Chapter Sixteen
"This should give us an idea of what's going on around here," Katara said as she pointed out an information kiosk. The gang gathered round it to read the various posters.
"Is there a menu to a restaurant on there?" Sokka asked after checking his snack pouch, which was empty. "I'm starving!"
"Do you think sitting at a restaurant is a good way to keep a low profile?" Azula asked.
"What, do you think someone would recognize me?" Sokka asked while looking for a restaurant listed on the kiosk.
"No but they might recognize Aang," Zuko said. "Take a look."
Aang saw the poster and is somewhat flattered by the attention. "Hey, a poster of me!"
"It's a wanted poster Airhead," Azula tells him.
"We should keep moving then," Katara tells the gang. "No telling what other bounty hunters are out there."
"Wait, what's this?" Zuko asked while staring at a poster. "Fire Day's Festival. Fire Nation exhibits, jugglers, magicians, and benders."
"Oh, that would be great for you two," Aang said to Azula and Zuko. "You guys must be dying to experience Fire Nation culture again."
Azula and Zuko looked between each other. "It would be nice to experience our first home again," Zuko pointed out.
"Yes, but given how high profile we are, we'll draw attention to ourselves," Azula countered.
"Oh, c'mon Azula, you know you want to go," Aang said as convincingly as possible. "I know I want to!"
"Do you really think it's a good idea to go into a village of potential hostile firebenders?" Sokka said to Aang. "You already have to deal with one hostile firebender," he said while gesturing to Azula, who scoffed at him.
Katara sighed in resignation. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt as long as we wear our ponchos."
"Yes!" Aang said before turning toward Appa and Momo and telling them to hide here. Within minutes, everyone was clad in a poncho. As they entered the village, they see scores of people having loads of fun at the festival. Many were wearing masks that concealed their faces quite well.
"We can use masks like that," Azula said to the gang.
"Yeah but where are we gonna get them?" Sokka asked.
"Get your masks here!" a salesman at his booth shouted nearby. "Genuine Fire Festival masks here?"
"Well that was easy," Sokka said as he followed the gang to the booth. Katara picked out a lady with makeup while Sokka chose a blue smiling mask; conversely, Aang chose a red mask with a grumpy expression. Katara was quick to change them around, much to Sokka's annoyance.
Azula chose a masks very reminiscent of the Dragon Emperor from the play Love Amongst the Dragons, a play their mother took them to when they were living in the Fire Nation. Zuko was forced to take a masks much like that of the Dark Water Spirit, which also was very similar to what the Blue Spirit wore when he broke him and Aang out of Zhao's prison.
"Just like old times, right Zuko?" Azula asked as she placed the mask over her face.
"Yeah," Zuko said, remembering a different point in time. "Just like old times." He placed the mask over his face, a strange feeling forming in him, like he was always met to wear this mask.
As the gang walk their way through the crowds, the stumble upon the food court. "Finally, something to eat!" Sokka said eagerly. He rushed over to the nearest booth and asked, "What do you have?"
"Flaming fire flakes!" the saleswoman said. "Best in town!"
"I'll take 'em!" Sokka deposited several coins onto the counter. He walked back to the gang and gobbled a hand full of them, finding them to be much spicier than he thought. If not for Azula's quick reaction, the flaming fire flakes would have fallen to the ground wasted. "Hot! Hot!" Sokka shouted as he fanned at his mouth with his hands.
Azula laughed at his comical efforts. "What did you expect from 'flaming fire flakes'?" she asked sarcastically while having a few for herself, enjoying the spices she long craved for.
"I didn't think they'd be that spicy!" Sokka said with his tongue out as a desperate means to cool it off, much to Azula's amusement, who was largely unfazed by the spices. She offered Zuko some while Katara gave Sokka some water.
Zuko waved Azula away. "No thanks. I was never one for spices."
"And you call yourself a firebender," she teased while enjoying the fire flakes.
Later, Aang took noticed of a large crowd gathering around a large stage. "What's going on here?" he asked. As he and his friends approached the stage, they noticed a firebender preforming several tricks and stunts with his bending. "That's amazing!" Aang said.
"I'll say," Katara said, briefly wondering if Aang could perform similar tricks once he learned firebending.
"Thank you ladies and gentlemen!" the performer announced once finished with his trick. "For my next trick, I will need a volunteer from the audience!"
"Should I get up there?" Aang said.
"Like he would pick you," Azula told him.
"How about you little lady?" the performer said to Azula.
Azula was shocked that she was picked. "Oh, well…"
"Oh, don't be shy," the performer said while holding out his hand. Azula sighed and took it, figuring it must be something simple like 'pick a card' or something. She was led onto stage and tied loosely to a chair.
"This next trick is called 'Taming the Dragon'," the performer said. "My princess has been captured and must be save from the dragon!" The performer bent his flame into large dragon, with a fire rope leading to his hand. "Don't worry young maiden! I will tame this fiery beast!"
Azula realized that she was in over her head to an extent. She began trying to shake off her restraints but as the fire dragon got closer, she was forced to burn her ropes and free herself with her blue flames. Just as the dragon was about to come too close to her, she overcame it and dissipated with a few waves of her hands.
"Are you trying to upstage me or something?" the preforming asked Azula, who simply shrugged and left the stage, leaving the crowd in awe.
"I think we've worn out our welcome here," Azula said as she returned to the gang. They quickly leave the village to return to Appa and Momo, only to be ambushed by a group of men and women in light armor and expertly crafted camouflage. Each carried a sharpened spear.
"Don't move," one of them dangerously said. "Our leader would like to speak to you."
"Who's your leader?" Sokka demanded. "And what does he want with us?"
"Quiet!" the warrior said to him. "It is them he wishes to speak to." He gestures toward Azula and Zuko.
"Why us?" Zuko asked.
"We don't question our leader, and neither should you," the man said. "Now move." The gang complied and followed the man toward a hut located in the forest. "He is in there."
Azula and Zuko looked between each other before entering the hut, finding an old man with their back toward them.
"So, it is true that the Fire Lord's children are traveling with the Avatar," he said ominously.
"Who are you?" Azula demanded.
The man kept his back to them and said, "I am Jeong Jeong."
"Admiral Jeong Jeong?" Azula said in disbelief. "The most famous deserter in Fire Nation history?"
"That would be me," Jeong Jeong said.
"What do you want with us?" Zuko asked.
"I merely wanted to confirm that you are indeed alive and sound," Jeong Jeong said. "Nothing more."
"Nothing more?" Azula asked. "No secret agendas? No devious ploys? You disappoint me Jeong Jeong."
"I have my agendas and ploys, but they do not involve you," Jeong Jeong said.
"What about the Avatar?" Azula asked. "You're a master firebender, you can teach him the way of fire."
"Only a fool seeks their own destruction," Jeong Jeong wisely said. "An even bigger fool seeks to encourage someone to persure their own destruction."
Azula furrowed her brow in annoyance. "So you won't teach Aang firebending?"
"Not until he masters the other elements in proper order," Jeong Jeong said. "There is a reason for it and I will not share it. Now, please leave this camp."
Azula stares at Jeong Jeong for a moment before leaving the hut with Zuko, who asked, "Why didn't you pressed any further? It's not like you to back down like that."
"He's too stubborn for my patience," Azula told him. "Besides, I think he's right that Aang needs to learn the other elements first."
"Weren't you the one who wanted him to learn firebending right away?" Zuko said.
"Yes but that's before I learned how undisciplined Aang is," Azula said. "Learning the other elements will teach him that. He'll need it to learn firebending." Zuko said nothing more, feeling that Azula was correct in her opinion. Still, it would not hurt for Aang to learn the basics to at least defend himself.
"So, tell me," Zhao began to ask, "are you certain her fire was blue?"
"I'm certain admiral," the sergeant said. "I witness it myself, along with two of my men."
"I'll take your word sergeant," Zhao said with a smirk. "This information is quite useful. Now, which way did you see them go?"
Azula and Zuko returned to their friends, causing Aang to ask, "Who did you meet?"
"An old firebending master named Jeong Jeong," Azula said. "Before you can asks, he won't teach you."
"What, why?" Aang asked.
"He says you're not ready to learn firebending yet," Zuko said. "Which is ridiculous, you should at least know the basics."
"He needs to learn discipline Zuko," Azula said. "He can only do that by learning water and earthbending."
"Hey, I have the discipline to learn firebending!" Aang said defensively.
"And you prove it every day by sidetracking us every chance you get," Azula said with a harsh tone.
"I need to learn firebending Azula," Aang said. "If Jeong Jeong won't teach me, maybe you can."
Azula thought for a moment about that. It was true she was not a master firebender -yet- but she did master the basics forms faster than most other firebenders, Zuko and their father included.
"Alright, if you're so determined to learn firebender, we can start in the morning," Azula said with a smirk.
Aang slept peacefully through the night, until a sharp kick to his leg woke him up.
"WAKE UP!" Azula shouted at him. Aang groggily open his eyes and saw it was still dark outside.
"Ugh, just until sunrise," he groaned.
"Not going to happen!" Azula bellowed. "You need to be facing east before the sun rises! Not get moving!"
Aang groaned and woefully got up, stretching as Azula led him to a point where he could fully bask in the sun's rays.
"A firebender's strength comes from the sun," Azula explained to him, with her hands clasped behind her back. "To take advantage of the sun, you must rise with it."
Aang sat in a lotus position and waited for the sun. And waited. And waited.
A sharp kick to his lower back woke him up again. "Stay focus!" Azula bellowed. Aang inhaled sharply to wake himself up.
As the sun rose, Aang let the sun's rays seep into his skin, basking in the warmth in provided.
"Do you feel it?" Azula asked.
"Feel what?" he asked. "The sun?"
"No, not just the sun, but your inner fire," Azula said. "Don't you feel it?"
Aang breathed deeply and looked inward, trying to sense something that would indicate his inner fire, whatever that was. Instead, all he felt was always what he felt during meditation. "All I feel is my heart and breathing."
"Yes, that would be part of it," Azula told him. "A firebender's strength comes from their breath. Now focus on your breathing, while feeling the sun." Aang did as he was told and remained there.
Several hours later, he lost patience and stood up. "What are you doing?!" Azula bellowed.
"I've been doing this for hours," Aang protested.
"And you will keep doing it until I say so!" Azula bellowed again, forcing Aang to take his seat and continue meditating.
The next day was much the same, Aang focusing on his breathing and feeling the sun. He began to understand that Azula was teaching him self-control, but he was still eager to learn how to firebend.
"Alright, something different," Azula told him on the fourth day. She picked a leaf and held it out for Aang. "Hold onto the edges and keep the fire from reaching your fingers." Aang nodded and took the leaf, focusing himself on controlling the fire and keeping it from the edges.
Azula walked away into the forest, intending to keep an eye on him when he thought he was not being watched. "You are teaching him well," Jeong Jeong told her.
"I'm doing the best I can," Azula admitted. "He needs a master firebender."
"He already has one," Jeong Jeong told her.
"I am not a master yet," Azula told him. "There is much for me to learn."
"For someone who invented a new type of fire, you seem less than confident in yourself," Jeong Jeong observed.
"I am confident in myself," Azula said. "There's so much I must learn, and I need the approval of a true master." Jeong Jeong hummed in thought and walked away, impressed by Azula's humility despite she can come off arrogant.
A sudden scream caught Jeong Jeong's attention. He turned and noticed the waterbender Katara on her knees clutching her hand. Her friends rush to her side to help her.
"Katara, what happened?!" Sokka shouted.
"I-I slipped and fell," Katara told him through tearful eyes. "I cut my hand with your knife." She held out her hand and showed a deep gash in her hand. Sokka groaned in remorse, thinking it was his fault.
Jeong Jeong approached out of nowhere and calmly said, "Place your hand in the water child."
"What?" Katara asked. "Where did you-?"
"I said, place your hand in the water child," Jeong Jeong repeated while gesturing toward the river. Katara did as instructed and felt the water seep into her wound. It felt refreshing to her, then her hand glowed slightly and soon, the wound was mended as if it were never hurt.
"How did I-?" Katara asked.
"You have healing abilities," Jeong Jeong said. "The greatest of the waterbenders have such gifts. I envy you greatly."
"But you're a master firebender," Zuko said. "You have powers of your own."
"Destructive powers," Jeong Jeong said remorsefully. "Water is calm and nurturing. Fire is wild and dangerous. That is why I refused to train the Avatar, because I feared he lacks self-control."
Aang remained silent, feeling that Jeong Jeong had a point about him. Looking back, Aang often shirked on his responsibilities; he was only a master airbender because of his raw talent and had a great mentor. Perhaps it was time for Aang to become a little more serious about his duty as the Avatar.
Suddenly, the water in front of them is alit with flames. Jeong Jeong deflected some flames away while Azula defected the rest. "Get out of here!" Jeong Jeong shouted. The gang took off running, but Aang remained behind, determined not to let the old firebender face this threat alone.
"Well, well," Zhao said as he approached them. "It looks like my old master has taken up a new student."
"You were Jeong Jeong's student?" Aang said, seeing why Jeong Jeong refused to take him on as a student.
"Yes, but I grew board of his lecturing of self-control and found a new master," Zhao said with a smirk. It then turned into a disgusted frown. "But look at you 'master'," he mocked. "You were once a great admiral, yet now you have embraced savagery by waging a guerrilla war against your own county."
"It is you that has embraced savagery, Zhao," Jeong Jeong countered.
"The Fire Lord granted me your old title of admiral, so you should address me as such," Zhao said.
"That title means nothing compared to the Avatar," Jeong Jeong warned. "You are no match for him!"
Zhao barked out in laughter. "I can handle a child."
"You must never underestimate raw power, Zhao," Jeong Jeong warned.
"We'll see. Men, take them," Zhao ordered his men, who advanced forward. As they approached, Jeong Jeong unleashed a powerful wall of fire that caused them to step back. Jeong Jeong leapt through the wall of fire and struck at the soldiers, knocking several down with ease. The rest returned fire, but Jeong Jeong deflected them and took off into the woods, where several of his own men fired arrows to cover his escape.
"Hunt them down!" Zhao ordered his soldiers. "The Avatar is mine." He marched through the flames and approached Aang, who stood resolute. Without warning, Aang leapt forward and over Zhao, the latter launching wild but inaccurate fire blasts at him. "I see my master has taught you to run like a coward. But I doubt he showed you how to properly use fire to defend yourself!"
Aang continued to run and dodge Zhao's attacks. He spotted the boats he came on and an idea came to him. He jumped aboard the nearest boat and Zhao stood at the shore, ignoring the face the Avatar was aboard one of his own boats. "Stand and fight, Avatar!" Zhao shouted.
"Oh, we were fighting?" Aang goaded. "I thought you were just showing off!" Zhao growled and launched several blasts at Aang, who dodged the attacks that landed on the boat, lighting it ablaze. Zhao grunted and continued to chase the Avatar. "C'mon, I bet Mongke would've caught me by now! And he's only a colonel!" Zhao continued his reckless assault as Aang landed on each boat, forcing Zhao to light them on fire.
After a fierce ten minutes, the boats were burning recks and Zhao breathed deeply, enraged by his foolish mistake.
"You lost this battle," Aang said, before narrowly dodging one final blow from Zhao and caught it on the arm. Aang patted the flames away but received a minor burn. He returned to find everyone waiting for him.
"What were you thinking by helping Jeong Jeong?" Azula reprimanded.
"I thought it was the right thing to do," Aang confidently replied.
"I believe being the Avatar means knowing which fights to pick," Azula told him. "This was not one of those fights to pick."
"Even if that meant leaving an old man by himself?" Aang asked.
"Alright enough!" Sokka shouted from atop Appa's head. "We need to go!" Aang jumped aboard Appa while Sokka prompted the bison to take off. Katara gasped at Aang's burn.
He waved her off. "It's nothing Katara," he simply told her.
"No, it's not. Here," she said while bending some water onto his burn. She concentrated and thought of the burn healing. In response, the water glowed and Aang's arm was healed. He rubbed his skin, finding it smooth and pain free.
Aang smiled and said earnestly, "Thanks Katara."
"How did you know to do that?" Zuko asked.
"I just thought of the burn healing, then it worked," Katara said sheepishly, embarrassed by how simple she found healing to be for her.
"Well thanks for all the first aid over the years," Sokka said sarcastically. "Like when I got two fishhooks in my thumb!"
"Two fishhooks?" Aang asked.
Azula began laughing. "Sucker tried to get the first fishhook out with a second one."
"Yeah, but thanks to Katara I still have my eye," Zuko defended.
"That was all Gran-Gran, Zuko," Katara said humbly.
"Still, you helped her," Zuko added. "I say you'll be the greatest healer in the world one day."
"Yeah, she sure will," Aang agreed, finding it alluring that Katara will be the greatest healer in the world.