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The good guys had lost.
Aang had failed to defeat Ozai.
Not long after that the earth kingdom had been defeated under a curtain of fire, and the Order of the White Lotus were forced to abandon Ba Sing Say with whatever survivors they had left, which weren't many.
The leading members who had led the assault hadn't numbered among them.
Toph, Socca, and Suki had been captured and executed for sabotaging fire nation ships.
Azula, with her cracked mind, had regained the title of fire lord. Katara, however, forever silenced her claim, and hold off the battalion sent to capture them. Zuko was forced to flee.
He hadn't heard any news about her since, as he had fled to the abandoned Sun Warrior temples.
Despite looking Zuko couldn't find any of the sun warriors themselves. He stood forlornly at the base of the Masters home, but couldn't see them either.
It seemed that the place was dead.
Zuko sat at the foot of the stairs leading to the dragon's caves watching the bright orange sun dye the sky with its flames.
The exiled prince knew that he was just waiting for his fate, having lost all hope when Aang's charred corpse had been displayed as evidence of the Fire Nation's victory.
The boy hung his head in his hands, wearily wondering how he could have impressed it harder on Aang the need to use lethal force.
"Not like I can change what's happened," he muttered to the dirt.
"Ah, but I beg to differ!"
Hard trained instincts caused Zuko to have fire in his hands before asking questions.
As the smoke cleared he managed to make out the shape of a man. The man coughed and emerged unharmed from the flames.
"Wow, someone's jumpy!"
The man had bright yellow hair, like the sun, and a tanned complexion marked by two pairs of stripes on his cheeks. He had blue eyes like a water bender, and that was enough to make Zuko hold the fire on his fingers and call out, "Who are you?"
The man, who had been dusting soot from his orange cloths, looked up at him smiling widely with sharp teeth.
"I'm the Restrained Fox King. I was an indentured slave to that dusty old owl for the last thousand years, but thanks to your friends he sent his library back to Spirit World, and my contract with him ended." He stuck out a calloused hand urging Zuko to take it.
Hesitantly the boy did, and found himself pulled to his feet beside the strange figure, who draped an arm over his shoulders and began ascending the stairs to the dragon's lairs while he continued talking.
"I'm glad to be out of that place, too much dust for my allergies you know, and as per the rules of daemons and the like, I have to repay a dept when owed. So I followed around your bald friend to see what I could do to help him."
Here the man paused for a moment. "Unfortunately creatures like me aren't allowed to become the patron spirit for the Avatar, he's too high above us in the spiritual hierarchy."
The Man continued climbing. "So then I decided, 'Hey I'll just pass his dept onto his friends them.' So I did, only that water girl was too far off from my element, the other boy wasn't a bender and was dating the moon, and the earth bender already had a patron, some weird badger thief."
The man sighed, "I was nearly at my wit's end, when you showed up! I'm so happy you did, because you're my element, so I'm now you're patron so I can fulfill my dept!"
"So as you're patron I get to make sure you stay safe and I can grant favors to you and if I feel really vindictive I can even make you go and do favors for me! Isn't that so cool!"
He turned his smiling face to his newest charge. Zuko looked very confused. The man continued grinning, oblivious.
"So I heard you having a pity party over there, and decided to step in. So, what do you want?"
The ex-prince blinked confused, "Hu?"
"What do you want?" the man prompted, "What can I do within my considerable power to make you, Zuko ex-prince of the fire nation and all around honorable guy, feel better? Just name it, there's not a lot I can't do."
The boy gazed bemuses into the face of his self styled patron, then past it into the setting sun.
"I'm still not sure that this isn't a dream. All of this, this war, the avatar, me changing sides, I just wish…" he trailed off sadly.
The man who had been hanging off of his every word looked thoughtful. "You wish that the war had never happened?" He 'hmm-ed' for a few moments, chin in hand, before snapping his fingers.
"I've got it! It'll really be stretching my rights and will get a whole other slew of god's mad at me, but that just makes it all so much better!" He cackled.
"Alright," He turned to face the boy, "I had a temple in the fire nation capitol, but you're grandfather Sozin, ordered it to be torn down so he could build a throne room inside of it. Something important to me was lost there, a sculpture of a spiral leaf. It is within the rights granted to me to send you there on a quest to find it."
" Once you're there you can do whatever you want, so long as you are still participating in the quest. Meaning that you can find the leaf, then do whatever you want before handing it back to me, or you could just never go looking for it at all. You're choice. The point is that as long as you're on my quest you can stay in the time and place I send you. Do you understand?"
Zuko nodded slowly. The man smiled even wider.
"Now I'll try and help you whatever I can for whatever you plan to do. Good luck." And with those parting words the man threw Ex-prince Zuko down the long flight of stairs.
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Zuko awoke in the middle of an alley, head sore, and thoroughly confused. Staggering he immerged from the alley and found himself being pushed by a crowd of people.
"What's going on?" he asked a man pushing a cart covered in fireworks, treats and sweets.
He gave the boy an odd look before replying, "Fire Lord Sozin has called everyone to celebrate the defeat of the Air Nomads. His speech is going on right now, then there's a festival."
"But…" Zuko looked even more confused, but the man had already vanished in the mob.
Deciding to just go with the flow, Zuko let himself be ushered by the people until he was at the edge of what looked like an enormous stage. Standing on the stage was a man resplendent in the traditional red robes of the fire lord.
"My people," he was saying, "with our enemies fallen in the air, now it is time to seat our sights across over the sea! We are people chosen by the sun, so therefore all that the sun touches is by right ours!"
The crowd went wild. Zuko put on a disgusted face, remembering how he was brought into the whole 'chosen by the sun' nonsense which justified the fire nation killing thousands of innocents.
"You know, for a power hungry dictator, he really knows how to get the crowd going."
Quick as a flash Zuko spun around to see the sun haired man leaning calmly at the edge of the crowd munching on an orange peach.
"You!" the teen marched up to the strange man.
"Me?" he asked confused.
"Where am I? Where did you take me?"
The man sighed, "I thought we already covered this, and it's not really 'where' you should be asking me it's 'when'." At Zuko's unchanging expression he sighed again. "Alright just follow me and I'll try to explain. Again."
The strange man got up from the wall and walked away from the crowd. Zuko hurried to follow him. After some twists and turns they arrived at a run down old shrine, where the man stopped and sat down on an ornate stone bench.
"This," he said stretching out his hands, "is the only remaining shrine to the Fire Fox King in all the fire nation. It is my shrine. I am a spirit worshiped as a god , and older than dirt."
"You, dear Zuko, are no longer a prince. In fact you wont even be born for another fifty years, here you do not exist. You have all the freedom you ever have dreamed of, and knowledge of fore coming events. It was your wish right? To prevent the war? Well, unfortunately bringing you back in time to the middle of it was the best I could do." He slumped over the bench's arm, face in hand.
"On all the paperwork you are here officially to fufill a quest for me. Unofficially you are here to do whatever you want. Kill the fire lord, save the water benders, awake the Avatar, whatever. I don't really care, just try and make it something amusing. I really need a laugh." His eyes closed tiredly.
Zuko took a moment to digest this while the Fox spirit dozed lightly.
"So, where- I mean when- exactly am I?"
The Spirit opened his blood shot eyes and calculated a quick sum under his breath. " Fifty years before your birth. Fire lord Sozin is celebrating the defeat of the last group of rogue air benders. In three days he and his fleet will head south. All water benders are declared illegal within the fire nation territories, and are arrested on sight. After destroying the south pole capital he will spend the remainder of his life searching for the Avatar. He will only return to the palace briefly to comfort his son Iroh for the death of his own son, then be assonated. Ozai will then ascend the throne in Iroh's place."
Zuko looked pensive.
The fox yawned showing abnormally sharp canines and rubbed at his face. "Now I've just exerted a vast amount of energy bringing you here, so if you please I'll be taking a nap. I trust that you wont get into too much mischief while I'm away?"
Zuko, who felt much lighter than he had in a very long time, let looked a little smile. "I can't guarantee anything."
The Spirit smirked, "Spoken like a true fox. Just don't get yourself killed, unless you somehow manage to piss off a whole lot of people first."
The yellow haired man stood and stretched. "Well, ja." And with a snap of his fingers he vanished in a swirl of leaves.
+_+_+_------------
Zuko walked languidly through the crowded festival street, hands tucked in his pockets, thinking.
He knew he had to do something, but vaguely setting up goals of, 'Let's destroy the fire lord', were a bit too big to set right into motion. What he needed was to establish a first step than take it. Ideally he wanted to somehow get into the imperial palace so he could disrupt the inner working of the war, but how to do so was alluding him.
"Sign up for the fire brigade, best and finest of our great nation's army! Sign up, sign up, all benders welcome!"
Zuko paused and considered the booth surrounded by eager young men wanting glory. The fire brigade historically started out as mercenaries and prison guards, but were chosen to replace the old palace guards.
He knew that he was a decent bender, despite what his father and Azula said, so he would easily be able to climb their ranks and maybe get himself set as a captain. If Zuko played his cards right he could even secure himself the place of a palace guard, and be allowed free access to all the restricted places in the palace normal servants weren't allowed in.
Plan firmly set in his mind ,Zuko turned to the table.
One man laughed as he saw the ex-prince pick up a pen to sign his name. "Hey kid, are you sure you can handle joining?"
Zuko looked up, and the man's laughter died in his throat as he saw the hideous scar permanently glaring from the boy's face.
He smirked, and his golden eyes flickered. "I think I can handle it."
+_+_+--------------
The history of the fire brigade was just about as bloody and frightening as that of the rest of the nation.
You see, they were essentially glorified kidnappers, who managed to find a place in the army stealing and imprisoning south pole water benders.
Zuko had forgotten this crucial piece of information when he signed up.
Fortunately however his skills at fire bending, and his experience with piloting a ship (from chasing the Avatar for two years on one) brought him to the attention of an aging commander in need of a cabin boy. Quicker than you could say flash Zuko found himself pulled out of regular grunt work and thrown out to sea.
The man's name was Roken, and though old he was well respected by his crew. His ship wasn't one assigned to kidnapping, but instead patrolled the open sea lending help to ships in need of supplies and intercepting messages from the enemy.
Zuko was assigned as Roken's assistant, and as the man ran down found himself in the place of acting captain. Roken was too full of pride to ever leave his ship and retire, preferring instead to dieing at sea.
Unknown to Zuko his knowledge of court matters, military tactics, noble manners, and scar (an obvious sign of a failed duel) led everyone on the crew to think that he was an estranged son of some lord. It was the general consensus that Zuko was in the military under an assumed name trying desperately to regain the favor of his family, who had obviously banished him in disgrace. The crew were in awe of the poor honorable boy, so ready to serve his great nation, that they didn't complain over his taking command of the small ship.
Two years had passed uneventfully in this way. Zuko celebrated his nineteenth birthday.
He found himself somewhat happy on the ship, although rousing discussions as how best to 'kill the water savages' were uncomfortable to attend. However he couldn't speak out lest he lose his standing among the crew. He just needed to seem a loyal subject on the outside until he brought down the fire lord.
Then one fateful morning a messenger hawk came with orders for them to head south. Apparently the ship usually assigned to control the water peasants had finally been sunk by a desperate group of benders.
Rumors of the fallen south pole and the special prisons for water benders had reached Zuko even this far at sea, and he was morally torn at what to do.
He knew that if he stayed on the ship he would be forced to imprison innocent people, yet if he refused he would be unable to infiltrate the palace in the near future. From what he remembered it should be another five years at least before that happened. What would be the greater good here?
He sighed tiredly and handed Roken the scroll, wishing he could instead toss it over board.
The old man wheezed as he read. A smile cracked his gap toothed mouth. "Hear that boys?" he called to the crew, "Were heading south!"
A cheer arose from the assembled men on the deck.
Roken smiled. "You'll finally get some action Zuko, I know how young men go out looking for adventure. I did too a long time ago…" he trailed off and Zuko helped him back to his cabin.
Emerging from below deck Zuko sighed, then buried all his hesitation under a fiery gaze that meant business. "Quit laying about men," he roared, "The captain wants us to the south pole before Agni is in the sky! Is that clear?"
"Yes sir!" they yelled back, before scarring away to their jobs.
Zuko himself retired to his own room to sleep and think.
+_+----------------
Kana was a water bender.
She wasn't a prodigy like her cousin, Shin, but she could move the tides with the best the south had to offer. That was why when Shin died submerging the fire nation ship that had captured him, she was the only one left to patrol the small bay in search of more enemies.
When the black snow began to fall, however, she could not paddle fast enough to shore, and was soon over taken by the iron monstrosity.
Immediately two men wearing red armor and white masks fired at her from the deck. They hit her canoe, creating a gaping hole in the botton. Abandoning the now useless craft Kana leapt into the water, quickly bending it into ice under her feet.
"She's a water bender!" she heard from behind her.
Heavy metal boots landed on her newly created ice path. Kana smirked, as with a subtle gesture the ice melted.
With an enormous splash the men fell into the sea.
Kana couldn't help it, she turned, wanting to see the sea swallow the men who had killed her cousin, but instead she saw a heavy net fall and pin her to the ice.
She struggled as the line attached to the net reeled her in like a fish. She was thrown unceremoniously onto the deck, while the rest of the crew concentrated on rescuing the two drowning men.
Kana thought it grossly unfair that the most they would get off with was a cold, while she would rot in a prison till she died.
Roughly she felt herself pulled to her feet and her arms were tied behind her back.
"Move it." Her guard said as the bowels of the ship swallowed them. She and her guard walked down into the ship and past the boiler room. Wistfully Kana breathed in the steam, wishing her hands were free to bend it into a weapon.
They stopped in front of a dry metal door, and Kana was thrown into the dark room inside.
She lay there wondering what would happen to her, hoping that by some miracle she could escape to warn her village.
Suddenly the door to her cell opened spilling orange light into her eyes nearly blinding her. Someone grabbed her parka and marched her through the hall.
She stumbled. "Get moving he doesn't like to be kept waiting, especially by peasants!" her captor barked.
Confused Kana was pushed and dragged to another room, this one farther from the boiler. The soldier knocked before opening the door before marching in, dragging the unfortunate water bender with him. A voice rang from the room's interior, lit by a lone candle, "Is this the only prisoner caught?"
The soldier stiffly stood at the ready. "Yes sir."
The voice seemed to consider this briefly. "Good, you are dismissed."
The soldier bowed and left chuckling darkly.
Kana stood in the silence squinting though the darkness of the room to try and see her captor. Her heart raced as her mind filled with images of torture and interrogation and a number of other unsightly things.
The lone candle glowed softly on what appeared to be a desk. Her newest captor sat by that desk, his smoothes pale face half hidden in the darkness. He looked much younger than she thought he would be.
The man cleared his throat. "Uh, sorry that's it's a bit dark, I was up late last night and didn't have time to light the lamps…" He waved his hand igniting a row of candles. Kana broke into a nervous sweat. This man was a fire bender.
"Do you want something to drink? I have some jasmine tea over here." This announcement didn't comfort the girl. Obviously this man was confident enough in his skills to offer a water bender a drink. He could be either arrogant or dangerous.
He turned to a steaming pot and pored two glasses. When he turned to face Kana, cup in hand, she gasped. His face was horribly scarred.
He looked mildly confused for a moment, then a look of understanding flitted across his face. He gave a small smile, which served to emphasize the scar even more, and put down the cup.
"Would you like to sit down? I just want to talk with you."
Kana scowled at him, hiding her fear. "I won't tell you anything. I am a water tribe warrior and will not betray my people."
He sighed, "Look its nothing like that, alright? I just need to ask you some questions, you don't even need to answer if you feel uncomfortable. Ok?"
Kana stood tense, unmoving. The man took that as confirmation.
Sighing he ran a hand over his forehead. "Do you know what they do to water benders when they catch them? Of course you do." He pinched the bridge of his nose, sinking down into his chair once again.
"You can't go back to your village. We have too many informants on the ice, it wont be possible for you to stay free…" Kana stood confused, wondering what this man wanted from her.
"If I threw her over board…? No Katara said the water was even dangerous for her…" he sank deeper into his thoughts.
"Look," he said at last, "I don't want to send you to one of those prisons, but I have to do the appearance of my job, do you understand? I don't want to catch any water benders while I'm here if I can help it."
He sighed again pensively boiling his tea in his fist. Suddenly his eyes widened and he smiled again.
"I am going to take you on the deck with me." He stalked behind her and roughly cut the ropes binding her hands. "On the back of the ship is where we launch the smaller search vessels. One is set up there fully supplied and ready to go. With our ship surrounded by glaciers we would be unable to chase someone if they theoretically stole it."
Kana waited till the rope fell from her hands, then quick as a flash she bent the boiling tea from the pot and smacked the man across the chest knocking him to the ground.
The scene froze: Kana with a whip of jasmine tea poised to strike again, and the man looking oddly cool sprawled on the floor.
"What are you planning? Why did you tell me those things? Is it a trap? Are you hoping I'll lead you to my people? Well that's not happening!"
The man quirked his eyebrow amused.
"What are you going to do after you kill me? Storm the ship? Go running out on desk and then what? The only possible way out of here is the way I described for you. And if I meant you any harm I would have done it by now."
"The why? Why are you helping me?"
A dark shadow passed over the man's face. "A … water bender saved my life once."
The tea splashed its way back into the teapot.
Kana gave him a distrustful look. "What did you have in mind?"
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