Title: Toward the Rising Sun
Rating: PG
Pairings/Characters: Zuko, Aang, some Zuko/Katara
Warnings: uh, some kissing; probably some violence eventually
Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to the nice folks at Nickelodeon.
Summary: Zuko and Aang need to learn to trust each other. Cue the road trip to find the Sun Warriors, with plenty of arguing, dirty jokes, and pirates besides. S3 AU. [Heals All Wounds #4]
A/N: Thank you to jin_fenghuang for the beta! I know this one took me forever to post and I apologize. I got blocked and distracted and traveling never helps me write. Hopefully the next chapter will come easier.
5.
Red scales shimmered under Aang's hand. No, actually, it was the other way around. His hand, translucent and slightly blue, shimmered above the scales of the red dragon. He lay face down on the dragon's head, blinking himself to awareness. Aang pushed himself up just enough to peer over the side of her head – he could make out long whisker-y tendrils, the point of a fang, and his own hand, limp and tattooed and full-bloodedly real hanging from her mouth. A boot he recognized as Zuko's stuck out as well. Water raced beneath the dragon as she moved sinuously through the water, carrying them both to the shore Aang could see in the distance.
All things considered, it would probably be a good thing to be awake right now.
"Oh no," he groaned. "The spirit world? Now?"
"Not quite," Avatar Roku intoned from behind him.
Aang drew himself up to stand and turned, a smile lighting his face. Roku glided through the air on Fang's back, robes remaining perfectly still and unruffled; both of them were limned in spirit world blue. Roku tilted his head toward Aang in greeting, before raising his eyebrows.
"Honestly, Aang, you made an offering to a dragon by waterbending?" he admonished gently, chuckling.
Okay, yeah, fair point. He hadn't thought of it that way.
"Seemed like a good idea at the time," Aang said. He felt like he would be blushing, but for the whole issue of his body being in the dragon's mouth.
"I know you have been eager to talk with me again, but you hardly needed to go about getting my attention so dramatically."
"Well, I didn't mean to… it just sort of happened. Wait. You knew I wanted to talk to you?" Aang asked. He felt slightly put out and irritated all at once. This whole thing was to try to learn firebending properly. Couldn't have Roku stopped by before the dragon tried to roast them?
Roku seemed to hear his question, fixing Aang with a stern look.
"My duty is not to solve your problems for you, but only to guide you down your path. You must learn firebending in your own time, and in your own way."
"Then why are you even here?"
"Ah, well." A slightly chagrined look passed over Roku's face. "It is time that you learn more about my own path, so that you may avoid the mistakes I once made."
Oh, so, story time. Aang perked up immediately.
"Our time is short," Roku continued. He gestured to the quickly approaching island. "Soon you will awaken, and the Sun Warriors will be upon you. Listen carefully to what they have to say, and trust in your inner fire."
"Uh, sure, okay."
Aang really wanted to ask about the whole Sun Warriors thing – since weren't they all dead? – but he bit his tongue. The dragons were supposed to be dead too. Two strikes against the Fire Nation census department, he guessed.
"I'm afraid my story does not end well, as you know. It begins far better – with friendship and prosperity. I was once a noble son of a great Fire Nation Lord, and loyal retainer to Crown Prince Sozin himself. Indeed, he was my best friend." A rueful, sad look passed across Roku's face. "I'm afraid my judgment was lacking in both regards. I failed my Fire Lord and my friend."
Aang didn't really hear the last part. His mind was still processing.
"You were friends with Fire Lord Sozin?" he asked in horror. "What – why?"
"We had much in common, at the time," Roku said lightly. When Aang opened his mouth to protest further, Roku held up a hand, forestalling him. "However, that story is best reserved for another time. Perhaps when you are older. For now, our discussion must remain focused. You fear to trust Sozin's great grandson."
"Well, yeah."
Zuko had as good as admitted that he had no real belief in their side. Aang couldn't decide what bothered him more: the fact that Zuko still loved his family and might be swayed back to their side, or that he might genuinely see victory in killing them. It was awful either way.
Ugh. Aang dropped back down onto the dragon's head, an uncomfortable and sick feeling overtaking him. He looked balefully toward Roku, hoping that some kind of answer was forthcoming.
"It is not for me to say whether you should trust him," Roku said.
Oh, of course not. Aang scowled.
"But what about what you just said? You trusted Sozin, and it backfired. On everyone. Why should I trust Zuko? How can I know that won't happen again?"
"Fire Lord Sozin was a very different man from Prince Zuko," Roku said. He looked away from Aang, out over the ocean. His expression was distant, and not without unhappiness. "He was ambitious, fierce, and far more patient than I ever gave him credit for. While those may seem admirable qualities, they were dragged down by his almost intolerable pride and narrow-mindedness. He saw greatness in himself alone, and wished it to be reflected back at him by the rest of the world. Tell me Aang, is that what Zuko does?"
Aang shook his head.
"No… but that's not really the thing anyway."
Roku nodded knowingly.
"You worry that Zuko is fickle, that he will find cause to change sides again."
Well now that he mentioned it… Aang shook his head, resisting the urge to shout again at Roku in frustration. From the corner of his eye, he could see sand and trees and rustling movements that were probably Sun Warriors, improbable as that sounded. He needed this fast!
"No! I'm worried that he's right," he burst out. "What if I do have to kill the Fire Lord? What does that make me?"
"The Avatar," Roku replied simply. At Aang's expression, he added, "I once took mercy on a man who did not deserve it, because of my former loyalty to him. The world suffered while I turned a blind eye. Aang, you will find your own path, but you must be mindful of my mistakes.
"Do not push an ally away because you fear he is right, and do not fear your own duties. The life of an Avatar is not an easy one, nor are our choices. They should not be made easily, but they should benefit all, not merely yourself or your memories."
Aang stared at him, feeling the cold sting of loss at his words. He was talking about Gyatso, the Air Nomads. They were nothing more than memories now.
"Roku…"
"But do not be so hard on yourself," Roku continued blithely. He gave Aang an encouraging look. "You can always trust in your feelings, in your own sense of right and wrong. You can pass that on, by the way. I think my great grandson could use hearing it, from time to time."
Aang raised his hand slightly.
"Okay, so now I'm really confused."
Roku smiled mysteriously. Fang reared up beneath him, brushing close to the dragon Aang rode in a gesture that almost seemed affectionate, before wheeling around. They flew together high into the sky, almost straight up, before disappearing in a wink of sunlight.
The dragon stilled beneath him, coiling onto the beach. Aang's eyes widened as he watched a large group of warriors emerge from the jungle – men with red slashes of paint across their face, and women wielding plumes of fire. He gulped – or wanted to, anyway.
"Body, body, come on, body," he whispered frantically.
The dragon opened its mouth, dropping his body unceremoniously onto the sand. He rolled down the banked incline, yellow sand sticking to his face where it lay slack against the ground. Zuko rolled only halfway down before a Sun Warrior caught him by the arm, eyes narrowed with distaste.
"Come on!" Aang shouted.
And with that, he felt an abrupt, disorienting pull.
He sat up in his body – his slimy, bruised, very real body – and coughed. And then spit. Dragon saliva. Everywhere. So gross.
Aang was busy shuddering and inching toward the ocean to rinse off when Zuko groaned himself awake. The Sun Warrior holding his arm dropped it immediately, backing away to drop into a firebending stance.
"What happened?" Zuko croaked.
A large man stepped to the fore of the Sun Warriors. Half his face was painted in red, extending all the way up to his enormous headdress of gold and feathers. His expression was forbidding as he crossed his arms, glaring down at them.
"You interrupted and desecrated the holy mating rituals of the firebending masters – Ran and Shao!"
Zuko peeled himself off the beach, blinking muzzily up at them. He stood somewhat unsteadily, only to be forced back several paces by the warriors.
"Mating ritual?" Aang asked. "Oh, the masters are the dragons!"
The Sun Warriors did not look amused. Neither did Zuko.
He held up an arm, sleeve dripping with dragon saliva, and stared at it in horror.
"What am I covered in?"
It had not taken the Sun Warrior Chief long to decide, with narrowed eyes and broad, angry gestures, that the two intruders would face the justice of the masters. Zuko and Aang were summarily seized and led from the beach through the tangle of jungle to a small settlement. It was not a long journey, although it was an unpleasant one. Zuko's shoes squished. His hair was plastered down to his head, and a chill began to creep up his spine. He caught himself stopping as they walked, closing his eyes to breath fire out his nose, raising his own internal temperature to dry the dragon… whatever on his clothes.
Stopping again, with Aang barreling right into Zuko's back, he took a moment to lift his eyes to the skyline. In the distance, he could see twin mountains piercing the forest canopy. Zuko stretched out his hand, raising his arm to judge the distance, but the warrior next to him grabbed him, and again he was pushed forward.
Those mountains… he'd heard about them. The Sun Warriors' ancient ruins lay not far from the base, and that was the direction the Chief was leading them in. At least he knew where they were.
The village of the Sun Warriors was much smaller and much less grand than the ruins were said to be. An unpaved, beaten earth road wound through the village. The houses stood stout and low, with only a few, rare decorative carvings in their rock. As they were led to the edge of the village, near enough to the ruins that Zuko saw glimpses of them through the trees, the style changed into something much more recognizably Fire Nation. The stone houses became wood, and flame crested cornices hung from the rooftops.
He blinked in surprise at the final house of that row, over which a carved placard hung: Research Station.
"What is that about?" he asked, steps slowed to a confused halt as he pointed up at it.
The Chief eyed him for a moment before explaining.
"We have hidden ourselves away from the corruption and violence of your people for some time, but we are still of interest to academics," he said, pronouncing the word with bemusement. He gestured to the warriors, and again they propelled Zuko and Aang along – this time into the house. The Chief followed.
Inside, there were an array of interesting artifacts – stone tools, beads, torques and other jewelry. Laid out and labeled as such on a Fire Nation desk. Fire Nation tapestries hung on the wall, and the wall was lined with books, scrolls, ink stones and brushes.
It really was a research station.
A pair of young men with shaggy haircuts looked up from their cataloguing when the Chief entered, nodding briefly at him before getting back to work. Both were dressed in Fire Nation clothes – although they seemed a bit outdated, by Zuko's reckoning.
"So," the Chief continued. "We have found it in our best interest to humor them."
"Wait, so you pretend to be Fire Nation and let the Fire Nation archeologists dig up your village?" Aang asked. He looked torn between being completely baffled and completely appalled.
"Well, no. No digging. They can look around the temple. If they go too far, there are always the traps," the Chief said cheerfully. "Professor Zei proved to be particularly troublesome, but he learned his lesson eventually."
"Wow, Professor Zei? I met him! He said he'd never been to the Fire Nation."
The Sun Warrior Chief scowled at Aang, who immediately took a step back – right into the grip of a warrior.
"This is not the Fire Nation! We are merely a nation of fire. If the Fire Lord had deigned to defend this island during the war with Emperor Chin, perhaps we would still acknowledge him."
Aang shot Zuko a confused look. Zuko shrugged.
"We try not to talk about that."
The Chief huffed out a long, hot breath, glaring at them both. Zuko straightened immediately, refusing to be cowed.
"Enough pleasantries," the Chief said. He pointed to the corner of the room, where there was a large engraved wooden box as well as a basin of water. His eyes slid up and the down boys in disgust, as he suggested, "You will find appropriate clothes. I must consult with the masters before your punishment is meted out."
He turned abruptly, sweeping out of the room. The majority of the warriors left, but several stayed behind to glower at Zuko and Aang.
The two looked at each other.
"What now?" Aang asked.
"Now," Zuko said grimly. "We change. And burn these clothes."
"But I told you! It was just dragon spit!"
Zuko didn't see how that made it any better. He stalked over to the corner, pushing aside the top of the box. It looked rich, with polished wood and mother-of-pearl inlays that sparked the memory of his room back at the palace, but he ignored that in favor of the contents within the boxes. He picked up one of the pieces of fabric, holding it away from his body as he frowned.
"Oh, uh," Aang started, coming over to Zuko's side to stare at the clothing. "I thought it was going to be Fire Nation clothes in there. Since, you know…"
He gestured around at the room, decked out entirely in Fire Nation furnishings.
"Apparently this is more appropriate for facing the masters," Zuko replied, lips twisting sourly. He could only imagine what Katara would say, seeing him dressed up like a Sun Warrior peasant when he got back. Maybe washing his clothes would be a viable option…
Zuko turned on his heel, and immediately rethought the proposition of washing when his boots squelched against the hard packed floor. Yeah, no. Fire. Fire for all of it. He could deal with dressing up in native clothes, as long as he didn't have to deal with being covered in dragon spit anymore.
He tugged at the laces of his boots – he didn't want to admit it, but he really did wish he knew a simpler way of tying them – giving a quick chuff of satisfaction when they came off. He was tackling his belt when Aang cleared his throat. Zuko shot him a questioning look, eyes following where Aang pointed.
The guards. And the "scholars."
Zuko stopped, stiffening as he stood up fully. One of the guards met his eyes, a smirk pulling at her lips.
"Out," he growled roughly. "Guard us from outside."
The two guards – muscular, tall women whose eyes glittered above red slashes of paint – shared a look before shrugging amicably, strolling out the door. The scholars seemed more apt to protest, but soon wilted under Zuko's glare.
It didn't take long to wash with water from the basin, change into the strange garb, and the pile his and Aang's soiled clothes in the center of the room. Aang pushed the tables of artifacts to the side of the room warily, an unhappy look on his face.
"Is this really necessary?" he asked.
"Yes. It is," Zuko replied tersely. He shook out his hand, flexing his fingers, but before he could begin bending, Aang lunged forward. He grabbed Zuko's arm, pulling it away from the pile of clothes.
"But what if the Chief hears?"
"You think the firebenders whose holy firebending master we offended by not firebending are going to be mad that I'm firebending?"
Aang furrowed his brow as he tried to think of a comeback and his grip slackened just enough for Zuko to pull free.
Teeth bared, Zuko sent a jet of flame toward his old, soiled clothes. Burning them with relish.
Heat sizzled off the clothes as the moisture popped off of them. Aang took a step back from the fire, crossing his arms protectively across his bare chest, but Zuko stayed closer to bask the heat. Sun Warrior garb was a bit drafty, he could admit, but that was actually welcome after all the time they'd spent sweltering on the ship. The pants were loose fitting and cut just under the knee, while a long sash hung down in front. His chest was left bare – as was Aang's – but for the wire collar that ringed his neck and covered his shoulders. The fit of the clothes was distinctly unfamiliar, while at the same time reminding Zuko strangely of his own Fire Nation armor. The high, choking collar was certainly the same.
Zuko shook off the feeling, taking pity to look down at Aang's anxious expression. He put on a comforting smile; Aang just seemed more disturbed by it. Zuko had really hoped people would stop making that face at his smile when his scar was healed.
"Look," he said, putting his hand on Aang's shoulder. "No one is charging in here to yell at us. It's fine. Besides, the dragon already saved our lives once. I don't think she'd do that and then turn around to execute us."
It was weird, but Zuko actually believed his words. Optimism didn't come naturally to him anymore, but he'd understood the look in the dragon's eyes when she tested them with fire, even when she rejected their offering. She was offended, but hardly murderous.
Aang didn't seem terribly encouraged, however.
"I don't know, Zuko. He said they were going to punish us."
"Well, if it comes to that, we're the Avatar and the Fire Prince. We can take them."
The clothes pile smoldered between them. A few embers were visible still among the ashes. Aang dispiritedly fanned one with his airbending, feeding it so the ember burned brighter before blowing it out entirely. Zuko frowned, watching him.
"What's wrong? I thought you were the happy, cheerful one. We have real dragons out there," Zuko said, gesturing emphatically. He thought the dragons were pretty awesome, personally. "And you don't even care!"
Aang dropped to a crouch, arms crossed as he stared broodily at the ashes.
"The dragon destroyed our ship."
"So? If we don't make the rendezvous, Katara and Sokka will come looking for us on Appa."
"My staff was on the ship," Aang explained. His voice was flat as he angled a glower up at Zuko. "My antique staff that I've had for a hundred years that's all I have left of my culture – since, you know, my clothes got fried too! And now it's gone forever. All because you wanted to come to this stupid island where we're about to get eaten by a dragon!"
"I said I don't think she's going to eat us! And I wasn't the one who wanted to come out here. If you would just trust me, I could teach you firebending, and then we wouldn't have needed to leave Hakoda's ship at all!"
"Leave Katara, you mean. She's the only one of us you really like!"
"That's not true!" Zuko shouted back. "I like Sokka and Toph!"
Aang's mouth pressed into a firm line.
"But not me," he said.
"That's not – You're different. I just don't think of you the way I think of them. You're the Avatar."
"Yeah," Aang said. He looked like he'd just been slapped, jaw tensing and gaze turned to the floor. "I'm the Avatar."
Zuko settled in a wary silence, watching the other boy. He didn't know how to respond to the hurt, the resentment, in Aang's voice. To be the Avatar was to shoulder the greatest burden of responsibility there was, and he knew Aang hardly flinched from that. It meant that Aang was as alone as he was powerful, and while Zuko could see – in a sideways sort of way – how that might weigh on the boy, he didn't fully understand it. He'd sought the restoration of his own throne for so many years. He still hoped to be worthy of it, after they found a way to make Uncle the Fire Lord.
He was still working his mind around a response when the guards entered again – more of them this time, all female, expressions schooled into deliberate indifference. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Zuko crossed his arms across his bare chest.
Behind the guards, the Chief entered. His expression was grim and set, although a lackey at his side grinned with morbid cheer.
"Oh, you are going to get it," the lackey said. The Chief's turned his head fractionally, and the man backed up, looking down at the silent chastisement.
The Chief raised his arms, intoning, "The masters have reached their judgment. You will face them, and should they find you worthy, you will complete the ritual you disrupted."
Aang and Zuko shared a look, before Aang hesitantly raised a hand.
"Uh. Are you talking about the mating ritual again?"