Avatar: Firestorm

Chapter 1: Fire and Lightning

Boom!

The bolt of blue lightning hit its' target with pin-point accuracy, tearing a meter wide hole in the chest of the human-shaped wooden dummy. It was the fifth figure to be destroyed on the deck of the Fire Nation flagship today. The others were littered on the metal deck around it, everyone with at least one quarter of it missing.

Princess Azula smiled evilly, satisfied with the destruction she had caused. "That blast could have gone through the Avatar, his friends, even his damn bison," she commented, wishing that had been the case. "Still, finding them is the main problem. Killing them should be a snap."

The Fire Nation princess had been chasing the Avatar for about a mount, and in that time she had learned just how allusive he could be.

Under normal circumstances, she would have found her target and killed it by now. Unfortunately for Azula, these were anything but normal circumstances. The fact that the boy was the Avatar was complication enough, but that wasn't the worst factor.

Her brother and uncle was making this mission more frustrating by the minute. Iroh had betrayed the Fire Nation by turning on Admiral Zhao at the north pole, and Zuko had followed suit, by personally killing the Admiral. This had marked them both as traitors to the Fire Lord. He would not stand for traitors, especially those who were his son and brother.

Now, Azula had to track the Avatar, his friends, and two traitors through enemy territory. Not an easy job in any way.

Luckily for Azula, she also had allies. "Wow! You really showed that dummy who's boss!" cried out Ty Lee in her ever-happy tone.

"Yah, that would have been messy," said Mai. She was just about the polar opposite of Ty Lee, with her heavy tone, and dark outlook on life. "But didn't the Fire Lord want the Avatar alive?"

"Yes, father did want him alive." Azula approached the dummy, pressing her hand against the wooden face, right below the painted blue arrow. "And I'll make sure he gets his wish." Within a few seconds, smoke began to rise, and the figure's head ignited in red flame. "But, he didn't happen to say anything about his friends."

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"No!" Zuko screamed as he awoke, his face covered in sweat. More nightmares. More visions of the past. More visions of home.

The exiled fire prince sat up, and instantly realized why people usually slept on a mattress. His back had small rocks imbedded in it, each of them causing considerable pain. A normal person would complain. But years ago, Zuko had learned what true pain was, and now he had a scar on his face to prove it.

Zuko also felt the bruises from his most recent engagement, where he had fought several corrupt Earth Kingdom soldiers. He had saved a town from their grip, and then they had banished him after learning who he was. They had turned their backs on him, just as his father had. Ungrateful bastards.

Now he was stcuk in the middle of the desert, with limited supplies and no allies. It was ironic that this time a month ago, he had command of a ship, and two years before that, he was the prince of the greatest nation in the world.

Things were definitely on a downward spiral.

I'll have it all back one day.

The sun had just peaked over the horizon, and instantly Zuko felt it's rejuvenating effects. All over the Earth Kingdom, Firebenders would be feeling the same effect, and many of them would take the opportunity to launch attacks.

As he picked up his bag, he realized just how hungry he was. A quick search of his bag revealed that he was out of food, and that ment he had to find some in a hurry, which would prove difficult in the desert.

"I'm sure uncle's already eating by now." Zuko and Iroh had gone their separate ways, and now Zuko was alone. That's how it should be. Zuko was too defiant to admit it, but he needed help. His uncle had been like a father to him since they left the Fire Nation, and Zuko had just abandoned him.

He would have to worry about that later, his current state of hunger was much more pressing at the moment. He picked up his bag, and resumed his journey of redemption.