A/N: Hi! This is literally the first fanfic I've written in years. I had this idea in the middle of the night and I couldn't shake it….enjoy this sh*tshow.
Zuko knew that he was dying. The world was cold, colder than he could have ever imagined it being.
He knew he deserved it. He'd hunted the Avatar all the way across the globe; of course the kid would have left him to die. It still hurt, though, knowing that he'd just been let to rot.
He didn't know how long he'd been lying there in the snow. When he'd woken up, he'd been alone. He hadn't been able to stand-he'd tried, but he'd fallen over immediately and been unable to even muster the strength to crawl away since. It felt like it had been days since he'd been able to move.
His uncle must have left the North Pole already. He'd made Iroh promise to leave if he didn't return within three days.
Zuko shut his eyes.
At least it wasn't the worst way to go. It was oddly...peaceful. The blizzard was beginning to ebb; the sound of the wind racing about was muted.
A long moment passed, filled with nothing but darkness and a cold so bitter it seemed to seep into his soul.
"Boy," a voice growled. Zuko was unresponsive.
"Rise, boy," the voice boomed. A flash of heat rolled through his body, and, with a shuddering breath, his eyes snapped open. He slumped into a seated position, his glazed-over eyes staring into the snow at the feet of the man before him. He could hardly tell what was going on-his vision was blurry, his head felt like it was stuffed with wool.
"At last," the man breathed triumphantly. He sat down, cross-legged, across from the teen. Zuko continued to stare into the snow, his face pinched with confusion as he tried to gather his thoughts.
A burning hand gripped his freezing chin, forcibly tilting his chin upwards. Zuko let out a gasp of pain, his angry gaze shooting up to meet the vivid, burning orange eyes of the stranger before him. His eyes widened, filling with fear as he took in the man's inhuman appearance.
He looked relatively human, but he had majestic black horns protruding from the sides of his head. Two regal, black, draconic wings extended from his back. His hands were gnarled; his fingers looked more like talons. His eyes were the color of fire, with slitted, reptilian pupils.
He was obviously some sort of spirit-a realization that startled Zuko.
He turned Zuko's head to either side, inspecting him. Zuko's eyes narrowed, and he wrenched his head out of the man's grasp. The spirit laughed, retracting his hand.
"I have been waiting for you," the man murmured. He grabbed Zuko's tingling, frozen hands before the teen could wrench them away. Zuko let out a yelp at the burning pain, and the man let go, giving him an amused look.
"What's going on?" Zuko asked, finally able to put together a coherent thought.
"Your destiny," the spirit said with a grin. Zuko blinked, then shook his head.
"What?" he asked incredulously, his voice cracking slightly.
"You are my chosen," the spirit boomed proudly. "For millennia, I have presided over the earth from this, my frozen prison, waiting for the day that I may finally be free to claim you."
"What?" he asked again, his voice rising guardedly.
"You, boy," the man boomed, "The child fated to receive my blessing."
"Blessing? What-"
"You shall understand in time, child," the spirit said with a sigh. He stood, and pulled Zuko up with him. Zuko's eyes narrowed, and he yanked his burning hands away from the inhuman being. He stumbled backwards slightly, and the strangest rippling sensation raced through his foot.
He whirled around, only to see his broken form lying there, half buried in snow. He dropped to his knees, his eyes wide with horror. He clutched his sides, feeling sick.
"Is that my-" he broke off, his gaze whipping over to the other man. "Am I dead?" he asked, his voice raw.
"Yes," the man said softly, kneeling down next to Zuko and wrapping a scorching arm around the young man's shoulders. Zuko slumped, barely even feeling the painful heat through his despair. He stared at his corpse, distraught, confused, panicking.
"U-Uncle-" Zuko stammered, jumping to his feet. The winged man followed suit, looking exasperated. "He-he doesn't know. How will he know-"
"Do not fret," the stranger reassured him, earning him a glare from the young prince. "You shall return."
"Return? What the hell are you talking about?" Zuko snapped angrily. The man lunged forwards. Zuko stumbled backwards, through his body until he was pressed up against the outer wall of the cave he'd taken refuge in earlier. The man pinned the short teen to the wall, glaring into the startled eyes of the firebender.
"You are my chosen," the spirit snapped. His nails dug into Zuko's shoulders, and the teen squirmed, trying to free himself from the man's grasp. "You are the one mortal who holds the honor of receiving my power."
Abruptly, the man let go, glancing at the sky. He glanced back at Zuko, a flicker of panic coursing through his gaze.
"It is time," he said solemnly. Before Zuko could respond, he pressed his thumb to Zuko's forehead.
"Receive my blessing, my child," the spirit hissed, his voice like water hitting a blazing fire.
A rush of heat raced through Zuko's body; his vision was engulfed in light. He felt like he was getting sucked backwards, yet into his center at the very same time. His breath escaped him, his vision clouded with spots-and then-
He opened his eyes to a blue sky, dotted by gentle, white clouds.