If I owned Familiar of Zero, I'd make Tiffania more than a fanservice harem filler plot device.

If I owned Avatar: the Last Airbender, I would've made more side content to explore the world before Legend of Korra.

But I don't own either! All I own are my own ideas and the work I put into this story!

So let us begin, my first installment into my sub-series "Tiffania Summons", Tiffania Summons a Banished Prince! Featuring a fan-favorite character, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation!

A fire nation barge sailed slowly across arctic waters.

Two people stood next to the railings of the ship. The first was former general Iroh, an older man with greying hair and a twinkle in his eyes. The other was a teenager, the banished Prince Zuko, who was scarred on his face, and deeper within.

"Ah… isn't the smell of the ocean just wonderful?" Iroh said with a content sigh.

"It smells like salt and emptiness," was Zuko's bleak response.

"Empty?" Iroh raised an eyebrow. "Prince Zuko, can you not see all this water that surrounds us?"

"Exactly!" the young prince responded angrily, banging his fist against the railing. "There's no land, no boats, and most importantly, no Avatar!"

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that," Iroh said with a shrug. "Between General Zhao and the pirates, the ship was in desperate need of repair. And as far as I've heard, sky bison require much less maintenance."

"We wouldn't have need to have the ship repaired if we hadn't run into those pirates," Zuko snapped. "And we wouldn't have met those pirates if you hadn't lost your stupid lotus piece in your sleeve, Uncle!"

Iroh stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That may be true," he admitted. "But the adventure was worth it, right?"

"Adventure? We're not here to sightsee like tourists!" Zuko seethed. "We're here so I can capture the Avatar and reclaim my honor. Save your sightseeing for after the Avatar is secured and delivered to the Fire Lord."

"Prince Zuko, life must be enjoyed in the moment," his uncle said. "Relax, feel at peace with the world around you, and you will feel a breath of fresh air in the monotony of this journey."

"Save your proverbs for someone who cares," Zuko grumbled. "Breath in all the air you want. Once the Avatar's captured, I'll finally be able to smell something that isn't the ocean."

Iroh laughed. "In that case, perhaps we can share a nice pot of hot tea below deck? I have the pai sho board ready as well."

"No, thanks," Zuko declined immediately. He leaned against the railings and stared out into the ocean. "I need to stay alert in case a trace of the Avatar appears."

His uncle sighed. "Prince Zuko, sometimes too much focus makes the search harder than it needs to be."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"While your goal of capturing the Avatar isn't wrong, your method is making you tunnel-visioned," said Iroh. "Just like a flexible body can generate more force than a stiff one, a fluid mind can find more avenues of success than a rigid one."

"Don't patronize me," Zuko retorted. "I know what I'm doing."

"As you wish, Prince Zuko," Iroh conceded. Despite his nephew's dismissive attitude, the former general could tell Zuko had at least heard his words and would be thinking about them later. "If you want to settle down for some tea, you know where to find me."

Zuko grunted in response. He heard the footsteps of his uncle head below deck. While the prince appreciated the presence of one person that he knew cared for him, Iroh was also a pain in the neck even on his best days.

"I'm not tunnel-visioned," Zuko told himself. "I'm the only one on this ship who's completely focused and never gets side-tracked." Iroh was always getting distracted by tea, pai sho, or sightseeing. The soldiers and crew did as much as they were paid to do, but otherwise took the time to enjoy themselves. The only person who was solely dedicated to catching the Avatar by any means necessary was Zuko, and Zuko alone.

The prince stared out over the ocean, squinting his eyes against the light of the sun reflecting off the water. Then, noticing something, he squinted harder. He called out, "What's that up ahead?"

Some of the nearby soldiers turned to where the ship was going.

"I see nothing," said one soldier.

"Neither do I," said another.

Zuko shaded his eyes with a hand to see better. They were approaching something bright, but it was green, not like the light of the sun. "Keep going straight!" he ordered.

"Aye!" several soldiers shouted.

"As if we weren't doing that already," one muttered.

As the ship drew closer, Zuko could see a green circle floating above the water, roughly level to the deck. He ran inside the ship's control room, pushing past idle members of the crew to reach the helmsman. Sticking his finger at the mysterious source of green light, he ordered, "There! Bring us to that circle over there!"

The helmsman turned to Zuko with a puzzled expression on his face. He narrowed his eyes and squinted at the horizon. "I don't see anything."

"Are you blind?" Zuko demanded. "It's right there!" He pointed at the circle as they continued to draw closer.

The helmsman looked at the empty horizon, then at Zuko's scarred eye, coughed, and turned away. The rest of the crew followed in suit, some of them idly whistling or fiddling with knobs to look preoccupied. Only Lieutenant Lee, the highest officer on the ship, didn't shy away, giving the prince a shrug in response.

Zuko scowled, noticing how not a single person seemed to see what he could. "Keep sailing! This is probably something to do with the Avatar."

A mysterious green circle that everyone else couldn't see? If that wasn't the Avatar or some other spirit nonsense, Zuko would eat his ponytail.

The ship sailed forward at a steady pace. Zuko stared out from behind the glass, his arms crossed and fingers tapping against his forearm guard. As the ship almost reached the circle, the vessel suddenly lurched to the side.

"Keep the wheel steady!" Lieutenant Lee ordered.

"Something's wrong with the ship!" the helmsman called back. His arms were strained from keeping the wheel from turning.

Zuko looked out and saw the waters start to swirl underneath the mysterious circle, making him even more certain that whatever it was, it was connected to the Avatar. As the boat lurched once again, the prince noticed that ship was starting to move away from the circle. "Stop! Why are we changing course?" he asked the helmsman, who was now frantically turning the wheel.

"There's a whirlpool forming, and we're nowhere near land," the helmsman responded grimly. "We need to pull out of here before the ship gets wrecked."

"No!" Zuko barked. "Return course, that circle is the only clue I have to the Avatar, and I'm not going to lose it because of your cowardice! Are you not a soldier of the Fire Nation?"

"With all due respect, your highness," Lieutenant Lee interjected in grave voice. "Keeping everyone on this boat alive should be our first priority. I don't know what a sudden whirlpool has to do with the Avatar, but we can figure that out when our lives are not on the line. In the meantime, you should probably go below deck with your uncle."

Zuko shoved the man away. "Turn right!" he shouted to the helmsman. The man looked hesitant, but seeing Zuko summon a flame in his hand, was quick to comply.

"Your highness, this is unadvisable," the lieutenant warned.

"Your advice has been heard," Zuko retorted.

The ship lurched again. Zuko and Lee and were sent sliding into the wall of the control room. Zuko winced, but took hope as the ship was still on course to the mysterious green circle. "Keep the ship straight on course!" he ordered before dashing out of the room. He scaled down the ladder to the deck as quickly as he could, struggling to maintain his grip as the ship jerked back and forth.

Zuko dropped to the deck and made his way along the edge of the ship, holding onto the railing so he wouldn't be tossed overboard. "Almost there," the prince said as the circle drew closer. It was only yards feet away. He reached out his hand…

The ship lurched again, more violently than before. Zuko's slack grip on the wet railing lost hold, and he fell headfirst into the circle.

The crew saw the Prince go overboard. They gave a cry of alarm, which immediately went dead when the teen disappeared into thin air, and immediately, the waters calmed. After a brief moment of confusion, they ran to the side of the boat, looking for any sign that he had fallen into the sea. There was no sign of him. The water was calm, like there hadn't been a freak whirlpool in the first place.

Iroh popped his head up from below deck. "What was all that about?" he asked. "The ship was shaking so badly; I spilled an entire pot of tea! Where's my nephew? I could hear his yelling from all the way down in my room."

The retired general took stock of the crew exchanging glances with each other but not meeting his eye. "What?"

Albion, the White Country, floated amongst the clouds that traveled over the continent of Halkegenia. It was a troubled land, embroiled in a civil war between the royal loyalists and the Reconquista insurrectionists. The Reconquista promised an upheaval of the current oppressive regime. Their message had reached the ears of many noble houses, especially those of lower status. Even some commoners decided that the best way to improve their lot in life was to take up arms against their former lords.

The violence had been fierce. House against house. Fathers against sons. Brothers against sisters. Many of the major cities had been hit hard by the destruction as the Reconquista steadily expanded their reach over the flying continent. While most people opted to stay in their towns and rebuild once the fighting had passed, some fled to areas that were untouched by the violence to begin their life anew.

Westwood Village had originally been a tiny village, with barely a dozen houses to its name. In the past few years, however, it had doubled in size and over tripled in population. It was still tiny, to be sure, but the new life in the village had shaken it up. While the villagers used to keep to themselves and be unaware of what happened beyond the nearest noble's territory, now they received messages from multiple towns across the country, keeping track of the news.

With the influx of people, not all had been whole families. Some were individuals, others were childless couples, some were survivors of broken families, and still others were children who had nowhere else to run. The one thing they had in common was their desperation and desire for safety.

As the Albion royalists were pushed to near extermination, the country regained a semblance of peace. Refugees gradually began to make their way back to their own towns and cities. A few stayed, rather because they enjoyed their new environment and wished to settle down there…

Or because they had nothing left to return to.

By the light of the twin moons, under the blanket of stars, a girl bathed in a river that passed along the outskirts of Westwood Village. Her long hair floated on the surface of the as golden curtain, parting only around her long, pointed ears.

Tiffania pulled her hair away from her clear blue eyes. She sat down in the riverbed and leaned back with a relived sigh, letting her natural buoyancy keep her upper body above the waters. Looking up at the clear night sky reminded her of the nights she had spent with her mother, all the years ago. They had spent their evenings watching the sun go down, sometimes staying up late so they could watch the constellations appear in the sky.

Now, she was no longer a little girl living in a mansion. Her days were spent caring for the younger children she had taken under her wing. It was exhausting work, but the smiles on their faces made it all worth it.

"If only big sister were here," she said in a soft voice as she looked up into the night sky.

Her sister, Matilda, worked hard to provide for her and all the other children. Normally Matilda would drop by every month or so, but last time she had visited she revealed that she'd managed to find stable employment as a secretary for Old Osmond, the headmaster of the Tristan Academy of Magic. It would pay a lot more than Matilda's usual jobs, but it would also mean that she would have to work several months before she would have a chance to visit again. The money was always appreciated, but nothing could replace the feeling off having someone you trusted at your side.

"Sister, I wish you would come back," Tiffania whispered to the night sky. "Or at least, it would be nice to have another friend…"

The kids were nice and all, but to them she was an older sister that they relied on. None of them were old enough to be considered her peer. The village didn't have anyone her age either. There had been a few at one point, but like many youths, they had decided to try their luck getting started in larger towns and cities once the fighting had died down. The ones closest to her age were the same age as Matilda, or as young as some of the kids she took care of.

Even though Tiffania was never alone, she still was lonely.

At some point in her soaking and idle thoughts, Tiffania's exhaustion caught up to her. Her eyelids gently fell closed.

Sometime later, Tiffania noticed an odd green color trying to slip through her eyelids. She opened her eyes, and jumped back, startled. Before her was a large green circle floating over the surface of the water.

"What is this?" she wondered aloud. She stretched out her hand towards it, wondering if it was a sign from her mother or the spirits.

"Aaah!" came the scream of someone who fell through the circle and splashed into the water. The circle disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.

"Eep!" Tiffina cried as she jumped away from the body, covering herself the best she could. She waited anxiously, but the only thing that rose to the surface was a faint trickle of bubbles. "Oh no!"

It was hard work, but she managed to drag the person out of the water. The reason for the difficulty was clear when she noticed his armor. It didn't look particularly heavy, but combined with the young man's waterlogged clothes, it was almost more than she could handle. Tiffania put an ear to his face, but didn't hear him breathing. His forehead was bleeding, indicating he had hit a rock at the bottom of the lake when he had fallen in.

"No, no, no, no!" she cried in panic. "Please don't die!" She turned his head to the side and pressed down on his chest, trying to resuscitate him. With him still unresponsive, she pinched in his nose and gave him mouth to mouth. She pushed as much air as she could into his body, praying for a miracle.

For a moment, she that she would have to resort to the necklace her mother left her. But then she felt a pull on her Willpower. It flowed into the young man underneath her, causing his chest to suddenly rise.

Tiffania pulled back just as the stranger started violently coughing up water. Now that he clearly wasn't dying, she noticed his features. He was mostly bald, but he had silky dark brown—bordering black—hair that was wrapped at the base of a thin ponytail. His eyes were unusually narrow. Most notable was the scar on the left side of his face. It was a reddish patch of skin that was even more discolored near his left eye. Judging by the scaring, it was likely from a terrible burn. He looked lucky to have survived with his eye intact.

The young man opened his eyes, but they didn't seem focused on anything.

Tiffania leaned towards him. "Does it hurt anywhere?" she asked.

He groaned in response before closing his eyes again.

"Umm… you shouldn't fall asleep. You might still have water in your lungs," Tiffania warned him mildly. Judging from the lack of response, she presumed he had already passed out.

"Oh, dear…"

"Arck!"

Zuko immediately sat up, coughing. His throat was sore, and his body felt weak. What had happened to him? He searched through his most recent memories. There was a circle, he touched it, and then there was darkness. He remembered briefly seeing someone, a person with unnatural hair that shone like the sun. Had she been a spirit from the stories? No, she looked far too human for that. Maybe he had been dreaming; that made more sense. But if that was the case, where was he?

Zuko looked around. The room was small and quite spartan. From the wooden boards, he could immediately tell that he was not on his ship, which meant the ship had rather made a detour from its route, or he had been asleep for several days. He tested sitting up, and found that he could. While his throat was parched and his body felt sore, he wasn't in any other pain. His clothes were gone, and in their place was a simple shirt and pants that he would expect a common farmer to wear.

He then noticed a pitcher of water and an empty cup beside his bed. He briefly considered the possibility of the water being poisoned, but dismissed the idea almost immediately. Wherever he was, he was sure that his guards would properly vet anything that was left at his bedside. And if someone did wish him harm, they would've definitely killed him instead of tricking him into drinking poisoned water.

Trembling fingers reached out towards the pitcher. Zuko started to lift it, but then a spasm of pain ran through his arm. He couldn't help a brief shout of pain, dropping the pitcher and spilling its contents all over the table.

A few seconds later, hurried footsteps clattered forward. The door was flung open, and a startling young woman stepped inside. She wore a white hat with a green bow on each side. A sheer white shawl hung on her shoulders over a green dress that was dangerously short. Further down she wore white tights that were riddled with holes.

However, Zuko was not paying the least bit mind to her strange clothing. The first thing the boy noticed was her hair; specifically, its color. Rather than the typical brown or black, it was the color of the sun. While its shape was different due to the hat she wore, he knew seen this woman before. Instinctively, he knew she was connected to how he ended up there in his present state. Somehow. The second thing he noticed was her outrageous body proportions. How could she walk with those? They were the size of his head! And she wasn't even fat!

"You're awake!" The woman's tone was surprised, but relieved. Surprisingly, it carried neither the fear nor reverence of someone in the presence of the infamous banished prince.

"Who are you?" Zuko snapped. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

The woman looked startled by his rough questioning. "Um, my name is Tiffania," she said. "We're at my house. I found you in the river, and had you brought here."

"Do you know who I am?"

The woman's eyes widened. Zuko started to smirk when he finally got her to break character, only for his expression to fall when she exclaimed, "Oh no! Did you lose your memory?"

"What? No!" Zuko protested. "You've seen my face…" His voice trailed off as he realized that her not recognizing him didn't mean he should reveal his identity. Being the Fire Lord's son gave him some authority, but he still didn't know where he was, or where his crew was for that matter. Depending on where in the world he ended up, there might be someone desperate to use him for ransom, assuming his father would care.

"That scar looks pretty bad," Tiffania said, reaching towards his face. She pulled back when she noticed Zuko flinch away from her. "Sorry, that was insensitive of me."

Zuko grunted noncommittally.

"Um, if you don't mind, what is your name?"

"Pr—Zuko." Zuko mentally cringed. He might have avoided saying his title, but Zuko still wasn't a common name.

"Zuko?" she repeated, mulling over the unfamiliar word. "I've never heard that name before."

"You haven't?" he questioned her. What rock had she been living under to not recognize the name of banished prince of the Fire Nation? He supposed that he was used to dealing with Fire Nation citizens who paid a semblance of attention to news about the royal family, but something nagged at the back of his mind.

Tiffania shook her head. "It sounds foreign… very foreign. Are you from Rub' al Kahli?"

"What in the dragon's beard is that supposed to be?"

The woman winced at his harsh tone. "Ah, I guess not," she said softly.

"Where is my ship, my crew?" Zuko demanded to know.

"Ship? I'm sorry, but I don't think I've seen any ships pass by Westwood recently."

"Where did you find me? How long was asleep? Who brought me? Why do I remember seeing you before? Wh—" His stream of sharp questions was cut off as he started to cough.

"Slow down, slow down!" the woman insisted, waving her hands frantically. "Oh, dear. Your body is still recovering." She moved towards the pitcher, only now noticing that Zuko had spilled its contents over the table and floor. She quickly picked up the pitcher and nearby cup before moving to the door. "I'll be right back, stay right there!"

"Don—!" Zuko's protest was cut off by another fit off coughing. By the time he had recovered enough to speak the woman was already gone.

"It's not like I can go anywhere," the banished prince grumbled as he let his head fall into the soft pillow.

I've been meaning to do this for a while, so I decided I might as well make it a reverse-birthday present. Zuko's been a pretty popular suggestion for my Louise Summons series, but I couldn't figure out how to make it work because Zuko would either be busy as a Fire Lord, busy trying to help Aang, or someone who would not get along with Louise at all. So, I decided that if he couldn't work with Louise, I'd try him with the very underutilized Tiffania. And it worked! Zuko is now my prototype for the series just like Ash was for Louise.

If you have suggestions for who you think Tiffania should summon, send them. As of this post, I'm considering: Yue (Cardcaptor Sakura), Izuku (My Hero Academia), Kirashima (My Hero Academia), and Brock (Pokemon). Keep in mind that Tiffania is in Albion and will be performing the summon at some time before her appearance in canon. The lack of detail and plot makes Tiffania bit more of a challenge to write, but I do want to use her.

Remember, reviews are food for a writer's soul!