It was the year 100 AG, not that the dragons cared, when Ran realized Zuko was coming. The day Agni blessed him with a dragon's fire, Ran and her mate knew Zuko would one day come to them. Sixteen years later, when the girl Tui blessed with the moon's light died, they knew the time was coming. Not immediately but soon. The reunion of the world's last dragons was on the horizon.
But the dragons weren't spirits. They were closer to spirits than humans were, yes, but they still weren't spirits. They had physical forms tying them to the material plane. They couldn't project their psyches great distances. They could sense and perceive spirits around them but they couldn't roam the world like they could, unseen and free. It was a frustration, especially since Sozin's reign. Trapped in hiding, they longed to roam beyond these mountains, even if their bodies couldn't follow. At least they got some decent company on occasion, whether it be from the Sun Warriors or the spirits.
"Pardon me," Yue said as she drifted down through the ceiling of Ran and Shaw's shared cave deep beneath the mountains. "I just… I want to watch."
Ran exchanged a glance with Shaw. This wasn't what they were expecting when the new moon spirit finally decided to visit. Tui was… well, she was a fish. Ran had a hard time seeing past that. Oh, it'd been so long since she'd tasted fish, long enough that even the moon looked delicious. She always thought with her belly, or so Shaw said and Shaw usually had good judgment calls when it came to these things. He told her that Tui was aloof yet her kindness ran deep, even if it took a moment to see it in the wake of her cold elegance. Ran thought every word Shaw used to describe her was contradictory but it wasn't like she had any better ideas.
Yue, on the other paw, was… Well, she was human, Ran noticed that right off the bat. Ran didn't eat humans. That meant she could properly observe this new moon spirit. She was… Hmm. Ran was never good with words. That was Shaw's job. She saw a kindness to her, she supposed. Or rather, sensitivity. Yes, that was it. She… What was it the humans said? Wore her heart on her sleeve? Yue had only been here mere moments and yet even Ran could sense her vulnerability. Everything about her felt tender and raw.
Yet, she still commanded the same awe as Tui. She was beautiful, every little movement poised with elegance, and her very being was brimming with power. She seemed unsure of herself though. Ran had never seen that in a spirit, especially one as revered as the moon spirit. It took Ran a few moments to pinpoint why.
"Yin," Ran rumbled, hoping Yue could understand her dragonic tongue. And to her luck, she did.
"Yue."
"What?"
"It's Yue. Not yin."
Ran wanted to smack herself in the face with her tail. Was that a translation error or was this new moon spirit just dense? Or was Ran just embarrassing herself? She didn't know which she hoped for.
"We know who you are, Yue," Shaw jumped in, tones of amusement in his voice. Ran glared at him but he acted like he couldn't see it. "I believe Ran was observing the strength of your yin."
"My yin?" Yue echoed. Oh, this new spirit had a lot to learn, it seemed. Ran took great pleasure in the knowledge she got to be the one to teach her. Being one of the only surviving dragons was plenty of an impact on the world but to teach the moon spirit? That was something else entirely.
"Yin and yang. The symbol of harmony and balance," Ran explained. She drew herself ever so slightly, unable to keep the pride from her voice. "Yin symbolizes the earth. It is associated with femininity."
"It also represents darkness and passivity," Shaw chuckled. Ran bumped him roughly but he just kept talking. "Yang represents all of Yin's counterparts. It's associated with the heavens, masculinity, light, and activity. See, you cannot have one without the other: no heaven without earth, no femininity without masculinity, no light without darkness, no passivity without activity. We dragons believe that all the balance in the world can be tied to the yin and yang energy within all things."
Yue nodded along, watching the pair with wide eyes. What wide eyes. Ran thought she looked like a baby cat deer. So innocent. So young. "You two are yin and yang, aren't you? A representation, I mean. I know you aren't the literal symbols."
Ran snorted. She was right. So young. "That's right. I am the yin to Shaw's yang. The earth to his heaven. The femininity to his masculinity. The-"
"She gets the idea," Shaw interrupted good naturedly. "I thought you were supposed to be the passive one."
Okay, she was proud of her yin and excited to share something so vital with the moon spirit. No reason to go and insult her. "I am. That's why we're in here instead of saving Zuko the trek up the mountain."
"I still think we should've just gone to him instead of letting the boy waste all that time carrying that flame."
"Zuko-" Yue bit out before cutting herself off. Swallowing, she tried again. "You said I was yin?"
"Oh right." Ran had been so excited by the realization. Afterall, that was more Shaw's specialty. She couldn't believe she'd nearly forgotten. "You're like me. You need balance."
"No offense, Ran, but I'm a spirit. A great spirit! I know I'm feminine but I don't think any part of me is tied to the earth. I don't think I'm yin."
Ran didn't even blink. "Living creatures are complex beings. The traits of yin and yang don't perfectly match up with every being. What I meant was you need balance."
Yue frowned. "I don't think I understand."
"You're missing your Shaw," Ran told her, tipping her head in the direction Zuko was coming from. He was still a ways off but Ran knew Yue could sense him coming. He was her yang, afterall.
Yue visibly flinched back and clutched her hands together unconsciously, a gesture unfit for a spirit but so very human. "I- I… My apologies for taking your time. I'm sure you want to spend some time with the other dragons."
"Dragons?" Shaw echoed. "Plural?"
"...Yes? Zuko is a dragon. Unless you don't think he is just because he needs the moonlight to-"
Shaw held up a single claw. "That is not what I meant. Zuko is a true dragon, or close to becoming one at least. His companion isn't though."
"Toph? But she-"
"Dragons are the sons and daughters of Agni," Ran interrupted. "Neither you nor Toph were given Angi's fire. A daughter of the moon and a daughter of the earth couldn't be dragons. A sea serpent is close but you could not fly or bear a flame. Toph is a world serpent. Again, close but her place is wound around earth's core, not under Agni's light."
Yue frowned ever so slightly but she was still nodding in understanding. "Okay, but you said Zuko's not a true dragon yet? I know his fire is gone right now but he's still a firebender."
"That's not what I meant. You'll see soon enough," Shaw promised. "That isn't what we were talking about though. You deflected."
Yue looked down. Ran couldn't tell if it was out of embarrassment or shyness. "I miss Zuko. Oma told me I needed to remember my humanity. Shu told me I needed to let Zuko move on. Wan Shi Tong told me I needed to focus on being a spirit. And- and I get that. I'm just… I don't know."
"Why did you come here today?" Shaw asked gently, far more gently than Ran thought she ever could.
"I don't know what's going to happen today," Yue told them, still looking down, "but I know it's going to be big. Big for Zuko. Bigger than anything else in his life, maybe. A real turning point. I don't know what it is but I can sense it. I don't understand it but I can sense it."
Ran and Shaw watched as Yue's hands tugged at her dress, fingertips dancing over the folds of moonbeams. They remained silent, waiting patiently for Yue to find the words and continue.
"If I were alive, this would be our moment, not just his. I would've come up the mountain with him and we would've stood before you together. It would've been a turning point for both of us," Yue explained, finally looking up. If she were still human, Ran knew there would be tears running down her cheeks. Instead, moonlight pooled up like water in the corners of her eyes. "I'm not jealous of Toph. Not anymore. If I were alive, I know I would've cherished her like a sister. I can't be angry that Zuko has other people in his life. I'm just… sad."
"Sad?" Ran wasn't expecting that to be the climax of Yue's declaration.
"I'm sad that I can't be here for him. That Zuko… Well, he's not alone but he's without his yin." Yue smiled ever so slightly. "A Shaw without his Ran."
Ran shivered. What a terrible thought. She and Shaw bickered and teased each other but they loved each other, they really did. Even before they were all the other had. By the spirits, they were all the other had. A Ran without her Shaw, a Shaw without his Ran… Inconceivable. Ran knew she couldn't bear to be alone, and she was confident Shaw would say the same. They were the last dragons, the only of their kind. If they lost each other, Ran didn't think either of them could keep going. To Ran, a world without Shaw sounded pretty bleak. Even this life hidden in a mountain with Shaw was better than a free life without him.
That was what Yue and Zuko had gone through, hadn't they? Together, they hid in the Northern Water Tribe's palace. Then, they were wretched from each other. Yue gained the freedom to roam the spiritual plane. Zuko got to travel the material world. But they still didn't have each other and it was practically killing them. Yue couldn't devote herself to the spirits and Zuko couldn't call upon his fire. Yet, as miserable as they were, they kept on going. They kept on moving forward. Maybe not quickly but still forward.
Ran looked back at Yue. Maybe calling her a cat deer wasn't the right comparison. She was young, yes, but she deserved far more credit than Ran had given her. So what was she? A boar-q-pine, independent and unstoppable? A polar leopard, beautiful yet persistent? An article camel, able to keep going, no matter what terrain was thrown in front of her? A fish, a brave creature who just kept swimming even when the current ran against her?
No. Yue would always keep swimming no matter how strong the current was but she was no fish. Tui was a fish. Yue may be the moon spirit but she was her own spirit. Her own woman. Her own… serpent? Yes, that was it. Her own serpent. Ran felt a bit silly that it took her so long to come to that conclusion. It was right in front of her the whole time. Yue had been a sea serpent in life, a powerful beast that fought through every wave that tried to drown her and won. It suited her perfectly.
If Yue had been a sea serpent in life, why wasn't she one in death? Tui took many forms, including some more humanoid, but she favored the fish. It matched La's form well, the yang to her yin. Was Yue waiting for Zuko to join her in death to take her true form? But Zuko would never replace La. How peculiar. What could she be waiting for?
Shaw shifted and Ran's attention was drawn upward. She sensed a piece of the eternal flame overhead. It was nearly time to go. Turning to Yue one last time, she said, "You may be missing your balance but that doesn't mean you're only a half. You're stronger with Zuko but you're plenty strong on your own. Grieve, Yue. Let yourself feel this pain so you can come back stronger."
Yue let out a choked sound but Ran didn't linger to see if she'd finally shed tears. Parting from Shaw, Ran flew up her side of the mountain, coiling through stretches of stone, and broke into open air. Spreading her wings, she arched high, passing Shaw in a familiar yet foreign dance. It'd been so long since they'd gotten the chance to fly like this, wasn't it? She'd miss this. They had visitors to attend to though.
Zuko and Toph looked so tiny on that stone pedestal. Ran and Shaw twisted downward, landing on either side of the column so they could look at them properly before parting their lips and letting loose a searing jet of rainbow flame.