Fires treacherous nature
Disclaimer:I don't own much just this realy nice icecream...and now its gone...so I own nothing. O.oI didn't know icecream melted that fast.
Chapter 1
The storm wasn't bad just a bit cold, there was no lighting or thunder just rain. I couldn't feel it, or refused to feel it. In my meditation my mind began to wander to the recurring thought that haunted me.
The only way I was going to earn any respect… the only way I was going to catch the avatar was to become a fire bending master. I had to be better than Azula, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get it, I couldn't get lightning bending.
Uncle called for me to come back to the cave and have a cup of tea to warm myself from the "bitter cold." His calls went unheeded as I continued stance through stance, blaze after burning blaze. As I got caught up in my training the rain disappeared and there was only fire. If I could have seen my own face and that time I would have turned and fled.
As guilt, blame, failure, pain, and lies flowed into my movements they became harsher, quicker. My fire was fueled by emotion though I hated showing it to anyone. Emotion was a weakness so I tried to control it, to stop it. It is scary but sometimes I wish I couldn't feel the guilt in hurting people, in seeing people suffer, but I know that I couldn't live like that.
I fell to my knees as they gave while trying to do a sweep kick. My mind came back and I looked at my surroundings the tall trees that had stood peaceful and giving were charred and broken. For a moment I felt sorry for my actions, but then as usual I went back to my bitterness. I had never known peace why should these giant relicts of time get to enjoy it for ages on end. It wasn't fair, the world wasn't fair.
I looked down upon my paler than usual almost blue hands. My fingers refused to bend, the joints nearly frozen. It was then that I noticed that I was shaking uncontrollably. The only reason that my teeth did not chatter was likely the fact that my jaw was clenched so tightly I could feel the muscle cramp. Again the world won and I retreated to the refuge of our cave.
I found it hard to move, my muscles had cooled too quickly and already they were in pain and it hurt to walk. I stumbled back my knees throbbing and ready to give way and leave me face first in the mud.
The moment I entered I saw the concern on my uncle's face. He offered me tea and I ignored him. I didn't occur to me until much later how much I could be hurting my uncle by rejecting his concern for me and treating him like a nuscence. I know I would be lost beyond saving if he treated me the way I treated him.
My head hit the soft springy bed that my uncle had weaved from long grass and I immediately fell into a heavy sleep.
I watched my nephew stiffly walk into our cave and throw himself on to the mattress I had made for him. Concern was written on my old face, it seemed worry plagued me more often and fiercer since we had seen the avatar light in the south pole.
I looked again at the sleeping face of my beloved nephew. Zuko had been training. As his teacher I had always nagged him to be calm and use his mind to gain advantage over an enemy. Instead he would use his anger as power, he never thought he just acted using nothing but force.
I really don't think that he knows what he is fighting for. All he knows is the pride and power that comes with being fire nation royalty. And he would give it all to get it back.
I fell asleep pondering the drive of my forsaken nephew.
I awoke to the early mooring. It was cool yet and a certain feeling of refreshed serenity spread in the woodland landscape. A perfect time for tea.
I rummaged through my bag. To my horror there was no tea. I went into a mental panic. I ran around our camp like a mad man, looking for and remote sign of the earths perfect beverage. Then I remembered the village not far from here. A nice morning walk would be calming, good for ones metal well being.
I sat in front of an antique shop singing one of my favorite songs. It was very nice of the owner to let me beg…err perform here. She had said "what would I be if I didn't let an old man do his honest work. Oh! I know" she scowled "I'd be fire nation" then proceeded to laugh I joined in, for effect. And partly because maybe it was true.
I awoke to my uncle's tea kettle whistling. "Were did you get tea uncle?" I asked him sleep still heavy on my eyes.
Iroh looked back at me "why good afternoon Prince Zuko… I got this tea in the village to the east of here"
"Afternoon?" I muttered to myself. I couldn't believe how late I slept in
"Oh and how did you pay for it?"
"Begged" the old man answered simply.
It annoyed me that we who were once royalty, who ate some of the greatest delicacies in the fire nation now had to bag for stale bread, and the fact that he was perfectly alright with it got me even more angry.
I tried to get up but my joints and stiff muscles protested, so the best I could do was sit up to eat some toasted bread with honey I even excepted tea.
As I walked through the woods to gather fire wood the battle between Azula and myself kept replaying in my mind. How could she be that good? I was better than most fire benders, I though that I could at least hold my ground against her… but again I was wrong.
As I came to the edge of a clearing I heard laughter. It was female and it sounded familiar. I searched my memory but I couldn't place it.
A/N: well thats it. the first chapter of my first fic! I would love to hear from who cares enough to review. Tell me if I have Zuko in character.
