AN: Alrighty, Chapter 48 takes place during Season 3 Episode 6: The Avatar and the Fire Lord. This is a very Aang/Zuko/Flashback-centric chapter, so I'll try to add some non-canon Xia parts. Various POVs as usually, so enjoy my lovelies!
PS- You guys are so amazing for waiting so patiently for this chapter. I love you all muchos!
PSS - 'Dreams/thoughts' and *Memories*
'"Aang, it's time you learn of my history with Fire Lord Sozin." Roku stated as he emerged from behind a wall of fire, his amber eyes focusing on the current Avatar across from him, "You need to understand how the war began, if you want to know how to end it." Roku closed his eyes and summoned an image of a deserted volcanic island into Aang's mind before continuing to speak, "Meet me on my home island on the day of the summer solstice."'
"Okay, Roku." Aang sighed in his sleep and rolled over, tucking his head against Xiaodan's side as they slept side-by-side on Appa's front leg.
The white-haired girl murmured unintelligibly and wrapped one arm around her younger brother's shoulders before settling into a deeper sleep.
Zuko rolled onto his side as he slept lightly and peacefully. Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps reached his ears and his eyes snapped open, instantly awake and alert. He sat up and quickly threw his covers off then he rushed to his door.
The scarred prince threw the door open and his eyes narrowed slightly when he saw a cloaked figure disappear down the hallway. He moved to go after the figure, but a scroll sitting in front of his door caught his attention. He stared at the scroll in surprise for a moment then picked it up, opening it.
"'You need to know the story of your great-grandfather's demise.'" Zuko read curiously, his brow furrowing slightly, "'It will reveal your own destiny.'"
He stared at the words for a moment then closed the scroll and stared down the dark hallway with a frown.
"There it is." Aang called out as he stopped bending a cloud around Appa and grabbed the reins, guiding the bison towards the island he recognized from his dream, "Roku's home."
Xiaodan leapt from the saddle and landed behind her brother while Katara and Sokka peered over the rim for a better look. Appa landed on the ground and the five teens began to dismount.
"But, there's nothing here." Katara commented in confusion after she, Xiaodan, Sokka, and Aang had descending from Appa.
"Yes, there is. An entire village, hundreds of houses..." Toph said quietly when her feet touched the ground and a strong breeze blew past the five, shifting a layer of ash along the ground and brushing past their feet, "All completely buried in ash."
Xiaodan brought her hand up to her mouth, her eyes widening in horror as she stared at the black, ashy ground.
Zuko frowned slightly as he stood in the hall where the paintings of the previous Fire Lords hung on the walls, his eyes riveted to the portrait of his great-grandfather Sozin.
"It's never to early for a sitting with the court painter, Zuko." Azula quipped snidely as she walked passed her brother with a smirk, "Make sure he gets your good side."
Zuko clenched his jaw in anger and turned his head slightly in his sister's direction to glare at her. His glare faltered slightly and he sighed silently in defeat.
"Wait, I need to ask you something." He called out reluctantly and he turned to fully face Azula when she stopped walking, "What do you remember about our great-grandfather's history?"
"Oh, Zuko, it's so strange how your mind works." Azula sighed in mild exasperation as she walked back over to her brother and gestured towards Sozin's portrait, "Fire Lord Sozin began the war, of course. He spend his early years secrets preparing for it. He was as patient as he was clever. He famously waited for the comet, later renamed Sozin's Comet, and used it's power to launch his full-scale invasion of the world." Azula shrugged one shoulder and turned back around, "In the end, he died a very old and successful man."
"But how did he die?" Zuko asked curiously as he stared up at the portrait in confusion.
Azula turned towards her brother and put one hand on her hip, "Didn't you pay any attention in school, Zuko? He died peacefully in his sleep." She turned and began walking away, calling out over her shoulder flippantly, "He was ancient."
Zuko scowled at his sister's back then looked back at the portrait with a frustrated expression marring his face.
Xiaodan crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knees, her orange eyes focused on Aang's scarred back as he sat at the very tip of a hardened wave of lava, facing the ocean and the setting sun. Toph, Katara, and Sokka sat beside her and the four watched as Aang's arrow tattoos began to glow a brilliant white.
Aang opened his eyes and looked around in mild surprise, staring at the clouds surrounding the mountain top he was sitting on. He stood when he saw Fang, Avatar Roku's red dragon flying towards him with Roku on his back, the previous Avatar smiling faintly when the dragon reached Aang.
Zuko stared blankly at the canopy above his bed then he rolled over, staring at the scroll lying innocently on his bedside table beside a lit lamp. Sitting up, he picked up the scroll and read it to himself for what felt like the hundredth time.
"What does it mean?" Zuko muttered to himself then he scoffed in annoyance and tossed the scroll to the side, lying back on his bed.
The scroll landed on the lamp and the light from the lantern shone through the parchment, revealing a secret message written in red ink. Zuko gasped quietly and quickly stood up, grabbing the scroll from atop the lantern.
"'The Fire Sages keep the secret history in the Dragonbone Catacombs." He read quietly to himself.
Zuko stared at the secret message for a moment then glanced to the side in thought. Coming to a decision, he grabbed his cloak and hurriedly left his room, sneaking out of the palace. He slipped silently through the shadows and headed north, towards the Fire Sages Capital Temple.
When he reached the temple, Zuko silently followed one of the Fire Sages as he walked through one of the temple courtyards. The Fire Sage stopped and crouched over a large medallion fashioned in the shape of a flower in the middle of the courtyard. Zuko pressed his back against a pillar and hid in the shadows, observing the Fire Sage as he delivered a blast of fire into the center of the medallion, opening a hidden passage under the courtyard. Zuko crouched behind the pillar as the Fire Sage disappeared into the hidden passage, waiting until no one was around.
When it was well past midnight, Zuko straightened and carefully looked around then he walked over to the medallion. He crouched and sent a fire blast into the center of the medallion, opening the hidden passage and revealing a spiral staircase. Zuko walked down the staircase until he reached the bottom, where he saw a hall lined with dragon skulls.
Zuko glanced at the dragon bones as he walked passed them before he stopped in front of an ornate door with metal sculpture of Fire Lord Sozin on it, with the Fire Nation emblem on the sculpture's chest. Placing his left hand over the emblem, Zuko sent a blast of fire into it, filling the door with fire which came out of the statue's eyes, nose and mouth. When the fire dispersed, the door slid open and Zuko entered into the dark chamber, pulling the hood of his cloak down.
He lifted his lantern and looked around the dark chamber, his gaze wandering around the various artifacts and vessels that filled the room before he focused on the large statue of dragon in the middle of the room. Zuko walked forward and examined the dragon statue for a moment before looking beneath its head, where several scrolls in boxes rested.
"'The final testimony of Fire Lord Sozin.'" He murmured, reaching out and picking up one of the scroll boxes.
Xiaodan rubbed her hands against her thighs, pursing her lips slightly as she stared at Aang. Restlessness stirred within her and the white-haired girl couldn't keep herself from fidgeting in place. Unable to sit any longer, Xiaodan Airbended herself to her feet and dusted the ash off her pants.
"I'm gonna check on Appa and Momo." The dual-bender murmured quietly in explanation when Sokka and Katara gave her curious looks, "And get something to eat."
"Oh, oh, can you bring me something?" Sokka asked eagerly, widening his eyes into a puppy-like look, "Please?"
Xiaodan rolled her eyes affectionately and nodded once in agreement before quietly walking back to where Appa was resting with Momo.
Back in the Spirit World, Roku held his hand out to Aang, "Come, Aang."
"Where're we going?" Aang asked after he had climbed onto Fang's back with Roku's help and the dragon began to fly off.
"To visit my past." Roku replied then he smiled slyly, "Our shared past."
Aang grinned widely in excitement.
Zuko sat on the floor and leaned against the bottom of the dragon statue, reading the first scroll intently by the lantern light.
*"As I feel my own life dimming, I can't help but think of a time when everything was so much brighter..."
In a lush courtyard of the Fire Nation Palace, two young Firebenders dueled. The two young men exchanged fire blasts, each nimble dodging the other's attack.
"I remember my friend..."
The shorter, stockier of the two young men glanced down at the his taller friend's feet and grinned slyly when he noticed how close his feet were to a tree root. The shorter man stepped forward and kicked a blast at his taller friend, driving him back and causing him to trip over the root and fall back. Lunging forward, the shorter Firebender grabbed his friend's shirt and held him up before he fell completely to the ground. The shorter man held his fist up as if to fire a blast, but instead he let his friend go, watching as he crashed to the ground with a grunt.
"Looks like I win again, Roku." The shorter man said playfully as he extended a hand to help his fallen friend.
"Are you kidding?" Roku retorted teasingly as he grabbed his friend's hand and stood, "The tree root did all the work." Roku smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder, "Nice one, Sozin."*
Aang stared at the two young men with a surprised expression then he looked up at the spirit of Roku with wide eyes, "You were friends with Fire Lord Sozin?"
"Back then, he was just Prince Sozin." Roku replied then he smiled faintly, "And he was my best friend."
Aang turned back and watched as the young versions of Sozin and Roku left the courtyard, pausing just outside the archway when a young Fire Nation lady walked passed.
*The young Roku straightened and lifted his chin when the young Fire Nation lady passed. He sighed and stared after her dreamily, a blush staining his cheeks.
Sozin smirked slightly and nudged his friend in the side, "Say something to her."
Roku started to walk after the young lady, raising his hand and opening his mouth to call out a greeting, but he shut his mouth a moment later, overcome by embarrassment. The young lady continued to walk away and Roku sighed despondently, covering his face with his hands and falling onto his back. Sozin chuckled quietly and sat down cross-legged next to his friend, plucking grass from the ground and sprinkling it over his face.*
"Love is hard when you are young." Roku commented as he and Aang watched his history.
"You don't have to tell me." Aang muttered with a sigh.
Roku smiled slightly and put his hand on the young Avatar's shoulder, "Don't worry, it gets better." He turned and began walking away, "Now, come with me. We have a party to attend."
Aang followed after the previous Avatar, blinking when the lush courtyard disappeared and was replaced with another courtyard filled with people and celebratory decorations.
"Wait, whose party is this?" Aang asked curiously as he looked at all the people.
"Sozin and I shared many things," Roku replied lightly, "Including a birthday."
*Roku smiled faintly as he walked down the stairs beside Sozin, his gaze wandering over the crowd of people that had come to celebrate his and his best friend's birthday. His gaze fastened on Ta Min, the young lady he had a crush on and she looked back at him before looking down and blushing. Beside her, Ta Min's friend leaned over her shoulder and giggled. Roku grinned and blushed as he continued to stare at the two young ladies while continuing to walk down the stairs.
Thoroughly distracted, Roku tripped over his feet and started to fall down the stairs, but before he could, Sozin quickly grabbed him by the hand. Blushing in embarrassment, Roku quickly straightened and composed himself while Sozin laughed merrily at him.
Suddenly, a group of Fire Sages entered the courtyard and the chattering crowd went silent, staring at the men with undisguised curiosity as they approached Sozin and Roku.
Sozin hurried down the rest of the stairs and approached the Sages with a concerned expression, "Did something happen to my father?"
"No, Prince Sozin. We are not here for you." The eldest Fire Sage said quietly, "We're here to announce the identity of the next Avatar."
Behind the Sages, the crowd began to whisper quietly while Sozin and Roku stared at the Sages in shock.
"It is our honor to serve you, Avatar Roku." The lead Sage intoned as he and the others bowed to the young man.
Roku stared at the man with a slackened jaw and a bewildered expression, his eyes widening further when the crowd began to bow a few moments later. Sozin stared up at his friend, still in shock. He looked around at the bowing crowd before turning and kneeling before his friend with his head bowed.*
"Soon the day came when my friend Roku had to leave the Fire Nation and face his destiny as the Avatar..."'Zuko read to himself, his brow furrowing slightly, "He needed to travel the world so he could master the other elements..."
*"Hey, why aren't you packed yet, all-powerful Avatar?" Sozin asked teasingly as he leaned against the doorway of his friend's room.
Roku didn't respond as he sat on his bed, staring dejectedly at the empty chest on the floor in front of him. Sozin looked down sympathetically before he straightened and smile.
"Come on," He encouraged with a grin as he leapt into the room and attempted to demonstrate different bending forms, "Show me how it's done using all four kinds of bending."
"I started packing," Roku said quietly without looking at his best friend, "But then the Fire Sages told me I won't need any worldly possessions anymore."
"Oh..." Sozin murmured sympathetically and he sat down on the bed beside Roku.
"It happened to fast. Everything's gonna be different now."
Sozin stared at the ground for a moment then reached up and removed his Crown Prince headpiece, holding it out to Roku.
"Here, hope you're at least allowed to have this."
"But this is a royal artifact." Roku protested slightly as he stared at the headpiece, "It's supposed to be worn by the Crown Prince."
Sozin smiled at his best friend, "I want you to have it."
Roku smiled back at his friend and took the headpiece, slipping it onto his topknot and sliding the pin in place. Still smiling at each other, the two friends stood and bowed to each other...*
Zuko frowned slightly as he read the scroll by the lantern light, shifting slightly into a more comfortable position on the hard ground.
Xiaodan, Sokka, and Katara all watched with disturbed expressions as Aang stood up and shifted into a horse stance, still meditating. The white-haired girl felt her jaw drop in shock and disgust as her brother began to grunt quietly before sighing in relief, a content smile on his face.
"Do they have bathrooms in the Spirit World?" Katara asked, her expression disgusted and disturbed.
Sokka raised his finger with a sage expression on his face, "As a matter of fact, they do not."
Beside him, Xiaodan covered her mouth and gagged.
Back in the Spirit World, Aang grinned happily as he rode on Fang's back with Roku. Excitement filled Aang when he recognized the very familiar place the dragon was flying towards, "Hey, we're almost at the Southern Air Temple!"
Roku smiled as Fang flew closer, "This was the first stop on my Avatar journey." Fang flew easily through the Patola Mountains, the Air Temple in the distance, "It was the place where I was trained to master Airbending."
His smile softened when Fang flew close enough to see a line of young Air Nomad monks, a young Roku standing at the end of the line and Airbending his black hair into another young monk's face. Irritated, the young monk, bend the hair back at Roku, who responded by nudging the shorter monk with his shoulder.
"And also where I met an old friend of yours." Roku stated quietly, "Monk Gyatso."
"No way!" Aang gasped in delight and disbelief before he turned to look at the monks standing on a grassy ledge just as an older Air Nomad leading the students, launched off the side of the ledge.
Aang continued to watch as the young Air Nomads lined up by twos and followed their teacher off the ledge, the young Gyatso and Roku the last one to go. The two were laughing and grinning as they glided side-by-side.
*"Hey, Gyatso, you wanna see a new glider trick?" Roku called out to his friend before he flew up and looped twice.
"Check this out!" Gyatso laughed then he flipped himself over and stood on top of his glider as if he were surfing.*
"He's air surfing!" Aang exclaimed excitedly as he pointed at the young image of his former teacher, "I can't believe Xia and I never thought of that!"
Aang watched as Gyatso suddenly lost his balance on the glider and fell off, but before he could fall far, Roku caught him on the back of his own glider. The extra weight caused Roku to loose control of his own glider and the two go down, heading towards the other young monks, who had already landed back on the grassy ledge. The other young monks see Roku and Gyatso and hurried to get away as they flew low, about to crash into the crash ledge. Unfortunately, the other young monks were unable to get out of the way completely and Roku and Gyatso crashed into them, sending up a large cloud of dust.
The dust cleared, revealing the young monks scattered about on their backs with Gyatso and Roku on their stomachs next to each other. Gyatso pushed himself up onto his hands and knees then flicked his hand towards Roku, Airbending his hair out of his face when Roku lifted his head. The two grinned widely at each other and Roku patted Gyatso shoulder as the young monk shifted into a cross-legged position.
"That's amazing!" Aang said in awe as he stared down at the young Roku and Gyatso from Fang's back, "I can't believe you were friends with Monk Gyatso just like I was!"
"Some friendships are so strong," Roku murmured as he closed his eyes, "They can even transcend lifetimes."
Fang began to fly off and Aang watched as the scene shift and change until the Patola Mountains became the Northern Water Tribe, where two individuals stood on a plateau of ice some distance away from the city.
"After my years mastering Airbending, I traveled to the Northern Water Tribe." Roku explained as he and Aang watched his former Waterbending teacher bend a large water drill from the ocean behind him, thrusting it forward and knocking Roku's younger self and part of the plateau into the water, "Waterbending was especially challenging for me. But in time, I mastered it as well."
Aang watched in aw as Roku shot from the water and bended an enormous wave of water directly at his master, who was still standing on the small glacier. The blast completely destroyed the glacier, carrying Roku's Waterbending master all the way back to the Northern Water Tribe's palace, where he hit the top. His master sat up and shook his head, smiling proudly at Roku, who stood on an ice float, smiling as well.
"I moved onto the Earth Kingdom."
The memory faded and was replaced by another, this time of Roku's time in the Earth Kingdom. He stood shirtless at the base of a large mountain before he began to make quick motions across his body, bending a large piece of earth beneath his feet and riding up the mountain side. As the memory of Roku raced up the mountain, another Earthbender appeared to his right and slightly behind him, riding his own large piece of earth up the mountain side.
"My Earthbending master, Sud, was uncompromising, stubborn, and blunt..."
Aang watched eagerly as Roku and his Earthbending master raced into a clump of thick brush and trees, disappearing from view for several moments.
"And he was a lifelong friend..."Roku continued fondly as he watched his memory play out before him and Aang from Fang's back just as Sud reached the finishing point at the top of the mountain.
The Earthbender quickly brought himself to halt and thrust his fists into the air, cheering for himself triumphantly. The victorious expression on his face faded and was replace by surprise when he saw Roku sitting on a small rock platform, with a tea pot resting on another one beside him. The Earthbender smiled and nodded in approval before taking the tea cup Roku offered him, raising the glasses to each other in a silent salute.
"It was bitter work..." Roku said quietly as the memory faded and another of himself standing on a beach replaced it, "But the results were worth it." His younger self began bending the four elements in four different directions, starting with Waterbending and ending with Airbending.
Zuko pursed his lips and shifted his grip on the scroll as he continued to read his great-grandfather's last testament.
"Twelve long years passed before I saw my friend again. When Roku returned, he was a fully realized Avatar, and I had changed as well..."
*Sozin sat in the large throne room on his throne with his hands resting on his knees, watching impassively as his old friend walked down the long red carpet towards him.
"Sozin!" Roku exclaimed happily as he stopped before the stairs at the base of the throne, "Or should I say, Fire Lord!"
"Customarily, my subjects bow before greeting me." Sozin replied flatly with a straight face then he stood up slowly and walked towards his old friend, "But you're the exception."*
Roku's surprised expression morphed into one of amusement as the two men smiled and embraced each other.
"After all these years, he was still my best friend." Roku commented quietly from where he and Aang were watching the younger version of himself and Sozin from behind before the scene changed to a wedding ceremony in a Fire Nation courtyard full of guests from all the Nations, "And a few months later, he was my best man."
Aang watched as Roku lifted the wedding veil from his bride's face and his eyes widened in surprise, "Roku, it's that girl who didn't even know you were alive!"
"Ta Min. I was persistent." Roku stated with fondness as he watched his wedding, "When love is real, it finds a way. And being the Avatar doesn't hurt your chances with the ladies, either."
Aang looked up at his past life then back at the memory, smiling softly as the guests began to clap quietly.
"On wedding days, we look to the future with optimism and joy." Zuko read to himself, his lips pursing further, "I had my own vision for the future..."
*Sozin walked towards the newly married couple as they sat receiving and thanking their guests.
"Excuse me." The Fire Lord murmured quietly to the bride with a small smile as he leaned between the two then he nodded towards Roku, "May I borrow him for a moment?"
Ta Min looked at him hesitantly for a moment then smiled softly, "It's not very traditional, but, okay."
Roku smiled at his new bride then stood and followed his old friend out of the courtyard and onto a balcony that overlooked the courtyard as well the valley that contained the village surrounding the palace.
"What's on your mind?" Roku asked his friend curiously as he watched Sozin walk towards the balcony railing facing the valley below.
"I've been thinking hard about the state of the world lately." Sozin replied seriously as he stared down at the valley.
"Sozin, it's my wedding!" Roku chided his old friend teasingly as he put his hand on his shoulder, "Have a cookie, dance with someone, lighten up!"
"I know, I know, but just hear me out." Sozin asked pleadingly with a slight smile as he turned to face his old friend and Roku bowed his head slightly in agreement and the two began walking slowly along the balcony, "Right from the start, I was destined to be Fire Lord. And although we didn't always know it, you were destined to be the Avatar." Behind him Roku stopped walking as Sozin continued forward a few more steps, "It's an amazing stroke of fate we know it each other so well, isn't it? Together, we could do...anything."
Roku stared at Sozin's back with a serious and contemplative expression, "Yeah, we could."
"Our nation is enjoying an unprecedented time of peace and wealth." Sozin said passionately as he looked down at the village in the valley below, "Our people are happy, and we're so fortunate in so many ways."
"Where are you going with this?" Roku asked with cautious concern.
"I've been thinking, we should share this prosperity with the rest of the world." Sozin replied then he turned to face Roku, "In our hands is the most successful empire in history. It's time we expanded it."
"No!" Roku's eyes narrowed and he glared at his old friend, "The four nations are meant to be just that, four."
"Roku, you haven't even stopped to consider the possibilities."
"There are no possibilities. This is last I want to hear about this." Roku snapped back then he spun on his heel and stalked away from the balcony, his expression angry.*
"That was my first real test as the Avatar." Roku's spirit told Aang as they watched the memory finish playing out, "Unfortunately, it was many years before I learned the Sozin had gone ahead with his plan, despite my warning."
*Roku's eyes narrowed as Fang flew over the ocean towards the Earth Kingdom, his eyes narrowing further when he saw an Earth Kingdom fortress with plumes of smoke rising from behind the walls and a Fire Nation insignia covering the Earth Kingdom's symbol.
Golden-brown eyes blazing, Roku instructed Fang to turn back to the Fire Nation where he could confront his old friend.
Roku pushed the doors to the throne room open and stalked regally towards his old friend with the doors closing behind him, "I've seen the colonies Sozin. How dare you occupy Earth Kingdom territory!"
"How dare you, a citizen of the Fire Nation address your Fire Lord this way." Sozin shot back in a dangerously calm voice, amber eyes narrowed viciously as the Avatar approached him, "Your loyalty is to our nation first. Anything less makes you a traitor."
"Don't do this, Sozin." Roku implored his oldest friend, "Don't challenge me. It will only end badly. It's over."
Roku turned away and began walking back towards the doors of the throne room. Behind him, Sozin clenched his jaw as rage bubbled up inside him and he leapt from his throne, thrusting his fists forward and sending a powerful blast of fire at his friend's back.
Sozin lowered his fists after a few moments with a heavy exhale, watching as the flames dissipated. His eyes narrowed then widened when he saw that Roku was no where to be seen, his eyes widened further in mild panic when the ground began to rumble and he looked over his shoulder just in time to see Roku burst from the throne room floor, having burrowed into the ground with Earthbending to defend himself from Sozin's attack.
Before Sozin could turn around completely, Roku quickly punched his fist forward, delivering a powerful blast of air at the Fire Lord. Sozin's back slammed into the closed throne room doors, a pained grunt exploding from his mouth, and he fell to his knees on the floor. He grunted again, this time in surprise, as a pillar of earth suddenly lifted him from the ground by the back of his robes and pinned him to the ceiling of the throne room.
Roku stared at his friend for a moment before closing his eyes and bringing his hands together in front of his face. He inhaled deeply, entering the Avatar State as he exhaled and opened his now glowing eyes. Roku lowered his hands and spread his arms out slightly, powerful currents of air exploding from his and destorying the pillars of the throne room as well as the rest of that part of the palace.
Still trapped on the pillar Roku had Earthbended, Sozin lifted his arms to cover his face from the dust and smoke that covered the air after Roku destoryed the throne room. Slowly lowering his arms, the Fire Lord glared at Roku as he bended an air spout around his body and lifted himself towards Sozin.
"I'm sparing you, Sozin." Roku growled at his old friend, "I'm letting you go in the name of our past friendship. But I warn you. Even a single step out of line will result in your permanent end."
Sozin clenched his jaw and stared his old friend down, dark amber eyes full of rage. Roku held his eyes unflinchingly, and finally, Sozin's expression morphed into one of defeat and he hung his head.
Roku stared at Sozin for a moment then turned away, quickly riding the air spout away from his former friend.*
Back in the Mortal World, Xiaodan hunched over several scraps of Aang's old clothing with one of Katara's sewing needles in hand. With her brows furrowed in concentration, Xiaodan carefully and painstakingly stitched the scraps of orange and yellow fabric together, keeping one eye on Aang's squatting form while Katara sat beside her, patching up some of the other garments and Sokka and Toph entertained themselves.
"Ack!"
Sokka's sudden yelp caused the two older benders to looked up from their work and stare at him curiously. A smile tugged at the corner of Xiaodan's lips when she saw that Toph had flicked a booger at Sokka, hitting him in the middle of the forehead while Katara sighed in exasperation at the two.
"Why would you do that!?" Sokka demanded in a high pitched squawk of indignation and disgust as he scrubbed furiously at his face, "Ugh!"
Toph smirked at the older boy and leaned back on her hands, "Don't be such a baby."
Sokka sputtered and turned to look at Xiaodan and Katara, who had watched the entire exchange with amusement or exasperation, for support, but Katara merely rolled her eyes and went back to her work. Sokka gaped at his sister's dismissal and looked imploringly at the white-haired teen.
Xiaodan smiled cheerfully and leaned towards Toph, patting her shoulder, "Nice shot."
Toph grinned in the older girl's direction then turned a smug smile towards Sokka, who threw his hands in the air and stomped away, grumbling under his breath.
Xiaodan chortled quietly and glanced over at Aang still form, before returning to her work.
"Sozin and I didn't speak or see each other for twenty-five years after our battle." Roku explained as the memory shifted and the destoryed throne room became Roku's island at night, "I spend most of my spare time here, at my home."
*Roku slept peacefully beside his elderly wife Ta Min inside their home. A sudden tremor and a loud, thunderous sound jolted them awake and Roku leapt from their bed, looking out towards the window. His eyes widening in shock and dismay as several large balls of fire fell from the sky and crashed into the island. Ta Min turned terrified eyes on her husband and he quickly grabbed her hand, ushering her out of the roomand towards the house entrance, the Crown Prince headpiece falling to the floor unbeknownst to either of them.
Roku gasped as he emerged from his house to find the air filled with smoke and ash. Coughing harshly, he and his wife shielded their faces with thier arms as best they could and Roku turned, staring in horror and worry as one of the volcanoes on the island erupted.
"Let's go!" He shouted, grasping his wife's hand and Airbending the smoke and ash out of their away to create a path for them. He tugged on her hand, leading her through the path he created at a dead run towards the smoke and ash-filled town where the rest of the townspeople were fleeing to the docks.
Fang suddenly flew up from behind Roku's house, narrowly escaping as an ash flow completely buries his master's home, and he quickly soared towards the waiting ocean.
Holding tightly to his wife's hand and shielding his face with his free arm, Roku led her and the townspeople to the safety of the docks as ash continued to fall all around them. Roku glanced over his shoulder, his heart stuttering in his chest when he saw a swell of lava ooze from the mouth of the volcano and down the side. He glanced at Ta Min, meeting her terrified eyes for a brief moment then he let go of her hand, motioning for her to go on without him. Ta Min stared back at her husband, keeping her hand outstretched to him as she continued to run towards safetly, continously glancing over her shoulder and hoping he will grab her hand again.
Roku watched his wife run to safety with many of the towns people then he turned around to face the advacing wave of smoke and ash. He quickly touched his fists together and Airbended a sphere of air around him for protection.
In the safety of several boats, Ta Min and many of the townspeople stared at the air dome in trepidation.*
"Roku's island was a hundred miles away." Zuko read from the scroll, "But I could still feel it rumbling and see the black plume of smoke. I had never seen anything like this catastrophe."
*Sozin stared at the plume of black smoke from a balcony in the Fire Nation palace, his age spotted and wrinkled hands clutching the railing tightly. He watched the smoke billow from the summit, lightning striking above the volcano and the sound of the earth rumbling reaching his ears even from this distance.*
*Roku quickly Earthbended a gigantic wall as a landslide rapidly towards the town, Thursting his arms behind him, Roku rode the wall towards the still rapidly falling earth, bringing the landslide to a complete halt and stopping it from destorying the town. The volcano suddenly ejected a massive wave of lava, which rolled down the side of the volcano towards the wall of earth, easily breeching it.
Roku recoiled and quickly fled to the bottom of the summit, where he swung his arms and cut through the ground to create a trench to divert the lava into the surroudning ocean and away from what was the town.*
Roku and Aang's spirits watched the destruction from high above on Fang's back.
"This is amazing, Roku!" Aang exclaimed in awe, "You're battling a volcano, and you're winning!"
Roku sighed in regret as he stared down at his home, "Unfortunately, my success didn't last long, Aang. There was no way I could do it all."
*Roku watched the lava filling the trench for a moment then turned to look up at the top of the volcano just as it violently expelled another giant wave of lava. Gritting his teeth in determination, Roku raced up towards volcano and leapt into the air, using Airbending to propel himself towards the mouth. He sucked in a deep breath then blew it out, sending a powerful blast of air from his mouth at the lava, which instantly cooled and hardened. Roku landed on the hardened and cooled lava, but suddenly a blast of poisonous gas spouts up from the ground to his right and he quickly turned, covering his face with his arm.
He twisted on his heel and airbended the noxious fumes away from him then suddenly more lava appeared on his right. He quickly Airbended the lava away from him, but another ket of noxious gas erupts right infront of his face and he quickly Airbended it away, coughing heavily.*
"Battles the elements was hard enough." Roku said to Aang as they watched himself attempt to battle the volcano, "I had to do it while I could barely breath. The poisonous, volcanic gases were overwhelming."
*Lightning crashed around the crater and Roku looked up just as Fang flew towards him. The summit suddenly emitted another lava fountain, forcing Fang to pull back to avoid the blast. The dragon roared loudly and Roku waved him away.
"It's alright, Fang!" Roku cried out before coughing harshly as he Airbended another jet of gases away from himself, "Get out of here! I'm fine!"
Roku leapt into the air, twisting his body from side-to-side as he entered the Avatar State. He slammed his fist into the ground, Earthbending a tremor through the volcano and breaking out the back of the crater, which successfully lessened the lava flowing towards the town. But as the lava flowed down the back of the large volcano, the smaller, second volcano abruptly erupted. Roku, no longer in the Avatar State, stared at the second volcano in dismay and hopelessly hung his head.
"Need a hand, old friend?"
Roku whirled around and stared in surprise at Sozin, sitting atop his blue dragon, "Sozin?"
Sozin held his hand out to his old friend, "There's no time to waste."
Roku hesitated only a moment before grasping Sozin's hand and leapt onto the blue dragon's back. Sozin quickly guided his dragon towards the second volcano where both benders leapt off to land on the rim of the volcano's mouth.
Roku quickly began to Firebend the fountain of lava back into the crater while Sozin, balanced on the mouth of the vent. He began cooling the lava by absorbing the heat and passing it through himself then redirecting it out through his other hand.
Suddenly, lightning blasted above Sozin and the earth beneath his feet became unstable. He stumbled and began to fall back off the side of the volcano, but Roku quickly Earthbended a shelf of rock beneath the Fire Lord, catching him. Stable once more, Sozin glanced at his old friend in appreciation for a moment before turning back to the volcano just as the earth trembles violently and another surge of ash and rock shoot up form the crater. The two old friends glanced at each other then began to run away from the crater.
"Don't breath the toxic gas!" Roku gasped out as the two ran and he Airbended away a jet of noxious fumes that had shot up directly next to Sozin. Suddenly, another jet erupted directly into Roku's face and he gasped. Coughing and hacking, he stumbled forward as the gas caused him to become disoriented, his vision blurring. He lifted his hands, but they blurred out of focus, "It's...to...much."
He fell to his knees as the poisons in the gas began to overwhelm him and he looked up towards Sozin, holding his hand out to his old friend for help, "Please..."
Sozin stared down at his old friend with a blank expression, "Without you, all my plans are suddenly possible." He looked away from his friend then back again, "I have a vision for the future, Roku."
Roku watched in disbelief and pain as Sozin's blue dragon appeared and Sozin climbed onto its back before flying away, leaving him to his fate. Roku could do nothing but stare in defeat as more toxic gas surrounded him while a surge of rock and ash flowed swiftly towards him from behind.
Coughing heavily, Roku struggled to get to his feet, but fell to his knees once more as the poisons in his body continued to overwhelm him. He swallowed thickly and lifted his head up just as Fang appeared and flew above him for several moments before flying down and wrapping himself around Roku. Moments later the avalanche of rock and ash cover the dragon and the Avatar completely...*
Aang blinked as a white light flashed across his vision, taking hte memory of Roku's death and replacing it with another one. The soft cries of a baby reached his ears.
"Who's..." Aang stared then blinked in shock as an Air Nomad nun picked up the squirming infant and held him aloft, while two other Air Nomads stood in the shadows, "Wait, that's me, isn't it?"
Roku smiled down at Aang, "Make sense of our past Aang. And you will bring peace, and restore balance in the world." He began to slowly disappear, his body fading away.
"Roku?" Aang jerked his head to the side and he stared at the space Roku's spirit used to be and he walked towards the whiteness that his past life had disappeared into, "Roku!
"With Roku gone, and the great comet returning, the timing was perfect to change to the world..." Zuko read, pulling his knees up slightly and staring intently at the scroll in his hands.
*Sozin stood at the balcony and stared down at the hundreds of soldiers standing below then he looked at the Fire Navy ships floating calmly in the water beyond.*
"I knew the next Avatar would be born an Air Nomad. So I wiped out the Air Temples. But somehow, the new Avatar eluded me. I wasted the remainder of my life searching in vain. I know he's hiding out there somewhere. The Fire Nations greatest threat...the last Airbender."
Zuko gaped at the last sentence for a moment, "That can't be it! Where's the rest of it?" He stretched the scroll out, searching for more information but finding none. He stared at the scroll for another moment then set it down and stood up, his expression set into a determined frown as he left the Dragonbone Catacombs.
Zuko stalked into his uncle's prison and slammed the door behind him then he stormed towards the bars his uncle was sitting behind with his head bowed.
"You sent this, didn't you?" He demanded sharply, holding up the scroll that had led him to the Dragonbone Catacombs, "I found the secret history, which by the way should be renamed the history most people already know! The note said that I needed to know about my great-grandfather's death, but he was still alive in the end!"
Iroh slowly lifted his head and looked at his nephew with a weary expression, "No. He wasn't."
"What are you talking about?"
"You have more that one great-grandfather, Prince Zuko. Sozin was your father's grandfather." Iroh explained softly and Zuko looked at him in bewilderment, "Your mother's grandfather was Avatar Roku."
Jaw slackening, Zuko stared at his uncle in silence for several moments before he croaked out, "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because understanding the struggle between your two great-grandfathers can help you better understand the battle within yourself." Iroh replied patiently, watching as his nephew sat down and hung his head, "Evil and good are always at war inside you, Zuko. It is your nature, your legacy. But, there's a bright side.
"What happened generations ago can be resolved now, by you. Because of your legacy, you alone can cleanse the sins of our family and the Fire Nation. Born in you, along with all the strife, is the power to restore balance to the world." Iroh shifted in his seat and turned to remove a brick from the wall behind him then he removed a cloth wrapped bundle from inside the small niche.
He turned back around and walked towards the cell bars, slowly unwrapping the bundle to reveal the once-lost headdress that Sozin had given Roku when they were young.
"This is a royal artifact. It's supposed to be worn," Iroh said quietly as Zuko stood up and he held out the headpiece, "By the Crown Prince."
Zuko swallowed thickly and took the headdress from his uncle's hands, holding the artifact in his hand and staring down at it blankly. Iroh watched the conflict play across his nephew's face quietly and patiently.
"You mean, after all Roku and Sozin went through together," Katara said slowly as she stood with Aang, Xiaodan, Sokka, and Toph on the hardened lava wave Aang had been meditating on, "Even after Roku showed him mercy, Sozin betrayed him like that?"
"It's like these people are born bad." Toph quipped drily and Xiaodan shook her head, placing a tanned hand on the younger girl's shoulder, "I don't think that's quite right, Toph."
"Yeah," Aang agreed with a nod at his sister, "I don't think that was the point of what Roku showed me at all."
Sokka gave a confused shrug, "Then what was the point?"
"Roku was just as much Fire Nation as Sozin was, right?" Aang stated and the others nodded slightly in agreement, "If anything, their story proves anyone's capable of great good and great evil. Everyone, even the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation have to be treated like they're worth giving a change." Aang smiled slightly as he looked at his friends, "And I also think it was about friendships."
Toph shifted slightly and turned her head towards Aang, "Do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?"
Aang smiled and grasped Toph's hand in his own, "I don't see why not."
Xiaodan smiled at her brother proudly and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around both Aang's and Toph's shoulders, while Katara took Toph's other hand.
"Well..." Sokka mused idly as he closed his eyes and cupped his chin thoughtfully, "Scientifically speaking, there's no way to prove that..."
"Oh, Sokka," Katara snapped at her brother in annoyance, "Just hold hands!"
Sokka's mouth shut with a soft click and without moving from his spot beside his seat, he thrust his hand out to hold Katara's. Katara beamed happily and Xiaodan laughed before resting her chin on top of Toph's head, smiling contentedly out at the ocean.
Author's Note: Please don't kill me! I know it's been...er...October, November, December, January, February...Almost five months since I've updated and I promised I wouldn't take that long ever again, but this chapter was so gosh darn difficult to write! And I still don't think it's that good! It's just been really, really, really difficult for me to write anything lately and I'm actually really freaking shocked that I managed to even finish this chapter, but I'm super glad that I did, because now I don't have to post an Author's note telling you lovely people that I will be going through and editing/rewritten the chapters that I've already written. Anyhooties, once again super sorry for the long wait, I'm not sure when I'll post the next chapter but I'll try to do it within two weeks. So I hope y'all liked this chapter! Next chapter takes place during Season 3 Episode 7: The Runaway!
Not gonna do the special mentions this time around, but I will in the next chapter, but I want all my reviewers to know that I absolutely adore you all!
SUPER SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT STUCK WITH THIS STORY! ALSO SUPER SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT FAVED, ALERTED, AND REVIEWED! YOU GUYS ARE FREAKING AWESOME-SAUCE!
PS- Please forgiving any grammar mistakes, I was too tired to go through and really check it out. Feel free to point them out though!