A/N: Originally written around January 2006. This story takes place between the destruction of Zuko's ship in "The Waterbending Master" and the time when Iroh and Zhao discuss Zuko's "death" in the same episode. I wondered to myself, How in the Four Nations did Zuko make it off his ship alive? Note: the first two horizontal lines indicate point of view change; the third line indicates a brief passage of time. Rated K+ for scary situations.

Disclaimer: Wouldn't it be wonderful to own Avatar: The Last Airbender . . . but I don't (sigh). That right belongs to Nickelodeon. And Bryan Konietzko and Mike DiMartino, two minds far greater than mine. I'm not making any money off this either.

Escape

The scruffy parrot blinked at him, squawked, and took flight. Zuko's golden eyes widened, and he barely had time to swing around before he heard a low, thundering rumble.

Then the fire came, roaring mercilessly into the cabin.

He screamed, and even as he screamed he was slipping almost automatically into a defensive bending stance. The heat was unbearable. He had trained in firebending all his life, but he had never experienced anything that even came close to this. As fast as he flung the leaping flames closest to him away, he was faced with more. The explosions rocked the ship and sent him tumbling into the wall. He clapped a hand to his neck to stall the sudden pain and stumbled out of the cabin, which collapsed behind him. All was heat and pain; a choking cloud of smoke was blinding him . . . he was certainly going to die here if he lingered . . .

Zuko flung himself into the breathtakingly cold water, swimming down and away to avoid flaming debris. Why, why must he be forced to swim? Water was a firebender's greatest enemy, and this frigid water was quickly sapping his strength. As he continued to impel himself swiftly through the water, he felt something slam into his back, forcing him down still further. He twisted his body supine and realized he was pinned under a jagged-edged sheet of the ship's metal body. In a rapid movement, he pushed on the metal and slithered out from under it, tearing his upper lip on the blackened edge as he did so.

He was running out of air . . .

He forced himself to concentrate only on reaching the surface. Kick, reach pull. Kick, reach, pull.

He was still miles away . . .

Kick, reach, pull. He started to gag helplessly.

His head was beginning to pound . . .

He kicked feebly.

He was seeing dazzling spots before his eyes . . .

He could not be this weak; he wouldn't be! He inhaled and choked. The icy temperature of the water was magnified a hundredfold when it was inside his lungs.

If he couldn't pull through this, his uncle would never forgive him . . .

Iroh stood on the wooden dock, the flames from the ship's blazing inferno reflecting in his soft, brown eyes. He knew that it was impossible for Zuko to have survived; he just wished death did not have to come so quickly. His son had perished just as suddenly, and he had said nothing to either boy, Zuko or his son.

He was shocked to hear a faint splash below. He rushed to the end of the dock, his intense gaze piercing through the winter darkness. A small form lay sprawled upon the ice.

"Thank the spirits," the old man breathed, and he made his way to the edge of the water as fast as his old limbs would go.

Zuko made an attempt to produce a handful of fire, but he was unable to do even that, he was too cold. His panting, gasping breaths sounded too loud as they broke the stillness.

"Now perhaps you will listen to me when I ask you to accompany me for a walk, Prince Zuko."

Zuko rolled over and saw his uncle hurrying toward him. Iroh pulled him to his feet and embraced him gently, mindful of his condition. Despite his uncontrollable shivering, Zuko could feel that his uncle was trembling just as much as he was. After a long moment, Iroh finally released Zuko, his eyes overly bright.

"Come. We must get you dried off before you freeze."

Zuko silently followed Iroh off the odious ice to higher ground, where Iroh stopped and turned around.

"Stand still," he commanded Zuko softly. The young man complied, and Iroh cupped a handful of fire in his hands and let the flames fall at Zuko's feet. Then, in a swift bending motion, Iroh caused the flames to become a wall of fire surrounding Zuko. Such a powerful firebending movement could have incinerated an enemy easily, but to Zuko, it felt like a warm breeze. The flames died, leaving him dry and, thankfully, warm. He nodded once to Iroh.

"Thank you, Uncle," he said quietly.

"Zhao has offered me a place on his ship as his military consultant," Iroh said, beginning to walk away. Zuko followed, glancing curiously at his uncle. Why did he need to know this?

"He and his crew are headed for the North Pole," Iroh continued calmly. Now Zuko knew what he meant. The Avatar.

"Zhao won't let me set foot on his ship," Zuko said immediately. The filthy admiral, he was almost sure, was the reason he now bore new scars.

"But we may be able to smuggle you on board," Iroh replied merrily. Zuko said nothing. Just what was his uncle planning?

They walked up the metal ramp into the dimly-lit ship and Zuko looked around. The air was warm from the heat of many firebenders, and the walls and floor were perfectly polished. Zuko snorted contemptuously. Zhao would take pride in keeping himself and his ship well-kept. The man's pride would be his downfall.

Iroh continued to lead him down hallways and past wooden doors until he stopped beside an open door and gestured inside.

Zuko stepped into the room and saw the armor worn by Fire Nation guards strewn over the floor. He looked to his uncle for affirmation and Iroh nodded. Zuko began to remove his carmine robe, wincing as he chafed his wounds. Iroh reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder, and as Zuko looked back at him their eyes locked, golden gazing deeply into brown. It seemed a long time that they stood there, neither looking away until a passing guard said briskly,

"General Iroh! Admiral Zhao wishes to speak with you, sir." Iroh inclined his head to the soldier and squeezed Zuko's shoulder briefly before exiting.

Zuko slipped into the more awkward armor of the guards and strode out of the small room. His uncle's look had been so unexpected. There was such an intense, eternal love behind those eyes. His father had never looked at him like that.

The Avatar.

Those two words whispered themselves again and again inside his head. The Avatar was his hope, his inspiration, his life.

And yet—

Something about this day had changed him. He felt different . . . and the loving look on his uncle's face continued to haunt him long after Iroh had departed from his side.

*The End*

A/N: Yay, my first story! I don't think I need to tell you to read and review. Zuko and Iroh-my two favorite characters in my favorite television show. Their relationship is the best!