This is AU, Zukaang. Ways in which it is AU: 1) There is no Avatar. Aang is just an airbender. 2) There is no Sozin's Comet. 3) This is AU in other ways, but those will mostly reveal themselves as the story goes on.

Okay, so now actual plot occurs :P

TRIGGER WARNING: basically this whole first part could be triggering for some individuals. If you want to skip it, it's basically Aang having a really, really bad nightmare.

Enjoy Chapter 26!

Several layers of cloth were tied against his face, completely obliterating his sight. Aang was pretty sure he was laying flat on his back, but the lack of sensory information was disorienting and nearly nauseating. The familiar metal gag was in place, stretching his mouth uncomfortably wide. His wrists chained down on either side of him, chafing ropes wrapped tightly around his elbows and pinning his arms to a cold metal surface. His legs were spread and his knees bent, ankles chained so he couldn't move his feet. Knowing he must look obscene, he tried closing his legs, but he found his thighs were tied tightly to metal poles.

The sound of a door being opened could be heard, a cool breeze blowing over his body and confirming the fact that he was completely naked.

He had no idea what was going on. If his master was selling him again tonight, his buyer must be very specific in his tastes. Aang had never in his life been so specifically arranged beforehand, not even for the richer nobles. It filled him with a deep sense of dread.

He sucked in a quick gasp through his nose as several pinpricks suddenly appeared on the side of his stomach. They weren't breaking his skin, they just rested there for a moment. It took him a moment to recognize the feel of very well sharpened Fire Nation nails.

So it was a woman. Whoever this new client was...

The nails lightly dragged across his stomach, tracing out fine lines. They bumped over his more prominent scars, making his breathing hitch, but otherwise made their journey uninterrupted.

This was... odd. And yet, there was a heavy sense of danger in the air. As if his instincts were telling him this woman was far more sinister than any person he had encountered before. His breathing unconsciously quickened and his body trembled.

"Oh... don't be like that. You should be flattered. I have chosen you to be my toy. There are throngs of Fire Nation citizens who would kill to be where you are now."

Aang jerked at the sudden break in silence. The woman's words confused him, and this was only compounded as she ran her fingernails up and down his inner thighs.

"Now let's take a look at those eyes, shall we...?" The cloth over his eyes was tugged and a moment later, it was ripped off altogether. The room was dimly lit, but Aang still had to blink a couple times for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he was able to see a woman standing over him, a coy smile on her face.

Aang's breath caught in his throat as his memories from earlier that day surfaced. She had been there after the performance. She had said... she had said that she was going to be his new master.

"Ah, I see you remember me," she said. "Well, allow me to introduce myself again: I am Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. But you may only refer to me as 'master' or 'mistress': whichever may strike your fancy. That is... when you're pretty little mouth isn't otherwise occupied. Do you understand?" Aang quickly nodded. "Good." She started to walk in a circle around him. "You will be performing all manner of services for me, from performing your little airbending tricks to seeing to the sexual gratification of myself and others. As such, I will expect nothing less than perfection from you."

Without warning, Azula wrapped her hand around his penis, making him jerk against his restraints. "Oh... sensitive, aren't you?" She slowly started to pump him, Aang's breathing becoming quicker and more shallow as the blood flowed to his groin. After he achieved a full erection, Azula bent down and licked his tip, eliciting a desperate whimper from the airbender.

"You're the last of your kind..." she said breathily, increasing her pace and teasing him with the tip of her tongue. "The world's very last airbender is going to by my personal toy until he dies of ripe old age. It seems like a fitting end for your people, don't you think?"

With a low moan, tears of shame flowing down the sides of his face, Aang unwillingly came to a climax. Azula removed her mouth and positioned his penis so he ejaculated on his own face. She let out a low laugh as she stared at his come covered face with a near childlike wonder. "I am so looking forward to our future years together."

As he felt his come drip down his face, Aang closed his eyes and silently begged with all of his heart for the universe to put an end to this nightmare

When he opened his eyes again, all he could see was darkness. His breathing quickened, thinking that Azula had put his blindfold back on. But when his hands flung to his face, he not only realized that there was nothing there, but also that he could move freely. A nightmare... was it just a nightmare...?

But he could still hear her. Her laughing, her taunting... Even worse than that, he could feel her. Feel the come sticking to his face. Feel her sharp fingernails ghosting over his skin, making him shiver.

"Oh how I love to make my toys squirm! Now... let's take a closer look at these goods, shall we?"

Aang let out a cry as he felt her shove her fingers up his rectum. He buried his face into the bed, muffling his cries as he felt her examine him in detail.

"Hmm... obviously a bit used, but that was to be expected. No matter; now you're all mine."

Aang shook his head, sobbing on the edge of hysterics. "Zuko..." he whimpered. "Zuko, please...!"

Zuko didn't come. When Aang looked up from the bed, he could still only see darkness. He knew he was at the White Lotus Headquarters, he knew he was in the bedroom with Zuko.

But Zuko wasn't here.

He was alone.

Alone with her.

With impossible vividity, Aang could feel everything that Azula was doing to him. He was consciously in the present but could still feel the unwanted touches and tortuous words being branded into his mind. Buckling and writhing on the bed, he could feel the restraints holding him down as Azula played and teased him without any reprieve. He clawed at his wrists, trying desperately to free himself.

He felt her slap him across the face, and his body jerked violently. Tipping over the edge of the bed, Aang found himself on the ground, the blankets tangled around him tightly. Breathing quickening in panic, he tugged against the fabric. But with Azula continuing to torture him, he found he was completely incapable of getting his body to obey his mind. Resigning himself to being stuck in this new hell, Aang stopped struggling. The only signs of life were his body's pained twitching and the silent tears that streamed onto the floor.

"Please..." he whimpered. "Somebody please help me..."

Iroh sipped his tea calmly, gauging the reactions of the young trio. In the last few weeks, he had been able to properly observe them in their day-to-day life. He was convinced that they had the hearts and maturity necessary to be trusted with more or less complete knowledge of the dragons.

The Water Tribesman, Sokka, was the analytical one. He was staring at the table, fingers rubbing his chin as he thought over the information given to him. No doubt he was trying to extrapolate more information from what was given to him while also trying to figure out how to include himself in whatever the White Lotus had planned.

As expected, Toph took what he had to say in stride. She didn't seem to have any opinions one way or another. It was simply information to be stored and utilized later at relevant and opportune moments.

Katara, probably the most protective of the three, was observing the general with a cautious eye. While the information itself was definitely fascinating to her, she was obviously more concerned with Iroh even though he assured them they were not in any trouble.

"So what exactly is the plan?" Sokka asked. "Just storm the Fire Nation capital once all the dragons have been paired?"

"As a preliminary? Yes." Iroh set his cup down. "I realize it's not much of a plan, but it is difficult to formalize a good strategy without fully understanding how the dragons will behave in battle. You can't take the pot without knowing how to properly use your pieces."

"You can't make a good judgement on how Kurohi and Shiroku will be in battle?" Katara questioned. "Can their behavior change that drastically with a companion?"

Iroh smiled, thinking of Jeong Jeong's Kazuko. "You'd be surprised. Sometimes a companion a change a feral beast into a... semi-respectable creature."

Sokka raised an eyebrow in question, but didn't respond to Iroh's oddly specific statement. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

The old general leaned back with a sigh. "I don't believe so. Aang and my nephew have not been back to see the dragons since they were first introduced. It is my understanding that Aang has been... reluctant to explore the possibility of his destiny being intertwined with Shiroku's."

The earthbender sighed. "I don't suppose it would be possible to arrange an accidental meeting between the two and force them to explore the possibility?"

Iroh shook his head. He knew that Aang's situation was a delicate one. The last thing he wanted to do was to make Aang uncomfortable or possibly make him go backwards in his emotional recovery.

Toph suddenly jumped, her eyes widening in surprising, making Iroh frown. "What is it, Toph?"

She frowned, pressing her hand to the ground. "It felt like someone in the room next to us just fell..." Iroh's heart sank as she stood and faced the direction of Zuko and Aang's room. "I think it's Aang... it feels like he's in trouble!" Katara and Sokka also stood and the three of them began to run out in order to help the airbender.

"No. Stay here," Iroh said, purposefully using his commanding voice and stopping the trio in their tracks. "If Aang is distressed, I'm sure my nephew will take care of it."

But Toph shook her head vehemently. "Zuko's not there. Aang's alone."

Iroh's eyes widened. What? He quickly stood and walked towards the door. "I want the three of you to go back to your rooms."

"But if Aang's in trouble...!" Katara started to say.

If Zuko is not there, there is very little you three can do to help. Knowing this was going to need a delicate hand, Iroh shook his head. "I will take care of this. Go back to your rooms. Will speak with the three of you later."

He could tell that Katara wanted to argue, but Toph grabbed her elbow and pulled her away. Silently thanking the earthbender, Iroh hurried to the next room, his heart pounding in his ears. Keeping his panic hidden away, he gently knocked on the door. "Aang...? Are you alright?"

There was no response. And considering what Toph felt just moments earlier, it was a fair bet to say that silence was not a good sign.

"I'm coming in," he announced. Slowly opening the door, he quickly slipped in and shut the door behind him, lighting one of the candles in the corner with a flick of his finger.

As Toph had described, Iroh found Aang on the ground next to the bed, tightly wrapped in blankets and trembling violently. He quickly knelt by the airbender's side and realized that Aang had his face pressed to the ground, eyes closed tightly in pain.

Hoping he wasn't making a huge mistake, Iroh gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Aang's eyes sprang open and his head shot up. His face was tear-stained and his eyes bloodshot, but thankfully, he seemed to be relatively lucid. His breathing stuttered as he tried to speak but Iroh quickly hushed him. "It's alright, you don't need to say anything."

Aang flinched and his eyes widened. He quickly shook his head and attempted again to speak. "I-I... c-can't h-h-hear... y-you..."

His worry being upped a notch, Iroh tried to stay visibly calm. Panicking wouldn't do the boy any good at this point. He nodded in understanding. "Alright then." He rubbed his hand against his shoulder. "You appear to be stuck. Allow me help you out."

He started to pull the blankets away from Aang and could tell the airbender was trying his best to help, but he was shaking so badly that any movements he made were wildly ineffective. When he was finally free, Aang scrambled up so he was sitting against the wall and curled in on himself. "Z-Zuk-ko...?"

Iroh shook his head. "I don't know where he is." Although he had a hunch.

From what appeared to be pure reflex, Aang gripped Iroh's forearm like a lifeline. Unsurprised by the airbender's strength, Iroh placed his free hand over Aang's. "It's going to be okay... This is just a passing memory. It will end and it will fade."

A couple fresh tears fell down Aang's face as he bit his lip and nodded. Iroh smiled, glad that Aang could apparently hear him again. "If you wish to speak about it, I am here to listen. However, I won't make you do anything you're not comfortable with."

Still trembling, Aang let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I-I'm fine, Uncle... A-Azula just w-won't leave me a-alone..."

The general's eyes narrowed at the mention of his niece. Zuko had given him a very brief and very vague account of what Azula had done to Aang, solidifying Iroh's certainty of her madness. "Azula is not here. You're safe with the White Lotus. And with Zuko and myself."

Aang's eyes narrowed in anger. "I know th-that!" With a frustrated sigh, he closed his eyes and pressed his clenched fist to his forehead. "I know that..."

While anger was not the healthiest emotion to evoke, Iroh took it as a sign that Aang was breaking out of the flashback he had been stuck in. They both sat in silence for several minutes, the airbender's shaking slowly subsiding as he very deliberately forced himself to breathe evenly and slowly. His grip on Iroh's arm never faltered or lessened, and the general knew that there would bruises. However, Iroh didn't dare try and dislodge him until he was certain that Aang was emotionally stable enough to not take it the wrong way.

Eventually, Aang released Iroh's arm and curled his arms around himself. He was visibly more relaxed and whatever nightmare he had been trapped in had passed. Eyes downcast, he said quietly. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

"It's perfectly alright. I know that you usually have my nephew to help you through these episodes, and since he appears to have gone missing..."

Aang's head snapped up at that. His eyes quickly scanned the room around him. He quickly tried to stand, even as he started to shake again.

"It's alright," Iroh said, placing his hands on the young man's shoulders and firmly putting him back into a seated position. "I'm fairly certain of his whereabouts and am sure he's fine." Aang visibly relaxed, but Iroh could still feel fine tremors running through him. "Stay here. I'll be back momentarily. I'm going to speak with someone about finding him."

When Aang nodded, the general quickly stood and left the room. Finding the closest sentry, he ordered them to find Zuko and bring him back to his room. "Also, tell Master Jeong Jeong to check the firebenders' quarters. I suspect that's where we'll find him." The sentry nodded and bowed before going off to carry out his orders.

When Iroh returned to the room, Aang was just where he left him, staring up at him anxiously. "Did they find him?"

Iroh shook his head with a small smile. "It will take longer than that to locate him. This is a very large underground network." He sat down next to the airbender, with his back against the wall. "In the meantime... There are a few things I wish to speak to you about."

Getting into the dragons' cavern was easy. Zuko remembered how to get there and the sentries let him in without any grief.

Once he was inside, however, he realized that he had no idea what he was doing. Or what he even wanted to do.

From where he was standing he could only see a couple dragons, neither of which he could immediately identify. Still, he couldn't help smiling as he stood there and stared at them. One of them was curled on a ledge, asleep. The other was digging into a stalagmite, probably sharpening its claws.

Kurohi.

Shaking himself out of his trance, he made his way down to the center of the cavern, figuring it was good place to start his search for the black dragon. It took him awhile, but once he was down there, he heard a loud rumble from above. Looking up, he nearly fell on his backside as he watched Kurohi and Shiroku flying around each other in synchronized pattern. It's like they're dancing... Zuko thought to himself.

Finally, they both descended, spiraling around each other. Kurohi landed right in front of Zuko while Shiroku landed off to the side, seemingly wary of the firebender. Once the air settled, Zuko looked up at the her. She stared straight back with her golden eyes, bright with sharp contrast against her inky black scales.

Zuko's breathing quickened as the same sensation of another presence in his mind came back. "That's you, isn't it? This... thing in my head."

Kurohi cocked her head to the side and Zuko could feel a bit of confusion rush into his head. He stepped toward her, encouraged when Kurohi lowered her head so that it was level with him. He extended an arm, palm facing forward. "I'm just letting you know... I have no idea what I'm doing."

A series of staccato rumbles came from Kurohi's throat, and Zuko smiled when he realized that she was chuckling. She extended her whisker and wrapped it around his hand. It suddenly became extremely hot, almost to the point of pain. Then, it felt as though Zuko's head was being split open, making him gasp in surprise. A stream of thoughts and emotion came crashing into his mind, as though a thousand voices were shouting at him. Eyes watering, he pressed his free hand against his temple as pain pounding through his head in protest. As the pain subsided and the cacophony died down, a single thought resonated through his mind.

Hello, little scarred one. Can you hear me?

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