Prologue

After his father's flames touched his face, Zuko had cried out out of fear, not out of pain. Not at first. At first it felt as cold winter water washing his face. And then, the greatest heat Zuko had ever felt washed over him. He had closed his eyes and screamed. He didn't hear himself scream though. He knew he was screaming, but it sounded as if he was screaming from behind several walls. However, he soon forgot about his impaired hearing as the agony he felt kept increasing to levels he had never dreamed possible. He felt himself scream more.

He had felt something grab him and carry him away as he cried in agony, his salty tears weeping over the angry burns, increasing the pain even more. As he was carried away, the bumping and jolting around of ordinary walking was felt through his burn acutely, as he moaned, cried, screamed, and/or wailed at each one.

After a while, he was placed onto something flat. He later realized it was a bed, but in the moment had felt nothing but the burn over his face. He had been squeezing his eyes shut so hard in the back of his mind he wondered if they had popped from the pressure.

Eyes? Zuko, couldn't see! Was he blind? Oh Agni, he was, wasn't he? He felt his hands come to his eyes and try to pry them open. But the moment they touched his burned face, the agony flared even higher. His hands flew away instinctively as Zuko's broken voice cried out again.

He felt hands grip his limbs and force them down. Zuko didn't understand what was happening and struggled, screaming more, but whatever was holding him down didn't budge.

Zuko felt more tears leak out from his eyes, that he couldn't even open, as the dribbled across his face like rivers of lava bursting from a volcano. Zuko knew he was still crying out in pain, but he heard none of it over the angry burns over his face that hurt so bad he could almost hear the pain.

Something grabbed his head and held it in place. It hurt, but at this point that was a drop of water in an ocean.

Then something cool and slimey was applied to his face. At first it hurt also, but the pain dimmed after a while. Zuko knew that it still hurt, but the pain was so diminished from what it was that it was almost pleasurable.

Zuko's whole body relaxed. He felt raspy breaths force themselves in and out of his mouth.

Zuko tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids wouldn't budge. He still didn't know if he was blind, but the sudden wave of pure exhaustion that washed over him the moment he relaxed made him not care in favor of sleep.

…

Suddenly, a wave of throbbing, burning agony ran through his face and Zuko cried out, forcing himself not to clutch the wounds, knowing from the first time he did that that would only make the pain worse.

Zuko clenched his fists so hard he felt a wetness on his hands. The agony died down after a few seconds.

Zuko opened his eyes. Or he tried to, his left eye remained closed. But relief ran through Zuko like a herd of Komodo Rhinos at the knowledge that at least one eye worked.

He looked around, his vision still blurry, but clear enough to see that they had taken him to a medical tent outside the palace and treated his wounds. His face was bandaged, and a salve was applied to his burns.

Zuko slumped in his bed, his strength leaving him now that he knew he wasn't blind.

"Zuzu?" a voice called mockingly.

Zuko, groaned. At least he could hear again.

"I see you're awake, Zuzu. Good, father has announced your punishment," Azula said, clearly enjoying that she would be the one to tell him how he would be punished further.

Zuko opened his eye and turned it towards his sister. His vision was blurry, but he could see the sadistic pleasure oh Azula's face that she didn't even try to hide.

"Are you paying attention? Good! Father has decreed that by your refusal to fight for your honor, you have proven yourself unworthy of your title as a prince of the Fire Nation. You are hereby exiled from the Fire Nation and stripped of your titles."

Zuko closed his eye. Father had found him unworthy. Zuko felt a whole be torn open inside his chest. He felt tears trying to worm their way out of his eyelids, but he refused to cry in front of Azula.

"If you wished to regain your honor…"

Zuko's eye shot open and bored into his sister, hope rekindling in his heart.

"… you must capture the Avatar and bring him before the Firelord in chains. So decrees Firelord Ozai, first of his name blah, blah, blah. You get the point.

Zuko, closed his eye and took a deep breath. It wasn't hopeless, he just had to find someone the entire world had been searching for for a century and all failed miserably.

"Oh, and one more thing, Zuzu…"

…

Iroh couldn't stop himself from pacing as he waited for his brother to see him. Nervousness at how he must word his request warred with the anger he felt toward his younger brother. Iroh had never felt more disgust towards the thing who shared his blood and called himself Firelord. Earlier that day he had burned half his son's face off! What kind of monster could do that to his own son as he knelt before him begging for forgiveness?

Iroh took a deep breath. Calm. He must be calm. Ozai would never grant him his request if he showed the Firelord what he really felt towards him. Iroh's face became a mask of serenity as he prepared to meet the leader of the Fire Nation.

…

If only his ESTEEMED brother would cease his petty game of "I'm more important than you so you will wait outside while I wait inside doing nothing but enjoying the game we're playing."

…

It was a full eight minutes before the long-awaited call to enter rang out.

Iroh took another deep breath to center himself and passed through the doors.

It was nearly a hundred yards from the entrance to the Firelord's throne room to where supplicants were to kneel and ask their boon of their leader.

He arrived at the spot where many a knee was knelt and knelt.

"Firelord Ozai, your humble servant asks a boon of you," Iroh said evenly.

Ozai said nothing, nor could his expression be seen from the silhouette that was all that was visible from the glare of the roaring flames in front of his throne.

Iroh waited for his brother to reply, knowing that he would take any word he said before he was granted leave to do so as disrespect. And disrespect is punished severely.

Finally, Ozai waved a hand indicating Iroh to continue.

"I would ask the Firelord leave to accompany your son, Prince Zuko, on his task to capture the avatar," the disgraced general asked, bowing his head.

Ozai said nothing.

Iroh waited again for a response.

No could be heard other than roaring fire separating the two brothers.

Iroh felt sweat trickle down his forehead from the flames blasted him with heat. His knees began to ache from kneeling for so long, yet still he knelt, waiting for his brother to reply.

And finally, it came.

"No."

Iroh's eyes widened. He had thought Ozai would be pleased to get rid of him as well and would grant his request. Iroh nearly shouted at his brother in anger but maintained his calm just barely.

"May I ask why, Firelord?" Iroh said, forcing himself not to grind his teeth.

Iroh fully expected Ozai to brush him off and say his word is law.

"Zuko's exile is a lesson and task, but also a punishment. He must learn the respect he lacks and prove himself worthy of the title of Prince. If you accompanied him, you would hold his hand through it all, and he would learn nothing!"

"But Firelord, Prince Zuko is but a chi-"

"NO! Zuko has lost his right to wear the title of Prince! If he wishes to regain it, he must prove himself by bringing me the avatar. By himself!" Ozai roared.

"He will die by-" Iroh pleaded.

"ENOUGH! I have spoken, and you will obey, Iroh!"

Iroh gritted his teeth and contemplated the merits of attacking his brother then and there. He knelt there for a full five seconds, far longer than was permissible after the clear dismissal he had just received.

"OUT! I have more important matters to attend to!"

Iroh stood and marched out, seething.

"And Iroh? If I find that you have subverted my will and followed Zuko despite my command, I will change his sentence from exile… to death!"

Iroh clenched his fists, preparing to bend lightning at that hell spawn calling himself Firelord.

He could do it. If he got the drop on him, he could strike Ozai down before he could react. He had to act now. He had to-

Iroh took the deepest breath of his life, exhaled, and left.

AN: Hey there, here is the prologue to my first ever fanfic, Exiled and Alone. I hope you all enjoyed it, if not, please leave a review and tell me how I could have made it better, or just something about it you didn't like. This is unbetaed so if anyone wants to beta it, please PM me and let me know. I will also post this on AO3.