iv. Air & Fire

Aang was pumped. He felt like his whole body was brimming with the pure energy of the dragons; clear and radiant like the sun. He could barely sit still on Appa's back. It felt like he needed to jump, to soar, to let it out. After all these months he spent being terrified of the element, for the first time he understood the beauty of fire.

He had his doubts about accepting Zuko as his Sifu - their past cast a long shadow between them. But Aang had always trusted his instincts, that deeper part of him that wasn't just Aang, but the wisdom and knowledge of the many previous lives he had lived as the Avatar.

From the moment he first met Zuko, he felt an unexplainable connection to him; the certainty that their destinies were intertwined. Even back when they were enemies. And now it felt like they were meant to go on this journey together - the Avatar and the Fire Prince, back to the pure source of fire; to get a glimpse of an uncorrupted world. The world as it used to be, as it perhaps could be again. And Zuko was right - without his relentless drive forward Aang never would have experienced this.

He climbed into the saddle and leaned back across from Zuko, both of them examining the clouds. The silence between them had no tension left in it - if the dragons deemed Zuko worthy, Aang wasn't going to question their wisdom.

"Do you feel it too?" Aang asked. "It's like I'm bursting with energy."

"Yes. It's amazing. The energy is so pure - there is none of that dark aftertaste… I don't know, it's hard to explain. But this is good…" Zuko let out a fire breath towards the clouds, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Aang watched the flames dissolve in the air. "You were right, Zuko. The dragons were the key. I'm glad your uncle spared them."

Zuko nodded thoughtfully. "Me too. It actually makes a lot of sense if you know Uncle Iroh. I realize there is so much I don't know about him. I was so obsessed with getting my father back that I just didn't listen, even when he tried to tell me.…He always believed in me, when nobody else did. He saw good in me, even back…" he turned away with a pained expression, still carrying a lot of guilt about those days.

Aang leaned forward. "I saw it too. You remember when you came to save me from Zhao? It felt like I was with my old friend, Kuzon again…" He had wondered a lot about the Blue Spirit who seemed so different than Zuko was. So much more free, so much less conflicted about who he was. "We had quite a bit of fun there..." he chuckled.

"That's why you didn't leave me behind?" Zuko's voice was quiet.

Aang asked himself this question many times, but never quite managed to put his finger on the reason. He shrugged. "You saved my life - it only felt right to do the same. I felt that we were connected somehow…"

Zuko closed his eyes. "I think we are."

Aang nodded thoughtfully remembering the lessons of his childhood. "Well, the monks taught us that everything is connected. That's why I'm a vegetarian..."

Zuko shook his head. "No, I meant… Uncle told me Roku was my great-grandfather on my mother's side."

Aang could not hide his surprise. It was pretty crazy that the mortal enemies Sozin and Roku would be reconnected in a shared great-grandson. He looked at Zuko in different light, not as the Fire Prince, but as the Avatar's descendant. "Is that why you changed sides?"

"A part of it, I guess. But mostly, back in the palace, I slowly realized it wasn't me anymore. All the things I went through changed me too much. We were surrounded by lies, but once you know the truth, you can't un-know it. It was tearing me up inside." Zuko said quietly.

Aang listened intently. He knew a little something about being torn, about trying to hide from who he was. And indeed, Zuko did change a lot. He seemed wiser and calmer, yet quick and decisive as ever.

"I'm glad you ended up with us. I would have never seen a dragon otherwise. Maybe one day I'll get to ride one. I mean a real one. I did ride a spirit one before..." Aang thought back at his first encounter with Roku..

"You know, I have no doubt that one day you will, if that's what you want. I call dibs on the blue one..." Zuko's replied lightly. They grinned at each other.

A hilarious thought occurred to Aang. "Wait, does that mean that I'm your great-grandfather? Because then you won't get to order me around to do hotsquats and firefists anymore..." he joked.

"I don't think that's how it works, great-grandpa." Zuko chuckled.

"Roku has been so helpful to me. Next time I talk to him, I'll tell him his great-grandson turned out to be a pretty great guy." Aang promised wondering how his ghostly mentor would react.

Zuko looked surprised and Aang saw genuine happiness on his face. It seemed like he was not used to anyone ever saying anything good about him. "Thanks. I hope one day I'll make him proud." Zuko's voice was serious and determined.

"You already made him proud, Zuko." Aang reassured him. "You did the right thing, no matter how hard it was."

Aang noticed the silhouette of the Western Air Temple and nudged Appa to go faster. "We are h-o-o-o-o-ome," he yelled and waved at Katara who was practicing waterbending moves by the fountain.

She looked up and greeted them with a relieved smile. "You look happy. Did you find something worthwhile?"

Aang was itching to share with her the experience. "Even better. We found the dragons, Katara. It was something magnificent."

"Hey, that was supposed to be secret." Zuko frowned.

"Come on, Zuko. In this group, we have no secrets. We trust each other," Aang retorted.

"OK, so you have seen new animals. Great. But did you actually learn something?" Sokka appeared with Toph in tow. They all looked at them questioningly.

Aang thought of the strange day they had and smiled. "The dragons taught us a dance…"

"You've been away for two days and all you learnt is a dance?" Sokka seemed less than impressed.

"Actually, it's not a dance, but an ancient firebending form." Zuko interjected between gritted teeth.

Aang looked at him - as soon as he was back with the group, so was his permanent scowl. As if the Zuko who soared with dragons and felt light as a bird in the sky was gone buried under the weight of the past. Aang wished that the others could see the Zuko he saw; a happier, more playful person. Then he remembered how the gloomy schoolkids transformed during their little cave party. He raised his eyebrows at the Fire Prince.

"Come, dance with me, Zuko…"

"It's not…" Zuko shook his head with a groan, but Aang did not listen. He got into the starting pose and smiled widely when he saw from the corner of his eyes Zuko assuming the same position after a resigned sigh. As they danced their flaming circle, Aang felt a kind of wholeness he had never felt before, as all the elements inside him span around to a new beat that the dragons planted in his heart.