiantly.

Jun looked as though she really didn't want to comply, but she agreed. "Fine. I'll take you to your boat. Where is it exactly?" she asked Zuko shamelessly.

"It's docked at the same place as it was before. Now, I don't have all day, so would you please get that beast of yours ready?" Zuko asked heatedly.

"No need to be so assertive Prince Pouty. I already said I would take you, correct?" June asked sardonically. Zuko gave a curt nod.

"Then you have nothing to worry about. I'm not going to ditch you or anything," June said lightly. "Now get on," she commanded.

Zuko grabbed Katara by the back of her dress and pulled her up the side of the Shirshu. He and his uncle also jumped on, and were ready to go back to their ship.

June gave her Shirshu one last whip, and they went off to face whatever destiny had in store for them.

A/N: Well, there it is! I hope you guys liked it! I hope to post the next chapter soon (preferably next Saturday), but it all depends on the amount of work I get at school this week! Peace out peeps! Have a wonderful week!