This one just came to me when watching Zuko and Azula fight. Zula was winning because she's an all around better bender, due to her being a fire-bending prodigy.

She seemed to read his moves, know which style he was using and how to manuever around them but I thought, Hey what if Zuko used a secret style? How does Zuko get his own secret style though…I know, He made it!

I dont own any thing Avatar related. Nickolodeon can even have this story if they want it that badly. I'd love to see my oneshots as flashbacks of Zuko's life!

Firebending: Zuko Style!

It was night time in the fire nation, bed time for the palace. Many of the inhabitants in the fire palace had been asleep for several hours. Zuko who was up, had been up, an had no intention of going ot sleep anytime soon either, was twelve years old and had bags in his eyes. He sat at his desk and by candle light pawed over a set of scrolls.

Finally he'd commited the frames to memory, But rehearsed them in his head for several minutes before deciding to actually do it. He went to the center of his room. The large empty space had a single cloth mat on which he stood. He took a wide low stance, inhaled. Held it.

Raising his arms high he held his breath. His chest pounded, he moved his right leg in toward the left until they nearly touched. He tried not to move, he was in a very precarious stance now. Leaning to one side while both his feet were under his left side. He brougth his hands down in a sweeping movement. Then leaping high, he exhaled quickly. Flames flicked out of his five fingers in individual strands. A spout of flame came from his mouth. He choked on the smoke and pounded his chest with his fist.

Coughing and sputtering. Once the smoke left his body he stood up and went back to the desk. The scrolls weren't right.

Zuko had been developing his own style of fire bending. It was a secret project that he'd been working on for just over two years. Ever since he'd learned the Scaled fish fighting style—it had been extremely difficult for him because it required a lot of complex movements and specific breathing patterns at the same time. It was useless to practice them seperately—so he'd studied them for a month before passing on a "basic."

He was so infuriated by the complexity of it that he'd declared that it was so stupid and impractical in combat. He said that he could create his own fire bending style that would be way better then the scaled fish style. His teacher had challenged him to do better then said that it was necessary that he learned the old style. "you cant change firebending, it's a book that's already been written!"

"Well," Zuko had thougth to himself. "You can infact change a book! And I'm going to change, no write my own book on fire bending. All the children and masters alike will study my great style! I'll be a firebending legend." Zuko had decided that night. He would change firebending!

That night, he'd reviewed the seven forms that he knew. He began staying up late at night and trying to determine which factors to base his own style on. He decided that it would share a few of his favorite moves from the dragon style. And it would also be based on sun positions, and it would have more defensive moves then most fire bending forms.

Zuko then gotten very interested in several scrolls that he borrowed from the palace library. Azula would tease him saying that such high-level scrolls wouldn't be any use to him. That he was still a natural born remedial bender. He'd show her. Just you wait Azula! I'll show you. Zuko thougt bitterly remembering her teasing. You think you'll know all the forms and styles and how to counter everything! Well when I'm done with this little project, then next time we have a duel using any established form. I'm going to use the Zuko Firebending style and you wont know what hit you!

Zuko had been more greatful for his artistic abilities now more than ever before. He always practiced a move with out firebending first. Getting the steps down first then he'd incorporate the flames. Usually he'd practice the flames carefully because he was prone to lose control. Then finally, after several tries of using the flames while performing the move in slow-motion, on slow step at a time, he'd draw the depicitions of the move and then he'd practice it.

Like he'd done now with his "wicked flame spread" The move, technically had been executed properly, but the flames had gone to wide. He needed to change the pictures as a reminder not to spread his arms so far. Plus he needed to make notes to take several little breathes on the releasing of the flames, so as not to be over whelmed by the smoke.

Though he'd known even then, that it would be exetremely hard. (as he'd just proved for what was probably the hundredth time) He'd found a lot of fun in it.

So Zuko carefully erased the lead markings that showed the silhouettes arms at full length span, and then made new marks bringing the arms up and showing the fingers spread, not together.

"There." Zuko said satisfactionally. It was late. The moon was nearly at its climax. He felt tired. But looking at the scroll he couldn't help but feel brisk as the flames of his soul leapt with in the enclosure of his body. There were nine moves on it. Each one had been developed ideally by himself, Four of them needed more tuning, the fifth, the flame sword. He'd actually mastered. He was proud of that move. He created a long flame in the likeness of a sword and holding it in his hands could actually fight with it. It was artistic, and practical in combat and even survival. Most fire bending moves were either artisitic OR practical. The prettier the move the less effective it usually was. But he'd changed all of that.

The sixth made a net of fire that was two feet long and two feet wide. It was netted with squares that looked just like a real net that had been set ablaze. It was a move that was groing on him. It was hard to do but he thought it worth while. Shaping the flame was tedious and it usually took him several minutes to do it, but he found it very useful. It could be tossed or if he pumped more fire into it, made a shield that disintergrated almost anything before it could touch him! That would put a stop to Azula always scratching me at the last minute, he thought now as he looked it over.

The seventh move was one where he'd put a lot of work into. Instead of manipulating flame that already existed somewhere, or creating one at the ends of his limbs. He used his opponents breath against them. When they exhaled he'd take that energy and produce a flame. Though he had'nt been able to test it was—in theory—a very creative move. You could set your opponent on fire using her (Meaning Azula) or his (meaning any opponent in general) own breath. That way when Azula laughed at him, he'd use that hot air to get back at her and she would'nt be able to explain why it was that she was setting her self on fire!

Ofcourse he'd written it out and thought about it, but never actually had the opportunity to try it out. He'd have to chose carefully. He could pull a lot of pranks on people with that one. If I can manage it he thought dejectedly.

The eighth move, he'd just finished. It was a mix of dragon, scaled fish and crab style. Only he'd combined the three moves and put in a finishing stance that he'd made himself. The wicked flame was meant to be a giant ring of fire that emanted and spread from the body and then it would come back, catching your opponent off-guard and burning their backs, if you finished the whole move properly. I can only manage to get the ring out there…I've gotta be able to bring it back!" Zuko clapped his hand to his forehead.

He was tired, He couldn't think now…The moon was at its fullest. He rolled the scroll up and then rolled up the dozen or more scrolls that held his extravagent notes on how each move should work. He rolled them up tightly and then put them into a heavy iron box, putting the lock onto the box and locking it. He then went to the bed and pushed three seemingly normal panels of the wall, there was a small click sound. With that the Prince Zuko put the box into a hidden floor compartment. Where he kept all his most prized and secret treasures.

Then climbing into bed he took a sharp breath and the candles extinguished. Zuko smiled as he drifted into his blissful dream. He saw himself using each of his own moves, at a level of mastery that he knew he'd never achieve in his waking life. Then he saw himself doing several of the better known forms and using the thunder style! The thunder style! That was an extrememly high level technique! He'd seen his uncle use it once! But he could tell from the fluid, eloquent movements of the style that the move was exetremely high-leved.

But in his dreams, he was a high-leveled bender, a few times he'd even been a master bender! Here in this land, in that dream world he could beat Azula a dozen times with only one hand. There, he was the master. Because he knew all the famous styles; plus the secret firebending style of Zuko!

END

That was kinda dumb huh? Oh well sorry I wrote it in like twenty minutes and just wanted to be able to post something. You know the deal, If you read, then please Review. Just so I can gauge how many are actually reading…Just a single word is nice too!