A/N: Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!

Summery: AU. Zuko's ship is wrecked on the coast of Hotika (Sun Warrior) Island during the third year of his banishment. He and his crew are sure they will die alone on the deserted Island - but little do they expect the true nature of what awaits them... ( Takes place after Winter Solstice, Part 2: Avatar Roku and then delves into cannon later on. )

Book One: Fire

火 - 火

Iroh took a tight grip of the balcony rail as the storm worsened. Knife-like droplets pelted down, but Iroh weathered it, his face screwed up with concentration. He knew that not being tougher with his Nephew was going to get them into trouble - serious trouble. Like a sever storm in Fire Nation waters trouble.

If they were discovered here then it would be death or worse - being handed to the 'Mercy' of his brother, Fire Lord Ozai. Mercy. Iroh shook his head solemnly; mercy wasn't something in Ozai's language. Neither that of neice, Azula's, either. She had become too much like her father. A sad loss really.

"Uncle!" Zuko burst out onto the balcony - his eyes wide in horror. Iroh turned quickly at Zuko and then back out to sea. He was on lightning patrol, after all. Iroh spoke while scanning the rumbling black sky, "It's not safe out here. Get below deck!"

Zuko pushed through the onslaught of rain and next to his Uncle. His hair was flattened against his bald scalp as he latched onto the freezing, slippery steel rail. As the boat lerched to the left, Iroh threw his arm around Zuko to stop the young Prince flying out helplessly to sea.

"Uncle... The hull's been breached! We're taking on water!" The panicked sixteen year old gasped into his Uncle's sleeve. Iroh wrenched his eyes off of the sky as a towering wave submerged the entire ship for a breif, worrying second. As they crashed out the other side, Zuko began to sob loudly, "Are we going to- to die?"

Licking the rain from his lips, Iroh firmly confirmed everything was going to be alright. But internally, he was nearly just as worried as his young nephew. A storm this bad hadn't been seen since Iroh himself was a young scrap of a boy. And that was a long time ago. A crash of blinding white sheet lighting illuminated the waves.

Lieutenant Jee, too, came barrelling out onto the balcony - his face was streaked with coal, sweat and, probably, the odd tear. He briefly signaled a salute before slipping into the rail the other side of Iroh. He managed to speak between his panting breath:

"Hull- breach- bad. Need to dock- Now!"

One problem with that was, well, they were in enemy territory. Two, there were no docks for the entire horizon and more. Another mega-wave flooded the already salt-sodden men. Zuko pushed a hand over his cheeks and stood proud - facing out to sea with a snarl of defiance. If he was going down, he was going down fighting.

'NEVER GIVE UP WITHOUT A FIGHT.' As it was inscribed on the dagger safely locked away in his room.

"Lieutenant," Zuko barked over the snap of thunder, "Get all the men to the Kimono Rhino cages. Make sure they leave everything behind... This is no time for personal possessions. Do it now!"

Jee, startled by the Prince's determination, scampered off back into the ship - then down to find the soldiers and sailors. Iroh was also impressed - but he was always proud of his nephew - sometimes more than others... Zuko screwed his fingers so tightly around the rail they became void of all colour other than white. He inhaled a lungful of air and rammed his eyes shut - the needle-like rain lashed his bare skin relentlessly.

"Don't worry, Prince Zuko," Iroh bowed his head, "We will get through this - one way or another."

Zuko's eyes flicked open to stare at the void of jet black storm clouds that blocked out the moonlight, "I hope so."

The two men sent quick, silent prayers to whatever spirit would listen before marching back into better shelter of the steering room. The Helmsman was wrestling furiously with the wheel as they entered. He swore as it spun and smacked his hands harshly. Zuko raced across the room and helped to get back at least some control. Iroh set his eyes apon his favourite tea set - which was leaping from one side of the room to the other with the pitching of the ship - but pressed his lips together.

"Sacrifices have to be made," He hissed woefully. Zuko toppled back from the wheel, as the Helmsman cursed the ocean spirit; Iroh lunged to catch him just before he hit the floor, "Are you alright?"

Zuko hissed a cuss, "I'm fine. We need to-"

He was interrupted by broken glass and freezing salt water slicing into the room. No chance of gulping air was given as the room was transformed into a temporary fish tank. As the wave subsided, the Helmsman - Niraj - crashed to the floor with a sickening crunch on his right side. Zuko impacted the wall and Iroh hung onto the door for dear life.

All three men gasped for air, but Niraj cried out - his hand clawed at the metal floor. Iroh, now completely sodden, he was more water then man, flopped gracelessly to the injured man's side. As Niraj rolled over, Iroh let out a short horrified gasp. A shard of glass stuck out from the man's ribs, leaving a ribbon of crimson to trail out. He needed medical attention - desperately.

Zuko, too, saw this. He staggered to his feet and sweapt an arm at his Uncle, " Take him down stairs! I can handle this!"

The wheel spun sharply, like it was challenging him. Iroh narrowed his eyes and swallowed the taste of salted spit.

"No, I will. Zuko - I will not let you-"

Zuko defied his Uncle and made a grab for the wheel. At first, his hands glanced off of it painfully. But then, when he had worked out the timings, Zuko managed to gain some control. Iroh whistled in silent awe at his nephews newly found strength.

"Go, Uncle! I'll meet you down there!"

There was no arguing with Zuko - so Iroh did as commanded. He heaved the injured sailor into his arms after removing the shard and tieing a makeshift bandage (a torn up Fire Nation flag) around his chest. Zuko squinted in ultimate concentration. Iroh took a few uneasy steps backwards - watching as the young man screamed and grunted in his match to control the ships course - before turning and running for the cages, not sure if he would ever see Zuko alive again...

火

The wheel bucked violently too-and-fro. Zuko was just managing to restrain it from ripping his arms off. Just. He screamed as a deafening roll of thunder bellowed around his head, followed by an almighty fork of lightning. It dented the stern of the boat, narrowly missing where he had just ordered his Uncle too.

"Agni!" Zuko screeched at the top of his lungs, out into the all consuming night, "If you can here me: let my Uncle and men live!"

Thunder laughed at his puny cries. Zuko tried again:

"Take me, then! Come on!"

The wheel's strength overcame his own. It spun so violently that Zuko's hand felt as if it was broken - which he begged it wasn't. The thick storm air quivered as it took turns in cackling at his humiliation. If he couldn't restrain the wheel with his hands...

A chair thrown about by the wave tapped his ankle annoyingly. But Zuko smirked in thought. He picked it up two legs and desperately tried to ram it under the wild steering wheel. Unfortunately, his brilliant idea was incinerated within a couple of seconds as the wheel turned saw-mill. Zuko just stood there and watched it being chopped up into firewood. He screwed his face up and lashed out with a fist of fire.

The chair - firewood - had completely gone. By both flames and steel wheel. For a brief second, the storm abaited outside. The eye of the storm passed by, only to decide it didn't like the look of the ship and proceed elsewhere.

"No! No no no no, NO!" Zuko kicked the useless steering equipment as it reached its top speed and ground, shuddered, then screeched apart. Zuko stumbled back as the now free wheel flew out onto the deck. He watched it disapear into the undulating waves. He screamed out as it waved a last good bye.

"By the Spirits of The Islands! "

They had heard him... but didn't like his attitude. Infront of his horror filled face built up the biggest, most malicious, wave he had even known. His body screamed to run - but he was paralysed. The foaming surf at the peak of the wave glinted in the fragmented light of stars as it gained mass, speed and altitude. Zuko opened his mouth to whisper a cuss but instantly regretted it as salt water overcame his body.

It all became very, very cold and light failed to exist...