At first their group was being very careful as they entered the city, just like they were supposed to.
But slowly… Slowly they couldn't help but get more and more excited.
Soon enough Aang was crawling around in the top of some buildings. Sokka was checking out booby trap contractions and commented on all the ways this old city had supposedly been working. Pointing to the dried up canals which clearly at one point had been bringing clean water to the city.
Then found what Sokka believed had been some sort of ancient bath house and all sorts of other things.
Katara was gushing over the ancient depictions of what seemed like spirits. Toph was checking out the entire layout to see if she could find something cool.
And Zuko was wide-eyed just trying to take in everything.
"Woah look what I found." Aang jumped down and held forward a his hands holding a figure looking like a sea serpent but made in pure gold.
Zuko blinked as he looked at it. "Is that… Real gold?" he asked.
"I think so." Aang said. "There are lots of gold things all around the place. This is just the first figure I found that didn't seem broken."
"Well… Gold has been known to be Agnis favourite metal. Since it resemble his flames so much. And will reflect the light his physical form gives us." Zuko pointed upwards at the sun above them.
"You think people here worshipped Agni?!" Aang asked.
"Maybe." Zuko commented then he halted as he looked up at the wall. All dusted but he saw the outlines of a figure and he walked forward to dust it away to finally reveal the image bird that seemed to be made out of flames, a phoenix. This particular Phoenix though had twin tails and four wings. A double pair. "Agni…" Zuko whispered. "That's Agni!" he pointed.
"Really?" Aang asked.
"Yes! My uncle showed me an old illustration of him!" Zuko gasped. "In the fire nation all images of the great spirits has been replaced with images of the fire lords. But he showed me. That's definitely it!" he said as he run forward. "Look… The sun." he pointed. "And his travel across the sky." he showed an illustration which truly not showcased that same bird flying in a half circle. "And then at night he sleeps in the underworld."
Zuko blinked as he looked at the depicting of Agni in the underworld. The big bird wasn't alone though. There was some sort of serpant that seemed to be embracing him.
"Who's that?" Aang pointed.
"You know… I don't know." Zuko admitted as he looked around at the other depictions. "I know what some of these are…. At least I think I do. I might not though." he commented. "Things has become so distorted over time. Fire lords has been changing the stories to make themselves look favourable." he breathed as his hands lightly touched the murals and he walked allowing his finger to gently glide across the depictions and then ended by what looked like some sort of woman with dark skin, darker than Sokkas and Kataras. Yet golden hair.
Zuko tilted his head. Probably some sort of spirit. No human had skin nor hair like that. Who this was supposed to be though. He really had no idea.
"Hey Zuko!" Aangs voice called. "Look at this one."
Zuko turned to where Aang was and he gasped as he saw a huge wall depicting… Dragons! Lots and lots of dragons painted to look like they were flying in the air together.
All kinds of different colours. Red, blue, yellow, orange, green, black, white.
Only in his mind could Zuko try and imagine the sight, a big group of dragons like that. Sailing through the air, swishing their tails as the dragons roars would sound across the lands.
There was no doubt such a sight would have been awe inspiring. And Zuko couldn't help the sinking feeling in his stomach as he realized that no one in this world was ever going to see something quite like it again.
"Roku had a dragon." Aang breathed. "Fang… The dragons name was Fang. He was my friend and he.." Aang gasped. "When I was dying. When Roku was dying! Lava… There was lava. So much Lava and Fang he… He tried to protect me using his own body. But we still both died. Urgh." he grabbed his head. "Sorry I…"
"Stop." Zuko grabbed Aangs hands and brought them down. "Remembering how you died. I don't think that's healthy." he said. Then he looked up at the mural again. "Sounds like dragons were noble and loyal creatures."
Aang nodded. "Even now. Fangs spirit is still looking over me." he said in a smile.
"What an honourable creature." Zuko replied.
"It's really sad they are all gone." Aang sighed deeply.
"Yeah." Zuko agreed then put a hand on Aangs shoulder and pulled him away. "Come on. Let's check some other things out."
A few hours more went with exploration before suddenly Aang shout called everybody to his location.
"What is it Aang?" Sokka asked as he came walking with Zuko next to him.
"Look!" Aang pointed. "That door is just like the one in the fire nation temple where I talked to Avatar Roku!" he pointed.
Zuko, Sokka and Katara looked up. And true enough! There was a door there and yes… The design and symbols was exactly like the ones in the now destroyed temple.
Even the red stone sat right on top off the door.
Sokka sighed. "Well if it is the same thing. That door can only be opened at solstice right?" he asked.
"Well yeah…" Aang said. "We are though looking for the last true fire bending master and if I were the last true fire bending master. There's a good chance I would hide in there." he groaned. "We don't have until next solstice though! What do we do?!"
Zuko turned around to see the sinking sun behind him, then turned to the door again and narrowed his eyes. Well… At least it was worth a shot! He pulled out one of his dao blades and positioned himself, trying to use the shiny surface to reflect the son. So far so good… There was a spot of light moving as he moved the blade… Almost there… Almost. And he hit the stone over the door and suddenly. In a big rumble the door opened.
"YAAAY!" Aang shouted as he jumped up in the air. "You did it."
Zuko smiled satisfied as they moved inside only to face with a blank floor and statues… Statues in a circle all taking different stances.
"Hmmm." Sokka squinted his eyes as he looked around. "I'm not sure what this is." he admitted.
Zuko glanced at the floor. There was a circle decoration. Some of it seemed quite odd though and he put his foot on one of the tiles. Only for that tile to give in a slight bit. Immediately did Zuko remove his foot. A switch! These were switches!
Aang how-ever was focused solely on the statues and then he gasped. "They are doing a dance!" he pointed.
"Looks more like fighting stances to me." Zuko commented but didn't get any further as Aang grabbed his arm and pulled Zuko with him.
"COME ON! We gotta try it!"
"What?" Zuko asked.
"You stand here." Aang positioned Zuko in front of what looked like a statue in starting position. "And I stand here! And then we synchronize! Like the statues!"
"Heh so Zuko is going to dance for us after all." Sokka smirked as he stood back with the others crossing his arms.
"It's not a dance!" Zuko huffed.
"Looks like it to me." Katara smirked amused.
"Hey! This may be an ancient and until now lost fire bending technique!" Zuko exclaimed. "Be respectful."
"But you are still going to dance." Sokka stated amused.
"No!" Zuko exclaimed and they all snickered into their hands.
Zuko pouted but took a stance with Aang anyway and inhaled a deep breath. He was going to nail this thing and shut those guys up! Maybe this was an amazing fire bending technique and these guys could shuff it!
"We got to do it together Zuko." Aang said. "We need to synchronize with each other."
"Well. That should be easy." Zuko smirked. "That's how we train anyway!"
"Yup!" Aang grinned and he took the first stance Zuko doing the same. They both inhaled matching each others breath, exhaled and then did their stances. And with each step they took together a new switch was hit with their feet giving in.
For all this time. Zuko kept Aang in the corner of his eye, he kept complete awareness of both himself and Aang movements as they moved.
Being in sync was absolutely key in this endeavour. But like Zuko had said it now came natural to the two. They trusted each other to smoothly move on, even their breaths were synced and then at last the two met at the last two statues. Meeting each other with their fists hitting.
The effect was immediate as the ground rumbled and in the middle came a pillar complete with what looked like a sort of golden egg on top.
"WE DID IT!" Aang shouted happily as he jumped up and down in the air.
Zuko blinked as he looked at the pillar. He took a step only for Sokka to shout.
"ZUKO STOP!" Sokka shouted.
"What?" Zuko turned to him.
"It's obviously going to be booby trapped!" Sokka exclaimed. "This entire place works by switches. I am going to bet there's a switch under that thing!"
"Sokka is right." Toph agreed. "There are pipes going all across the place beneath us and mechanics in the wall. Connection the doors to that pillar. It's better to not touch it."
"Sorry." Zuko held up his hands as he stepped backwards.
"Then… What do we do?" Aang asked.
"Well… Nothing." Sokka said. "We're not here for what-ever that is anyway. We are here to find the last true fire bending master." he said. "We tried in here. Clearly he or she isn't here so let's jut go outside and make camp for the night. It's getting late. Then we can start looking again tomorrow."
Everyone looked at Sokka as they blinked then Zuko shrugged.
"Yeah okay."
"Sounds like a good idea to me." Aang smiled.
"I'm starving!" Toph declared
They decided to make camp not far from there where they had found a clearing where it was safe to start a fire.
Zuko couldn't help but note though that among the constructions around them was a massive dragon statue. Looked to be the seize a real dragon was… Sadly one of its wings were broken though. And its face cracked.
Even so… As the sun went down and the light of their fire place was playing across the dragon it seemed… Almost alive.
Zuko couldn't help it as he stood up to look at the likeness of these noble creatures. He held out a hand and then touched its face.
"Zuko…" Aang breathed as he stepped forward. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah I just." Zuko swallowed. "I can't believe my uncle would kill the last one." he said. "Killing the last one means… They can never come back." he said. "And Sozin.. Forbidding the worship of spirits so people would worship him instead. Get rid of the dragons so there wouldn't be any fire benders better than him. Just how much has my family been destroying?" he asked hopelessly. "Things that will never… ever come back."
Aang looked down. His hands tightening and Zuko gasped as he realized.
The air nomads too! An entire civilisation of people. And they were not coming back.
"Aang I…" Zuko tried.
"It's okay." Aang tried but he was clearly upset. "The world will always be ever changing. Nothing will ever stay the same. Our very state of being is just that… Temporary. Still I…" he closed his eyes. "Appa and I… We're… The last of our kind." he whispered. "Like that dragon."
"I… I'm sorry." Zuko tried. "Aang I.."
"It's not your fault." Aang said as he looked up.
"I know I just." Zuko sighed deeply. "I wish there was something I could do." he plummeted down so he now sat leaning his back against the statue.
Aang joining him so they were now sitting together. "You're all ready doing plenty." he assured. "And I think you got more than enough on your plate all ready." Aang said as he pulled his legs up under his chin.
Zuko hesitated then swallowed. "I… I visited the four air temples you know."
"You did?" Aang asked.
"Yeah. In my first year of banishment. I was looking for an air bender so those were the first place to look." Zuko said. "It was…. Really sad. I remember when we reached the southern air temple. I entered this room and… When Uncle saw he covered my eyes. I've seen it though… I saw… them.. You knew those people didn't you? They were still there."
Aang nodded.
"I didn't touch anything." Zuko promised.
"I know." Aang said.
Zuko swallowed. "Did you… ever see a dragon? Those hundred years ago."
"I did." Aang closed his eyes. "Kuzon and I we… We ones found a dragon egg. And returned it to its mother. She was a green dragon… And she was incredible."
"It must have been really frightening for you." Zuko commented. "Waking up and a hundred years has passed by. And then everything is just so different."
Aang nodded. "All though… Not everything is different." he said. "Fire flakes and earth rumble is still the same." he said. "And it's not all bad. I got to meet so many new incredible people! Like Katara and Sokka!" he said. "And Toph and Iroh and Zhau-Li and Hakoda and..." he counted his fingers.
"Hey what about me?" Zuko asked.
"I thought that went without saying." Aang chuckled as he playfully elbowed Zuko and Zuko chuckled as he elbowed Aang back.
They were just about to enter a play fight as Zuko halted and he looked up.
"What is it?" Aang asked.
"SOME ONE IS COMING!" Toph shouted from the ground where they were sitting around the fire and stood up. So did the others and Zuko hurried down there with Aang.
"Maybe that's not a bad thing." Sokka said. "We are looking for someone! Maybe he found us!"
"Well… I hate to tell you this." Toph whispered. "But… There is more than one person coming and… They are in a circle around us closing in.
"What?" Zuko asked. "Just have many are there?!"
Toph swallowed as she stood. "Fifty-four." she informed and Zukos eyes widened.
"It's okay! We can take them." Aang stated as their group made their own small circle covering each others backs.
"WE KNOW YOU ARE THERE!" Toph shouted. "Show yourself!"
And then finally a ring of people stepped through the bushes and Zukos eyes widened.
A man stood in front of the others. This guy wearing what looked like old ceremonial clothing and wore red paint of his face. Everyone looked to have darker sun burned skin, obvious as all had bare chests. And their eyes were all either amber or golden.
Their hair arranged in traditional phoenix tails and wearing golden chains and ankle rings.
The man in front wearing what looked lie a ceremonial head dress frowned as he stepped in front of the others. "And who are you supposed to be! Who has invaded our land!"
Aang gasped as he was pointing a shaking finger. "You… You're."
Zuko inhaled deeply. "Sun Warriors." he whispered.