III: Bitter Work
This chapter contains bonus content at the end from the comic 'Divided We Fall', you can find it on YouTube when you search for ATLA Lost Adventures Earth.
As the Firebenders woke with the dawn, Aang woke up full of excitement the next day since it was going to be when he started his Earthbending training. Toph blew up her rock tent saying: "Good morning Earthbending student!"
"Good morning Sifu Toph!" Aang replied.
"Hey, you never called me 'Sifu Katara'."
Sokka grumbled from his sleeping bag.
"Sorry, Sokka, we'll do our Earthbending as quietly as possible." Toph stated, only to drive her heel into the ground and launch him into the air screaming. He landed hard to bounce around in his sleeping bag snarling gibberish at Aang and Toph before hopping off to sit on a ledge.
"Prince Zuko, we should give them their space, and we should resume your training. As I've told you earlier, with this change of heart, it's possible that you've lost sight of your inner fire." Iroh stated.
"In a moment, Uncle, I'd like to watch them for a while." Zuko replied, he sat beside Sokka as Toph demonstrated a simple technique for simply moving a rock. A moment before Aang was supposed to give the move a try, Iroh sat down next to Zuko.
Aang practiced the move, but instead of the rock moving, Aang had launched himself backwards until he crashed into Appa.
"Rock beats Airbender!" Sokka joked. Zuko gave a light chuckle and added: "I've chased him across the world and all I needed to beat him was a rock!"
"This will be the Avatar's most challenging element to learn. It is his natural opposite." Iroh stated.
Sokka peeled off his sleeping bag and collected his club and started heading off.
"Where are you off to young warrior?" Iroh asked him.
"While everyone's going to practice their bending, I'm going to see if I can catch something for us to eat."
"Well best of luck to you then! Come, Prince Zuko, we should begin training." Iroh stated, taking his nephew away to a spot well away from the others.
"Alright, I want to see a basic form first… Begin!" Iroh told him. Zuko was conscious of his breathing and gave a series of kicks and punches, only to realize that he was wielding only half of his original power!
"What's going on?! I'm bending as I was when I was six!" Zuko exclaimed.
"It's not as bad as I thought it would be. I was expecting that you might just have a little 'poof'. Sit and meditate, Prince Zuko, focus on your breathing and find your new drive. Once you focus your energy on something new and strive to meet a new goal, your Firebending will return to its full strength." Iroh told him.
Zuko sat down and focused on his breathing, calming his mind. Iroh let him sit for some time, before asking him: "Now, Prince Zuko, what is your goal?"
"To assist the Avatar in ending this war, to put Azula in her rightful place, and to restore honor to both myself and the Fire Nation." Zuko replied calmly.
"Now, rise, and show me your basic form again." Iroh told him.
Zuko repeated the form, but at the finishing punch, he released more fire than he had intended.
"Whoa!" He exclaimed.
"It appears that your drive now is stronger than it was before and you've discovered new strength. Well done, Prince Zuko, but with this new strength, there comes greater responsibility." Iroh told him. He introduced him to more advanced forms, and then Iroh decided to teach him a trick that he learned from the Waterbenders in redirecting lightning, but when it came to bending lightning, Zuko couldn't handle it apparently he was still dealing with inner turmoil. Soon after the training, without Iroh's noticing, Zuko was starting to get a fever.
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Since they stopped training at sunset, Aang ran past Zuko and Iroh, only to stop and turn to ask if they had seen Sokka.
"Sorry, Aang, but we haven't seen him." Zuko replied. Aang continued his search using his glider until he found Sokka stuck in a hole with a little saber-tooth-moose-lion cub. The mother came and attacked, but Aang managed to protect Sokka from her by facing her head-on. Toph watched on without either Sokka or Aang noticing her until they heard her clapping. Aang also stood up to Toph to reclaim his staff, and found the stuff it took to finally be an Earthbender and was able to move rocks! However, she pulled Sokka out of the hole.
"You found him!" Katara exclaimed. She embraced her brother, and praised Aang when he demonstrated that he finally got some Earthbending down!
Zuko and Iroh returned to the campsite a little while later.
"How've you done young Avatar and warrior?" Iroh asked.
"I didn't catch anything." Sokka said solemnly
"I've managed some basic moves now!" Aang announced proudly.
"Well done, young Avatar!" Iroh praised.
"So, Zuko, how was Firebending training?" Aang asked.
"Yeah, did you 'lose sight of your inner fire' as your uncle put it?" Sokka asked.
"I did for a moment, but after some meditation, I found a new drive, and now my Firebending's stronger than before." Zuko replied.
"Can we see one of your forms?" Aang asked.
"Haven't you seen several already?" Zuko asked, in reference to the Firebending attacks they've witnessed.
"Yes, but I'm usually a little busy evading them, so I couldn't take any notes." Aang told him. Zuko stood up and performed some more intermediate techniques, stunts that required jumps and stylized kicks, and Zuko wasn't kidding, his fire did appear to be stronger, as if he had broadened his range.
After his performance, he got a small dizzy spell, and he felt as if he was sweating a little more than he should have. He sat back down, and Katara prepared a stew out of whatever herbs and produce they had. It wasn't the best thing they've ever eaten, but it at least satisfied their hunger. After that, Iroh prepared a pot of tea to share with everyone.
"Aang, can I ask you something?" Zuko asked.
"I suppose." He replied.
"How was it that you've managed to stay hidden from the world for 100 years?"
"Zuko, that's not a story that Aang's comfortable to tell." Katara told him.
"I think he has a right to know, Katara, as may Toph… I was told that I was the Avatar when I was too young, as the monks put it, but they foresaw troubled times ahead and so they told me before I was sixteen. Everybody started treating me differently, my friends wouldn't play with me, saying that having me on their team may provide an unfair advantage, and then I overheard the monks telling my friend, Monk Gyatso, that they were going to take me away from him to pursue my training, his argument was that I needed tome to just be a kid, but the other monks wouldn't have it that way. I was about to have everything I had and everyone I loved taken away from me, so I ran away on Appa. We got caught up in a storm and swallowed up in the ocean towards the South Pole. I entered the Avatar State and froze us in an iceberg. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in Katara's arms."
"That iceberg was hidden deep below the water's surface, and I managed to bring it up by accidentally Waterbending it out while I was yelling at my brother." Katara added.
"So, Aang was about to have everything taken from him, and ran away; while Zuko had everything taken from him and was forced to go away… That's quite the parallel connection you two have." Toph stated. Aang and Zuko exchanged glances.
"That's not their only connection." Iroh stated.
"What do you mean, Uncle?" Zuko asked.
"I'll tell you all a story about Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin." Iroh told them. The kids sat up in anticipation as Iroh told the story:
Fire Lord Sozin and Avatar Roku grew up together as best friends. They've shared a lot of things, including a birthday. On their sixteenth birthday the Fire Sages arrived to announce the identity of the Avatar, that being was Roku. Already a talented Firebender, he soon had to leave to pursue his destiny as the Avatar and master the other three elements. Sozin went to see Roku and found that he couldn't take any worldly possessions, but Sozin gave him a parting gift: a family relic meant to be worn by the crown prince.
Over twelve years had passed before Roku and Sozin would meet again, Roku had learned Airbending at the Southern Air Temple, at that time he may've met and befriended Monk Gyatso, and then he learned to master water and fire. Not too long after Roku had returned, he married the woman he loved, and Sozin was the best man at his wedding. During the wedding dinner, Sozin proposed the idea of expanding his empire, to spread its wealth and prosperity, but Roku refused to assist him, and told him to abandon this idea, saying that the four nations were to be as they were.
Years had passed, both of them had managed to have families, and Sozin went through with his idea and managed to establish a colony on Earth Kingdom territory. They were enraged with each other, and dueled, but out of their past friendship, Avatar Roku spared Sozin. They didn't see or speak to each other for another twenty-five years, until the volcano on Avatar Roku's island erupted.
Sozin came to assist Roku, to battle the volcano, but then Sozin realized that without Avatar Roku, he could pursue his plans to expand his empire, and he left him to die on his island, and used the comet to wipe out the air temples, because he knew that the next Avatar would be an Air Nomad. Only, Aang had eluded him. Sozin spent the rest of his life in search of his greatest fret before dying peacefully in his sleep.
"You see, kids, no matter where you are from, people are capable of doing great good and great evil, but everyone should be given an equal chance. " Iroh stated.
"How was this story supposed to connect me with Zuko? Was it because my past life was friends with the Fire Lord?" Aang asked.
"You could see that as one way, but Zuko has more than one great-grandfather, and Avatar Roku was his mother's grandfather." Iroh stated, the look of shock on their faces was something to laugh at! They choked on their tea and exchanged wide-eyed glances.
"He's the Avatar's bloodline!?" Aang exclaimed.
"Yes, he is, it's one of the reasons why he's had so much inner turmoil." Iroh replied.
"So if Avatar Roku was Zuko's great-grandfather, and Aang's past life, does this mean that Aang and Zuko are related?" Sokka asked.
"Perhaps in some way they are, but I believe that it would be up to them to decide if they should see each other as family." Iroh replied. He glanced over to his nephew and saw that the Fire Prince was laying out cold on the ground. In a slight panic, he shook his shoulder as if trying to wake him up: "Zuko, Zuko!'
Katara looked him over and spoke: "I think he's just passed out, but is it just me or does his head feel warm."
"Ah, I think that Zuko's always been a hothead." Sokka stated.
Iroh felt his forehead and told Katara: "I think he's running a slight fever right now. I'm going to take him to a place where he can rest." Iroh told them.
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The next morning, Iroh awoke to the sound of Zuko coughing and found Katara trying to treat him.
"Iroh, have you seen anything like this before? He's got a high fever, coughing, and I think that he's too weak to move!" She exclaimed.
"This isn't a natural illness… His recent choices, and possibly the new knowledge of his ancestry were in such conflict with his inner self that now he is at war within his own mind and body. He's going through a metamorphosis, and it takes a physical toll. It won't be pleasant for him, but it should pass tomorrow."
"So thirsty." Zuko said weakly. Katara bent the water from a lake and pulled out the impurities before putting it in a pot, she even chilled it, and rather than wait for someone to give him a cup or even a ladle of water, he took the pot itself and started chugging. Once it was empty, he tossed it aside and coughed a few more times.
Aang woke up and asked: "Should we start packing up?"
"Aang, there's a problem, Zuko's ill and needs rest and treatment, and Iroh's not in the best of shape for travel either because of his injury. I think we should stay in this area for another day." Katara told him.
"Alright, this is a nice place to practice bending earth and water." Aang replied.
"That sounds like a good idea. See if Toph's up to teach you some more, and once Zuko's a bit more comfortable, perhaps I'll join you for a swim." Katara replied. She looked to Iroh and told him: "I could soak his blanket and freeze some of the water to cool him down."
"No, it would be best for him to sweat this out, but he'll want some more water." Iroh replied, So Katara filled the pot again.
"Thanks, Katara." Zuko told her and he took a few large gulps from the pot.
"Iroh, you said that he was going through some sort of metamorphosis, but what's that going to do to him?"
"It will be a change in personality, one for the better as far as you're concerned, perhaps with less angst." Iroh replied. He met her eyes and told her: "Thanks for helping him, I'm a bit stunned to see that you were so willing to help him after all we've put you through."
"At the North Pole, I saw that you weren't entirely bad… You're Fire Nation, but you're a lot better than others, like Zhao; and if Zuko is your nephew, then I guess I figured that he couldn't be as bad as I thought he was; and we've gotten to know him better."
Iroh looked down at her and gave her a light smile before telling her: "He's resting now, you can go and train for yourself and go for a refreshing swim for a while. I'll come for you if Zuko needs you."
"Should I take a look at your wound before I go?" Katara asked.
"I assure you that it feels a lot better, thank you."
Katara went off to train, leaving Iroh to tent to his nephew.
During the day, Aang had advanced in his Earthbending and Waterbending, Sokka went out to hunt again, but with Toph this time, and they managed to catch two chicken-turkeys, which Sokka plucked and wrapped for preservation. Katara and Aang spent some time swimming for fun, and washed some laundry.
By the late afternoon, Zuko was strong enough to sit himself up and told the group that he felt that he was alright to travel tomorrow.
"Great, perhaps we can pick some mini-vacations to go on while I train." Aang told them.
"Are you sure we should be spending our time like that?" Sokka asked.
"Sometimes respite is just as good as training, it helps to balance out the stress in your mind." Iroh stated.
"Alright, we'll pick out a few spots, and then we'll figure out where destiny wants us to go." Aang told them.
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The next morning, Aang had picked out a spot in a savannah to visit, but to get there they had to fly over a forest, and it didn't help that they got caught up in a storm while they were at it, with high winds and rain blowing in their faces.
"Aang, can't you bend some of this wind out of our way?" Sokka asked.
"I am, Sokka." He replied his hand outstretched before him, but his bending wasn't of much help.
"Yeah, good job, Avatar, we don't feel like we're in any danger at all!" Zuko called out sarcastically, his hands clapped over his head. Iroh used his arms to cover his face.
"Could you guys be quiet so Aang con concentrate!?" Toph exclaimed.
"Did you guys wake up on the wrong side of the bison?" Sokka asked. Katara looked over and suggested that they should try to find a safe place to land, but the trees were too thick for Appa to make a safe landing. Aang noticed something up ahead that appeared to be a tower about a mile ahead of them. They were hoping to make it there to land, when a strong wind blew Momo off of the bison. Luckily for him, Toph managed to catch him when she heard his scream. Aang looked back to praise Toph for her catch, when Katara screamed his name, as they flew right into a twister! After going for a few spins, everyone was launched out of the saddle, and they landed scattered about in the forest!
Aang rode his way to the ground on his air scooter and found himself twisted around in the forest and ended up getting chased around by viper-bats before making his heading to the tower. He told himself that he had to find the others, but little did he know, there was a stranger in the forest watching him repeating the words: "Find others."
Katara and Sokka landed not too far from a river, but they did land on top of a gang of thieves' hideout, and Sokka had broken his arm. Although they were outnumbered, the thugs were swiftly dealt with when Sokka and Katara made a break for the river, and Katara washed them away once they got their stuff back.
They paused for a moment afterward so Katara could heal Sokka's arm.
"There, how does that feel?" She asked.
"Great, actually, I feel like I'm a new man!"
"Good, let's hope you're a strong one; start gabbing stuff, we're heading for the tower." Katara told him.
Zuko managed to use his Firebending to cushion his landing. He ended up relatively close to the tower, but at the moment, he was more concerned with finding his uncle. He wandered about the forest calling out his name when he heard a loud shout: "ZUKO, UP HERE!"
Zuko looked up and around, only to find his uncle tangled up on some vines, hanging about ten feet in the air.
"Uncle Iroh, are you alright?" Zuko called up.
"Yes, I am, but I am stuck!"
Rather than using a Finrebending-slice to get Iroh down, he decided to climb up the tree to cut the vines in such a way that Iroh could climb down on one rather than dropping to the ground in some comedic fashion. Once Iroh was free, Zuko jumped to the ground.
"Thanks, Prince Zuko." Iroh stated.
"Come on, we should find others at the tower." Zuko told him.
"I think I liked it better when my arm was broken, less to carry and no climbing." Sokka told Katara as they started climbing the cliff, when they heard footsteps on crunching twigs.
"It's not those bandits again, is it?" Sokka asked.
"What bandits?" Zuko asked as he and Iroh stepped into view.
"Not important, I sent them down the river." Katara told them. They started climbing.
"Have you guys seen anyone else?" Sokka asked.
"No." Zuko replied.
"Sokka, Aang's the Avatar, Appa and Toph are tough, and Momo's a wily little guy. I'm sure that they're fine." Katara stated.
They kept on climbing until they heard something rumbling.
"What was that?" Katara asked.
"My stomach, no doubt. I feel like I could eat a unagi!" Sokka replied. It was a close enough guess, but it was actually a cheery Earthbender: "Hello Others," he greeted. He took them on his earth platform and brought them to the tower.
"There now, doesn't Granny's little princess look beautiful?"
Toph had long since made it to the top of the tower, by Earthbending her way there with Momo perched on her shoulder, only to be taken in by a sweet little old lady, who called herself Grandma Lokai. She had proceeded to stuff Toph in a frilly purple dress and put a crown on her head, while giving Momo a little red cape. Toph then grumbled about falling out of the sky and getting kissed and pinched by Granny Lokai.
"Aw, Granny's princess is cranky, I'll make her some beetle-worm soup."
Granny Lokai made a big batch, and served it to Toph, telling her to eat up before the worms chilled.
The wall to her little home crashed open as the cheery Earthbender announced: "Look, found others!"
"Toph, you're okay!" Katara exclaimed, as everyone everyone rushed over to meet each other. Momo flew over to Sokka's shoulder.
"Whoa Toph, nice outfit! Guess someone finally figured out that you're a royal pain!" He jested.
"Laugh it up, Sokka, your makeover's next!" She retorted.
"Yes, a scepter for the new princess, tights for the new princes, and perhaps a cape for the guest king! Oh we'll have so much fun!" Granny Lokai said delightfully.
"Princess?!" Katara exclaimed.
"Tights?!" Sokka exclaimed. Zuko leaned over to Sokka's ear and whispered: "I don't know where she got that notion! I've never worn tights!"
"Not leave, ever! You stay with me, with Granny!" Cheery Earthbender told them.
"Nobody is staying anywhere! Get away from my friends!" Aang declared as he rode in on his air scooter, fighting mad!
"Way to overreact Aang!" Toph announced as the cheery Earthbender fought to defend the others.
Katara and Zuko found a picture on the wall and then broke up the fight when Katara bent water to put a wall of ice between Aang and the cheery Earthbender.
"Aang, look, this place is an orphanage!" Zuko announced, bringing the picture to him.
"I could've told you that." Toph stated, her crown sliding off to one side.
"That's me, Onku, big guy!" The cheery Eathbender told him, pointing to his part of the picture.
"Granny loves her children. All the little princes and princesses! It was nicer before the war, before the children stopped coming… I know you're not here to stay, but it would have been so lovely." Granny Lokai spoke.
"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, but we should get going. Our bison is still lost and…" Aang started, but Toph interrupted: "No he's not, he's right outside in the courtyard, I could've told you that too."
They found Appa outside wearing a crown and a pair of mittens, looking pretty comfortable. Aang ran right over to him and tried to hug his head as Onku asked: "Friends stay overnight?"
"We'd love to, and how about some supper for the weary traveler?" Sokka replied.
"Oh yes! Beetle-worm soup for everyone! And it is still warm!" Granny Lokai announced. She brought out a tray of the soup, and everyone tried to hold back their looks of disgust.
"How about I brew some tea to wash it down?" Iroh offered.
"Well that sounds lovely, I'll show you where I keep my leaves and blossoms for brewing." Granny Lokai told him.
So after the soup and tea, they spent the night sleeping on old, but fairly cozy, beds, and they took off the next day, thanking Granny Lokai and Onku for their hospitality.
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Well I'm having too much fun writing this. Now, reviews are my drive, so if you will, please review.
