I'm rewriting the first chapter since i felt that it was a little cheesy.
It's slash, but not Butt-Sex slash, and i have NO idea how nearly anything works, i'm young.
This is for Dracori and her statement, and so on.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar; TLA. If I did, Katara would be 16, Zuko would be 18 and they would have had a kid by now.
"Why are you so bent on capturing me?" Aang asked defiantly; staring up fearlessly at his captor.
Aang had been ambushed along with Katara and Sokka by Prince Zuko in a nearby town.
They had just stopped and Appa was exhausted from flying day and night from the Fire Navy led by an unfamiliar Firebender; A prodigy by the name of Princess Zula.
Now, they were all prisoners and Aang was put in a special cell where he couldn't bend his way out of.
Before he had even a chance to get up, the door had opened and Prince Zuko stepped through.
Zuko sat down on a chair opposite of Aang's direction as Aang tried to wriggle free from the bonds that held his arms and legs together and on another chair.
"I have to." Zuko replied stonily.
Zuko was starting to get tired of this cycle; the child Avatar asks why he was capturing him for the millionth time and he keeps replying with the same answer.
"Well, why? You're only going to kill me, and you'll do nothing but sentence the world to death!" Aang shouted as he tried to free one of his arms.
Zuko slammed his fist on a small table across from Aang and leaned forward.
"Well, do you know what I was sentenced to!" Zuko snapped in a tone so loud, Aang recoiled back in fear.
"Do you, Avatar?" Zuko asked; his voice immediately turning cold.
"No." Aang whimpered as Zuko leaned close to him.
"Banishment. No honor, no crown, no country, no home, and this." Zuko hissed; pointing to his scar.
"Who would do that to you?" Aang asked; staring at the scar and trying to see beneath the surface.
Zuko didn't answer; only turn away.
Aang stared into his single good golden eye and saw something; a flash of memory.
"Please, Father. I only have the Fire Nation's best interest at heart. I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!" a younger and unscarred Zuko pleaded as he kneeled down before an Agni Kai stadium with nearly half of the Fire Nation watching.
"You will fight for your honor, Zuko." The cold and unforgiving voice of his own father, Fire Lord Ozai, replied.
Zuko kneeled down with his chin touching the marble tiles.
I meant you no disrespect, I am your loyal son." Zuko pleaded.
"Rise and fight, Prince Zuko." his father demanded as Aang saw a look of pure disgust and anger on his face.
Aang watched as the scene unfolded before him and couldn't believe it; how could any father do this to their own son?
"I won't fight you." Zuko said firmly as he bowed his head.
"You will learn a lesson in respect and suffering will be your teacher!" Fire Lord Ozai spat as he looked down on his only son with disdain.
Aang saw Prince Zuko too and was astounded at what he found; tears.
Prince Zuko cried. He begged for mercy, and even cried for his father.
Aang wanted to tear his eyes away, to shut is eyes and his ears until it was over, but this world, Zuko's memory, would not let him as he saw Ozai's hands glow.
The furies of hell itself settled upon Ozai's flaming hands as it aimed for Zuko and made contact with skin and blood.
Aang suddenly felt a pang in his left eye; a burning like his bones were on fire and being chopped away.
An anguished yell sounded through the air, but not just the one of 14 year old Zuko's.
Aang snapped open his eyes and blinked at the memory.
Suddenly, he was being seized by 2 burning hands and stared into by 2 golden eyes that showed anger and suspicion.
"What did you see?" Zuko demanded and Aang was roughly thrown back into the chair.
"All of it." Aang said bravely and Zuko's steely gaze hardened upon him.
"Why do you do this?" Aang asked.
"Do what?" Zuko responded.
"Why do you continue to be loyal to your father? He scarred you and banished you; he caused you all that pain, Zuko." Aang replied.
"What other choice do I have?" Zuko asked bitterly; his face contorting.
"I..." Aang began, but stopped; what other choice could he give Zuko?
Aang stared into Zuko's eyes again; hoping to find something else.
Behind his eyes, Aang saw hurt, pain, sadness, grief, humiliation, homesickness, and a glimmer of bright hope.
The glimmer of hope reflected back to him; to capture him and in doing so, restoring his honor and place on the throne.
"Well, Zuko, it's just that---I--." Aang began to stutter; trying to find something to say, but couldn't find any words to show that he felt sorry for him, but capturing him wasn't going to restore anything.
Zuko bent down and leveled his face to Aang's.
"I know." Zuko said softly and Aang was taken aback by the tone of his voice and the soft glint in his eyes; not expecting that from him.
"What do you know?" Aang asked, then silently mentally slapped himself for his quick mouth.
He hoped Zuko wouldn't burn him right about now.
"I know how hard it is to grow up with a burden; to find that your loved one is gone. To find that your world is no more." Zuko stated simply and quietly.
Aang kept silent; afraid to open his mouth again.
"But you always have to have hope that something will happen." Zuko continued calmly.
"I try to." Aang said meekly, but then he instantly stared down at his round toe boots; regretting that he had said anything.
Zuko stared at him with understanding and sat down; lifting Aang's face by his chin with his hand.
"You've given many people hope since you awoke, Aang." Zuko said softly and Aang flinched slightly at being called by his real name.
He hadn't expected that from any Firebender, and certainly not from Zuko.
As he tried to gaze down again, Zuko's hand held his jaw firmly to keep his sight to his own eyes.
"Many people, including me." Zuko solemnly said; leaning in slightly closer to him and Aang felt his face was paralyzed.
"You should never give up on hope." Aang managed to say; remembering what Gyatso told him before.
"But even if I don't give up on hope, will it ever come?" Zuko asked with a sting of bitterness in his voice.
There was dead silence between the two as Aang stared into his captor's golden eyes and tried to find something to say.
"Avatar Roku says I have to master all 4 elements by the end of summer, or the world will not survive." Aang said suddenly and wondered where that comment had come from.
Zuko kept gazing into his silver eyes with wonder.
"What else does Avatar Roku say you must do?" Zuko asked quietly; his face even further leaning towards Aang's.
Aang stared back into his golden eyes and found his reflection in the liquid pools of amber.
Something was telling him to go towards the reflection; that he would find the answers within the golden eyes that held himself.
Before Aang knew it, his own lips had touched Prince Zuko's and he had found something within that reflection; someone with a mirror of his own pain.
All this person ever needed was to be loved, all he ever wanted to do was serve his master, or in this case, father, obediently and all he ever yearned so much to do was to win his father's affections back.
Just then, Aang's eyes opened for real and found his lips pressed to Prince Zuko's!
Reeling back, he blinked and shook his head in surprise.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It--It was an accident and..." Aang began, trying to find something to say but only finding worthless blubbering with no true possible meaning.
Zuko also blinked and then drew back Aang's head; pressing a finger against his lips and Aang shut his mouth.
"What was that?" Zuko asked softly.
"A--A kiss." Aang said sheepishly; what else could he tell him?
It was nothing but.
Zuko's tongue darted out to his lips slightly and quickly; a burst of scent hit him.
A scent of burning incense and fresh forest wood; of the air in Autumn and salt water over the seas.
Aang saw his tongue flicker and felt himself repeating the action.
A whiff burst through his tongue and settled in his mouth.
One of burning firewood and smoke; the feeling of a sweetness in rebirth and a bitterness of disgrace.
"Hope." Zuko said simply; causing Aang to look up.
"What?" Aang stuttered as Zuko neared him again.
"It's what you said; you should never give up on hope." Zuko whispered and their faces drew closer, but then the door burst open and Sokka and Katara ran through.
Katara water whipped Zuko in the face as he was knocked against the wall; growing still.
Sokka cut the rope off of Aang and helped him up.
"Let's go, Aang." Katara said breathlessly as she took Aang's other arm and led him out.
Aang shot one last glance at Zuko, who was regaining consciousness, before Sokka and Katara dragged him outside; where Appa and Momo were waiting for them.
Sokka took the reigns and shouted "Yip yip!" as Appa flew into the sky.
Zuko had come out on deck and rubbed his cheek on the spot where the water whip hit and stared at the disappearing ball of flying fur as he noticed grey eyes.
Aang stared down at Zuko; him staring right back and Zuko's words echoed in his head before all sight of him was blocked by clouds.
'Never give up on hope.'
Remembering the kisses, Aang touched his lips slightly and stared down at Zuko one last time before Appa disappeared into the clouds.
Zuko watched from deck as the child Avatar disappeared. He had given many people hope. Many people, including him.
A rewritten chapter 1. I'll continue this later.