A/N: I know what you're thinking, what's a brilliant, talented, and very pretty authoress like me doing something as trivial as an Avatar Fanfiction
Zuko: Maybe because you have no life?
Me: Shut up. What're you doing here anyway?
Zuko: I'm in your story, stupid.
Me: Right, forgot about that. Anyway, do you want to tell the audience why I'm here then?
Zuko: Gladly (Turns to invisible camera). She has no job, no money, no car, and owes a yaoi story to her friend Koiji.
Me: YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY IT LIKE THAT!!
Zuko: Whatever. Basically, this story was written on a whim and is about me… (Glares at Kuro-Neko-Chan) and my friend's story throughout the series.
Me: YOU'RE JUST AFRAID OF BEING CALLED GAY, AREN'T YOU??
Disclaimer: Believe me, if I wasn't overdue with my payment, I really wouldn't be here right now, but it's okay: I luvs yaoi (that's basically what this story is, anyway).
Chapter 1
The Boy in the Iceberg
Water.
Earth.
Fire.
Air.
I used to hear stories about the old days. A time of peace when the Avatar kept peace between the Water Tribes, Earth kingdom, Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads.
But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked.
Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the fire benders.
But when the rest of the world needed him most, he vanished.
A hundred years have passed and the fire nation is nearing victory in the war. Two years ago, my Fire Nation prince, Prince Zuko was banished and sent to search for the long lost Avatar to retrieve his honor. As his friend, I decided to travel with him and his uncle to calm his worries.
Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and the cycle is broken.
But I haven't lost hope.
I still believe, between you and me, that somehow the Avatar will return to save the world.
Hari couldn't sleep.
Normally, he would have been halfway to dreamland by now if something wasn't amiss. Staying up all hours of the night, looking through a telescope, watching the crewman bobble back and forth did not appeal to him at all. That was Prince Zuko's hobby in fact.
Not tonight, though.
Hari groaned and ran his fingers through his gingery red hair. Lovely, I'm never gonna get some sleep now. His thoughts ran sleepily through his head, trying to remember why he was in his bed in the first place if he wasn't tired.
He was mad. That's right! He had yelled at Zuko about the fact that Zuko had conveniently forgotten his birthday. Again. Zuko had yelled heatedly back that he was in fact; a little too busy to remember small matters like that that didn't involve finding the Avatar.
Hari had been so mad, he smacked Zuko. Hari chuckled at the memory and the idea of seeing Zuko's astonished and angry face. His smirk waned at the thought of Zuko's childhood face getting angry at him.
For as long as Hari could remember, Hari had been blind ever since the Fire Nation found him. He could remember one glorious day when he had Zuko's face swam before his eyes before he slipped back into unconsciousness. That was the worst time of his life.
The time when Hari had his disease had been awful. If it hadn't been Zuko's constant pleading to his father about letting him stay and heal, Hari doubted he would actually still be alive. However, Azula's constant teasing and torturing hadn't really been too helpful either.
Hari groaned. He knew he needed to apologize. The problem was, it would annoy Zuko even more if he tried to distract him. Geez, all he cares about is that stupid Avatar nowadays!! If you asked him about the Avatar about two years ago, he would've laughed in your face and called you an idiot! Now, he'll start questioning you like you were being put on trial!
Hari blinked. His green eyes didn't sag, droop, or anything. If anything, they were tired of being closed.
Hari sighed. Time to go see Ice Princess Zuko.
Hari was definitely surprised to feel the crewmen rushing back and forth when he stepped out from his cabin. Shrugging it off as a possible Fire nation ship coming to taunt them again, Hari turned to stairway leading up to the main deck.
It didn't surprise Hari to see Zuko staring, again, through the telescope. Oh yeah, and he was still mad it seemed. He continued to growl and rub something on his cheek. Probably when I hit him, I guess. Hari speculated. He sighed and edged as quietly as he could toward the Ice Prince.
In his mind, Zuko hadn't changed from the day he first met him. However, Hari's intuition knew better. Zuko was a weather-ridden soul with the evidence to prove it on the left side of his face. Zuko never talked about it and most of the crew knew better as well. Hari remembered it as the day he never forgot how truly cruel the Fire Nation can be.
Zuko sneezed and went back to staring through the telescope. Hari smirked evilly as he came up with a clever idea.
Hari was infamous for his ability to see things through the vibrations of most objects. He could sneak as quietly as a ninja, and no one would know (Due to even more sensitive hearing and other senses).
Zuko didn't know Hari was right behind him. In all actuality, he didn't care. He had wasted enough time as it was fighting with him about his birthday, even if it was important. All that mattered was the Avatar.
Zuko sighed in agitation and turned around.
And ran right into Hari.
And screamed.
Like a girl.
Hari laughed so hard at his friend's high pitched squeal of terror. He had never squealed like that before! Who could resist such a squeal of fangirlness?
Zuko seemed to recover when he said, "That wasn't funny Hari."
"Well, ha-ha, it was very funny to me, Prince Zuko."
Zuko bristled as someone began chuckling behind him. Zuko turned to see his Uncle Iroh chortling along with Hari. The old general's face was contorted into a giant smirk at Prince Zuko's pink face.
"Well Prince Zuko, you know how I'm always saying you'll never get a girlfriend if you keep acting the way you do, but I see that's not an issue, huh Hari?" Iroh smiled warmly when Hari nodded vigorously.
Zuko's eyebrow rose (at least Hari thought it did). "I repeat, that was not funny!" He barked his cool voice a stark contrast from his heated face.
"Whatever you say, sir." Hari teased, sliding away from the angry prince. He fingered the telescope, feeling the rusted sensation of use.
Zuko cleared his throat. "What do you want anyway?" He demanded, hoping to get away from the previous argument.
Hari turned around, a smirk gracing his features. "I simply came up to say I'm sorry and hope to bow my head to your unrivaled magnifigance." Hari said, his smooth voice fooling no one.
"What do you want?"
"Simply an apology about forgetting my birthday."
"And?"
"And?! I'm shocked you would think my intentions would be anything but sincere! You are a very mean prince, Prince Zuko!" Hari scoffed.
"…And?"
"'And?' He still asks!" Hari mocked, turning around, facing the frozen ice caps (he could feel the ship running into small ones around the hull). "Hmph! Maybe I should just say how cru-!" Hari stopped when he felt something rumbling in the water below them.
"How what?!" Zuko sneered. He stopped when he saw Hari's concentrated stare. "What's wrong? Did we hit an iceberg?" He questioned, griping Hari's shoulder.
Thump. "No, we didn't hit anything. There's just something going on below." Hari looked downward. He couldn't explain it, but his senses were telling him something big was happening. He felt a chill in the air he hadn't felt before as the rumbling continued to grow in magnitude.
Hari stood still for a moment until the rumbling ebbed away. He sighed. "There must be an earthquake nearby." He reported to the concerned crew and fretting prince. "Although, I haven't felt anything like it before."
"Will we be affected?" The helmsman asked.
"Probably not. The fluxuation was miles away; we're out of range for it to reach us." Hari answered promptly.
Zuko breathed a sigh of relief. "Fine. Everyone get back to-"He stopped when an eerie blue light shot up into the air.
It seemed to reach up past the clouds, directing from the Sun's light. Though Hari couldn't see it, he could feel its power exceeding anything found in the world. And, as unbelievable as it seemed, there was only one explanation.
Zuko chuckled. "Finally.
"Hari, Uncle; do you know what this means?" He asked them excitedly. Hari gave no answer but instead looked at Iroh.
Iroh had seemed unperturbed about the eerie azure light in the sky until it finally dissipated, ending over the general's head. Instead, he had been playing a game. Iroh picked up a piece. "I won't get to finish my game?"
"It means," Zuko said impatiently. "My search, it's about to come to an end." He stated manner-of-factly.
Hari sighed. Here it comes, he thought dejectedly.
"That light came from an incredibly powerful source. It has to be him!" Zuko continued, angry no one shared his enthusiasm.
"Oh, it's just the celestial lights." Iroh argued, gazing at his game. "We've been down this road before Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get excited over nothing." Iroh placed the game piece down before continuing. "Please sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?" Iroh motioned to a small teapot that was lightly steaming.
Zuko grew angry. "I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar! Helmsman!" Zuko barked. The aforementioned stood up straight. "Head a course for the light!"
Hari watched as the helmsman ran off to complete Zuko's order and then sighed. He definitely was not getting a birthday apology now.
"I can't do it!"
Iroh raised an eyebrow at Hari. "Yes, you can! You're the only one he listens to."
"Um, reality check, Uncle Iroh!" Hari argued. "Did you not see what happened to me at dinner tonight? How Zuko practically threw his plate at me when I tried to persuade him to apologize again?!
"No way!" Hari crossed his arms under his elbows and turned away from Iroh. "You tell him to go to bed!"
"Oh…Fine. But you owe me, Lord Hari." Iroh crossed in front of Hari and walked outside.
Hari groaned. It wasn't that he was afraid of Zuko, only that he was afraid of him getting disappointed. The last time that he had seen Zuko so excited was the day Zuko got the scar on his face.
Hari shivered. Some things were better left in the past.
"I'm going to bed now." Iroh's voice drifted along the open doorway to Hari's ears. He could tell Iroh was pretending to yawn because he then said, "Yep, a man needs his rest." Apparently Zuko continued to ignore him because Iroh then said, "Prince Zuko, you need some sleep.
"Even if you're right and the Avatar is alive, you won't find him (Oh, that's a very good way to put it, Uncle Iroh, Hari thought bitterly). Your father, grandfather, and your great grandfather all tried and failed." Iroh admitted.
Zuko's voice did not change. "Because," He said through his teeth. "Their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture. Mine does. This coward's hundred years in hiding are over."
Iroh must have given up because he then reappeared through the doorway. Hari turned in his direction. He felt Iroh's head shake 'no' and left down the hallway.
Zuko followed soon after and with a quick 'goodnight' as he passed Hari, Zuko marched all the way back to his quarters.
"Again."
Hari groaned along with the crew. "C'mon Iroh," Hari pleaded. "Just let Zuko suffer his mistakes later." He whined.
Iroh did not alter his mood. "No. He needs to do it again."
Prince Zuko nodded and turned back to his opponents. Within moments, he had blown down two more crewmembers with his firebending. Hari whistled softly. If only I could firebend as well as Prince Zuko can. Hari sucked his teeth at the thought of the endless teaching he had had growing up, only to learn that he could not firebend at all.
The Fire Lord was not happy with this outcome, especially when he learned that Hari could see with vibrations. He demanded that Hari learn so that he could at least bend a little.
It didn't work as well as they thought it did.
Fire just was not in his blood.
Hari puffed a string of hair out of his face and watched Zuko (as best he could anyway, being blind). Zuko soon finished and everyone held their breath until Iroh responded.
"No." Iroh stood and walked over to Zuko. "Power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in your body."
Ugh, I hear this speech every time with them!
"Then," Iroh continued, squatting. "The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire!" Iroh stood up quickly, letting off a blast of fire.
Hari groaned incoherently.
"Get it right this time." Iroh muttered, walking towards his seat next to Hari. Zuko grabbed him before he could sit.
"Enough." He muttered loudly enough for them to hear. "I've been drilling the sequence all day. Teach me the next set, I'm more than ready." He growled.
Iroh was unfazed. "No. You're impatient. You have yet to master your basics. Do them again!"
Zuko snapped. He turned and shot a ring of fire toward one of the soldiers. Hari winced as the sheer force sent the poor man flying back to the front of the ship. He shuddered at the thought of the sickening thud the soldier would have made.
"The sages tell us," Zuko started again, unconcerned for the other man. "That the Avatar is the last airbender. He must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master the four elements, I'll need more than basic firebending to defeat him (He actually sounds smart; that's a very good point, Hari thought pensively). You will teach me the next set!" Zuko barked, startling Hari.
Hari watched as Iroh thought for a moment, deciding to rebuff him or just teach him the new set. Iroh sighed in defeat. "Very well." He conceded, but then his face turned bright and cheery. "But first, I must finish my roast duck!" He admitted, whipping out his bowl.
Zuko watched in disgust as Iroh began to hurriedly gulp down the duck. Hari coughed to hide his snickers at Iroh's clever tactics. Making Zuko wait would teach him not to mess with him anymore.
Hari stretched. Soon enough, Iroh would be finished and Zuko would be hopping mad again. He was really unwilling to sit through another bout. He brightened, remembering the very interesting book he had in his room.
Hari sighed. This was not what he had wanted.
Hari had gone up to the deck to get a little air while he read his book, only to be ambushed by Zuko to staying up with him to gather a glimpse of the Avatar.
Of course, Hari had argued with him, saying if he had been in hiding, the Avatar certainly wouldn't be doing a jig in front of the boat, saying 'Capture me, capture me!' But Zuko wouldn't hear it, and now it was Hari's turn for Zuko watch.
Hari scowled at his book. The diminishing light wasn't helping either. The only reason he wasn't checking for vibrations of the Avatar was because he had agreed with the stubborn prince that he needed some time to read and then he would check for the Avatar.
The problem was, Hari hadn't known what time it was and the suns were beginning to set and now, Hari was running out of options.
Hari stiffened. Okay, now he was just insane! He felt certain that an old fire nation ship now had people running around on it. But the ship was over ten miles away, and there was no way that anyone was still alive on that thing!
Hari stood. The metal door had just shut on it. By the way the people were walking on the ship; it seemed it was a boy and a girl, slightly younger than he and Zuko. They seemed to be walking in circles, when it hit Hari. They were just kids exploring the ship!
He breathed a little easier until he felt one of them set off an alarm. His thoughts scattered for one bone-crushing moment when he felt a flare rise up from the ship. Soon enough, it came into view of the ship. Zuko was elated.
"It's the Avatar! I'm sure of it!" He exclaimed, almost giddy. Almost.
Hari didn't agree. C'mon, kids; get out of there! It's not safe!
"There!" Zuko suddenly shouted. Hari scrambled up to the platform with Zuko.
"Zuko, please, you gotta listen to me!" Hari yelled over the roar of the flare.
"It's the Avatar!"
"No, Zuko, that's what I'm trying to-"
"He's there!" Zuko pointed at the ship's hull. Hari concentrated and was way more than surprised when he felt the boy jump off with very little difficulty. He was carrying something that Hari assumed was the girl.
"The last airbender." Zuko breathed through the telescope. "Quite agile for his old age, eh Hari?
"Wake my uncle!" He suddenly shouted to the soldiers. "Tell him," Zuko turned back to the telescope, watching the boy and the girl run away. "I found the Avatar…" he stopped when they began running toward the Northwest.
Zuko pointed his eyepiece towards the west, stopping when he saw an ice fort. "As well as his hiding place." He finished, gloatingly.
Hari gulped nervously. How was he going to tell Zuko that his 'Avatar' was probably no more than thirteen years old?!
A/N: Oooooooooooh, pretty scary huh?
Zuko: Not really.
Me: Shut up. I don't like you.
Zuko: Really?! I hadn't noticed!
Me: (Twitches eyebrow) Just tell them!
Zuko: Fine, Read and Rate and send replies soon. This girl has no life and therefore, needs something to do.
Me: STICK TO THE DAMN SCRIPT PLEASE!!