A/N: This story is what may have happened if Zuko was prepared for an air bender when he first captured Aang in the second episode. I will be changing some events and I will be introducing a character of my own creation. So here we go and tell me what you think of it!
Air, Earth, Water, Fire and Steel
Chapter 1: Captured
As the fire benders in their identity concealing masks carried Aang through the halls of the ship, the small boy struggled against the chains that bound him. Almost as soon as the fire benders took him from the Southern water tribe, the boy with the scar had ordered him chained up, to prevent him from bending; they clapped iron manacles on him that completely covered his hands and put chains around his legs and attached them to the ones binding his hands. When he tried to escape by air bending with his mouth they tied a muzzle on so he couldn't open his mouth any more than a little bit. The guards tossed him into a cell; Aang whiled away some time trying to get out of his restraints but to no avail. After an hour or so he heard the roar of his flying bison outside; Oh no! He thought, What's Appa doing here? Oh crap! I bet Sokka and Katara came to rescue me! They shouldn't get captured too…Especially Katara…About 15 minutes later Sokka and Katara were thrown into his cell.
"Well, so much for that plan," said Sokka, who was sporting a black eye and a few new cuts and bruises, courtesy of the fire navy; he was not chained or tied up. Katara also looked a little roughed up and her hands were shackled behind her back to prevent her from bending.
"Are you guy's ok?" mumbled Aang, still able to talk through the muzzle.
"Yeah," said Sokka, "Just a little sore,"
"How about you Katara?" asked Aang.
"I'm fine. But how are you?" she replied.
"I'm ok; but what are you guys doing here? I told you I would be fine! And what did they do with Appa?"
"Well," said Katara, we couldn't just leave you at the mercy of the Fire Nation could we? As for Appa, the last I saw they were chaining him to the deck of the ship,"
Frustrated, Aang hung his head, "Crap! I should be better than this! Not only did I get captured, but I got you guys captured too! I'm sorry…"
"Don't be," Sokka assured him "Were here because we want to be, well sort of…"
"Thanks," said Aang, "Hey since you're the only one with a free hand can you scratch my nose?"
"Mine too?" asked Katara.
"This is going to be a loooong trip isn't it?" sighed Sokka.
Unfortunately, he was right; the trip passed slowly for the captives. They were fed twice a day; though the guards refused to unchain the two benders, so Sokka had to feed the other two. The boy with the scar, who they learned was Prince Zuko: heir to the Fire Nation throne, often came down to brag. "Well Avatar," he would say trying to provoke Aang, "Your bison will make a fine beast of burden; or maybe I'll just have him put down once I take back my title as rightful heir to the throne. Yes, tomorrow I will once again be crown prince of the Fire Nation and my Father will restore my hon-"
"Yeah, yeah, your honor," interrupted Sokka, "Every day you come down here rubbing the fact that you captured us in our faces and bragging about your honor; I swear, you are every villain from every children's tale all rolled into one!"
"Silence peasant!!" yelled Zuko, "If you are that cheeky with my father, you will be lucky to get away with your lives." And he strode away.
"I swear that guy's ego is bigger than Appa," joked Sokka, causing the others to giggle.
The next morning the three awoke to silence. "Listen!" Sokka said.
"I don't hear anything…" Katara said yawning.
"That's exactly it!" said Sokka "The engines have stopped; we're probably in port!"
They heard footsteps coming down the hallway; Zuko walked up and spoke to the guards "get the prisoners out we're disembarking."
"Yes sir!" said one of the guards crisply.
The door swung open and the guards hauled the trio to their feet and marched them to the large exit ramp in the bow of the ship.
"Wait here a moment," Zuko said and strode down the ramp where he stopped at the bottom; the group couldn't see him any more.
"What are you doing here?" Zuko asked someone they couldn't see.
"Just here with a message from the palace, Zuko," said a male voice.
"You will address me as Prince Zuko,"
"Not yet I won't," said the other voice, "Technically, you're still banished; but your father has ordered you and your captives to go immediately the palace throne room,"
"Is that all you came here to say?" snarled Zuko with blatant dislike.
"Pretty much," said the voice, "Oh, your sister sends her regards."
"Does she now? Well tell her I'll see her in a little bit."
"Will do," said the voice "See you at the palace,"
The trio heard footsteps striding away from the ship. Zuko called to the guards to bring them down; as they stepped out into the sunlight they saw a man in a long, calf length red coat walking away from the ship and towards the giant volcano that dominated the view.
They were taken immediately to the palace throne room. "Ah," said the Fire lord from behind the curtain of fire, "Zuko and Iroh, what an…unexpected surprise. I hear you have some thing for me…and it better be good..." he said menacingly.
"I do, father," said Zuko stepping forward, "I have captured the Avatar."
There were gasps and whispers from all present in the throne room.
"Then why," Ozai thundered, "have you brought me a bunch of children!?!"
"Because, father, the one in orange is the last air bender, the Avatar! Here is his staff," he said placing the wooden glider in front of the throne where a servant picked it up and brought it to Ozai.
"Hmm," said the Fire Lord, "He does appear to be an air bender; but how do you know that he is the Avatar?"
"I can explain that," said Iroh stepping up, "we saw an incredibly powerful light shoot up into the sky from the Southern Water Tribe. We arrived there and the child agreed to go with us if we would leave the village alone."
Zuko nodded in agreement.
Ozai nodded, "And the other two?"
"They attempted to rescue the Avatar by attacking our ship; and so they are prisoners of war and aided and abetted an enemy of the Fire Nation," said Zuko accusingly, "and the girl is a water bender, the last one from the South Pole."
"Excellent!" said Ozai, "Zuko my son, you have earned back your honor; welcome home, Crown Prince," the entire throne room applauded him and the boy smiled for the first time in many months. "Guards!" Ozai ordered, "Take the prisoners to a cell and interrogate them for any information they have on the resistance forces and the location of any remaining Air Nomads."
They were marched out of the palace and taken to the cylindrical prison tower and all three were thrown into a cell. "Ok guys," said Sokka, "they said that they were going to torture us; but even though we don't really know anything we can't give in, we can't give them the satisfaction. It's going to hurt like hell but you guys are strong, I know you can handle whatever they do to us."
"I'm scared," said Katara tears leaking from her eyes.
"Me too," Sokka admitted.
"I'm sorry guys," said Aang, ashamed, "I think that everything would be better if you had left me in that iceberg…"
"Don't you dare say that!" yelled Katara, "We're your friends and were all in this together; no matter what happens."
Aang smiled under the muzzle, "Thanks Katara," he said.
Just then the cell door slammed open and a figure stepped through the door; "Hello peasants," said a cold voice, "My name is Azula and I'll be torturing you today!"
Yes, you did read that right! I introduced Azula an entire book early!
This chapter wasn't all that interesting but I promise the next one will be very exciting!
Please tell me what you think of it so far! Review!
