A/N: Sorry about the hiatus on this story. I didn't have a plan for this one when the plot bunnies took over for another story, which is now finished. Now I've got an idea for where I want this story to go, at least until Ba Sing Se. Since the last chapter ended on the cartoon's season 1 finale, let's consider this season 2 for this story.
Now back to Aang's plot, we've been away from him long enough.
Chapter 14: The Deserter
During the Night of Red Moon, Aang and Katara hadn't been able to sleep. Losing her bending for an hour had been terrifying for Katara, being completely helpless. Aang couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible had happened, and that he had failed again as the Avatar. They were fortunate that they hadn't been attacked during that night, despite being so close to a Fire Nation colony.
In the morning, Suki was concerned about Katara. "Are you okay?" Suki asked.
"Oh I'm just peachy," Katara said, throwing her arms up. "That was just the worst night of my entire life, of course I'm okay!"
"At least we made it through the night without trouble," Haru said.
"We should get moving," Aang said. "I doubt the Fire Nation wasted the opportunity they had last night."
"Of course, you still need to learn firebending," Katara said.
After a moment Suki realized something. "You know, it just occurred to me," Suki said.
"What?" Aang asked.
"We're still looking for Jeong Jeong," Suki said.
"What do you mean?" Katara asked.
"Well it feels like we're been looking for like, eight months," Suki commented.
"But it's only been a week," Haru said.
"I know!" Suki complained.
Since they were near a Fire Nation colony, they stuck to the ground instead of flying on Appa. Walking down a path they reached a crossroads with a stone pillar in the middle. Several posters were displayed on it, including a map. Everyone walked up to it to see if anything interesting had been posted on it.
"Hey, look at this," Haru said. He was examining several wanted posters.
"A poster of me," Aang said. Then he tore it off the wall and stuffed it into his shirt.
"Not that one," Haru said. He tore off another poster and handed it to Aang.
Aang looked at the poster, finding a drawing of an old man with a pair of scars along one of his eyes. The writing on the poster identified him as Jeong Jeong, a deserter from the army. "Hey this is the guy the old man told us to find," Aang commented. "At least this proves he isn't with the Fire Nation."
"He's probably in hiding too, judging by the reward amount on this," Katara said.
"So how are we going to find him?" Aang asked.
"We could head for the nearest town and ask around," Suki suggested.
Before he could turn to leave, Haru heard the bushes rustling. Suspicious, Haru earthbended the ground beneath the bushes, making a column of earth rise from beneath the plant. He unknowingly catapulted a man out of the bushes, sending him crashing down in front of Aang. "A spy!" Haru yelled.
"No no," the main denied, pulling back the hood he wore. "My name is Chey, and I'm just a sentry for the local rebels."
"And why should we believe you?" Suki asked. "You don't look like you're from the Earth Kingdom."
"That's because I'm not," Chey said. "I deserted from the Fire Nation army two years ago, following in the footsteps of the Great Jeong Jeong."
"Jeong Jeong!" Aang yelled. He stepped up to Chey. "Do you know where he is?"
"Of course," Chey answered. "He's my idol."
With Chey leading the way, he brought Aang and the others to a rebel camp. Along the way they met more rebels, who weren't pleased about Chey bringing the Avatar there. They arrived at the camp an hour before sunset, and Aang could see Jeong Jeong standing between his hut and a river. Aang walked over to Jeong Jeong, stopping only a few feet away from him.
"So you have been looking for me," Jeong Jeong said.
"Yes, I need a firebending teacher," Aang said.
For a moment, Jeong Jeong studied Aang. He noticed how Aang's arms were relaxed but ready to flow with any motion. And that Aang's legs were firmly planted on the ground, steady and stable. "I see you've already started water and earthbending," Jeong Jeong stated.
"How did you know?" Aang asked.
"There are signs to look for among benders," Jeong Jeong said. "But you have not mastered either element. You are not ready for firebending."
"Please! I have to learn," Aang said.
"No, I will not teach you," Jeong Jeong said and turned away from Aang.
"I was told to tell you that the White Lotus sends his regards," Aang said.
Immediately Jeong Jeong turned back towards Aang and stared at him. "Who told you to say that?" he demanded.
"He wouldn't give me his name, but was an old man that could breathe fire," Aang described. "He told me that you would teach me."
Jeong Jeong started chuckling, confusing Aang. "You have no idea who he is," Jeong Jeong said. "The old man is the Fire Lord's brother."
"What!" Aang yelled.
"General Iroh is a grandmaster in the Order of the White Lotus," Jeone Jeong explained.
"But, why would he help me?" Aang asked. "My job is to defeat the Fire Lord before Sozin's Comet arrives."
"Exactly," Jeong Jeong said. "Iroh knows the damage his brother will cause with the Comet's power, and wishes to avert that catastrophe. You are the best tool to achieve that end."
"So will you teach me or not?" Aang asked.
Jeong Jeong closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about his options. When he opened them he said "Show me how much you've learned of the other disciplines, and we'll work from there."
"That's great!" Aang shouted.
Over the course of an hour Aang demonstrated the skill he had with three different elements. Jeong Jeong was satisfied with Aang's airbending after only a few minutes, lacking a standard to compare him to or a master to teach him more. When Aang displayed the swampbender style Jeong Jeong found it unconventional, but acceptable since the enemy wouldn't be expecting it. Earthbending showed Aang's weakest fighting style, being the most recent and opposite of Aang's native element.
During the afternoon Jeong Jeong tried to teach Aang discipline before starting with firebending. First was concentration in a simple stance, which started to frustrate Aang. Second was controlled breathing, which Aang didn't understand why he needed it. Third was the leaf burning exercise, which started to annoy Aang.
"Why do we need to go so slowly?" Aang asked when his leaf was halfway burned.
"Learning firebending is different from the other elements," Jeong Jeong explained. "Without a bender's will Air will rise up, Water will flow down, and Earth will remain where it is. But Fire will grow and consume until nothing is left."
At that moment the fire on Aang's leaf reached the edges, forcing him to let go of it. "Um, can I have another leaf please?" Aang asked.
In a few seconds Jeong Jeong had another leaf burning in the center and gave it to Aang. "Fire is alive, like a wild beast consuming everything in its path," Jeong Jeong explained. "But like any wild beast, it can be domesticated, controlled, for the betterment of humanity. But you must have the will to control it, or it will consume you."
"I'll try," Aang said. He continued to practice with the burning leaves, each one lasting longer than the previous one.
Jeong Jeong waited until Aang could keep a leaf burning for an hour, which burnt away as the sun set below the horizon. "I have a new task for you in the morning," Jeong Jeong said.
"Great," Aang said.
After a full night's rest Jeong Jeong prepared Aang for the next task. He had Aang go through the previous exercises first as a warm up. When the sun rose over the trees Jeong Jeong stepped up to Aang with a fire lit in his hand.
"Take this flame and keep it burning in between your hands," Jeong Jeong instructed. After handing the flame over he pointed to a mountain behind the camp. "Once you have it steady, climb to the peak without extinguishing the flame."
At first Aang struggled to keep the flame a constant size. His efforts to keep the flame alive made it swell, nearly spilling out of his hands. Trying to keep it contained Aang shrank the flame but nearly extinguished it. Over an hour the flame grew and shrank as Aang tried to keep it under control. Eventually Aang stabilized the flame enough to carry it up the mountain. He reached the peak at noon, where Jeong Jeong waited for him next to a fire pit.
"What now?" Aang asked, still holding the flame in his hands.
"Now you will use the flame you carry," Jeong Jeong said. He stepped away from the fire pit, which already had logs and tinder in it. "Light the campfire."
Aang stepped over to the fire pit and aimed his hands at the logs. He clenched his fists and the flame shot forward into the fire pit. After a few seconds Aang stopped his bending, expecting to have a normal campfire in front of him. Instead the flames dissipated and only ash remained in the fire pit.
"Too aggressive," Jeong Jeong commented. He pointed towards a stack of logs nearby. "Refill the fire pit and try again."
It took Aang several tries to light the campfire without burning up the fuel in the fireblasts. Just before sunset Aang could use just enough fire to light the fuel without burning it up too quickly. When Aang had the campfire going properly his belly started to rumble, which told Jeong Jeong it was time for supper. Using the campfire Aang started, Jeong Jeong cooked a small meal of potatoes he had stored on the mountain.
After eating his fill Aang watched Jeong Jeong finish his meal. "How long have you been living out here?" Aang asked.
"Six years," Jeong Jeong answered.
"What made you quit the army?" Aang asked.
Jeong Jeong looked to the east, towards the place that changed everything for him. "I left when my brightest student perished in this pointless war."
"Oh," Aang said.
For a moment Jeong Jeong wondered what might have been if his best student had lived. "He could have been Fire Lord by now, Lu Ten."
"Who's Lu Ten?" Aang asked.
"Iroh's only child, the last of the true bloodline of Fire Lords," Jeong Jeong answered. "He died in the siege of Ba Sing Se."
"You taught a prince?" Aang questioned.
"Iroh was planning to step down after a few years as Fire Lord, and hand the throne to the next generation," Jeong Jeong muttered, remembering what his old friend once told him. "But there's nothing anyone can do about it now."
Once Jeong Jeong finished his meal he brought Aang back to the camp. They rested for the night and would resume instruction the next day. In the morning Jeong Jeong had Aang repeat all of the previous exercises. Before noon Aang had carried another flame up the mountain and lit the campfire at the peak.
Jeong Jeong started teaching Aang offensive firebending at the mountain's peak, away from any vegetation that could be burned by accident. At first they covered basic fireblasts, Jeong Jeong showing the technique and then waiting for Aang to perform it correctly. Then Aang learned how to create firewhips and how to deflect enemy firebending.
After learning how to create a wall of fire Jeong Jeong let him take a short break. "Hey I have a question," Aang said.
"What?" Jeong Jeong asked.
"How do you make blue fire?" Aang asked.
"I don't know," Jeong Jeong admitted. "Only prodigies attempt it, and few achieve it."
"Aww," Aang complained. "I wanted to throw it back into that girl's face."
"You've fought someone with blue fire?" Jeong Jeong asked.
"Yea, and she's still out there somewhere," Aang said.
"Don't bother trying to create blue fire," Jeong Jeong recommended. "While I'm certain you could do it, being the Avatar, it would require too much of your efforts that you need to master the other elements."
"I see," Aang said.
"There is still much more for you to learn," Jeong Jeong said. Then they resumed the lessons, practicing all the way to sunset.
A/N: Only reason Aang didn't learn firebending from Jeong Jeong in canon was because Zhao showed up. Since he's dead there's no reason to interrupt Aang's firebending training now.