This story was written but for some reason deleted, with 94 wonderful reviews. I was quite broken by this but decided to repost this. Could the person who reported me at least have the decency to review and say why? Now, this will be a Zuko fanfic that is an AU of sorts. I know it sounds like a cliché Katara-kidnap fic but it is not. I wrote this story to try to break away from that plot device. This was written before "The Storm" so any inconsistencies should blamed on time. Some details can't be fixed but I will do my best to make sure it's as canon-worthy as possible. Though I'm now an Arikesu-ian when it comes to staying perfect in canon, a little bending is needed in fanfiction. Please read and review! Special thanks to Inkheart, my angel of the Pen, my beloved Beta-reader Sarah who patiently goes through my evil grammar and Paranoid Prefect for her help. I also need to thank all the people who comforted me when this story got deleted, Rednovember, Cala, Isaia, Booterfreak, Spleef, Airgirl, Arikesu, Mel, lbzwriter, this chapter is dedicated to you! I have so many amazing friends, Agni bless each and every one of you! For those who are old hands at this story, a link will be provided for you to read chapter 11
http/ can review there if you have a livejournal account. If not, then just comment on chapter 1 and mention which chapter you are reviewing. Special thanks to Me-Obviously for your help!
If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one
Drying in the colour of the evening sun
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay
Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetime's argument
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
Lest we forget how fragile we are
On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
---"Fragile" Sting
Fragile
A boy murmured in his sleep. Surrounded by elaborately carved furniture and woven wall hangings, he seemed smaller and more innocent then his fifteen years. Sleep had relaxed his usually stern face. Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, son and heir of Fire-Lord Ozai, Crown Prince in Exile was his name. He had never known a time when he did not have a string of titles following his name. All of his own family called "Prince Zuko", reminding him that he was not like other teenagers. He did not need to be reminded of his status.
For as long as he could remember, he had been forced to train for his duties. He would stand by the Fire-Lord, observing the proper way of ruling the kingdom and serving his father as a page. Every morning in the beautiful palace, he called his home, he would be subjected to rigorous calisthenics to train his body and equally demanding mental activity to train his mind. Prince Zuko was rarely allowed to play with the children of the courtiers. His lessons were too extensive for much free time.
There were poems and battle strategies to memorize, there were laps to run and hours in meditation, all to make him stronger. There was Fire Bending to learn. He had to be groomed to be the next Fire-Lord, the next Master of the Nation. Failure was not an option. Prince Zuko knew the consequences of not living up to the Fire-Lord's expectations. The scar on his face reminded him of that daily. It was the worst at public events. Every audience with the Fire-Lord had made Prince Zuko tremble in terror. It meant dressing in his most uncomfortable and ceremonial clothing, but that was not the terrifying part. His most Lordly father would relentless quiz Prince Zuko on every aspect of his education.
"Name the strategy Fire-Lord Sark used in his war against the Earth Kingdom!" the Fire Lord would bark, his eyes burning into Prince Zuko's kneeling form. Although Prince Zuko was the most important person in the kingdom next to his father, he was always made to kneel in his presence. Generally, the crown prince was allowed to sit, but the Fire-Lord was not indulgent in public. Father had his times when he would be very kind and genial with Zuko, but his moods shifted rapidly to dark and violent ones. Zuko never knew which father he would see.
Prince Zuko usually knew the answers. Relentless drilling by his teachers had allowed him a great deal of knowledge of most subjects. Each time he would answer a question correctly, a sigh of relief would fill him. Perhaps he would finally make his father proud of him. He would stare at the richly embroidered carpets, praying.
Occasionally, he would falter and those were the painful times. The furious look on the Fire-Lord was enough to reduce Prince Zuko to praying for his life. He remembered one time of the many times when he had stuttered a bit. The consequences had been painful, to say the least.
"You are a worthless, useless scab upon our lineage. I do not know how I could have such a useless son. A thousand years our family has ruled this land. It would greatly anger me if my heir was the weak link who broke the chain," the Fire-Lord would hiss, as Prince Zuko would press his forehead to the floor to appease his father. He knew it would not work, but it was protocol. Had he refused, it would have only been worse for him.
A blast of Fire bending licked at his flesh. The heat seared at his exposed neck and head. It hurt terribly, but Prince Zuko knew more pain was coming. He did not dare show the pain he was feeling.
The Fire-Lord clapped his hands as rough hands picked up the Prince and held him like a doll. "Captain Zhao, give the boy ten lashes and then confine him to his room without meals. He needs to be taught a lesson." This sealed Prince Zuko's fate. He kept his face calm. It was not the first "lesson" Prince Zuko and it would not be the last.
The Fire-Lord's aide was standing nearby. He had a cold smile on his face, a smile that Prince Zuko had learned to fear. "Your wish be done, your highness," he said, giving Prince Zuko's father a deferential bow. A cousin to the Fire-Lord, Captain Zhao was in line for the throne should anything happen to Prince Zuko. The young prince was aware of how much Zhao wanted something terrible to happen to him. The next few hours would not be pleasant.
As he was pulled out of the Imperial chambers, he tried to free himself of his guards. "I will walk on my own," he haughtily informed his captors. He was a prince; he was not some common felon. He would be treated as such.
"You won't be able to walk when I am finished with you, Prince Zuko. The Fire-Lord's orders were quite specific. I have a feeling the proud prince will be finding himself weeping a bit," Zhao informed him with a savage grin. His face contorted into something demonic.
Prince Zuko forced himself not to shiver in fear. He would not allow himself to show weakness. Even if he was afraid, he would show dignity under fire. "When I am Fire-Lord, I will have you properly dealt with," he vowed. He knew it would only mean the lashes would be laid on harder. It was worth it just to salve his dignity.
"If you become Fire-Lord, Prince. Considering how disappointed your father is with you, that is a very big if," the captain smirked, patting the prince's head as if he were no more then a monkey. They had reached the interrogation room, the place where Prince Zuko was to be punished. It was a stone room that could never be warmed. "Remove his shirt and tie his hands," the captain directed. "I am definitely going to enjoy this."
Prince Zuko hated the feeling of cold. The air was cold on his bare back as he was stripped of his royal mantle. The chains used to hold his hands above his head were cold. He was forced to stand on his toes, the chains were not meant to restrain children. The fear coursing through his veins was cold. He was a fire-bender. He liked the heat better. He had his back to his tormentor. For that, he was grateful. He did not want to show weakness.
A slash of fire ripped through his shoulders. The pain was excruciating, each fiber in Prince Zuko's body screamed with pain. He gasped and bit his lip. He would not give his captor the satisfaction of hearing him show pain. He would not be a disgrace to his family.
"That hurt, didn't it, Prince Zuko?" Zhao mocked him. Prince Zuko refused to answer. "There are nine more to go. I could consider mercy, if you begged for it," the captain continued. Prince Zuko maintained his dignified silence. He was of royal blood, albeit blood that was currently on the floor. He would not bend, he would not break! "I'll make you scream for mercy, boy!"
Prince Zuko held in whimpers of pain as blows were rained down on his back. "Merciful spirits," he prayed, as the pain increased. He felt the whip eating into his flesh, burning him. He had to be strong; he had to hold in his pain! He was only nine years old, how strong was he expected to be? Another lash nearly knocked him off his feet. If not for the chains, the Fire-Heir would have crumbled to the floor. He knew Zho could not kill him, but he wondered how far the aide could go.
How many blows had that been? He could not take much more. He could not stop the tears leaking from his eyes. "STOP! MERCY! I BEG YOU," he finally screamed.
"Prince Zuko!" a serene voice said to him. Prince Zuko opened his golden eyes and saw the tranquil eyes of his uncle staring at him back at him. What had happened? "Are you all right, Prince Zuko?"
Prince Zuko forced himself to calm down. It was all a dream, a memory best forgotten. He was sixteen now, no one had the power to beat him anymore. "I am fine. I apologize for waking you, Uncle," he whispered. He blinked back the tears that were forming in his eyes. There was no reason to cry.
"You did not wake me. I went to get myself a glass of Ginseng tea. Very soothing and calming. Could I interest you in a glass?" Uncle Iroh asked, peering at his nephew.
Prince Zuko tried to look away. Uncle Iroh was one of the few people that Prince Zuko loved and respected, but the young royal would never understand his enigmatic uncle. Deceptively simple, Prince Zuko often lost patience with him. He never lost respect though. His uncle was a master Fire-Bender and strategist, quite a formidable opponent. Prince Zuko was aware of how that simple stare was really piercing into his soul. Few people knew how astute the rotund retired lord was. He was also very fond of Prince Zuko. For that, the young royal was very grateful.
It had been Uncle Iroh who had stopped the whipping before Zhao broke Zuko's resolve.The young princehad been biting his lip to keep in the screams of pain when he heard his uncle inform Zhao in the most polite tone of how easily poison could be found in tea. Uncle Iroh had unchained him and personally carried the young bleeding prince back to his room.
Prince Zuko remembered clutching his uncle for dear life, weeping into his robe as soon as they were out of sight. He expected to be reprimanded for crying like a weakling, but his uncle had said nothing harsh to him. He would never forget how his uncle comforted him, treating him as if he was loved. It had been Uncle Iroh who had tenderly tended to the prince's wounds, before flippantly dismissing it as "just a whim."
It was Uncle Iroh who cared about Zuko, who had tried to make life easier on him. The Fire-Lord accused Uncle Iroh of spoiling Prince Zuko, but the young prince was aware that his uncle was one of the few people in the world he could fully trust.
"No, thank you, Uncle," Prince Zuko said quietly, bowing his head. He just wanted to be alone to clear his thoughts. He knew it was his uncle's way of showing he cared, but Prince Zuko could not face anyone now. He knew he was shaking from the nightmare, he could feel his hands trembling. He kept his hands under the covers, still feeling that terrible coldness. He wished he was still a little boy who could ask for help. He knew princes could only rely on themselves.
"As you wish. Perhaps we should play a game of Pai Cho," Uncle Iroh said, in that same calm voice. "It is very good for settling the nerves."
"Uncle! It's the middle of the night!" Prince Zuko protested, rolling his eyes. A certain bored look in Uncle Iroh's eyes informed the Prince that it would be wise to agree. He sighed and sat up in bed. "All right, set up the game."
"Remember, Prince Zuko. Pai Cho is a game of strategy. You must consider many facets of your opponents of his strengths. You must be prepared to think innovatively," Uncle Iroh explained, placing a piece on the board.
Prince Zuko thought of his opponent. The Avatar was a master warrior, especially for his years. He had a style of fighting that was hard to counter. He fought with great speed and used unexpected maneuvers in order to confuse his enemies. Worst of all, the Avatar had the ability to move fast and escape. He only needed breath in order to defeat his enemies. He had bursts of power that were deadly. Zuko had fought at his side as the Blue Spirit and knew very well what a formidable fighter the young monk could be. Those were the Avatar's strengths. Zuko put out his strongest piece onto the field.
"Just as important, you must understand his weaknesses. They are the key to victory. A strong offense must include a good defense. Since Fire-bending lacks defense, you must seek other ways to keep yourself safe," Uncle Iroh continued, putting out another piece.
Prince Zuko could see few weaknesses in the Avatar himself. His companions were easier to deal with. There was that foolish little warrior and the pretty water-bender. Both of them could be captured and held as bait for the Avatar. He knew that the Avatar had a sense of justice and was willing to allow himself to be captured in order to save the water village in the South Pole. He could see how much the Avatar cared for them. It would be ideal, but a key factor was being ignored. He needed to ensure that the Avatar was contained. Once his friends were out of danger, the Avatar would fight back. He put another piece to back up the first piece.
"Outside factors can also give you an advantage. You must understand why your enemy fights. A person's motives often dictate their way of fighting. A desperate man will stop at nothing. You must use everything against this person," Uncle Iroh mused.
The village! That gave him a thought. He needed a way to break the spirit of the Avatar. Threaten the village and the Avatar would give himself up. Yet, that would not eliminate the threat that the other two children would not come to his aid. Yes, the Avatar had friends. That was both a strength and a weakness. The village may have been valuable to that air-bender but it was more valuable to the girl. He would break the spirit of the Avatar through her. He would make her an offer she could not refuse, one that would bring the Avatar to his knees. He put out the rhino piece.
"Rhinos are hard to train, but with patience, their promise can be shown," Uncle Iroh mentioned.
Prince Zuko thought about how rhinos were trained. The creatures were deadly and a choke leash was usually needed to control them. At the word choke leash, another thought appeared in Prince Zuko's mind. Another piece fell into the puzzle. That would be the way he would contain the Avatar. It was perfect!
"Uncle, you are a genius! Send a message for the next pirate ship we meet. There is some cargo I need picked up in the North Pole," Prince Zuko ordered, knocking over the table.
"What did I say?" Uncle Iroh wondered aloud.
Prince Zuko was not listening. A twinge of worry pierced him. If his plan did not work, many innocent people would die. He had to trust in the goodness of his foes for his plans to succeed. Prince Zuko did not find that too worrisome, the bait was too perfect. The Avatar was finished. He tried to ignore the image of the young boy asking if they could have been friends. Zuko did not have that luxury.
AN-Poor Zuko! He has no idea how bad things can get! Next chapter "Weapon" Zuko gets some guests and his evil plan gets into motion.
