I'm back!

Katara: "Get over here, Zuko. Being part of the group means being part of group hugs!"
Book 3 Episode 18: Sozin's Comet part 1

Chapter 1

Aang sat cross legged on the floor across from Uncle Iroh in a training room in the Palace of the Fire Lord. The sun was to his back and warming. The air was cool and circulating from the open wall leading outside to a courtyard. A few bumbleflies were buzzing through the flowers. It was a wonderfully peaceful afternoon.

"Why do I need to keep training?" Aang questioned, placing his elbows on his knees. "I already mastered all four elements." After the rush of learning all four elements to end the war, sometimes Aang just wanted to play. He was still a kid, despite all the delegates and political officials thinking otherwise.

Iroh let out a soft belly chuckle. "Just because you have mastered the elements, young Avatar, does not mean your training is complete." Iroh, prince of the Fire Nation, brother to Ozai and uncle to Zuko, had taken over the continued training of the current avatar with the assistance of the White Lotus Society. While Katara and Sokka had returned home to the Southern Water Tribe for a short visit back home to visit Gran Gran, Toph to explore a little on her own and return the Earth King to Ba Sing Se, Aang and Zuko had decided to remain in the Fire Nation for the time.

He pulled his hands from his sleeves and moved them together up along his body. "Meditation and breathing exercises will continue to strengthen your bond with the Spirit World." His hands moved back down the front of his body and he let out a deep breath. "Plus it's a good excuse for me to take a snack break! All this training has me famished!"

"Not that you look like you've missed too many meals, Uncle," Prince Zuko quipped as he walked in behind Iroh. He was wearing his standard fire nation robes; presumably either coming or going to another meeting. It felt like he was always going to and from those meetings. There was a lot to discuss to dissolve the war and all the damage the fire nation had done to the world. Zuko didn't regret his decision, but he did still resent his forefathers for causing all this pain.

Iroh laughed easily, enjoying the banter. "Ho ho, young prince, you could use some meditation as well for that mouth of yours," he noted back with a side-eye. The smirk showed a loving jest as well. Zuko rolled his eyes, but shut his mouth. His uncle was right, he knew, but teasing the older man was hard to pass on sometimes.

Aang, otherwise, looked pleased at this suggestion. "Yeah, Zuko, you could join me!" Aang exclaimed, sprouting up from his hunch. His eyes twinkled with a plead. Doing lessons like these were always more fun with a friend. He had spent one too many meditation lessons with Momo and he was afraid he would turn into a flying lemur soon enough if those continued.

"Fine," said Zuko, and joined Aang on the floor. "At least for a little. I wouldn't mind having a fresh mind for my next meeting with the Colonies Council. Removing the colonies from the Earth Kingdom has been a bigger headache than expected." Aang returned the favor with a small smile, thankful for the companionship.

"It's settled then!" Iroh said happily. "I will leave you two be and return soon." He walked out of the training room and turned around when he reached the door. He stood in a tall posture and his arms flew out, hands pointing towards the lanterns at the top of the walls in the room. He slowly lowered his hands, exhaled his deep breath, and the lanterns dimmed via firebending. Before he left, he did one soft knock of the sound bowl. The sound resonated through the room and Aang and Zuko were alone.

Aang and Zuko fell easily into soft breaths. This was not their first meditation together, especially after their adventures in the wilderness before the end of the Hundred Year War. The two were in a soft rhythm for a while. Peeking from under his eyelids, he suspected Uncle would return soon to remind them of the time and allow Zuko to retreat back to his meetings.

However, Zuko was not prepared when Aang appeared to be in the Avatar State. Zuko paused his breathing exercises and looked at Aang. His eyes and tattoos were bright blue glowing, signaling his movement into the Spirit World. The rest of his body was still in the meditation posture. This was not typical to their exercises. Sometimes Aang would fall asleep in these lessons, but he had never entered the Spirit World without letting someone know. His body was vulnerable in this state; Zuko knew this fact well. He had once dragged Aang's body across the North Pole when the Avatar was in the Spirit World.

"Aang?" Zuko asked.

Suddenly Aang faced Zuko and the young fire prince gasped. It was as if Aang's body was a puppet with no notion of his best friend in control. Through those blue glowing eyes, his friend was not conscious of his body movements. Aang reached across his mat and grabbed Zuko by the stomach with both hands. Both hands started moving in both directions: one up his body and one down. Zuko screamed, but the Avatar wouldn't stop. It felt like his body and spirit were being pulled apart at the stomach.

The prince held onto the Avatar's wrists tight. Zuko tried to pull Aang's hands off his body, but they wouldn't budge. "Aang!" Zuko yelled, trying to pull his friend from this dream. He kept screaming until the world went blue, glowing, and quiet.

Let me know what you think. I don't have a full plan for this story. I'm just writing as it flows to me, so let me know if you have any ideas!