Unexpected, an A:tlA fanfic by Tsunami Storm
Chapter 5: The Firebending Masters- sort of.
"Knock knock!" A bright, cheerful voice sounded outside of a stately mansion in the palace city. The owner of the voice waited patiently outside the door, and smiled wider when it opened.
"Oh! Ty Lee! It's good to see you!" The noble lady smiled as she opened the door wider to admit the acrobat. "Come in, I'm sure Mai will be delighted that you're here!" She invited, bustling off to find some refreshments for her daughter's close friend. Ty Lee closed the door behind her as she bounced into her friend's house, feeling right at home in the place she had visited thousands of times in her childhood.
"Mai! Ty Lee's here to see you! Come downstairs and say 'hello'!" The noblewoman called to her daughter, who was apparently up in her room. In the living room area, Mai's little brother Tom-Tom giggled happily as he played with some new toys, having the time of his life. Ty Lee smiled at the toddler, glad that his life was all smiles and games- peaceful, unlike his previous life in Omashu. Although, he'd probably enjoyed that little incident with the Avatar's pet lemur and the 'kidnapping' misunderstanding.
By this time, Mai had come downstairs, and the acrobat embraced her friend as if they hadn't seen each other in months rather than hours. Princess Azula had called a meeting with her closest advisors and friends the previous day, to discuss strategy concerning the Resistance movements in the once-Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Se. Ty Lee hadn't paid much attention at that meeting, being more concerned with the strange absence of a certain member of the royal family. She'd asked all of the palace staff, but they'd all said that they had seen no sign of Prince Zuko ever since the Eclipse. Somehow she'd even managed to muster the courage to ask the Fire Lord himself about it, between two of the endless meetings he was constantly holding. He'd given her a cryptic answer- as always- that revealed no information whatsoever on the whereabouts of his son. That alone was enough to cause a blossom of suspicion to bloom in the back of her mind.
Bringing her thoughts back to the present, Ty Lee looked at her oldest friend's face and noticed something was off. "What's the matter, Mai? You're looking more down than usual, and that's saying something."
"Oh just read it." The girl huffed, thrusting a rolled-up scroll at her friend and sitting down on the couch in the living room- watching her baby brother play with a carefully blank expression on her face. Ty Lee looked at her friend quizzically and cocked her head, then unrolled the scroll to see what had been written within.
"Dear Mai,
I'm sorry that you have to find out this way, but I'm leaving. This life- being home in the Fire Nation- it's not my destiny. Don't get me wrong, it's all that I've wanted over the past three years, but it's not at all how I thought it would be.
Something's happened to me, something I can't really explain. I'm not the same person that I was three years ago. For so long, I thought that capturing the Avatar was my destiny- to regain my honor and come home a hero. But when I returned home with Azula, it felt- wrong. I was the perfect prince- the son my father wanted- but I wasn't me. That night on Ember Island was the night I realized my true destiny. It's not to capture and destroy the nations' last hope for peace, but to restore balance to the world.
I wish there was some way that I could make you understand, but that's not how our relationship works, is it? I'm sorry Mai, but in order for this war to end, I need to sacrifice my own needs for the good of the world.
Goodbye.
Zuko"
"He's gone? That's it?" Ty Lee gasped, flipping the scroll over to see if more had been written on the other side. It was blank, so she carefully re-rolled the scroll and set it on the tea-table in the middle of the room.
"That's it." Mai repeated tonelessly, once again hiding her true feelings and emotions behind a mask of stone. She would not let anyone see her tears, especially not 'drama queen' Ty Lee. She'd flip, metaphorically speaking. If Zuko thought she wasn't good enough for him, then she decided that he wasn't good enough for her. Fine, Zuko. Go ahead and dump me. See if I care.
"Oh Mai." The acrobat sniffled, walking up to her friend and embracing her again, only this time her tears were of sadness and not of joy like they usually were. "I'm so sorry. I know how you felt about him."
"No you don't. You don't know anything about me." And apparently, neither did he. "I don't care about that jerk. If he wants to leave, I say, 'Go right ahead. Don't let the door hit you in the backside on the way out.' Good riddance." She growled, the tiniest bit of hurt leaking through her ironclad emotional wall and into her voice.
Ty Lee continued to kneel at her friend's side, but then stood up a minute later and walked to the door- feeling that her friend wanted to be alone for a while. As she opened the door to leave, she turned back and said quietly, "I just came over to see if you wanted to get a cup of tea with me. I know this great little place downtown that just opened up. Apparently it's an offshoot of a tea shop in Ba Sing Se called 'The Jasmine Dragon'. But I can see now that you wanna be alone. So, I- I'll see you around. I guess." She murmured, then left the house- closing the door quietly behind her.
Hours later, after commissioning a Fire Nation messenger-fowl from the palace mail carriers- Ty Lee walked to the outskirts of town with the bird on her right wrist and a sizable package under her left arm. She had selected a larger bird for this particular delivery, as a normal sized messenger-hawk wouldn't be able to carry the very special item that she was trying her best to conceal. However, the package had been hastily wrapped, and occasionally a gleam of metal could be spotted when the fabric slipped around the object.
As human and bird reached the edge of the city, Ty Lee turned to the feathered fowl and addressed it directly. "Okay, 'Razor-wing'." She said to the eagle-hawk. "I've got an important job for you. I need you to take this to Prince Zuko. I'm not exactly sure where he is, so you'll have to search. Just look for a human who looks like this." She pulled a scroll off of her back and unrolled it, showing the hastily drawn but amazingly accurate drawing of the son of the Fire Lord to the bird. Ty Lee had sketched it from memory, drawing on the moments of that vacation on Ember Island. It depicted Zuko in his everyday robes, his hair down and framing his face nicely- slightly obscuring his awful scar.
The bird studied the drawing for a good minute, peering at it with its golden-orange eye. Once it had memorized its target, it cried once with a proud screech. Ty Lee smiled at the bird and added, "I understand that this may be hard, so I'll give you an alternate option. If you can't find Zuko, take this package and letter to the Avatar and his friends. I'd bet a month's allowance that's where he's headed. They're most likely at the Western Air Temple. You know where that is, right?"
The bird called once in confirmation, then held out its talons one by one so that the girl could tie the package to them. Once that was finished, she slipped the scroll into the message container and clasped it shut. Inspiration suddenly striking her, she untied the ribbon from the end of her braid and fastened it to the container. Only Zuko would know what the pink ribbon meant. As her hair slowly untied itself in the warm breeze and blew out behind her, Ty Lee smiled as she released the mighty hunter into the sky- praying to Agni that it would find its quarry swiftly.
I'm sure those will come in handy for you on your journey, Zuko. May Agni's blessings be showered upon you, and good luck shine on you. She thought as the eagle-hawk disappeared behind a cloud. Mai may be emotionally constipated when it comes to her feelings about you, but I haven't given up hope. I know that you still love her. Then she turned and walked back to the new Jasmine Dragon to order a cup of calming tea of the same name, her nerves frazzled in knowing that she had consciously committed treason.
Meanwhile, said prince was sitting by the fountain of the ancient Air temple, washing off his face and hissing when the cold water met his open wounds. He silently thanked Agni that no one else had yet awoken, so that his identity would remain a secret while he performed the simple tasks to prepare for the day. After he was finished, he found a bundle of clean bandages and re-wrapped his face- taking special care to completely cover the left half, even if it meant obscuring the vision that his left eye provided. Not that it provided much as it was.
As he considered all of the scars and wounds that marked his visage- old and relatively new- he seriously considered abandoning his charade and telling the Gaang the truth about his identity. However, this notion was savagely pushed aside when he considered Katara's potential reaction. He knew that she was strong enough to end him right where he stood, and so fast that he probably wouldn't even feel it until it was all over.
No. She wouldn't let me off that easy- with a quick, painless death. Something tells me that she would drag it out for as long as possible. Make me feel all the pain that I've caused her and her friends over the months. Zuko's pessimistic side thought dejectedly.
Katara wouldn't do that. She's too kindhearted to actually kill someone. She doesn't have it in her to just end someone in cold blood like that. Give her some credit. Zuko's more hopeful side argued, but he could tell that this side of him was fighting a losing battle.
"Are you kidding me?! You heard what she said when she was yelling at us about the cave-incident in Ba Sing Se! I mean, she wasn't yelling at 'Li' directly, but still, 'Li' and 'Zuko' are the same guy." A miniature version of himself cried, appearing on the Fire Prince's left shoulder. This tiny Zuko looked like he had in the months leading up to the siege at the North Pole, complete with phoenix-tail and shaved head.
"Yeah, but we also saw how concerned she was when she was healing our injuries." The other mini-version shot back, appearing on Zuko's right shoulder. This incarnation looked like he had on that vacation to Ember Island, his hair long and falling in his eyes a bit, his scar barely noticeable underneath. And for some reason, he was wearing the white ceremonial clothes Zuko only used for special occasions. "We could see the genuine compassion and righteous anger in those beautiful blue eyes of hers. She's angry at the 'Commander'- aka our father- not us."
"I don't think she's made the connection yet, tiny me." Normal-sized Zuko commented, turning to his 'good' shoulder-self. "I don't know if she realizes that my father and my sister are the ones who taught me to act that way, and convinced me to act based on my own selfish desires." He sighed as both of his shoulder-incarnations vanished, leaving him alone with his thoughts once again. I guess Time will be the way to convince her that I mean no harm to her or any other innocent. My only concern should be the Avatar's training- to make sure that when the time comes, he's ready to face my father.
His thoughts straying back to Katara- particularly her appearance- Zuko came to an intriguing realization. Do I really think Katara has beautiful eyes? She is quite pretty. But she's Aang's girlfriend. And I've got someone special already too. Then he snorted quietly. Besides, even if that weren't the case- and despite the developing bond of trust and friendship between me and Sokka- I don't think he'd like it very much if I started liking his little sister in that way. It's best if we just leave it at 'friends'. If I ever make it that far as myself- "Ah, who'm I kidding? When Katara finds out who I really am, I'm dead." He groaned to himself, and Sokka interjected, "Yeah, probably."
Zuko jumped about a foot in the air when the Water Tribe warrior suddenly announced his presence out of nowhere, put a hand over his heart when he landed, and gasped, "Agni above! Don't do that, Sokka! Do you want to give me a heart attack?"
"Sorry, man. I didn't mean to scare ya. I was just getting a cup of water." The other teenager apologized, looking appropriately abashed.
"It's fine. You just startled me is all." Zuko shrugged, calming himself with a deep breath and smiling slightly at the other teenager. He then looked back in the water and adjusted his bandages, which had slipped slightly when he'd jumped.
"So when are you boys gonna quit this little façade?" A young voice sounded from their side. Zuko and Sokka gasped and turned to the source, noticing that Toph had woken up as well and had approached them without their noticing.
"What façade? I dunno what you're talking about, Toph." Sokka lied, feigning ignorance. Zuko didn't bother and just looked guilty.
"Come on, Snoozles. I know that's not 'Li'." She smirked, pointing at the Fire prince. "He's Zuko, the son of the Fire Lord."
"How'd you know?" Zuko asked dejectedly, resigning himself to his fate now that his secret was out.
"Oh, I overheard you guys talking a few days ago. Since I'm blind, my other senses are more acute than most people. You really oughta be more careful. Someone else could hear you and tell the rest of the Gaang." Toph explained, folding her arms and looking smug.
"All right. You know who I am. What do you want?" Zuko sighed, preparing himself for the worst. He didn't know the young Earthbender girl very well, so he didn't know if she was the type to blackmail people.
"Nothing." Toph stated in surprise, confused that Zuko would ask that. "I was just warning you that you should be more discreet. If you wanna avoid the wrath of the 'Ice Queen', I suggest that you find a place a bit more private to 'be yourself'." The Blind Bandit commented with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.
"Thank you, Toph. You have no idea how much it means to me that you're willing to keep my secret." Zuko sighed in relief, smiling at the Earthbender- who felt the expression through the vibrations and smiled back.
"All right! Today's the day I finally get to learn some Firebending!" Aang whispered loudly as he jumped off Appa's tail and breezed over to the two boys by the fountain by riding his now-famous airball scooter. "Are you ready to teach me, Sifu Li?" He asked excitedly, looking over at the boy who had once been his worst enemy, and not even realizing that fact.
"I think a better question is 'Are you ready to learn, Avatar?'." Zuko replied with a slight teasing expression on the little bit of his face that could be seen. Aang made a face at him, and they both laughed. Then they made their way to an upside-down pagoda that was out of the way so that they could practice.
"You know Li, your voice sounds oddly familiar to me, but I just can't place it. Have we met before somewhere?" Aang asked Zuko innocently a few minutes later, looking at the Firebender- who had frozen in his tracks. "What's wrong?" The Airbender asked, looking at his friend in concern. By this time the two benders- teacher and student- had reached the training area. Zuko sighed, finally coming to a decision with his battling emotions. "I feel like I can trust you, Aang. But I need you to promise me something. And not just a regular promise, either. I need the Avatar's assurance that you will not tell anyone- anyone- about what you are about to see." Then he smiled slightly. "Well, except for Sokka. He already knows." He amended.
Aang nodded solemnly, completely serious, then made an 'X' sign over his heart and pointed to his arrow, swearing that he would keep the secret. Zuko sighed deeply, then started removing the bandages that covered almost all of his face. The Avatar gasped in horror when he saw all the scars that criss-crossed his newest friend's face. But out of all the wounds, one scar stood out from the rest.
"Zuko?" Aang asked incredulously, hardly daring to believe that his kind-yet-strict Firebending teacher was the son of the Fire Lord that had chased him and his friends all over the world.
"Yeah. It's me." Zuko admitted, rewarding the gobsmacked Airbender with a shy, sheepish smile. "You once said that you thought we could be friends. I'm finally taking you up on that offer, by becoming your Firebending teacher." He joked to lighten the mood, but the 113-year-old boy just continued to gape at him.
After a few minutes of open-mouthed staring, Zuko was feeling extremely uncomfortable and kept shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "Please say something." He pleaded, looking at the boy apprehensively.
"I- I just can't believe it. My newest friend- was my greatest enemy." Aang breathed, and Zuko hung his head in shame- his actions over the past few months coming back in a flood of bad memories. "I mean, I'll keep my promise. I won't tell a soul. It's just- unbelievable." He repeated, shaking his head in wonder.
"Well, you need to learn Firebending, so- whatever you do- don't tell Katara. I know that she's your girlfriend and that you probably don't keep any secrets from one another, but if you wanna keep your Firebending teacher, keep calling me 'Li'." 'Cuz if you don't, I'm dead. Zuko added, keeping that last part to himself.
"All right. We're gonna do this just like last time, so you might wanna take a few steps back." Zuko cautioned, and Aang retreated to the wall- eager to see his teacher's true capabilities- and not be the target for once. Zuko took a deep breath in through his nose and breathed slowly out through his mouth, just as his Uncle had taught him. He then thrust his fist into midair-
-And produced a fire shot about the size of a baseball. "What was that?" He recoiled in confusion. "That was the worst Firebending I've ever seen!" He cried, facing his palms up in a confused gesture.
"I thought it was- nice." Aang shrugged, ever the optimist. Zuko grunted again and bent his element in rapid succession. All his flames were small like the first. He growled in frustration and stared at his palms. "Argh! Why is this happening?" He asked himself angrily.
"Maybe it's the altitude." Aang shrugged, offering a suggestion to try to calm his friend down.
Zuko raised an eyebrow at him, but then answered, "Yeah. Could be." Then he turned away from the young Avatar, his confused expression melting away to be replaced with one that was unsure and lost.
They decided to move to another training area, this one closer to the main 'gathering area' of the temple. Zuko kept practicing, becoming more and more frustrated as his efforts produced feebler and weaker flames. "Just breathe, and-" He thrust his fist outward, producing the weakest flame yet.
"Hey guys." Sokka greeted as he walked up, but then froze mid-step as he noticed the lack of bandages on Zuko's head. Zuko turned around, winked slyly with his 'good' eye, then turned back to Aang.
"Oh, I guess you told him." Sokka surmised after a minute of soundless mouthing. "More like he figured it out." Zuko corrected with a grin to the sheepish Avatar, who was also smiling.
"Okay then." Sokka shrugged, then asked, "So, mind if I watch you two 'jerks' do your 'jerkbending'?"
"Really, Sokka? Really?" Zuko raised an eyebrow at the warrior, and Sokka laughed. "Chill! I was just kidding! But seriously, you mind if I watch?"
"Normally you'd be welcome to watch. But-" Zuko faltered, wondering how best to describe his predicament to the Water Tribe teenager. "I'm gonna be telling the group later, so you can find out then." He dodged the question, choosing to explain himself after he'd had time to find the right words.
High above where the boys were talking, The Duke was practicing his forest exploration techniques so that he could better track game and be of use to the group of friends. An eagle-hawk screamed overhead, and the lad looked up just as the large bird swooped in. He put out his arm so that the fowl could land on it, and the hawk gratefully accepted the offer of the perch. However, the animal clearly thought that the boy's head would make for a sturdier landing spot, so that's where it alighted. The Duke laughed at the humorous fowl, then cocked his head quizzically when he noticed the rather large object tied to its talons, and untied the parcel and set it beside him. Then he opened the message tube and slipped off the pink ribbon, unrolling the scroll and reading the six simple words written in elegant script.
"Lessee. 'To Team Avatar, from a fan.' Huh. Wonder what it could be?" He questioned, then shrugged. It was addressed to the Gaang, so he'd open it later when everyone was gathered for dinner.
Hours later, back at the temple, Li/Zuko had just finished explaining his predicament and plan to remedy it to the group, and they all had agreed to let him and Aang take a little 'field trip'. After Zuko rejoined the circle of friends, The Duke returned to the group and sat down by Li, placing the mysterious parcel in front of him where everyone could see it.
"What's that?" Katara asked the boy, and he grinned.
"Fan mail. Apparently someone out there in the world likes us enough to send us this gift with not so much as a name, just a pink satin ribbon tied to the message. What's even more interesting is that they got an eagle-hawk to deliver it, and those are Fire Nation messenger birds." He held up the ribbon as he talked, and Zuko cocked his head.
"May I?" He asked, and the boy nodded- handing him the simple accessory. It can't be- He thought as he studied the ribbon in his hands. Ty Lee? Why would she send us something? I thought she was Azula's friend…
"Well, why don't we open the package and see what this 'fan' sent us?" Sokka asked excitedly, sitting on The Duke's other side. Without waiting for permission, he grabbed the package and proceeded to unwrap it as hastily as he could- unveiling a pair of finely-crafted Dao swords. Zuko's eyes widened when he recognized the weapons, as they were his. He'd last seen them when he'd faced his father during the Eclipse. How in the world-? Ty Lee, you are something else. Zuko smiled to himself as he thought of the acrobat, who was apparently far more complex than he'd first thought.
"Swords? Who would send us swords?" Katara asked, flummoxed. She watched as Li carefully removed one of the blades, then the other as he stood up- his motions as fluid and graceful as the water. She realized that the two blades fit with the warrior perfectly, as if they were made especially for him. As he proceeded to test them out, that feeling only intensified.
"Wow, Li. I never knew you were skilled with dual swords." She breathed, utterly entranced by the blades as they shone in the firelight as the young man moved them with the skills of a master.
"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Katara." Zuko grinned back as he winked mischievously, but the expression didn't extend to his eyes- which were clouded with worry and regret. Good thing he was in the shadows, slightly away from the campfire. Calming his expression, he thought to himself, We're gonna have to leave pretty early tomorrow morning. I hope I can get Appa to cooperate. Glancing over at Aang- who was sitting next to his girlfriend Katara- Zuko couldn't help but feel a sense of loss and regret. Seeing those two together reminded him of Mai.
I'm so sorry, Mai. I should've explained myself better. But I just couldn't face you. Somehow I knew that if I saw you just once, I would never have been able to leave. And I couldn't drag you into it either. I love you too much for that.
The next morning- long after Zuko and Aang had left- Katara sat up from her sleeping bag and stretched, then walked over to the water fountain to wash up and get ready for the day. Since Aang wasn't here and Li was absent as well, she wouldn't need to drill the Avatar in his Waterbending forms or heal the rest of her friend's injuries- the ones on his face. Katara wondered why he was so reluctant to reveal what was under those bandages- since everyone expected it to be horrific anyway- but then shrugged. He's just shy. He'll come around eventually.
Turning to the side, she noticed a bundle of linen strips that had been neatly sewn together lying by the side of the fountain. She picked up one end of it and smiled when she noticed the hemmed edges. So Li knows how to sew as well! He just keeps revealing unexpected skills, doesn't he?
Then she came to a realization. "Doesn't he need these? I thought the wounds on his face were the worst. If he's with Aang without his bandages, the wounds could get infected! That wouldn't be good at all!" In the back of her mind, she wondered, I wonder what he really looks like under all those bandages. He can't be more than a year older than Sokka. He's probably really handsome without all those scars. I wish he'd let me heal them already.
Shaking her head, she abruptly changed tack. "Nah. He's smart enough to know that. He probably found some clean ones this morning and re-wrapped them around his injuries." She dropped the bandages in the fountain to clean them off, then sighed. "Come back safely, you two."
Meanwhile, Zuko and Aang were en route to the ancient ruins. "Man. Those scars look terrible. I can't believe you didn't die from those and all the other ones you had when we first met you. As 'Li', anyway." Aang observed quietly as he looked back at Zuko from Appa's head, and the prince just shrugged.
"I'm a survivor. When I was a boy, my uncle sent me a souvenir from the warfront at Ba Sing Se. It was a finely-crafted pearl dagger from the general who surrendered when they broke through the outer wall. The words engraved on it became my philosophy from then on. 'Never give up without a fight'. I live by that inscription, and that- I am convinced- is the only reason I survived the torture from my father and Azula in that airship after the Eclipse." Zuko explained, not ashamed in the slightest about what he had done and the resulting punishment. "Although, if it hadn't been for Yue healing my right arm and Sokka's help, I definitely wouldn't have lasted more than a few days in that little forest above the temple."
"So Sokka found you, and Yue healed your arm?" Aang summarized, and Zuko nodded- suddenly grinning as a new thought occurred to him. I bet that Lu Ten had something to do with Yue's visit. That sounds like something he'd do. "That's really unexpected. I mean, the only time that you two met was at the North Pole, and you were unconscious for most of that time." Aang commented after Zuko had finished with his thoughts.
"Just because we never spoke when she was alive doesn't mean that she can't watch over all of us from the Spirit World." Zuko shrugged. "That's what she told me, anyway. She's been watching over all of you, and apparently me too." He felt another pang of guilt as he remembered that it was partially his fault that she had to die, but then shook his head. I already apologized for that, and she forgave me. There's no sense in dwelling on the past.
You really are something, Yue. Aang thought. And I thought I was the optimistic one. You saw a spark of good in the prince of the Fire Nation, someone on whom I had already given up- deemed irredeemable. I'll try to be more like you in the future. Aang promised, surreptitiously putting a finger to his arrow and crossing his heart- just as he had the previous day when he had promised to keep Zuko's identity a secret.
As day gradually faded to evening and evening to night, one member of the larger Team Avatar did not agree with the rest about their newest companion. He didn't trust the Firebender, a distrust that ran deep into his past when the Fire Nation had taken over the simple mining village where he, his mother and his father had lived. He had never forgiven the army for taking his father to that awful prison on that coal rig, so the fact that Li had said that he had served in the Fire Nation's armed forces caused a seed of doubt to sprout in the teenage Earthbender's mind.
"Soon, Li. Very soon I'll show everyone who you really are. A heartless monster, just like all the other soldiers in the Fire Nation. The Avatar won't be so eager to train with you then." He plotted, thinking through his master 'reveal' plan, making sure no detail was overlooked. He pulled a small flask out of his pocket, which he had bartered a few weeks ago from a merchant in the Earth Kingdom. The flask- the merchant had assured- contained just a small amount of concentrated cactus juice, or one of the most powerful truth serums that the world had discovered.
He's gonna get what he deserves. The Earthbender smiled, ignoring the twinge of guilt he felt at what he was planning. Li couldn't be more than a year older than he himself, and yet he had been in the army and had been exposed to their evil and cruelty. The Fire Nation will pay. I swear it!
"You had to pick up the glowing egg, didn't you?" Aang accused sarcastically, glaring at Zuko out of the corner of his eye. If only the Firebender had listened to him and left the gem alone, but no- he had to pick it up and trigger all of this sticky goo. He'd never get his glider back.
"At least I made something happen. If it were up to you, we would've never even made it past the courtyard!" Zuko shot back defensively, embarrassed that he'd put the two of them in this situation, but not about to admit it.
"HELP!" Aang cried, using all of the air in his lungs and opening his mouth wider than Zuko would have ever thought possible to produce the loud outcry.
"Who are you yelling to? No one's lived here for centuries!" Zuko asked, confused as to the Avatar's plan.
"Well, what do you suggest we do then?" Aang retorted, annoyed.
Zuko turned pensive. "Think about our place in the universe?" He suggested, not really considering the idea.
"Hmm. Maybe." Aang allowed, calming down a bit.
"You know, I never wanted to be the Avatar." Aang admitted a while later to his trapped companion. "I found out accidentally when I was eavesdropping on Gyatso and the other Council of Airbenders. Traditionally I wasn't supposed to know until I turned sixteen."
"I guess I never considered it." Zuko answered, pensive and reflective himself. "With all the amazing things you can do- and that Avatar State of yours- it's easy to forget that underneath it all you're still just a kid, barely in your teens."
"Well, technically I'm a hundred and thirteen years old." Aang grinned back, and Zuko laughed. "Yeah. I couldn't believe it when I first met you in the South Pole. I expected you to be a fully-realized master of all the elements. The last thing I was expecting was a goofy kid to come riding in on an otter-penguin."
"Yeah. That was fun! You should try it sometime, Zuko!" Aang laughed, remembering the incident as if it happened only yesterday.
"Nah. I'm not that great with animals. Besides, the penguins would probably all run away from me, the way I look." Zuko declined, trying to point to his face but failing due to the glue that held fast his hands.
"I've always wondered about that scar, the one you had when we first met." Aang admitted in curiosity. "How did that happen? Was it an accident in Firebending training, or what?"
"You really wanna know? It'll probably give you nightmares." Zuko asked, but Aang nodded anyway.
"Oh man. I can't believe it. Your own father-" Aang breathed after the tale, utterly mortified at his friend's story.
"Yeah. These newest ones I got from my sister, when she tortured me in the airship shortly before exiling me to that forest. But my first scar is a constant reminder of my shame and disgrace. All for speaking out of turn." Zuko sighed, somewhat relieved that he could finally tell someone the truth about his past.
"So- that story that you told everyone else, that was all true- except for the part where you said you were in the army?" Aang asked, and Zuko nodded. "Well, that and my name. 'Li' is the name I used when Uncle and I were traveling in the Earth Kingdom. But other than that, everything else is the truth. Oh, and I made up the 'Commander' part too. I didn't wanna give too much away, otherwise you guys would've figured it out too quickly."
"Wow." Aang breathed, and was about to say something else, when all of a sudden a sandaled foot stepped into their view.
"Who is down there?" An unfamiliar voice boomed, and Zuko and Aang looked up in surprise.
Days later, back at the temple: "With this technique the dragons showed us, Li and I will be unstoppable." Aang stated with excitement as he and his friend demonstrated the Firebending forms that Ran and Shao had taught them. As they finished, they bowed and everyone applauded.
Sokka couldn't resist teasing the two a little bit, and he commented, "Yeah, that's a great dance you two learned there."
Getting defensive, Zuko retorted, "It's not a dance. It's a Firebending form."
Continuing his joke, Sokka teased, "We'll just tap-dance our way to victory over the Fire Lord."
Zuko wasn't amused. He walked over to Sokka and growled, "It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old!"
Katara grinned and decided to take her brother's side for once. "Oh yeah? What's your little form called?"
Embarrassed, Zuko made a face. "The Dancing Dragon."
The group laughed again at that, especially the amusing expression on Li's face. Zuko tried to still his temper, finally releasing it as a shrug.
End of chapter 5
Next chapter teaser: The Boiling Rock, Part 1. Kinda.
Whew! Finally finished this one! Took me long enough, huh? Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.
I did my best with Zuko's letter to Mai. I think it sounds like something he would say. Any alterations or suggestions you may have are more than welcome, though. Hint. Hint.
Apparently Iroh's tea was so good, The Jasmine Dragon was able to open up another tea shop in the Fire Nation! And in the capital city no less!
I don't know about Haru. He's kinda acting OoC here. But revenge has a way of tainting one's personality, so that's what I'm going with. Uh-oh Zuko, you better watch out, he's getting closer to exposing you!
Speaking of which, Aang finally knows. Hope I got him in-character.
Oh, and if you're wondering when Azula is going to appear next, this story will pretty much follow the show from this point, but with a little twist on things. Instead of just writing what we saw in the show- the lazy way- I'll try my best to illustrate the parts we didn't see, mainly the rest of the Gaang's activities while various members go on their little 'field trips' with Zuko. Wish me luck!
God Bless!
Tsunami Storm