Avatar: The Benders of the Light

Chapter two: A Guest along for the ride

Disclaimer: I barely own the computer I am writing this on, you really think I own a multi million dollar TV Show? Yeah...right...Keep dreaming.

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Zuko caught Roku and Aang up on everything that he knew about his mom's disappearance. For while roaming the world, he also frequently asked if anyone had seen her. And while he had by no means seen every town that there was to see, with the amount of ground he covered, you'd expect someone would know something. But that wasn't the case. Not a single person had ever seen his mother. That seemed a bit strange, but he had nothing to go on to pursue it further. Other than the idea she might be dead, which he simply couldn't handle. He preferred to think of her, out there somewhere, thinking of him. And now he had renewed hope kindling within him. Yet it was also unlikely she had made it, but don't try and tell him that.

When he had finished, he was surprised to find that both Roku and Aang didn't look nearly as upbeat as he felt. "Zuko, I know what you're thinking but you can't go." Aang declared.

"Why not?"

"Because, my dear one, you are being set up." Roku replied. "Think about it. Your father simply gives you the key to getting to your mother? He wants you to die in that tunnel. Or never return. They are once again using your love and desperation to be loved in return against you."

"But what if he's telling the truth? What if my mom really is down there?"

"Either way, Zuko, would be accomplishing what he wants to." Aang reasoned. Zuko rolled his eyes.

"You didn't see how he looked at me when he handed me this." Zuko turned away from both of them. "I've never seen my dad look regretful. Not about anything. And it wasn't that fake look he gave a few Fire Nation villagers, that feigned regret. It was real; I'm sure of it."

"Listen, Zuko," Aang started, "something about this whole thing…it's just not…not right."

"Aang is right Zuko." Roku went to face him. "We will find my granddaughter. Just not like this. Promise me you won't go doing something stupid."

Zuko looked him in the eyes, evening his tone to the same one he'd always used to deceive his father. "I promise."

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Back in the physical world, Zuko left the balcony before Aang could wake up. Roku had wanted to further talk with the young Avatar, so Zuko had left them to do so in peace. Zuko eyed the key in his palm as he walked; it seemed to beckon him. This was his only chance to reach his mother, he knew it deep down in his soul. Even if Ozai was simply trying to trick him so he would get lost, he had to try. His father had never beaten him before. Not even when he was banished. He never gave up and for that determination and resilience he had been rewarded.

Which was why he figured why stop now? Life as the Fire Lord didn't suit him; not as he thought it would. People were already giving him strange looks; they were certain their new ruler was out of his mind for preferring humility to the extravagance of the palace. Since he'd become ruler, he'd spent much more time out of the palace than in it. And while the Fire Nation had always been notorious for leaders who mingled among the people, they always had a purpose. Visit a temple, return to the Capital. Catch a fugitive, return to the capital. Lead a battle, return. They didn't go out and hang with friends countries away the way Zuko had with Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Suki. They didn't help build houses or go in disguise in bars. They didn't live for the simple sake of living.

Zuko's heart seemed to have spread to every single one of his limbs at once. He knew what he had to do, before any of the others could stop him. He clutched the key in his hand hard, the vivid glowing link between him and his mother. Throwing on a hood to conceal his face and packing a few essentials in a sack, he slipped out of the apartment as dusk sunk in on the city.

Outside, his nerves were set on edge. Sharp, the way they hadn't been since he was on the run. He noticed the slight waft cool night air, like fingers belonging to some unseen being. Trash cans moved of to his side, but he paid no heed. He could sense the heat of a small mammal nearby and the soft kur-thump of the electric pulses its heart gave off, a trick he learned from his uncle only recently. It was likely only a mere alley cat. A few lights flickered as he passed, drawn to his presence. On one side, an Earth Kingdom servant went to draw the curtains and jumped as she saw Zuko; it must be uncommon for people to wander the streets this late. At least in the upper ring.

Still, no one stopped him as he approached the Palace of Ba Sing Se's torch lit halls. The passage to the catacombs could be a little bit of a problem. Zuko only knew the earth-bending way down. Which was an obvious problem. From what he knew of the Earth Kingdom, they valued their non-benders almost as much as their benders. There were many famous people who couldn't move a speck of dirt. Wouldn't such people be allowed to enter the catacombs?

He spied the exit where he had come down before. Between two pillars, pure black marble with a small engraving etched. It was the symbol of the Earth Kingdom. A sign for how unmoving and unbending the great nation was. He leaned over to scratch some stubborn dust from its surface and was surprised to find it caved in at his touch. Both pillars instantly began to tremble and a dark staircase opened in both. He wondered if there was any difference in which one he took. If he took the wrong passage, he would never get back. Aang and the rest of the gang would not be too long in catching up with him. He could already be coming even. Curse his ability to fly and run so damn fast!

He randomly chose the one off to his right and lit a small ember in his hand for light. And then he descended into the haunting memories and empty halls of the Ba Sing Se Catacombs. He was semi-startled went the chamber shut behind him with a bang. He stoked his flame and thanked the spirits he wasn't claustrophobic like Azula sometimes got. Dark plus small spaces terrified the young girl, probably one of the only things.

It started when she was little, he remembered. She got trapped in a deep, dry well on a hilltop when she was four. They had been playing hide and go seek and she wasn't skilled yet at bending. In fact, she was unable to sustain a flame. Zuko didn't realize anything was wrong for hours, having assumed the poor sport knew she lost and had gone home. When they finally found her as night set in, she was cold and wide eyed. She wouldn't go to sleep that night without a small light and also wouldn't sleep with the curtains around her bed down. She'd immediately made it clear fully blamed Zuko, believing he had purposefully known she was down there and left her there. It created a certain bitterness in her toward her elder. It was the driving reason behind every heinous thing she did to him after. Two things resulted from that day. She began to truly trust no one. Everyone around her were just tools, not other people. It also fueled her ambition to become the deadly human being she was today. Azula hated having a weakness. She strived for perfection afterwards, even honing her athleticism. Zuko was forced to learn his own skills to keep her in check, but he could never match her determined, even crazed power From that day on, she rapidly learned firebending, catching up to Zuko and then surpassing him, to her delight. She even, he could tell from her manner, believed she was better than their father before losing his bending.

That was the day his sweet little sister became a cold calculating killer. But not the day his father lost all warmth in his eyes. No, that had come at a much later date. Zuko suspected there was more to his story just as there was to his sister.

Zuko suddenly felt bad for his family. They had almost all been handed awful hands, even if no one saw how imperfect they were. It was a family thing, he guessed. Hiding behind a perfect image and power. He could imagine his sister right now, her old fears resurfacing. Mentally he made a note to see if some sort of non-fire light could be provided for her. He might hate her, but he wasn't cruel.

He continued down the passage for what seemed like hours, but couldn't have been too long. If it had, surly Aang would have caught him by now? Unless he picked the opposite route, but even still, they had all of the elements on their side while Zuko only had one.

He did, however, make it to the chamber of green crystals without much problem. He'd chosen right. There were lights on the wall, refracted by the shards to light everything. He touched the wall, remembering how he had first spoken to Katara in a friendly context in this room. He could almost hear the ghosts of the words they exchanged. He could also hear Azula, taunting him callously. There were the same two chambers ahead of him, almost mocking. He took the left one, just as before, and in short order, he was staring into the place where he had made a decision that had ended in Aang almost dying. He couldn't imagine that he had been so willing to accept. Aang was one of his closest friends now, which is why a nagging feeling in his gut wanted the young Avatar to find him before he could find the entrance to the outlands.

"Going somewhere, nephew?" Zuko almost wet himself. Iroh was standing there on the opposite side of the room, looking like a stern but fair father. But Zuko felt a familiar anger bubbling up.

"You knew. You knew and you didn't tell me?" He tried to keep his voice even but he failed miserably.

"Yes, I did know, Zuko. I just didn't want you attempting what you are trying to do." He answered reasonably.

"You don't have any right to tell me what I can and cannot do!" Zuko knew full well that wasn't true.

"Zuko, I know you want your mother back. I just don't know if you will like what you find." Iroh gave a deep sigh. "Finding your mother might not make you as happy and carefree as you think. That's what I want you to understand."

"I don't want to be happy or carefree. I just want to know what really happened to her. Once and for all." The unknown had always been one of Zuko's fears. He didn't like mysteries. It either was or it wasn't was his attitude.

Iroh slowly nodded. "Well, if that is what you want." Zuko suddenly noticed he, too, was wearing a sack full of stuff, which he was currently adjusting. Somehow, the thought that his uncle was coming was very highly reassuring. Zuko didn't protest, instead he asked his uncle if he knew where they needed to go next.

Iroh smiled. "I've been there before, actually. Once. Though I never went in. Your father has the only Fire Nation key. He made sure of that."

"How did you get down here?" Zuko asked, impressed.

"It was a new ploy we were using. We stumbled upon the Catacombs by accident, a bomb that went off. We believed there was another exit, so I sent a scout in to explore them. The entrance is…less than conspicuous. I dare say it scared the young man into early retirement." As Zuko followed his uncle, he could only wonder what he meant by that.

But he didn't have to wonder for long.

A sheer, green facet of a massive crystal suddenly blocked their way. Embedded in the crystal was a massive lithe dragon, its black eyes stuck in a lifeless stare. A gryphon reared at its face, as if the duo were locked in a winnerless fight for all eternity. As were, on the opposite side, an Earth-Saber and a Polar bear-tiger. All were extinct predator species of the four nations, so it was marvelous to see them alive…. and terrifying as well. Etched into the stone in strange, glowing gold script were words foreign to Zuko's eyes, despite him being well learned in over 30 languages from his youth.

Φίλοι γίνονται εχθροί και σκοτώνουν το ένα το άλλο

Οδηγείται τρελός από τις προσπάθειες τους για να ανακαλύψουν

Αυτό που κρύβεται πίσω από το Φοίνιξ και το τριαντάφυλλο

"What does it say?" Zuko mused allowed.

"I had never seen any language like it until I saw this the first time." Iroh answered. "Afterwards it near drove me insane trying to learn what language it was even. There is no record of it, not even in the spirit world."

Zuko sighed. This was the most Iroh would ever tell him of the spirit world. A random reference, made for little more than a second. If he dared ask anything about it, Iroh always refused to tell him. He guessed, correctly, that Iroh's visit to the spirit world was one of the defining moments of the elder man's life.

Zuko shook off the old curiosity. Perhaps one day, Uncle would confide in Zuko the way Zuko had always confided in him. He eyed the sheer plate of green crystal. There was a spot, more opaque than the rest, with a key hole in the center. In his pocket, the key seemed to grow cold straight through his pants, he yanked it out and found he needed to steam his hands to hold it without being seared. He approached the door, key outstretched.

That was when he saw the life sparkle in the phoenix's eye again. Only this time, the little serpentine model began to move. It snaked its way to the base of the key and then plunged off into the air, snapping its little medal wings open. The little phoenix flew full force into the key hole and did not reappear. The wall shuttered and Zuko swore he could see all those little beady eyes locked on him. The door pushed open.

He looked down and found the key had fallen from his palm. When he went to pick it up, it transformed into a phoenix, like the one he'd had before, and snapped at his hands. Its little claws drew a smidgen of blood and Zuko cussed under his breath as it scurried away.

Whatever. What he had come here for was ready and good to go. So who cared about some little demonic key?

He turned to his uncle, who was looking impressively at the dark hole in front of them. Iroh gave Zuko a low, encouraging nod and the two started down the dark passage.

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Alright, so I don't have the time or energy to even consider making a new language for a fan fiction. The etchings Zuko and Iroh found are Greek, quite literally. No, this is not a drag them to Earth scenario. Here is the etchings translated, something Zuko and Iroh will never hear. Perhaps if they had, they might have turned back or trod more cautiously…

Friends become enemies and kill one another

Driven mad from their attempts to discover

That which hides behind the Phoenix and the rose

Next: Zuko and Iroh explore the caverns, but injury is bound to happen in such a place...