Giving Up (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

[Fulcon]

I'm loving this!

Click to shrink...

I'm glad! Have a cookie.

 

[Fulcon]

The following is a fanbased work of fiction. Avatar the Last Airbender is the property of Viacom, Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Koniezko. Please support the official release.

---

Normally, per their routine for the day, Iroh and Zuko would enjoy breakfast on the bridge. It gave Iroh time to give Zuko lessons and counsel for the day, mostly on Firebending and how best to go about his search.

Zuko, more often than not, would get here first. He would have sat down, brooding and letting his impatience get the better of him on the days that Iroh would rather sleep for just a few minutes longer. He was an old man.

Iroh suspected that this had to do with Zuko purposefully delaying breakfast being served until after the general had arrived so they could eat together. But today, that was not the case.

Zuko was not on the bridge.

Well, if his nephew was going to sleep in for once on this trip, Iroh wasn't going to stop him. "Yeoman, could you ensure that breakfast is delivered to Zuko's quarters?"

"Yes, General," The Yeoman replied with a bow, grabbing the Prince's breakfast tray and standing up to deliver it.

For Iroh's part, he had begun stroking his beard.

If Zuko continued along this path that he was on, perhaps he might realize that the Fire Nation was wrong in it's attempts to conquer and then he might be ready for initiation into the order. That was the dream, to bring Zuko fully on board with bringing peace and balance back to the world. With the scroll they had recovered, they may even be able to begin restoring the Airbenders.

One thing at a time, Iroh chided himself with a shake of his head. Just get Zuko through this healthily and happily and we can proceed from there.

"General Iroh, sir?" The Yeoman prodded.

"Yes, what is it?" Iroh turned to look and saw that the Yeoman still had the tray.

"Prince Zuko refused breakfast." He held out the tray for Iroh to look at. "Shall I return to the kitchen to have this saved for later?"

"Please do," Iroh replied, standing up.

Something was wrong.

Iroh speedily walked down the stairs to the quarters, down the hall until he reached Zuko's door, which was closed and very much locked. Iroh knocked on the steel door. "Zuko? Zuko, are you alright?"

After a moment, the door slowly opened, revealing Zuko.

The Prince did not look well. In fact, the boy looked physically sick. His skin was paler, his pony tail a complete mess. Iroh looked into Zuko's bloodshot eyes, bags thick and dark enough had emerged beneath Zuko's good eye that it almost matched his scar. His robe was haphazardly draped around him, only barely hanging onto his shoulders.

"Uncle." Zuko's voice was hoarse and scratchy.

"Prince Zuko, you seem to have fallen ill," Iroh started.

Zuko didn't respond immediately, and when he did, it wasn't about that. "The Air Nomads didn't have an army, did they?"

Iroh blinked in surprise. "No, Zuko. I do not believe they did."

"I didn't think so," Zuko replied, slamming the door in front of him.

---

They didn't have an army.

Zuko's breathing was labored and his throat felt like something had jumped in with a knife and started hacking away.

He shed his robe and slipped back into bed.

I can't believe they didn't have an army.

But just like the previous afternoon and evening, sleep eluded him completely. No matter how tightly he shut his eyes, he couldn't force the gentle embrace of sleep to come upon him.

Why didn't they have an army?

The prince already knew the answer to this question. They were pacifists with a nigh universal respect for life in all it's forms. From their point of view, it made no sense to have an army. From how their entire population were benders to how often they all traveled across the globe.

An army not only would have seemed unnecessary, it would've been counterproductive.

They should've had an army.

But that wasn't really the point. It was a deflection and Zuko knew it. He started coughing, feeling like there was a fistful of needles jammed down the throat. Was there pus coming out of his scarred eye? There was pus coming out of his scarred eye. Why was there pus coming out of his scarred eye?

We shouldn't have attacked them.

This was a complete shock to Zuko. How in the name of Agni could great-grandfather Sozin even think of something like that? How could everyone have lied about it for so long? How could the fire nation not care about the innocent people they had killed?

Didn't anyone care?

It was then that Zuko remembered the chain of events that lead up to his banishment. How he had spoken out against the senseless waste of fresh fire nation troops and wound up with a horrific burn scar for his troubles. Alongside the mission to finish what the Fire Nation started so many years ago.

...Father doesn't care about innocent lives.

It was then that sleep came to him.

---

"He just needs liquids and rest," The ship's doctor informed Iroh.

"Then I will tend to him," Iroh replied.

"Very good, General," The Doctor replied, gathering his check-up equipment and leaving with a bow.

During his time as active general in the Fire Nation army, Iroh made it a point to learn what he could about battlefield medicine. Admittedly, it wasn't much knowledge to speak of, but it was something.

He did, however, recognize this illness and what it meant.

It was not, as many doctors may surmise, entirely a physical illness. Indeed, it was much more mental and emotional turmoil that was leaking into his body with such force that it was forcing him to go through a...metamorphosis of sorts. He was clearing the contradictions within his mind and it was taking a toll on his physical self.

The reason that Iroh had taken over ministration instead of allowing the Doctor to do it was because it was likely that Zuko was going to start speaking of things that sounded like treason to even the most trained mind. He did not need the Doctor spreading or speaking of Zuko's potential to fully rebel against the Fire Nation before Iroh could speak to him. The crew of Zuko's ship were low merit or disgraced, but they were still Fire Nation. That loyalty would trump anything in all but the most extreme cases.

They haven't hit those extreme cases yet.

Iroh had brought herbal and wellness teas, keeping Zuko well hydrated while he slept. The prince was sweating profusely beneath his covers.

---

Zuko had come down nearly to the center of the world.

All around him lava poured from streams down crevasses were the stone would be reheated and sent back up. At the end of this path, they came to a steel wall. At his command, Lieutenant Jee and the other firebenders burnt a hole through it. As they stepped through the still cooling metal, they looked up and saw him.

The Avatar.

Floating through the power of his own will, he sat in a lotus position, the elements swirling around him in a maelstrom of absolute power.

"Avatar!" Zuko called up in challenge.

Like a falling meteor, the Avatar was in front of them in an instant. He stared down at them with a hostile scowl. "Finally, a chance to avenge my murdered people!"

Then suddenly they weren't in the center of the earth. They were at the top of a mountain. The southern air temple. But it was not the graveyard he had left. There were monks everywhere, walking, talking, laughing. Children flew above them on clouds.

In front of him, the Avatar changed. No longer was he the tall, godlike figure who would avenge his slain friends and family. Instead, what stood before him was a child, around the age of twelve. He held a staff in his hand and glared up at Zuko. "We don't need to do this!"

Everything changed again, when the sky turned red. The temple around them was enveloped in flames that surged and decimated the temple, covering everything and blinding him. The screams of men, women and children filled his ears as they were burned alive. Then the flames faded.

He no longer stood at the temple. Instead, he stood in an arena. No, not just an arena. The arena. The same one Zuko found himself an exile and nursing a new scar. There, bowing in a kowtow in front of him was the Avatar.

The Avatar looked up at him and Zuko did not find the airbender looking up at him. No.

Zuko saw his own face, without the scar that had marred him. "I won't fight you!"

Without a word, Zuko raised his fist and burned the weaklings face.

---

With a shout, Zuko bolted up awake. He was hyperventilating, his lungs forcing as much air into his body as they possibly could, irritating Zuko's throat and forcing him to devolve into a fit of coughing. With how much it hurt, he wouldn't be surprised if he started coughing up blood.

"Zuko," Iroh moved up, taking a seat next to his bed with a hot cup of tea in his hand.

After what felt like an eternity of being stabbed over and over again, Zuko finally stopped coughing, bringing his breathing to an easy rhythm.

"Easy, easy," Iroh cautioned, placing a hand on the Prince's back. With the other, he offered Zuko the cup. "Here, drink this."

"Thank you, Uncle," Zuko quickly drank the contents. He was so thirsty he didn't care that it tasted like ostrich-horse poop. "Why am I sick?"

"I imagine you know the answer to that, Prince Zuko," Iroh replied.

"The Air Nomads didn't have an army," Zuko said with absolute disgust. "I don't understand it, Uncle."

"Firelord Sozin wanted more," Iroh answered. "And the Avatar was the only thing standing in his way. Besides him, he felt the Air Nomads were the biggest threat to his dreams of conquest."

"That justifies genocide?" Zuko roared in anger.

After a moment, Iroh shook his head.

Zuko turned to look at his knees. "Father would have said it did."

Iroh poured another cup of tea out of the tea kettle he was keeping hot with his firebending.

"Then Azula would have laughed about it," Zuko continued bitterly. "Said they deserved it for being pacifists."

"Perhaps she would have," Iroh replied, handing Zuko the cup he just poured. "Perhaps they would have. What matters now, Zuko, is what you are going to do about it."

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Zuko replied, downing the hot tea in a single pour. "If I keep hunting the Avatar and find him, it'll let Father continue Sozin's war. Sure I'll be welcomed back home with my honor and place at the throne and maybe he'll actually see me as worthy..."

Zuko's throat gave out, causing him to devolve into another coughing fit. Iroh took the cup from Zuko's grasp and filled it back up.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh began as Zuko's coughs stopped. "Why is your father continuing Sozin's war wrong?"

Zuko looked up at his Uncle in surprise. "Because."

Iroh gestured for him to continue.

The Prince was, understandably, nervous about airing his honestly treasonous thoughts. But he was just sick enough to not care as much as he should have. "Because Sozin's war lead to the deaths of countless innocent lives and will keep doing exactly that. But Father doesn't care. He doesn't even care about his own soldiers."

"Then with that in mind, let me ask you a simple question," Iroh started, handing him the tea. "Do you really want your father's approval?"

Zuko turned to look into his tea, the liquid shining a clear reflection of his face, reflected from the candlelight above and in front of him. He felt like his answer was caught on his tongue, tied by his own refusal to admit the truth out loud.

Iroh leaned back in his chair, his hands on his knees, carefully analyzing his nephew. This answer could signal the true turning point in becoming a healthier, happier young man. One unburdened by the cruel absurdities of his family.

Zuko looked up at his uncle and with a single tear falling out of his good eye, answered. "No."

Iroh gave him a hug.

"I don't want to go home, Uncle."

---

Zuko had managed to recover from his illness over the course of three days. He seemed happier, certainly, but he had not been allowed to practice his fire bending by either Iroh or the Ship's Doctor. At first, it was alright, Zuko felt like his legs were going to give out on him at any second from the first couple of days, but on the third, he was getting antsy.

Now, on day four, he had recovered enough.

"Begin," Iroh said, taking his seat.

Zuko began going through the forms, but something was wrong and it made itself known immediately.

When Zuko punched forward, there was no fire. The prince blinked and started again. No fire. A third time, and Iroh stood up.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked, shaking his head in bewilderment.

"Do you remember the lesson I gave you on the three things needed for fire bending?" Iroh asked with an even, neutral face.

"We don't have time for-" Zuko started hotly, but caught himself and took a breath. "Yes. Breath for air, Chi for fuel and Drive for heat."

"That is right." Iroh nodded. "What are you missing?"

Zuko blinked and looked out across the ocean. "...drive?"

"That's right," Iroh nodded. "Come with me."

Zuko followed his Uncle, staring at his hands the whole time with no shortage of concern.

Iroh led Zuko to the belly of the ship, which was completely deserted save for the two of them. In the evening and early morning, those on the day and night shifts, respectably, would meet there to play cards and shoot the breeze before going to bed. For now, the night shift was in bed and the day shift was on duty, thus the belly of the beast was empty.

"Sit," Iroh beckoned, lighting the barrel in the center alight.

Zuko, who had only been down here in the depths a couple of times, was a little more uncomfortable in his surroundings, but he sat down.

"Now, when we began our mission, we had a clear goal," Iroh began, also sitting. "You were to capture the avatar so that you could earn your honor back. By capturing the Avatar, you would earn your father's respect and be able to return home. Now, you want none of these things. That is why your firebending has regressed."

"Then what do I do about it, Uncle?" Zuko asked with a frustrated glare. "I can't captain this ship without firebending!"

"That is a very simple and very complicated question at the same time," Iroh answered. "And it all stems from a question that you need to ask yourself."

"Which is?"

"Who are you?" Iroh asked him. "And what do you want?"

"I am Zuko," The prince in exile answered with a confused look, first at Iroh, then at the flames dancing in the barrel. "...I don't know what I want."

"Several weeks ago, you told me that you wanted your life back," Iroh replied.

"That was before," Zuko replied, dismissing that with a wave of his hand. "Before I found that scroll and before it threw everything into chaos."

"This is true." Iroh nodded slowly. "But perhaps there were still seeds of truth in there. Instead of wanting your life back, you might want...just your own life?"

"My own life?" Zuko repeated, looking into the fire.

Iroh nodded. "A life outside of Ozai, Azula and the demands of royalty. A life of your own making."

"Uncle, what does that even mean?" Zuko asked. "What would that even look like?"

"That's why the question is complicated," Iroh replied with a smile. "I do not know. In your perfect world, what does your life look like?"

Zuko looked around the hull of the ship before staring into the fire. "It would have my mother. It would have you. I...don't think I'd be on the throne."

"You don't?" Iroh asked with curious expression.

"No." Zuko shook his head. "Why would I want to be? The entire ruling class is filled with people who don't care in the slightest about anyone but themselves, and the people have all been taught that everything that Sozin ever did was right."

Iroh's head started to tilt, his eyes narrowing.

"I don't think I want anything to do with them," Zuko whispered quietly. "I don't want anything to do with the Fire Nation. At all."

The general got a thoughtful frown on his face. This wasn't quite what he was expecting from his nephew. He thought that Zuko would have more righteous indignation, want more to obliterate Ozai from off the face of the Earth and his daughter with him. But Zuko was displaying a more...passive anger. Less indignation, but more moral disgust.

As if he were a little more detached than Iroh had believed.

"The common people being taught that what Sozin did was right is not their fault, Prince Zuko," Iroh pointed out. "There have been many stories, news and we have been at war for a long time. It is only natural that they think this is the way things are supposed to be."

"How many of them would even believe me if I came back, forcibly took the throne and said that everything was wrong?" Zuko asked with a glare. "How many of them would rise up and try to set things back to the way they were?"

Zuko shook his head. "No. I can't rule them, and the more I think about it, the more I don't want too."

"If the opportunity came to end the war, would you take it?" Iroh asked quickly.

"Of course!" Zuko answered with shock. "But Uncle? That's the Avatar's job. He can deal with Father and Azula and whoever else is out there. He has to come out eventually, and when he does? I'm not going to stand in his way."

Iroh was struck as it seemed his nephew was starting to smile.

"Me? I've got things to do," Zuko said, standing up. "I've got a life to build. Somewhere. Somehow. I've got to find my mother. I'm going to keep working on mastering Firebending. I'm...I'm going to keep working on studying the other elements."

"Well, after you've studied air, there's Water and then Earth," Iroh explained. "It shouldn't be that hard to procure scrolls of either discipline once you've mastered the airbending forms."

"The Avatar," Zuko shook his head. "I'm never finding him. And you know what, Uncle? I hope I never find him. Father sent me on a fools errand when he exiled me and it's the only thing I can think of where he did me a favor."

Zuko actually started to laugh; a mirthful thing fueled by nervous energy. "I hope to Agni that the Avatar returns. I hope he sets the world in balance before the next year is out! And Uncle, I hope I never meet him. I'm never going back to the Fire nation! Ever!"

"Zuko, are you alright?" Iroh asked, more than a little concerned that he had pushed his nephew too far.

"Uncle, I've never felt better!" Zuko answered with giddiness in his voice. "I've never felt so alive! My Father is one of the worst people in the world and the best thing he did for me was sending me away forever! I have unlimited license to wander the earth doing whatever I want! I can go to any port, search any ruin, speak to any person, all payed for by his demand that I find the Avatar!"

Zuko turned away. "And it's all because my Father wanted me out of the picture. Well, Father! I'm gone and thank you for it!"

"Zuko," Iroh slowly stood up, still looking concerned.

"Don't you get it Uncle?" Zuko asked, turning back toward his Uncle with the widest smile that Iroh had ever seen on his face.

"I'm free!"

---

One Year Later.

"Will you go penguin sledding with me?"

"Uh, sure? I-I guess."

---

Author's Note: And here we are. At the end of Zuko's journey of self reflection, all thanks to a scroll that told him everything he needed to hear. And to be honest, it's not over yet. Come on, Zuko might be extra determined to stay out of the picture now but he can't keep himself out of the spotlight forever. Like, seriously. He's got two more elements to cover and that's a lot of development still in place.

Also, I can't friggan wait to show you how things are going to turn out without Zuko there to push the GAang along the road. It's going to be different, absolutely. Personally, I think it's going to be jaw droppingly awesome.

Let me know what you guys think. I'm not going to be able to put out chapters at this same rate, five in a week really pushed me to the limit. I'm taking a break over Saturday and Sunday then coming back to the fic on Monday.

Special thanks and shout out goes out too Melden V, Anders Kronquist, Ray Tony Song, Volkogluk, Aaron Bjornson, iolande, Martin Auguado, Julio, Jiopaba, Hackerham, Tim Collins-Squire, Maben00, Sultan Saltlick, Ventari, PbookR, Seij, ChristobalAlvarez, Aenor Knight, Apperatus, EPiCJB19, Seeking Raven and Handwran! Your continued support makes this work possible!

Until the next time!

~Fulcon

 

[Bigreader]

So is everytime zuko studies a new element bending style he's going to have character development? Wonder what the other ones will do to him. You know how that Vattu was the spirit of darkness and Chaos AKA change well I just realized that even though he was sealed up there were certain characters throughout the series the kind of represented him and while they sucks as people they caused a lot of change in the world and once they're evil part was defeated the world was usually better off with new improvements we go with soszin we get Republic City and technology progress. we go with kuvira we get all those developed Railways we go with the terrorist Red Lotus people and we have well the overthrow of a corrupt government and that's about it other than the forcing of the recruitment of people developing airbending Powers into a new air Nomad tribe. And of course Unilock and vaatu opened up the spirit worlds so humans and spirits are mixing again which might be good or bad long-term who knows.


Why do I bother mentioning this in the story that has nothing to do with those characters except for Sozin well I think it's kind of represents the flaw of the Avatar as it exists at this time it is only the Spirit of Harmony but it also resists any kind of change so I think that's why it's on the onus of these bad guys to cause change because the main Spirit of balance or whatever is totally order oriented it's only the human part that wants to change things when it's bad.

Anyway that derailment to side I really like this change that you're doing with the Zuko I'm kind of curious how he's going to develop and how the game will develop without him on their heels kind of reminds me a little bit of a plot I just read about in White Sands volume 3 by Brandon Sanderson where guy was voted to be the Lord Admiral but that position comes with losing all your wealth so he ends up charging all of his food and wine which he gets for free and spending like there's no tomorrow is a form of Revenge that kind of sounds like what is Zuko's doing he's going to buy stuff travel and put it all on the dime of the Fire Nation is a kind of free Petty revenge against his father.

 

[Fulcon]

So is everytime zuko studies a new element bending style he's going to have character development?

Click to shrink...

Pretty much yeah.

Anyway that derailment to side I really like this change that you're doing with the Zuko I'm kind of curious how he's going to develop and how the game will develop without him on their heels kind of reminds me a little bit of a plot I just read about in White Sands volume 3 by Brandon Sanderson where guy was voted to be the Lord Admiral but that position comes with losing all your wealth so he ends up charging all of his food and wine which he gets for free and spending like there's no tomorrow is a form of Revenge that kind of sounds like what is Zuko's doing he's going to buy stuff travel and put it all on the dime of the Fire Nation is a kind of free Petty revenge against his father.

Click to shrink...

*nods nods*

That's a good idea! Petty revenge and stuff can be pretty funny.

 

[codeRR]

Fucking hell this is amazing. He's learned the lesson of Air...mostly? I think he might have taken the lack of attachment a bit in the wrong but overall he learned the central lesson I think it was supposed to. Zuko is now Free, he's dealt with some of his more horrible stress sources and should gain a new drive that's well...healthier!

Bravo sir/Madam! It's a great fic!

I feel he's going to be learning Earth next? Considering that's kinda the next part of the Element cycle and the next accessible source.

Oh! Will he and the Gaang be meeting during the water scroll incident?

 

[Fulcon]

Fucking hell this is amazing. He's learned the lesson of Air...mostly? I think he might have taken the lack of attachment a bit in the wrong but overall he learned the central lesson I think it was supposed to. Zuko is now Free, he's dealt with some of his more horrible stress sources and should gain a new drive that's well...healthier!

Bravo sir/Madam! It's a great fic!

Click to shrink...

Thank you, my friend! I am a sir, if you were curious, and your kind words set my heart ablaze!

Have a cookie.

I feel he's going to be learning Earth next? Considering that's kinda the next part of the Element cycle and the next accessible source.

Click to shrink...

Actually, the cycle goes (per Katara) - Water, Earth, Fire, Air. Next in line is water, THEN Earth. But he's going to be learning.

Oh! Will he and the Gaang be meeting during the water scroll incident?

Click to shrink...

I do not believe he will, sad to say.

 

[Fencer]

Have a cookie.

Click to shrink...

Author continues efforts to make readers fat.

 

[Fulcon]

Author continues efforts to make readers fat.

Click to shrink...

Better to be fat and happy than lean and healthy!

...wait...

 

[RichardWhereat]

So, I wonder if they'll learn combustion from earthbending. Also.. all hail Fire Lord Iroh. He was always going to be the best choice. Zuko can wait until he grows up.

 

[Fulcon]

So, I wonder if they'll learn combustion from earthbending. Also.. all hail Fire Lord Iroh. He was always going to be the best choice. Zuko can wait until he grows up.

Click to shrink...

That was the plan. Spacebattles and I got to talkin', though and maybe the way Zuko learns all the tricks is...how shall we say, blurrier? The lines are blurrier than they were before.

 

[w34v3r]

With the whole 'my family is awful' bit out of the way, the most important question is whether or not Iroh can instill a love of tea in his nephew before the poor boy is corrupted by the evil bean juice.

 

[codeRR]

Thank you, my friend! I am a sir, if you were curious, and your kind words set my heart ablaze!

Have a cookie.



Actually, the cycle goes (per Katara) - Water, Earth, Fire, Air. Next in line is water, THEN Earth. But he's going to be learning.



I do not believe he will, sad to say.

Click to shrink...

munch yay. Thank you

A sir then, thank you. I don't like to assume on the internet.

Wait really? Huh I thought the opposing element was always the 3rd element...oh well. Still, he's got Iroh who already studied water benders so he's got an edge in that. I do hope that he gets a bit closer to his crew as he's going to be more relaxed and I hope a little bit more fun-loving now that he's got his whole life to build, the crew should enjoy it.

No meeting? Dang but perhaps it's for the best as I imagine that without him chasing them Aang doesn't get faced with so many threats and their trip goes smoother....but also having less experience fighting because of it.

 

[Fulcon]

...but also having less experience fighting because of it.

Click to shrink...

Well, you didn't hear it from me, but that's not the only thing that goes wrong.

 

[w34v3r]

munch yay. Thank you

A sir then, thank you. I don't like to assume on the internet.

Wait really? Huh I thought the opposing element was always the 3rd element...oh well. Still, he's got Iroh who already studied water benders so he's got an edge in that. I do hope that he gets a bit closer to his crew as he's going to be more relaxed and I hope a little bit more fun-loving now that he's got his whole life to build, the crew should enjoy it.

No meeting? Dang but perhaps it's for the best as I imagine that without him chasing them Aang doesn't get faced with so many threats and their trip goes smoother....but also having less experience fighting because of it.

Click to shrink...

The opposed element is always third.

fire, air, WATER, earth
air, water, EARTH, fire
water, earth, FIRE, air
earth, fire, AIR, water

No matter which element you start at, the third will be the opposed element as long as you follow the cycle order.

 

[codeRR]

Well, you didn't hear it from me, but that's not the only thing that goes wrong.

Click to shrink...

well then, I can honestly think of a few other ways that goes wrong like General Zaho, them following Aang's 'map' and the fact he's going to be a lot less pressed for time? Hm...so many things to think about

 

[Fulcon]

The following is a fanbased work of fiction. Avatar the Last Airbender is the property of Viacom, Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Koniezko. Please support the official release.

---

"A hundred years?"

Until about now, Aang had thought things were going pretty well, compared to the first time he woke up in a strange place with no recollection of how he got there.

The first time was in the Earth Kingdom after he and Appa accidentally crashed into the side of a mountain in the middle of the night. Some local villagers nursed the two of them back to health in a gesture of absolute kindness.

This time, well, he got caught in a storm after...leaving, and wound up frozen, then after being broken out of the iceberg, fell asleep on Appa's head. Thankfully, Appa was a good at following directions and Katara and Sokka were able to guide him into the village, which was a lot smaller than he figured it'd be.

"I don't believe it."

Speaking of Katara, this beautiful, immaculate girl was now coming with him through this awesome but really, really weird ship that he had never seen before. Fire Nation ships were metal, but they weren't so...pointy. And large. They didn't have catapults on them either.

"I'm so sorry, Aang," Katara said, kneeling down beside him, looking into his eyes with her deep, shining blue eyes. "Maybe there's a bright side to all of this!"

"Well, I did get to meet you," Aang said, succeeding in smile, but only barely.

...the monks were going to kill him.

Katara smiled warmly back at him. "Come on, lets get out of here."

She extended a hand, and he took it with a more genuine smile this time, standing up.

The steel halls of the ship seemed more like a prison, in a way. Aang remembered the last time he and Appa had been on a fire nation ship, artfully created and open with a lot of windows to fly in and out. This had more in common with a labyrinth, closed off with near infinite paths to go through and get lost in.

It was all wrong.

"This place is creepy," Katara said from behind him.

"Yeah," Aang replied with a frown. He looked into one of the rooms and his face lit up. "Hey, there's our way out!"

"Huh?" Katara asked, following the young monk into the room.

Then, Aang found himself on the receiving end of a nasty surprise as he tripped on a rope and stumbled to keep his balance. Behind him, the two could here steel bars slamming shut over the entrance.

Aang caught his balance. "What did you say about booby traps?"

The room filled with the sound of hundred year old machinery starting to work, engines running, gears turning. Steam hissed out of pipes that started to work and above them, they could see a flare being shot high into the sky.

The monk took a surprised Katara into his arms. "Hold tight!"

Aang jumped and Katara cried out in surprise as they rocketed out of the wreck. Aang jumped down the piles of snow with his fair maiden in his arms until they got to the floor.

Perhaps it's fortunate there was no Prince there to see it.

---

In the Northern Hemisphere​

"Again," Iroh commanded.​

Zuko went through the motions, smooth and easy, his two front fingers extended. Electricity crackled and snapped as he drew the lightning in a circle. With a sudden surge forward, he united the positive and negative energies, throwing the bolt of lightning off the side of the ship.​

Not for the first time, Zuko smirked as he felt the astonishment of the crew.​

"Most excellent, Zuko," Iroh complimented. "You've gotten faster."​

"Thank you, Uncle," Zuko replied with a bow. "You've taught me well."​

"Do not discount what an excellent student you have been," Iroh replied with a small smile. "I believe that we are done for the day. Perhaps we should return to the bridge."​

A year ago, Zuko wouldn't have dreamed that he'd ever be able to approach bending lightning, let alone come a fair way along to mastery. But following his discussion with his Uncle, something seemed to click. Gone were his worries and in their place was simply a burning drive to carve his own spot in the world.​

Because his cares were gone, his hopeless desire to please his Father dissipated, something miraculous happened; firebending became fun. It became something to be truly passionate about and because of that, he stopped being frustrated and angry at himself when he made a mistake, allowing him to correct it faster. So here he was, one of the few, the proud, who could bend lightning. Not to mention how he was one of two smoke benders on the entire planet.​

The last year had been very, very kind to Zuko. It even seemed like his scar was less...extreme. Like it had faded ever so slightly.​

Though, Zuko figured it was just his eyes tricking him, not that it mattered. His scar was a scar. Who cared if it was fading or not?​

The two arrived in the bridge and sat at the table, looking at the map carefully.​

"Permission to speak, Prince Zuko?" Lieutenant Jee asked.​

"You don't need to ask, Jee," Zuko replied, still looking at the map.​

"If the Avatar had lived at the Southern Air Temple like you and the general figured out," Jee started with a thoughtful frown. "Shouldn't we have made our way down to the south pole by now? He was probably around there if he hadn't gone anywhere north."​

"Fair question," Zuko muttered in response. "We're looking into the idea that the Avatar actually went to the Spirit World to hide. That's why we're still up here since there's more shrines that we have access too than down south."​

Lieutenant Jee's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. "Very good, sir."​

"Lieutenant! Sir!" A voice came from the voice pipe.​

Lieutenant Jee walked to the pipe. "What is it, sailor?"​

"There's been an altercation in the mess hall," Came the reply. "It's been broken up and I was ordered to inform you."​

"It's probably the cook and Zikka," Jee muttered in annoyance, shaking his head. "I'll be right down."​

He shut the grate and gave the Prince and General a bow. "If you'll excuse me."​

Zuko and Iroh nodded and when the Lieutenant was gone, the Prince let out a breath.​

"I don't think you can keep up this charade of looking for the Spirit World for much longer," Iroh muttered, his eyes firmly on the helmsman's back.​

"I know, Uncle," Zuko replied quietly. "I just need to figure out a way past the blockade so I can get to Hira'a. Just one solid plan. I'll go back to looking for the Avatar once I've done that."​

The most likely plan had crumbled when the smuggler he had hired was arrested by the Fire Nation for smuggling Fire Nation armor to the Earth Kingdom army. He was taken directly to the Boiling Rock, which meant the death of yet another one of Zuko's plans to get into the Fire Nation without anyone seeing that he was violating his exile.​

"You could search for the Avatar and help him restore balance to the world," Iroh suggested, his voice as close to silent as he could. "Then you could go wherever you wanted."​

Never in a million years did Iroh think he could seriously suggest that to his nephew. At least, not before they found that...interesting Airbending scroll.​

"Uncle, I already told you that I don't want anything to do with him," Zuko replied dispassionately, looking at the map which had many details added, such as the location of every spirit shrine...and the exact line and formation of the Fire Navy's blockade around the nation. "This would be so much easier if I didn't think the crew would snitch the second we got into port."​

Iroh grunted. He trusted these men and knew them, even though they had been disgraced or weren't going anywhere fast in their careers; but he knew better than to say that they'd be alright with treason.​

---​

Aang knew things weren't going to turn out well when he saw the mob of villagers come out to meet them. Sure, the kids all seemed happy to see him but the adults were mad. Especially Sokka, who immediately came out and started hurling a guilty verdict in his direction.​

Of course, Sokka was right and Aang admitted it because, well, he had learned a long time ago that it was better to confess when you did something wrong than to try to hide it and wind up piling a bunch of other wrong-doings on top of it in the process.​

In spite of Katara's passionate defense, he was banished. Banished! From the Southern Water Tribe!​

He had never been banished from a place before! The monks would kill him for it too, because it made it harder for future monks to go there peacefully.​

Well, he was exaggerating, but they would be really, really upset with him.​

So there he sat, on top of an ice flow with his one and only good friend, Appa, trying to meditate and figure out what to do.​

Appa grumbled at Aang.​

"I know," Aang sighed. "I liked her too."​

With that, the Monk jumped up on Appa.​

"Come on boy, we got to go," Aang snapped the reins. "Yip-yip!"​

Appa took off and Aang took one last look at the ice flows.​

Absent, was the surprise, massive invading force that Sokka had feared. More realistically, there was no Fire Prince intent on hunting him down. No firebenders ready to raze the home of his friends to the ground.​

There was nothing but water and ice.​

So with a sigh and heavy heart, Aang left the South Pole.​

Even though something inside was desperately trying to tell him not to go.​

---​

Sokka got ready for war. Wrapped in leather, and painted with warpaint, he got ready for the incursion of the Fire Nation.​

He took a station at the wall, where his watch-tower was supposed to be but had been brought down through Aang's careless actions.​

It's just so stupid, Sokka thought in anger. The Fire Nation killed all the Air Nomads, why would Aang help them by leading them straight too us?​

He growled softly in frustration, not loud enough for any of the kids to hear. Did he really not know about the war? How long was he in that ice for?​

With his hands on his weapons, Sokka kept a close eye on the horizon, scanning for the guaranteed, inbound attack on their village coming courtesy of the Fire Nation.​

It doesn't matter, Sokka thought resolutely. I have to keep them safe. For Dad.​

So he waited.​

He waited the entire day.​

And another day.​

He held vigil a third day.​

Then on the fourth day, Sokka's vigil was interrupted by the member of his tribe that was the most put off by the Air Nomad's departure.​

"So! Sokka!" Katara's slightly shrill and annoyed voice came up to him. "Where's the Fire Nation?"​

Sokka groaned in annoyance, knowing what was coming and was not looking forward too it. "They're not here yet!"​

"I thought that Aang had lead them right too us!" Katara shouted back up. "Where's the war, Sokka?"​

Sokka tried to ignore her. He really did. "It's not here yet!"​

"It's been three days, how could it not be here yet?" Katara shouted back, her anger starting to seep through to her voice. "I thought we banished the first person who brought fun back to our village because he doomed us all!"​

Katara was never going to let him live this down and Sokka knew it.​

"Okay, maybe I overreacted," Sokka allowed loudly, still pointedly keeping his gaze on the horizon.​

"Maybe?" Katara shouted, the wall starting to crack as the first warning sign that his sister was really, really upset? "Maybe you overreacted?!?"​

"Katara!" Sokka called down, grabbing the snow wall and gripping it for dear life as the wall below him started to crumble. "Calm down!"​

That was the absolute worst thing he could've sat at this particular second.​

"Calm down?" Katara roared, the wall cracking even further. "After you banished what was probably the last airbender from our village?"​

The wall broke, causing Sokka to fall and slide into a pile of fresh snow, right in front of his sisters angry, raging face. "He was going to take me to the North Pole! We were going to find a Water Bending Master!"​

His sister was crying, which made Sokka feel like the worst human being the world had ever seen.​

"And now, thanks to you," Katara's breathing was uneven and she had stopped shouting, at least. "He's flown off to who knows where and thinks he can't come back!"​

She stormed off through the hole in the wall, still crying.​

Aang wasn't really trying to help the fire nation, Sokka realized with a groan. He was just being an idiot. And now I look like an idiot because there's no Fire Nation attack.​

"Katara, wait!"​

---​

Zuko and Iroh were enjoying dinner together on the bridge with Lieutenant Jee and the Helmsman. Lieutenant Jee, because he was also an officer and the Helmsman because he couldn't really leave his post and Iroh thought it was rude to eat in front of him.​

"So you developed lightning redirection from watching Water Benders," Zuko began, placing some meat in his mouth.​

"Indeed," Iroh answered. "Water Bending is all centered in joining a flow of energy and redirecting it, as opposed to Fire Bending, which creates energy that goes where we tell it."​

"I don't get it," Zuko replied.​

"Are we adding Water Bending to the Prince's studies, now?" Lieutenant Jee asked with an annoyed expression.​

"Well, the Avatar probably knows it already so better to understand what he can throw at us," Zuko replied with a shrug. "And we got smokebending out of airbending, so..."​

"Is there a problem, Lieutenant Jee?" General Iroh asked, taking a sip of his tea.​

"With all due respect General, Your highness," Jee began. "But it seems like the Prince is more concerned with seeing the world and learning inferior bending forms than truly hunting the Avatar."​

Zuko shrugged. "To be honest Lieutenant, I am."​

Iroh and Jee both looked surprised.​

"Why is that, your highness?" Jee asked with confusion.​

"The Avatar will not be found until he reveals himself," Zuko pointed out with a frown. "We could go, say, to the South Pole like you suggested last week to look for him. It's a good idea. Except that if he were there, the Southern Raider's would've encountered him. And been humiliated. No. I say there is no point in actively looking for the Avatar until the right time. I'm using...Uncle, what's it called? Blank Jing?"​

"Neutral Jing," Iroh corrected with a slow nod. "Which, incidentally, is the key to Earth Bending."​

Zuko frowned thoughtfully, filing that little tidbit of information away for later. "Neat."​

"I hadn't considered that, your highness," Jee said with a bow in his seat. "My apologies for doubting you."​

"I'm not mad," Zuko replied with a shake of his head. "Preparation can look like you're not doing anything important, right Uncle?"​

"I agree, Prince Zuko," Iroh agreed.​

Dinner continued until Lieutenant Jee finished. "If I may be excused, I need to make my rounds before I retire."​

"Go ahead, Lieutenant," Iroh dismissed him with a kind smile.​

With a bow, Lieutenant Jee left the bridge. After a few more minutes, the helmsman finished his dinner and got back on the wheel, weighing anchor to set sail as he'd been ordered. The ship would be going up towards the northern coast of the Earth Kingdom before turning back around to come down the west.​

"I hadn't realized you'd become adept at lying," Iroh whispered neutrally, his expression passive.​

"It wasn't a lie," Zuko replied with equal discretion. "It's the only truthful reason I have for stalling."​

"So will you actually chase the Avatar?" Iroh asked with a frown. "If or when he reveals himself?"​

"No," Zuko shook his head with an annoyed expression. "But I'll have to think of something, won't I?"​

"It's not like you'd have anything else to do once we've finished tracking your mother," Iroh pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "Once you find someone or even something to smuggle you across the Naval Blockade, you'll be able to easily get to Hira'a."​

"That's the trick, isn't it?" Zuko asked with annoyance. "First, it was finding a map with the village on it. Then it was finding out where the holes to the blockade were, turns out none. If I could just buy a whole other ship and crew it for a single voyage, this would be simple. But none of the colonies will sell me a ship and I need a Fire Nation ship to get past the blockade."​

"Or something else," Iroh pointed out.​

"Like what, a flying bison?" Zuko asked, remembering that the Airbending Scroll talked about the Bison extensively. "Those are extinct. I don't even think the Avatar would have one even if he did reappear."​

"You never know."​

---​

After a week of flying, Aang had finally made it. The Southern Air Temple.​

It was as tall, open and beautiful as he remembered it. The spires reached through the clouds and the wind seemed to blow with an eagerness to it around him, as if the place was welcoming him home.​

But what he saw was just as important as what he didn't see, and he frowned. "Where is everyone? Shouldn't there be Monks and Bison flying around?"​

Appa let out a low rumble.​

"Maybe they're all still doing their morning practice," Aang said with a slow nod. "Thanks, buddy!"​

The last Airbender took his Bison in for a landing.​

---​

Author's Note: Don't kill me. Katara and Sokka's role in this fic isn't done yet but, if you watch the Boy in the Iceberg, you see that the only reason Katara and Sokka got together as quick as they did was because Zuko was there to force Aang's hand and violate his banishment to save everyone. No Zuko, nothing forcing Aang to stay and so he leaves.​

To illustrate this point, Zuko's on the other side of the world and deliberately ignoring calls to go back to the South Pole because he's busy trying to figure out how to get back into the Fire Nation without anyone knowing.​

Also, yes. I know Uncle Iroh is being really, really heavy handed. But then, Zuko's become the type of person you almost need to be heavy handed with just to get him to listen...so just like in canon, but with the opposite advice.​

Special thanks and shout out too Melden V, Anders Kronquist, Ray Tony Song, Volkogluk, Aaron Bjornson, iolande, Martin Auguado, Julio, Jiopaba, Hackerham, Tim Collins-Squire, Maben00, Sultan Saltlick, Ventari, PbookR, Seij, ChristobalAlvarez, Aenor Knight, Apperatus, EPiCJB19, Seeking Raven and Handwran. Your continued support helps make this possible.​

Until the next time!​

~Fulcon​

 

[RageKnight]

ooooo. This can end in a few ways. No more avatar, lots a fire nation people dead to the point of extinction, or Avatar (the show)bs.

 

[Fulcon]

ooooo. This can end in a few ways. No more avatar, lots a fire nation people dead to the point of extinction, or Avatar (the show)bs.

Click to shrink...

Indeed! Lot's of different ways this can end.

EDIT: Thank you for your comment! Have a cookie.

 

[Edifier]

Sooooo~, Zuko went way off field to the other extreme, hah!

 

[Fulcon]

Sooooo~, Zuko went way off field to the other extreme, hah!

Click to shrink...

Yes he did!

I did that on purpose. It's why he's on the opposite side of the world.

 

[codeRR]

I was so right. Zuko is doing better but...well not as 'destiny' said to be. It's really funny to imagine spirits being excited at his transformation at first but then going "oh wait he's not going south...SHIT"

 

[Fulcon]

I was so right. Zuko is doing better but...well not as 'destiny' said to be. It's really funny to imagine spirits being excited at his transformation at first but then going "oh wait he's not going south...SHIT"

Click to shrink...

The sheer volume of the brown pants epidemic going around the spirit realm is at catastrophic levels.

 

[Lucidum]

I did that on purpose. It's why he's on the opposite side of the world.

Click to shrink...

Oompf, that's quite the pun ya got there... more, please.

Though seriously, I'm absolutely adoring this story so far, and I'm not going to lie that I enjoy butterflies way too much and now that I've said as much...
*releases a horde of butterflies* go my pretties! flap your wings and cause chaos!

 

[codeRR]

The sheer volume of the brown pants epidemic going around the spirit realm is at catastrophic levels.

Click to shrink...

This is hilarious for mental images. I feel they are going to try and interfere especially as Aang lost his Canon water bending teacher for a bit. I kinda want to see them meet now, Aang in disguise, and talk. Just imagining Zuko accidentally reassuring Aang that he can do this if he was doubting himself

 

[Fulcon]

Though seriously, I'm absolutely adoring this story so far, and I'm not going to lie that I enjoy butterflies way too much and now that I've said as much...
*releases a horde of butterflies* go my pretties! flap your wings and cause chaos!

Click to shrink...

Glad you like it, have fun!

Butterflies are always welcome!

This is hilarious for mental images. I feel they are going to try and interfere especially as Aang lost his Canon water bending teacher for a bit. I kinda want to see them meet now, Aang in disguise, and talk. Just imagining Zuko accidentally reassuring Aang that he can do this if he was doubting himself

Click to shrink...

That would be a hilarious inversion!

Instead of hounding him constantly and presenting an ever present threat, he meets him once to give him a pep-talk without Aang even knowing how he was!

 

[Fencer]

You know from a certain point of view getting actually banished should do a lot to teach Aang about responsibility and consequences. Maybe curb some of his worst personality traits.

 

[Fulcon]

You know from a certain point of view getting actually banished should do a lot to teach Aang about responsibility and consequences. Maybe curb some of his worst personality traits.

Click to shrink...

*hums in thought*

There's a cookie in it for you if you elaborate.

 

[codeRR]

I think i get what their meaning but I'm on mobile so can't elaborate

 

[Fencer]

*hums in thought*

There's a cookie in it for you if you elaborate.

Click to shrink...

Lol sure.

Hmmm ok so Aang has lots of moments where his course is determined by what would be fun. Kyoshi island stop was so he could ride elephant koy (which reminds me no kyoshi warriors now so the Princes will need a new ploy to break into Omashu)

then there was the vacation episode thing where Aang decided to go out of his way to play the flute to a bunch of prairie dogs instead of focusing on earth bending.

playing in the snow instead of learning water bending.

hell the nonsense with Boomie happened because they went to ride mail-shoots.

Every time he pulled that sort of nonsense or destroyed something or broke the law (oh look at those poor murdered cabbages) he got off essentially scot free. The kids a preteen and the overwhelming lesson he's getting is he can either fly away from his problems or play the avatar card and suddenly no one will punish him.

Now though? The first time someone punished him there wasn't any take backs on his punishment. It stuck. And he has to live with the fact his pretty new friend is essentially beyond his reach forever.

Hell it's already having an effect even if you didn't intend it that way. With no companions to try and impress he skipped at least one pit stop and went straight home. He's already owning up to his responsibilities in a way he didn't in canon. And now with no one to soften the blow of what happened at the temples? The guilt may very well drive him to work a lot harder. Or at least more consistently than in canon.

 

[Fulcon]

Lol sure.

Click to shrink...

Cookie for you!

Hmmm ok so Aang has lots of moments where his course is determined by what would be fun. Kyoshi island stop was so he could ride elephant koy (which reminds me no kyoshi warriors now so the Princes will need a new ploy to break into Omashu)

then there was the vacation episode thing where Aang decided to go out of his way to play the flute to a bunch of prairie dogs instead of focusing on earth bending.

playing in the snow instead of learning water bending.

hell the nonsense with Boomie happened because they went to ride mail-shoots.

Every time he pulled that sort of nonsense or destroyed something or broke the law (oh look at those poor murdered cabbages) he got off essentially scot free. The kids a preteen and the overwhelming lesson he's getting is he can either fly away from his problems or play the avatar card and suddenly no one will punish him.

Click to shrink...

Wait, I didn't realize that. Holy COW! Thank you, I'm glad I asked you to elaborate!

Have a cookie.

Hell it's already having an effect even if you didn't intend it that way. With no companions to try and impress he skipped at least one pit stop and went straight home. He's already owning up to his responsibilities in a way he didn't in canon. And now with no one to soften the blow of what happened at the temples? The guilt may very well drive him to work a lot harder. Or at least more consistently than in canon.

Click to shrink...

Most probably! Have a cookie.