Whoo doggy! Shout out to charizardag, Rexic and Soulia, GroggyRae (you're right, that was sloppy of me. I'll try to work on it), mystery writer5775, Akriloth Warrior, Talon88.1, wtfbrunteesoftball, and taffy0823 (I'm sorry it read like that but that chapter was more so a transitional event that led to this on. Still it's something for me to work on and as always constructive criticisms are appreciated. I think you'll be quite impressed with how this chap turned out though). Now, without further ado, on with the show!
The Search for Shang-wēifēng
Chapter Ten:
Trial By Fire
Zuko and Aang were carried to a decrepit temple at the edge of the city and placed upon a crumpling altar. The Sun Warriors encircled them, spears at the ready, making escape impossible. The Fire Prince couldn't help but stare at them. Sun Warriors. Living legends brought right out of the stories his mother and Uncle used to tell him when he was small. They brought a pair of aardvark-sloths who busied themselves licking the hardened blasting jelly off of the two captives with their long, stringy tongues. The big man - whom Zuko had deduced was the chief judging from the deference the others shown him - frowned at their weapons which were lain at his feet.
He was a big man. Not fat. The Fire Prince was certain that if he had tried punching the man it would feel like punching a brick wall. But he was a wide man, with a hard angular face and a wide square jaw. His headdress rustled as he looked from the swords and staff at his feet, to the strange glowing egg-shaped thing from the room of dancing statues in his hand, then to his two prisoners.
"So you thieves have come to steal our treasure?" he demanded.
"We're not thieves," protested Zuko.
"I know you probably get this all the time," said Aang, carefully rising to his feet. Unperturbed, his aardvark-sloth continued to lick him. "But I'm the Avatar."
That caused a stir. The Sun Warriors looked at one another, conversing in hushed tones. The Chief's only reaction, however, was a blink. "What business does the Avatar have bringing one of the Discarded to our sacred ground?"
"Discarded?" asked Aang, confused.
"You've brought a man from the Fire Nation with you," explained the Chief pointing at Zuko. "What's worse, he is the Fire Lord's son."
"Dragonslayer!" cried one of the surrounding Sun Warriors, who was soon joined by several other outraged shouts of "murderer," "traitor," and "oath-breaker," before the Chief held up a hand for silence.
"Please," said Zuko, bowing his head. "I know my people have slain the dragons, and perverted the Art of Mastering Fire, but it is imperative that we learn firebending."
"What do you mean 'we'?" asked the Chief raising a quizzical eyebrow.
"Zuko lost his bending," blurted Aang before Zuko to shush him.
The big man stared at the monk before he burst out laughing. Soon he was joined by the rest of the tribe. Zuko flushed and hung his head in mortification. He thought the laughter would never subside.
"Well," chuckled the Chief wiping a tear from his eye. "If you want to relearn firebending, you'll have to be deemed worthy of the art by the Masters."
"Oh," smiled the Avatar. "You have Masters?"
"Of course," said the Chief. "But," he continued growing serious. "Before that can be decided, you'll need to prove that your intentions are honorable."
"Uh," said Aang nervously. "Okay."
"Alright," said the Chief, looming over the two. "Did you come here alone? And answer truthfully. Among the Sun Warriors, a lie is punished by smashing the deceiver's skull in with a rock."
Aang and Zuko paled. Then the Chief burst into laughter and the rest of the Warriors joined in. "Just kidding," chuckled the big man. "Seriously though," he continued, hardening his face again. "You'd better tell the truth."
"Well," said the monk hesitantly. "We did bring Katara with us, but she's back at the camp with...uh...some crazy girl."
The Chief looked at him levelly and nodded. "Very well. We are already aware of your companion and I have sent a patrol of Warriors to collect her and the...uh...crazy girl. In the meantime, sit tight and let the aardvark-sloths do their work. Trust me," he said removing his headdress to reveal a bald head. "Blasting jelly's impossible to get out of your hair."
Aang and Zuko stared at him blankly and the aardvark-sloths continued their meal.
- - -
Katara leapt back from Yuan and brought up a shield of ice just in time to block the airbending girl's slashing shuriken, while Momo leapt away screeching.
"Nice reflexes," commented the little assassin, doing a backwards flip and ricocheting off a tree trunk, producing a kunai knife in her free hand. "Maybe we can be friends - in the next life of course."
Katara continued to shield herself with ice while forming a tendril of water to trip up her opponent. She had fought against Aang's airbending before in their drills to prepare him for the Day of Black Sun, but she always had Toph and Sokka - sort of - to back her up. What's more, this girl's fighting style was completely different from Aang's. While his featured swift, evasive maneuvers and was almost entirely defensive. Yuan, however, was rapid and aggressive, utilizing centrifugal force with fatal intent. She really was trying to kill her. What could have happened to make the peaceful Air Nomads change so?
"We don't have to do this," insisted Katara, blocking another thrust and sending her water whip snaking toward her antagonist's legs.
"I am afraid it is fated," said Yuan, jumping easily from the waterbender's reach and landing easily some distance away. She almost sounded regretful. "My duty is clear. You and your two friends must die."
"I won't let you hurt Aang!" Katara snarled fiercely, as she lashed another tendril at the airbender.
"The Avatar?" Yuan, after easily dodging the attack, stood gawking at the Water Tribe girl. "You're sweet on the Avatar? He looks barely older than me!"
Just then, with an enraged roar, Appa came charging at the assassin. She seemed surprised for in instant before she leapt over the bison's head, hugged her legs to her chest and spun across the great beast's back, and rolled down his flat tail. Appa for his part, kept on charging and crashed right into the trees.
As the airbending girl righted herself back to the ground, Katara siphoned the water from the surrounding plants. Leaves crumples, bushes withered, and green grass became dead brown as the young waterbending master fed the water into the deadly tentacles of her Octopus Formation.
"That is impressive," whistled Yuan, before adding, "For a cradle robber." Then with spinning motion, she conjured up a small whirlwind and sent it spinning into the writhing water.
Is she serious? thought Katara, seeing the small size of the cyclones. She changed her opinion, however when Yuan continued motioning and airbending and the tornado grew in size, sucking, her water away with the force of its vacuum. No, thought Katara as the last of her water was sucked away, herself along with it. Caught in the powerful wind's current, she flailed helplessly, unable to break free, like a leaf caught in the rapids.
All at once the wind stopped and she was falling. She twisted in the air and look below and saw only Yuan waiting with her deadly shuriken in hand. This is it, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut. I'm going to die!
Then there came an angry bellow, and a cry of surprise, and Katara landed roughly in a familiar saddle.
"What is wrong with you bison?!" demanded the little airbender irritably. "You are bound to my people! Where's your sense of loyalty?!"
Just then the water that Yuan sucked up in her vortex came raining down, and the airbender, and ground she was standing upon, became very damp.
With a swift motion, Katara encased the airbender in ice up to her thighs.
"Thanks Appa," smiled the waterbender, climbing from the flying bison. "You're a life-saver."
Appa snorted modestly and shook his shaggy head.
Then Katara regarded Yuan with her hands on her hips. "Are you going to behave yourself now?"
Before the assassin could retort a plume of fire appeared between them.
"Don't either of you move!" said a man in a headdress and red body paint, armed with a spear. There were others with him. Perhaps twelve.
"Release me," urged Yuan, quietly.
"Why in hells would I do that?" demanded Katara, watching the strange men warily. They didn't look like Fire Nation, but they were definitely the ones who had attacked them before.
"You're outnumbered," she said simply. "I can help you."
Katara glanced from the captive airbender to the advancing firebenders, sighed, and melted the ice.
"We'll have to work fast," the waterbender said. "You take the ones on the left and I'll..."
"My apologies," said Yuan, producing a tiny black orb. "But you're on your own."
Then without warning, she threw the orb on the ground and it exploded in a puff of smoke.
"Yuan!" cried Katara, but when the smoke dissipated, the airbender was nowhere to be seen. "YUAN!" she shouted angrily.
"Fan out!" said the man in the headdress. "Find her!"
She looked back at the approaching firebenders. Maybe she could escape with Appa, fly over the Sun Warrior City and search for Aang and the angry jerk. A frightened bellow from behind prompted her to turn around to find more men with tribal markings, throwing weighted ropes over Appa.
"Aah!" someone cried and the Water Tribe girl turned to see one of the men shaking his arm violently to jar away an angry lemur who had clamped down on his finger with his teeth. One of his friends pried Momo from the man and stuffed the chattering little creature into a sack.
"I wouldn't recommend fighting," said the firebender who had spoken before. Katara sank into a stance, glaring at the man in the headdress defiantly. "The Chief wishes to see you," he continued calmly, and your friends are waiting."
Aang!
With a resigned sigh she straightened. "Let my animals go and I won't resist," she said, offering her wrists to be bound.
"Very well," the firebender agreed. With a nod to his fellows Appa and a really upset Momo were released and Katara's wrists were bound as the strange men led her into the Sun
Warrior City.
- - -
The men in headdresses continued their search but they would never find her. Shang-wēifēng Guardians were trained from the moment they could walk in the art of invisibility.
From her place of concealment, Yuan watched the men in strange garments lead the waterbender away. I didn't actually say I would help her, she reasoned. I never go back on my word. It's just as well if they kill her and her friends anyway. Saves me the trouble.
She continued to watch them lead the Water Tribe girl away, followed by the stubborn bison and annoying lemur, until they ducked out of sight and the sun began to rise over the eastern mountains.
Then her form blurred and she was gone.
- - -
"You're alright!" breathed Katara when the Sun Warriors brought her to the outskirts of the city, at the very foot of the eastern mountain range where there was a small shrine, that housed a roaring pyre of fire. The flames seemed almost ethereal in the morning light. Appa bounded past his warders, knocking a few over as he did, shooed away the aardvark-sloths, and slurped the rest of the blasting jelly off of his master.
"Glad to see you too buddy!" laughed Aang. The bison was soon joined by Momo who nuzzled the airbender's cheek affectionately. "I think Zuko could use some love too."
"That's not necessary!" said the Fire Prince, nervously. "I don't need...Wait!"
But it was too late. Appa pinned him to the ground and licked him mercilessly. Aang, Katara, and all the assembled Sun Warriors began laughing uncontrollably.
When the beast finally relented and Zuko wiped the saliva off of his - well, everything - and raised himself to his feet, he looked sternly at Katara. "Where is Yuan?"
Katara lowered her gaze, "She got away."
"What?!" shouted the Fire Prince. "You were supposed to guard her! Now we have to wait around for the next time she tries to kill us! How could you let her get away?!"
"I didn't let her get away!"Katara shouted back.
"Actually," said one the Sun Warrior who escorted the Water Tribe girl. "You kinda did. I saw you."
Katara shot him a glare then lowered her eyes to the ground sheepishly. "She-she tricked me," she said lamely.
"It's alright Katara," said Aang. "We'll get to Shang-wēifēng some other way."
Katara brightened a little at that, remembering that Sokka and the others were searching for leads on the White Lotus, but frowned as Zuko turned away. It wasn't my fault, she thought. Then she gave a start. Even in her head that sounded petulant.
"Right now," continued the monk. "We've got other things to worry about."
"What do you mean?" asked the waterbender.
"You'll see."
Standing atop a dais, situated before the roaring flames, the Sun Chieftain spread his arms and proclaimed, "Outsiders have come, seeking instruction in the Art of Mastering Fire. They must now seek the blessing of Masters Ran and Shao."
"Ran and Shao?" asked Aang.
"Shh!" hissed Zuko. "Don't interrupt."
"To prove themselves worthy," continued the Chief. "They must bear the Flame of Agni, the Sun - brought to us by the dragons, and kept alive by our ancestors in this shrine for thousands of years - to the top of Mt. Amaterasu, and present it to the Masters."
"Hail Agni!" responded the Sun Warriors.
"Alright," said Aang. "Where are the torches."
"Torches?" laughed a nearby Sun Warrior. "We don't use no stinkin' torches."
"You must carry the Flame of Agni," said the Chief, bending two small orbs from the pyre and holding them in his upturned palms. "Using firebending."
"But," protested Katara. "That's the very thing they came here to learn."
"We're not asking them to do anything fancy," explained the big man. "They just have to keep it burning 'til they get to the top. Maintain the flame with your chi. Pour in too much chi, and the fire will go out of control. Pour in too little, and it'll go out. If you can't keep balance, then you don't have what it takes to learn from the Masters."
He then offered the orbs of fire to the Avatar and Fire Prince.
Zuko took a breath and accepted one of the flames. Aang was a bit more hesitant. He looked toward Katara, who smiled encouragingly. Then he looked at Zuko, who nodded and gave him a smile, barely perceptible grin. Then with a breath he too accepted the proffered flame. It spluttered and flickered in his palm and the Avatar feared it would go out.
"Calm down," whispered Zuko. "Breath with it."
Aang, closed his eyes and breathed, and the flame burned more steadily.
"The outsiders have taken the Flame," proclaimed the Chief. "They shall now trek to the summit of Mt. Amaterasu to seek the Masters' judgement."
"Praise to Ran! Praise to Shao!" chanted the Sun Warriors.
"Just take the treacherous Path of the Nail to the top," the Chief said, pointing Aang and Zuko toward a steep trail, with sharp stones jutting from the ground. "The rest of us will meet you at the Maters' shrine."
"You're coming with us?" asked Zuko.
"What are you crazy?" demanded the Chief. "The rest of us'll be taking the stairs," he continued jabbing his thumb toward neat, even, stone steps that spiraled around the mountain base. "Good luck though."
As one, the Avatar and Fire Prince, gave and exasperated sigh.
- - -
"Zuko!" cried Aang. "My flame's going out!"
They had been hiking for hours. The sun was now at it's noontime zenith. Zuko had stubbed his toe several times, and cut himself on the jagged rocks, and the moaning winds weren't making it any easier to keep their fires burning.
"Just feed it more chi," snapped Zuko impatiently.
"But," the Avatar said, lowering his eyes. "What if I lose control?"
"You won't," insisted the Fire Prince, placing a hand on the monk's shoulder. "You're a talented kid."
Aang looked at him, still uncertain, so Zuko tried an encouraging smile, like that Water Tribe girl. It seemed to have the desired effect, as the airbender returned the smile and, his flame grew hotter.
"Come on," urged Zuko. "We need to keep moving."
- - -
Katara stood next to the Sun Warrior Chief. They had reached the Masters' shrine around noon. The sun was now setting and there was still no sign of Aang and Zuko.
"If they don't reach the summit before great Agni completes his journey," muttered the Chief. "We'll have to call the ceremony a wash and kill all the outsiders."
Katara gasped.
"Just kidding!" chuckled the big man. "Seriously though, they'd better hurry up."
"Here they come!" someone cried.
Soon, the monk and the exiled Prince topped the rise and stood before the assembled Sun Warriors. Or more accurately, Zuko stood, carrying an exhausted Aang, on piggyback, but both their flames were still burning, albeit splutteringly.
"You have come," said the Chief. He didn't look or sound surprised but there was something in the air that said he wasn't expecting their success. He then spread his arms and proclaimed, "The initiates have arrived! Now they must present the Flame of Agni to the Masters, undergo the Trial by Fire and receive their judgement!"
"Hail to the Firebending Masters!" chanted the assemblage.
"More climbing?" groaned Aang, slumping off of the Fire Prince's back.
"It's alright," panted Zuko. "We get stairs this time."
"Be warned," said the Chief gravely. "The Masters will test your mind, body, heart, and soul. They will see your past and know your ancestry." He looked pointedly at Zuko, "You should take care, for your family is responsible for the dragons' eradication, as well as driving my people into hiding."
"Well, I'll be fine," said Aang, confidently. "I'm the Avatar."
"Oh yeah," countered the Chief. "You disappeared for a hundred years, allowing all this bad ju-ju to go down. You'd better take care too."
Aang seemed to deflate at that. "What if the Masters don't find us worthy?" he asked nervously.
"Let's just say," murmured the big man. "They won't even leave ashes for us to sweep up."
"Ha ha!" laughed the airbender. "Good one Your Chiefiness!"
"I'm not kidding," said the Chief gravely.
Both Aang and Zuko paled.
"Better get to the altar before the sun sets," said the big man, gesturing towards the steps that led up to a platform that was connected to two caves by twin bridges.
All around them, the Sun Warriors began dancing and chanting and beating drums as they approached the stairs.
"I don't think I can do this, Zuko," said Aang.
"We can," insisted the Fire Prince. "We've come too far to fail now."
"But what if the Masters decide we're unworthy?" pressed the airbender.
"We're the Avatar and the Fire Prince," answered Zuko. "I'm sure we can take them."
They climbed the stairs in silence.
"Good luck Aang!" called Katara from below. She knew that they likely couldn't hear her over all the commotion but she felt compelled to cheer the monk on. "You too Zuko," she added grudgingly.
When they reached the platform they stood back to back facing each cave, and the dancing and chanting went on below them. All at once, Aang cried out in dismay.
"Zuko! My fire's gone out!"
"What?!" said the Fire Prince. "Now?!"
"The wind blew and it went out!" lamented the Avatar.
"Well what do you want me to do about it?"
"Give me some of yours," said Aang trying to reach around Zuko to get at the flame.
"I barely have any as it is!" scolded the Fire Prince, lifting the fire out of the airbender's reach.
"Just give me a little."
"No, they'll see us."
"Come on!"
"Quit cheating off me!"
Suddenly a great wind blew and Zuko's flame went out.
"Nice going," grumbled the Fire Prince.
"Hey," whispered Aang. "The music stopped!"
Zuko listened. It had indeed stopped. There were no more drums, no more chanting, no more dancing. Just pregnant silence, save for the wind. Aang and the Fire Prince faced their respective caves and waited. The world seemed to hold its breath as twilight approached.
Then with a roar, a great crusted head shot out of the cavern in front of Aang, followed by a long, sinewy, serpentine body. They creature soared out of the cave on great bat-like wings, and clawed at the air with deadly talons. Its crimson scales shimmered in the fading sunlight and its golden eyes fixed themselves on the two standing on the platform. Then a second creature, this one blue, slithered out of the cave before Zuko and joined its fellow in the air.
"Zuko," said Aang cautiously. "Those are dragons!"
"They are aren't they?" said Zuko dryly.
"Still think we can take them?" shot the Avatar.
"Shut up!" hissed the Fire Prince. "I never said that!"
The dragons began to circle around the platform, leering at its two occupants. Then the drumming began again. Aang was so fixated on the two dragons that he almost missed the movements the Sun Warriors were making below. They were identical to the statues they had found last night.
"Zuko!" cried the Avatar. "I think they want us to dance with them."
"Again with the dancing?" said Zuko incredulously.
"Just do it," gritted the monk. "What have we got to lose."
Grudgingly, Zuko complied and they repeated the dance they did the previous night, keeping in time with the rhythm of the beating drums below. The dragons writhed in the air in a dance of their own and coiled their bodies around the base of the altar. All at once the drums stopped and Aang and Zuko ceased dancing.
The dragons had their crusted heads before each boy, the red facing Aang, the blue facing Zuko.
They regarded them with piercing golden eyes that seemed to penetrate their souls. Then the red dragon's antenna-like whiskers writhed and twisted until it touched itself to Aang's forehead. The blue did the same with Zuko. And all the world faded into blackness.
- - -
There was nothing. No shrine. No mountain. No sunset. No world.
Aang was alone in the void, there was only him and the red dragon. Ran. The dragon's name was Ran. He had relayed that to him though images and colors that Aang's mind was able to translate into words. He had a similar experience from his encounter with Fang.
Aang, began Ran though an image of himself in the Avatar State, waves of blue respect for an equal rippling through his mind. Child of the Cloud Dancers; bearer of the All-Soul, why have you come?
"I seek mastery over fire," said Aang, kneeling. It seemed appropriate to kneel in the presence of so ancient and awesome a creature.
You have already sought instruction in this bending art, said the dragon, green puzzlement and purple speculation washing over Aang. But you grew careless and impatient, and one who is dear to you paid the price for your recklessness.
An image of Katara, crying in pain and cradling her burned hands. Aang bowed his head in shame.
You never wanted anything to do with firebending again, continued Ran, orange indignation quivering through the visions. To you it was a ravenous beast, consuming and destroying everything in its path.
Aang raised his gray eyes to meet the dragon's gold. "That was true," he said softly. "But a good friend taught me that all the elements, not just fire, have predispositions to both good and bad. That is the balance of the world; a balance that is my duty to restore." He bowed again, prostrating himself to the great beast. "So, I beg of you, Master Ran, help me to master fire."
Zuko Wildfire has taught you much it seems, said the dragon in pink amusement, a vison of Zuko appearing. Only he was without his scar, and strangely, he was not alone. At his shoulder stood the tall wizened form of Avatar Roku. Even more odd, the Fire Prince had a blue arrow tattooed to his forehead.
The mantel of the firebender can be a great burden, continued Ran. As you needed to constantly maintain the fire on your journey to the summit, you must constantly maintain balance within yourself, or you may destroy yourself. Are you certain you wish to bear this burden?
"For the sake of the world," answered Aang determinately. "And those I love, I will gladly take it."
Fascinating, whispered Ran. Arise Aang, Roku Reborn, and receive my judgement.
- - -
Zuko, spawn of Ozai Coalheart of the brood of Sozin Eggbreaker, hissed Shao, black anger rippling through the visions of Zuko's father and great-grandfather. Why have you come?
"I need to know why I've lost my firebending," said Zuko crouching into a kneel.
Fire requires sustenance in order to burn, replied the blue dragon. It needs air to sustain it and earth to fuel it. Firebending is no different, except that it needs drive to fuel it. What drove you when you could still bend?
A vision of the Avatar, bound in chains, and himself triumphantly returning home, as well as his father beaming with pride as he placed the Fire Crown upon his head.
"Capturing the Avatar, restoring my honor, and earning my father's love," Zuko answered quietly.
And now? Yellow curiosity.
"I want to help Avatar Aang defeat him," he answered coldly.
Is it vengeance that drives you now? inquired the dragon, her crusted head cocked to the side.
Zuko was taken aback. True he wanted to defeat his father, but would that really solve all the world' problems? Removing Ozai from power won't ease the antagonism between the nations and a new war would be fought in the place of the first.
"No," said the Fire Prince at last. "I don't want to draw my power from rage and hatred. And seeking vengeance is how my father behaves. No, I've set my sights beyond him. The Fire Nation was not spared the miseries this war has brought to the world. I now seek to end that misery and set my country right. I know it sounds naive and idealistic, but it's all that matters to me now. It's all I have."
Facinating, said Shao, rosy waves of pride and - was it amusement? - coursing though her visions. Arise then Zuko Wildfire, of the clutch of Ursa Braveheart, of the brood of Roku Dragonfriend, and receive my judgement.
- - -
I deem you worthy!
As one, the dragons withdrew their whiskers and opened their maws of jagged teeth. Fire erupted from their throats and swirled around Aang and Zuko in a vortex. It wasn't like any flame either of them had ever seen. There were reds, and oranges. Yellows and greens. Blues and violets. All churning in a whirlpool of color.
"It's beautiful," breathed Aang in awe.
Then the flames dissipated and with a roar the dragons slithered back into their caverns.
The sun had set and twilight had fallen over the shrine.
"They've passed the trial!" shouted the Chief. "Let us welcome our new brothers!"
As Aang and Zuko descended the stairs, they were met with thunderous applause, cheering and congratulatory claps on the shoulders. Aang also noticed a lot of money changing hands. Obviously terms of bets placed on whether he and Zuko would succeed or not.
"You did it!' cried Katara, enveloping Aang in a hug.
"I had no idea," smiled Aang, as the Chief approached them. "I mean, I know Zuko said that fire was the energy of our world but I never understood until now. I always thought that fire was destruction but it's so much more than that."
"How can there be any dragons left?" asked Zuko, gazing at the two caves the creatures had retreated into. "I thought my Uncle killed the last."
"Ah," grinned the big man, "So you are related to Iroh. Yes, he came here many years back seeking further instruction on his teacher's suggestion, a fellow named Jeong Jeong."
"Jeong Jeong the Deserter trained Iroh?!" exclaimed Aang.
"Yes," smiled the chief. "In fact during my father's time, Jeong Jeong himself came here, seeking instruction from the Masters."
"Wow," breathed Aang and Katara.
"What about my Uncle?" pressed Zuko urgently.
"Well he came here and once he passed the Masters' trial he swore that he would keep their existence secret from the Fire Nation. It's likely he lied about slaying them so we could finally get some peace and quiet. Since you guys are the first visitors we've had in years, I guess it's working. Of course, now that you know our secret, we'll have to keep you here as prisoners for the rest of your natural lives."
They stared at one another for a moment before they all burst out laughing.
"Seriously though," said the Chief. "Don't tell anyone we're here."
"Oh! I almost forgot!" exclaimed Aang, turning to Zuko. "While I was talking to Ran, I saw a vision of you standing with Avatar Roku. You also had and Air Nomad tattoo. What do you think it means?"
Zuko hesitated, then he approached Appa, took his bag and rummaged through the contents before producing an object wrapped in cloth. He removed the fabric and revealed a crown.
"I've seen that before," said the Avatar. "That's Avatar Roku's crown!"
"Why do you have it?" demanded Katara.
"I didn't steal it if that's what you think," growled the Fire Prince. "My Uncle told me that Avatar Roku is actually my grandfather - on my mother's side."
Aang and Katara, stared at him in stunned silence.
"So," began the airbender. "Does that mean we're related?"
"Cosmically connected maybe," said Zuko quickly. "But I wouldn't go so far as to say...why are you looking at me like that?"
Aang fixed the Fire Prince with a mischievous grin, then bent himself like an old codger, spread his arm wide, adopted a high, reedy voice and said, "C'mere sonny! Give yer ol' granpappy a hug!"
"Don't even go there," grumbled Zuko, retreating from the Avatar's embrace.
"Hug yer pappy!" said Aang chasing after the Fire Prince.
"Cut it out!"
"C'mere so I can give you a hug!"
"I mean it!"
"C'mere so I can give you a hug!"
"Knock it off!"
"You know Aang," Katara casually cut in. "If Zuko's your grandson, wouldn't that make Azula your granddaughter?"
The Avatar paled and went rigid. "Okay," he said. "It's not funny anymore."
- - -
"Before we leave," said Katara as they left the Sun Warrior City the next morning. "You should probably get in some firebending practice."
"Good idea Katara," grinned Aang. "Come on Zuko, let's try out that new move the dragons taught us."
"Oh," said Katara. "They taught you a new move."
"Actually we first learned it from the dancing statues in the Sun Stone Temple," explained Aang going through the motions alongside Zuko. "But when we did it for the dragons I realized it was actually an attack form that requires two firebenders."
"It's a dance?" snorted Katara, as the two culminated the movements into a huge fireburst.
"We did it!" crowed Aang.
"It's not a dance," gritted Zuko. "It's a martial arts form that's thousands of years old!"
"Oh really?" asked Katara, raising a bemused eyebrow. "And what's this 'martial arts form' called?"
Zuko hung his head in mortification. "The Dancing Dragon."
Both Aang and Katara chuckled.
"Cheer up Zuko," said the Avatar, placing a comforting hand on the Fire Prince's shoulder. "At least she can't call you Prince Fizzle anymore."
"...Thanks" muttered Zuko. "...I guess..."
Whew! That was a long one. Dragons are so awesome! I felt that they should have expanded their role a little more on the show. But since they didn't I decided to do it. I'm not sure whether that antenna/whisker thing that Fang did with Aang (hey that rhymes! I'll shut up now) was an ability that all dragons have or if it's just something to do with the Spirit World. Anywho, in my fic dragons are psychic so there! Next time, we'll see what Sokka and the rest of the Gaang are up to. The FF battle their way out of Ba Sing Se with the help of Suki and the Kyoshi warriors. Meanwhile, Azula schemes with an old acquaintance of hers (have you guessed who it is yet) to find the White Lotus. Also the Brotherhood of Eight is revealed as well as a surprise special guest. Stay tuned for The Medicine Woman. Plz R&R! Shibui out! P.S. I know "splutteringly" is not a word, but it seemed to fit here so I invented it on the spot. I did it in the name of art!