Chapter 14: Support System

Isla waterbent water out of her water saddle. She took a deep breath, the water lit up. She placed the water on Iroh's bandaged chest. Iroh cringed, slowly opening his eyes.

"Uncle… you were unconscious. Azula did this to you. It was a surprise attack," Zuko explained.

"Somehow that's not surprising," Iroh groaned.

Isla helped him to sit up. He placed his hand on her cheek. She held his hand and smiled.

"I've missed you…" she sobbed.

Zuko handed Iroh a cup of tea. "I hope I made it the way you like it."

Iroh took a sip from the cup and his eyes widened. He let out a cry of disgust, but managed to mask it.

"Good. That was very ... uhhh ... bracing." he said in grimace.

He was handed another cup, which he threw out secretly behind his shoulder. Isla tried to hide her giggle. Zuko poured himself a cup as well.

Zuko started, "So Uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her."

"No, she's crazy, and she needs to go down." he blurted and Zuko nodded. "It's time to resume your training."

Iroh struggled to fix his posture with Isla's help. Zuko looked hopeful. Isla healed Iroh's wound. Then she made a new tea instead of letting Iroh drink Zuko's rotten one. She poured Iroh and Zuko a cup each and served it to them.

"Lightning is a pure form of firebending, without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire. It is precise and deadly, like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind," she listened to Iroh's explanation.

"I see. That's why we're drinking tea, to calm the mind," Zuko said.

Iroh almost choked, "Oh yeah, good point! I mean, yes."

He stood up and exited the building. Zuko and Isla looked at each other. The girl shrugged. They both followed Iroh outside. The prince stood in front of Iroh while Isla made her way to the ostrich horse to feed it. She turned her gaze to them.

Iroh started his explanation. "There is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang. Positive energy and negative energy. Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance, and in a moment the positive and negative energy come crashing back together, you provide release and guidance, creating lightning."

Iroh stepped up and generated lighting which he shot away from Zuko and him. Zuko was excited. Isla remained indifferent. She knew about it already.

"I'm ready to try it!" Zuko exclaimed.

Iroh nodded. As he stepped away, he said, "Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. You are simply its humble guide. Breath first."

Zuko took a deep breath. He performed the same movement as Iroh did, in hope to generate lightning, but instead an explosion was launched back at him. Iroh shook his head in disappointment. Isla was concerned. She walked up to Iroh.

"I will go prepare something to eat…" she whispered and received a nod from Iroh.

After a while, Isla came back with some food she wiped up from what little supplies they had. She watched as Zuko failed again.

"Why can't I do it? Instead of lightning it keeps exploding in my face ... like everything always does," Zuko grunted.

Iroh heaved a sigh, "I was afraid this might happen. You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you."

Zuko was confused. "What turmoil?"

"Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away," the uncle explained.

"But I don't feel any shame at all. I'm as proud as ever." Zuko replied. Isla shook her head.

"Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame."

Zuko looked away, "Well, my life has been nothing but humbling lately."

Iroh looked over at Isla who smiled and shrugged at him. He turned back to look at his nephew.

"I have another idea. I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I made it up myself." he said, then turned around, "But first, let's eat. I'm starving."

"You have not changed, Uncle," Zuko said.


Evening came and they continued their lesson. This time, Isla joined as well.

Iroh drew the firebending insignia in the dirt, "Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want."

Next came the earthbending insignia, "Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring."

Then he drew the airbending insignia, "Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom. Also, they apparently had pretty good senses of humor!"

Isla giggled, but Zuko remained serious. Iroh coughed.

He drew the waterbending insignia, "Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."

"Why are you telling me these things?" Zuko asked.

Isla chimed in, "Because knowledge and wisdom can be obtained from many different places."

Iroh nodded. "If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale." He divided the insignia into separate sections. " Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole." He drew a circle around the insignias.

Isla nodded, agreeing with Iroh. Zuko scratched his head.

"All this four-elements-talk is sounding like Avatar stuff." he groaned.

"It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful. But it can make you more powerful, too. You see, the technique I'm about to teach you is one I learned by studying the waterbenders." Iroh smiled at Isla. She gave an approving nod.

He stood up and faced Zuko. Isla invited herself to join this training.

"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. A waterbender lets their defense become their offense, turning their opponents' energy against them. I learned a way to do this with lightning." Iroh explained.

Zuko was in awe, "You can teach me to redirect lightning?"

"If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You must create a pathway from your fingertips, up your arm to your shoulder, then down into your stomach. The stomach is the source of energy in your body. It is called the sea of chi. Only in my case it is more like a vast ocean," he patted his stomach, continuing his teaching, "From the stomach, you direct it up again, and out the other arm. The stomach detour is critical. You must not let the lightning pass through your heart, or the damage could be deadly. You may wish to try a physical motion, to get a feel for the pathways' flow, like this."

The two began to practice the redirection motion. Isla joined in as well.

Iroh asked, "Now, are you focusing your energy? Can you feel your own chi flowing in, down, up, and out?"

"I think so," Zuko replied.

"Come on, you've got to feel the flow." Iroh started to break into a dance, but then continued practicing with them.

Isla drifted to her own thoughts while practicing.


Isla stepped into the training grounds. All eyes were on her. It was amazing at how a three-year-old girl can contain so much confidence to defeat a waterbending Master. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Pakku was in front of her.

"Are you sure you want to challenge me?" young Pakku asked, giving out a smug.

"You pwomised~" the girl chirped, running in to attack him.

Pakku blocked her with an ice wall. She created an ice surfing board and surfed up the wall. She jumped down with water around her, ready to hit Pakku. The man directed the water she bent to follow his direction and it encircled her. Isla brought her hands together and then straightened them to each of her side. The bubbled encircling her splashed back into water. She then waterbent water into a puff of snow.

PLOP!

She giggled at how fun it was. Pakku was somewhat impressed. He waterbent a waterwhip at the girl who reacted by freezing it. Pakku was again impressed. Isla wrapped water around her small little arms like tentacles. Then, she ran in to attack Pakku, who was bracing for what was coming next.


"Great, I'm ready to try it with real lightning!" she heard Zuko say.

"What, are you crazy?" Iroh exclaimed, "Lightning is very dangerous!"

"I thought that was the whole point! You, teaching me to protect myself from it!"

"Yeah! But I'm not going to shoot lightning at you! If you're lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all!"

Zuko was not amused. He walked up to his ostrich horse. Isla wanted to say something, but he walked past her without even looking at her.

"Well, if you won't help me, I'll find my own lightning," Zuko rode away.

Isla called, "Zuko, wait!" but was ignored.

Iroh put a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at her foster father and forced a small smile.

"How are you, my dear? You look pale…" he said.

Isla nodded. "Memories are coming back to me. I can't stop them," she explained.

"Let's have some tea?" Iroh invited her.

"Sure, while waiting for Zuko to cool down," she chuckled.

Isla told Iroh her oh-so-vivid memories but she still could not recall why she was sent on a mission. She told him, all she remembered were her parents and her waterbending master.

"I see…" was all Iroh replied.

"Father, about Zuko…" Isla muttered.

"How are you feeling about him?" he asked.

"I think I want to stay by his side for the time being, but I won't hesitate if he goes overboard and hurts the people I care for," Isla said, looking at Iroh.

"Good, good," Iroh muttered, smirking teasingly, "Now, tell me, what did you two do alone eh?"

"Nothing big happened.." Isla said, staring down at the teacup in her hands, "But it was nice.. The very least, he was concerned about me.."

Iroh was gazing at his daughter's face. She had a faint blush on her cheeks. He smiled, satisfied. Isla excused herself to do some breathing exercise.


Six-year-old Isla took one step forward. Pakku was going to introduce her to the Chief of the Water Tribe that day. The Chief looked at her. He had a serious expression on his face. She knelt down.

"This is the girl?" he asked.

"Yes," Pakku said, looking at Isla.

"I will do my best to protect our Water Tribe," Isla said.

The Chief raised a brow at her. She did not budge at all.

"Have you had healing lessons?" he asked her.

Isla pondered. "Not yet…" she muttered.

Pakku replied, "I did not think it was needed."

"She needs to be able to survive in the long run. Have her take healing lessons and then we'll talk again," the Chief ordered.

Pakku nodded. The Chief excused himself after that. Isla looked up at her Master. He was not amused by the order. Isla followed him to the igloo where healing lessons were held.


A very strong wind blew, snapping her back into reality. Isla looked outside the window from the abandoned house they were staying in. Iroh was busy meditating. She gazed at her father. The foster father who took her in, disregarding the fact that she was a Water Tribe, accepting her as one of his own and patiently teaching her his wisdom.

"I wonder how I will ever repay you…" she mumbled to herself.

A loud thunder was heard from a distance. Iroh was awakened from his meditation. He looked around and found no Zuko. He heaved a sigh. Isla sat down beside him.

"Would you like me to go find him?" she asked.

"I feel that he wants to be alone for now…" Iroh muttered.

"I think he needs moral support…" Isla replied.

"Hmm.. you seem to know him so well," he remarked.

"I want to be like that for him. Previously he had his mother and now, he has you..and after you, is me," Isla explained.

Iroh nodded. He let her go after him. Isla went outside. It was raining. She used the rain, turned them into icy paths and made use of the paths by sliding around. She looked around a few cliffs but Zuko was nowhere to be found. It was getting darker when she spotted the ostrich horse, under a tree, trying its best to avoid the waters dripping from the leaves and branches. Isla pitied it. She looked up to see a hill.

Isla reached the top of the hill only to see Zuko on his knees. She saw the eyebags under his eyes. She approached him. She waterbend\t the rain away from him and her. Upon touching Zuko's shoulder, the young teen turned around and hugged her waist. Isla froze.

"You okay?" was all Isla could make out of her mouth.

"Can we just stay like this for a while?" he asked, pulling her closer to him.

Isla caressed his head one time and then placed her hands on his shoulders. "Sure…" she replied.

The storm subsided. It felt like the middle of the night. Isla could feel the cold wind blowing. She shivered a little. Zuko made a fire to warm her up. They made their way down the hill. Isla waterbend the waters on the ostrich horse to help dry it up faster. Her eyes were on Zuko who maintained an acceptable level of fire to warm them all up.

"Let's go," Zuko said, earning a nod from Isla.

Zuko mounted first. He pulled Isla to sit in front of him instead of the back. Isla took a glimpse of his face. He had a neutral, somewhat cool expression. She turned her gaze back to the front.

They soon arrived. Iroh welcomed them back. He embraced them both into a big hug. Zuko's and Isla's eyes met. They both turned away from each other, blushing.

"Let's get some rest," Iroh said.

Isla and Zuko nodded. As they walked to the house, Zuko tried to match his pace with Isla's. The girl was confused.

"Thanks…" he whispered to her.