As One

By Albus Paulson

"Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors, all working together." She raised her arms. "I'm done. I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor."

Aang stared at the female Firebender. So did Katara and Sokka – and even the young Firebender and the old man. Me – well, my eyes are somewhat superfluous. My ears and feet were trained on my enemy, though.

I was surprised just as the rest when she suddenly lashed out with her weird, superhot fire – I could feel the extreme heat pass within a few paces of me – and hit –

Don't let it hit Aang. Don't let it hit Katara. Don't let it his Sokka. Don't let it –

The old man was struck full in the chest. I heard the young male Firebender make a noise of surprise, right before I attacked the smooth-talking female Firebender. I felt, dimly, that my attack wasn't the only one aimed for her; I heard the arm of the Firebender on my right snap up – I felt Katara's stance shift when she lashed out – I heard Aang suck in a lungful of air right before I heard the wind.

It did no good.

The female Firebender had an ace up her sleeve - I could feel her heart rate speed up, I knew it – and then –

She vanished.

What the –

Everything exploded outward. I felt the Earth tremble, the heat of fire, the ripples in the air – and then an empty nothingness.

No, not quite nothing.

I could feel my tired friends breathing heavily around me. Sokka seemed the least tired, but poor Aang sounded like he was about to drop. Katara sounded all right, more or less, but –

Oh no.

The old man wasn't, and neither was the male Firebender. I listened to their breathing for a moment.

In… out. In… out. In… out.

The old one needs healing, and fast. The Firebender sounds like he's going to have a heart attack.

Thump-thump went the old man's heart.

Wait a minute…

Thump-thump.

The old one feels familiar.

Thump-thump.

Do I know him?

Thump-thump.

Where would I have met him?

Thump-thump.

The younger man made a sound of distress.

He cares for the old one. Are they blood-kin?

We moved closer to them – the old man, on the ground, and the young man, kneeling beside the old one. He must have heard us, for he wheeled around and yelled, "Get away from us!"

Thump-thump.

Us. Not me, us. They are traveling together.

Thump-thump.

A memory came flooding back to me – that of an old man who served me tea, and convinced me that help isn't always out of pity.

Thump-thump.

That's him! The old man from earlier!

Thump-thump.

The young Firebender must be his nephew.

Thump-thump.

The old man's from the Fire Nation. He'd have to be to have a Firebending nephew.

The man groaned in pain.

That fire really hurt him. His nephew can't heal him alone, not if the old one is to be at his best. He could be crippled.

He groaned again.

He needs our help – more specifically, Katara's help. She can heal him with her Waterbending. I don't want to leave him alone.

He was kind to me, without any thought for my blindness. He deserves our help.

"Zuko, I can help!"

Way to go, Sugar Queen. For once, it seems that you and I are on the same page, so to speak.

The young Firebender – Zuko – didn't seem ready to accept any help for his uncle, not if he wasn't the one giving it.

I felt Zuko move, and then a wave of heat – fire – flowing out like ripples in a pond.

"LEAVE!" He shouts.

Aang and Katara look at each other worriedly.

Sokka takes a step backward, spooked and on edge.

I stand my ground. "I don't think so," I growl.

Zuko freezes mid-Firebending. "Why? What do you care for us?"

Katara tries to interrupt. "Toph, maybe this isn't the greatest of ideas –"

I hold up a hand, still staring in Zuko's direction. "I don't care for you, Firebender. I care for your Uncle. He did me a kindness that I can never repay."

"What!?" Sokka yelps.

I ignored Sokka. "He showed me that not all help is out of pity for a perceived weakness. People will offer help out of compassion, sometimes, or just to help you."

"Help me?"

"Not you, Firebender, your Uncle – unless that fire hit you, and I couldn't tell." I heard Zuko inhale sharply. "Katara's a Waterbending Master. She can heal him. She wants to heal him. Why not save your Uncle some pain and let her?"

I could almost see Zuko warring with himself. Accept help – heal Uncle by myself. Accept help – heal Uncle by myself. Accept help – heal Uncle by myself.

Thump-thump.

"He's getting worse the longer he is hurt, Zuko," I said softly.

Thump-thump.

Zuko stood abruptly, his hands shaking at his sides. "Go ahead. Help Uncle Iroh." His voice caught. "Please."

I felt Aang's trembling as the adrenaline of the fight started to wear off. Sokka, however, was twitching for a whole other reason.

Nuh-uh, Sokka. No hitting the Firebender moron with the boomerang, however much fun that might be.

I sent a small pillar of earth under Sokka, messing up his balance. He tripped on his own feet, and fell in the dust of the ruined town – er, battlefield.

Katara rushed forward. I 'saw' her move, bending the water from her pouch, and laid her hands on Iroh. He lay still, not even making a sound, as she healed him.

Thump-thump.

She looked up at Aang. "Get the water-skin from my bag, Aang?"

Aang nodded, and returned with the water. Katara thanked him, and kept healing with the additional water.

Thump-thump.

Please, let it not be too late.

Thump-thump.

He showed me more affection in the fleetingly short time I have known him than either of my parents have ever shown me. I don't want to think I can't have it again.

Thump-thump.

Iroh took in a very deep breath, and released it slowly.

Thump-thump.

Aang collapsed to the ground in a state halfway to exhaustion. Zuko's head moved in his direction, but he showed no signs of attacking any of us.

Good. Having more people to help Aang is good. A Firebending master would be even better – if the old one is not a bender, or isn't up to teaching Aang, Zuko might be willing.

Thump-thump.

I could feel Katara's rhythmic breathing as she healed Iroh.

In… out. In… out.

Please, let him be all right.

Thump-thump.

Iroh's breath hitched, and Zuko's heart rate skyrocketed. "Is he all right?" he asked.

"Give me a minute."

Zuko fell silent.

Thump-thump.

The old man breathed deeply.

In… out. In… out.

I felt it as his eyes shot open, aware but unfocused. "Zuko, what…"

The young Firebender knelt in the dust to grasp his Iroh's hand. "Azula attacked you, Uncle."

I could sense his confusion. "But… but why doesn't it hurt?"

Zuko seemed unwilling to respond. "The Waterbender healed you."

I felt, rather than heard, Katara's snort. "'The Waterbender' has a name, Zuko." Her tone softened as she turned her attention to the old man. "I'm Katara. You're Iroh, right?"

He chuckled. "Yes, I am Iroh. My thanks for healing me, Katara."

"It was the least I could do."

"I know my nephew well enough to know that he tried to keep you from it." He became more serious. "Who, or what, convinced him?"

"I did."

I could feel his gaze on me. "We've met, though I do not know your name – or anyone's, besides Katara's."

"I'm Toph. The Airbender is Aang. The other one is Sokka, Katara's brother."

"It is my pleasure to finally know what you are called. For so long, all we could call you was 'the Avatar and his friends.'"

"Nice to know that, Uncle." I bowed to the old one respectfully. "It is good to see that you're all right."

Aang stood, leaning heavily on his staff. "I think I'd better go get Appa."

"Who is Appa?" Iroh asked. "Another friend?"

"You could say that. He's my flying bison."

Zuko seemed to come out of his stupor. "Why would you need to get him?"

"You're coming with us."

"What?!" I could hear the indignation in Sokka's voice.

"Sokka," Katara hissed warningly, "One wrong word…"

Aang ignored Sokka and turned to Zuko and Iroh. "I need to master all four elements by the end of the summer. I mastered Airbending long ago, and have a reasonable hold on Waterbending. Toph has agreed to be my Earthbending teacher. However, there is still an element missing."

"Fire," Iroh nodded. "You would need someone to teach you to Firebend."

"Yes. Would either of you be willing to teach me?"

Zuko's gaze would have melted metal, if his heart rate and breathing were any indication. Iroh, however, just held up a hand and said, "I would be delighted, Avatar, to teach you."

"Excellent!"

Aang seems to have gotten his energy back. Oh, joy. Now he is back to his usual bubbly, hyperactive self…

I turned my senses to the two Firebenders. Iroh seemed serene, standing with help from Katara and Zuko. I could still sense a dark spot on his chest where the female Firebender – Azula – had struck him, but he seemed more or less all right.

That's good.

I let my mind drift a little, as the after-fight boredom set in.

I wonder how it would have turned out, if we had run when Zuko had ordered us to leave. Iroh would have been all right – eventually – but where would Aang have found a Firebending teacher? Where would the rest of us have found a mentor figure? Iroh fills that void well.

I think we'll be the better for this – provided Sokka and Zuko don't kill each other.

Author's Notes:

This is the second of my Challenges. How would the world of Avatar have been changed, if this one point in time had played out differently? You get to decide; I leave this plot to anothet to finish. Have fun with it, and drop me a line - I want to see how it turns out!

With thanks,

Albus