I KNOW it's short. I promise the next chapter will be longer. Maybe... XD
Prince Zuko stood in the giant throne room. A crowd of happy, chatting people gathered around and stared in awe as King Appa presented him with the Firebender of the Month award for defeating the evil dragon Azula.
"Oh no, it was nothing. Really!" Zuko said as they handed him the lemur-shaped trophy.
"And he's modest too!" Appa boomed merrily. He clapped Zuko on the shoulder. "For saving our city from the terrible wrath of Azula, I not only present Prince Zuko with this award, but I declare that, from now on, this day shall be known as 'Prince Zuko Day'!"
The crowd cheered and began dancing. King Appa turned to Zuko and said in an oddly high-pitched voice "Come on, Zuko! Your uncle says it's time to wake up!"
That sudden out-of-place comment tugged Zuko from his dream. He opened his good eye just barely enough to see Avatar Aang standing over him with an expectant look on his face. Why in Agni's name did Aang have to be a morning person?
Zuko groaned and rolled over. Maybe if he pretended to be asleep, Aang would leave him alone, and then he could go back to sleep. But he couldn't go back to that dream. No more King Appa. No more cheering people. No more trophy.
He was going to miss that trophy.
"Zuuukooo..." Aang wined. "Don't you want to learn Firebending with me?"
Zuko already knew how to Firebend, and he was very tempted to demonstrate his skills for the Avatar, but he just was too tired to do any frying of butts at the moment. He merely rolled onto his stomach and threw the pillow over his head.
"Hey Zuko, I'm going to play with your swords for a little while, ok?"
"Yeah, whatever. Just - YOU WANT TO WHAT?!"
Zuko jumped to his feet with speed he didn't know he possessed. At first he was expecting to see a dead Avatar, or worse, two destroyed Dao swords. But instead, he was greeted by a grinning Aang.
"I knew that would get you up." he said with triumph. Playfully he added, "Besides... You rise with the sun, remember?"
Zuko scowled at the young Avatar. Realizing he had been tricked, and seeing no real reason to go back go sleep, Zuko grudgingly followed Aang.
Rise with the sun? Zuko thought bitterly. Why did I have to say that?
And as he hauled his tired self, he wished nothing more then to be a Waterbender...