A/N: It's so easy writing Zuko's past; making things "similar-but-different for modern times" is what I'm best at. :3

He had a name. He also had a scar. Which people thought of first when they saw him, he could only guess. It seemed Japan's center around appearances (thanks to animes and the like) caused them to see his scar first. And the first thing he knew they asked themselves was: 'How did he get such a scar?'

The truth was, Ozai didn't appreciate Zuko. Quite the opposite: the man abused his son. Not often, and not too severely, and more verbally than physically, but one time – yes, one lone time – was all it took for the abuse to show.

It was a sort of 'take your child to work' day, but by choice. Iroh, Zuko's uncle and Ozai's elder brother by quite a few years, allowed Zuko to come to work with him to show him the ropes, since Zuko was destined to take on a job in this company like the rest of his family. Iroh even let him sit in a big meeting with other companies, with Ozai at the head of the table, since he was the president of the entire corporation.

While listening to the discussion flinging across the table from one man to the next, Zuko began to understand something: what these companies were doing was wrong. They were going to create a giant conspiracy and rob helpless people of whatever money they have.

It was when a man named Zhao said, "…And then there's nothing left to do but lead them to their own financial destruction, with us raking in the profits," that Zuko could stand it no longer.

He was fourteen years old. Merely fourteen, but so very wise. "You can't do that!" he said as he leapt to his feet. "Those people work hard for their money, and some of them barely get by from paycheck to paycheck! You can't steal their only chance at living for your own personal gain… that's just wrong!"

Angry with his son, Ozai told him he'd discuss Zuko's outbreak later that night at dinner.

Ursa was cooking a lovely red curry with shrimp. She was in a tired but calm mood, and didn't have any idea as to what happened earlier that day in the meeting room. She served the food, which was normally their servants' job.

You see, Zuko was from a very rich family, one of the richest in Japan, their family business being the source. A man named Azulon, whom was Ozai's father, last owned it. Zuko's family consisted of four people: Ozai, his father, Ursa, his mother, and Azula, his sister. Two of the family members were identical in action, both being manipulative and cruel: Azula and Ozai. Whereas Ursa was a loving, caring woman who let her servants go home to spend time with their families at dinnertime, and was very protective of her son. But she knew there was selfishness in her daughter's eyes and even though she loved him, the same selfishness in her husband's eyes.

That night she saw deep hatred in his eyes, and became cautious after they said a quick prayer before they ate. "What's wrong, dear? You seem tense," she commented.

"Oh, I'm very tense," Ozai retorted in a low voice.

"It's because of what I did, isn't it?" Zuko dared to ask.

"Ooh, what did you do now, Zuzu?" Azula questioned.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Zulu?" Zuko snapped in her direction before looking back at his father.

"Sweetie, what's going on?" Ursa asked her son. "What did you do?"

"I said some things at some big meeting," Zuko huffed as he crossed his arms. His childish face gave the impression that he regretted every word he said at the time. "And father didn't like it." He was forced to call Ozai 'father' in his presence.

Ursa cocked her head at her son. Then she turned her eyes on the man she married. "What is he talking about, Ozai?"

"It doesn't matter," Ozai replied lowly. He rose from his seat. "I'll talk to him about his punishment after dinner. See me in he courtyard when you're done eating, boy."

"Zuko's in trou~ble," Azula sang, her golden brown eyes alight with an inner fire. She was merely thirteen at the time.

"Azula, that's enough." Her mother said sternly. "Zuko, darling, you don't have to go meet with your father… I'm sure you're sorry for what you've said, and I think that's enough."

"No, Mom," the young Zuko contradicted. "I have to face him. I wasn't wrong in that I said, although I probably shouldn't have said it with Dad there."

Ursa looked worried but nodded her head. "I'll watch from the window just in case," she whispered in her son's ear. She knew her husband had something to drink, and might be buzzed. And this fact worried her; it was when he was nearly or wholly drunk that he got the most violent.

After dinner, Zuko trudged to the courtyard. The sun was low in the sky, nearly gone. All that was left was a speck of deep orange and a clouded sky full of pinks, purples, and blues. It was beautiful, and any other day Zuko would admire it with his mother, but not this evening.

"You dishonored me at that meeting," Ozai began. He stopped his son from walking any closer. He changed subjects. "Do you know what an Agni Kai is?"

"An ancient duel between firebenders," Zuko replied automatically. This was a trivia fact he learned from Iroh. All of Zuko's family was firebenders, with the exception of his mother since she married into the fire-blooded line. Iroh still liked to tell of firebending history, and Ozai proved the myths into fact with demonstration. Little did Zuko know that this time, the demonstration could be fatal.

"Good," Ozai replied with that false lead that he accepts whoever he was talking to. In this case, his first-born son. "Then I assume you know the rules," he continued as he faced the other way. "Firebenders would crouch down, traditionally without shirts and with capes draped over them. Then they would turn about-face and bow to one another before firing off the first round of flames. They would battle until one was left lying on their back either dead or too exhausted or wounded to fight. It was a very honorable practice," he added.

"I don't understand; why are you bringing this up, father?" Zuko remarked.

Ozai turned around in a flash and sent a look that gave Zuko the chills. "Because you are going to fight me, son, and thereby become a man. If you're man enough to speak out of term in a conference, then you are man enough to fight me. So let's go, one-on-one: Agni Kai."

Zuko's eyes brimmed with tears and he fell to his knees. "No, no, I can't do that, father… I refuse to fight you. I'm sorry I said what I did, I didn't mean it! I am your loyal son."

"Stand up and fight me, Zuko," Ozai slurred as he stepped closer. "Do it, or I will not hold back; you will get burned."

"No, father, please! I'm sorry!"

Then all he heard was the roar of an open flame.

* * *

Zuko still remembered the searing pain, and still remembered the well of blood and sting of scorched flesh. He remembered the scent of burnt hair and the blisters with the puss, as well as the weeks it took for him to heal. Most of all, he remembered how Iroh visited him in the hospital and took care of him afterwards.

"This came from your father," Iroh said sadly one night.

A large white patch blinded Zuko in his left eye. Still, he saw the letter Iroh had in his hands and he took it from him. "What does it say?" he asked as he opened it, the seal already broken.

"Nothing good, I'm afraid."

Zuko blinked at his uncle and then read the letter. It recalled with poisonous wording that Zuko was banished from his household. He was to never return because his failures disgusted his father so. But, the letter read, if Zuko found an Airbender and delivered him to his father, then he could take his rightful place as CEO of the company when he was older.

"But… I thought airbenders were extinct?" Zuko murmured.

"No one knows for sure," Iroh told his nephew as he poured two cups of mint tea. "After all, firebenders aren't known and yet we exist."

"Why an airbender, though? Why not a waterbender, or an earthbender?"

Iroh looked into Zuko's golden eyes. Everyone in their family had the same brown eyes so light and fiery they appeared gold. "Most likely because my brother doesn't think you can find one. He's trying to trick you."

"So what? I bet I could find an airbender. There has to be one out there somewhere. I don't know what use an airbender can have to my dad, but I'm willing to do anything to go home again."

Iroh sighed. "If that's what you're choosing to do, then I'll help you. I can't leave you, a thirteen you old boy, alone to face the world."

"But Uncle, you have your job –"

Iroh chuckled. "It doesn't matter. I have enough money to retire; I've only been going to work to keep an eye on my power-hungry younger brother. I'm not losing anything by helping you."

Zuko smiled vaguely. "Thank you, Uncle."

Iroh exhaled and ran a hand over his beard. "But I doubt it'll be easy to find someone like that; after all, we try to keep our firebending a secret, so I'm sure any other bender would do the same. And all of us are people, so it's not like you can pick out what one might look like."

Zuko shrugged. "We'll find one, I just know it. I'm determined to gain back the respect I lost with my father."

Iroh nodded slowly, not actually agreeing with Zuko's decision. But the old man knew Zuko had to go through his own trials and tribulations to learn for himself the ways of the world.

"Zuko, there's something else in this envelope," Iroh said suddenly. He withdrew a small slip of lined paper from a journal. "It's… signed by your mother," he said slowly.

Zuko snatched it from Iroh's hands and looked it over. His visible eye filled with tears. "She says she tried to protect me, and stopped father from nearly killing me. But she says he was furious with her, and divorced her. So now she's moving to the United States, and wants me to come find her." He wiped his eye. "That's good news."

"Is it? But now you're family is split into two," Iroh pointed out.

"Yeah, but at least my mom was able to escape. And I can go find her while I look for this airbender."

Iroh sighed. "Whatever you want to do, nephew."

* * *

Three years have passed since then, and Zuko turned seventeen. He's searched for an airbender in Japan, India, and most of Europe. He was timid when it came to China, and he hadn't yet tried the United States. He wanted to try to find the airbender before he looked for his mother, although searching in general was difficult. He had to learn English just to communicate with a few people across the world, but not everyone. Zuko couldn't learn more than one language, either; it was hard enough learning English. So that's where Iroh stepped in to speak Spanish, translate Italian, commune in French and German and convince Zuko that he could take on any Chinese person and uphold a conversation with them as well.

"We all know you're a great linguist, Uncle; you don't need to keep proving it." Zuko scowled, the years of 'banishment' making him grow cranky and impatient.

Iroh chuckled. "Alright, I'll stop showing off."

Zuko and his uncle had a strange relationship, a one in which one tried to advise while the other ignored it, and yet they acted as close as father and son when they were in the right moment. This was not one of them.

"Maybe it's time we head for the States," Zuko sighed. "I don't think there's much left here."

"No, not yet," Iroh replied. "Let's go to China and Russia first. We nee to finish up the East before we head for the West, don't you think?"

"Fine," Zuko grumbled. "And if the U.S. fails us, then there's always South America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand." He sighed. "Where in the world could an airbender be?"

"Perhaps he's not on Earth at on, but instead up in a plane," Iroh joked.

"Stop it, Uncle. You're not helping."

"I apologize."

Zuko stared at the airport in the distance. His squinted, red-ringed eye softened as his other brown sunk. "I guess it's the only way. To China, then."

* * *

It was a rough flight. The turbulence was brutal and the flight attendants were scared out of their wits. The passengers – aside from Zuko and Iroh – were panicked and huddled low in their seats with fear and shaking nerves. Zuko hardened to a block of stone and Iroh sipped his quivering cup of tea and waited it out.

On arrival, Zuko never felt further from home, even though Europe was technically farther away from Japan than China. Still. The scenery was widespread and magnificent, much different than the cramped space of Japan and ital and the other places he had seen in his travels thus far.

"Uncle… what part of China are we in?" he asked quietly.

"We're just outside of Kashgar," Iroh replied.

"We better start looking," Zuko hissed under his breath.

"Shouldn't we rest and plan things out, Zuko?" Iroh said calmly.

"I can't stand being away from home, Uncle. The sooner we find this airbender, the better."

"He only banished you from his house, Zuko. You can still go back to Japan." Iroh mentioned.

"It's not the same," Zuko said softly. "Plus, Japan is so small I'm bound to see him or he'll see me, and… and I don't want…" He paused. "What if he really kills me the next time, Uncle? I have no choice but to find this airbender and save myself from his wrath."

Iroh shook his heads sadly, but didn't argue the matter. "Let's rest before we go searching. It'll do you good."

"Since you probably won't stop bothering me about it until we do, then fine. I don't trust big city hotels, though. Let's journey on a ways to a smaller village." Zuko reasoned.

"Fine by me," Iroh shrugged. "So long as I get to lay down these old bones," he added mournfully. Zuko rolled his eyes with an 'uhg' sound escaping his mouth.

They walked on for a couple miles until they stumbled on a humble inn. The innkeeper gave them one teeny room to spare, and they accepted it. The beds were surprisingly comfortable, but even so, Zuko couldn't sleep.

He got up from his bed and heard his uncle snoring a few feet from him. He went to the window and stared up at the stars. They seemed… closer than they did in Japan or Europe. They seemed even closer in Sweden and Poland, but it was more peaceful here. He didn't know why he was so reluctant to come to China; it's not so bad here.

Outside, there was a sudden crash that sounded like rock upon rock. Startled, Zuko lit a flame in his hand and held it like a lantern out the window. "Who's there?" he barked in a low tone so not to wake his uncle.

Silence followed, but Zuko's hearing was pretty acute. He hopped onto the windowsill and jumped to the ground. Dust collected at his feet, and at first he thought nothing of it. But then the flame in his palm went out as the dust became a flood of dirt that pulled him down.

Earthbenders. It had to be earthbenders.

"I said, who's there!" Zuko called out louder, although he kept his volume in check, still weary of waking his uncle.

"Will you keep it down?" came a voice. Someone approached, but in the dark he couldn't see whom. The dirt solidified around him, and Zuko hadn't even noticed it was around half his body until it was too late and it became rock.

"What do you want with me?" he muttered. The stranger approached and raised the rock so Zuko could meet the stranger in the eyes.

"You're a firebender," the stranger whispered, but there was no fear in their voice. "It was people like you that enslaved people like me in the Middle Ages."

Zuko rose the only brow with hair left on it. "Who are you, Earthbender?" he asked.

"Me? My name is Haru," the voice replied. He sounded young, but strong.

"You speak English," Zuko observed, "But your name is Chinese."

"That's because I was born in here, but raised in the States," the stranger replied. "But it doesn't matter. What matters is what you're doing here. Firebenders were supposed to stay in Japan and never come here; my father said it was an agreement made a long time ago."

Zuko struggled in vain against his rocky body coffin. "I don't know anything about an agreement. I'm just here for find someone."

"Like who?"

Zuko looked up and distracted Haru as he revealed his scarred left eye and slowly heated the rock until it became like lava on his fingertips. Once free, he grabbed Haru by the collar. In the dim light radiating off of the glowing rocky embers under his feet, he saw scared green eyes framed in brown hair, a tiny mustache growing around his young mouth. He must be no older than fifteen, even if he stands as tall as seventeen, which is Zuko's age.

"An airbender," he told the other boy.

A/N: Yes, he meets Haru, haha! Bet ya didn't see that coming. XD
...Well, neither did I. *sweatdrop*

Haru will play a nice part in this, you'll see.

Up next, we get a glimpse at how our dear Aang is doing~ *hearts*