Bonjour!
Well I love the show avatar, and I decided to write this because:
a) I think Prince Zuko is such a fascinating character, that he deserves justice of not falling in love with Katara so easily, if he ever does at all. I am not the best writer out there, I only hope I can stay close to his character and make him acquiring attraction to Katara look realistic, and slightly possible. It's my goal. ) Like, he is full of bad past, and mixed up emotions, and I think a slightly more sinful and less fluffy romantic Zatara can be born.
Becauseb) I am fascinated by the idea of Katara and Zuko. When you open your mind to think about it, it really would be a bad boy good girl thing, and it is possible. It just wouldn't be as happy peppy go lucky as people think it would be. It definitely wouldn't be. So this may not be entirely clean, it might even be a little... what's the word. Not naughty. More like dark. And/or sinful. But not in a gross sexual way.
If that makes sense... which I hope it does, because if you're looking for romantic fluff, go read another fic.
That's not to say this one won't be romantic... because it will. grin
Oh, and do not waste time flaming me, because you will just be ignored and you'll have wasted your time.
So the first chapter will be slightly shorter than the rest to come. Because it's just an introductory chapter. Bear with me, please :-)
And I know you hear thisALL the time, but review feeds my writing. If no one's reading it or liking it, I might as well not bother. :-(
So for future reference, my name is Gallie, and I 3 the show Avatar beyond believe. I hope you enjoy my fanfiction.
He took a breath and concentrated on what was in front of him.
Bend back… step forward…
A jet of fire shot out of his hand and heated the air in front of him as it erupted all around.
Focus… release pent-up anger into the fire. He felt it seep from his fingers as he practiced another move in the art of fire-bending and carried it out perfectly.
Sixteen years old, and he had already learned moves that some generals couldn't achieve.
It was part of him to have determination. It was him.
Determination. Honor.
He only had one of those two things, and it killed him every day to think about it.
How could something he already had, be stripped away from him so quickly?
He had it. He had honor at one point in time. His life was honorable, and there had been a future for him.
His father still owned him then.
Still considered him his son. Even though it was a formal relationship, there was still a fragment of one.
But now he was disowned, and ashamed to be called a Prince.
He was dishonorable.
These thoughts drove Prince Zuko every day to keep living.
Honor, and the regaining of it was why he lived nowadays. He couldn't go back to his normal life until he was once again the respectable Prince he had been.
He was still a Prince, but an abandoned one. He was looked down upon by the elders of the council, and everyone in the Fire-bending nation, because of what his father had made him out to me.
What had become of him?
His golden eyes narrowed darkly. He used the anger from his bad past to practice bending.
With a quick inhale, he lifted his arm, stepped forward into a position, and breathed out, feeling the heat escape his mouth.
Fire-bending was an interesting practice. Probably the most interesting of the four elements. It allows the bender to release pent-up stress through the heat they use in fire.
One needs anger and stress to bend fire… it was that simple.
This was why Prince Zuko was such an excellent fire-bender. He may have had enough on his mind to defeat an entire army.
Thoughts about his father, himself, and the people around him swarmed his thoughts, moving him to more and more anger.
The more angry he got, the more heat built up. The more heat built up, the more anger he created. They fed each other.
Left, right, forward, breathe. He continued shooting balls of the element around him in precise, talented areas.
When he had finished, he bent over, breathing heavily. Smoke drifted from his mouth as he stared solidly at the ground beneath him.
Determination was essential.
"Zuko! You must try this new noodle dish the cook made especially for me," Came the voice of an older man when Prince Zuko entered his bedroom.
"He says it is supposed to make you wiser if you eat it with soy sauce. I could never have imagined a noodle could make one wiser!"
Prince Zuko ignored his Uncle Iroh, and walked straight past him to the bed. It was a small bedroom, but they were on a boat, and space was limited. Small sacrifices for something as large as regaining honor.
Prince Zuko removed his tunic and set it on the desk. He didn't have the time for his Uncle's foolish findings.
"Goodnight Uncle." Were the only words he said as got into bed, and turned on his side. For a countless time he would try and fall asleep, but he didn't know why he bothered anymore.
Ever since he was fourteen, it was near impossible to get rest. Physically, or mentally.
And even when he did fall asleep, his mind was penetrated with nightmares horrible enough to frighten anyone of any age.
Nevertheless, he shut his eyes and lay there, until he heard his uncle leave the room.
"APPA! You can get your own food to eat, you… you…"
Sokka was struggling not to lose his temper. The giant flying bison had swallowed his entire portion of fish that he himself had cooked and seasoned.
"Why did you do that? The food that originally would've filled my entire stomach, wasn't even enough to come close to making you full! You wasted the whole thing!"
He chewed his lip moodily, arms folded. He needed someone to take a pot shot at.
"Aang – why don't you tell Appa to leave my food alone. Maybe he'll listen to you."
The young avatar stopped in mid-air. Literally, for he had been spinning around on top of one of his air balls. "Why?"
"Because," Sokka said with the face of being indignant, "I was hungry, and now my food is gone."
"I'm sorry your food is gone Sokka," Aang said, shrugging and looking mild. "But Appa is a big animal, so he needs food. He's got seven stomachs!"
"Who has seven stomachs?"
Katara walked into the encampment the three had built, to where Aang and Sokka stood. She was carrying clean clothing that had been washed down by a stream they'd been lucky enough to find.
"Appa." Said Aang. He grinned at Katara, and went back to spinning around on his air circle.
Katara took a look at her brother. "Oh calm down."
"I can't! I spent all that time making everyone a meal, and now my portion is gone!" Sokka said, folding his arms and sitting on a rock.
"You can have mine," Said Katara. She put the clothes down. "Aang, I have to talk to you about something."
"Okay," The boy replied, while Sokka gobbled down the fish in the background. "What about?"
"Well," Katara began, watching the avatar zoom around. "About the route we're taking to the north pole."
"What about it?"
"I think we should change courses."
Aang stopped and jumped off the air into a standing position. "Why?"
Katara's soft blue eyes followed a dust speck as it drifted up a ray of sunlight and disappeared into the shaded part of the forest. "I think the route we're taking makes it too easy for the fire nation, particularly Prince Zuko, to follow us. I just have this feeling that they're getting closer than we think they are."
Aang had known Katara for good while now, so it was obvious he trusted her judgment enough to agree with her. "Okay, Katara, if you think so."
Katara smiled. "Alright, then we should take a more west way, into thicker parts of the forest. It'll be difficult to make camp, but we can do it."
"I'll let Appa know." Aang replied. Momo jumped on his shoulder and let out a chirping noise to inform him he was hungry.
"Sokka," Katara said, knowing she was asking for it, but deciding upon it anyways. "Can you give Momo a bit of food? He looks like he wants some."
Sokka stopped mid-mouthful and turned his head slowly to look at the animal. "Dho I hahf to?"
His sister stared at him, so he grudgingly shared a bit.