Passion's Fire

**Hello to all my readers. I am taking a break from my Gundam Wing and Inuyasha stories because I feel like it, nothing more. I am in the mood to put my Avatar: the Last Airbender story on paper. (So to speak) I have a feeling my head will explode from all the ideas I have running around in there.**

**So, my story pretty much follows the Avatar storyline, but there are tweaks here and there, including some of the characters being a bit ooc. Also, I would like to point out that due to the adult themes, I have made all the main characters three years older. So Aang and Toph are 15, Sokka and Zuko are 19, and Katara is 17. I thought that would make all the lemony goodness in my story a little less inappropriate.**

**Last but not least, I make no promises when it comes to updating my story. I just got a new job and will be working all week long, so I will be way too tired at night to worry about putting up new chapters. I am also expecting a baby and have two kids already, so that takes up a lot of my time as well. I ask that you please bear with me and be patient. I will get this story and my other two done….eventually. **

**So, without further ado, here is the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA, or any of its characters.**

Our story begins on Prince Zuko's ship, near the South Pole…

**Chapter 1**

Zuko watched with narrowed eyes as the Avatar and his friends flew away on the bison. He had been so close! After nearly three years of being at sea he had the Avatar in his grasp, only to have him taken away. The young prince was so angry steam was coming off him in waves.

"Dig the ship out, and follow them!" he ordered angrily. His men looked at him and he noticed that they were thawing out the officers that were frozen in place. "Uh, right after you finish that." He added.

Zuko turned to look out to sea. So it seemed the Avatar was traveling with a waterbender. He thought all the waterbenders from the South Pole had been taken prisoner. She had been a young girl, close to his own age. Zuko decided he would capture her along with the Avatar. His father would be happy if he brought home a waterbender. All waterbenders were supposed to be brought to the Fire Nation by order of the Fire Lord.

Zuko knew what few others did: the real reason his father had given those orders. He was afraid the waterbenders would be able to overpower the fire nation in the war. In the 100 years since the war had begun, the Fire Nation had been unable to defeat the Northern Water Tribe, so perhaps his father was right to fear them. Zuko chuckled. He didn't think he or his father had anything to fear from the girl—she was obviously a novice.

Zuko was startled out of his musings when his uncle came to stand next to him. "What do find so amusing, Prince Zuko?" he asked.

"It's nothing, Uncle. The Avatar is alive. I _**will**_ capture him and regain my honor; there's nothing standing in my way."

**Meanwhile…**

"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?" Katara asked. She sounded a little hurt, and Aang looked down at his lap.

"Because…I never wanted to be."

"But Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and put an end to this war."

Aang sighed. "How am I supposed to do that?" he asked.

Katara frowned. "According to the legends I've heard, you have to master waterbending, then earth, then fire. Is that right?"

Aang nodded. "That's what the monks told me."

Katara smiled. "If we go to the North Pole, we can find you a teacher and you can master waterbending."

Aang brightened. "Yeah, we could learn it together!"

Zuko was shaking with fury. He had been about to leave the port when Zhao's men barred the door, telling their commander that Zuko's own men had betrayed him. When Zuko found out which of his men was responsible for the betrayal, they were going to be in a world of hurt.

"So, a twelve year old boy bested you and your fire benders. " Zhao scoffed. "You're even more pathetic than I thought."

Zuko bristled. How dare Zhao speak to him like that! "I underestimated him once; it won't' happen again." He said, glaring at the commander.

"No, it will not." Zhao replied. "Because you won't have another chance."

Zuko tried to keep from losing his temper. Every word out of the commander's mouth was making it more and more difficult.

"Commander Zhao, I've been hunting the Avatar for two years and I-"

"And you failed." Zhao snapped, bending an arc of fire in his anger. "Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands. He's mine now."

That made the prince lose what little control he had on his temper. Zuko lunged at Zhao, only to be detained by the commander's men. He growled wordlessly as Zhao left the tent, calling over his shoulder, "Keep him here." After he left, Zuko kicked over a table in his frustration.

Zhao came back awhile later. "My search party is ready. Once my ship is out to sea, you are free to go."

Zuko glared at him. "Why? Are you worried I'm going to try and stop you?"

The commander laughed. "You, stop me? Impossible."

The prince's eyes narrowed. "Don't underestimate me, Zhao. I **will **capture the Avatar before you!"

Iroh stood and put a restraining hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Prince Zuko, that's enough." He admonished.

Zhao glared at the prince. "You can't compete with me. I have hundreds of war ships under my command. You? You're just a banished prince. No home, no allies, and your own father doesn't even want you."

"You're wrong!" Zuko snapped angrily. "Once I capture the Avatar, my father will welcome me home with honor. "

The commander scoffed. "If your father really wanted you home, he would have let you return by now-Avatar or not. In his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation"

"That's not true."

Zhao smirked. "You have the scar to prove it." He taunted.

Zuko leaned toward the commander, their faces inches apart. "Maybe you'd like once to match." He growled.

Zhao raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"

"Yes." Zuko said. "An Agni Kai."

After Zhao left, Iroh asked. "Prince Zuko, have you forgotten what happened the last time you dueled a master?"

Zuko sighed. "I will never forget."

**At the Southern Air temple…**

Katara and Sokka took shelter behind a stone wall. The wind was whipping all around them.

"What happened?" Katara shouted over the sound of the wind.

"He found out firebenders killed Giatso." Sokka shouted back.

Katara gasped. "Oh no! His Avatar spirit must have been triggered. I'm going to try to calm him down."

"Well do it, before he blows us off the mountain!" Sokka shouted. He watched as his sister approached the enraged airbender. He couldn't hear what was being said, but eventually the wind died down and Aang's anger was reduced to tears.

The three friends set off to the North Pole. Aang watched sadly as his home slowly disappeared behind the clouds; knowing he would probably never see it again. He sighed and turned his thoughts towards finding a waterbending teacher at the North Pole. He would avenge his people, and make up for not being there for them by defeating the Fire Nation.

After his fight with the commander, Zuko and his uncle made their way back to the ship. "Uncle, did you really mean what you said back there?" He asked.

Iroh smiled. "Of course. Ginseng tea is my favorite"

A small smile tugged at the corner of Zuko's mouth. That wasn't what he had meant and Zuko knew his uncle knew that as well.

"There is one thing I know that Zhao doesn't." He told his uncle. "The Avatar is traveling with a waterbender. I intend to capture her along with the Avatar. My father will be pleased. Perhaps I can use the girl as bait. She's obviously the Avatar's friend."

Iroh frowned. It wasn't like his nephew to think of treating women in such a manner, but he wanted the Avatar desperately; there was no telling what lengths he would go to in order to capture him.

"We will see, Prince Zuko." He replied.

Zuko wasn't really listening. He was coming up with a plan to use the water tribe girl to get the Avatar. He had to capture the boy before Zhao, or all would be lost. If he had to use the girl to do it, so be it. He would do whatever it took to restore his honor and return home.

* * *

**So there you have it, my first chapter. I know it's not much of a start, but we'll get there. I decided to write this pretty late and I'm tired. So please read and review. I look forward to hearing from you.**

**Lady Amira**


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