Chapter Text
Prologue
The wild southern winds blew mercilessly through the ship, entering every nook and cranny, the ship creaking and rocking back and forth as larger and larger waves beat against the hull. It would all be very upsetting, if it wasn’t for two facts: every living and breathing person on the ship was a firebender, and they had been at sea for the last six years. Neither the wind, nor the rocking of the ship bothered any of them. Just another day, Zuko thought from his vantage point at the command bridge.
“Watch out for the glaciers,” he said calmly as the ship cleaved the ice floating on the surface of the water. “Do you see those two glaciers by that island?” he added as an afterthought to Qi, the helmsman.
Qi, a middle aged man with dark features and several scars strewn across his face in fine lines, nodded.
“Good, steer right between them.”
Zuko saw Qi’s eyes widen, “but Sir?”
Zuko shook his head determinedly. “I know there’s a risk but we need to search this area, sooner or later we need to approach the glaciers.”
“Yes sir.”
The acceptance in his voice almost made Zuko feel remorseful. He knew the crew had come to trust him over the years, especially after his realisation: his father was a psychopath and would never accept him back into the fire nation, even if he found the Avatar. Still, he had to keep making honest attempts, otherwise they would lose the little funding they received from the fire nation. The acceptance had not helped him, only instilled him with a deep distrust of everyone outside of the ship, creating the mantra that went on repeat in his head, trust no one outside the ship .
Just as he was about to turn and look for his uncle in order to plan for the next restocking of supplies, he saw a bright blue light in the distance, right between the two glaciers. Temporarily blinded, he shut his eyes close. Panic immediately overcame him as memories of that cursed day, the day he got his scar, washed over him. In the darkness he saw his fathers hand getting closer and closer, and then: a blinding light, followed by a hot, then cold, searing pain. He remembered his last thoughts before passing out, hammered into him by his father from the day he could walk: you deserve suffering .
“Zuko!” Qi shouted, dragging him back to reality.
The use of his first name displaying the distress of the man. Angrily he wiped away a dishonorable tear, bending a fireball that blasted through the window of the command bridge. The crew on deck turned in surprise to stare up at him.
“Full speed ahead, and prepare yourselves. We have an Avatar to catch.”