Chapter 5

The Warriors of Kyoshi

Hope I didn't keep you in suspense on chapter four? Because I have you answers right here in chapter five. And I'll be honest, I thought I was going to start another story when finding one online that inspired me to write another different one, but I didn't. I did made a note on the idea and saved it in my files for a later date.

Anyway, on with the show!

A clear, starry night sky, and the sun's just barely rising over the seas horizon.

In his bedroom, Zuko sits peacefully with his eyes close meditating in front of a small table with four candles all lined in strait row and lit glowing steadily increases and decreases in time with Zuko's relaxed inhalations and exhalations continually brightening and dimming.

A few doors down the hall, Jake was also practicing his meditations he crack his eye open once or twice to see if the flames on the candles brightening and dimming in timing to his breathing. They were. Even Haley was getting the hang of it too.

Just then, Iroh cracks open the door and peeks through. Zuko opens his eyes and calmly said, "The only reason you should be interrupting me, is if you have news about the Avatar."

Iroh pushes open the door completely and enters the room, holding a rolled up scroll in his hands. "Well, there is news, Prince Zuko, but you might not like it. Don't get too upset." He said.

Sitting motionless, Zuko still assuming his meditative stance, and calmly reply, "Uncle, you taught me that keeping a level head is a sign of a great leader. Now, whatever you have to say, I'm sure I can take it."

Tugging his small beard, Iroh hesitatingly said, "Okay then. We have no idea where he is."

And at that moment all of the flames on the candles suddenly erupt into a fiery mass, brushing the ceiling and obscuring Zuko from sight. "What!?" Zuko shouts enraged at the information he was given.

Zuko rises to his feet, still enraged while Iroh shields his face from the flames, and merely withdraws a fan from his robe and begins waving it to cool himself down, "You really should open a window in here."

"Give me the map!" Zuko snatches the scroll from Iroh's hand, and unrolls it, scanning over the parchment. "Well, there have been multiple sightings of the Avatar, but he is impossible to track down." Iroh pointed out.

True to Iroh's words, the map in Zuko's hands had several locations marked down with zigzagged lines connecting each point. "How am I going to find him, Uncle?" Zuko says with desperation in his voice, "He is clearly a master of evasive maneuvering."

"Maybe something will come up?" Zuko and Iroh turns to see Jake and Fu standing by the door, "You did say that once word get's out every firebender will try to capture the Avatar before you. And Words do travel fast, so if some people spread the word of where he is then that's where we'll go." Said Fu Dog.

"Jake, good morning." Iroh greeted the fourteen year old and his animal guardian dog, "Did you manage to contact your grandfather?" Iroh asked Jake's trip to the dreamscape worked out.

Last Night, Jake did mange to re-enter his dreams again, and found the doors that leads to everyone's subconscious dreams. But all of the doors has everyone's names from THIS time period, which means he has to search farther down this endless maze of doors and dreams to find Gramps' dream door all over again.

Let's just hope this time he doesn't run into another chimera.

Jake explains what happened, and Zuko thought of using that charm for himself. But Fu stopped him. "Oh no, Don't even think about kid senior! I know that look! It's the same look when kid junior gents an idea, and by the end of the day it leads to trouble!"

Iroh gave his nephew a suspicious look, while agreeing with the dog that it's a terrible thought. If that thought means that if Zuko has the charm to enter his and other's dreams, then yes. It would be terrible for everyone.

With that said, Fu Dog pulls out a flip note and wrote down another entry of how Jake and Zuko are much alike. "Considering how you two are family, someone's got to keep track at how much ya both are alike. I've got like six entries in here already!"

Iroh put a hand to his chin questioning, "I'm not sure entirely sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing?" out loud.

"Ahh, we'll worry about that later, right now I'm looking forward to an all you can eat breakfast. Uh-huh?" said Fu Dog as his stomach growls in agreement.

Time Skip

After an hour of meditating, and breakfast, Jake and Haley were on the foredeck trying to summon a small fire in their hands without using their dragon powers.

Jake seem to have the flame going, but he's having trouble of maintaining his control on the fire while performing firebending forms because the flames are a tad weak, and they keep going out. Haley however, she's shows great forms and fire control than Jake. Which made him jealous of her advancing quickly than him.

Zuko glares at the littlest Long sibling, it would seem that younger prodigy siblings runs in the family. Zuko is well aware of Haley teasing and annoying Jake, but if she starts to show off or rub it in someone's face…

"Don't worry Jake, I'm sure you'll get it in about two days or more." Haley says as she did another basic firebending form in front of Jake.

Scratch that, she just did.

Zuko steps forward to them and said in a stern voice, "Haley. Stop. I don't want you learning firebending anymore." "What!?" Haley shriek, "But I—" Zuko cuts her off, "was showing off how skillful you are in your brother's face." Iroh tries to defuse the conversation, "Prince Zuko." But Zuko continues, "Unless you change your behavior and attitude, you won't be advancing to next forms of firebending."

"But-But" Haley stutters, "End of discussion." Zuko turns back to continue his training leaving Haley devastated, she ran to her temporary room in tears, but Zuko ignore it.

Jake wants to go after his sister, but he also wants to go after Zuko and give him a piece of his mind. However, Iroh stops him. "Don't take this harshly. I'm sure he'll let Haley back into training once everything is settled."

Iroh turns to Fu Dog and said, "You might want to put down prodigy little sibling on the list." Jake and Fu Dog look at Iroh then Zuko, and back to Iroh who starts explaining, "Zuko also has a sister two years younger than him, Azula, and she's also prodigy like Haley. But she exceeded faster than Zuko. She is not like Haley, she's cruel to everyone around her, a dedicated perfectionist, and a pathological liar." "She sounds like a real sunshine." Said Fu Dog, as wrote down another entry.

"I didn't know he had a sister." Jake says quietly so that Zuko wouldn't hear, "Zuko knows that you're struggling, and I believe that seeing you and your sister's firebending training reminded him of his own hard struggles. And hopes that your relationship with your sister doesn't turns out the same as his with Azula."

There is just so much to learn from his family, both the good and the bad, Jake longs to know. But after Iroh described what his ancestor's sister is like, he thinks it's best to keep his distance away from her. And if Zuko ever wants to open more about his family, it's probably best to hear him talk about his sister when he's ready.

Speaking about sisters…

"I'm going to find Haley."

Time Skip

After Haley stopped crying and calmed down, as well as apologizing to Jake for snapping at him when she thought it was Zuko at the door. Jake explains everything Uncle Iroh told him and Fu to Haley.

"Wow, I never expected Zuko would have a sister. That explains a little of why he didn't want me advancing more." Said Haley, looking a bit glum, "Jake. Do you feel that way with me being better than you?" Haley ask looking up to her brother's eyes.

"At times in the past, but you're still a kid and I've seen you make some mistakes in the past and you tried again." Jake says reassuring as he patted Haley on the back, who hugs her big brother in return. Haley then ask, "You think he might let me back in to train?" to which Jake replies, "I think it's more like you're on a time out, a break even. Until I completed all of the forms as well."

Haley put a little thought to Zuko's words, "That does sounds like it."

Jake gets up from Haley's bed offering his hand to her and said, "Com' on, lunch is gonna be ready soon." Haley puts her hand in Jake's excepting his offer.

As they' walk to the dining room, they can hear Zuko yelling in the room. "The Avatar's on Kyoshi Island? Uncle, ready the rhinos. He's not getting away from me this time." They can hear his footsteps coming to the door and Iroh asking, "Are you going to finish that?" "I was going to save it for later!" Zuko shouts Aggressively.

Stepping out of the room with a plate of smoked fish, Zuko stops his aggressive attitude at the sight of his two descendants. "Haley. Hello…" his voice became softer and somewhat somber. "Here." Zuko hands her the plate, confused Haley only responded, "Thank you?" to Zuko. Who nodded his head before leaving.

The two siblings look into the room to see Iroh with his arms and sulking at the table, when he saw Jake and Haley. He smiles at them, and gestures them to come in. "I see what my nephew meant by saving it for later." Iroh says seeing the fish in Haley's hands. Who looked at it confused of what Iroh meant.

Iroh starts explaining, "I gave Zuko a little talking to about his actions this morning, and he feels sorry that he raised his voice at you. I'd advise him to apologies to you."

Haley looks back to the smoked fish in her hands, "Is that why he gave me this?" Iroh let out a hearty laugh, "Ha! Ha, ha! I guess that's a start."

After calming down from his laugh, Iroh says, "Try to be patient with him, life hasn't been easy for my nephew, and he is struggling. He hardly had any interactions with people outside of the palace and only had tutors when growing up."

Jake knows the feeling of struggles; it wasn't easy for him and his studies at school, but to be cutoff from everyone? "Did he at least have any friends?" Jake ask Iroh, the retired general closes his eyes, head down shaking 'no'.

Now understanding their ancestor's early life a little bit, Haley is starting to forgive Zuko's scolding at her. "I heard Zuko saying something about 'Rhinos'?"

Time Skip

After lunch, Iroh guides Jake, Haley, and Fu Dog to where they have the Komodo rhino pen.

"What the heck kind of animal is that!?"

Needless to say, they were surprise to see animals that they can be easily mistaken for magical creatures.

Iroh answers the 14 year old's question, "These are Komodo rhinos. They're very common in our Nation, to provide transportation and a delectable food source." Iroh whispers that latter part in hopes the rhinos don't get spooked.

By the looks of the animal it does have the buildup of a rhino and a Komodo dragon with the horns of a triceratops. "For a moment I thought they were creatures from the magical world, or animals that have gone extinct." Said Fu Dog, "Looks like there's more to the world's history then we know."

Haley walks around to see the rest of the rhinos in their pens all lined up in a row before leaning up to one of the pens to pet one of the rhinos, which in turns leans in at Haley's touch for more pets.

"Lily seems to like you." Haley turns around startled to see Zuko standing behind her all dressed up like before. "Lily?" Haley ask.

Zuko petted the rhino, Lily, on the head by her ear, "When she was a calf she ate an entire patch of fire lilies. That's how she got her name." Zuko explains as Lily rubs against Zuko's touch affectionately. Jake came over to them and started to pet Lily too.

'It would seem having a connection to all sorts of animals affectionately is something that runs in the family.' Jake thought fondly as he, Haley, and Zuko enjoy this peaceful moment.

"When we get to the island, I want you two stay on the ship. I don't want anyone to get left behind."

Time Skip

The Long siblings stay true to Zuko's words and stayed on the ship.

They can see smoke coming from the island, making them worried that Zuko and his men had burn down a village. They hope that was an accident.

Up in the sky was the same flying animal called Appa, if Jake's memory is correct, flying away from the island. When suddenly the avatar jumps off from Appa falling straight into the water, and not a moment later he comes back out on top of what looks to be a huge eel. Pulling on it's whiskers the eel sprays water onto the village putting out the fire.

And not too far off from the ship, Jake, Haley, and Fu Dog can see a drenched Zuko and his men mounted on the rhinos, with Zuko looking humiliated, and thinking to himself, 'I'd deserved this while his men looking surprised.

"Well, I guess that puts a damper on his day." Fu Dog laughs at his joke, "No wonder he got so soggy. Ha! Oh! Wait! Wait! Wait!—"

"Fu! Enough of the water jokes." Jake yelled at the talking dog.

Well, it would seem that karma has catch up with Zuko's behavior today. Hopefully an argument like that won't happen again to the Long family. If anything, they have learned more about their family's history and themselves.

Done on four.

The next chapter is going to take me some time, so don't be upset if it takes about two weeks or more to have the next chapter updated.

PREVIEW: Zuko learns a little bit about the magical world, and help's Jake, Haley, and Fu Dog how to read and write in this time period.