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A/N: Minor character death?

Boulders rarely fall from the sky, even with Toph around. The group gaped at the one that just did. It was greatly taller and wider then even their largest member. The man who had been standing on the spot really hadn't stood a chance. Still, it was a horrible way to watch their some times rival Jet pass.

It had been only moments ago that the group had come to the cross section where they had found Jet under a cliff waiting on them. With little warning the boulder had come tumbling off the cliff and before anything could be done, it had landed on the man. According to Katara and Toph, the death had to be instantly. That thought didn't make it any easier for Aang though.

Even after Katara had explained that Jet was long past her ability to help, Aang stood there staring at the boulder. His silver eyes latched on to it as he insisted they do something, even if it was to move the boulder and give Jet a proper burial, but the group seemed to see that as one of the best and safest spots Jet could ever hope for. Not to mention, moving the boulder would be a complete and utter feat unto itself. Toph was likely to find little trouble in doing so, but she seemed fairly convinced that leaving Jet where he was happened to be for the best.

Aang knew his friends were not cold heart-ed. It had nothing to do with Jet being their rival. They had done things for enemies before. It was that they were right. Katara couldn't bring people back to life. She couldn't save him and Aang regretted that he hadn't be fast enough to some how save Jet. He regretted that none of them had been able to. He also knew that in a land where every sort of nasty went bump in the night, you didn't want to just dig a shallow grave for someone. Having a giant boulder as a grave stone was actually not a bad thing. Still he lingered wishing there was something he could do.

Katara, Toph, and Sokka used the moment to discuss which road they would actually take at this time while Aang decided to preform some last rites. He sat on his knees on the ground and began prayers, this however, was becoming increasingly difficult as Zuko had taken to walking around the boulder like some hovering vulture. Before he could ask Zuko what he was doing, he felt a tingling sensation covering his skin. Aang wanted to ask even more what he was doing. However, he was more worried about breaking Zuko's concentration. Zuko's fire spells never took more then a few seconds, but what he was doing now seemed to be something far more complicated. The more intricate the magic, the bigger the mess up if something went wrong. Aang kept his mouth closed, but fought the shudders as the cold on his skin now felt like it went down to his very bones.

He witnessed something he had long known Zuko was capable of, but never actually seen before. Crawling up from under the rocks, bony fingers clawed there way out. Skeletal arms wiggled their way out followed by a skull that displaced much of the dirt at the base of the rock. When the ribs came next, he knew he should not be shocked at the hips and then the legs, but it was mesmerizing. Bony feet made their way out last and the figure rose from the ground and stood. He swallowed the urge to scream. Sokka thankfully utterly a thoroughly pleasing scream for the both of them though.

"What in the name in of all things magical is that thing?" Katara asked.

Zuko looked back at the group wearing a grinning smile as he said, "I know it might seem a little shocking at first, but it's my gift for Aang."

"G-gift?" Aang stammered as he slowly rose to his feet.

"What is it?" Toph asked unable to see what was going on.

"It's a protector. None of us could really fully help Jet, but you were upset at his loss, so I thought that you might like to have him back some how. I know its not like you were probably thinking, but I figured this way would be more pleasing then normal warlock flesh falling off zombies," Zuko explained to Aang.

"Am I hearing this right? Zuko made a zombie and is trying to give it to Aang?" Toph asked bluntly.

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up," Sokka answered.

"Well, I don't want it! Put it back!" Aang said.

Zuko frowned and said, "I can't and you can't exactly reject the gift either."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Aang said his voice laced with daggers.

"Um, it means I bound him to you and he will follow you where ever you go. I was worried that he might be mistaken by look a likes or if you get transformed, so I sort of matched him to your bones and where ever yours go, he will follow and protect."

"That is kind of sweet in its own twisted way," Toph said.

"Sweet? Sweet! We are talking about some poor soul's … Jet! We are talking about Jet's bones standing and moving on their own. You call that sweet?" Aang asked appalled before storming off.

For three days and two nights, he made it a point of not talking to Zuko. They had camped out every night so it was pretty easy to bury himself in tasks. He could easily forget Zuko, but the blunder that he made followed him everywhere. Aang couldn't escape the constant guardian. After the second day, Aang took to putting clothes on him. He found him far easier to deal with on the third day having clothes. When 'The Jet Pet', as Sokka had named him, stopped scaring him so much and two days of Toph talking to him on Zuko's behalf, insisting that he meant well, he decided that night he would ask Zuko about it.

He sat down beside Zuko at the fire. His skeletal guardian hovering at the edge of camp. The rest of the group made themselves scarce knowing they were planning on talking.

"Does he have to hover like that?" Aang asked Zuko.

"No, just ask him to come over and you might want to tell him sit too."

Aang did so and watched as it actually did as he asked. It made him wonder what else it could do.

"Does he still have Jet's-"

"No, he is just a skeletal guardian. He is very basic. Its not really Jet, just his bones. Though I have been talking with Katara and she thinks we need to put flesh on him or we are going to get into a lot of trouble at the next town we come to. She thinks that with her spells and mine we can actually make him look good as new though. Between the two of us, we have devised a way to make him a bit more battle functional. By the time we get done, he can easily be eaten by a dragon and still be fighting his way out," Zuko explained.

"I see."

"You'll keep him?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah, I'll keep him."

Zuko rewarded him with one of his grins that made Aang always feel like he had missed a step.

"Why would you give this to me?" Aang asked the question that had been bothering him.

"I wasn't kidding when I said you looked upset and I wanted to do something to help you, but its a lot more then that. I've been looking after you for over half of your life. You were the runt who kept getting yourself into trouble. I'm used to having to rescue you, but I'm a man now and in a years time, people will call you one too. I wont always be able to watch over you. He can at least be there for you where I can't. I want to know you are safe and watched over. He can do that. He is ingrained with all the basic commands you might teach a dog and trained to attack anything that attacks you first."

"You make it sound like we wont always be together," Aang said.

"The war is all, but over. You are a trained Shaman. You might not be a man in others eyes just yet, but I know you. You are a man now. Soon, you will want to find and make your own life. One that isn't this constant roaming."

"This is my life though. I like the adventures. Katara and Toph are my sisters and Sokka is my brother. We may all be war orphans, but you took us in. You saved us. I'm sure they feel the same as I do, we are family. I wont be breaking us up and if you try to leave me, I'll hunt you to the ends of the universe and back if I have to. Don't even talk like we wont all be here," Aang said, his voice trembling with emotion.

Zuko reached out to the younger boy and pulled him closer. Aang curled up against Zuko and rested his head against his chest, listening to the quiet heartbeats. Aang heard Zuko call him a man and wondered when Zuko might actually believe that. Zuko treated him like a child even now. The guardian was nothing more then a magical Nanny. The four years that separated them seemed so small and yet an ocean Aang just didn't know how to cross.

He contented himself to just count the heartbeats like he used to do as a small child. They calmed and lulled him to sleep even after all these years.

FN: Prompt: Getting a zombie slave for a present (#25 of 50)