Boiling Point
Steaming Forward

"How do you feel seeing Zuko again?" Akio asked, nudging him in the ribs as they sat down to a meal.

Lu Ten honestly felt overwhelmed, but what Toph said stuck with him. "He's got enough stuff upsetting him."

"I want to tell him the truth." Yet, Lu Ten didn't know how he should go about telling him the truth, but after blurting out what he did, going and saying, "Hey, do you remember how I said Ozai's not your father? Well, I'm your father," felt cruel. "It's not about me, it's about Zuko."

Finding a chance to speak with Zuko alone was another matter.

Toph moved away from him, a smirk on her face, and headed straight towards Zuko's group of friends, yet seeing Zuko among friends left him feeling elated, knowing full well Zuko never had that kind of thing growing up. The boy with the blue arrow slipped from Ty Lee's arms and flew up into the air, meaning he was indeed the Avatar as Airbenders were no longer around, but he landed on his feet with ease. Ty Lee looked at him before saying, "I wish I was an Airbender."

"So, you really changed sides?" The Avatar asked, turning to look her in the eye. "Why?"

"Because Prince Lu Ten is still alive."

A silence fell over the group, but Ty Lee turned her head to look right at Lu Ten. The young Airbender that they were placing all their hopes on looked at him, tilting his head slightly. He then hurried over, looking up at him with eyes wide. "So you're related to Zuko?"

"Yes." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Toph mouth something, almost as if she were saying it wasn't a lie.

"Zuko's my Firebending Master," the Avatar stated, bubbling over in excitement.

"He is?" He glanced over at Zuko, smiling at the boy, wanting him to know how proud he was of him, yet Zuko looked away, not looking him in the eye. Lu Ten couldn't help but feel as if Zuko felt ashamed.

"We're going to work on my Firebending, sifu hotman?" The Avatar looked right at Zuko when he said that.

"I told you. Don't call me that." Zuko frowned at the younger boy, but Lu Ten recognized the outdated slang from a few literary works he'd come across which were from the period from a hundred years ago, much to his amusement; in the back of his mind, Lu Ten knew he shouldn't be taking enjoyment from seeing his son react, yet in his mind, it felt like he was finally getting to be a normal child, much, in the same manner, he did growing up.

"May I observe?" Lu Ten asked, wanting to see Zuko's bending, having not gotten a good look at it up on top of the gondola.

Zuko's head turned, looking him in the eye. "I don't know."

"Aang has a habit of getting distracted," Katara stated.

Which was in truth disheartening, yet Lu Ten knew from just looking at the Avatar how young he was. Even more disheartening was what Zuko said next. "You might actually be a better choice, Lu Ten. To be Aang's, Firebending Master."

"I've not really done much of anything with my bending for five years."

"It didn't look rusty to me." Zuko refused to look him in the eye.

"What happened to redeeming yourself?" Katara asked, her eyes narrowing, her arms folding. "Are you really saying that after you came all this way? And after Yon Rha?"

"We only have until Sozin's comet, so if Lu Ten can help Aang achieve mastery faster..."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that," Lu Ten stated.

"I'll make dinner," Katara stated, but he watched her head away.

"Shouldn't we be moving camp first?" Akio spoke, glancing at the sky warily, before looking around at the openness of the campsite.

Lu Ten sucked in his breath but watched as Sokka followed Akio's gaze. He'd have thought of that issue himself if he weren't so concerned about Zuko, but Sokka let out a sigh. "I'd not thought about that – that we're quite visible from the sky, but they know what direction we were headed. It means it's time to move camp."

"Yeah, but..." Aang's mouth formed into a pout. "We thought of this place because nobody would think of finding us here?"

"I did," Zuko responded. "As did..."

"How about we not talk about that lest Katara freezes you in place?" Sokka cast a wary glance over at his sister, who was starting into preparing the evening meal.

"It's home, but where else would we go that they wouldn't think of where to find us?"

"Ember Island." Lu Ten's eyes blinked, his eyes looking right at Zuko, surprised he'd come up with practically the same idea before he followed up with. "It is, after all, right under their noses."

"Yeah, but not all of us can fit on Appa," Sokka stated, folding his arms.

"Appa?" Lu Ten asked.

"The Avatar's Sky Bison," Zuko responded.

"An actual real Sky Bison?" Lu Ten asked.

Akio let out a sigh. "Figures you'd be distracted by that."

"Do you want to meet him?" Aang asked.

"I'd love to, but..."

"We've got the airship we stole," Sokka stated. "Some of us can go in that, but Aang's bending masters must stick with him." Zuko opened his mouth, only for Sokka to quickly say. "And no. Not saying you'll go with the other group."

"I've not decided Zuko."

"Hey, what about what I want?" Aang asked. This made a few others look at him strangely. "Zuko's my master, particularly after..."

"We'll discuss this after we get to Ember Island," Zuko muttered.

"Wait. Sounds like you're deciding I should go with you already. There must be a limit to the number of people Appa can carry, right?"

"And I want to go too," Ty Lee stated. "I want to prove I'm useful to the Avatar."

"Which means the final person should be Sokka," Suki said.

"What?" Sokka glanced up, pointing a finger at himself. "Why me? Why not..."

"Because, someone from your family needs to stay with your sister, who looks far from pleased to be reunited with her father and behaving to part ways with him, but it won't be forever. And she's not the only one in need of family right now, is she Zuko?"

"That..." Zuko glanced away, but Lu Ten was sure a slight blush spread across his cheeks from someone suggesting something as embarrassing as him needing family, yet it made Lu Ten pleased to hear that. Yet...

"Akio?"

His childhood friend turned to him, making the symbol of the fire nation in the palm of his hand, grinning. "Go. You've got a lot of catching up to do, something we both know Hakoda and his family has already had."

He then leaned forward, whispering into his ear.

"There are other children here." Lu Ten turned, catching sight of the various children watching from the side, yet it struck him that every single one was from the Earth Kingdom. "I've my own path to redemption, but if this war ends the way it should, I don't think my wife would mind me bringing home a few strays if they need a home and want it."

"Please tell me that you don't already have your heart set on any of them?" Lu Ten whispered back, yet he knew Akio did have such a thing in mind.

"The smallest child and the biggest one – I couldn't help but notice the clothing they were is very similar to many of the orphans in the Earth Kingdom we came across whereas the other two looks as if they've recently loved by someone, yet I'd have all of them if they needed me."

"Your wife is going to kill you."

"She wouldn't. No, she wouldn't mind one more mouth to feed, let alone four, even if it is just until we can find the parents of the other two." The corner of Akio's mouth twisted. "My son might be given how he's so used to being an only child, but then he might not be bothered by it. If we don't win the war, there are still four children in need of an adult in their life."

Lu Ten smiled, making the same symbol in his fist to his friend. He turned, taking a deep breath, looking Zuko in the eye, still unsure what would happen next.