Without a Home
Author: likeacliche
Title: Without a Home
Characters: Zuko and Iroh
Rating: K
Disclaimer: Bryke and Nick own Avatar.
Author's Notes: For the ATLALAND lottery. Prompt #23 In Thunder and Glory
Uhmmm well I find making it into Zuko's angry head easier now.
Summary: Less than a week after his confrontation with his father, Zuko thinks back and decides what he wants.
Prince Zuko sat up and placed his hands on each side of him, gripping the edge of the bed. His stomach rolled and gurgled. Sea travel was something he’d never liked much. But now it was something he must get used to; he’d be doing a lot of it.
He looked around him. It was dark in his cabin. There were candles he knew, but the light of a flame sent shudders through his body. It caused fresh wounds to fester and grow. Slowly, very slowly, he reached up and touched the bandage over his eyes. It was a gentle touch, but it still caused a burning pain that brought tears to his uninjured eye.
Memories of what had happened during the duel weren’t completely clear to him and Uncle wouldn’t go into detail. Zuko had fallen to his knees and begged for forgiveness. He remembered the searing pain; the ear splitting scream that he later realized was his own. He remembered the look on his father’s face and wished that he could forget it. He’d passed out and when he woke he was lying in the infirmary with a cool cloth over his eyes.
At that time the pain was numbed. It was just a dull feeling at the back of his mind. He’d removed the cloth and instantly felt sick. The sight in his left eye was dark. He saw the shapes of things, but it was as if night had fallen. Only time would tell if his normal sight would return. And little by little it was returning.
Not even a full rise and fall of the sun had passed before he’d been placed on a ship that was to be his prison until his father either changed his mind and let him return home, or he had the Avatar in his custody. His chances of finding the Avatar were greater.
Now his hand shook as he lowered it. He hated it. It was a sign of weakness and right now he couldn’t afford to be weak. It would destroy him. But this memory, this scar-it was something he would carry with him forever.
As soon as he felt somewhat better he rose to his feet. He tipped a little toward his left and reached out, placing his hand against the wall. Uncle had said to give it time. His sea legs would come. But when?
The young prince made his way out into the hallway, feeling as if he were walking uphill. Then, suddenly, as he walked towards the door that would take him up onto the deck, it changed to the feeling of walking downhill and he stumbled a little as he sped up. How could anyone get used to walking on something that caused changes like that?
Less than a week had passed since the banishment, but Zuko felt as if it had been an eternity.
He pushed the door open and carefully climbed the steps up to the deck. Out there in the fresh air some of the crew were practicing their fire bending. He flinched at the flames shooting from their hands. At the same time a fire in his heart began to burn. He would find the Avatar, restore his honor, and go home.
“Prince Zuko,” Uncle called from where he sat at his Pai Sho table. “I’m glad to see you up and moving. Come sit with me.”
Zuko walked over to him and stood at the other side of the table. He watched for a moment as Uncle fingered the white lotus tile and then sat down. “Uncle…”
“How are you feeling, Prince Zuko? I hope that it’s better.”
“About how long was I asleep?”
Uncle placed the tile down. “Oh, I don’t know. A while. You know how I lose track of time when it comes to Pai Sho.” He rubbed his chin and mumbled to himself. “Here?” He pointed to a space on the table. “Tea sounds wonderful right now.”
With a sigh, Zuko shook his head. “Are you playing this game against yourself?”
“Yes, I suppose so. What kind of tea should I make?”
“I don’t care.”
“Would you like some tea, Prince Zuko?”
“No, I don’t want any tea,” Zuko said, feeling irritated by Uncle’s pointless persistence.
Uncle looked at his nephew with a frown. “Tea is good for one’s soul. Are you sure you don’t want any?”
Anger boiled within the banished prince. He rose to his feet. “I don’t want any tea!” He grabbed hold of the Pai Sho table and up ended it. The tiles bounced and scattered across the deck.
In silence, Uncle merely watched. Once the tiles were all still he sighed and got to his feet as well. “Zuko…”
“Uncle, I don’t want any tea. I want my honor back.”
“Your honor?”
Zuko nodded. “I must find the Avatar. It’s the only way my father will restore my honor.”
“No, you should rest.”
“I’ve thought about it, Uncle, and I know where I want to start looking. We need to get to the Western Air Temple.”
Title: Without a Home
Characters: Zuko and Iroh
Rating: K
Disclaimer: Bryke and Nick own Avatar.
Author's Notes: For the ATLALAND lottery. Prompt #23 In Thunder and Glory
Uhmmm well I find making it into Zuko's angry head easier now.
Summary: Less than a week after his confrontation with his father, Zuko thinks back and decides what he wants.
Prince Zuko sat up and placed his hands on each side of him, gripping the edge of the bed. His stomach rolled and gurgled. Sea travel was something he’d never liked much. But now it was something he must get used to; he’d be doing a lot of it.
He looked around him. It was dark in his cabin. There were candles he knew, but the light of a flame sent shudders through his body. It caused fresh wounds to fester and grow. Slowly, very slowly, he reached up and touched the bandage over his eyes. It was a gentle touch, but it still caused a burning pain that brought tears to his uninjured eye.
Memories of what had happened during the duel weren’t completely clear to him and Uncle wouldn’t go into detail. Zuko had fallen to his knees and begged for forgiveness. He remembered the searing pain; the ear splitting scream that he later realized was his own. He remembered the look on his father’s face and wished that he could forget it. He’d passed out and when he woke he was lying in the infirmary with a cool cloth over his eyes.
At that time the pain was numbed. It was just a dull feeling at the back of his mind. He’d removed the cloth and instantly felt sick. The sight in his left eye was dark. He saw the shapes of things, but it was as if night had fallen. Only time would tell if his normal sight would return. And little by little it was returning.
Not even a full rise and fall of the sun had passed before he’d been placed on a ship that was to be his prison until his father either changed his mind and let him return home, or he had the Avatar in his custody. His chances of finding the Avatar were greater.
Now his hand shook as he lowered it. He hated it. It was a sign of weakness and right now he couldn’t afford to be weak. It would destroy him. But this memory, this scar-it was something he would carry with him forever.
As soon as he felt somewhat better he rose to his feet. He tipped a little toward his left and reached out, placing his hand against the wall. Uncle had said to give it time. His sea legs would come. But when?
The young prince made his way out into the hallway, feeling as if he were walking uphill. Then, suddenly, as he walked towards the door that would take him up onto the deck, it changed to the feeling of walking downhill and he stumbled a little as he sped up. How could anyone get used to walking on something that caused changes like that?
Less than a week had passed since the banishment, but Zuko felt as if it had been an eternity.
He pushed the door open and carefully climbed the steps up to the deck. Out there in the fresh air some of the crew were practicing their fire bending. He flinched at the flames shooting from their hands. At the same time a fire in his heart began to burn. He would find the Avatar, restore his honor, and go home.
“Prince Zuko,” Uncle called from where he sat at his Pai Sho table. “I’m glad to see you up and moving. Come sit with me.”
Zuko walked over to him and stood at the other side of the table. He watched for a moment as Uncle fingered the white lotus tile and then sat down. “Uncle…”
“How are you feeling, Prince Zuko? I hope that it’s better.”
“About how long was I asleep?”
Uncle placed the tile down. “Oh, I don’t know. A while. You know how I lose track of time when it comes to Pai Sho.” He rubbed his chin and mumbled to himself. “Here?” He pointed to a space on the table. “Tea sounds wonderful right now.”
With a sigh, Zuko shook his head. “Are you playing this game against yourself?”
“Yes, I suppose so. What kind of tea should I make?”
“I don’t care.”
“Would you like some tea, Prince Zuko?”
“No, I don’t want any tea,” Zuko said, feeling irritated by Uncle’s pointless persistence.
Uncle looked at his nephew with a frown. “Tea is good for one’s soul. Are you sure you don’t want any?”
Anger boiled within the banished prince. He rose to his feet. “I don’t want any tea!” He grabbed hold of the Pai Sho table and up ended it. The tiles bounced and scattered across the deck.
In silence, Uncle merely watched. Once the tiles were all still he sighed and got to his feet as well. “Zuko…”
“Uncle, I don’t want any tea. I want my honor back.”
“Your honor?”
Zuko nodded. “I must find the Avatar. It’s the only way my father will restore my honor.”
“No, you should rest.”
“I’ve thought about it, Uncle, and I know where I want to start looking. We need to get to the Western Air Temple.”