Chapter X:

Sozin's Comet Part II: The Old Masters

"Hey," Sokka said as recognition blossomed on his face. "I remember her. She helped you attack us." The last part sounded a bit accusatory.

"Yep." Zuko looked almost thoughtful as he spoke. "Back in the good ol' days." Raya rolled her eyes and noticed Katara doing the same. She withheld the small laugh that brought forth and they all followed Zuko up to the June woman. She was sitting back in her chair with an effortless cool about her, sake cup poised in her hand.

"Oh, great; it's Prince Pouty. Where's your creepy grandpa," June said as she looked at them from the corner of her eye. Zuko brushed it off effortlessly.

"He's my uncle. And he's not here," Zuko said, watching her carefully.

"I see you got yourself a new girlfriend. Things didn't work out with the other one, huh? They're both way too pretty for you," June said thoughtfully as she swirled the liquid in her cup around. Both Raya and Katara tensed and exchanged odd looks. Raya watched as Zuko turned a crimson red and clenched his fists a bit.

"Katara was never my girlfriend," he said heatedly.

"I'm not, I mean, we're not . . ." Raya stammered as June rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I get it, jeez. I was only teasing," she said dismissively as she threw back the liquid in her cup without another thought. "So. What do you want."

"We need your help finding the Avatar," Zuko said, and the words were such déjà vu that he had to take pause.

"Why don't you just ask the Demitar? That's her, right?" June asked quizzically.

"How'd you . . ." Zuko began to ask as June answered before he finished.

"Her face is on a wanted poster in every Fire nation occupied town from here to Yu Dao." June raised an eyebrow as she fully inspected the Demitar. Raya shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

"She can't find him. That's the problem; that's why we came to you," Zuko said. Raya became a bit crestfallen at his words. If it wasn't already bad enough that she couldn't find him, it was worse now that it had to be publicized.

"Hm," she said thoughtfully, taking a sip from her cup. "Doesn't sound too fun." Zuko made a disgruntled face and a small growl of frustration sounded from his throat.

"Urgh . . . Does the end of the world sound like fun to you?" he asked with irritation. June raised a perfectly shaped brow at the Fire Prince.

Outside, Appa, Rai Jin, and the shirshu were at a sort of stand-off. The fine hairs of the shirshu's back were fluffed and pointed in irritation, while Appa growled lightly. Rai Jin stood beside Appa and a light growl rolled out of his chest as well. Suddenly, Rai Jin bumped his nose against that of the shirshu, and the mood seemed to lighten immediately. Appa licked the shirshu and all three creatures relaxed simultaneously.

"Nylah . . ." June said as she held out a massive cut of steak for the furry beast. It perked up quickly at the sound of its master's voice, and the smell of the steak. Without hesitation, Nylah bounded over to the bounty hunter and snapped the steak up quickly as it was tossed into the air. "Who's my little mmm, snookum . . ." June cooed to the creature as she rubbed between its ears affectionately. The creatures tongue lashed out in excitement and she clamped her hands over its mouth quickly. "Woah! Careful there. Alright; who's got something with the Avatars scent on it," June said, extending a patient hand.

"We have his staff," Katara said as she tossed it down from Appa's saddle. Raya caught it easily, well-practiced after so much time with her own glider, and handed it over to June. The bounty hunter held the staff out delicately before the nose of the shirshu, and with only a few sniffs, it began to move its snout through the air. It sniffed heavily, and the sound of air passing in and out of its nostrils filled the group with anticipation.

It began moving around the small clearing before the tavern, circling the group, the bison, and the dragon. The shirshu's sniffs began to come more rapidly and it seemed to become desperate as it moved its head from the air to the ground repeatedly. Finally, it slumped down on the ground and with a whine began to paw at its fleshy nose.

"Well . . . what does that mean?" Zuko asked as he crossed his arms.

"Means your friends gone," June said from the ground. She knelt next to the shirshu and rubbed its head gently.

"We know he's gone, that's why we're looking for him," Toph said coarsely.

"No, I mean your friend is gone, gone. He doesn't exist."

"As in . . . Dead?" Raya asked, feeling dread creep up into every part of her nervous system.

"No, not dead. We could find him if he were dead." June continued patting the beasts head for a moment more – it had finally risen to its feet – and then turned to the group with a shrug. "It's a real head scratcher. See ya," she said, making to mount Nylah.

"Helpful. Real helpful," Toph said sarcastically as June settled herself in the saddle of the shirshu.

"Wait! I have another idea," Zuko said, stepping forward to stop the woman from leaving. She looked down at him skeptically but waited. "My uncle is the only other person in the world that could help us defeat the fire lord. Hang on, I have a smell sample," he said as he went to rifle through one of his bags. He returned rather quickly holding an old, particularly smelly, sandal.

"Have you . . . have you been carrying that all this time?" Raya asked, her nose crinkling.

"I think it's kind of sweet," Toph said with a soft smile on her face. Raya shook her head, brow furrowed lightly as she watched the Fire Prince hold the sandal up to the shirshu's nose. It only took a few sniffs before it leapt to the side and began to smell the air rapidly.

"Let's do this," June said, her voice practiced determination. Nylah bounded away into the forest and the group scrambled.

"Hey, wait up!" Zuko called as he ran towards Rai Jin and Appa.

"He'll be faster with three," Raya said as she extended an arm to help the Fire Prince up onto Rai Jin's saddle. He nodded quickly in agreement as he took her arm and pulled himself up behind her. Without another moment wasted, both flying beasts pushed off from the ground and began to follow the shirshu. It was undeniably fast, and Raya was incredibly grateful for Rai Jin's speed in the air.

She wondered how long they would have to keep this pace up as the dragon kept up with the creature on the ground. Rai Jin had a good bit of stamina, she knew that, but she wondered how long Appa would be able to go as quickly as they were traveling now. The bison was massive, and it took a lot of energy to keep that kind of mass in the air. It was the exact reason she had pulled Zuko up onto her saddle.

"Quick thinking back there," she heard in her right ear as though Zuko had just been reading her mind.

"Thanks," she said, fighting the wind to speak. "Excited to see your uncle?"

"Terrified."

"What? Why?" Raya was utterly surprised. The way Zuko talked about his uncle had her under the impression that he really missed Iroh.

"I just . . . I really hurt him. I betrayed him, and I think . . . he probably hates me," Zuko said, and she could hear – even through the winds whipping across their faces – the depth of sadness that accompanied his words. It was enough to pull at her own heart strings and she found herself wishing she could reassure him somehow that that would not be the case. However, she had no idea what his uncle would feel like. She didn't know him, nor did she know the situation or moments that had transpired between them.

"I've heard you speak about what an amazing, wise man he is," she said finally, after a brief moment of thought. "I don't know your uncle, but I know that if he is truly as great as you've said, there is no room for hatred in his heart."

"Spoken like a true Demitar," Zuko observed, his voice lighter, and she could swear she felt his arms tighten ever so slightly around her waist.

X

The day passed by above them and the sun sank low in the sky, spreading its light across the horizon as the shirshu and bounty hunter below finally came to a halt. Raya lowered Rai Jin enough that they could hear what June had to say.

"Nylah's going nuts; your uncle must be close. Good luck," she said as she redirected the shirshu off the scent and it dashed away with a few guttural noises. Raya landed the large white dragon, and Appa landed beside them.

"Ba Sing Se?" Katara said as she slid down the large bison's side and hit the ground gracefully. They had landed right against the wall, but not just any old part of it. In fact, they had landed where a large divide kept the wall from continuing smoothly on. Zuko looked on through the gap in the once great wall, his face all contemplation; anticipation. Once again everyone looked to the Fire Prince for guidance.

"It's been a long trip," he said, taking note of the bags under Raya's eyes, and figuring that he probably looked similarly. "We'll make camp here for now." Raya was thankful for the rest. Between the worry of losing Aang, and the dread of what that meant about how she would face the Fire Lord, the Demitar was exhausted. Without another thought, she curled into her resting dragon's side.

0o0

The world around her was tranquil, and she realized that she stood before the Eastern Air Temple. Monk Taozo was standing near the top steps of the main doors to the temple, and he looked pleasantly happy. She felt herself smile gently in his direction, and as she walked toward him, she realized the world was dramatically slower. A man standing behind monk Taozo appeared suddenly, his hand a ball of flame, and it was in that moment that she realized the world was not dramatically slower; she was.

Her face contorted into a sense of panic as she watched the stranger slay monk Taozo, and then turn to her with a blank face, remorseless. She began to run, but it was more like an exaggerated walk. Everything around her began to speed past frantically, but she merely crawled through time; stuck. Suddenly the temple was gone, and Zuko stood before her. She reached out to the familiar face, but he rose a violent hand to her, flames flying.

She held her hands and arms up to protect herself, still slowly, and when she dared to looked again, it was the face of Aang she saw, standing directly before her. She could reach out to touch him, he was so close, but as she did he began to blow away, fragmented by the winds as though he were made of nothing more than the sand of Ember Island's beaches. She looked on in horror and tried to call out to him, but her throat felt the momentary constriction off her dream, and nothing came forth but low whispers.

As he dissipated into the wind, and there was nothing left to be seen but swirling sands and hues of brown, red, and white, she felt the urge to turn around. It was so overwhelming that the tang of adrenaline flooded the back of her throat, and she turned her head as though of someone else's volition. Fire erupted around her, the heat so real and intense that she wanted to scream in pain.

Fire Lord Ozai stood before her, and clenched her throat so tightly that she felt her chest heave with effort. The pressure began to build, and she struggled against him as hard as she could, but it wasn't enough, and darkness began to creep into the edges of her vision; her ears flooded with the sound of her own franticly pounding heart.

"Raya," she heard faintly in the distance. It wasn't coming from Ozai. It wasn't coming from anywhere, but it sounded like her mother. "Raya . . . Raya . . . Raya!" the last calling of her name a loud, and very real screech.

0o0

"Raya! Up! Get up!" Zuko yelled as he pulled at her arm. Her amber eyes shot open violently, and she stood so quickly that her head was swarmed with a dizzy spell. She stood at the ready, felt the flames of her bending tingling at the end of her limbs; ready to come forth at any moment. Her surroundings were a blur of fiery orange confusion, and as the dizzy spell abated, she realized she was standing in a circle of fire with the rest of her companions.

"What's going on?" she asked, her voice frantic as her eyes flicked from side to side. Suddenly, she saw the probable source of the firebending as her eyes fell on four older gentleman. They were clad in very similar attire, and stood high above the group on an outcrop of the fallen portion of the wall. One man in particular, and the oldest looking, stepped forward and gave a small snorting laugh.

"Well, look who it is," he said, another chortle and snort ripping forth. Almost everyone smiled then, and Raya relaxed only slightly. Her friends didn't seem to think they were in danger anymore, and in fact looked glad for the first time in ages. The fire ring was brought down suddenly by a man with a shock of white hair so similar to Raya's that you'd have thought they were distantly related.

The older men joined them on the ground after a moment, and Katara ran up to one of the men with joy. "What's going on," Toph said, her words a mirror of Raya's thoughts. "We're surrounded by old people."

"These aren't just any old people!" Katara said as she approach the first man. "These are great masters." As she spoke, she bowed to him. "Master Paku."

"It is customary for a former student to bow to an old master . . . but how about a hug for your new grandfather," Paku said as he opened his arms with a gentle smile.

"What?" Katara said, hugging him excitedly as Sokka approached. "No way! That's great news!"

"I made her a new betrothal necklace and everything," he said proudly.

"This is aweome!" Sokka said from Katara's side. "We'll call you 'grandpaku'."

"Paku will do just fine," the man said, his face deadpan.

"And this was Aang's first firebending teacher, Master JeongJeong," Katara said as she continued to introduce the men before them. Zuko stepped forth and bowed, as well as Raya.

"Master PianDao," Sokka said as he bowed to the swords master down the line. The man returned the greeting in kind.

"And who do we have here?" The old snorting man was watching Raya intently now, and she gave an awkward half smile.

"Raya," she said with a bow to the King of Omashu.

"The Demitar," he said thoughtfully as his eyes narrowed on her. The rest of the men looked at her with admiration.

"So you've finally come together with the Avatar," Paku observed.

"Wait a second . . ." Bumi said as he looked around at all the faces. "Someone is missing from your group. Someone very important . . . Where's Momo?"

Everyone looked at the king with odd expressions. Some of them weren't even surprised, as he was always an odd sort of fellow. "He's with Aang. That's why we're here. Both of them are missing." Katara gave Raya an apologetic look.

"But the Demitar . . ." JeongJeong said.

"I can't reach him," Raya confirmed softly. Once again her shortcomings were being thrown in her face, and the feeling made her ill. She felt a comforting nudge from Zuko, then, and her spirits lifted, if only slightly.

"That's why we're here. We need your help."

"Wait, how do you all know each other," Suki asked suddenly.

"Don't you know all old people know each other?" Bumi said as he chortled.

"We are all part of a sacred, ancient society that transcends the divisions of the four nations," PianDao said.

"Our order has always been about philosophy, and beauty, and truth," JeongJeong followed.

"The order of the White Lotus," Zuko confirmed with a small smile.

"Yes, and about a month ago, an urgent call went out, from a grand master; your uncle. Iroh of the Fire Nation." Paku finished.

"Well that's who we're looking for!" Toph said excitedly. Zuko suddenly became less excited, and Raya wished he weren't so fearful of reuniting with his uncle.

X

The walk was a bit lengthy, but soon the group was walking into a medium sized camp where other members of the White Lotus were set up. Raya settled Rai Jin with Appa and joined her companions as they followed PianDao and the others into the heart of the camp.

"Where is he?" she heard Zuko ask, his voice almost timid.

"Right in there," the swords master said as he left the group to themselves. Zuko grimaced a little, and paused. Raya watched him carefully, and after a few more moments he slowly walked up to the tent. Once he was standing a few paces away from the entrance, he stopped, and instead of entering, sat down on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Raya asked softly as she knelt beside him.

"No, I'm not okay," he said looking down and away from the Demitar. "My uncle hates me, I know it," Zuko said decidedly.

"Zuko . . . I know he doesn't," she offered.

"How could you know something like that? Just because you are the Demitar doesn't mean you know everything," Zuko said, his tone a bit harsh. Raya flinched at the bite in his tone and he recanted immediately. "I'm sorry . . . I'm just . . . scared."

"It's okay."

"I think I'm just going to sit here for a while; prepare myself."

"May I sit with you?" Raya asked, folding her legs. Zuko merely nodded, and so they sat together in the silence of the evening. The night air was punctuated distinctly with the murmurs of camp activity and she let herself drift in and out of meditation; calling out to Aang every so often.

In time, Zuko stood without a word, and she watched as he entered the tent. She smiled lightly and looked over her shoulder to see what the group was up to. They were all seated around a fire, feeding themselves and speaking to others around the circle.

X

"Uncle, you're the only other person that could possibly help us defeat the Father Lord," Zuko said as Iroh joined them in the circle. Raya bowed her head and then took note of the Fire Princes Freudian slip.

"You mean the Fire Lord," Toph said absently, bowl and chopsticks in hand.

"That's what I just said," Zuko said, brow furrowed.

"No, Prince Zuko," Iroh said suddenly, and everyone looked up.

"What? But uncle."

"It is not my destiny to defeat your father." Iroh looked solemn, his eyes closed in contemplation.

"It's mine," Raya said suddenly, pushing aside her uneaten food and watching the ground. She looked solemn, her shoulders set and leaning slightly forward. After a few gasps, she looked up into Iroh's eyes. "I don't know where Aang is, but I have to believe he is out there somewhere, and that he won't let us down. But until he does return, until he comes back to us . . . It is my responsibility. I will fight Ozai."

"Raya, you can't . . . you can't do this without Aang," Zuko said, and Iroh looked over to his nephew. He acknowledged the sincere concern in his nephew's eyes and was certain that he saw love there. He looked back and forth between the two, and wondered what there was between them.

"I don't have a choice," Raya said in return.

"Fire and Air." Everyone looked at Iroh, momentarily confused. "Power and Freedom. Two elements that are incredibly difficult to reconcile, but you have done it with so much grace, young Demitar." Iroh turned his gaze out to the other young people and watched them all carefully. "Responsibility is not something we choose to take on, it chooses us; some are more burdened with it than others," his eyes flicked from Zuko to Raya as he spoke those words, "But we must not falter, or back away from it – no – we must rise to meet it, without fear or uncertainty."

"Zuko told me you were a very kind, and wise man," Raya said after a few moments. "But I don't think even those words are enough to do you justice. I'm so glad I had the chance to meet you," she said, smiling. Everyone acknowledged that her words meant she was happy to have met him, before her fate was decided by the battle ahead.

"You are a strong woman, and powerful. Even if you weren't the Demitar. But you are, and you can defeat him. You are not alone in this," Iroh said, and as he said it she knew he meant more than just the people that sat around her. There were hundreds of Demitars before her, and she would have them to call upon, if she needed to.

"And then . . . and then would you come take your place on the throne?" Zuko asked.

"No," Iroh said. "It is time for someone new, a young idealist with a good heart and unquestionable honor to take the throne; you, Prince Zuko."

"Me? But I've made so many mistakes," the Fire Prince said, his head down.

"Yes, you have. But you have also learned from those mistakes. You have struggled and fought and lost and pushed through all these years. You are the kind of leader the Fire Nation needs now. Someone who has failed, and become wiser for it." He looked out at all the young ones. "Our destinies are upon us, young ones. Raya, and hopefully Aang, will face the Fire Lord, and when he falls, you must be in the Fire Nation to claim the throne. Be careful, though, Azula will be waiting there."

"I can handle her," Zuko said, his eyes becoming determination.

"You cannot do it alone."

"Katara, would you like to help me put Azula in her place?" Zuko asked, and the water bender smiled her own determination.

"It would be my pleasure," she said.

"What about us? What's our destiny today?" Sokka asked.

"What do you think it is?" Iroh asked, wise.

"I think . . . I think that even though we don't know where Aang is, we need to help Raya, and stop the air ship fleet that is going to begin the attacks." The water tribe boy pushed his fist into his hand, and Raya could see the fighting spirit in his eyes.

"And that means, when Raya faces the Fire Lord, we'll be right there if she needs us," Toph said, punching her fist into her open hand.

X

"The air ship fleet will be launching from a small island, here," PianDao said as he handed Sokka a map, and pointed to a location upon it. Sokka bowed and accepted it.

"Thank you master."

"Now, nothing runs faster on land or water than an eel hound. With Rai Jin and the eel hound you should be there within a day's journey," the sword master said. They bowed to each other before Sokka launched himself into a hug with the man. Raya brought Rai Jin into the opening amongst the tents where everyone stood.

"So, what are you going to do after the wars over?" Raya heard Zuko ask as he stood beside the bison.

"After the war is over, I'm going to reconquer my tea shop; and I'm going to play pi sho every day." The great fire bender flipped his white lotus tile into the air and caught it with joy.

"We'll see you soon Raya. You can do this . . . I know you can. And Aang will come." Katara had stepped up to the Demitar, and she watched as the water tribe girl placed a sincere hand on her shoulder. Raya nodded, and Katara pulled her into a hug.

"Can I talk to you?" she heard from the one person she had yet to say her goodbye's to. Zuko stepped up beside Katara and Raya stepped out of their embrace. Katara waved again, and made her way back to the bison.

"Zuko, I-" She began as Katara was out of ear shot, but he cut her off.

"Raya, I . . . I'm not good at this, and I don't know what I'm doing but . . ." he paused and she could see he was working things out in his head. "When I set you free that day, on the day of the eclipse, it was the first time I decided that you weren't my enemy. I knew that I was doing the right thing. What I didn't realize, was that I needed you more than you needed me."

"What are you saying?" she asked, trying to follow.

"I guess what I'm saying is . . . You think that I'm the one that saved you, but it was you that's been saving me," Zuko said, his face becoming crimson, and yet he held her eyes. This was something he never did. As soon as things became too deep or awkward, Zuko abandoned ship, but this time was much different. He held Raya's eyes, and she could suddenly feel that there were a lot more eyes on the two of them now.

Raya acted so quickly that she wasn't sure what was happening until it was almost over. She wasn't sure if it were the fear, the moment, or the fact that she feared her time on this earth was coming very soon to an end, but she found her hand against Zuko's scarred cheek, and her lips pressed softly against his. He didn't pull away, but she could feel the shock value in his tense lips. She pulled back and looked at him, her eyes steady, and almost sad.

"If I don't return, please take care of Rai Jin for me. He will let you know when he's hungry. Riding him gets easier. I know you'll keep him safe and happy," Raya said as she stepped back, willing herself to push through this moment. She had wanted to ask Zuko this favor for a while. "I know it's a lot to ask, but –"

"You'll come back," he said, hugging her gently. "But I will keep him safe for you," he murmured, easing her mind. "When this is all over, meet me in the western garden of the Fire Palace on the morning of coronation." He stepped back then, and turned toward the bison. Everyone looked away quickly and tried –poorly – to pretend that they had witnessed nothing of the previous moment between the Demitar and Fire Prince.

She took a deep breath and made her way to Rai Jin. The dragon hummed at his favorite person and she patted his side affectionately.

"Ready?" she heard Sokka say from the back of the eel hound.

"As I'll ever be. Goodbye, General Iroh," Raya said as she mounted the dragon.

"Goodbye, Raya. Goodbye everyone. Today, Destiny is on our side; I know it."

12