Chapter 4 – Time Goes By

On the floor of the temple, Zuko shot into a sitting position from where he had collapsed, and looked into another pair of golden eyes.

The young prince panicked, and the dragon let loose its breath of fire.

Zuko knew the history of his people, and the general history of the world quite well. His tutors had always praised him for his ability to pick up new information like a bath sponge. Piandao had considered him a sword fighting prodigy for his ability to adapt to new situations, and his palace tutors had considered him an educational prodigy, especially in his history and culture lessons.

The Palace's running joke among the historians was that the young prince seemed to have knowledge that great, that he had to have lived through it.

If only they knew.

It was also common knowledge that every avatar had a special bond with their animal guide. Avatar Roku had Fang, his dragon, who remained with him to die on Roku's island. Avatar Kyoshi had P'lison, her large badger mole, who was reportedly as fierce as she was, and Avatar Kuruk had Tagan, his pet polar bear dog, who he had lost when he entered the spirit world physically, to face Koh, the face stealer. Aang, wherever he was (buried under the pole?), probably had a sky bison.

So when Agni himself had promised him a third gift when he awakened, and he awoke to the face of a baby dragon, Zuko probably shouldn't have attempted to firebend at the creature, but his battle instincts had taken over.

In the end, it had turned out to be a good thing, as their fires had mixed and bonded them for life, much like it once had with Avatar Roku and the dragon Fang.

And Zuko found himself with his animal guide.

While he was small now, it would only be a matter of time before he grew. Dragons were said to grow to full size within five years, and while his was only a hatchling, he had already begun to grow.

His red scales marked him as a male, and he had a small tuft of golden fur on the top of his head. His eyes had already begun to darken to amber and he had a full set of baby teeth after a week.

Zuko had named him Druk, after an old story of the dragon that helped to conquer the old kingdoms, it was a bedtime story that his father had told him when he and Azula were small enough to both fit on his lap. A time when there was no favourite, and Azula was just his baby sister.

It had been easy to sneak him into his quarters under his tunic, and Druk was now beginning to learn to fly around the room, his tiny wings just learning to beat.

Zuko had taken to stealing raw steak from the kitchens, and keeping it in small cubes in a sealed dish in his room. Thus keeping Druk fed, and allowing his guide to control his fire, by practicing on his own food and not Zuko's hand.

The sight of his scar still bothered him. A permanent reminder that he failed to protect the Forty First Division before they went into battle. Uncle Iroh has not yet given him any news, but he knew what probably happened.

They would've been slaughtered.

Shaking the painful thoughts from his mind. He ran through Tul-Baek Gae, one of the mid-level firebending forms, as his uncle watched from the side, occasionally adding in his own comments to adjust his stance or to move his hand a little higher.

Agni's second gift was to understand the true nature of firebending. The way the sun brings life, how they fuel passion, desire, love and about how firebenders have the drive and determination to succeed.

Since receiving the second gift, Zuko's prowess in firebending had continued to improve, as he knew to draw fire from more than one source, not just his anger, but all of his emotions.

Finishing the form, he bowed to his uncle, who clapped him on the back.

Zuko's still adjusting to the lesser vision in his left eye, but he's compensating for it well he believes, and his uncle has commented on his improved guarding stances.

He feels his heart swell with pride.

He allows his uncle's hand to remain on his shoulders as they go to join the men for lunch in the ship's mess.

With time, Zuko begins to learn the advanced forms.

So he may never be as good a firebender as Azula, but there's three more elements out there that will more than make up for that.

That is, if he ever manages to master them, because no master in their right mind will teach a Fire Nation Avatar, no matter his intentions.

Druk is now presenting a problem also.

While in his room, Zuko's ability with earthbending and airbending has increased somewhat, but waterbending is as allusive as ever, and there is barely anywhere to practice.

While only several months old, Druk is nearly six feet long, and his wings are strong enough now to carry him and Zuko at the same time.

With wanting to keep Druk a secret, Zuko has ordered his room off limits, and has the ship stopping overnight in every port, allowing Druk time to fly and hunt. It's a good thing that the Fire Nation values honour and loyalty above all else.

Zuko's just glad that Druk is smart enough to not get caught, and wise enough not to hunt people.

Even if his room now smells faintly of dead cattle.

It's just before his fourteenth birthday when it happens.

Zuko is on his way to the kitchens, to get some raw steak for Druk, when he hears his uncle's voice in his quarters.

This wouldn't normally ne enough to stop him, but when a second, unfamiliar voice, responds, Zuko presses his ear to the door.

"-t's going well then?"

"Oh yes", Zuko recognises his uncle's voice, even through the metal door, "My nephew is still unaware of the fact that we know he is the Avatar. Now if only-"

Jumping away from the door, Zuko can hear his heartbeat loudly in his ears, he can feel his heart in his throat, and only one thought is running through his head. Like a mantra on cycle inside his head, stuck on repeat.

Agni, they know! They know!

He's already had his decision made for him on what to do, and before he makes it back to his quarters, he's already formed a plan.

Sort of.

He throws off his Fire Nation soldier's uniform, and replaces it with a black undershirt, black trousers, red boots and his favourite red tunic with the gold trim.

Grabbing his airbending scrolls, he rolls them inside the Air Nomad robes, before adding the advanced firebending scrolls he has, and some of his other clothes. He hesitates before adding the mask that he took from his mother's collection to the pile.

Tucking the pearl dagger into his right boot, he straightens up, before swinging his dual dao blades onto his back and pulling the strap tight.

He throws the small pile of belongings into a knapsack, before crossing the room to the safe in the corner and removing all of the currency, before depositing it in the bag, and then swinging the bag over his shoulder.

While he was running around, Druk had stayed lounged in the corner, watching him curiously, before following when Zuko gave the command.

Together, they step cautiously into the corridor, well, as cautiously as a baby dragon can. Iroh's laughter can still be heard from his quarters, which means he's still entertaining his guest, while the drunken raucousness coming from below means most of his men are in the mess, attempting to drink the night away.

The two of them, the Avatar and the animal guide, head for the rear deck, where there is only one guard tonight.

Or no guard, as he seems to have abandoned his post in favour of joining his fellow soldiers in the mess hall. Fifteen minutes ago he would've stormed down there and dragged whoever wasn't at their post back upstairs. Now, he's just glad they decided to leave.

Ignoring the pangs of sorrow as he leaves his uncle behind, Zuko fights back the tears in his eyes. Sensing his discomfort, Druk rubs his head affectionately against Zuko's chest, before Zuko relents and pats him on the snout.

Druk lowers his head and allows Zuko to mount him, and together they set off into the night sky.

When Iroh enters his nephew's room hours later, finding his clothes and equipment gone, all Pakku can do is help him to begin his search, and he hopes that the Grandmaster won't break down into tears. Instead, Iroh orders that the ship remains at port while they search the docks and town.

All of the men cup their hands as they receive their orders.

Pakku just sighs in exasperation, how can he teach the Avatar if the Avatar isn't there?

Druk flies non-top until the early light of day.

They probably could've flown much further, especially with the sun's power feeding them both during the day, but Zuko neglected to bring any food with him, and Druk will need to hunt soon too. So they both set down on the outskirts of one of the minor Earth Kingdom colonies, where his firebending won't draw too much attention to himself if he has to use it.

Zuko never intended to stay long, he just wanted to gather some fruits and give Druk time to have a successful hunt. To kill time, he decides to wander around the town and take in the normal life, with the hood of his tunic covering his face.

Stopping at a tea shop, he nurses a cup of jasmine tea, a habit that he has picked up from his uncle he recalls painfully, when he overhears them. A group of Fire Nation soldiers that are sharing a pot on the table next to him.

"So did you guys hear about the Prince?"

Zuko's attention is grabbed instantly, as are the soldier's three compatriots, and he has their undivided attention.

"Who? Zuko?" The second man lets out a small chuckle, "I can't wait until he takes over from Ozai, he might put an end to this infernal war"

The third man grimaces, "I heard he's been banished for … disrespect … he won't be able to become Fire Lord unless he returns home without the Avatar. I can't decide whether I'd rather see the Fire Nation victorious or Princess Azula on the throne", he finishes his explanation with a visible shudder.

"I heard it had something to do with the Forty First Division. Apparently something happened, and he's now scarred, or blind, or something like that", the third companion adds his own bit of gossip at the end.

The original speaker lets out a small sigh, "You've all heard bits of it then. I was one of the last to be shipped out here, and I overheard two of the general's talking about the war meeting before I left. I think one of them was Prince Iroh, you know, 'The Dragon of the West', he's the Prince's uncle"

"And the rightful Fire Lord", the first companion intones, causing the others, and Zuko, to murmur in agreement.

"Anyway, apparently there was a plan to sacrifice the entire division against a squad of elite earthbenders, and the Prince spoke up in their defence. For 'disrespect'", the soldier spat the word out, "Ozai ordered him to fight an Agni Kai, a fire duel, against him. When Zuko refused to fight, Ozai burnt half of the boy's face off and banished him. He can only return with the Avatar in chains"

His words washed over the other three as Zuko clenched the teacup in his hands painfully tight, his knuckles turning white. Hot tears burning the back of his eyes. It's a weakness.

"That's not all though. Zuko's outburst brought attention to the plan, and the entire Forty First division disappeared overnight. Rumour has it, they're looking for Zuko loyalists for when the Prince returns"

The four of them murmured their agreement, before they dissolved into a game of dice on their table. Wordlessly Zuko dropped a few coins onto his table, more than enough for his tea, wiped his eyes, and made for the way out.

As he reached the door, he turned back and looked towards the soldier's table, and accidentally locked eyes with their apparent leader, who was taking a sip from his teacup. His eyes widened comically, before he raised his teacup, saying "To Zuko", while maintaining eye contact, and was mimicked by the other three. Unnoticed and unspeaking, Zuko offered a small bow in return, before turning on his heel and exiting the tea shop, while trying not to break into a run.

When he returned to the clearing that they had landed in several hours previously, he found Druk curled up and asleep, but as he approached, the dragon opened one eye sleepily, before closing it again.

With a yawn, Zuko sat down against Druk's side and let sleep overtake him.

His fourteenth birthday passed just like any other day.

He awoke for dawn meditation with the rising sun, which was always the exact same time that Druk awoke and went hunting for breakfast.

Then he would practice some of his sword forms, before he moved onto bending practice. He would the do all of his firebending forms, followed by attempting airbending, which had improved thanks to the scrolls he'd taken from the Western Air Temple, then attempting waterbending, which was still next to non-existent, and then he'd move around some rocks before lunch. After that, he'd clamber onto Druk, and they'd continue their journey south, before landing at sunset and making camp for the night.

Eventually, after roughly two weeks of travelling, Druk touched down at their destination.

The Southern Air Temple.

While the Western Air Temple seemed to have been built in reverse, with the top being the bottom and the bottom being the top, thankfully, the Southern Air Temple had been built the right way around.

At the bottom were the meditation gardens, which led up to the main courtyard and games area. The level above was where the sky bison used to sleep. Up from them was the dining pavilion and the adult's sleeping area. Then up again was where the children used to sleep, followed by the more comfortable rooms for the elders. The rooms above theirs were for private meditation and storage. At the peak of the temple was a small spiritual room, used solely by temple elders and the current Avatar.

Zuko didn't know how he knew which place was which, but he did, so he found an empty room near the courtyard and dropped his things. By the time he returned, he could spot Druk near the ocean, attempting to fish for his dinner, yet trying to not get wet.

Supressing a chuckle, Zuko descended into the courtyard, and recoiled when his foot snapped a rib bone in half.

He'd missed them from the sky, but in the courtyard, and Zuko was willing to bet elsewhere, bodies littered the floor.

There was the tell-tale black and red of the Fire Nation armour, and the pale orange and red combination that made up the Air Nomad robes.

These have to have been here for a hundred years, Zuko thought, making a rough estimate of the number lying there, he noticed that for every dead nomad, there was at least three dead soldiers, which means the Air Nomads put up one hell of a fight.

Malevolent spirits could haunt the places of their deaths, and as the Air Nomads were particularly spiritual people, they had a higher than average chance of walking again. A proper burial was the only way to appease them, and his people had just left them there to rot.

He'd have to do something about that.

Moving what ended up being three hundred Air Nomad bodies to the mountain top for a sky burial, even with Druk's help, ended up being long and arduous work.

He had to remove their robes, before fastening them securely onto Druk, who would then transport them to the mountain top, where Zuko could lay their spirits to rest.

It took him just under three months to get all of their bodies buried accordingly, and then he had to take care of his own people, fortunately, there was an easier way to deal with them.

His own nation cremated their dead, which was much easier to do. While there were more soldiers than monks, it was just a matter of piling the soldiers together, still in their uniform, and asking Druk to 'breathe' on them.

It took him a week to clear out the remainder of the dead.

After that, his life became much simpler.

He'd moved into the room adjoining the courtyard, having found some blankets stored away, and while they were old, they were usable after having been washed. His broadswords hung on the wall, and his clothes were packed into a trunk. His bending scrolls are stacked on the small desk that he moved into the room later on.

The room that should've been the scroll vault, like the one at the Western Air Temple, had been opened, probably by a Nomad wanting to hide their children inside, or to ensure that their treasures were safe. He'd probably died in defence of that room, and then everything inside had been burnt to cinders.

Zuko had then dragged in several shelving units, and had folded each Air Nomad robe onto a shelf, left-to-right in size order.

Day by day, the temple felt more like somewhere he could call home.

Spring came soon after, the trees and flowers surround the temple came into full bloom, giving the temple a real feel of life. Druk had taken to sleeping in the courtyard, where he and Zuko could look after each other. Both of them still awoke at dawn every day, Zuko would meditate while Druk would go fishing, or hunting in the nearby arctic tundra.

His sword practice was over much quicker, owing to the constant practice. His firebending, while not Azula standard, was still at a master's level, all he needed was to take his master's exam.

His airbending is also coming along now that he has scrolls. In fact it's pretty similar to fire, the big difference being that fire attacks while air deflects, but the idea of meeting resistance and changing direction is just like using his swords. Arcs and blasts are common to both forms of bending, and for opposing ideals, they're pretty similar. Zuko knows that he'll never become a master without Aang to teach him – wherever he is – but he's confident enough to be able to throw in a few airbending manoeuvres during a fight.

While moving rocks around is now pretty easy, anything else relating to earthbending is at a standstill. There is no master to teach him, nor any scrolls to mimic, and Druk is too recognisable to take into the Earth Kingdom. His bright red scales would stand out during the day, but during the night, his scales darken with the setting sun, making him a stealthy dragon.

It still would've been easier if he was blue though.

Waterbending is now the bane of Zuko's training. He can't find a way to 'feel' the water. He knows the obvious – fire attacks, air deflects, earth waits, and water reflects. It's supposed to be about turning your opponent's strength against them, like parrying in a sword fight.

So why can't he do it?

Time passes, and Zuko grows. His fifteenth birthday passes without incident. Druk is now slightly larger too, almost eight feet long, with golden plumage on top of his head, which combines with his scarlet scales for a very regal look.

A dragon designed for a king.

Using the memories he has access to, he remembers that the average flying bison can grow to be ten feet in length, so Drum sleeps comfortably, curled up in the courtyard, nestled in the hay where the sky bison used to sleep.

Zuko has also started changing. His hair has grown longer, long enough so that it can hang down to cover his scar, he's become slightly more muscular, but has remained lean, and his voice is deeper. Obviously no longer the boy who started this journey, but he doesn't feel like the man who could end the war. Not like the Avatar should.

Not like a Prince should.

He's also started taking more risks.

Once a week, normally on a Sunday or Moonday, he'd clamber onto Druk, and they head towards the closer Earth Kingdom colonies, taking care to watch for Fire Navy vessels or Earth Kingdom soldiers.

The original idea was to study the local earthbenders, and attempt to replicate their bending, and hope that he could become a proficient earthbender through watching and mimicking alone. There was just one minor flaw in his plan that he overlooked.

There were no earthbenders in the colonies. The Fire Nation had rounded them up and shipped them off to the different prison rigs scattered around the world. The rigs were completely metallic as well, so no one could earthbend the ground. The only rocks near them were the coal that was used to power the rig.

And coal burned.

Quickly.

They tried several villages in succession, attempting to find an earthbender in each one, until he came across one.

The boy was a year younger than him, just fourteen years old, and his mother had forbidden him to practice earthbending, for fear he may be caught and taken away.

Just like his father.

He hadn't meant to overhear that particular detail, but spying on people, by default, doesn't really give them the amount of privacy they deserve. They seem nice enough though, and the village is friendly enough to trade with 'Lee' when he comes to visit. The Air Temple in bloom provides him with plenty of fruit, but Zuko and Drunk need a source of meet, and honestly, Zuko knows he's an awful hunter. So he trades some of the more delicious fruit for some local meat. It's not a particularly fair trade, but he gets what he wants most of the time.

At least his bending means he can always cook it.

Time passes and his routine changes.

The easy access to fresh meat from the Earth Kingdom means that he can push his training up another level.

His body grows nicely for his age, his voice breaks and settles, a few spots appear on his face for several months before leaving him, and eventually he needs to shave.

And as he passes his sixteenth birthday, he knows what the signs indicate.

He's approaching his eighteenth year.

He's becoming a man.

His routine is more physical now.

His internal fire awakes him at first light, when he then trains in firebending under Druk's watchful eyes, the dragon occasionally letting out a low growl when Zuko makes a mistake, before he sits down for a fruity breakfast while Druk flies off to hunt or fish.

After breakfast he alternates between sword training and physical training. Then his days flip between the other three bending styles.

The afternoons are spent doing whatever he needs to, be it cleaning, trading or washing.

At sunset, he meditates, before relaxing with Druk, giving him the attention he deserves, before both firebenders turn in for the night.

One night, near the beginning of Autumn changes everything.

Zuko awakens to the concerned eyes of Druk, the image of a sky bison, two water tribe children and an iceberg still on his mind.

Author's Note

So were now at the beginning of the series. Let the fun commence. Thoughts guys and gals?

Leave a review, and tell me, where do you think we're headed?

'Till Next Time,
MarvelMatt