last airbender fanfic
Hey, I've been working on this Avatar: The Last Airbender story for a while now and I've decided to post it here.
Summary: Right after Zuko saves Appa, Iroh and Zuko leave Ba Sing Se to search for the Avatar and join his group. Will the group trust this new direction that the prince has chosen or will they refuse his hand of friendship?
Note: This does take place before I saw the end of Season 2 (yes I've had this on my computer for that long) so Aang getting injured, Iroh getting locked up, or Zuko joining his sister never happened.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, they are owned by their respective creators. I claim ownership of only the plot and the few characters that are my own creation.
Pushing the Sky: Prologue
The wind moved slowly over the green grass, causing dandelion fluff to fly up into the air. Zuko was hiding from his uncle in the long grass, even though he would never admit to something so cowardly. Ever since he released the avatar’s bison, he found himself outside thinking more and more. Zuko had grown up quite a bit since the avatars return. The two firebenders had not left Ba Sing Se yet and Zuko did not think they ever would. Uncle Iroh’s tea shop was booming and he was happy with his simple life. Zuko on the other hand wasn’t exactly unhappy; he just felt that something important was missing from his life.
“Zuko!” Iroh called.
Zuko sighed and realized that the sun was setting. He had been outside all day. He heard his uncle moving slowly through the long grass. He knew Iroh would find him eventually but he didn’t feel like helping his uncle out.
A shadow fell over the young prince. Zuko opened his golden eyes to peer up at the kind old man. How had his uncle ever become a powerful general in the Fire Nation army? He was too kind and so eccentric but soldiers followed him into dangerous situations regardless of this fact.
“And so would I,” thought Zuko.
Iroh put trust and loyalty into everyone who met him. Of course that didn’t apply to his sister Azula or his father.
“Zuko, its time to come in,” Iroh spoke softly.
Zuko stood up slowly, stretching out stiff muscles. The two walked beside each other in a comfortable silence but Zuko knew his uncle had questions for him, questions that Iroh wasn’t sure he should voice. Zuko stopped and allowed his uncle to walk ahead of him. Iroh noticed this and turned to look at his nephew perplexed.
“What is wrong, Prince Zuko?” Iroh asked.
Zuko sighed. “What is it you want to ask, Uncle?”
Iroh walked back over to Zuko and looked up into his nephews eyes. He had stuck with his nephew through everything that his brother had thrown at him. Iroh saw within Zuko the makings of a great leader. Zuko had the potential to lead their people with compassion, wisdom, and respect. The only problem was with his nephew’s temper. Zuko still had to learn better control over his anger and to think things through more rationally.
“Zuko, what do you come out here to do?”
The prince shrugged. “Sometimes to think and other times just to sort things out.”
“What do you need to sort out, Prince Zuko?” Iroh kept staring at his nephew. This was a turning point for the prince, even though he couldn’t see it.
“Uncle, have you heard any news on the war?” Zuko asked, turning his head throwing his face into shadow.
“Not much. Azula, I hear, is still looking for the Avatar. Why do you ask, Prince Zuko?” Iroh’s brow wrinkled in concern.
“What about the Avatar?”
“He is still somewhere within the Earth Kingdom I believe.” Zuko bowed his head. “What is it you want to do, Zuko?”
“Uncle, I am tired of being in this city hiding from the war.” He turned back to his uncle. There was something different about his eyes. It was not something that Iroh had ever seen in his nephew’s eyes before. “I want to find the Avatar.”
Uncle sighed with regret. The turning point had come and Zuko had missed it. He was going to try and find the Avatar to get back into his father’s good graces.
“I want to join him, Uncle.”
Iroh’s eyes opened in shock. “Really, nephew?”
“Yes, uncle. Too many lives have been lost on both sides. The Avatar is the only one who can end this war peacefully. My father wants to control the world with Azula standing by his side, not me.”
Uncle smiled happily. “Good choice, my nephew. We must leave at once to find the Avatar.”
“We uncle?” Zuko asked surprised. “What about your tea shop?”
Uncle turned his head to stare sadly at the great city. “I shall miss it but helping you is a much worthier cause. Besides Zhou can take of the shop until my return.”
At last Zuko was at peace with his thoughts. He made a decision not based on what his father, Lord Ozai, would want him to do but based off of Zuko’s own feelings. He knew his uncle was happy with his decision. He knew that Iroh was discontent with how the Fire Nation was being run but had no say in the matter. Now they were able to make a difference in the future of the Fire Nation.
The turning point had come and Zuko had not disappointed his uncle.
Summary: Right after Zuko saves Appa, Iroh and Zuko leave Ba Sing Se to search for the Avatar and join his group. Will the group trust this new direction that the prince has chosen or will they refuse his hand of friendship?
Note: This does take place before I saw the end of Season 2 (yes I've had this on my computer for that long) so Aang getting injured, Iroh getting locked up, or Zuko joining his sister never happened.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, they are owned by their respective creators. I claim ownership of only the plot and the few characters that are my own creation.
Pushing the Sky: Prologue
The wind moved slowly over the green grass, causing dandelion fluff to fly up into the air. Zuko was hiding from his uncle in the long grass, even though he would never admit to something so cowardly. Ever since he released the avatar’s bison, he found himself outside thinking more and more. Zuko had grown up quite a bit since the avatars return. The two firebenders had not left Ba Sing Se yet and Zuko did not think they ever would. Uncle Iroh’s tea shop was booming and he was happy with his simple life. Zuko on the other hand wasn’t exactly unhappy; he just felt that something important was missing from his life.
“Zuko!” Iroh called.
Zuko sighed and realized that the sun was setting. He had been outside all day. He heard his uncle moving slowly through the long grass. He knew Iroh would find him eventually but he didn’t feel like helping his uncle out.
A shadow fell over the young prince. Zuko opened his golden eyes to peer up at the kind old man. How had his uncle ever become a powerful general in the Fire Nation army? He was too kind and so eccentric but soldiers followed him into dangerous situations regardless of this fact.
“And so would I,” thought Zuko.
Iroh put trust and loyalty into everyone who met him. Of course that didn’t apply to his sister Azula or his father.
“Zuko, its time to come in,” Iroh spoke softly.
Zuko stood up slowly, stretching out stiff muscles. The two walked beside each other in a comfortable silence but Zuko knew his uncle had questions for him, questions that Iroh wasn’t sure he should voice. Zuko stopped and allowed his uncle to walk ahead of him. Iroh noticed this and turned to look at his nephew perplexed.
“What is wrong, Prince Zuko?” Iroh asked.
Zuko sighed. “What is it you want to ask, Uncle?”
Iroh walked back over to Zuko and looked up into his nephews eyes. He had stuck with his nephew through everything that his brother had thrown at him. Iroh saw within Zuko the makings of a great leader. Zuko had the potential to lead their people with compassion, wisdom, and respect. The only problem was with his nephew’s temper. Zuko still had to learn better control over his anger and to think things through more rationally.
“Zuko, what do you come out here to do?”
The prince shrugged. “Sometimes to think and other times just to sort things out.”
“What do you need to sort out, Prince Zuko?” Iroh kept staring at his nephew. This was a turning point for the prince, even though he couldn’t see it.
“Uncle, have you heard any news on the war?” Zuko asked, turning his head throwing his face into shadow.
“Not much. Azula, I hear, is still looking for the Avatar. Why do you ask, Prince Zuko?” Iroh’s brow wrinkled in concern.
“What about the Avatar?”
“He is still somewhere within the Earth Kingdom I believe.” Zuko bowed his head. “What is it you want to do, Zuko?”
“Uncle, I am tired of being in this city hiding from the war.” He turned back to his uncle. There was something different about his eyes. It was not something that Iroh had ever seen in his nephew’s eyes before. “I want to find the Avatar.”
Uncle sighed with regret. The turning point had come and Zuko had missed it. He was going to try and find the Avatar to get back into his father’s good graces.
“I want to join him, Uncle.”
Iroh’s eyes opened in shock. “Really, nephew?”
“Yes, uncle. Too many lives have been lost on both sides. The Avatar is the only one who can end this war peacefully. My father wants to control the world with Azula standing by his side, not me.”
Uncle smiled happily. “Good choice, my nephew. We must leave at once to find the Avatar.”
“We uncle?” Zuko asked surprised. “What about your tea shop?”
Uncle turned his head to stare sadly at the great city. “I shall miss it but helping you is a much worthier cause. Besides Zhou can take of the shop until my return.”
At last Zuko was at peace with his thoughts. He made a decision not based on what his father, Lord Ozai, would want him to do but based off of Zuko’s own feelings. He knew his uncle was happy with his decision. He knew that Iroh was discontent with how the Fire Nation was being run but had no say in the matter. Now they were able to make a difference in the future of the Fire Nation.
The turning point had come and Zuko had not disappointed his uncle.