(NOTE) Okay, I'm posting ahead of schedule again, but I can't wait. By the way, does anyone know Combustion Man's real name? Did he ever recieve one, or is that a secret Bryke will take to their graves?

Adversus solem ne loquitor.

Twelve The Western Air Temple

"This is humiliating." Katara said, trudging with her head down. The entire group had been marching for hours through sparse land under the swelteringly hot sun. Even Appa was grunting miserably, still clad in the armor Sokka had fashioned.

"What?" Sokka asked. "Being thoroughly spanked by the Fire Nation, or having to walk all the way to the Western Air Temple?"

Katara looked at him. "Both."

Aang scratched his friend's exposed fur. "Sorry guys, but Appa gets tired carrying all these people."

After a moment, Teo spoke up. "I wonder how the rest of the troops are?"

Haru growled, frustrated. "Their probably on their way to a prison." He sighed. "It seems like my Dad just got out, and now he's going back in."

They marched along in hot, miserable silence for a few moments more, then the Duke spoke from his spot next to Sokka. "I miss Pipsqueak."

Sokka stared ahead. "I miss not having blisters on my feet."

"I miss Zuko." Aang commented.

"We all do." Katara told him.

Sokka scowled. "I don't. He ran off on us…he wasn't even there to face Azula with us!"

Katara turned on him, and Sokka took a step back from the look in Katara's eyes, but Toph spoke up, sparing the group an argument.

"Hey, we're here!" She exclaimed excitedly. "I can feel it!"

Katara looked around. "Uh…Toph? I think your feet need their eyes checked."

Aang ran to the edge of the cliff they had finally come to. "No, she's right! We are here!"

Toph remained rooted to the spot. "Wow. It's amazing!" From her spot, she could see the entire temple, built into the side of the cliff.

As Zuko flew over the temple, he was hit by old memories…some good, but most were painful, recalling the rage and anger he had lived with for years.

He set down, and dropped a rope over a ledge. Securing his gear on the deflated balloon, Zuko rappelled down.

I didn't see Appa, so they haven't made it yet. Zuko's eyes widened when he realized where he was.

Zuko swayed on the rope, and the momentum brought him forward. He seesawed back and forth, eventually gliding forward enough to let go and land on the temple floor.

Iroh stepped up to Zuko's side. "What a stunning view." Both nobles looked down into the seemingly bottomless crater.

Zuko spoke, bitter and angry. "The only view I'm interested in seeing is the avatar in chains."

Iroh sighed. "The avatar has not been seen for a hundred years, Prince Zuko. The chances of finding him here are very slim."

Zuko's frown deepened into the scowl that would cover his features for the next several years. "First we'll search each of the air temples. After that, we'll scour every inch of the world, even the most remote locations, until we find the Avatar."

Iroh placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Nephew, it has only been a week since your banishment. You should take some time to rest, and heal."

Zuko turned on his Uncle. "What else should I expect from the laziest man in the Fire Nation?" Zuko turned back to valley. "The only way to regain my honor is to find the Avatar…so I will."

Zuko sighed at how stupid he had been, and pinched the bridge of his nose at the headache that had formed. Zuko looked up when he heard a familiar grunt. His mind still partly in the past, Zuko ducked back into the shadows cast by the Air Nun statue, and watched as Appa soared past and out of sight.

He stepped back out. "Great…why did I do that? Now I have to climb!"

"It's so different from the Northern Air Temple." Teo commented, looking up at the upside-down towers. Next to him, the Duke gaped unabashedly. "I wonder if there are any secret rooms."

Haru jumped down off of Appa, and ran off toward a long, winding staircase. "Let's go check it out!"

Grinning, the two younger boys chased after him, Aang following until Katara blocked his path with the staff he'd left lying in the saddle.

Haru froze in the act of pushing Teo up a smooth ramp, all three looking down at the gang. Katara looked at them, smiling slightly. "You guys go ahead. I think we need to talk about some things."

Haru nodded, and set Teo's chair down on top of the ramp. Teo took off, and Haru looked down at the Duke. "I'll race you Duke."

Duke waved his 'staff.' "I told you, it's The Duke!" He ran after the other two, already laughing.

Aang looked after them with some longing. "Why can't I go?" He whined.

"We need to decide what we're going to do now, and since you're the Avatar, you should probably be here for this." Katara explained firmly.

Frowning, Aang sat on a smooth stone block. He crossed his arms. "Fair enough." After sulking a moment, he looked up. "So…what's the new plan?"

Sokka perked. "If you ask me, the new plan is the old plan! You just need to master all four elements and face the Fire Lord before the comet comes."

Aang reacted childishly. "Yeah, great, that's no problem! I'll just do that." He flicked a small pebble off the ledge.

Katara sat across from him. "Aang, no one said it's going to be easy, but when Zuko shows up…"

"Zuko isn't here!" Aang exploded. "He ran off, like Sokka said! How's he supposed to find us, huh? Maybe we should look for Jeong Jeong, too!"

Sokka leaned back. "The fact that we'd never find him not-with-standing…and besides, Zuko always finds us."

Toph leaned down from her perch. "Who's Jeong Jeong…never mind. If it's important I'll find out." She tilted her head. "Besides, like Sugar Queen and Snoozles have pointed out, we've already got a pet firebender…Sparky."

Aang sat up, and grabbed his glider. "Well, until he shows up, I'm going to take a relaxing flight around the temple."

Before they could react, he ran off the ledge, soaring into the air with Momo following him.

"What's up with him?" Toph asked.

Zuko stood in the clearing where he'd landed the war balloon. He'd been talking to himself for nearly half an hour, trying to figure out what to say.

Finally, he growled, and began pacing. "What do I tell him? Well, Aang, you have to man up and learn firebending, or the whole world burns? That's real encouraging."

Zuko turned, and paced the other way. "Aang, I know it's not me. You've seen my firebending skill when I was…you know…attacking you…" Zuko sighed. "I can't bring that up. That'll just depress him."

A cat-toad hopped onto a fallen logs, eyes following Zuko as he paced. "Aang, it's time to grow up. You have to focus on finishing your training, or the world will fall…" Zuko frowned, looking at the toad. "What?"

It croaked, and hopped onto his head before leap-frogging to the ground and hopping off. Zuko sighed, and flopped on his back.

"I can't put this off much longer, or Katara will kill me." He said. "What would Uncle do?"

Appa soared through the spires of the temple, chasing the small glider that carried his master on it. From her spot in the saddle, Katara leaned on Sokka's shoulders. "Aang!" She called. "Can we talk about you learning firebending now?"

"What?" Aang replied, lying poorly. "The wind is too loud in my ears! Check out this loop!" He circled tightly in the air, grinning.

Soka growled, and called out. "Aang, it's not just about Firebending! We need to be making plans about our future!"

Aang sighed, and angled toward a balcony with a wide, clear fountain-pool. "Okay! We can do that while I show you the giant Pai Sho table!" He landed, Appa following closely behind. "And you're gonna love the all day echo chamber!"

Toph froze, and smiled. "I think that'll have to wait." Appa grunted cheerfully, and ambled out of the way, revealing Zuko standing behind the gang.

"Zuko!" Katara exclaimed, crossing the distance between them and hugging him. Toph followed a moment later. "Where have you been, we were worried sick about you!"

"I'm sorry." He told them. "It's good to be back."

Aang frowned. "Why did you leave?" He demanded.

Zuko released Katara and Toph, who stood beside him. "I knew the invasion might fail, Aang."

Sokka's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You what?" He asked coldly. "You knew, and you didn't think to warn us?"

Zuko turned to him. "Would it have stopped you from trying? Would any of the warriors and benders have backed down from their chance to end this war?"

Sokka frowned, unable to say that Zuko was right. Zuko nodded, and turned back to Aang. "I went to face my father, and tell him that you would defeat him, and that I would be there with you."

Aang's frown deepened. "I could have stopped him." His voice barely carried. "You…you could have taken me there, and I could have stopped him."

Zuko stepped forward. "Aang, you have to understand. Even if you beat my father, if you were able to ignore his web of lies and beat him before the Eclipse ended, what then?"

Aang looked at him, confused, and Zuko continued. "You don't have it in you to kill, and that's exactly what needs to be done. Ozai cannot be left alive, or it will all start again."

Aang paled, and Zuko took another step forward. "But that's done with. Aang, what's important now is that you grow up. You have to finish your training, and you have to do it before Sozin's Comet comes."

Aang shook his head, and stepped back. "I…I can't kill someone!" He turned, and ran, flying away on his glider.

Zuko and the others stared after him, and Zuko smacked himself. "I should have handled that better."

"No." Sokka looked at him. "No, you did the right thing. I don't think anyone has ever told Aang what he's going to have to do to end this war. He needs to understand what its going to cost."

Zuko nodded in agreement. He looked around at the camp. "I suppose it's a good thing I brought supplies with me."

Sokka grabbed Zuko's shirt, his stomach rumbling. "Food? You have food? Go get it!"

Zuko shook his head, and looked at Katara. "I'll be right back."

As Zuko passed by Appa, the Air Bison licked him, and the firebender groaned, now covered in drool.

"Aang's back." Sokka announced, shielding his eyes. The Avatar landed on the balcony, still looking confused.

"Yeah." Aang rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry I ran off. Zuko didn't leave, did he?"

"No." Toph bent herself a comfy 'rock bed.' "Sparky went to go get some stuff he brought on his war balloon."

"Oh." Aang sat. "Katara, you were really relieved to see him, weren't you?"

Katara blushed slightly. "Well, I…I knew where he was going, so I was really worried."

Toph sat up. "Really, really relieved to see him." She announced. "Sugar queen's heart was beating like a drum!"

Sokka poked his sister, laughing. "Aw, that's so sweet…" He teased. "It must be because she can make him do the chores she doesn't like."

"Yeah." Aang said, unsure.

"When's Zuko going to come back?" Toph whined, sniffing at the rice Katara was fixing. "I bet he has some real food."

"Stop whining." Katara replied absently, fixing bowls. Haru took his, and sat.

"I still don't get it. Zuko, as in Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation? He's really been traveling with you?"

"I thought he was a bad guy!" The Duke exclaimed, digging into his rice.

Teo rolled up. "I never met him. But, we could go look for him." He was sporting several new bandages. "I've been wanting to try the slide to the Hall of Statues now that my brakes are fixed."

Toph sat on the ledge of the fountain's pool, then stuck her feet in. "Ah, cool and refreshing."

Combustion Man stood in a higher part of the temple, glaring down at the group. He did not see his primary target, but the Avatar was there, and with his death, the assassin would kill several others that had become a nuisance.

He took a breath, and bent, not seeing the prince until it was too late. The prince slammed bodily into the assassin, and his attack missed. The pool turned to steam.

"Stop!" Zuko shouted.

Toph fell back from her seat when the pool burned up, crying out. "My feet! My feet are burned!"

Picking her up, Sokka and Aang followed everyone else's stare as Zuko's voice echoed through the temple.

"Stop!" Zuko picked himself up from where he'd been thrown. "Stop! I'll pay double what Azula gave you, just stop!"

Combustion Man ignored Zuko, and tried to attack again, but Zuko bent a burst of fire along the ground, throwing off his aim again, and the attack blew up part of the temple roof.

From their spot behind the pool's ledge, the gang watched as Combustion Man turned on Zuko, and attacked.

Zuko countered, but the force of the explosion sent him over the ledge. For a terrified moment, they thought he was dead, then Sokka spotted Zuko climbing up a thick vine.

Aang jumped from hiding, rose into the air above another attack. He bent a tornado that ripped along the chasm, but the assassin jumped clear, attacking, his hurried shot missing.

Katara bent the water that was refilling the pool into an enormous, spiraling attack, and she crossed her arms, thousands of tiny daggers of ice rippling toward the assassin, who protected his flesh with his metal arm and leg.

He scanned the target area for his prey, but saw nothing, so he attacked, trying to flush them from hiding.

"He's going to blast his whole place of the cliffside!" Toph shouted from their hiding place around the corner.

Katara stuck her head out, pulling back quickly when an explosion heated the air. "I can't step out and waterbend at him without getting shot. And I can't get a good angle on him from down here!"

Sokka's face lit up, and he pulled Katara out of the way, stepping up to the corner as he pulled his boomerang from its sheathe. "I think I know how to get an angle on him."

Sokka carefully watched the explosions, and then angled his shot carefully with his boomerang. Confident he couldn't miss Sokka kissed his weapon. "Don't fail me now, buddy."

He threw the Boomerang, and it circled wide, crashing into Combustion Man's third eye tattoo.

Sokka, and the others leapt into the clear, and Sokka grabbed the returning weapon. "Yeah, Boomerang!"

Above them, Combustion man slowly got to his feet. Sokka looked at his boomerang. "Ah, Boomerang!" He scolded.

Combustion Man attacked, but the force back-lashed, and the entire balcony he was on vanished into the misty canyon. His metal arm crashed into a wall, and the gang stared at it, stunned.

Teo Haru, and the Duke stuck their heads out from behind a wide pillar, making sure the coast was clear.

Zuko staggered across the balcony, and Aang frowned once again as Katara ran to him, this time scolding him for being stupid as she checked his wounds.

"I can't believe that." Aang told his older friend. "You almost died for us, Zuko."

Zuko grinned from where Katara has forced him to sit. "That's what friends do. We watch out for each other."

Aang nodded. "Yeah." He sighed. "Zuko, I'm sorry. You were right, I'm not ready. And even before the invasion, I didn't want to firebend."

Zuko nodded. "Because you hurt Katara. Aang, you can't live in fear, or you'll never become who you're meant to be."

Aang smiled. "Um…if you want, I'm think maybe its time for me to learn, Zuko. Will you become my firebending master again?"

Zuko nodded, flinching when Katara began healing him. "How are your feet, Toph?"

Toph rubbed them carefully. "Katara couldn't get all the burn out. I'll have to pay you back for not attacking sooner."

Zuko sighed. "I'll look forward to it."

"This one ought to do." Sokka held a door open for Zuko. "You really saved our butts out there, man."

Zuko set his duffel down. "Its not like you haven't helped me before."

Sokka nodded. "Yeah, well, I still think you could have given us a heads up, but I understand. I'll catch you later."

Zuko sighed, and unpacked his meager possessions, carefully displaying a picture of his uncle so he could see it from any spot in the room. He sighed, remembering the end of the conversation he had with Uncle at the temple.

"If I have to, I will spend every waking minute of the rest of my life hunting the Avatar. I know it's my destiny to catch him."

Iroh squeezed Zuko's shoulder. "You know, Prince Zuko, destiny is a funny thing. You never know how its going to turn out, but if you keep an open mind and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny someday."

The door opened. "I'll bet he's proud of you, Zuko." Katara said, stepping inside.

Zuko sat on the bed. "I wish I could know that for sure. I've done so much even I'm not proud of. I think the only time I've ever made the right choice was in Ba Sing Se."

Katara sat next to him. "You've done pretty well since then." She took his hand, and Zuko chuckled. "What?"

Zuko leaned toward her. "My Uncle once told me that destiny has a funny way of turning out."

"He's smart man." Katara said, and kissed him.

Next Chapter: The Firebending Masters

Aang has a problem, and travels with Zuko to the ruins of the first firebending humans to find a way around it. Both young men are tested, both by the ancient masters and by a decision that Aang makes.