Chapter 45: The Old World

The mood was grim throughout the journey to the Western Air Temple, particularly after Appa got too tired to complete the trip in the air.

They had reached the mountainous island chain beyond the Fire Nation's northern border, where most of the land was too high and too barren to be fit for colonial settlements. For the final part of the journey, Appa was walking across the ground instead of flying, and everyone capable of doing so was walking beside the bison. Even at a high elevation, it was hot on this late summer day, making most of them all the more miserable during the trip. It seemed like they had been walking forever by the time they reached a massive gorge that cut directly across their path.

Just when it seemed like they would have to get on Appa again, Toph noticed something very strange about the gorge. "Hey, we're here! I can feel it!"

Katara wasn't convinced, seeing only the gorge and a thick cloud of fog that shrouded the bottom. "I think your feet need their eyes checked."

"No, she's right," Aang corrected, recognizing the gorge. "We are here."

Taiyo looked down and peered through the ground, and his eyes went wide. "Whoa… that is nuts!"

The Western Air Temple was a few hundred feet beneath them, and hanging from the underside of a massive overhang along the length of the gorge. Dozens of large buildings appeared to hang upside down, a feat of architecture that had withstood the test of time. Vines and gnarly trees covered vast swathes of the temple, only held at bay by the turbulent winds that blew away exposed seedlings. Below the buildings there were balconies and statues carved out from the wall of the gorge itself, depicting various Air Nomad women that had left their mark on airbender culture.

A short ride on Appa brought them down to the temple, and they landed on a balcony with a spring-fed fountain that still worked after a century of neglect. It was as good a place as any to set up some shelter, and they could all use some rest. Appa laid down there and fell asleep immediately, taking some much-earned rest after the long journey. Everyone got off the bison, but they stayed nearby, since they could explore the temple later. Now that they were in a safe place, there was an important issue that they needed to discuss.

"So what's the new plan?" Aang asked, taking a seat on a bench.

"Well if you ask me," Sokka said. "The new plan is the old plan. You just need to master all four elements and confront the Fire Lord before the comet comes."

"If we can actually find him this time," Toph pointed out. She faced Taiyo and her unfocused eyes glared at him. "Shouldn't you know where all of his hiding holes are?"

"Obviously I don't," Taiyo said. He noticed that everyone was looking at him. "Hey the Fire Lord had a whole airship fleet built in the time I've been away. He probably has a dozen new bunkers by now."

"Or maybe he's in an airship," Sokka speculated. "Think about it, he'd be constantly on the move and never in the same place twice. He could be over the open ocean and we'd never know it."

"Point taken," Taiyo admitted.

"There's still one other problem," Aang pointed out. "Where am I going to get a firebending teacher?"

"We could look for Jeong Jeong," Katara suggested.

"Yeah right," Aang dismissed. He absentmindedly petted Momo, who was sitting beside Aang to help comfort him. "Like we'll ever run into Jeong Jeong again."

"You guys met the Deserter?" Taiyo questioned.

"Long story," Sokka said, dismissing the matter with a wave of his hand. "Hey wait a minute, you were raised Fire Nation. Shouldn't you know some firebending forms that you could show Aang?"

"We stop at the basics when it's clear someone can't bend," Taiyo said. "That was years ago for me."

"But do you remember those basics?" Sokka asked.

Taiyo sighed. "Barely, and I haven't practiced since I gave up on bending when I discovered my powers. None of it applied to the fire I can make with my eyes."

"Still better than anyone else has here," Toph pointed out.

"Fine," Taiyo conceded. "But I can't promise that it will work."

"Let's find out," Aang said. He stood up and started walking to the nearest suitable spot for lessons. "It's all we got unless a real teacher falls out of the sky."

Meanwhile, Prince Zuko was climbing down the side of the overhang using a rope tied to a tree at the top, circumventing the misguided belief that only airbenders and sky bison could reach the temple. With a swing on the rope and a well-timed jump, Zuko reached one of the lower balconies, exactly as he had done three years ago when his exile began. He remembered being a very different person back then, one that was often angry with his uncle, even though the anger was truly for himself. But there was no time to reminisce about past visits, not when he had a goal to fulfill here and now.

He had come down at one of the buildings toward the northern end of the temple, opposite of the direction anyone would be looking for pursuit. Zuko also figured there wouldn't be anyone on that building, and thus allow him to enter without being attacked on the way down. He was well aware of what this would look like to them, yet another example of the exiled prince chasing down the Avatar. Hence the need for caution, especially when he would run along the steps that went up and down the gorge, where he was most likely to be seen.

Zuko was a third of the way across the temple when he saw a moving green light, and he ducked behind a statue of an Air Nomad nun, and peeked out for a better look. "Since when does the boomerang guy fly?"

He watched Sokka flying to another part of the temple, wreathed in a strange green light. He was carrying several bags filled with supplies, which any group of people was going to need to survive here. Zuko could only wonder how Sokka did it, but that was something for another time. It did provide Zuko with a clear path for him to track to the main campsite, which was on a hanging building at the far end of the temple. Once the green light was gone, Zuko hurried along another set of stairs in the wall, which lead up to a higher balcony just below the overhang, a better position to stay hidden.

Although he knew where to go, getting there was another matter, due to the intentionally unhelpful nature of the temple's layout. Zuko had to take a rather circuitous route to reach the right building, and he found a hiding place around a corner of a building, where he could see the Avatar and those around him. Taiyo was trying to teach him firebending forms, and failing miserably at the task. Sokka was there as well, handing out the supplies he had flown in, with Katara and Toph helping him. They also watched the poor lessons, and offering words of encouragement regularly, for all the good they would do.

Making some awkward punches, Aang was sure he was doing something wrong. "This doesn't feel right."

"I've noticed," Taiyo said. He stood still and pinched his nose. "I knew this wasn't going to work."

"Can we try something else?" Aang asked.

Taiyo threw up his hands in frustration. "You want me to just go and kidnap a firebending teacher?"

"Good luck convincing whoever you kidnap to teach Aang," Sokka said. He had been patient in waiting for the lesson attempt to finish, and only spoke up now. "Because I don't see that happening."

"Be fun to watch though," Toph said.

"I would prefer another option," Katara said. "You know, one that makes sure Aang gets this right. We can't afford to get this wrong."

"Good point," Sokka admitted. "You remember what happened last time he tried to take a shortcut with firebending."

"How could I forget?" Aang asked.

"Oh this out to be good," Toph said. "Spill it."

"I burned Katara, okay," Aang said, throwing his hands up in the air. "I'm not proud of it. And I swore off firebending until I was ready to do it safely."

"Well, that time is now," Katara said. "There has to be someone we can find that will teach you firebending."

"Yeah, still working on that," Taiyo said. He looked around, and his gaze settled right on a hiding spot, and he pointed. "Well, I'm not too happy about it, but there's one over there."

His cover blown, Zuko stepped into the open. "Hello… Zuko here."

Aang leapt to his feet and grabbed his staff. "Zuko."

With a flash of light Sokka's clothes changed to green, and he pointed his ring at Zuko. "What are you doing here?"

Katara had drawn water into a wide ring around herself, ready to strike. "Chasing us, what else would he be doing?"

"No," Zuko denied, patting the back of his head. "Well actually I did follow you, but not to capture you. I uh… actually want to help you now. And I can do that by teaching the Avatar firebending."

"You want to what now?" Toph questioned.

"You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you?" Katara added, while making serval whips form from her water. "I mean, how stupid do you think we are?!"

Aang took a few steps to be front and center of the group. "Especially after everything that happened in Ba Sing Se."

"I know I let you guys down," Zuko admitted. "But I've changed, I really want to help in any way I can."

"I don't buy it," Katara said. "It wouldn't be the first time you've tried to trick us."

Zuko looked at Taiyo. "You believe me. Don't you?"

"I want to," Taiyo admitted. He sighed and held his hands apart. "It's just… I don't know if we can."

"Um… am I the only one thinking the obvious?" Toph complained. "We really don't have a choice. Aang needs a teacher, and Zuko is offering to do it. We won't get another opportunity this good."

"You weren't there when he chased us all over the world," Katara argued.

"No, I wasn't," Toph concurred. She pointed right at Zuko. "He knew exactly where we would go, and he could have brought that entire airship fleet and every last firebender with him to attack us."

"I came alone," Zuko said, though he doubted that would make any difference.

"He's not lying about that," Toph said.

Zuko let out a sigh, and then looked Aang in the eyes. "I made a mistake, actually many mistakes, and I have to set things right. I can't take back what I did, and I've regretted it ever since. I couldn't even find Uncle and apologize for letting him down. So I'm doing what Uncle would want me to do, and that's helping the Avatar in any way I can."

Everyone took in that admission, and Aang thought about it deeply, finding it hard to doubt Zuko's sincerity. "Okay, I think we can make this work. For now."

"Are you sure?" Katara asked.

"Back at Ba Sing Se, Zuko walked away, instead of fighting with Azula," Aang said. He looked Zuko in the eye. "I'm willing to give you one more chance. Don't make us regret it."

Zuko nodded. "I won't."

Reluctantly, Katara put away her water. "What if he changes his mind?"

Sokka eyed his ring, eyed Taiyo, and then all of his friends in turn. "We do have more than enough firepower in case he betrays us."

"Still, I don't like it," Katara said.

"We'll keep an eye on him at all times," Sokka said. "If this is some scheme, we'll be ready for it."

The night passed without incident, with not a hint of betrayal from the barely welcome firebender.

Zuko spent the time preparing himself to become a teacher, as that was something he had never been before. He also selected a better spot for the instructions, an open balcony at the edge of a hanging building, one without any vegetation to set ablaze by accident. Any accidents there would not cause any harm, and there was no risk of starting a wildfire this far from any dry vegetation. There were also spots where others could sit and watch from a safe distance, and intervene in case something unexpected occurred and things got out of hand.

When Zuko was ready, he reminded Aang of what fire is like, and wanted to know what he could manage already. "Now show me what you've got. Any amount of fire you can make."

Aang thrust one palm forward, a small puff of smoke appeared, and it was gone in a second. "Maybe I need a little more instruction. Perhaps a demonstration?"

"Take a few steps back," Zuko advised. He got in front of Aang, took a deep breath, and punched at the air. "What the…"

A tiny flame was all that appeared.

Zuko couldn't believe it. "That was the worst firebending I've ever seen."

Aang had been clapping, but stopped when Zuko turned toward him, a glare in his eyes. "I thought it was… nice."

Gritting his teeth, Zuko punched again, and got only tiny flames from his fist. He tried twice more, just to be sure, and had the same result. He grunted and looked at his hands, frustrated with himself and wondering what was going on with him. It seemed that fate had an axe to grind against him, since even though Zuko had gotten what he asked for he was still screwing up. There was only one possible explanation that Zuko could think of for this, that he simply wasn't angry enough for rage to fuel his firebending.

Watching from one side of the balcony with everyone else, Taiyo walked over to them. "Alright, what's the problem?"

"I've lost my drive," Zuko answered. He held a hand out and flexed his fingers, barely getting sparks. "I can't teach anything when I can't do it myself."

"So what are you going to do?" Aang asked.

"I'll have to find another way to firebend," Zuko guessed. "I don't want to be driven by hate anymore. There has to be another way."

Among the others, lying on her back, Toph interrupted with a suggestion. "You're going to need a different source. I recommend the original source."

"The original firebenders were the dragons," Zuko answered. "And we can't find them."

"Right…" Taiyo muttered, looking away and patting the back of his head. "That's not going to work."

Even Aang could realize there was something no one was telling him. "What happened to the dragons?"

"My great grandfather happened," Zuko answered. He let out a long sigh, as this was a part of history he always found to be such a waste. "He started the tradition of hunting them for glory."

"They're all gone," Taiyo added. He glanced at the big furry beast resting nearby. "But then again, everyone thought the sky bison were extinct too."

Appa roared, as living testament to the contrary.

"Still, maybe there's another way," Zuko speculated. "The first people to learn from the dragons were the ancient Sun Warriors."

Aang blinked at that, needing a moment to recall who Zuko was talking about. "Sun Warriors? Well, I know they weren't around when I was a kid."

"No, they died off thousands of years ago," Zuko acknowledged. "But their civilization wasn't too far from where we are now. Maybe we can learn something by poking around their ruins."

"It's worth a try," Taiyo said. However, he knew that they couldn't leave Aang alone with Zuko on this field trip. "Let's check it out."

"And hope the Sun Warrior's didn't leave any surprises behind," Zuko noted.

It was almost noon when Appa reached the ancestral home of the Sun Warriors.

This island was fairly large, with mountains tall enough to have snow-covered peaks even in the Fire Nation summer. However, it was mostly uninhabited, with only a few fishing villages along the coasts, which barely extended half a mile inland. Thick jungles occupied most of the land, dangerous to explore and more difficult to cut down for settlements. At the heart of the jungle a clearing could be found, which was filled with ancient ruins of a previous civilization, with the trees and vines encroaching on the littered streets and crumbling buildings.

The buildings reminded Zuko of the Fire Sage temples scattered across the Fire Nation, a sign of the lineage from the history here to the modern day. "This is definitely the right place."

Aang had Appa land near the edge of the ruins, not trusting the crumbling structures to hold under a sky bison's weight. "We'll have to go on foot from here."

As everyone else climbed down from Appa, Sokka stayed in the saddle. "If no one minds, I'm going to stay here and keep an eye on Appa. Just in case the Fire Nation spotted us on the way here."

"You sure about that?" Taiyo asked.

"Yeah," Sokka said. He glanced at his ring, which he hadn't used since leaving the Western Air Temple. "Have fun exploring those old ruins. Look out for booby traps."

"No problem for me," Toph said.

"Come on, lets get this over with," Katara said. She was keeping an eye on Zuko, just in case. "I'd rather not stay in this jungle overnight."

The group, minus Sokka, walked into the ruins, leaving Appa in the relative safety of the jungle. They walked through the ancient streets, looking around for anything of interest. Zuko and Aang were in the front, as they were the only ones that needed to be here. Katara and Toph were close behind them, wondering what could have wiped out the civilization here. Taiyo was in the back, looking through the walls, curious about what he might find. Everything seemed peaceful here, and the only sound they heard was the wind.

Toph stopped in her tracks. "Aang watch out."

Aang kept walking. "What?'

Then Aang's foot caught a wire.

"Whoa!"

Falling forward, Aang saw the ground immediately ahead sink quickly, and thin spikes jutted out of the sinking floor. With a breath for a blast of airbending, Aang stopped his fall, inches away from getting impaled. He held it long enough for Taiyo to grab Aang and pull him back up and back onto stable ground, to the relief of everyone else. The experience left Aang's heart pounding, and he quickly recovered his breath. Katara checked him over for any injuries, but thankfully there were none to be found.

Zuko knelt down to inspect the tripwire, which had gone slack after the trap was sprung. "I can't believe it. This booby trap must be centuries old, and it still works."

"My bad," Toph said, putting a hand behind her head. "It felt like that false floor was stuck."

"I forgot to look down," Taiyo admitted.

"There's probably a lot more traps," Aang said. He looked around, suddenly more wary of what might be lurking behind every corner. "Maybe this means we shouldn't be here."

"Like we've let traps stop us before," Katara said. She walked up to the edge of the spiked pit, which blocked off the street for twenty feet. "We'll be fine."

To demonstrate, Katara bent the water out of her waterskin and made a narrow bridge of ice across the pit, which let her slide across to the other side. Zuko stepped back, got a running start, and leapt at the edge to run along the wall until he got across. Aang unfolded his glider and flew across, the surest method to avoid pitfalls. Taiyo simply jumped straight across the middle, and didn't bother to look back. Toph then forced the false floor back into place with earthbending, and then walked over it like the pit trap wasn't even there.

"Okay, now what?" Toph asked.

Zuko looked at the path directly ahead, which had a view of the ziggurat at the center of the ruins. "We keep going. People don't make traps unless they've got something worth protecting."

The group continued on their way through the ruins, finding more traps along the way, now that they were looking for them. They soon reached the ziggurat, and they climbed up the steps to reach the top. They found a large circular door, which looked like it would split in two upon opening, with each half to slide into opposite sides of the wall. Aang grabbed the seam in the middle and tried to pull, but it wouldn't budge. Zuko inspected the immediate area, and noticed a large gemstone mounted on a nearby tower, which reflected sunlight onto a spot on the floor.

Zuko then found a second gemstone mounted above the door. "I bet that sunstone opens the door, but only when the sunlight hits it on the solstice."

Before Aang could complain, Toph flexed her arms, and half of the door broke free from the wall."

"Solstice is here," Toph said.

Aang was mildly annoyed. "You know, I could have done that."

Toph launched the now-broken door off the ziggurat with her earthbending, which made a loud thud on impact that could be heard throughout the ruins. "Eh, I'm sure it was going to break down sooner or later anyway."

"No point arguing about it now," Katara said. "Come on, let's see what's inside."

It was dark inside, as the only sources of light was the open doorway and a grated hole in the ceiling. There were ten statues placed in a circle, set in a series of poses, which were mirrored from the left to the right. Within the circle of statues was a mural of the sun, with an orange ring around the mural. At the far end of the room a pair of statues were leaning toward each other, fists raised and pointed at the center between them. The purpose of these statues wasn't readily apparent, but they had to be important for the Sun Warriors to put them in here.

"Watch where you step," Toph said. "There's pressure plates all over the place."

Taiyo looked through the floor, spotting the mechanisms connected to the pressure plates. "They appear to still work, though I can't make out what they'll do."

"Then we'll be careful," Aang said. He walked up to the first statue on the left, and he found an inscription beneath its feet. "Hmm… It says this is something called the Dancing Dragon."

Katara looked at each of the statues. "I don't see the resemblance."

Aang backed up for a better view of the statue, which put him in the orange ring, and when he mimicked the statue's pose, he felt his foot sink an inch. "Whoops."

"I heard that," Taiyo said. He turned his gaze to that specific pressure place. "Huh, it didn't seem to do anything."

"I don't know…" Aang muttered. He lifted his foot, the pressure pad rose up, and he pushed it back down a few times to be sure. "The Sun Warriors wouldn't put it here to do nothing."

"It seems to reset when you lift your foot," Toph said. "Maybe it isn't a trap?"

Aang's gaze followed the circle of statues, and he figured something out. "Zuko, get over here. I want you to dance with me."

"What?" Zuko blurted out.

"Just do it," Aang insisted.

Katara watched Aang drag Zuko into position in front of a statue. "This should be amusing."

Once Aang and Zuko were both in position, they mimicked the poses of the first two statues, and both pressed a pad under a foot. Then they moved at the same pace, going along the circle to the next pair of statues, and the next pose had them step on another set of pressure pads. They went through each pose in sequence, which looked like a set of firebending forms, and Katara could imagine flames emerging from their fists with each step. Aang and Zuko reached the far end of the circle, made the last pose in the sequence, and pressed the final pressure pads.

Upon completion of the form, the center of the sun mural dropped and slid under the floor, followed by a pedestal rising out of the hole. A glowing golden stone was atop the pedestal, shaped like an egg and larger than Aang's head. Ornate symbols covered the stone, though their meaning was lost on everyone here. It was clearly important to the Sun Warriors, being kept in a room that would only open on the solstice and require a ritual to reveal it. Everyone walked over to get a closer look, wondering what the Sun Warriors used it for.

"What exactly is that?" Aang wondered aloud.

"It's some kind of mystical gemstone," Zuko said, reaching out to grab it.

"Well don't touch it," Aang insisted. "It could be trapped, just like those spikes outside."

Taiyo peered into the pedestal. "There is a weight trigger in there."

"Then just replace it something of equal weight," Toph suggested.

"How would we know that without picking it up first?" Katara asked.

Toph earthbend a chunk of stone from the floor, about the same diameter as the golden egg but much taller. "I can feel the density of everything on the ground. This chunk of rock weighs the same as that egg."

Taiyo picked up the chunk of rock. "Okay, let's see if this will work."

"I'm just going to stand over here," Aang said, backing away from the pedestal. "Just in case."

In a blur, Taiyo replaced the glowing gem with the chunk of rock, and he held up the gem. "It's warm."

Zuko walked over and touched the gem. "It feels almost alive."

Taiyo was about to put the gem back, but then he heard a noise from within the pedestal. "Everyone move!"

A geyser of green slime erupted from the pedestal, launching the chunk of rock into the ceiling, where it shattered and then stuck up there. More slime flowed out of the pedestal, threatening to engulf everyone in the stick substance. Katara reacted quickly, bringing her hands down to bend the water within the slime, forcing it back down into the hidden pipe it came from. She held back the tide of slime long enough for everyone to get outside, where Aang and Toph could then earthbend a large slab of rock to cover up the broken entrance.

Aang turned toward Taiyo. "You had to pick up the glowing egg, didn't you?"

"Hey, I thought Toph's idea would work," Taiyo said. He held up the gem, wondering what to do with it now. "I would put it back, but I'm sure that whole room is filled with slime now."

"It's amazing that trap still worked," Katara said. She saw some of the slime seep around the slab of rock, sealing the entrance as the slime hardened in the light and air. "You'd think that stuff would have dried out in the pipes after hundreds of years."

"Yeah, that is strange," Toph said. She slammed a foot into the floor, to extend the range of her vibration. "Hey… you guys are certain no one lives here, right?"

"Yes," Zuko said.

Toph pointed to the far side of the ziggurat. "I think they disagree."

"Stop! Thieves!"

The unknown voice got everyone to turn, and Zuko felt very uncomfortable with the gem in his hands. "Apparently so…"

Seemingly in an instant, the ruins went from abandoned to very inhabited. Dozens of people emerged and surrounded the group, clad in red and gold clothes that left a lot of midriffs bare, and most kept their hair in long braids. A lot of them were firebenders, currently having flames in their hands, ready to attack apparent thieves. A few had red face paint on with various designs, which made their angry expressions fiercer. One had an ornate headdress atop his much wider body, the obvious leader of this small civilization.

The chief's gaze was fixed on Taiyo, who was still holding the egg-shaped gem. "You almost got away with stealing our sunstone. You must be severely punished."

Toph folded her arms. "Go ahead and try."

Zuko turned to Taiyo. "Hand it to me."

"Okay," Taiyo said. He passed the sunstone to Zuko, who then turned toward the chief. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Zuko walked forward and set the sunstone on the floor in front of the chief. "We didn't come here to take your sunstone. We came here to find the ancient origin of all firebending."

Aang nodded and stepped forward to match Zuko. "I'm the Avatar. Please, hear us out."

And so Zuko explained the situation, that he and Aang were here to learn the original way of firebending, with the others here for support. Zuko freely admitted that the Fire Nation had distorted firebending to anger and rage, which was the wrong path for his people to have a future. He didn't know anyone still lived here, and that it was humbling to know that the ancient civilization still existed. So he returned the sunstone and made the deepest bow possible, and asked to be taught the original way of firebending.

The Sun Warrior chief seemed to be receptive to Zuko's request. "If you wish to learn the ways of the Sun, you must learn them from the masters, Ran and Shaw."

Katara let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, so we won't have to fight after all."

"Spoil sport," Toph muttered.

The Sun Warriors led the group away from the ziggurat, bringing them to a much smaller building at the edge of the ruins. A large flame was hidden there, supposedly the first flame given to mankind, and the chief handed small pieces of the flame to Aang and Zuko. They were tasked with carrying the pair of flames up a mountain, while keeping the flames at a stable size, so that they would not go out or lose control. It was a long climb up the mountain, along a path that led to a ceremonial ground between dual peaks.

The rest of the group was not a part of the ritual, and they were escorted up the mountain, arriving long before Aang and Zuko. They stopped at a wide space, which had a view of the ocean, framed by the twin peaks of the mountain. A bridge connected the two peaks, and a set of stairs led up to that bridge, but the Sun Warriors didn't climb them. Instead, most of the Sun Warriors took positions in a wide circle, some of them with instruments, mostly drums and horns. The group didn't have to wait very long, for Aang and Zuko arrived shortly afterward.

Katara was glad when she saw Aang. "You made it."

"Yeah," Aang said, holding a flame that was barely flickering. "Are you okay?"

"Naturally," Taiyo answered. He looked at the Sun Warriors, noting suspicious looks, but also that their hostility was contained. "I think they know better than to try anything they would regret."

The chief cut them off when he approached Aang and Zuko, though his gaze was fixed on the older teen's scar. "Facing the judgement of the firebending masters will be very dangerous for you. Your ancestors are directly responsible for the dragons' disappearance. The masters might not be so happy to see you."

Aang wasn't so worried. "But once they find out I'm the Avatar…"

"Have you forgotten that you vanished?" the chief interrupted. "Allowing the Fire Nation to wreak havoc on the world? The decline of the dragons is your burden too."

That shut Aang up very quickly.

"Just get this over with," Katara advised. She gave Aang a smile, which helped lift his spirits. "Remember, we're here if you need us."

"If we do, we've probably failed already," Zuko noted.

"Have fun up there," Toph suggested.

The chief took a piece of the flames carried by Aang and Zuko, passed them to other Sun Warriors, who in turn passed them to one another. The flames grew with each passing, allowing half of them to fashion circles of fire in front of them. The other half started beating on the drums, setting a tempo for this ritual. The chief stepped aside, allowing Aang and Zuko to walk up the long stairs, and they did so at a slow but steady pace. Once they reached the bridge, they looked to the left and the right, and both ends of the bridge led to tunnels that went inside the dual peaks.

At this point in the day, it was approaching sunset, and the Sun was nearly level with the bridge in the sky. The Sun Warriors watched with reverence, as this was a sacred ritual for their people. Katara was wondering what was supposed to happen, wishing that the setting sun wasn't in her eyes. Toph wanted to slip away to get a closer look, since the dual peaks were just out of her range, too far for her vibration sight to see. Taiyo was tempted to peer through the rock, but figured that would be disrespectful, so he kept his eyes on Aang and Zuko.

One Sun Warrior spoke into a curved horn that amplified his voice. "Those who wish to meet the masters, Ran and Shaw, will now present their fire."

Understanding that well enough, both boys turned to opposite tunnels, holding their flames out while keeping their heads down. An enormous horn was blown, so loud it startled flocks of birds into flight, and the call was answered inside the mountain. Louder tremors shook the mountain, making loose dirt fall from the tunnels, which panicked Aang to the point where his flame went out. He tried to get some of Zuko's fire to replace his, only for the distraction to result in Zuko's fire going out as well. That left both of them with no fire to offer to the masters, just before they emerged.

As a pair of dragons.

"Whoa!" Taiyo blurted out, watching the dragons fly out of the tunnels. "They're still alive!"

"Gawk later!" Toph shouted. Though she couldn't see the dragons in flight, the immense beating of the wings was close enough for her. "Fighting time!"

Taiyo ran past all of the Sun Warriors, up the stairs, and reached the bridge. "Okay, I'm-"

"Wait!" Zuko interrupted. He held a free hand toward Taiyo, and he saw the dragons fly past each other. "Don't antagonize them."

Aang was staring at the dragons, firmly rooted in place by fear of being eaten alive. "They seem pretty antagonized to me!"

Down below, Katara and Toph raced for the stairs, getting halfway there before the Sun Warriors intervened. A wall of fire cut them off, several feet thick and sustained by three firebenders, who stood their ground against interference in their sacred ritual. The rest of the Sun Warriors circled around the girls, with flames dancing between their hands. This was despite the flying dragons making a maelstrom with their beating wings, which would have ripped the flames from the hands of the average firebender, highlighting the precise control the Sun Warriors had of their firebending.

"Out of the way!" Katara yelled.

She had all of her water out and some of it wrapped around her hands, the rest of it fashioned into waterwhips that lashed at the Sun Warriors. Fire clashed against the water, extinguishing much of the flames and evaporating much of the water, only for Katara to condense the steam back into water to use again. The warm and humid air made it easy for her to recycle the water lost to evaporation, and she quickly extinguished all the fire thrown at her. But while the Sun Warriors couldn't land a hit, Katara struggled to hit any of them, as they fought more defensively than the typical firebender.

Meanwhile, Toph had raised walls of rock from the ground, which blocked the worst of the flames that slammed against them. Some of that rock started to melt from the heat, so Toph fragmented the wall and launched the pieces at the Sun Warriors. They scattered to avoid being hit by the semi-molten rock, and then renewed their attacks. Toph simply made new walls to block them, thicker this time, so that they would last longer in the heat. She then started hurling stone blocks over the wall, which came down on top of the Sun Warriors, knocking down some of them.

"This is taking too long!" Toph yelled.

The dragons were still flying around the bridge, going over and under as needed to stay as close as possible to the center. But they hadn't attacked yet, which was weird for enormous beings with all the sharp teeth. Aang took a few steps toward the stairs, but then the red dragon flew in very close, which prompted Aang to back up. Zuko kept his guard up, ready to draw his swords, for all the good it would do him here. Taiyo was wondering what the dragons were waiting for, and whether or not he would survive if one of them ate him whole.

There was only one idea Aang could think of for the dragons' behavior. "Zuko, I think we're supposed to do the Dragon Dance with them."

"What?" Zuko blurted out, turning toward Aang. "What about this situation makes you think they want us to dance?"

"Well, I think they want us to do something," Aang answered. "Let's just try it."

"That was meant for two people," Taiyo said. That was when he looked down, and saw the Katara and Toph fighting the Sun Warriors. "Okay, if the dance doesn't work, I'll be right back."

Taiyo raced down the stairs to help the others, ambushing the Sun Warriors and tossing them aside. Meanwhile, Aang and Zuko went through the poses of the Dragon Dance, doing them in almost perfect unison. With each pose, there was a similarity to the motions of the dragons, and it became clear that the dance's name was more than just a reference. At the end of the dance the dragons had stopped, now hovering above opposite sides of the bridge. They were staring at the two humans in the middle, in full view of everyone below.

It was judgement time, Aang and Zuko standing back-to-back, both wondering if they were about to be eaten. The fighting below the bridge came to a stop, for the Sun Warriors wanted to witness the dragons' judgement of the outsiders. The dragons landed on the sides of the stairs, which shook the top of the mountain, and they placed their heads closer and below the bridge. Both of them blew enormous plumes of fire, which came together into a massive vortex of flame, burning all around the two teens in a myriad of colors.

"AANG!" Katara screamed.

The dragonfire went out as quickly as it had been created, with not a single scorch mark on anything or anyone. The dragons flew high above the bridge, then flew down for speed, and returned to the tunnels from whence they came. Toph and Katara were ready to resume fighting, and Taiyo was ready to end it, but the Sun Warriors did not resume their firebending. It was an immense relief to see Aang and Zuko walk down the stairs, calmly discussing what they had witnessed in the dragonfire, until they reached the bottom.

Katara immediately wrapped her arms around Aang. "You're okay!"

"Yeah," Aang said, returning the hug. "It was scary, but it was worth it."

Taiyo walked over and looked at Zuko. "What was it like in there?"

"Unbelievably beautiful," Zuko answered, the amazement still in his eyes. "I saw so many colors in their fire, colors I've never imagined."

"Like firebending harmony," Aang added.

"Who knew fire could do something like that?" Toph said.

Taiyo turned toward the Sun Warrior chief, who was surrounded by his people, some of them with bruises in various places. "Sorry if my friends and I overreacted. We all thought those dragons were going to eat our friends alive."

"That was a possibility, if the masters judged them unworthy," the chief admitted. He seemed a lot friendlier now, in light of the masters' approval of the outsiders. "And your dedication to your friends, in the face of such danger, is admirable."

Katara coated her hands in water, which glowed with healing light. "Let me make it up to you by healing those wounds."

"That would be appreciated," the chief said.

"Okay, sounds good," Toph said. She pointed at Zuko. "So, is your fire back on?"

Zuko punched at the air, and a large plume of fire appeared, brighter than any flame he had produced before. "Yes. I have a new drive. Helping to defeat my father and restore balance to the world."

Aang nodded, and mimicked the punch, creating a similar plume of fire. "Fire is really energy, and life."

"And now you're ready to start firebending for real," Taiyo said. He looked at the Sun Warriors, and then back to Aang. "But we should probably get back to the temple for that. The last thing we want is for the Fire Nation to catch us here and find these people too."

"The thought is appreciated," the Sun Warrior chief said. "And once you're gone, don't tell anyone about us. Letting the world think we are deceased is what has allowed us to survive all this time."

"Yeah, I know that feeling," Aang said. "Let's go get Sokka and Appa and get going."