Air,

Water,

Earth,

Fire.

Long ago the four elemental nations lived together in harmony, the fire to the west, the water tribes in the north and south poles, the earth kingdom and the air nomads.

It all changed when the fire nation attacked.

The war with the fire nation has been spanning this past 100 years and all traces of the Avatar, master of all four elements, has been wiped from existence. 

Three other avatars have been born and slain by the fire nation in the time of the war, the air nomads were all wiped out and so went the air avatar. The south pole was raided taking all it's water benders and the water avatar was taken and killed by them. The last one to be known died seventeen years ago against the firelord who reigned at the time. 

Firelord Azulan had slain the master earth and waterbender in vicious style. It seems the world has lost hope, they had forgotten all about the avatar, the one destined to bring peace to the nations. Some believed that the avatar cycle stopped and others don't believe at all.

"Prince Zuko, you should rest. Enjoy some tea, you will need your strength if we find the Avatar here at the south pole." A jolly slightly balding grey haired man dressed in military garments and armor says pouring himself some tea and heating the cup with his hands. The man he is talking to turns and leers at him through a scarred eye barely showing the Amber colored iris behind the scarring. "The Avatar has been in hiding for decades and probably has had the chance to master the elements. If I want to have any hopes of defeating him I need to be at the top of my game. Teach me the advanced fire bending sets!" He demands looking away from the three other soldiers he is training with on the deck of the steel warship they are sailing on. 

"Can I finish my tea first, My Nephew?" The fat man says taking another sip from the tea in his hands. "Ugh! We don't have time for tea! Out there is a fully realised avatar! You will teach me the advanced set!" Zuko declares with fire flaring from his nostrils in anger. "Alright, there is no need to burn the place down. Let us begin." The older man named Iroh says while gently setting his cup of tea down and standing up. 

Iroh explains the movements for his nephew to do and demonstrates the motions creating fire from his fists and boots as he does so. The two soldiers face off against him with both of them on either side of Zuko. The soldier on his left starts by bending a fireball from his hand towards the prince. Zuko dissolves the blast before countering with one of his own. He throws a kick towards the other soldier creating another blast of fire sending him backwards. 

The bout continues for a few minutes with each side creating and casting fire at the other before they are interrupted by a light shining from the sea towards the heavens. "There! That must be the Avatar!" Zuko shouts in celebration at the realization that his three year search may finally reach its end. "It's probably just the northern lights." Iroh says shooting down the idea. "In the middle of the day? No. That's the Avatar! Helmsman! Set a course for the light!" Zuko exclaims pointing at the light being blasted into the sky. 

The ship turns in the icy waters of the south pole pushing icebergs and slush from its way as it creeps towards the origin of the light. The light slowly starts to fade only leaving a vague course for the boat to carve though in its direction. It doesn't help the fact that the warship got stuck on an ice shelf and the soldiers had to get off ship and melt the ice with their bending. Zuko was far from pleased at the delays of the ice shelf, shouting at the soldiers to work faster at melting the ice. He swings his arm back while he's shouting and notices a crack form in the ice immediately after it. 

Thinking it's just because of the shift in heat due to the firebenders melting the ice, he ignores the crack. Soon the men finish melting a path for the ship and board it once again. A large plume of black smoke billows into the air from the smokestacks of the ship as it presses on through the icy waters once again. "Sir? You need to take a look at this." A soldier says handing Zuko a spyglass, the prince impatiently snatches it from the soldier's hand and looks through it at what the man is pointing at. Ahead of them about 500 leagues is a hemispherical iceberg unlike any of the other ice formations out there among the glaciers. This one was made by a bender, and a vastly powerful one at that.  

As the ship makes contact with the ice formation, the front end of the bow leans forwards creating a gangplank for the men on board. The loud creaking of the steel causes a nearby glacier to have an avalanche disturbing the water around them as the firebenders make their way to investigate. Zuko is down the plank first holding his hands flattened and ready to defend himself as he cautiously steps across the ice. The crunches and cracks of the snow and ice under his war boots being a clear give away of his location. The 4 escorts and Zuko make their way to the spherical dome of the iceberg that has been cracked and destroyed only showing thawing outer walls and a hollow inside. 

Zuko looks about for tracks and finds three human foot trails and an extremely large creature with three toed feet. The tracks lead to the water before stopping appearing to have either taken flight or gone into the water itself. As Zuko crouches down to inspect some of the tracks, a loud whistle is heard over the ice canyon they are in. The firebenders look up to see a distress flare streak across the sky and explode like a firework in the air shining with shades of maroon, orange and amber in the blue sky. 

"Board the ship! Set sail towards the southern water tribe! That has to be where the Avatar is hiding!" Zuko commands as the soldiers and himself run to the ship and hoist up the gangplank with a series of cranks and pulleys. The engine of the boat spews smoke like no other before it with the firebenders gathering on the bow to melt the ice ahead of them allowing them to continue further at an accelerated pace. Once through they make it out of the valley of ice before turning portside and heading for the distant smoke trail off in the distance that was under the flare. 

Zuko's impatience grew as they etched closer and closer towards his quarry. He had trained three long years for this and had scoured the globe a handful of times looking for signs or rumors of the legendary Avatar. This was the key to ending his banishment. This was what was required of him for him to be able to restore his honor. Bringing honor to himself and the firelord. 

Zuko walks to his quarters to prepare himself for the upcoming battle against a potentially all powerful bender. Iroh has one of the cooks from the galley bring him some water and something to eat so that he is in tip shape for the fight of his life. Zuko nods, wordlessly thanking the cook and taking the plate of food from him before taking a seat at his metal desk in front of a banner with the fire nation insignia. 

"Breathe, Zuko. You are moments away from capturing the Avatar and restoring your honor. Those stories of my grandfather killing the avatar are lies and I will be the one to actually capture him." He says to himself in the privacy of his room. He slows his breathing, controlling it and closing his eyes to try to calm himself. He doesn't notice the banners moving in tandem of his breathing nor the subtle waves made on the surface of his cup of water. He exhales deeply before beginning to eat a small bowl or rice and beef-pork from a cowpig they had the chef purchase the last time they had been at port. 

Once finishing his meal, he wipes his face with a small rag before drinking the cup of water. The liquid soothing his nervousness for what is to come. "Sir, we are about to make port." the voice from the captain says over the intercom of his room. Zuko takes another breath to calm himself before starting to suit up in full armour knowing that he will need it's protection for the upcoming duel. Leaving his room and making his way up to the whatever the fuck it's called Zuko takes a seat next to his uncle who pats him on the back reassuringly.

"Impact in 5..! 4..! 3..! 2..! 1..!" 

*BOOM*

The cold yet tough exterior of hardened steel slams against poorly built walls of ice and snow. A young man standing atop the wall is flung back by the collision as the snow falls and covers the icy ground in a large heap. Murmuring villagers are heard coming out of their huts and gather a few paces behind the young man from before. "Fire nation..." An elderly woman gasps being embraced by a woman standing next to her.

"Sokka! What are you doing?!" A girl with tanned skin calls out to her brother seeing him grab a nearby bone spear. "Stay back Katara! I'll deal with these guys!" Sokka replies before hearing the loud creaks of metal gears turning. The large knife like gangplank drops down on the ramshackle guardpost made of snow causing the warpaint covered boy to let out a disappointed sigh at its destruction. Prince Zuko accompanied by four guards behind him descends down the plank towards the tribe of people. Sokka comes screaming up the gang plank holding a whale tooth spear in his hands. Zuko simply moved out of the wayband took the weapon from him before snapping it in two. He jabs him 3 times in the face before kicking him back into the snow. 

Once down the plank, Zuko looks out at all the terrified villagers before dodging another attack by the screaming Sokka and snatching his sword from him this time, he kicks him away. "Oh yeah! Take this!" Sokka shouts before throwing his boomerang only for it to completely miss and go off into the distance somewhere. "Where. Is. The Avatar." Zuko declares with venom in his voice gazing at the cowering village folk. "WHERE IS HE?!" He shouts expelling fire from his hands. The women guard their children from the heat of the fire before a young woman speaks up getting Zuko's attention. "He's gone! Probably miles from here so just leave us alone." She says pointing off in a random direction. 

Zuko stares daggers into the girl before turning away from them starting to walk back to the ship. Just before he can make it to the gangplank all of a sudden a fluttering sound is heard getting louder and louder as Sokka's boomerang comes flying back and clangs into the side of Zuko's helmet. This knocks him off balance but once he stands back up he looks at the villagers with anger at what happened. "Over here!" A voice calls from up a snow hill. Zuko turns to see a bald child with arrow tattoos covering the center of his head and wrists. The boy jumps on the back of a penguin seal and slides down the hill directly at him. The children celebrate that Aang is back as he comes sliding in on the penguin and covers them in snow before standing up and holding his staff towards Zuko. 

"Finally, I found you. The Avatar." Zuko says getting ready to duel the bald monk in front of the villagers. The two circle each other for a few moments before Zuko makes the first move. He blasts a ball of fire toward the monk who, in retaliation, uses his staff to move the snow in front of him to extinguish the fireball before it can strike him. "If I go with you, will you leave these people alone?" He asks, causing Zuko to stand and lower his guard slightly. "..Yes, You are the one I'm after, Avatar." He says as Aang brings his staff to his side surrendering to the firebender. The soldiers put the monk in cuffs before leading him up the gang plank of the ship. 

Zuko returns to his quarters and breathes a sigh of relief for what had happened. He did it! He captured the Avatar! His honor was back and he knew it! Soon his father would welcome him with open arms back to the fire nation and he would be the next firelord! He tended not to show much emotion aside from anger, but for the first time in three long years he was happy. Things would return to the way they were before his banishment. At least that's what he thought would happen, shortly after getting out of his armour he hears the monk's voice shout: "My staff!" before the orange and yellow garbed man barges into his room. 

Zuko turns and tries to combat him, throwing punches and fire at the monk. Aang easily dodges out of the way staying behind the prince before Zuko turns around, Aang uses this opportunity to grab his staff before blowing the bed Zuko slept on into him, first into the wall then into the ceiling of the room.

Zuko stumbles to get back up, being winded from the airbender's attack and makes his way to the deck of the ship. Passing through the halls of the iron warship he uses the handrails to hold himself up until the pain leaves him. After recovering, he rushes to the deck to confront the Avatar. As he gets up the stairs he sees a large animal with arrows around its body with the two villagers from before. Zuko wastes no time throwing a fireball towards the monk who deflects it with his staff. The girl from the camp turns her back to some of the firebenders and throws her arms back sending water towards them and freezing them in place. Zuko changes targets trying to hit her with a blast of fire. Aang swipes his staff horizontally towards him blasting him and some of his men off the side of the ship and into the icy depths below. 

The sudden shock of cold water causes Zuko to gasp for air, his lungs filling with the icy liquid feeling like daggers of ice against the inside of his lungs. He tries to swim up to the surface to get air but the weight of his clothes and armour causes him to sink further into the depths. The world around him starts to get darker and darker with consciousness starting to leave him. Suddenly his eyes flash open turning into an ethereal and radiant blue color, Zuko twirls his hand in the water as a water twister takes him from the icy depths and now a hundred feet into the air. 

The others look in shock seeing him surrounded by water with his eyes glowing the same as the Avatar in legends. He drags his arm up and brings a large amount of water onto the bison and freezes it, locking the animal on the deck of the ship. He turns to the men in the water before creating a wave and bringing them back onboard. After rescuing his men, himself and stopping the escape of the flying bison, the power leaves him and so does consciousness as he passes out and falls back down onto the deck of the ship. The monk that he had been fighting moments ago rescues him by using air to cushion his fall. 

He blinks a few times before coughing up water and looking at his men, Uncle and Aang who are surrounding him in awe of what happened. "All hail, Avatar Zuko!" The men chant in unison. Zuko's eyes widen in shock at what he hears. He was in disbelief of what they were saying. It was a bit too much for him to take in, his vision starts to get blurry once again as he passes out for a second time.