Sorry for the really long wait, my computer has been really messing up. (and let's face it, if there is no internet connection...then you can't update...-_-)

I actually wrote this a while ago, but I couldn't update it until now. Also, it's getting close to the time when I have to take my AP tests, SO I have a lot of studying to do. Anyway, here's a summary to help you guys remember.

Summary: Aang has been having an internal/external struggle with the red dragon from the Sun Warrior's temple. The great beast has fused with the airbender causing them to switch bodies at random points. Agnis, a spirit healer, is currently staying at Zuko's palace trying to separate Aang and the dragon into two separate beings.

Zuko and Aang are now at the Sun Warrior temple to negotiate and clear their names (the villagers think that the duo is responsible for the Blue dragon's death).

Meanwhile, Shen a paranoid firebender (who is responsible for the blue dragon's death) is busy plotting a way to destroy the Avatar and return the fire nation to its former glory. He helped Azula escape from a mental prison in order to achieve this goal.

Internal Compromises

Aang opened his eyes, blinking rapidly.

His surroundings looked very strange, as if he were watching everything from the air up high.

He could feel his large jaws moving up and down, his sharp jaws panting heavily as puffs of smoke escaped here and there. His hands were long and scaly, the red skin blurring with the sun behind him. His body was very long, spread out in intertwining circles as muscular wings kept him afloat.

Looks like I'm in the body of the dragon again. But something seems different…

Aang moved his head from side to side, his nostrils still puffing smoke up lightly with each breath. He could feel himself pumping his wings to stay in the air while his tail continued to wave back and forth below him. The motions felt natural to him as if they were embedded in his mind.

Hesitantly, Aang tried to lower himself to the ground. His scaly hand and claws scraped the ground but his body still hovered in the air. Aang sighed though it came out as a sort of light growl in his new uncomfortable body.

Ugh, how does this work…

As he continued to lower himself, the young airbender noticed people running below them. At first they all looked too small for him to distinguish, but after a few moments of focusing he was able to make out the details.

They appeared to be Sun Warrior villagers, except their outfits consisted of white and black colors unlike the red and oranges Aang had associated them with. They were running all over the place, reminding the young Avatar of ants scuttling for crumbs.

After scanning them briefly Aang finally spotted Zuko. He appeared to be stuck to the ground, unable to move while a tall man with a headdress stood firmly next to him. They were both staring at Aang with awe, though one looked more enthusiastic then the other.

I have to get to Zuko. Once they see the dragon protecting him, they'll trust us enough to let us leave…

Aang pumped his scaly arms harder as he tried to angle his body towards Zuko and the new Chief. He couldn't fully control the movement however and his body ended up slamming into the wall of a cave. The rubble dripped down from the wall like snow nearly crushing the warriors underneath.

With a scowl, Aang tried again. His body coiled in weird oval like spirals before landing close to Zuko. His tail wiggled back in a sweep like fashion breaking Zuko out of his chains and slamming him into the wall.

The new chief trembled but stood his ground next to the dragon before him. "Please, great beast! Have mercy!"

Aang coughed as he pushed his huge arms against the ground to push himself back up. Unfortunately the cough ended up sending fire out of his mouth nearly scorching the chief standing before him.

The chief ran aimlessly for a couple of seconds before standing ten feet away from the Aang. As more warriors ran over towards the chief, Zuko picked himself up from the ground.

After catching his breath, Zuko slowly walked towards the Aang with his hands up. "It's okay, Eona. No one is going to hurt you."

Eona?

Aang turned his head to stare at Zuko, unable to convey his puzzlement through his reptilian face.

Zuko squinted as he looked at the dragon's face more clearly. "Is…is that you, Aang?"

A small movement of his head was the only way for Aang to nod.

The young firelord sighed before walking closer to Aang. "I'm glad you're still in there. It least you don't have to deal with all the drama happening here."

Zuko couldn't tell for sure but it looked like the dragon was rolling his eyes.

Chuckling, Zuko raised his hand and slowly rubbed Aang's muzzle. "Don't worry. We'll get you out of there soon…"

Before Aang could think of a way to respond, the Sun warrior villages approached them.

The New Chief stared at the duo with suspicion. But after a couple of minutes, the Chief bowed down unwillingly.

"It seems the dragon has accepted your apology and is willing to negotiate with you. However, I'm afraid your friend isn't getting another chance. We are all very sorry since we know how much this will threaten the newfound balance in your world…"

Zuko gawked at the Chief. "What are you talking about?"

"Why, your friend's death of course. The Avatar has been vanquished. We pay our respects…"

It took Zuko a couple of seconds to figure out that the Chief was talking about Aang.

"Oh…well…don't worry. Aang just went…to the spirit world."

The Chief furrowed his brow. "What?"

Zuko smiled sheepishly. "He went into the spirit world to contact this dragon so that we could prove our innocence. And now…"

Zuko gestured towards the dragon behind him. The Chief still looked suspicious, but he appeared to be buying the story.

"Very well. We will release you."

Zuko bowed. "Thank you. We will return the dragon back soon. But for now, I need to take him with me to the colonies. I'll organize a place for the dragon so that it will be safe."

The Chief nodded. "We'll hold you to that promise. Please, do all you can to find the person responsible for the attack. My people would be forever grateful."

"I'll let you know when I've found him. Thank you for understanding."

Zuko then started walking away from the cave while Aang followed in dragon form. Once they had exited the ceremonial grounds, Zuko turned so that he was facing Aang.

"Okay, so we're covered for now but we still have a lot more to accomplish. We need to find my war balloon. From the altitude we were at, I'm sure it would have crashed somewhere in these ruins."

Aang stared at the firebender. He then repositioned his body so that his back was facing Zuko.

In the process he accidentally flicked his tail back, sending Zuko flying again into a stone wall.

Zuko coughed. "Yeah, could you quit doing that?"

Zuko could barely make out the dragon moving in what appeared to be its form of a shrug.

With a large sigh, the firebender walked back towards Aang. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he glanced at his friend's position.

Zuko's next words sounded very disbelieving. "Do you…want me to climb up on your back?"

Aang nodded.

Zuko sighed again before climbing up near the midsection of Aang's body. "Okay, I'm up."

Before he could take another breath, Aang shot into the sky. His body coiled oddly making Zuko nearly fall off. He reached out and grabbed Aang's tail, hanging on for his dear life.

"Aang! Hey! Quit moving like that!"

The young airbender tried to control his speed, but the natural instincts deep within his new body made him want to go even faster. He eventually settled at a slow enough pace so that Zuko could climb back up.

Once he had reached Aang's large head, Zuko slowly applied pressure on Aang's horns.

"Alright. We need to get back to the imperial palace. Do you know the way from here?"

Aang nodded. He didn't exactly remember the directions, but he could tell that the dragon had recently been there as different images began to settle in his head. He should be able to follow the dragon's path to the mansion.

Zuko braced himself as Aang started flying faster, his body still coiling in on himself as they headed towards the setting sun…

oooOOOooOooo

Katara tapped her foot impatiently while Mai sat calmly on the couch. It had been five hours and there was still no sign of Sokka or Suki.

All this time without knowing if Aang was in the fire nation was starting to drive the waterbender crazy. The shock of seeing Mai hadn't helped.

Mai stared dully at Katara while said waterbender chewed on her fingernails.

"Why are you worrying so much? They're going to be fine." Mai said this with a depressed air, as if she believed the exact opposite.

Katara frowned. "I…I just hate being on the inside. I have to do something."

"All you're doing is stressing yourself out. You should just lay down or something…"

Katara smiled. "Well, I haven't slept in a while so…"

Mai raised an eyebrow. "So…?"

"I'll just wait until Sokka shows up."

The former knife-throwing assassin shrugged. "Whatever. Don't come crying to me when you start going grey."

Katara glared at Mai. "What's your problem? Why are you even here?"

Mai smiled though her eyes had turned cold. "Here to see my boyfriend. What did you expect?"

Katara sighed before sitting on the couch. "You and Zuko are still together?"

"Well yes. How else do you think he does his work?"

Katara shrugged. "I don't know. He doesn't talk about you that much. Whenever one of us asks him about it he just gets angry and changes the subject…"

Mai laughed bitterly. "He's still that insensitive? Some things just never change…"

Katara rubbed the back of her neck, trying to think of a way to ask her next question without being to nosy.

"So, um…you guys are separated?"

Mai stared at the ceiling. "I don't know what we are. He just…doesn't want to see me anymore."

"Why?"

Mai sighed as she continued to stare emotionlessly at the ceiling. After a couple of minutes of silence, she raised her voice to speak.

Before a word could escape from her mouth, a large pounding sound was heard. Katara jumped from her spot on the couch and ran towards the door.

She opened the door quickly. There stood Sokka and Suki, both of whom looked extremely dirty.

Katara smiled widely. "Sokka!"

"Hey sis! You won't believe what it took to get bac-"

Katara hugged Sokka hard, cutting off his reply while Suki chuckled softly.

Just as Katara was starting to let go of her brother, she spotted someone outside the gates. The person had long dark hair that covered up their face. The person's skin was deathly white, almost translucent looking. Katara could also see long nails poking out here and there.

Her brow furrowing as she recognized the different features, she quickly turned back to Sokka. "Is someone following you?"

"What? No. When did you get so paranoid? With the route we took no one would have been able to follow us even if they tried."

Suki rolled her eyes. "It's true. We ended up stopping everywhere but here."

Sokka smirked at his wife. "Please, you were stopped just as much as I did. We didn't have to go into that spa, but no. We just had to see what the prices were like."

"That's because you lead us to that area in the first place!"

As they continued bickering, Katara turned her head back towards the gate.

What? She's gone. I guess it was just my imagination…

Katara sighed with relief before leading Suki and Sokka into the living room to meet their uninvited guest.

oooOOOOoOoo

Just as the trio entered the palace, two people stepped out of the bushes that were outside the main gate.

The man trembled before speaking to the young teen next to him. "I think the coast is clear…"

The teen glared at the man causing him to back away warily. The teen then turned back towards the palace before speaking.

"Why did you stop me?"

"Uh, your highness…"

Azula snarled before slapping the man in the face. "Why didn't you let me attack them?"

The man bowed before her. "It…now's not the time. We have to follow Shen's orders exactly. If we strike too soon, this will all have been for nothing. We have to be careful…"

Azula smiled before placing a hand on the man's cheek. The man shuddered at how cold her hands were to the touch.

Slowly, Azula brought her face closer towards the man, her lips inches from his. She then moved over towards his ear, whispering softly.

"If I were you, I'd be more careful about following my orders, not Shen's. He doesn't understand the full consequences of his choices, not the way you and I do…"

The man shuddered again as Azula's nails ripped into his skin. "I…I understand…"

Azula nodded before kicking the man in between the knees. He collapsed onto the ground, wheezing.

"Good. Make sure you remember that…"

ooOOOOoOOoo

Zuko moaned as he clutched his stomach. He wasn't one to get airsick. But all the twists and turns during Aang's flight were starting to get to him.

"Ugh, never should have eaten that armadillo chicken…"

Aang made what sounded like a snorting sound as he continued moving, now going a little faster.

Zuko glared at the dragon underneath him before sighing. "Yeah, I can't complain. You're the one carrying me anyway…"

Just as he was about ready to ask for a break stop, Zuko saw the outline of the palace in the distance.

"Look, Aang! We're almost there! Just a little further…"

Suddenly, Aang started going really fast causing Zuko to nearly fall into his tail for the second time.

"Hey. Don't…"

Before he could finish the sentence, Aang crashed into the roof of the palace sending Zuko sprawling towards the ground. He landed with a big thud, nearly cracking his hindquarters.

Aang tumbled off the roof and fell down in a similar manner, shooting fire in the process.

Zuko grumbled before standing up. "Man, remind me never to do that again…"

The young firelord went towards the back kitchen door and knocked on it vigorously.

A maid opened the door with caution. "Hello…oh, my lord…"

Zuko smiled. "Relax, I'm fine. And don't worry about the dragon behind me. I have it all taken care of."

The maid nearly fainted when he saw the dragon from behind. "Oh, my…uh, I guess you want me to call for Agnis then?"

Zuko nodded. "I'd greatly appreciate it if he could help me with this as soon as possible."

The maid nodded before turning to leave. Suddenly the maid stopped in his tracks, as if he was afraid to take another step.

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Is there something else you wanted to tell me?"

The maid shifted from foot to foot with caution. "Well, um…you have a guest."

"A guest? I don't remember inviting anybody…"

The maid flinched. "Ah, well no. The water tribe girl let her in."

Zuko's eyes narrowed at 'her'. "Take me to them…"

The maid nodded before leaving the kitchen with haste. Zuko briefly turned back towards Aang speaking quickly. "Don't worry, I'm going to get Agnis to come back out here and put you back into your original body. Just give me a second to take care of this…"

Aang nodded briefly before letting his body drop to the ground, causing the ground to shake a little. Zuko shook his head while giving Aang a small smile before following the maid back into the palace.

Once he had entered the living room, Zuko was relieved to see that Sokka and Suki had made it back. Katara looked exhausted, but she appeared less stressed now that her brother was here. Zuko could also see Toph. She was animatedly chatting with Suki about how she had roughed up the guards and brought them back to shape.

But what really caught his attention was the dark haired women standing across from him, flipping two knives in the palm of her hand.

Zuko's eyes widened. His jaw was stiff and aching as he clenched his fists audibly.

It was amazing how his reactions could change so suddenly, how everything could be warped out of its original perspective…all because of the women standing in front of him.

Mai smiled, though her eyes were extremely cold. "Hello, Zuko."

Zuko smiled back as the skin around his eyes tightened. "Mai…it's been a while…"

Silence permeated the room as everyone stared at the couple. The tension was thick in the air, creating such an acrid atmosphere that even Sokka didn't feel like making a sarcastic remark.

Before anyone could get seriously worried, a hesitant voice broke the ice.

"Where's Aang?"

Everyone turned towards Katara who just shrugged outwardly. Her eyes however told another story.

Zuko sighed while still staring at Mai. "He's outside. Before you go out, I suggest you take Agnis with you or we'll have a major problem on our hands…"

Said Spirit Healer rose from his position in the far corner of the room. He wobbled a little, but nonetheless he was able to walk towards Zuko in an elegant manner. Despite his outward appearance one could tell the man was still tired from his earlier session with Katara.

"I'll go to him now. Thank you for bringing him and the dragon back safely…"

Agnis walked away while Katara followed closely behind him. Sokka lifted his hand to protest but Suki held him down.

"Let them take care of this. I'm sure she'll be able to handle herself as long as Agnis is there…"

Sokka grunted. "Yeah, but did you see him? Don't know how much longer he'll be able to stand…"

Toph shrugged. "He knows his limits. He doesn't seem like the type to overwork himself, unlike some people." She gestured towards the warrior as she said the statement.

"True, very true. He does-hey, wait! Why did you point at me while saying that?"

Mai stared apathetically at the two bickering warriors, lifting up the right side of her mouth in an unnatural arch. It was the only indication that she thought the situation was funny.

"So, it seems like you're doing fine. Even with a rebellion on the rise and a runaway dragon, huh?"

Zuko's expression went blank at the sound of Mai's voice. "What are you doing here, Mai?"

"What do you think? Checking to make sure the palace isn't gone. I heard about the attack a week back. Seems like you're going soft on us…" She continued flipping her blades back and forth, staring blankly her fingernails while doing so.

It was as if she were avoiding his face, afraid to look into his eyes. For some reason this bothered Zuko. He knew it shouldn't, but it did.

"Well, I'm glad you're conscience is appeased. I haven't lost all my hair yet. How about you tell me the real reason you're here."

Mai shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I thought it would be nice to come and check on my boyfriend. You know, make sure he survived and all and put the rumors aside."

Zuko turned his head to the side, frowning. "Rumors?"

"Yes, Zuko. Rumors. People are starting to think you're dead."

"So? Look, I'm going to make a public appearance this Thursday. I'll be meeting a couple of generals at the founder's meeting the day after and then we'll work on fixing the public's view of us. I have everything under control…"

Mai froze, her fingers casually spinning the daggers at a slower face. "Oh you do, do you?"

She smiled staring dully at her wrists. "You…have no idea what you're doing…"

Zuko snarled. "I don't need reassurance from you. I'm doing my duty as Fire Lord, that's all that matters."

Mai sighed loudly before walking past Zuko. "Whatever you say…"

She left the room leaving a disheveled Zuko clenching his fists.

oooOOOooOOo

Agnis sucked in a deep breath as he let his hand go away from the dragon's face, or rather, Aang's face at the moment.

He coughed loudly before speaking, covering his mouth with his hand. "This is all I can do for now…"

Katara glared at him. "What? What's wrong?"

The Healer coughed again, specks of red now appearing on his dried lips. "I…I've given Aang control over the transformation. He will be able…to change from human to dragon form at will."

"Well, that's good…"

"Yes, but the dragon still has some influence over Aang's mind. If he acts strangely remember that it may just be the dragon in his form…"

The waterbender sighed before staring at the dragon before her. "So…he's back to the way he was before?"

Agnis furrowed his brow. "Somewhat. Only Aang can trigger the transformation. No matter how easy or difficult that may be, he'll be the only one to control it."

"Okay, so can he turn back to normal now?"

Agnis nodded as he hunched over, sitting on the ground. "Yes…he can return to his original form if he wishes. Please…tell him that…I'm sorry…"

Katara placed a hand on the older man's shoulder. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You've done so much for Aang already…"

Agnis nodded. "It will…take me some time to recover from some of my recent sessions. I'll have to rest for it least a week before I do anything else…"

"Aang will understand."

Katara smiled lightly at Agnis who could only offer another nod in return.

Aang observed all of this hesitantly. He wasn't sure if he could be able to do it. It was hard to remember what it was like to be in a human body again. After being stuck in the dragon's head for so long, just walking with two legs was hard to fathom.

But I have to change back. Most of this is my fault, therefore I need to be the one to fix this. Zuko's stressed enough as it is…

Aang closed his eyes and imagined his human body; his soft, warm skin; his somewhat short feet; his light grey eyes…

Slowly, he started feeling the change. His scaly skin was starting to soften, the red molten colors turning into a light, shaded peach tone. His eyes became shorter and his vision less clear. He could feel his head shrinking, his nostrils growing smaller while the claws in his hands retreated in on themselves. His tail was growing smaller too as the length of his body started shortening to his original height.

The process of changing was causing him to get a headache again. Aang growled lightly, raising his now normal hands up to his hair. With a grunt, he dropped down to his knees, his back arching in an unnatural way.

He could barely hear Katara shout as he banged his head on the ground painfully before blacking out.

oooOOOOooOo

Aang opened his eyes wide, his breath hitched. "Katara!"

A hand pressed hard against his chest holding him down. Growling, Aang fought back against his capture only to realize it was Sokka.

"Dude, calm down before I whack you in the head!"

Aang gasped. "Sorry, I just…I…"

His voice froze when he saw Sokka's arm. There was an ugly gash along his upper arm, blood flowing down freely like water from a faucet.

Aang flinched when he saw his left hand. His nails had grown twice their size, a black dull color instead of white. There was also a red tinge to the color of his skin, otherwise the rest of his hand looked normal.

Sokka smiled bitterly, his face pained. "Could you please…remove your hand from my arm?"

Aang nodded, his expression solemn. "This is going to hurt…"

"…Yep…"

Sokka sucked in a deep breath as Aang unwillingly pulled his hand out in a fast motion.

Sokka gritted his teeth as he did the best he could to stop himself from screaming. He didn't want to hurt his best friend's feelings.

His voice reached a higher octave as he covered his arm timidly. "Why must it always be me?"

Aang sighed as fresh tears flowed down his face. "I'm sorry…"

Sokka turned his head to the side with a grimace. "Well…better me than Katara."

"Yeah…"

The warrior nodded again before rising into a standing position speaking in a somewhat neutral tone. "She's been really worried about you. She hasn't slept for more than two hours since you left. I had Zuko knock her out."

Aang frowned. "Seems a little unnecessary…"

Sokka glared at the young airbender. "Look, I know how she thinks. She likes to believe she's indestructible, but she's not. Everyone needs their rest and…this was the only way I could make her do it."

"Yeah…she's going to be pissed off when she wakes up…"

Sokka smirked. "Yep. We'll keep this between you and me though. I'm betting Zuko's going to get most of the blame…"

Aang gave him a small smile before getting out of his bed slowly, his feet resting hesitantly on the floor.

Sokka smirked again as light filled his eyes. "Don't tell me you've forgotten how to walk…"

"No! I just…I can still walk."

Sokka snorted as Aang took a couple of steps before crashing onto the ground.

The young airbender coughed before turning himself over onto his back. "Quit laughing!"

"Sorry. It's just…so crazy you know? As if being Avatar was weird enough…"

Aang shrugged. "Oh well, that's my life…"

Sokka smiled. "Yep, that's your life."

Aang glared before a weird noise reached his ears. He flinched as something hard shot out of his lower back causing him to sit up.

Sokka stared at the gaping young teen. "Hey, what's wrong with you? You look a little green…"

The airbender looked up, his eyes wide and frightened. "I think…something just came out of my back."

Sokka looked behind him. "Whoa, I'd say that was an understatement."

Aang took in a deep breath before taking a peak. There was a large, scaly tail waving back and forth behind him.

Groaning audibly, he cleared his mind and imagined the tail away. Trying the best to picture his back bare and clear, Aang growled as the extra body part shot back into his body.

Sokka cleared his throat loudly, trying to avoid the sick feeling rising in the pit of his stomach. "Looks like you need to work on that…"

Aang nodded. "I just have to take this one step at a time."

Sokka smiled before patting Aang playfully on the shoulder. "One thing at a time…"

The two men smiled lightly before heading towards the living room.

Man, took forever.

Well, I made this one shorter. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

No preview this time though I'll try to work one in for chapter 16.

Last Edit: July 1 2012