A Crimson Sabaku

Chapter I

I was on deck, a bit uninterested at what was happening. Iroh, Zuko's uncle, was enjoying a card game – I forget what it's named. Zuko himself, my liege, was standing around and searching the horizon. Then, Zuko cried out, "Finally!" and he turned to Iroh. "Uncle, do you realize what this means?!"

Iroh looked up and asked, "I won't get to finish my game?"

Zuko whipped around to face something in the distance. "It means my search is coming to an end."

I could hear Iroh sigh as he went back to his game, placing down a tile. I looked up and noticed a large column of light on the horizon. Is Prince Zuko actually on to something? Surely that couldn't not be...

"That light came from an incredibly powerful source! It has to be him!"

Iroh gestured around to the sky, saying, "Or it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get excited over nothing. Come, why not sit down and enjoy a nice, calming cup of jasmine tea?"

Zuko spun around to face Iroh, an angry look on his face. "I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar!" He turned to the man at the helm. "Helmsman! Set a course for that light!"

With that, I decided to sit down opposite from Iroh and take him up on his offer of jasmine tea. Believe it or not, it was actually quite relaxing.

]=====–––––=====–––––=====[

Later that day, Zuko was practicing his firebending. Iroh was observing the training, while I was wandering the ship a bit. I wore an outfit which combined the styles of the sandbender tribes with that of the Fire Nation. Along with me, I brought a satchel filled with rocks, which I could convert into sand if needed. I decided to come out and watch my liege's training at the moment when Iroh was scolding him.

"No!" he chided him, "Firebending comes from the breath. Not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire. Get it right this time."

Prince Zuko was obviously frustrated. "Enough! I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set! I'm more than ready!"

"No, you are impatient," Iroh told him, adamant in his choice so far. "You have yet to master your basics. Drill again!"

Zuko chose to angrily power kick towards one of the soldiers who was helping to train him, sending forth a massive burst of fire. The soldier was sent flying back a bit due to the strength of it. I decided to step in for my Prince and appeal to Iroh's care for his nephew's well being.

"With all due respect, Iroh, the Avatar has had a very long time to master the four elements. If Prince Zuko is to properly combat him and subdue him, he will need to know more advanced firebending. Perhaps it would be best if you taught him the next set."

After a moment of consideration, Iroh sighed in resignation. "Very well. But first, I must finish eating my roast duck." Zuko looked a bit disgusted, but I simply chuckled a bit.

Later, as I passed Zuko to go about my business, I could barely hear him whisper to me, "Thank you, Sabaku."

]=====–––––=====–––––=====[

I was using the telescope for searching for the Avatar. While I was looking, a flare went screaming into the sky. I immediately sent my attention to the area where it had come from, seeing a figure clad in yellow and orange hopping from the ship down to the ground below. I smiled to myself, knowing that my Prince's mission was perhaps coming to an end.