Ch 25
Katara eyed Zuko with mistrust, and also a small bit of pity. She clearly remembered Azula's words earlier. She couldn't fathom having to fight her father over such a simple mistake. Maybe he wasn't the monster she thought he was.
Azula and Aang continued their duels, throwing fireballs at each other. Aang won the duel, as he used earthbending to pin her hands against a wall, above her head.
"Well, looks like you won avatar." Azula said. Shen then kicked her leg upwards, shooting fire the whole time. Aang jumped out of the way and watched as Azula broke free.
Once again, the duel continued with Aang losing.
"Next time, make sure your opponent can't fight anymore." Azula said.
Zuko walked onto the scene and approached Aang. Assuming a stance, he attempted a move and nothing came out.
"This normally doesn't happen." Zuko said, looking at his hands.
"I'm sure you said that to Mai plenty of times." Azula said.
Zuko ignored the insult and attempted to firebend. They even moved to a lower location in the temple, and he still couldn't bend fire. Azula let out a stream of orange fire, but she noticed it was weaker than before. She attempted to shoot lightning and nothing happened.
"This isn't good." Zuko said.
That night, everyone gathered to eat.
"Guys, I've lost my stuff." Zuko said.
"I didn't touch it." Toph said.
"His firebending. And my bending is getting weaker. I can't even produce lightning." Azula said.
Katara could only cruelly laugh at their problems.
"I'm sorry. I'm just thinking how useful it would have been for us if you two had lost your bending months ago." Katara said.
"You want to go, little peasant?" Azula asked, brandishing her daggers.
"Maybe it's because we changed sides." Zuko said.
"That's impossible." Katara sourly said.
"Shut it, sugar queen. And I defected long before Zuzu did. And my firebending only got weaker during the invasion. Talk about ironic." Azula said.
"So, any ideas?" Sokka asked.
"What fueled your bending before?" Ty Lee asked.
"I was driven to chase and capture the avatar. And I'd rather not rely on hatred and anger to fuel my bending." Zuko said.
"So, you found your tranquility here and that cut you off from your bending." Azula said.
"Yes. What about you, Azula?" Zuko asked.
"I defected to manipulate the avatar, but that goal changed over time." Azula said.
"How?" Katara asked.
Azula grabbed Aang's hand with hers.
"I fell in love, and made love to the avatar." Azula said, relishing the looks everyone gave her.
"Sokka, I must inform you that Azula and Aang have consumed your hidden stash of cactus juice." Toph said.
"Then why the weak firebending during the invasion?" Aang asked.
"I don't know." Azula lied.
"I've heard that the first firebenders were dragons." Ty Lee said.
"They're all dead." Azula said.
"But the first people to learn from the dragons were the ancient sun warriors. And they died off thousands of years ago. But their civilization isn't too far from here. Maybe we can learn something by poking around their ruins." Zuko said.
"So, what? Maybe you'll pick up some super old sun warrior energy just by standing where they stood a thousand years ago?" Sokka asked.
"More or less. Either me and Zuko find a way to firebend, or the avatar has to find a new teacher." Azula said.
Leaving the next morning, the group headed towards the ruins. Nothing was said between the trio, each in their own thoughts. But they were all concerned with one goal: learning firebending.
"Look at that." Azula said, pointing ahead of them.
The ruins were crumbling, but one could tell a thriving civilization was once here. No-one knew why the ancient sun warriors died out, or how they died out.
"These buildings seem familiar, don't they." Azula pointed out.
"The fire sage's temples are descended from them." Zuko said.
Azula grabbed Aang and pulled backwards, away from a wire on the ground. Zuko knelt in front and pulled hard on it.
It was tripwire, connected to a booby trap as the ground in front drops to reveal several deadly spikes pointed up.
"Someone's here." Azula said.
"She's right. This trap is thousands of years old, and it still works." Zuko said, as he and Azula were lifted across the trap with Aang's airbending.
"Thinking someone is trying to protect something here?" Azula asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Zuko said.
Walking on top of one of the structures, they saw a statue of a man surrounded by two dragons.
"Dragon's look pissed." Azula said.
"I thought the dragons were friends with the sun warriors." Aang said.
"Had a funny way of showing it." Zuko said.
"Guys, something happened to the dragons in the last century. What happened?" Aang asked.
"Sozin happened. He made killing dragons a sport. If you could kill a dragon, your skills were considered legendary." Zuko said.
"The last dragon was killed by our uncle, Iroh." Azula added.
Approaching the largest building in the area, they noticed it was opened by the solar eclipse. Zuko pulled out one of his swords and manipulated the sun's rays to open the door. Walking inside, they saw many statues in a circular pattern.
"These statues must have some meaning." Azula said.
"What do you mean?" Aang asked.
"No-one would make statues in firebending poses." Azula said. She walked up to a statue and coped the pose. The ground under her sank a few centimeters, giving her an idea.
"Aang, dance with me." She said.
Zuko watched as Aang and Azula finished the dance, and a pedestal with a golden egg-like object ascended into view.
"What's that?" Aang asked.
"It's some kind of mystical gem stone." Zuko said.
"Zuzu, please don't be stupid and grab it." Azula said.
Zuko ignored them and picked up the stone. Azula quickly ran away, and Zuko and Aang were trapped from the sticky substance that emerged out of nowhere. Taking the outside stairs, Azula found the two boys enveloped by the goo, with their faces visible.
"Nice one, Zuzu." Azula said, as she produced a flame and began to melt the goo. Shen then started to burn thru the iron bars, and worked till night time. The sun warriors freed them from their trap, and talked to them.
"So, we're supposed to take the fire and present it to the masters. Should be easy." Azula said.
"Don't patronize us. Your ancestors killed the dragons, and the avatar disappeared. You may not live to see next morning." The chief warned.
At the stairs, Aang made one last attempt of persuading Zuko to leave.
"We're seeing this to the end. I want to see who these masters." Zuko said.
"But what if they decide to attack?" Aang asked.
"We have the avatar, and the prince and princess of the fire nation. I'm sure we'll be fine." Azula said, twirling a dagger in her hand.
Walking up the stairs, they heard drums and chanting from the sun warriors. Arriving at the top, Aang and Azula faced one direction, while Zuko faced another direction.
"Calm down, Aang. You're making me nervous." Azula said. She faced Aang and held her hands next to him, increasing the size of the fire. She gave him a quick kiss and looked at the cave.
Suddenly, two dragons appeared out of nowhere. One was blue, the other red.
"Still think we can take them?" Aang whispered.
"Shut it." Azula hissed.
The dragons circled them, as if they were daring the humans to do something. Run, attack, anything.
"Azula, I think we should try the sun dance." Aang said.
"You think that'll help?" Azula asked.
"Just try it, Azula." Zuko coaxed.
Sighing, she joined Aang in the fire dance, moving in sync with the dragons. When they finished, the dragons breathed fire around them. Screaming in horror, they looked at the many flames, and waited for the stinging pain of fire.
"Look at that." Aang said, seeing the many colors the dragons were breathing.
"I understand." Zuko said.
"Did you see that? That was incredible! I didn't know fire could be seen like that." Zuko said.
"Yes. The dragons judged you three worthy, much like they did your uncle." The chief said.
"So, uncle didn't kill them. He lied to protect them." Azula said.
"Correct. He discovered the true art of firebending." The chief said.
"All this time, I thought firebending was destruction. But it's energy and life. Just like what you told me, Azula." Aang said.
With a stern warning not to tell anyone about them, they headed back to the air temple. Once again, Aang and Azula performed the dance.
"That's a great dance you two learned there." Sokka said.
"It's not a dance. It's a firebending form." Zuko said.
"Sure. We'll just tap-dance our way to victory over the firelord." Sokka continued.
"It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old." Zuko said.
"Oh yeah? What's your little form called?" Katara asked.
"The dancing dragon." Zuko said, embarrassed.