Children of the Dragon
Author ladykempton
Disclaimer Don't own Avatar the Last Air bender.
Summery; Alternate Book 3 Fire set after The Fire Bending Masters and the Boiling Rock part 1 and 2 What if something happens to Fire Benders when they reach the age of Seventeen what if the spices in their food was really a type of drug that hid the truth about them in this story there is no Southern Raiders Hakoda, Teo, The Duke, Chet Sang and Haru remain with the Gang Katara is still very aggressive towards Zuko.
Chapter one.
Appa lay on the smooth grass snoring softly as he slept Momo curled up on the flying bison's head Aang was off to one side practising his Earth bending with Toph with Haru every now and then throwing rather large boulders at the young Avatar over another side sat Chet Sang next to him sat Teo and The Duke who were watching the sparing match Sokka and Suki were sharpening various bladed weapons Hakoda smiled as he saw his son smiling at his girl friend as she praised him on his sharpening skills he could see his son's chest puff out a a little with pride Hakoda could clearly remember how he felt when Kya praised him for something his eyes sled over to Zuko who was sitting by him self he had not said what he and the Avatar had done while they had gone off to the old Sun Warriors city all that he had said was they had learned a few old Fire Bending forms one called the Dragon Dance which Sokka had found very funny when Aang had begun to talk about the trip Zuko had told him to be quite he had then glared long and hard at him until the Avatar's eye's went wide as he remembered that he could not tell the others what had happened they had both given their word that they would remain silent on that fact of course Katara had blown up at Zuko for telling Aang to be quite in fact Hakoda noticed that the former Fire Nation Prince could do nothing right in his daughters eye's when ever Zuko pushed Aang to train a little harder Katara would end the training season and take Aang off to do a little bit of Water bending.
Hakoda looked over to his daughter as she stirred the pot that held that afternoons meal it was a stew he had to admit he was getting a little tired of the stew there was a wooded area near by as well as a good flowing river it might be possible for him and Chet Sang to hunt something for them Hakoda looked back at the former prince was it his imagination that the he had just flinched with pain he shook his head "Supper!" Called Katara as she began to ladle out the stew in to several wooden bowls Hakoda thanked his daughter as she handed him his bowl he sat done and to eat Zuko thanked Katara who rewarded him with a scowl Zuko just sighed and sat down and began to eat Hakoda saw another flinch from Zuko he was about to ask him about it when suddenly Chet Sang spoke "Stew again" He moaned as he sat down heavily he looked at his bowl "Man I'm beginning to think I was better off in jail" He said Katara frowned "You don't like my stew" She growled as she glared at him Chet Sang just looked at her, her glare not effecting him at all "It's okay just bland there's no meat no spices it has no taste I may have been in prison but at least the food had taste" He said as he stirred the stew Katara frowned at him "Aang doesn't eat meat" She said as if that answered the question the large Fire Bender just looked at her "So what just because baldy doesn't eat meat the rest of us have to veggie stew ever night" He said Katara glared even more at him "He's the Avatar not baldy" She growled Chet Sang just shrugged "Who cares some people like meat more then vegetables" He said as he pored the stew down his throat "I'm going into the wood at first light there has to be some kind of animal life in there I need to have something other then stew to eat" He said Katara face was going different shades of red as Chet Sang spoke Hakoda "I'll do a bit of fishing as well that's a good stream hopefully there'll be a good supply of fish in it this time of year " Said Hakoda "Dad!" Yelled Katara at her dad's betrayal Hakoda smiled at his youngest child "I'm sorry Katara but stew every day can get boring after awhile we need to keep up our strength for the battle that is to come" He said trying to placate he angry daughter Sokka spoke up "I'll help with the fishing dad" He said he looked at Katara he shrugged "I'm sorry Katara but I need meat" He said Zuko looked up "I know where there are some spice plants they should grow in the woods" He said Katara turned on him "We don't want any spices!" She yelled she the crossed her arms her noise in the air as if to tell every one the conversation was over .
To most of the group the next days hunts did not go well there were no fish in the river and little or no prey in the woods nor even any spices so at the end of the day it was stew again Hakoda noticed Zuko almost doubled over in pain by now most of the group noticed it except Katara who thought that Zuko was trying to trick them so that he could betray them to the Fire Nation Aang was also very concerned "Hey you okay Zuko?" Asked Aang Zuko looked up at the monk Aang took a step back Zuko's golden eyes were solid gold his iris were now very small "I'm fine" He growled he stood on shaky legs and stumbled over to his covers and lay down he curled into a ball he shook with fever every one except Katara looked at Zuko concern written on their face's.
Katara frowned as every one seemed concerned for the Former Prince she couldn't understand why they were so worried he was Fire Nation they were evil they had killed people they didn't suffer any thing Zuko was just pretending to be in pain he couldn't be trusted he was playing them all well she would fall for it she would never trust him not again.
Aang was very concerned Zuko was wrapped in his blanket shaking Hakoda looked at the shaking figure Chit Sang knelt next to Zuko he prevented the covers from bursting into flames "What's wrong with him" Asked Hakoda as Chet Sang waved away large flames once again the large Fire Bender shook his head "I don't know he's not ill as far as I can tell he's eaten the same things we have" He said as he mopped Zuko's burning fore head Zuko moaned in pain.
A loud scream tore threw the camp waking every one Aang sat next Zuko as he twisted in the blankets ever now and there he would scream in pain "I'm worried I don't think this is a normal illness I mean we have all eaten the same thing even when we went to the sun warriors city we ate the same thing so why am I not ill or any of us for that matter" He said as Zuko screamed in pain again his back arched as pain tore threw him Aang looked at his friend as they gathered around them yet standing far enough away to prevent burning as flames shot out of Zuko's mouth and nostrils and even his hands Sokka scratched his head "Maybe it's something he caught while he was still in the Fire Nation he was there for a couple of months" He flinched as another scream rang out Chet Sang shook his head "We'd get prisoners from the home land once a week or so none of them had any illness also the governor would go to the Capital once a month or so to give a report on the prison I'm sure he would have got something if there was anything going around" He said Aang looked at Zuko as the former prince was now curled up in to a a tight his whole body shaking with pain Katara crossed her arms frustrated that Zuko was taking this so far she couldn't understand why ever one was falling for the trick that prince she knew she had to show that it was a trick so she would wait until she had an opportunity to show that he was faking she knew he was faking and the fake screams would not trick her at all.
Zuko was a sleep even though it was a pain laced sleep his body vibrated with pain suddenly he was thrown in the air he hit the stone floor with a wet thump he looked up with solid gold pain filled eyes there he saw Katara her arms covered with water he saw a cold look in her blue eyes "I know you are faking Zuko and I'm going to prove it" She hissed as she hit him with the water sending his body flying flew threw the air he slammed into a pillar he slumped onto the floor gasping for breath Katara smirked as his cloths began to steam "Please stop" He begged threw clinched teeth Katara just smirked "Why the Fire Nation never stops they just keep going murdering, killing they can never be trusted not even you so stop faking" She said as she hit him again and again her eyes growing colder and harder with each hit why wasn't he fighting back he's faking it she thought as she hit him again the steam was now poring off his body he looked up at her from his position on the floor the look on his face was different he looked angrily Katara smirked "Anger Zuko why don't you do something about it" She said she the hit him once more what was growling she thought as a growl filled the air she raised her arms to hit him once again when suddenly the floor shifted she fell she looked over to see Aang, Toph, Sokka and Hakoda "What are you doing Sweetness" Asked Toph Aang had a look of disappointment on his face Katara blinked "He's faking can't you guys see it" She said Hakoda shook his head he walked over to the prince he touched his shoulder but pulled it away right away as it was burned Hakoda raised an eyebrow as the steam rose off of the prince "Leave me alone"Growled Zuko as he got to his feet Hakoda gasped as he saw Zuko's solid gold eyes as well as the strange mottling that was now forming on his face he watched as the prince stumbled away.
Katara watched as Zuko walked away she turned to her friends and family "How can you guys just except that he is hurt he is faking it!" She yelled Aang shook his head his eyes full of sadness "Why did you attack him Katara he has attacked no one plus you really hurt him" He said Katara looked at him "Aang he's a danger to you he's just waiting for a chance to take you back to the Fire Lord your the last hope for the world your more important then Zuko" She said Aang shook his head "No one person is more important Katara you are as important as Zuko, Azula or even the Fire Lord" He said sadly Katara looked at her father and Sokka "He's a danger to us all he's Fire Nation they killed Mum" She said Hakoda shook his head "No it was the Southern Raiders it was one man a man that is a lot older them Zuko yet you seem yet blame this boy for the crimes of others" He said Katara shook her head violently "It's his fathers fault so it's his fault too they are all to blame they all have to pay!" She yelled tears filling her blue eyes Hakoda sighed "I'm sure your mother would not want that Katara" He said Katara just shook her head violently "She would want them to suffer to pay all those who have died at their hands" She said before she turned and ran off in the opposite direction Hakoda looked on with concern for his daughter "What going on with her?" He wondered allowed Sokka who had been shocked by her little sister violent bending towards the ill Prince all he could do was shrugged not knowing how to answer his father.
A couple of hours later Katara came back to the camp site after spending time in a small lagoon relaxing in the cool calming water slowly she had realized that she could have killed Zuko in his weaken condition tears rolled down her cheeks as the horror of what she had done also the clear look of disappointment on Aang's face hurt her as much as the look of sadness in her fathers eyes as well as the look in Sokka's eye's.
Katara sat down she couldn't see Zuko "Where's Zuko" She asked Suki looked at her a frown on her face "Why you want to hurt him some more" She said disgust in her voice Katara shook her head "No....no I want to help heal him" She said softly Toph gave a unladylike snort "Yeah like he is going to let you with in a foot of him with any kind of water" She said a she sipped her stew Katara bowed her head in shame.
Next day early morning
Sokka woke he heard Momo screeching loudly he looked over in the direction where he thought the flying Lemma suddenly felt a hot breath on the back of his neck at first he thought it was Appa breathing down his neck but then he noticed that the flying Bison was next to Momo his fur raised in both fear and anger he felt the hot breath again he slowly turned the first thing he saw was a massive noise he blinked a few times before he screamed as he jumped out off his sleeping bag he stared at the giant reptile that now stood in the temple "Guy's!" Yelled Sokka as he pulled out his space sword he pointed it at the large creature that was now just staring at him "Whoa! A dragon!" Gasped Aang a happy a grin on his face as he saw the Dragon he walked over to the Dragon "Aang don't get to close!" Shouted Katara Aang half turned he opened his mouth but no sound came as Katara shot a water whip at the Red Dragon the whip snapped across the Dragons face Katara pulled Aang behind her, her hand resting on her water skin the Dragon frowned and began to growl at her.
"Katara stop!" Called Aang as he tried to get in front of her but the young water bender would have none of it she fire yet another water whip at the now enraged Dragon the Dragon opened it's mouth wide and shot out a multi coloured flame towards her Katara jumped out of the way as the flames shot at her the Dragon followed it opened it's wings wide and let out a loud roar the whole temple shook at the noise "Wow! It's huge" Gasped Toph as she felt the Dragon threw the stone floor Aang ran over the Katara waving his arms trying to get the almost out of control Water bender attention "Katara stop! You can't win that's a Dragon an original Fire bender!" He yelled as Katara gathered more water about her to fire it at the enraged Dragon the Dragon rose it's large neck until it's massive head was ten foot over Katara it growled down at her it's sharp teeth glistening in the morning sun light "Whoa! What is that!" Shouted Haru as he,Teo and The Duke were awoken by the noise "A Dragon" Said Hakoda as he looked at the massive creature Haru the saw Katara as she stood in front of the Dragon "It's attacking Katara!" He yelled he ran over to her he bended some stone and fired it at the Dragon the massive stone hit the Dragon's neck, the Dragon roared in pain Haru fell down as the ground shifted he looked at Aang "Stop it, the Dragon was not attacking before Katara attacked first so right now it is merely defending it's self....Oh monkey feathers" Said Aang before he ran Haru looked back at the Dragon his eyes went wide as the Dragon's thick tail came towards him Haru only missed the thick tail by a hair the Dragon roared as the water whip hit it again the Dragon moved towards Katara with it's tail it swiped it at her the tail brushed her causing her to slam in to a pillar knocking her out cold the Dragon then turned back towards Haru smoke coming from it's nostrils it slowly walked over to the Earth bender it's growl low suddenly something large and white hit the Dragon it roared in both pain and anger.
Haru saw Appa floating in mid air growling at the Dragon, the Dragon growled right back it them opened it's large wings and took off towards the flying Bison once again Appa flew straight at the Dragon trying hit the massive creature again but the Dragon dodged out of the way causing Appa to hit the cliff face Appa shook his heavy body he then took off once again aiming for the Dragon but this time instead of dodging out of the way the Dragon just hovered there as Appa got closer then a second before Appa hit the Dragon turn and hit Appa with it's powerful tail the Bison roared in pain as he was hit the hit knocked Appa out cold Appa hit the floor with a sickening thud the Dragon landed and walked over to Appa, Aang jumped in front of Appa holding out his new staff the Dragon looked down at the bald monk it just stood there staring at him it the lowered it's massive head after a few second Aang was unceremoniously blown out of the way once Aang was out of the way the Dragon began to walk towards the now semi conscience Appa how groaned at the now approaching Dragon .
Aren't I evil (insert evil laugh) will Appa be eaten where did this Red dragon come from please review.