(AN: This is my first ATLA fanfiction, expect a lot of Zuko because I love him. This was something I thought of on a whim and it has the potential to be very long so be warned.)

"So what is it?" Zuko yawned, as he gestured to the round metal contraption before him.

"We're not sure," Teo smiled honestly, "my Dad adapted it from models in the air temple. We know it's powered by air and fire benders. But we're not sure what it does."

Aang nodded eagerly, "So that's why we brought it here."

The Fire Lord yawned again, "But couldn't you have brought it a little later? Or sent a message?"

Zuko's appearance was rather disheveled. Aang and Teo had barged into his private room about fifteen minutes earlier pushing a large crate and chattering loudly. They had pried it open to reveal a disk-like object, that stood on four clawed feet. It had two bell shaped openings on either side, that connected to a complex series of pipes and tubing, that seemed to connect back to the central brass disk.

The contraption was cool, but it was about five in the morning and he had been rudely awoken by the two. If it had been later, or had it been unpacked in the garden rather then his bedroom, where it left wood chips and straw on the carpet, he would have been quite interested to see what it does.

"I mean have you even heard of a messenger hawk?" he snapped.

Aang looked sheepish but Teo smiled.

"We sent one, but Appa must have been faster. Sorry." he dipped his head respectfully.

Zuko groaned.

"I'm going back to bed. We can start it up later this morning."

He moved to flop down on his king sized bed, but was stopped by a shrimp sized avatar. Aang gripped the back of Zuko's silk sleeping robes.

"Come on, it'll only take a minute." he pleaded.

Zuko stared at him over his shoulder.

"If I make the thing go, will you leave and let me sleep?" he asked.

The two boys nodded enthusiastically.

"Fine." he sighed, and took his stance.

Him and Aang simultaneously blasted the bell openings with air and fire. There was a loud metallic humming and the center disk began to glow a mixture of blues and purple. The whole thing shook violently for a few seconds, teetering like it was going to fall before it the energy inside settled down. The glow illuminated the fiery red room, and made it look as though it was underwater.

Zuko carefully approached the glow and reached out. His finger gently brushed the disk. It didn't feel like brass. It felt like a sweaty palm. Wet, cold, and slightly squishy. At his touch the device began to hum and shake again. Teo said something. Probably a warning to keep away, they still don't know exactly what it does.

But it was too late.

The Fire Lord felt his feet leave the ground, as a earth shattering boom rang in his ears.

He felt weightless for a few seconds, then fell flat forward on a hard surface. His knees scraped on the rough ground.

There was a flash of light, a sharp feminine shout and he felt himself being yanked up by his collar and dragged back. Something huge and metal whooshed past and there was a defining tone, like the sound the comes when you blow too hard on a Sungi horn. Zuko fell back onto wet earth, his vision spinning.

"What the hell do you think you're doing! Jumping out into traffic like that! You want to die!?" a motherly voice snapped.

Zuko didn't pay attention. He felt last night's dinner crawling up his throat.

"Traffic?" he managed to croak.

"Yeah traffic." The owner of the voice nelt down beside him but he couldn't seem to raise his eyes past her shoes.

"You," she blanched "what's wrong with your face?"

Zuko didn't hear her. He felt his stomach contract, as he heaved up what was left of his dinner.

"Woah," the woman jumped away from the splash zone.

Zuko felt his vision dimming, and the voice turned kind.

"Easy," she soothed as she lowered him the the ground. The last thing Zuko saw was a dark face framed by corkscrews of onyx hair.

"I'll help you," she murmured, as his senses faded out, "My name's Charliee."