"Hey, Iroh?"
Zuko glanced over Katara's shoulder to see that Aang was walking alongside his uncle, who had been leading the group down a forested path for most of the afternoon.
"Hmm?" Iroh replied, looking up from his map at the airbender. "Yes, Aang?"
"So… you know I've been practicing my waterbending a lot lately," Aang continued. "And I was just thinking… Maybe it would be good to start practicing some of the other elements, too. Just so I can get a head start."
Iroh stopped walking, then sighed, lowering his map. "Aang, we discussed this already," he replied. "You're not ready to learn firebending yet."
"Come on, Iroh," Aang pleaded. "I know you're a stickler for the Avatar rules, but I don't have the same amount of time to learn the elements as the Avatars before me did! The circumstances are completely different!"
"It's not just about the cycle," Iroh said sternly. "You cannot be impatient with firebending."
"But if you could just teach me how to make a little flame–"
"No," Iroh said. "I've told you this before. Fire is not like the other elements. It can be devastatingly dangerous if you don't know how to control it."
Aang huffed and folded his arms, and while Iroh continued leading them forward, he dropped back to walk next to Zuko, who had been walking next to Appa for the majority of the day's journey.
"Hey, hotman…" Aang said nonchalantly, reaching over to where Momo was sitting on Zuko's shoulder to give the lemur a scratch on the chin. "I was wondering–"
"You want me to teach you how to create a flame?" Zuko interrupted, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh. So you heard that up there."
Zuko nodded pointedly. "I hear a lot of things. That included."
"Well… can you?" Aang asked, flashing a smile and blinking his eyes innocently. "Please?"
Zuko's brow furrowed for a moment as he looked at the airbender's pleading face. Aang seemed to have quite the annoying ability of making it incredibly difficult for Zuko to say no to him. He looked up at the back of his uncle's head for a moment, then sighed.
No. You know firsthand how dangerous fire is.
"Aang… Uncle's right. You have to be careful with firebending."
Aang's shoulders slumped. "So you won't teach me?"
Zuko bit his lip, already feeling guilty for disappointing his best friend.
"Oh, look!" Katara said, walking up to what looked to be a kiosk of some sorts at the crossroads ahead of them. "This should give us a good idea of what's around here."
"See if you can find a menu," Sokka said, emptying the crumbs of his food pouch into his hand. "I'm starving!"
"I bet we'll find something to eat here," Aang said, walking up to the kiosk and pointing at a large poster with a dragon emblazoned on it. "The Fire Days Festival. Fire Nation cultural exhibits, jugglers, benders, magicians… I think I've been to one of these with my friend Kuzon!"
Zuko walked over to the kiosk as well, and felt a pang of homesickness as he read the end of the last line: Plenty of fire to make you feel like you are back home in the Fire Nation.
"Yes," Iroh said. "It's in the nearby Fire Nation colonial town of Yong'an. But it would not be wise for us to get too close. It's too risky."
"I second that," Sokka said from the other side of the kiosk with a concerned expression. "Look at this."
Zuko and Aang walked over to where Sokka stood, and Zuko's eyes immediately widened when he saw what the Water Tribe boy had been looking at.
"Hey, a poster of me!" Aang said brightly, removing a piece of paper—a wanted poster —from the kiosk. "And it looks like you're on here twice, hotman," he added with a grin as he pointed at the board.
On the board, Zuko first noticed a wanted poster with a depiction of his Blue Spirit mask, which read:
Wanted: The Blue Spirit.
Stole the Avatar.
He wears a blue Earth Kingdom opera mask.
His true identity is unknown, but disregard the rumors that he is a ghost.
If you discover his whereabouts, spare no effort in apprehending him.
The next poster he saw depicted him and Iroh as they had appeared about a year ago, ponytail and topknot still intact. It read:
The Fire Lord orders the arrest of Iroh and Zuko, the two rebellious traitors.
General Iroh was once the Dragon of the West,
Prince Zuko was Crown Prince to the Fire Lord.
Both traitors violated imperial orders,
refusing to capture the Avatar and instead joining forces with him.
Permission is granted to kill them on sight.
Zuko quickly ripped the poster of himself and his uncle down, crumpled it up, and burnt it to ashes in his hand.
"Wow. You guys must have really made a name for yourselves out here last year," Sokka said, folding his arms while Aang grinned somewhat sheepishly.
"I think Iroh's right. We'd better keep moving," Katara said nervously as she peered over Aang's shoulder at his wanted poster.
Zuko looked back up at the board, and squinted his eyes when he saw two more wanted posters. The first was a depiction of a scruffy-looking Fire Nation soldier which read:
Wanted — Chey.
Was a captain in the Fire Nation Army, is a coward, a deserter, and a traitor.
He is twenty-eight years old and skilled with explosives.
Mentally unstable.
Hunters be cautious.
The second poster depicted another Fire Nation soldier with white hair and two long, thin scars over his right eye. His poster read:
Wanted — Jeong Jeong.
Was a Fire Nation Admiral.
He is fifty-eight years old and white-haired.
Appears weak; is actually a master in firebending.
Hunters be cautious.
Zuko's eyes narrowed as he studied the drawing of the old man. He seemed strangely familiar.
"Uncle?" Zuko said, turning around. "Do you know a man called Jeong Jeong?"
Iroh immediately looked up from his map with a surprised expression. "Jeong Jeong?" he repeated. "Yes. He was a prominent admiral, and a very skilled firebender. He defected from the military about six or seven years ago."
"Defected?" Zuko repeated in astonishment.
Iroh nodded as he walked over to the group. "Jeong Jeong is perhaps the most well-known deserter, but there were others before him, many of whom were not so lucky as to survive long after." He glanced up at the wanted poster and studied it for a moment. "This may mean he's still alive, or was until very recently."
"Do you think if we found him, we could get him to join us?" Zuko asked, his spirits beginning to lift at the thought of having another Fire National on their side. "It sounds like he would be a powerful ally to have!"
Iroh's brow furrowed, and he began to stroke his beard. "I don't know, Zuko," he said. "Jeong Jeong has evaded the Fire Nation military for years now. He may have been spotted in this area at some point recently, but it's very likely that he does not stay in one place for too long. I doubt he'd be easy to find."
Zuko's excitement deflated somewhat after hearing this. Iroh was probably right.
"So… what are we gonna do for dinner?" Sokka said after a brief moment of silence. "Because we're out of food."
"I think if we wear disguises, we should have no problem in Yong'an," Aang said.
"What? You wanna walk into a Fire Nation town where they're all fired up with their ... you know, fire?" Sokka exclaimed. "No offense," he said to Iroh and Zuko.
Iroh nodded in agreement. "It would be very risky."
Aang folded his arms and pouted slightly for a moment before perking back up. "You know, I bet they have a lot of authentic Fire Nation food for sale," he said, nudging Iroh with his elbow. "It's been ages since I've had fire flakes."
Upon hearing Aang say the word "fire flakes", Zuko's stomach immediately began to growl. It had been so long since he'd had genuine Fire Nation cuisine. He looked at his uncle, who also seemed to have a longing look on his face.
"They might have chicken skewers, too…" Zuko murmured. "Maybe Aang's right. If we make sure to keep a low profile, we can go in, get some food, and get out."
"I suppose if we're very careful… It wouldn't hurt to see what they have," Iroh said, rolling up his map and putting it inside his sleeve.
"And if it looks like trouble, we'll just leave," Katara added with a nod.
"Yeah," Sokka replied sarcastically. "Because we always leave before we get into trouble…"
At last, around sunset, they reached a cliff overlooking a decent-sized town below. Zuko immediately noticed that architecturally, it very much looked like any average town one could find in the Fire Islands, and felt his heart aching for home again.
"You guys stay out of sight here while we go to the festival," Aang said to Appa and Momo.
The lemur hopped off of Zuko's shoulder and plummeted into a bush, while Appa merely laid down behind it. How the two animals could understand the Avatar, he did not know.
Once Appa and Momo had "hidden" themselves, Aang turned back to the rest of them. "Ready disguises!"
Zuko nodded and pulled his poncho hood over his head. He hoped this would be enough to shield his scar from clear view; he unfortunately couldn't wear the Blue Spirit mask now unless he wanted to immediately get arrested.
Katara, Sokka, and Iroh followed suit, while Aang awkwardly pulled his dark orange outer vest over his head, similar to what he had done nearly a year ago before they had entered the village in the Taihua Mountains.
"It's like you're a whole different person," Sokka said sarcastically, while Katara giggled.
"Aang, we have another poncho," Zuko said, folding his arms. "I don't think that's gonna cut it."
"I'll be fine, Zuko," Aang said, waving his hand nonchalantly. "I don't like wearing too many layers, I can't move around as easily. As long as my arrow's covered, we should be good."
Zuko looked to his uncle to see if he was willing to back him up on this, but the old man simply shrugged.
Zuko sighed and shook his head. "Let's just go. I'm too hungry to argue."
When they entered the town, however, Zuko immediately noticed that they were the odd ones out: everyone around them seemed to be wearing different masks. He recognized several theater and opera masks among them, though unsurprisingly none resembled his Blue Spirit mask. He assumed the people of this town likely knew that it was not a good idea to wear anything that could be mistaken as the signature mask of a wanted criminal.
"I think we need some new disguises," Katara said, vocalizing what Zuko had already been thinking.
After quickly finding a stand that sold masks and purchasing one for each of themselves, the group continued on into the village until at long last, they reached the food vendor area.
"Hey, there's some food," Aang pointed out.
"Finally!" Sokka exclaimed, running to the first vendor he saw. "What do you have?"
"Flaming fire flakes! Best in town."
Zuko immediately perked up when he heard this, and ran over next to Sokka.
"We'll take 'em!" Sokka replied, and the vendor pushed two bags of flakes towards them as Zuko gave the man some money.
Zuko smelled his bag of fire flakes and smiled, the familiar scent immediately bringing him back to his childhood. Before he could eat any, however, Sokka began sputtering beside him.
"Aaah! Hot, hot!" the Water Tribe boy exclaimed, lifting his mask and sticking out his tongue.
"'Flaming fire flakes', hot? Whaddya know," Katara muttered sarcastically from behind them.
Zuko smirked as he continued to watch Sokka struggle, and raised his own mask slightly to throw a handful of flakes into his mouth. While they weren't nearly as good as his favorite shrimp fire flakes he used to eat at the palace back home, it was still nice to taste something so familiar.
When Sokka noticed that Zuko was eating his own fire flakes without issue, he stared at him with a bewildered expression. "How can you just eat these with no prob– Oh. Right."
"You get used to the spice if you eat them often enough," Zuko replied, tossing another handful of fire flakes into his mouth.
"Nephew, look!" Iroh gasped from where he stood at the next vendor over. "They have komodo sausage, and chicken skewers!"
"I'll take a skewer," Zuko called out.
"Me too!" Sokka chimed in.
"And me!" Katara added.
"Do they have a vegetarian option?" Aang asked.
Once everyone had gotten their skewers, Zuko savored his own with a sigh. He had to admit, it really was nice to be somewhere that felt like home for the first time in over a year.
"Hey, look at this," Aang said as they discarded their skewer sticks into a garbage bin, pointing towards a nearby group of children who were sitting in front of what looked to be a small puppet stage.
"I remember these!" Zuko said with a laugh. "My sister always hated them."
"You have a sister?" Sokka asked in astonishment, and while Zuko couldn't see his, Aang's, or Katara's facial expressions due to the masks, he could tell that they were just as surprised.
"Yeah," Zuko said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Have I never mentioned her before?"
Aang shook his head. "And I thought we were best friends!" he said jokingly, putting his hand to his chest in a feigned gesture of offense. "Seriously, though—I don't think you or Iroh have ever talked about her."
Zuko exchanged a glance with his uncle through their masks. "Well… that's probably because she's kind of the worst."
"Eh, we all say that about our siblings sometimes," Sokka said. "Right, Katara?"
Katara simply folded her arms and shook her head with an audible sigh.
"It's more than that," Zuko replied. "Let's just say she's a lot more like my father than I am…"
Iroh placed a gentle, knowing hand on Zuko's shoulder.
"Don't worry, loyal citizens! No one can surprise the Fire Lord!"
Zuko looked back up at the tiny stage to see that, coincidentally, a small puppet fashioned in the image of his father had popped up. Next to it, an Earth Kingdom soldier puppet appeared.
"Look out!" a child from the audience cried.
"Oh no!" exclaimed another.
The Ozai puppet then turned around to face the Earth Kingdom soldier, and opened its mouth, shooting a blast of fire at the Earth Kingdom puppet and engulfing it in flames. The crowd of children erupted into cheers.
Zuko cringed as he watched this. This had been the type of thing he had enjoyed watching as a kid—he remembered seeing similar renditions with his grandfather Azulon and great grandfather Sozin. And he had cheered just as loud as these children.
They didn't know the truth, just as he hadn't.
"I think we should continue on," Iroh said quietly.
However, Aang seemed to be one step ahead of them. The Avatar had already darted off to the front of a crowd of people standing next to a regular-sized stage nearby, where a man in white and red robes was flashily bending several fireballs through the air. Eventually, he merged them together, and several doves burst forth from the flames, eliciting an applause from the audience.
"Thank you! For my next trick, I need a volunteer from the audience!" the man declared.
"Oh! Oh! Me! Me!" Aang shouted in reply, waving his arm in the air energetically as Zuko, Sokka, and Katara caught up to him, Iroh following shortly behind.
"What do you think you're doing? " Sokka hissed, pulling the Avatar's arm down.
"I want to get a closer look," Aang replied innocently.
"It's better that we don't attract any attention to ourselves," Katara whispered.
"But I've never seen a firebending magician before," Aang said pleadingly. "I've got this mask on, so even if he picks me, nobody will know who I am."
"You saw the wanted posters, Aang," Zuko said. "Katara's right. The less attention we call to ourselves, the better."
"What about you, young man?"
With a spike of dread, Zuko slowly turned his head towards the stage to see that the performer was pointing directly at him.
"Oh, uh, no, thank you," Zuko replied, backing away and shaking his head vehemently.
"Aww, he's shy," the magician said, gesturing to the rest of the audience. "Leeet's give him some encouragement, folks!"
Zuko suddenly felt himself being pushed towards the stage, and the magician yanked him up onto it. To his irritation, from somewhere behind him, he heard Aang grumble, "Aww, that could have been me…"
"Hey, I said I wasn't interested," Zuko attempted to protest as the magician led him to a chair at the center of the stage.
"Come on, kid," the magician replied through the side of his mouth. "Lighten up, will you? It's the Fire Days Festival!"
"But I–"
"This next trick is called 'Taming the Dragon'!" the man shouted, pushing Zuko down firmly onto the chair before wrapping his torso and arms several times in a long red cloth. "You will be the captured prince!"
Of course I am, Zuko thought, rolling his eyes.
Pulling the fire from the four sconces at each corner of the stage, the magician created the shape of a dragon. The flame dragon gracefully danced over the nearby rooftops and down over the audience and stage below. While Zuko could feel the heat when it passed in front of him, it was not anywhere near close enough to cause any injury.
"Don't worry, your highness! I will tame this fiery beast!" the magician declared theatrically, creating a "rope" of fire to "catch" the dragon.
Zuko sighed again, having seen enough firebending magic shows as a child to know where this was going.
"It's too strong, I can't hold it!" the magician continued, now feigning alarm.
Zuko rolled his eyes again for a moment before looking back at the crowd. His brow furrowed when he noticed that his uncle and Sokka seemed to be arguing with Aang. The Avatar attempted to move towards the stage, but Sokka grabbed his arm again to stop him.
Does Aang really want to be onstage that bad? he wondered with a mix of both amusement and annoyance.
"The rope, it's breaking!" the magician cried.
Zuko looked back up to see the fiery form of the dragon barreling directly towards him. Suddenly, a flash of his father's silhouette appeared in his mind.
You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher.
Zuko shook his head in an attempt to dispel the flashback. However, as the flame dragon narrowed in, the image of his father flashed in front of his eyes again, and his heart rate began to rise. He immediately began to struggle against his restraints with all his might as he watched Fire Lord Ozai draw back his fist, flames bursting forth.
"No!" he shouted, squeezing his eyes closed, fully prepared for searing pain.
However, when he opened his eyes, he gasped in surprise when he saw that Aang was standing on the stage in front of him. The Avatar shot a powerful vortex of air directly towards the oncoming dragon, and it burst into confetti.
"Hey, you tryin' to upstage me, kid?" the magician muttered from where he laid on the floor beside them.
Suddenly, he realized the gravity of the situation. Aang had just airbent in front of a giant crowd of Fire Nation colonials, and to make matters worse, his mask seemed to have blown off in the process.
Aang also seemed to have realized that he had made a mistake, and while the Fire Nationals below booed the Avatar with confused expressions as he began to perform a goofy dance, Iroh, Sokka, and Katara ran up onstage to untie Zuko's bindings.
"Are you alright?" Iroh whispered, sounding concerned. Zuko wondered if he noticed his reaction to the fire dragon; his uncle had likely guessed what had happened.
"Hey! That kid's the Avatar!" a man shouted from the audience before Zuko could reply, and Aang froze mid-dance.
"I think it's time to go!" Sokka said anxiously as he pulled the last of the cloth off of Zuko.
Suddenly, a loud boom sounded from directly behind them, causing several people in the crowd to yelp in alarm.
Zuko turned to see that a large hole had been blown into the wall behind the stage, revealing an empty street. Standing next to the gaping hole was a person wearing a hood whose face was covered with a cloth mask.
"Follow me! I can get you outta here!" the person said, gesturing towards the hole.
"There they are!" a city guard at the back of the crowd shouted before Zuko could verbally question who the mysterious person was.
He grunted in frustration and ripped off his mask, tossing it to the side as he ran through the hole, his uncle and the Water Tribe siblings doing the same. He heard another boom behind them, and looked over his shoulder again to see that the hooded person seemed to have thrown a series of smoke bombs. Whoever this person was, they seemed to be on their side. For now.
They followed the person back through the crowded concession area, bumping into a man selling fire flakes as they passed.
"Over there!" another city guard yelled from where he stood next to a pottery stand.
The hooded person led them down a thankfully empty street, and as they ran, Aang pulled out his bison whistle. Zuko had almost forgotten about the small trinket he had bought from the pirates they had encountered a few months prior.
"I'm calling Appa!" Aang yelled, taking a deep breath and blowing into the whistle. However, it made no sound.
"I hope he can really hear that bison whistle!" Sokka cried out from beside them.
"This way!" the masked person said, taking a sharp turn down one of the alleyways. However, the exit was quickly blocked by several city guards. "Okay… Not this way!"
As the group turned back around to cut down a different alleyway, the hooded person tossed another smoke bomb towards the guards.
Dread filled Zuko's stomach again, however, when he saw that the alleyway they had gone down had rather inconveniently been blocked by a large cart of fireworks.
Turning back around, he reached his arm behind him to unsheathe his swords, but before his hand even touched their hilts, a familiar roar sounded from above them.
"Appa! Down here!" Aang yelled up to the bison.
Appa immediately landed between them and the guards with a ground-shaking thud. With one smack of his large tail, a powerful gust of wind hit the guards head-on, and they flew back into the main street.
Zuko scrambled up onto the bison's saddle, helping his uncle up shortly after while Katara and Sokka hoisted the hooded person into the saddle as well. With a whip of the reins and a "Yip yip!" from Aang, they ascended, and the hooded person tossed another bomb into the cart of fireworks, setting them off and giving them cover.
As he watched the warm orange-red glow of Yong'an shrink from sight, fireworks dancing overhead, Zuko felt another tug of longing in his heart.
"Nice touch setting off the fireworks," Aang complimented the hooded person as they each dismounted from Appa next to a large river in the forest that surrounded the village.
"You really know your explosives!" Sokka added, nodding approvingly.
"I'm familiar," the person replied as they jumped down from the saddle and landed on the ground next to the Water Tribe boy, at last removing their hood and mask.
Zuko's eyes immediately widened in recognition upon seeing the person's scruffy, familiar-looking face. "You're a Fire Nation soldier!" he exclaimed, instinctively reaching back behind him for his broadswords again only to be gently stopped by Iroh.
"Was," the man said, holding his hands up. "My name's Chey."
"You were on one of the wanted posters!" Aang exclaimed with a grin. "Just like us!"
"Yep," Chey confirmed. "Right up there next to the man I serve. More than a man, really. He's a myth, but he's real, a living legend. Jeong Jeong the Deserter."
"Jeong Jeong?" Katara repeated in surprise, looking over at Iroh. "So he is alive."
Chey nodded, and when his gaze moved to Iroh and Zuko, an awed and somewhat reverent expression appeared on his face. "When I first heard the rumors a year ago, I couldn't believe it. The Fire Lord's own brother and son, betraying their family and nation to join the Avatar?" He shook his head in disbelief. "And then the wanted posters went up. It was true!" Suddenly, he kowtowed before both of them. "It is truly an honor to meet you."
Zuko and Iroh immediately shared an awkward glance. It had been a long time since anyone had bowed before them like this. It felt… strange.
"Please," Iroh said kindly, gently pulling the man back into an upright sitting position. "There's no need for that. We aren't royalty anymore."
"Oh, yes, of course," Chey replied, nodding quickly. "But hopefully that won't be the case for too much longer."
Zuko's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, eventually you're going to retake the throne, right?" Chey replied. "You've joined forces with the Avatar to defeat Fire Lord Ozai, and the Dragon of the West will take his rightful place as Fire Lord!"
Zuko and Iroh shared another glance, this time one of mixed confusion and slight bewilderment. Neither of them had discussed anything of the sort since they had denounced everything.
At this point, Zuko honestly wanted nothing to do with the Royal Family. However, he did have to admit that it seemed right for his uncle to take the throne once his father had been defeated. He had never quite understood why his grandfather Azulon's dying request had been that Ozai be made Fire Lord instead of Iroh, and why his uncle had never challenged his younger brother for his right to the throne.
"We joined forces with Aang because it was the right thing to do," Iroh replied carefully, purposefully not answering Chey's question, to Zuko's curiosity.
The man seemed to take Iroh's lack of denial as confirmation, and grinned. "Of course, of course. Which is exactly why you are the true leader our people need. That's why I followed you into the festival."
"You were following us?!" Sokka said with a flinch. "For how long?"
"Since I spotted your bison land in the forest this afternoon," Chey replied somewhat sheepishly. "When I saw you looking at the wanted posters, and General Iroh mentioned Jeong Jeong by name, I knew I had to take you to him. If we all join forces, led by the Avatar himself, we could take down the Fire Nation together, and make things right again."
"Why didn't you just come up to us before we went into Yongan?" Katara asked.
"Well… would you have trusted me?" Chey asked.
"No," Zuko and Sokka replied simultaneously.
"Yes," Aang replied at the same time as Zuko and Sokka, who both gave him a pointed look.
"Look, thanks for the help, but we're leaving for the North Pole in the morning," Sokka said.
"Wait," Zuko said, causing Sokka to blink in surprise. "Jeong Jeong is alive, and we have a chance to meet him." He looked over to his uncle, whose expression appeared uncertain.
"Chey," Iroh said, looking at the former soldier.
"Yes, sir?" Chey immediately responded, standing up straight.
"Did Jeong Jeong ask you to find us and bring us to him?"
"Well… uh…" Chey began nervously.
"Don't move!" an unknown voice shouted.
Zuko suddenly stiffened, feeling the point of a spear resting against his back.
"Jeong Jeong told you not to look for Fire Prince and General Iroh!" the leader of the people who had ambushed them chastised Chey as they were all led through the dark of the forest.
"Hold on, you know these guys?" Sokka asked.
"Oh yeah, Lin Yee's an old buddy!" Chey replied casually. "Right, Lin Yee?"
"Shut up!" Lin Yee replied, sounding extremely unamused. "Keep moving."
Eventually, they arrived at the top of a hill, where a path led down to several small dwellings. When they stopped, Lin Yee pointed down towards the cottage at the bottom of the hill on the riverbank.
"Go on. He sees you only," the stern man said, pushing Chey forward.
"Oh, that's okay, we can chat later."
"Is that where Jeong Jeong lives?" Zuko asked. "Can uncle and I go talk to him?"
"No!" Lin Yee interjected harshly. "You wait there. Go now!" He shoved Chey forward, and the scruffy man began his descent to Jeong Jeong's hut.
Zuko huffed and immediately attempted to follow Chey, but was stopped by Iroh.
"Patience, nephew," Iroh said quietly. "These things should not be rushed."
Aang woke up with a jolt some time later as Chey entered the hut that Lin Yee had graciously allowed him and his companions to stay in. He had no idea how much time had passed while he had been asleep—it could have been minutes, or hours. He looked to the side to see that while Katara, Sokka, and Iroh were still fast asleep, Zuko was sitting against the wall of the hut. It seemed likely that the Fire Prince had not slept at all.
"What did he say? Can we speak with him now?" Zuko asked, sitting up straight.
"He won't see you. He's very angry that I brought you here. He wants you to leave immediately."
"What?!" Zuko replied in disbelief, bolting to his feet. "Why not?"
"He says that it's too dangerous for you to be here. Especially with the Avatar, in Fire Nation colonial territory."
"That doesn't make any sense," Zuko said frustratedly, shaking his head. "It's dangerous for us to be anywhere right now. We're used to dealing with Fire Nation soldiers."
Chey shrugged. "That's what he said."
"But doesn't he want to join forces?" Aang asked. "He has to know who Iroh and Zuko are, and he hates what the Fire Nation is doing as much as we do."
"Oh, he knows," Chey replied. "And he does. But he said it's not the right time."
"Why?" Zuko asked exasperatedly.
"He didn't say."
Zuko groaned.
"Then it sounds like we should go with plan B," Aang declared, standing up as well.
"Which is what, exactly?" Zuko asked.
"I'll go ask for him to join us," Aang replied. "He can't say no to the Avatar, right?"
"Aang, I think it's been established by now that a lot of people can say no to the Avatar," Zuko said with a deadpan expression.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to at least try, right?"
The Fire Prince frowned slightly, but did not protest. "Fine," he replied with a sigh, waving his hand as he sat back down.
Aang exited the hut, and when he reached the entrance of Jeong Jeong's dwelling at the edge of the calm river, he took a deep breath.
He pushed the curtain aside as he walked into the darkness of Jeong Jeong's hut. The only light inside came from the other end of the room, where a man was sitting in lotus pose facing the wall, surrounded by a semicircle of lit candles.
"Get out," Jeong Jeong said quietly.
Aang frowned slightly, and hesitated for a moment before taking several steps forward.
"Master Jeong Jeong," Aang began as he sat down in front of the row of candles. "I'm the Avatar. I'm here on behalf of my friends, Zuko and Iroh. They would like to speak with you."
Jeong Jeong shook his head. "I know who you are, child. None of you should be here. It is too dangerous."
"It's dangerous for me to be anywhere," Aang replied.
"That may be so. But Chey tells me that you and your companions' identities were revealed in Yong'an this evening. Fire Nation soldiers will be searching for you, and you have put everyone in this settlement in danger by coming here. You must leave."
"We've dealt with Fire Nation soldiers before," Aang said.
Jeong Jeong scoffed. "Do not assume such confidence. There may not have been many soldiers in that village, but what's going to happen when word gets out that the Avatar has been spotted in this region?"
"But if we work together, we'll have a much higher advantage against them," Aang argued. "Chey said you're a living legend!"
"My presence is not a guarantee that the battle will be won, Avatar!" Jeong Jeong snapped, the flames in the candles surrounding him suddenly growing much larger, causing Aang to flinch as he felt the increase in temperature.
After a moment, the candles slowly returned to normal, and the old man sighed. "If that were true, I would not have lost so many friends and allies over the years."
Aang looked down at his hands in his lap, suddenly feeling guilty. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to assume anything," he replied. "But… you have to admit that joining us would be a good thing, right? You can help us restore balance to the world."
Jeong Jeong remained silent. Aang could not see his expression, and thus was unable to guess what the old man was thinking.
"Won't you at least talk to Iroh?" Aang asked, attempting another angle. "You two know each other, right?"
Jeong Jeong was silent again for another moment before finally answering. "I did know the Dragon of the West, once. That was long ago."
"If you're worried about his loyalties, you don't need to be," Aang said. "I don't know what he was like when you knew him, but he's really changed a lot!"
"...I will be the judge of that."
"So does that mean you'll meet with him and Zuko?" Aang asked, perking up.
"I will… consider it," Jeong Jeong replied. "Though I make no promises."
The following morning, Lin Yee arrived at their hut to request Iroh's presence. Zuko had immediately attempted to follow, but had been quickly shut down—Jeong Jeong wanted to talk to the Dragon of the West in private, to Zuko's chagrin.
"It's okay, hotman," Aang said as he played with Momo on the ground outside their hut. "Jeong Jeong didn't want me to come either."
"I just don't get it. I'm the one who wanted to talk to him," Zuko ranted as he paced back and forth. "What could they be talking about that they don't want me to know? Do they think I'm too young?"
"I know something that might take your mind off of things," Aang said, flashing an innocent grin as he airbent himself to his feet.
Zuko stopped pacing and narrowed his eyes at the Avatar. "What?"
"Teaching me some firebending!"
Zuko immediately sighed. "Aang, you know what uncle said. It's not the right time."
"But how does he know for sure?"
"I don't know, he just does."
"Well how do you know?"
"I don't, okay!" Zuko snapped.
Aang's smile disappeared, and he wilted somewhat.
Upon seeing this reaction, Zuko immediately regretted his harsh tone, and his gaze softened. "Aang, uncle just doesn't want you to hurt yourself. And neither do I."
"I know. And I promise I'll be careful," Aang said, looking at Zuko with those pleading gray eyes. "I don't even want to learn anything crazy, just the most basic, tiny flame."
Zuko bit his lower lip, feeling extremely conflicted.
Would it hurt to just teach him one thing? Literally the most beginner firebending move that anyone, even a child, could be taught?
"Pleeease?"
Zuko squeezed his eyes closed. "Alright," he sighed.
"Really?! Yes!" Aang declared, pumping his fist into the air with an airbending-powered jump.
"Hey!" Zuko hissed, putting his index finger to his lips. "You have to be quiet about it, okay? If uncle finds out…"
"Yep. Got it. I'll be quiet," Aang said, nodding his head rapidly.
Aang couldn't believe that Zuko had actually agreed to teach him firebending. He tried not to appear too excited as the two walked through the forest to find a spot next to the riverbank that was far enough from the tiny village that they hopefully wouldn't be noticed. They were accompanied by Katara, who wanted to practice some waterbending and was willing to be the fire-douser should anything go awry, and Sokka, who simply wanted to fish with his newly-acquired fishing line.
"This looks as good of a spot as any," Zuko said, coming to a stop next to a small clearing along the riverbank. "What do you think, Katara?"
"I think it's perfect," Katara replied, already pulling a large amount of water from the river and moving it through the air fluidly.
"Okay, Aang. Are you ready to start your training?" Zuko asked, turning around and folding his arms.
"Yes, sir, Sifu Hotman," Aang replied with a grin.
Zuko stared back at him with an unamused expression. "'Hotman' alone is a bad enough nickname. Can we maybe not add 'sifu' to that?"
"I'm afraid it's too late for that, Sifu Hotman," Aang replied matter-of-factly. "You're already my teacher. There's no going back."
Zuko smirked and rolled his eyes lightheartedly as he took a few steps back. "Okay," he began, clearing his throat. "So, um, first lesson. Conjuring a flame." He opened his palm, and a small flame blossomed above it.
Aang stared at the flame in awe, watching as it danced for a few moments before Zuko closed his fist, and the flame disappeared.
"Okay." He held out his palm like Zuko did. "Now what?"
"Oh, you thought it was gonna be that easy?" Zuko asked with a chuckle.
Aang cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I'll show you." Zuko hunkered down into a wide squat, his arms pulled in tight next to his body, fists turned upward. He looked up at Aang expectantly.
Aang quickly attempted to mimic the Fire Prince, squatting down as well. "What exactly does this have to do with creating a flame?" he asked.
"Before you start firebending, you need to start with stance training," Zuko explained.
"Ohhh," Aang murmured in realization. "Like what Iroh was making you do at the South Pole?"
"Exactly," Zuko said, moving back to a normal standing position. He placed his hand on his chin for a moment, studying Aang as he circled him.
Suddenly, from behind, Aang felt Zuko's hands press gently on his upper arms, pushing them closer to his body, and he suddenly felt his heart begin to pound rapidly in his chest.
"There. That's better," Zuko said as he moved his hands to Aang's chest and upper back, straightening his posture. Aang felt a flutter in his stomach in addition to his rapid heartbeat, and his face was also starting to feel very warm.
He had never had this sort of reaction to being close to Zuko before.
Oh no.
Zuko took a step back once more to study his stance, and Aang immediately avoided meeting his gaze, worrying that if their eyes met right now, he would somehow lose his composure even further.
"Okay. Looks good," Zuko said with a nod of approval. "You just need to widen your stance just a bit."
"Widen stance. Got it," Aang quickly replied, spreading his legs further apart and shaking his head rapidly to clear his mind.
"Okay… And don't forget to breathe," Zuko said, hunkering back down into a squat next to him. He took a deep breath in through his nose, then out through his mouth.
Aang did the same. Thankfully, after several breaths, his body seemed to calm down.
"Great!" Zuko said, standing back up. "Now, just keep doing that for the next thirty minutes, then we'll take a break."
Aang blinked several times, then looked at the Fire Prince, mouth gaping in disbelief. "Thirty minutes? Are you trying to pull a prank on me or something, hotman?"
"Nope," Zuko replied simply. "I'm actually letting you off easy. Usually you have to start out doing it for an hour or more at a time."
Aang continued to stare dumbfounded at Zuko, who remained unfazed. "Well… what do I do now?" he asked.
"Now, you need to concentrate."
"Concentrate on what, exactly?"
Zuko nodded up towards the sky. "The sun is the source of firebending. Focus on feeling its heat."
"But when do I get to make some fire?"
"Whenever I tell you you can," Zuko replied. "Now be quiet, and concentrate."
"But why do I have to–"
"Hey!" Zuko interrupted, snapping his fingers in front of Aang's face to get his attention. "Look at Katara. She's being quiet. She's focusing on her waterbending. Even Sokka's being quiet."
"Hey. I heard that," the Water Tribe boy called out over his shoulder.
"Now just maintain the stance, and keep breathing like I showed you," Zuko said, ignoring Sokka's remark.
Aang groaned. This was not what he'd had in mind when he had said he wanted to learn firebending.
A few hours later, Aang's legs were beginning to ache, and his patience was wearing thin. Even with frequent breaks, stance training was torture. He looked over his shoulder, where Zuko and the Water Tribe siblings seemed to be talking and laughing about something next to the riverbank, and frowned before whipping his head back towards the forest.
He sneakily moved his right palm up in front of him, and tried with all his might to create a small flame just like he had seen Zuko do. However, no matter how hard he tried, he was unsuccessful.
"Okay, Aang," he heard Zuko say, and he quickly returned his arms to the correct position. "I think it's time."
Aang immediately perked up. "To make a flame?"
"Oh, no," Zuko said. "I meant it's time to stop practicing for today. You've trained enough."
"But I didn't even get to make any fire!" Aang complained as he returned to a standing position.
"Everyone's different. Some people have no problem creating fire. But it took me multiple sessions of stance training before I was able to make my first flame," Zuko said. "It just takes some patience."
"Ughhh ," Aang groaned, hanging his head.
"Hey, I know it's frustrating," Zuko said, patting him on the shoulder. "I was the same way when I started out. But it's important to practice this stuff before you start the real deal."
"I know…" Aang mumbled.
"Cheer up, Aang," Sokka said as he walked up to join their conversation. "I'm sure you'll manage to create at least one flame before you have to fight the Fire Lord."
Aang glared at the Water Tribe boy.
"Don't listen to him," Zuko said, shaking his head. "It won't take you that long. Hopefully."
"Anyway… we're gonna go see if we can find some grub at the village," Sokka said, slapping Zuko on the back, causing the Fire Prince to lurch forward slightly. "We'll be back in a bit."
Aang sighed as he watched his two friends disappear into the forest.
"I'm sorry, Aang," Katara said apologetically as she approached him from the riverbank. "I know you were really looking forward to firebending."
"I just don't get why I have to sit around breathing and feeling the sun," he replied, folding his arms. "I already know how to do all that. I'm ready for so much more."
"I'm sure there's a good reason," Katara replied. "Do you wanna practice some waterbending with me to get your mind off of things?"
"Maybe in a little bit…" Aang replied. He shook his head and squatted back down, spreading his knees and straightening his back. "I know I can do it."
"Just try not to overexert yourself," Katara said. "You've been doing stance training all day."
"I'll be fine, Katara," he replied, closing his eyes. He took several deep breaths in and out through his nose and mouth again, and tried to clear his mind as he usually did when he meditated.
He did his best to pay close attention to the feeling of warmth from the sun on his skin, despite it being so far away…
The sun is the source of light and warmth. The source of life.
After a few more calming breaths, he held out his hand in front of him, breathed out through his mouth, and opened his palm.
As he opened his eyes, he watched a tiny flame burst forth, and a wide grin spread across his face.
"I did it! I made fire!" Aang declared joyously, stumbling backwards slightly as the flame grew larger for a moment, likely due to his excitement.
"Aang, that's great, but you should take it slow," Katara said nervously, taking a step back.
"I know, I know," he said, only half-listening as he began to toss the ball of flame from one palm to another. With his right hand, he sent a blast of fire into the sky in front of him. "Now that's some firebending!" he breathed in awe.
"Aang, you'll hurt yourself!" Katara said.
"I wonder how that juggler did it…" Aang mused to himself, Katara's voice now seeming very far away. He continued to toss the ball of fire above his head, below his knees, and behind his back. Finally, he stood up and stretched his arms out wide, creating a ring of fire around him.
However, when he turned his head to the side, his eyes widened in horror as he watched Katara raise up her hands and scream, immediately beginning to sob as she curled into herself on the ground.
"Katara!" Aang cried out, darting over to his friend's side. "I'm so sorry!" His shaking hands hovered over her, unsure of what to do.
"We just heard screams, are you guys okay?"
Aang turned to see Zuko emerging from the forest, Sokka right behind him. Both had concerned expressions on their faces.
"Katara? What's wrong?" Sokka said, rushing to his sister's side. He quickly seemed to notice that Aang was standing next to her, looking horrified, yet unscathed. "What did you do?!"
"It was an accident!" Aang replied shakily. "I was, uh... Katara, I'm so –"
Before he could finish his sentence, the wind was knocked out of him as he felt himself being slammed to the ground.
"I knew you shouldn't have messed around with this! Look what you did! You burned my sister! " Sokka shouted in his ear.
Suddenly, the weight on him was lifted, and he scrambled around onto his back to see Zuko forcefully pulling Sokka away from him by the collar, his eyes burning with anger.
"What do you think you're doing?! " Zuko demanded.
"He burned my sister!" Sokka spat, forcefully pushing Zuko's hand off of him. "This is all your fault!"
Katara, still sobbing, abruptly stood up and ran off into the forest.
The anger in Zuko's eyes faded, and he squeezed his eyes closed in shame. "I know."
"No, it's my fault entirely," Aang interjected, tears now rolling down his face. "Zuko and Iroh tried to tell me to be patient, but I didn't listen…"
Sokka simply scoffed in reply.
"I'm sorry, I didn't… I'm sorry!" Aang shouted as Sokka ran off after his sister.
Aang looked up at Zuko. "Zuko… I'm so sorry. I should have been patient. I shouldn't have tried to firebend on my own, I–"
"It's okay, Aang," Zuko interrupted softly, crouching down to help Aang back to his feet. "I know it was an accident. I'm sure Katara knows, too."
How is he not furious with me? Aang thought, shaking his head. "I can't believe I burned her," he said as he buried his face in his hands.
When he looked back at Zuko, the Fire Prince's amber eyes were filled with sympathy.
"Come on," Zuko said, squeezing Aang's hand, which he was still holding, gently. "We should go make sure she's alright."
When they returned to the village a few minutes later, Zuko immediately spotted Katara crouched down next to the riverbank by Jeong Jeong's hut. To his surprise, an old man with messy white hair—the old master himself—was sitting next to her, and he seemed to be comforting the Water Tribe girl.
Iroh and Sokka were standing nearby, seemingly in deep discussion. Zuko immediately felt an immense pang of guilt in his chest when his uncle's eyes met his own. The disappointment was evident, but there was no anger. He didn't know if that made him feel better, or worse.
As they walked over, Sokka folded his arms and refused to look at either of them.
"I'm sorry, uncle," he said, bowing his head deeply. "I went behind your back and taught Aang firebending before he was ready."
"I'm the one who pushed him into it," Aang interjected, stepping forward. "It's my fault."
Iroh shook his head and sighed. "I know you both understand the consequences of what you did. What's done is done. No use dwelling on it now."
Zuko looked over at Aang, who looked positively miserable. He couldn't bear to see the Avatar look so distraught. Before he could offer the airbender any further words of comfort, however, Jeong Jeong stood up and marched over to them
"Avatar," the old master said in a low voice. "The Water Tribe boy tells me you did this?"
Aang nodded his head shamefully. "It's my fault completely, I–"
"Yes, it is," Jeong Jeong interrupted bluntly. "You were impatient. I had a pupil once who had no interest in learning discipline. He was only concerned with the power of fire—how he could use it to destroy his opponents and wipe out the obstacles in his path…" The former admiral shook his head slowly. "But fire is a horrible burden to bear. Its nature is to consume, and without control it destroys everything around it. You must learn restraint, or risk destroying yourself and everything you love. Let this be a lesson to you."
Aang stared wide-eyed at the old man for a few moments. Then, his eyes moved back to Katara, who was still sobbing next to the riverbank, then to Sokka, who still refused to meet his eye. His lip quivered for a moment, and he turned around and dashed away back into the forest.
"Aang!" Zuko called out after him, turning to follow the Avatar.
"Katara!" Sokka suddenly exclaimed, causing Zuko to turn back around. "Are you okay?"
"I'm…" Katara said, turning to face them. To Zuko's astonishment, her hands were completely free of burn marks. "I'm okay."
"Your healing abilities!" Zuko said in realization. Thankfully, Katara hadn't had to use them since they'd left the South Pole, so he had nearly forgotten that she had such a skill.
Katara nodded. "It's nice to know that they work on myself, too," she replied, continuing to observe her now-unscathed hands. "It makes sense. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner."
"The great benders of the Water Tribe sometimes have this ability," Jeong Jeong murmured in awe. "I've always wished I were blessed like you—free from this burning curse…"
"But you're a great master," Katara said, eyes widening in surprise at the old man's confession. "You have powers that I will never know."
"Water brings healing and life. But fire brings only destruction and pain. It forces those of us burdened with its care to walk a razor's edge between humanity and savagery. Eventually, we are torn apart."
Burning curse… Zuko thought to himself, looking down at his open palms. He's right. That's all fire does, isn't it? It consumes and destroys. Fire did this to my face. Fire destroyed Aang's entire culture. Fire has nearly devastated the balance of the entire world.
Suddenly, a large blast of fire crashed into the river behind Sokka and Katara, startling them, and Jeong Jeong immediately leapt over to dispel the flames, keeping them from touching the Water Tribe siblings. Iroh quickly jumped into action as well while several more fire blasts were shot in their direction, assisting Jeong Jeong in blocking the flames.
Zuko looked upriver, and to his dread, spotted three small Fire Navy ships rapidly approaching the village.
"Go find the Avatar and flee!" Jeong Jeong yelled. "Do not come back here or you will all be destroyed. Hurry!"
"Wait!" Zuko exclaimed. "Uncle, aren't you coming with us?"
"I will join you when I can," Iroh shouted, deflecting another fire blast. "Just go!"
Katara and Sokka immediately ran into the forest, while Zuko continued to hesitate for a moment. As the Fire Navy ships grew closer and closer, he squinted his eyes, catching sight of the person commanding them at the helm of the middle ship. When he recognized who the figure was, he immediately felt a spike of rage the likes of which he had not felt in months.
Zhao.
He managed to catch up with Katara a few minutes later, though he noticed Sokka was nowhere to be found.
"Where'd Sokka go?" Zuko asked as they jogged.
"He went to get Appa ready," Katara responded. "I've been calling out for Aang, but I haven't gotten any response."
"We need to find him as soon as possible," Zuko replied, anxiety slowly growing in the pit of his stomach. "We have to get out of here. Once Zhao finds out he's here, the entire Fire Navy will be swarming the river by tomorrow morning."
"Zhao?" Katara asked, brow furrowing in confusion.
That's right, Zuko remembered. Katara and Sokka had never encountered the admiral before. "Powerful admiral in the Fire Navy," Zuko answered. "He chased us all over the world last year. We haven't seen him since the Winter Solstice."
Katara's eyes widened. "That can't be good…"
At last, to Zuko's relief, they came to a small clearing, where a beam of sunlight shone down onto a large stump. Aang was sitting cross-legged on the stump, his back facing them.
"Everyone tried to tell me I wasn't ready," Aang said quietly, seeming to have noticed their presence. "I wouldn't listen. I'm never going to firebend again."
I don't blame you… Zuko thought.
"You'll have to eventually," Katara said.
"No, never again."
"It's okay, Aang. I'm healed."
Aang immediately turned around, eyebrows raised. "Your healing powers?"
Katara nodded.
"We have to get out of here, Aang," Zuko interjected. "Zhao and his soldiers are attacking!"
"Zhao?" Aang repeated, jumped down from the stump. "Where?"
"By the river, next to the settlement. Uncle and Jeong Jeong are holding them off."
"We have to help him!"
Zuko nodded. "Katara, you go find Sokka and make sure he's got Appa ready to get out of here as soon as possible. Aang and I will go help Jeong Jeong and my uncle."
Katara nodded curtly in return, and darted back off into the woods.
"Look at you. You were once so great. I can't believe my former master has become nothing more than a simple savage."
"Zhao was Jeong Jeong's student?" Zuko whispered from where he and Aang sat crouched in the bushes at the edge of the settlement. From where they were hidden, they could see that Jeong Jeong and Iroh were standing face to face with Zhao and what looked to be about a dozen Fire Navy soldiers.
"It is you who have embraced savagery, Zhao," Jeong Jeong replied, words dripping with contempt.
"It's Admiral Zhao, now," Zhao corrected before turning his gaze to Iroh. "General Iroh. It's been quite some time, hasn't it? It seems you've been busy. The Fire Lord isn't pleased about what happened in the Southern Water Tribe earlier this year."
Iroh said nothing, simply glaring at the admiral in response.
"Don't want to talk? That's fine with me. I know the airbender and the traitor Prince are both around here somewhere. There were multiple reported sightings of the Avatar in Yong'an last night."
"The title of admiral will not help you against the Avatar," Jeong Jeong replied. "Do not try to fight him! You are no match!"
"I think I can handle a child," Zhao replied.
"Can you, Zhao?" Iroh finally spoke up. "Or have you forgotten what happened at the fire sage temple? The Avatar is no ordinary child."
Zhao was silent for a moment, and to his satisfaction, Zuko saw a slight flicker of uncertainty in his features.
"The Avatar has been training since we last encountered one another," Iroh continued. "His power has grown."
"If we make enough of a scene when we run out there, do you think we can distract them enough for Iroh and Jeong Jeong to get away?" Aang whispered.
"It's worth a shot," Zuko replied with a nod, and the two darted out from the bush.
"Zhao!" Aang shouted as they ran towards the riverbank. "If you're looking for me, here I am!"
Zhao visibly flinched when he heard Aang's declaration, immediately whipping to face them both.
"And so he appears at last," the admiral said, his signature smirk plastered on his face. His eyes moved to Zuko, and he shook his head. "With the traitorous lapdog of a prince at his heel."
Zuko glowered at Zhao in response, tensing his fists and fighting his immediate instinctual urge to punch the admiral squarely in the jaw. That was probably exactly what Zhao wanted.
"First of all," Aang replied, folding his arms. "It's funny you say that, because I've been back for over a year now, and you still haven't managed to capture me."
Zhao's smirk disappeared upon hearing this, and his eyebrow twitched.
"Second of all," Aang continued. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped insulting my best friend."
It was such a simple statement, but it filled Zuko's heart with warmth nonetheless. Meanwhile, a disgusted grimace appeared on Zhao's face.
"Admiral, the traitors are escaping!" one of Zhao's soldiers interjected before the man could reply. Zuko looked to see that both Jeong Jeong and Iroh seemed to have split off from one another—the former running towards the forest, while the latter jogged towards the riverbank. The set of soldiers quickly split in half as they attempted to follow both men.
"Soldiers! Take the deserter!" Zhao shouted angrily. "And don't underestimate the Dragon of the West!"
Iroh had already begun to fight off the soldiers who had focused their attention on him, knocking several back with a combination of firebending and hand-to-hand combat. Jeong Jeong, however, suddenly stopped right at the edge of the forest, and turned around to face the soldiers who had followed him. The confused soldiers glanced at one another for a moment before the firebenders among them shot several blasts of flames directly at the old man.
Zuko stared in horror at the spot where Jeong Jeong was standing. Master or no, that much fire could still burn anyone to a crisp. However, just as it seemed the flames were about to consume him, the deserter crouched down and wrapped himself in a sphere of fire of his own. The blasts hit this flame shield for several moments before dissipating, revealing that Jeong Jeong was nowhere to be seen.
"It's a trick!" Zhao snarled. "He's run off into the woods. Find him!"
The soldiers did as they were told and darted off into the forest, while Zhao turned back to Zuko and Aang. Without warning, he growled and shot a large fireball directly at the Avatar, which he gracefully managed to evade by twirling into the air.
"Ducking and running like a coward, as always," Zhao taunted. "It seems you haven't learned much at all since we last met."
He shot another blast, this time towards Zuko, who quickly managed to halt the blast and dissipate it.
"Give it up, Zhao. It's two against one," Zuko said, assuming a defensive stance.
Zhao merely laughed. "Numbers don't matter when it's two children fighting a firebending master."
He shot two blasts this time, one towards Zuko, and the other towards Aang. Thankfully, both managed to avoid the attack.
Zhao frowned. "It seems the Avatar's pacifism has rubbed off on you, Prince Zuko," he said. "Or are you too much of a coward to fight back? Either way, how dishonorable."
Zuko glared at the admiral. He's trying to bait you. It's what Zhao always does.
When Zhao saw that just as at the fire sage temple, his words were not seeming to be eliciting the response he had hoped for, he scoffed and hurled another blast of fire, this time towards Aang.
"Woah, wild shot!" Aang said as he crouched to avoid the blast, which soared over his head and hit the trees behind him.
"I'll show you wild!" Zhao growled, hurling several more fireballs towards both of them.
Aang jumped in front of Zuko and used a sphere of air to shield them both and dissipate the flames. "No self-control…" Aang murmured in realization as he glanced at the burning forest behind them.
"First lesson of firebending, and he's ignoring it," Zuko said as he ducked and rolled to avoid another fireball. "Think we can use that to our advantage?"
Aang's eyes darted over to where the three Fire Navy boats were moored on the riverbank, and he nodded.
"Stand and fight, both of you!" Zhao demanded angrily.
"Oh, we were fighting?" Aang replied in a mocking tone. "I thought you were just getting warmed up!"
Zhao's features twitched upon hearing this remark. "I was," he growled, shooting several more fireballs, which Zuko dispelled, while Aang hopped into the air, landing close to the riverbank.
"Is that all you've got? Man, they'll make anyone an admiral these days!" Aang shouted, resulting in another blast from Zhao.
Please be careful, Aang, Zuko thought nervously as he watched the Avatar dart over to the boats, hopping onto the deck of the nearest one.
"Ahoy!" Aang called out from the roof of the boat before turning around to shake his behind tauntingly. "I'm Admiral Zhao!"
Zuko immediately groaned and pinched his nose bridge at this display, though it seemed to garner the reaction from Zhao that Aang had wanted. The admiral shot another fire blast towards Aang, who hopped to the next boat, and Zhao immediately jumped up to follow him.
Shaking his head rapidly, Zuko turned his attention over to where Iroh was still fighting the remaining soldiers who had stayed behind on the riverbank. While it looked like their efforts were unsuccessful, as several of them had been knocked out, there were still two more soldiers left—one with a spear, and a firebender.
Unsheathing his broadswords from the scabbard on his back as he ran, he whistled sharply. "Hey!" he shouted. "Over here!"
Both soldiers' attention was drawn to him, though a fire blast from Iroh prevented the firebender from moving from where he stood opposite the former general, and the soldier was forced to defend himself.
The soldier with the spear, however, immediately charged towards him, just as Zuko had hoped she would. With a swipe of both swords, he sliced cleanly through her spear, baffling the woman as he spun and kicked her down before darting over to Iroh, who had just knocked his own opponent to the ground with a powerful kick to the chest.
"Zuko, are you alright?" Iroh asked, appearing thoroughly out of breath. "Did Sokka and Katara escape? Where's Aang?"
"Sokka and Katara went to get Appa ready so we can leave," Zuko explained. "And Aang…" he murmured, turning around to look at the riverbank. His eyes widened as he saw that all three of the boats were now on fire. "We have to help him, he's facing Zhao alone!"
Iroh looked to the boats in alarm, and the two immediately began sprinting towards them.
To Zuko's immense relief, he at last spotted Aang and Zhao on the deck of the boat closest to them. However, it seemed that Zhao had Aang cornered.
"Nowhere to run now, you little smart mouth!" he heard Zhao shout as he and Iroh stopped at the riverbank. The admiral shot another fireblast, which Aang once again managed to gracefully evade, this time by soaring over his head to land behind him.
"You've lost this battle," Aang said confidently.
Zhao whipped around and shot another blast with an angry yell, which Aang once again evaded, shooting up into the air and landing softly at the tip of the ship's bow, hands folded behind his back.
"Are you crazy?!" Zhao sputtered, sounding completely exasperated. "You haven't thrown a single blow!"
"No," Aang replied. "But you have."
It was then that Zhao seemed to have noticed what he had done to the wooden ships, each of which were becoming more engulfed by flames by the minute. He spun around wildly, and roared in anger, increasing the heat of the fire that surrounded him as Aang leapt off the bow and landed next to Zuko, looking pleased with himself.
"Jeong Jeong said you had no restraint!" Aang called up to the admiral.
When Zhao turned back to the shore and realized that Zuko and Iroh were standing next to Aang, Zuko could swear he saw a vein popping out of the man's forehead.
"What a shame," Iroh shouted. "A master firebender should know better."
Visibly shaking, Zhao scowled at his uncle before his gaze moved to Zuko. Suddenly, the admiral's eyes widened in shock. "You–" he sputtered. "I knew it was you!"
Zuko looked down at his hands, which were still holding his broadswords. Guess I've been found out, he thought to himself. Not that it particularly mattered anymore.
"Have a nice walk home!" Aang shouted again with a grin.
"Come on, you guys! Let's go!"
Zuko turned to see Appa emerge from the forest, Sokka and Katara on his back, and the trio quickly ran over to them, Aang hopping onto the bison's head while the Water Tribe siblings helped him and his uncle up into the saddle.
"Wait, where's Jeong Jeong?" Zuko questioned as they began to fly away. "We have to make sure he and the villagers are okay!"
Sokka shook his head. "He disappeared. They all did."
Zuko blinked several times in shock. "If he had just stayed to fight, he could have come with us…" he murmured, shaking his head before turning to his uncle. "What if Zhao finds him? We know what they do to deserters…"
"I think he will be just fine, nephew," Iroh said, appearing strangely unconcerned.
Zuko's brow furrowed upon hearing this. Before he could ask any further questions, however, Aang climbed into the saddle, sitting down next to him. Suddenly, he noticed something on the Avatar's right forearm.
"Aang, you're burned!" he said concernedly, and looked up at Katara, who immediately nodded.
"Let me help you," the Water Tribe girl said, pulling some water out of the pouch at her hip and placing it onto Aang's injured arm.
As Zuko watched his friend heal Aang's burn instantly, he touched his scarred cheek. I doubt that Katara's powers can do anything about a scar that's already healed, he thought.
"Thanks, Katara," Aang replied with a small smile, though it disappeared after a moment. "I wanna apologize again for what I did to you," he said quietly, hanging his head. "I want to apologize to all of you. I was impatient, and I didn't listen. I wasn't worried about hurting myself, and I completely ignored the possibility that I could hurt someone else."
"It's alright, Aang. I know it was an accident," Katara replied kindly.
"Just be more careful next time," Sokka sighed. "And… I'm sorry for tackling you."
"You did what?!" Katara exclaimed, frowning at her brother.
"Like I just said, I tackled– Ow! " Sokka yelped as Katara smacked his arm. "I said I was sorry, okay!"
Aang's gaze moved to Iroh and Zuko as the Water Tribe siblings bickered. "You were both right. You tried to warn me, but I didn't listen. I'm so, so sorry," he said, squeezing his eyes shut. "And please don't be mad at Zuko, Iroh, because I'm the one who pushed him into it."
"And I'm the one who gave in," Zuko replied. "We both learned our lesson today."
Iroh nodded. "It's a lesson that many firebenders learn eventually," he replied. "And don't worry, Aang. I know that when we do start your firebending training, you'll be ready, and you'll do just fine." He patted the Avatar gently on the knee.
"Yeah…" Aang replied, looking off to the side.
Zuko looked sympathetically at the Avatar, recalling what he had said earlier to Katara about never wanting to firebend again.
"Speaking of healing," Sokka said. "Thanks for all the first aid over the years. Like when I fell into the greaseberry bramble. Or that time I had two fish hooks in my thumb!"
"Two?" Aang repeated, looking shocked.
"He tried to get the first fish hook out with another fish hook," Katara replied amusedly.
"Oh, and the time that mink snake bit me! Thanks for healing that up. That was great. Really helpful."
Zuko smiled as he watched his friends engage in their animated conversation before turning back to his uncle. "So… what exactly were you and Jeong Jeong talking about all day?" he asked quietly.
"I'm afraid that's something I promised to keep to myself," Iroh replied. "At least for now."
Zuko immediately frowned in frustration. "Seriously, uncle? Why?"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that either," Iroh said somewhat apologetically. "But what I can tell you is that I have a feeling we will cross paths with Jeong Jeong again sooner or later."