Change to Avatar: The Last Airbender

Chapter 2 the story begins.

The south pole was a cold and desolate place. Even being from the Earth Kingdom, this........ this was cold, Miko thought as she sat across General Iroh, playing cards as Zuko stood on the foredeck. She looked back at Zuko as a large beam of light shot up into the air.

"Finally! Uncle, do you know what that means?", asked zuko.

"We wont get to finish our game?", Iroh answered back, disapointed.

"It means that my search is finally over, Uncle, that light came from and incredibly powerful source. It has to be him."

"Or it's just the celestial lights. Prince Zuko, we've been down this road before, why dont you sit down and join our game. A nice calming cup of jasmine tea would be great too."

"I dont need calming tea!!! I need to capture the Avatar. Helmsmen, head a course for the light!"

"I'm going to bed now. Yep. A man needs his rest. Prince Zuko, you need some sleep." Iroh got up from the table. "Even if you're right and the Avatar is alive, you won't find him. Your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all tried and failed."

"Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture, mine does. This coward's hundred years in hiding are over."

Then next few days consisted of the usual routine. Iroh drilling Zuko in his fire-bending sequences and Zuko getting impatient and angry. In the down time, Zuko relaxed on the deck. Miko wouldnt really consider it relaxing though. To her, it was more like just sitting in place.

Off in the distance a flare shot straight up into the air. Zuko sat up imediently and watched it for a moment before getting to his feet. He grabbed his telescope.

"Miko, wake my uncle! tell him i've found the avatar.........and his hiding place"
.....

They arrived at the little water tribe village within the hour. Miko watched from the deck as Zuko questioned the villagers. They stood there terrified. out of nowhere, a boy, riding a penguin, slid right between Zuko's legs, knocking him to the ground. He stopped between Zuko and the villagers. he was young and completely bald, with a blue arrow tattooed on his head and hands. one of the strangest Miko had ever seen.


"Looking for me?" He asked
"You're the air bender? you're the avatar?!" Said Zuko, incredulously.
"I've spent years preparing for this encounter. Training. Meditating. You're just a child!"
"Well you're just a teenager."

Zuko sent a fire blast at the boy, who deflected it. Blast after blast, he kept deflecting them. the villagers screamed out as the fire streamed over there heads. The boy looked back at the villagers, then to Zuko.

"If I come with you, will you promise to leave everybody else alone?"
"No" Miko said under her breath.
Zuko nodded. The soldiers took the boy and started they're way back up the ramp.

"No, Aang! Don't do this!" a girl screamed from the crowd.
"Don't worry, Katara. It'll be ok. take care of Appa while I'm gone!" he said.
"Head a course for the fire nation! I'm going home."

Miko met Zuko on the foredeck. The avatar stood facing him. Zuko held his staff in hand.

"This will make an excellent gift for my father. I suppose you wouldn't know about fathers, being raised by monks. Take him to the prison hold. Miko! Take this to my chambers."

Miko leaned the staff along the far wall of Zuko's room. She'd spent plenty of time in this room. spending time with Zuko, listening to him talk. she was the only one he'd talk to, really talk to. she was his escape, the place where he could let his thoughts escape. an she would just sit there quietly and listen.

She always thought on these nights there was something between them. though she knew she was just lying to herself. at the end of the night he still stayed in his room and she still went to hers. They were still master and servant.

Miko went to her own room and flopped down on the bed. It was nice to have her own room. she shared a room with 4 other servant girls at the palace. though she never really complained, she was just lucky enough to be alive and not stuck in a coal mine.

Zuko had been adamant that she have her own room. he said he wanted her near him in case he needed some thing in the middle of the night. Miko had a feeling it was more than just that, but she never said anything about it.

She closed her eyes as she relaxed into the mattress. she wanted to get some sleep before dinner. she was just about to slip into a deep sleep when the alarm bell sounded.

"The avatar has escaped!" echoed through the halls. Miko jumped to her feet and ran down the hall. the avatar nearly ran her over.

"Have you seen my staff?"
"Down the hall, last door on the right. hurry!"
"Thanks!"

He ran down the hall, fast as the wind. Miko made her way down to the foredeck, trying to stay out of the soldiers way as they scrambled around the ship, looking for the avatar. She came out f the door just as Zuko caught the boy by the foot as he tried to fly away on his glider.

Zuko started blasting him with fire balls, again and again until he finally lost his balance and fell overboard, into the icy arctic water.

"No! Aang! Aang! Aang!" the girl from the village screamed, atop of a huge flying bison. Miko had only heard stories from her grandmother about the flying bison, this one was huge.

Suddenly, a waterspout rose from the water, the avatar in the middle, ending the water around till he was towering over the ship. He bent the water and sent a huge wave over the whole deck, knocking Zuko and the soldiers over board. the boy escaped with the village girl on his bison and flew away.

Miko ran and grabbed some towels as the crew pulled Zuko and the others back onto the boat. uncle Iroh and Zuko tried to shoot them down with a huge fire ball, but the avatar deflected it into the glacier. ice an snow fell onto the bow of the boat, grounding it where it stood. The soldiers were thawing out their comrades that the water tribe girl froze in ice.

"Good news for the fire lord. the avatar is just a kid." uncle Iroh said.

"That kid, uncle, just did this. I won't underestimate him again. Dig this ship out and follow them! as soon as you're done with that."