Hello everyone! I've finally gotten another chapter posted. I just don't understand how some authors can pump out a chapter a week. I've found it extremely difficult to balance school life, social life, and a life as the author of a fan fiction. No matter how hard I try, it is just plain hard to find time for it all. But I promise that I won't give up on this story. Just because it takes me a long time to post doesn't mean I'm not still working on it. This story has a long way to go.
This chapter is dedicated to SweetStories11. You've been a faithful reviewer from the very beginning and I really appreciate your support.
This chapter is also dedicated to TitaniumGlass22. Thanks for sharing your input on the chapters and telling me what you think. Feedback about my story from readers means a lot. Sorry, but I had to move your dedication to this chapter as a joint dedication. Please forgive me!
Ch. 7
Dawning of a New Day
Iroh, of all of the people on Prince Zuko's ship, had been the most shocked at the scene in front of him. He knew Zuko better than anyone in the world, probably even better than Zuko knew himself.
When he saw his nephew cross the deck abreast with the Avatar, as if they were equals, and enter the living quarters, Iroh was in a slight state of shock. He could not begin to imagine what had come over Zuko.
He had always known Zuko as a stubborn and determined young man, who was forced to grow up far faster than he should have. Zuko had always had a low tolerance level, and his temper was known to get the better of him more times than none. Since his banishment, Zuko's mind was not easily swayed. His ability to trust had been damaged, so he learned to trust only himself, but Iroh knew that at times, even trusting himself was hard for Zuko.
That was why Iroh was so surprised to see Zuko in this state; it was completely against every being of Zuko that Iroh was accustomed to.
When Zuko emerged from the interior of the ship, he ignored the incredulous stares he was receiving from his men and ascended to the captain's hold to have a word with the captain and Lt. Jee about the course of his ship.
Iroh followed closely behind.
When he had ascended the full flight of stairs and entered the room, he could see the confused and hesitant faces on the men with whom Zuko was speaking. The feeling of unease in the room was too great; Iroh needed to satiate his need for understanding.
"Prince Zuko, may I have a word with you?"
"Is it urgent, Uncle?"
"I believe that it is a most pressing matter." Then he turned to Lt. Jee and the captain, "Would you mind leaving us to speak in privacy."
Jee and the captain gave a curt nod and turned to leave. The Dragon of the West was highly esteemed, and they would not think of disrespecting his request.
Once Iroh and his nephew were alone, Iroh did not know how to approach the topic, but Zuko knew well enough what his Uncle wanted to speak with him about.
Zuko stepped to the side of the room to look out of window at the glittering ribbon of gold where the last of the setting red sun met the gentle waves of the sea. This picture was all too familiar to the young man, but now he viewed it in a different light. Instead of seeing the sunset over the sea as the end to yet another painful day of exile, he saw it as a glimmer of hope for the future
"I know what I have done, Uncle." His voice was a deep whisper, his head turned away from the older man.
"Do you believe it to be for the best?"
Zuko was grateful for his Uncle's understanding. With those words, he knew that his Uncle would not label his actions as wrong, or traitorous, or cowardly. Zuko knew that his Uncle cared very much for him, and deep down, Zuko cared a great deal for his Uncle, as well, even though he had a difficult time expressing his feelings.
Zuko turned to face his Uncle, "Yes."
With the look on Zuko's face, Iroh needed no more convincing.
It was clear that in his time away, Zuko had undergone significant changes, and Zuko could tell that Iroh was anxious to learn the causes for these changes. Without a smile, but in a gently inviting voice, Zuko asked his Uncle if he would join him for some tea, signaling that he would explain everything.
………
The Avatar stood at the tiny window in his small yet comfortable room, elbows propped on the sill, chin in his hands, gazing at gently rolling waves. The blue-green water lulled down in graceful bows then quickly spiked up to a point, capped off by foaming, white residue.
The movement of the water was mesmerizing to Aang, but not because of its monotonous formations and splashes. It was because they reminded him so much of her. They had learned to bend that very water together, could push it and pull it in any which way. They had mastered their control over the element and had made waves of their own, together.
And now, he was alone. Alone on a strange ship. Without Katara. Without Sokka. Without Appa or Momo. Alone.
Aside from all the firebenders, that is.
Nostalgic memories from their adventures together – both happy and sad; exciting and fearful; loving and angry – washed over him in a sea of longing, longing to be with them again.
But Aang knew better. He knew that he had dragged them into this too far. He had already put them in too great a danger. He had to let them go.
Maybe, maybe someday he would see them again. Maybe years from now – if he survived – he would be passing through the great capital of Ba Sing Se, or the powerful city-state of Omashu, or the magnificent grandeur of the North Pole, and he would see a face in the crowd. A brown face with smooth skin, wisps of chestnut hair falling around the cheeks. She would be sitting at a café, enjoying a meal with her lover, maybe even her husband. He would whisper something in her ear and the corners of her mouth would turn up into a smile. A beautiful smile. She would laugh and lift her gaze.
Piecing blue eyes would light up her tanned face. She would turn her head upon hearing a call. Two young children would run into her arms, showing their mother the caterpillar that they found, inching its way up a tree trunk. She would kiss the tops of their heads lovingly and the family would continue to bask in the joys of each other's company.
Aang would call out to her, yearning to speak with her again; to hug her; to love her.
Katara would look up and see Aang's face, a glint of recognition and surprise in her glowing eyes. She would rise and rush into his arms, tears beginning to form in the intersections of her upper and lower lids.
And even though she would be crying tears of joy in his arms, her love for him would not parallel his love for her. Too much time would have past. They would have grown up. They would have changed. They would have become totally different people.
Katara and the beauty the she possesses both inside and out would ensure that she would find love and happiness in life. Maybe if he had been a different person, maybe if he had had a different destiny, he could have been the one to make her happy and receive her love.
But Aang knew better. His chances of seeing Katara again were slim. His chances of surviving battle with the Fire Nation were slim. Even if he did have Zuko on his side now, the chances of a handful of rebel benders defeating the all-powerful Fire Lord, with indispensable resources and force, were close to nonexistent.
But Aang would not give up hope. He knew that Katara would never lose faith in him, and that kept him going. The reflection of the setting sun on the waters of the sea reminded him of the sparkle of hope in her eyes. He would defeat the Fire Lord: if not for the world, then for her.
Aang's musings were brought to an end with the unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps outside in the hall, and then a slow and steady knocking on his thick steel door.
Aang spoke out that the knocker was free to enter, and an old plump man with long gray hair poked in his head. When he spotted the Airbender, he fully entered the room carrying a tray with an intricately designed red teapot and two porcelain teacups and closed the door behind him.
"Hello, young Avatar. I do not believe that we have been properly acquainted. My name is General Iroh. I am Zuko's uncle." As he spoke, he extended his right hand to Aang, and Aang shook it.
"Uh, hello. I'm Aang." After that, Aang did not know what to say. He stood in an awkward silence until he remembered his manners and said, "Please, have a seat." He gestured to a large and comfortable, but not lavish-looking, armchair in the corner of the room, across from a bench that sat in front of the table of candles.
Iroh made his way to the table and set down his tray, then took a seat in the chair. "Would you care for some tea? Ginseng. It's my favorite."
"Thank you."
"My nephew tells me that the two of you have formed an allegiance. He tells me that together you plan to bring an end to this war and restore the peace and harmony to our world."
Aang merely nodded. He didn't know what to say as a reply. This man hadn't asked him a question, and there was no threat in his voice, but Aang was still apprehensive of this old war General.
He had heard great stories of the Dragon of the West during his travels with Sokka and Katara. Even the two siblings had shared with him tales of the honor and superb military leadership skills associated with the infamous Fire General.
Iroh could see the unease of the boy and handed him a steaming cup of the hot tea before pouring himself a cup. He wrapped his old fingers around the warm clay and spoke again. "Have you mastered all of the elements already, young Avatar?"
This time, Aang spoke clearly and with confidence in his voice, "I have mastered Air, Water and Earthbending. But I am still in search of a Firebending Master."
When the words fell out of his mouth, Aang felt foolish. Still in search? My search is over, my journey is over. We are nearing the end.
"Just as I expected. Your training begins tomorrow at sunrise. You have a lot to learn if you plan to match Prince Zuko's skills. He is not yet a master, but will become one very soon. I have not seen control or determination like my nephew's in many decades. The shear power that he harbors within his breath is met only by that of the Fire Lord and very few other masters. And, of course, also by the power within you, young Avatar."
Aang looked Iroh square in the eyes, "You're going to teach me? You're going to help me master Firebending?"
"But of course. The Avatar must master all four elements. How else would we expect you to be able to defeat my brother?"
Aang knew that General Iroh was Fire Lord Ozai's brother, but hearing the words out of the kind, old man's mouth was like a knife to the heart. He could see the hurt in Iroh's eyes as he mentioned his brother. How could the Fire Lord care so little for his own brother? For his own son?
Aang didn't have a father or a brother or an uncle, but he still had a family: the Air nomads, Monk Gyatso, and then Sokka and Katara. He knew that families were supposed to love you and care for you, not bring you pain and turn you away.
He offered a small smile to the retired General. "Thank you." It came out weaker and more insignificant than Aang had intended, and Iroh just smiled back at the boy.
"How about a nice game of Pai Sho?"
"I don't know how to play."
"Excellent," Iroh said, expecting a laid-back, easy win, completely unaware that within a few hours time, he will have lost a considerable amount of silver pieces to the rookie.
………
At break of dawn, just as the tip of the sun began to appear above the never-ending expanse of still sea, Aang slowly opened his eyes and nervously began to dress himself.
He exited his room and made his way to the deck of the ship. There, he found Prince Zuko, alone, sitting cross-legged on the steel surface. His face was turned toward the sun, his scar brilliantly illuminated by the first rays of morning.
The world was silent. The only noise Aang could hear was Zuko's controlled and steady breathing.
Zuko's palms were resting skyward on his knees, and from each palm, a thin golden flame lived at his command. With each inhale, the flames grew in size and intensity. With each exhale, the flames dimmed and shrank.
Suddenly, Aang felt a large hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Iroh's old but friendly face. "Shall we begin?"
Quotes of the Week
"Hey, Sokka. Nice dress." Aang, Warriors of Kyoshi - Avatar
"I respect that you don't eat meat. Please respect that I don't eat fake meat." Raven, Sum of His Parts - Teen Titans
FanVid of the Week:
I'm kinda out of my fanvid stage now, so here's a link to my putfile homepage with about
40 videos: http / www . putfile . com/ raevin/ media
Stories You Should Be Reading
Avatar
Dangerous Ground, by wilderness-writer
Teen Titans
Tomorrow Never Yesterday, by lankree
Teen Titans - JLU Academy: New Beginnings by 'the hand behind this pen' is an Au-ish fic about our beloved Titans in an academy for Superheros. If you are like me and have been searching for the perfect RobRae story where they are in a high school type setting, but still must experience the trials and tribulations of saving the world while getting through relationships, this is the story you've been waiting for.
All of these stories are completed, exceeding 100,000 words, and absolutely amazing. Wilderness-writer, lankree and 'the hand' are all extremely gifted authors whose creative and unique ideas combined with the deft writing abilities allow for an unbelievable read.
Thanks everyone, and Please Review. I honestly look forward to them more than anything in the world. They are the oxygen to my fire.
Review Please!
