Chapter 3

The Banished Prince

Two years Iroh spent travelling with his nephew in search of the avatar. Zuko had spent months healing the burn Ozai had branded him with, and Iroh had worried whether his nephew would lose sight in his left eye from the injury. Zuko, however, jump headstrong into his quest, and even while he was still recovering, he searched vigorously for any clues on the avatar's whereabouts. They scoured the Earth Kingdom for rumours or sightings but there was no sign of the allusive avatar. Zuko was convinced that the avatar was still hidden away in Ba Sing Se, but Iroh, who knew the truth, made every excuse to visit the Fire Nation colonies that dotted the Earth Kingdom shores.

"What do you mean you've lost your lotus tile?!" Zuko demanded at his sheepish uncle who sat with a couple crew members around a Pai Sho board.

"It's true," Iroh said, "I must have lost it the last time we were in port! We need to drop by the next town so I may buy a new one."

"All the time we spend running your stupid errands takes away from finding the avatar!" Zuko said in exasperation.

"I am sure it will not take too long, Prince Zuko," Iroh said, "besides, the crew needs to restock and rest before we journey further into the Earth Kingdom." Iroh had managed to avoid the inner parts of the Earth Kingdom since their departure, but as Zuko grew more reckless over the avatar's absence, it became increasingly difficult to ignore the capital Bah Sing Se.

"Fine," Zuko snapped, and Iroh could almost swear he saw smoke fuming from his nephew's ears, "one hour and that's it." With that he stormed out of the bridge.

"He's in quite the mood today," the captain said from the wheel.

"He is just upset that it has been another year without a single word of the avatar," Iroh sighed as he took his turn on the Pai Sho board.

His Pai Sho partner grumbled at Iroh's move. "He just turned sixteen a few days ago, right? He's already a man and he didn't even let us celebrate." He placed his last tile tentatively in a last ditch effort to change the game in his favour.

"Ursa used to always celebrate it with him," Iroh said before making his final move, and glanced at the board one last time. "Ah ha! I win again!"

His game partner sighed with defeat. "You always do."

"Do not worry," Iroh laughed, "I am sure you will make a formidable opponent if you keep it up. You are lucky I don't have my Lotus tile with me or this match would have been a lot shorter."

"About that tile," he said, "I'm sure I saw you with it yesterday."

"I must have put it somewhere and forgot about it then. I'm not getting any younger after all," Iroh laughed before he carefully packed up the pieces. "We better get ready for our stop in town or we won't have enough time before Prince Zuko forces us back out to sea!"

They stopped in the port not too long after, and the crew quickly went to work to stock up for their next journey. Iroh, on the other hand, met with Zuko who he had persuaded to accompany him in his search through the town.

"I cannot believe there wasn't a single shop that sold Pie Sho tiles," Iroh said with a sad sigh.

"What did you expect!" Zuko said angrily. "All they have in this place is fish. It doesn't matter anyway; you can live without your stupid tile."

"You underestimate the Lotus Tiles, my nephew! To an amateur player it may be useless, but you will not believe what a professional like myself can do with it. I have gotten out of a lot of trouble with the Lotus Tile alone," Iroh said before spotting a ship anchored next to theirs. "It seems that we have company."

Captain Zhao smiled as he approached Iroh and Zuko. "Well, if it isn't the banished prince and his deranged uncle. What brings you to this little colony?"

"I could say the same to you," Zuko said.

"I can be wherever I want," Zhao said with a smirk, "you're the one on Fire Nation soil. What's stopping me from arresting you right here and ending you little quest for the avatar?"

"I will find the avatar," Zuko said sternly, "and I can take you on any day."

"Oh really," Zhao scoffed, "you think you could take me on in a duel? You won't cry at my feet will you?"

"Don't underestimate me," Zuko snapped, "I'll wipe that stupid smile right off your face." Zuko's auburn eyes glared into Zhao's own as he pointed a finger at the Captain. "I challenge you to an Agni Kai! If you win, I'll gladly give myself up, but if I win, you leave me and my crew well enough alone."

"You really think you can beat me," Zhao laughed arrogantly, "we'll see who is the stronger firebender. I'll see you on my ship, that way I can arrest you right after you lose." Zhao then turned back to his ship with a smirk and left the two alone.

"I would not advise this, Prince Zuko," Iroh warned.

"I can take him, uncle."

"Don't underestimate him," Iroh continued, "despite his arrogance, he is a master firebender, and a destructive one at that."

Zuko sighed, "I know," before heading after the captain.

The sun hung low in the sky as Zuko and Zhao stood before each other in silent anticipation of the duel. Both were skilled firebenders, and despite the difference in experience, Zuko knew that his chance of beating the captain would come down to getting the older man to slip up.

They circled each other at the start, neither making a move. With little warning, Zhao was the first to attack with a strong, fiery blow. Zuko dodged and kept on the defensive, waiting for his opening. He weaved between Zhao's blasts of fire and kept his distance.

"Running around like a coward," Zhao spat, "afraid you'll lose?"

"No," Zuko said smugly. "I'm just savouring the moment before I beat you into the ground."

Zhao lunged at Zuko in anger aiming for his head with a strike of rage. Zuko saw his opening, dove under the attack and aimed a blast within Zhao's defences, but the man saw the move just in time to quickly avoid injury.

"You think you're so clever don't you," Zhao snapped. The man took a deep breath and reestablished his stance. "HRAH!" he yelled as he shot a furious wave of fire at Zuko before following up with a high kick catching the boy off guard as he narrowly dodged the first strike. Zuko managed to block the blow with his forearm, but he lost his balance and broke his stance. Zhao took that chance to punch the boy straight in the jaw which sent him tumbling to the ground.

Zhao now stood above Zuko in arrogance as he readied the final strike. In his apparent victory, he loosened his guard, and Zuko exploited Zhao's last careless mistake. From his position on the floor, Zuko swept the captain's feet from under him. Before Zhao could catch his breath, Zuko was back on his feet and standing above him, posed to give the man a matching scar. But after a moments pause, Zuko dropped his stance and left the captain frozen on the floor.

"Coward," Zhao spat as he moved to stand, "you don't even have the guts to finish the job."

"No," Zuko said indifferently, "you just aren't worth the effort."

"Why you little–" Zhao started before Iroh stepped between him and Zuko.

"Accept your loss with dignity, Zhao," Iroh said sternly.

Zhao sneered. "You actually think you'll be welcomed back into the Fire Nation one day; the banished prince making his triumphant return. You're no one now. There's not a single person who wants you back."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Zuko snapped.

"Fire Lord Ozai was just jumping at the chance to get rid of his failure of an heir," Zhao laughed, "and poor Princess Ursa just couldn't accept your banishment. It's too bad you couldn't attend the funeral."

"You're lying!" Zuko shouted pushing past his uncle to stare down the captain who continued to smirk at the banished prince.

"Oh, she's gone," he said smugly, "died the day you left. Did you really spend all this time without the slightest awareness of her passing?"

Clouds shaded the ship in a sudden overcast reflecting Zuko's own clouded mind; he reeled from Zhao's words, and shook with anger and disbelief. If it wasn't for Iroh's firm grasp on his arm, Zuko would have attacked the captain right there.

"Do not let him get to you, Zuko," his uncle said, "he is not worth your time. Let's go."

Zuko didn't respond as he spun to leave the ship with his hands clenched and brow furrowed. He didn't know whether to believe the captain, and he didn't want to believe it, but a nagging feeling told him that it was the truth.

Iroh turned to glare at the captain just as he was about to follow his nephew off ship. "If you continue to torment my nephew," he said, "it will not be him who deals with you, and we both know who would win in a battle between you and I." He glared at Zhao for a moment and neither said a word. All knew of the Dragon of the West's power, and none would take it lightly. Yet Zhao still stood his ground, glaring right back at the older man. If he was afraid, he didn't show it.

Once Iroh had left, he pondered over Ursa's fate. She was the only comfort Zuko had back in the Fire Nation. If Zhao was telling the truth, Zuko's only motherly figure would be gone, and all that would be left was Ozai and Azula. He didn't want to think about how Azula was doing under the guidance of her father. It was almost a blessing that his nephew was far away from Ozai's influence.

Iroh found Zuko alone in his cabin, facing away from the door and meditating with candles. It almost seemed as if he was calm, but the flickering flames gave away his inner distress. A Fire Nation tapestry hung on the wall like it did in Iroh's own cabin, and he wondered if his nephew took comfort in it or saw it as a bitter reminder of his circumstances.

"If you're just going to stand there, you could at least tell me why we haven't left port yet."

"Oh, sorry…," Iroh said bashfully, "a storm blew in and the sea is much too rough to depart. It looks like we will be spending the night."

Zuko paused for a moment, and Iroh almost expected him to get angry, but the boy just sighed. "It can't be helped, I guess…."

It was then that Iroh decided to join his nephew, and he sat in front of him on the other side of the meditative candles. "I do not blame you for wanting to rush," he said, "but entering Ba Sing Se is a very difficult task. We must take our time."

"I know," Zuko said quietly. He was no longer attempting to meditate, and stared into the flickering flames before him. "It's just…I thought that if I captured the avatar I would get to see mom again, but…."

"Zhao will do anything to gain an advantage," Iroh said, "and he does not care who he must step over to succeed."

"Do you think he's telling the truth?"

"I…do not know," Iroh said after a moment's pause. He wanted to reassure his nephew that Ursa was fine, and that she would be there to welcome him home, but giving his nephew false hope would only further Zuko's troubles.

Zuko sighed, "I never intended to impress my father when I asked to join you in the war council. It was my intention to learn of the state of our Nation." He paused for a moment. "I'm sorry I couldn't stand the idea of sacrificing our own people to win a battle, but mom always said that all life was precious. I thought I could make her proud, but all I did was lose her."

"It is not your fault for trying to do the right thing," Iroh said, "our nation has been corrupted by war, our militaries do not see other nations as equals to the Fire Nation. They only see them as an obstacle in our path to power and control, and many believe the war is a righteous quest to power over all other nations. You could not possibly change their minds."

"Mom has always been so compassionate," Zuko said with a small smile, "she's nothing like those generals. Sometimes I wondered if she was actually Fire Nation at all."

"I would have to disagree," Iroh said proudly, "no one represents the element of Fire like Princess Ursa."

Zuko broke his gaze to give his uncle a questioning look. "How so?"

"While fire is known as a destructive element," he said as he gestured to the candles increasing their size and intensity, "they have another nature." The flames died down to a comfortably calm glow and flickered gently once again. "As you know, firebenders rise with sun and gain strength in its brilliant light, but we are not the only ones. All life relies on the sun to give warmth and light allowing it to live, and Agni, the sun spirit, does not discriminate. She shares her power with all."

"What does this have to do with mom?"

"Patience, Prince Zuko," Iroh said with a light chuckle, "as I was going to say, your bending is not granted to you as a weapon but as a light to protect and guide you. While all life has an inner spark, we firebenders only learned to manifest it, however, many of us have forgotten the true purpose of our bending and learned to use it only for destruction. While Ursa is not a firebender, she has not forgotten that purpose as she nurtures others like the sun and only fights to protect them. In many ways she stays true to the nature of firebending."

The candle light danced lightly as they flickered, and for the first time, Zuko realized the warmth they provided despite their small size. The glow that radiated from the candles created a warm and welcoming atmosphere within the small metal cabin, and for the first time in a long time, Zuko felt comfortable in its light.

"It is also associated with love~," Iroh continued jokingly.

"Uhg, Uncle!" Zuko whined with a roll of his eyes.

"Now," Iroh said rising from his seat on the floor, "I believe it is time we enjoy a cup of Jasmine tea."

"Thank you, Uncle," Zuko said as Iroh made his way to the door, but just before the man left he asked, "do you think this war is honourable?"

"…." Iroh paused for a moment with his hand resting on the door, its metal texture distracting him for a moment. "No," he said slowly, "I do not."

"But you fought in it, didn't you?"

"I did, many years ago when I was a different man," he said briefly thinking of his son lost in the front lines to a war of conquest. "There is no honour in destruction, my nephew, remember that." He then left silently catching a glimpse of the pouring rain and howling wind outside the window.

Back at the Fire Nation palace, a lone messenger rushed down the halls to the grand throne room.

"Fire Lord Ozai," he said as he knelt before the throne, "I bring news."

"Go on," Ozai said with slight intrigue. He sat royally behind fire, and by his side, Azula observed silently.

"The machine, it is finally ready."

"This is excellent new," Ozai said with a smile before addressing his daughter, "I trust that you can lead the siege, Azula?"

"Of course father," she said proudly, "it would be an honour."


I've FINALLY finished. It took forever, but I was stuck for a while with the direction of the next chapter and couldn't finish this one until I figured it out. Otherwise it wouldn't have made sense.

The duel was also difficult to write as I didn't want it to sound like a Pokémon battle. "Zuko used Taunt! It was very affective!" I didn't want to reiterate the battle from the show, and because of Ursa being alive when Zuko was initially banished, I believe he would be less angry all the time. I'm trying to stay true to the characters, but at the same time, I want this to be fresh from the show where you aren't just reading a slightly different version.

I haven't started chapter four yet besides the planning, so don't expect it too soon. It might take longer for the next chapter considering a lot of important dates are coming up that I need to prepare for. I really hope to finish before next month, but we'll have to see.