A/N: Hello there once more! I'm back with the next chapter! As I was editing this, and posting it, I realized the serious voice that is used in this Fic. I do not exactly see myself as a super-serious person, but somehow I managed to write it? Now I know in the fic, they are in the middle of a huge war, they are running short on time before the big mega-battle at the end and everything, and I know that I will be writing chapters at the end of said battle that are more silly and fluffy, but I would like to know if you want me to slow down the story a bit in order to add more fluffy, silly scenes? You guys are a big part of the writing process, I write with you in mind, so let me know what you would like? I just thought it was a bit too serious or stale for my taste. Maybe you do, maybe you don't? Let me know! Thanks for all your comments thus far- Keep it up! I love reading what you guys have to say. Gosh I'm ramblng again are'nt I? Ugh sorry, read on!

DISCLAIMER: NOT MINE =(

Chapter 10: Masters And Monsters

The small group of teens sat around a blazing fire-courtesy of Zuko- exchanging jokes and laughter, stories of adventures. Both sets of siblings related tales of the early days, back when the war was a far off subject and they were just normal kids fighting and playing with their siblings.

Azula told of how it was revealed that she was a firebender. She was only three and Zuko had broken her facorite toy. She responded by setting his ponytail on fire.

Katara snickered and told the story of how she was deemed a waterbender. One time Sokka's teasing went a bit to far and he ended up under a bank of collapsed snow that had fallen over thanks to Katara's wild gesturing as she vehemeantly berated him.

"A lot like how she had freed Aang."

That comment from Sokka gave the group pause.

"We never did find out what happend…" Azula said, looking to the young Airbender.

Aang in turn looked to Katara.

"Yeah. How did that happen?" he asked, his eyes wide and innocent as he looked at his waterbending sifu.

"Um… It was actually an accident… but that much you knew. Sokka and I were out fishing, or trying to at least-"

"Yeah! You got me all wet! She tried to waterbend a fish out of the sea and dropped it on my head!" Sokka blubbered, comically exasperated.

Azula snickered as the two siblings argued over what really happened.

"Anyway…" Aang prompted, looking between the two glaring siblings.

Katara broke the stare and continued. "Anyway, he and I got into an argument about waterbending. He really didn't like it at first- he called me a freak," she said, glaring again at her brother, "I just started gesturing wildly and cracked an iceberg in half." She said nonchalantly. Yeah-cracking an entire iceberg in half, no big deal!

"…Iceberg?" Azula asked, unsure as to what that was exactly.

The rest of the group just looked at her, minus Toph-who was just as lost.

"They're… they're these things in the water tribes, giant blocks of ice that float in the water. It's actually really impressive that Katara split one in half, they're huge!" Sokka exclaimed, his earlier irritation with his sister forgotten in favor of awe.

Azula raised her eyebrows, trying to imagine such a thing, but finding she couldn't.

"I'll have to see those sometime." She finally said, looking to Katara who nodded.

"Eh. Big block of ice. I don't see the appeal." Toph said, beanding an earth stool and propping her feet up.

Everyone laughed at that. Even Zuko which- though she wouldn't admit it- surprised Katara.

Even more surprising- and she would definatly not admit it- she found she kind of…liked his laugh.

Nothing gets past Toph though, who felt the ever-so-slight accelerating heart rate of the water bender next to her.

Apparently nothing gets past Azula either, because the bling earthbending master felt the older girl's smirk, most likely in reaction to Katara's presumably blushing face.

"A-anyway…" Katara began again- let ALL the records show she still. didn't. like. Zuko. Nope, not a chance!- "After that, Sokka and I were knocked back a few feet, and then a big sphere of ice popped up. It was Aang."

The waterbender smiled sweetly at her student who grinned back in response.

Sounds like she's telling the story of their batrothal. Zuko thought bitterly, unable to figure out why he felt a surge of jelously tear through him. He glowered into the fire which had suspisiously begun to grow brigther.

This also did not get past the two matchmakers. Toph and Azula smirked to one another as they saw and felt the reactions the waterbender and firebender had to one another.

Things were about to get real interesting.

The next morning, Aang and his bending teachers were up bright and early, ready to use what little time they had.

"Okay! Let's get started! I'm ready to learn firebending for real this time!" Aang said excitedly as his two new teachers streatched out.

"Are you always this bouncy in the morning?" Azula asked, bending over sideways and touching her toes.

Aang shrugged "I'm this bouncy all the time!"

Zuko shook his head and dropped into a simple stance.

He brought one leg up in a kick and, stepping down onto it, he flipped himslef in the air, expecting a stream of flame to come out of his flying feet.

But nothing happend.

"What?" He muttered to himself, looking at his feet accusingly.

Azula sighed. "Allow me brother- I actually warmed up." She smirked.

Zuko just rolled his eyes, not willing to admit his little sister was right-as always.

Some things never change… he thoght as he watched Azula fall into the same stance.

She kicked, she flipped.

Nothing happened.

"You were saying?" Zuko asked, smirking at his sister, who glared back.

"Umm… Is this what you guys are trying to do?" Aang asked tentievly, sliding into the same stance.

He kicked, he flipped.

A wide arc of fire followed the soles of his feet as he landed.

"Woah!" He exclaimed, grinning at his dumbfounded instructors.

"Right…well…" Azula trailed, looking at Zuko.

Something was wrong.

Later That Night…

"We lost our stuff." Zuko stated, looking at their new friends.

"Don't look at me- I didn't touch your stuff." Toph stated, digging into her bowl of food.

"Not that." Azula snapped before softning her voice. "Our firebending. It's gone."

Some suggestions on what to do went around, even as far as Sokka poking the fire nation siblings to anger them.

Azula just grabbed the stick he was using and broke it in half over her knee.

"Okay- cut it out!" Zuko yelled at the same time.

Toph, however, came up with the suggestion that seemed the most logical.

"Go to the source." She had said, explaining how when she was little, she learned from the orriginal earthbenders- the badger moles- and that was why she was so good today.

"It might work." Aang, ever the optomist, said.

"Right. Because finding the original firebenders is going to be so simple." Azula snipped sarcastically.

"Well, who are they?" Aang inquiered, looking to the girl who was slowly becoming like another big sister to him.

"Dragons." Zuko answerd, "And they went extinct one hundred years ago."

"That's awful…" Katara said under her breath. She didn't realize that Zuko had heard her.

"Yeah, you have our great-grandfather Sozin to thank for that. It might not even be a possibility that there are any remaining. Much like Ozai, Sozin just wanted to watch the world burn." The firebender slumped down beside her.

To his surprise, she didn't lean the other way.

They were finally getting somewhere!

"Well if there's a will, there's a way!" Sokka exclaimed, thrusting his boomerang into the air.

"Well, the end of the world is definitely insentive enough to at least look for these things." Azula said as she watched the fire dance around the logs beneath them.

"Where would you be able to find extinct Fire Nation animals?" Katara asked- intending for Azula to answer the question, but was slightly thrown when the young man next to her responded.

"There are stories about an ancient civilization, The Sun Warriors. That's where they would breed them. I never travled there myself- but it mght be our best shot." Zuko began thinking of the possibility of there being more dragons as he looked to Katara.

To find the she was pointedly ignoring him.

How was he going to get past this? He knew he should do something to personally make things up to her- but how? Maybe he could ask Sokka…

"So. Tomorrow, we travel to the Sun Warrior civilization!" Aang exclaimed, excited to see more of the Fire Nation.

"What's left of it, anyway." This time Azula spoke. "When the dragons went extinct, so did the Sun Warriors. We haven't had contact with them since before the war started."

"Like our two tribes. We were once seen as sister tribes, but then the war hit hard. We lost contact with them and they never reached out- despite their obvious growth." Sokka said, a bit grumpily. He loved the people of his sister tribe, they were related to a direct member of said tribe for crying out loud! He just couldn't help but feel that they abandoned them in the war.

Azula and Zuko looked at him empathetically-a look that fit Azula's features much better- and wondered what it will be like after they won this thing.

Because they were going to win it.

They had to.

Everyone made sure to sleep close that night.

Did I mention this was a longer chapter? Surprise! Anyway, think about what I said up top about more fluff and let me know! Until then I'll catch ya on the next one!

Writer out! ~0_0~