Alone in his room, Zuko sat on the small bed and reached into his bag. He pulled out a simple painting—a portrait of his uncle, Iroh. He ran his fingers over the aged canvas, his expression softening. Memories flooded back, pulling him into a moment more than five years ago.
"If I have to, I will spend every day of the rest of my life hunting the Avatar. I know it's my destiny to capture him," Zuko had declared with youthful certainty.
Iroh had simply placed a gentle hand on his nephew's shoulder, his wise eyes full of warmth. "You know, Prince Zuko, destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out. But if you keep an open mind and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny someday."
Zuko blinked, the memory fading back into the present. He clutched the portrait close, exhaling slowly.
"I hope you're right, Uncle," he whispered.
It took Zuko more than an hour to finally fall asleep in his new room. Despite the exhausting day and little sleep the past nights, he felt uneasy. The wind howled through the temple ruins, and he kept turning and turning, feeling like he was going to crawl out of his own skin.
The not-so-subtle threat on his life by Katara earlier that eventing was weighing on his mind, but it was not unexpected. To be fair, he had suspected Katara would be one of the last to trust him – she hadn't forgiven him for betraying them in Ba Sing Se.
"You might have everyone else here buying your 'transformation'," she had said coldly, stepping closer. "But you and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past."
Zuko had tensed as she closed the distance between them, her voice lowering to a dangerous whisper. "So let me tell you something, right now. You make one step backward, one slip-up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore."
She had leaned forward, her blue eyes burning with intensity. "Because I'll make sure your destiny ends, right then and there. Permanently."
He turned to his other side for the fifth time in two minutes as he tried to repress the memory. "I'm doing the right thing," he mumbled to himself, "The right thing."
He hadn't expected it to be easy to join the group he had hunted all over the world. But still, the hostile welcome was chilling.
They had accepted him, albeit begrudgingly. The Avatar needed a teacher, and the Water Tribe siblings had only agreed because he had. Toph was the most enthusiastic, preparing for her revenge for him burning her feet.
And Elyrie..
He pushed the sheets away, suddenly feeling too hot in them.
When she first saw him, she appeared almost catatonic – and he couldn't remember her ever be at a loss for words. Even when she saw him in her old bedroom, she was surprised but ready to react.
And yet, he was sure he had seen her lips slightly curve when she told him it was good to see him.
Did she mean it was good to see him here? Away from the Fire Nation? Or that it was good to see him? That she was happy to see him? Or perhaps-..
He placed his pillow over his face to smother the frustrated groan that escaped him.
The sky stretched wide and open above the Western Air Temple, a vast canvas of blue and white. Wisps of clouds drifted lazily, unaware of the tension building below. Perched on the balcony of an upside-down pagoda, Aang stood beside Zuko, his posture betraying his nerves.
"I know you're nervous," Zuko said, his voice steady but firm. "But remember, firebending in itself is not something to fear."
Aang exhaled heavily, shifting his weight. "Okay. Not something to fear," he repeated, more to convince himself than anything.
Zuko stepped behind him, his presence unwavering. "But if you don't respect it," he warned, his voice rising with intensity, "it'll chew you up and spit you out like an angry Komodo-rhino!"
Aang flinched at the imagery, his eyes widening in alarm. Zuko, however, pressed on. "Now show me what you've got. Any amount of fire you can make."
Aang inhaled sharply, his expression one of deep concentration. He extended his hand, willing the fire to come. A wisp of smoke curled from his palm before dissipating into nothingness. He frowned. "Maybe I need a little more instruction. Perhaps a demonstration?"
Zuko considered this, then nodded. "Good idea. You might want to take a couple steps back."
Aang wasted no time in complying, stepping away as Zuko took a deep breath. His body tensed with focus. With a grunt, he thrust his fist forward. A small flame flickered before vanishing.
Aang clapped politely.
Zuko's eyes narrowed as he took a step back. "What was that? That was the worst firebending I've ever seen!" He stared at his own fist in disbelief.
"I thought it was nice?" Aang offered a hesitant smile, shrugging.
Determined to prove himself, Zuko tried again. And again. Each attempt produced nothing more than a feeble flicker and a whiff of smoke. He stared at his hands, frustration mounting. "Why is this happening?!"
Aang rubbed the back of his head, considering. "Maybe it's the altitude?"
Zuko turned away, exhaling sharply. "Yeah, could be."
They moved to another section of the temple ruins, where broken pillars stood as silent spectators to their training. Zuko tried once more, but the result remained the same - pitiful after pitiful flame.
Aang, now lounging on a fallen column, yawned.
"Just breathe, and..." Zuko muttered, launching yet another unimpressive blast of tiny smoke.
Aang sat up, offering encouragement. "That one kind of felt hot."
Zuko's face twisted with anger. "Don't patronize me! You know what it's supposed to look like!"
"Sorry, Sifu Hotman," Aang replied with a playful smirk.
Zuko groaned, running a hand through his hair before throwing his arms down in frustration. "And stop calling me that!"
Before Aang could respond, a familiar voice broke through the tension.
"Hey jerks." Sokka walked up to them, munching on an apple with an amused expression. He plopped down near the pair, watching their training with interest. "Mind if I watch you two jerks do your jerkbending?"
Zuko barely glanced at him before snapping, "Get out of here!"
Sokka held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, take it easy." He tossed his half-eaten apple aside and stood up, shaking his head. "I was just kidding around."
"Sokka, wait!" Aang called after him and Sokka turned around with a frown.
"Can you send Elyrie over here to help?" Aang asked. Zuko's head snapped in his direction with a warning glare, but Aang pointedly ignored it.
"Need help with the jerkbending?" Sokka asked with a grin before he turned around again. "Jerkbending, still got it." He grinned to himself as he walked away.
"Why did you do that?" Zuko asked through gritted teeth.
"Because she is a firebender," Aang shrugged, "What if she know what your problem is?"
Zuko highly doubted that and he wasn't too eager to share his problem. He was pretty sure Elyrie was perfectly capable to be furious for a very long time and he didn't want to do anything to enlarge that fury. His ribs still ached from the last time he was on the receiving end of that.
He was sure that the small curve of her mouth last night had only been in his imagination. This morning she had kept her distance and barely looked at him. She was much more withdrawn than she had been: there was a certain hardness to her that hadn't been there before.
When she had told him she was glad to see him, he had felt a sliver of hope. But now he knew she only meant that she felt vindicated that she had been right all along about him and his family and his search for honour.
So now, she could hate him for what he had done and know she had been right all along.
Both were bad enough on their own, but together? Zuko was sure the rough start with the rest of the group was only the beginning of his misery. And losing his bending along with it was the icing on the cake.
"Aang?" a musical voice called out. Zuko's head snapped up and he saw her figure appear. Elyrie was dressed in her Fire Nation red outfit, and her short hair was pulled back in a half updo. She kept spinning her fans with ease as she walked towards them. Her blue eyes avoided him and settled on Aang as she walked to the column he was sitting on.
"I do hope that your training is going so well that you need help with another sparring partner?" With a smooth motion, Elyrie placed her fans on her thighs. She didn't lift her hands however.
"We have another kind of problem." Aang jumped to his feet from the column.
"Which is?" Elyrie asked as she crossed her arms.
"Zuko can't firebend."
"Beg pardon?" Elyrie's blue eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to Zuko for the first time, "You can't bend?"
"I- ehh-" Zuko stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he saw her icy expression. He then extended his fist and produced another whisp of smoke. Elyrie's mouth turned into a very tight line and her expression was unreadable. "Sorry." Zuko said, although he wasn't sure why.
"Do you have problems here?" Aang continued, "We thought it could be the altitude?"
Elyrie flipped her hand over, palm upwards and produced a solid flame. The fire danced on top of her hand before she swung her wrist and let the fire fly over her fingers.
"No problems as far as I can tell," she answered as she looked from Zuko to Aang, "And we all used our bending against the assassin only yesterday, so I doubt the altitude is the cause."
"Have you ever experienced this?" Aang asked with a frown, "Losing your bending?"
"I didn't lose it, it is just weaker." Zuko answered begrudgingly. Elyrie ignored him as she tapped with her index finger on her chin. Zuko saw the ring on her hand sparkle in the morning sun, before she said: "No, not like this."
He opened his mouth to ask what she meant with 'like this', but she turned to Aang again. "So, how is your bending?"
"It works fine for the other three elements," Aang answered as he started to fumble with his fingers, "But I can't produce fire yet."
"Do you want me to train you in the basics?" Elyrie asked.
"I- ehh.." Aang stuttered, his grey eyes looking down, "I'm too nervous to try now I think."
"This means I am the only firebender here now?" Elyrie looked from Aang to Zuko and back again.
Zuko let his head hang, before he suddenly perked up, "Spar with me!"
"What now?" Elyrie's eyebrows shot up.
"Maybe I need a drive to activate my bending," Zuko said, rolling up his sleeves, "I haven't slept well last night, but like you said: it worked fine yesterday."
Elyrie cocked her eyebrow, but gave a curd nod. Aang quickly made his way back to the column, and Zuko and Elyrie stood opposite each other.
Elyrie's hand slipped down to her thighs. "No fans." Zuko said quickly, his voice cracking nervously as he remembered the sharp edges of the metal weapons, "I mean,-.." he added, "- Only firebending."
He heard Aang chuckle and it annoyed him. Elyrie didn't say anything, but she took her fans from her thighs and placed them next to Aang. With palms lifted up, she walked back.
Zuko took his sparring stance, and Elyrie followed his example. He watched her inhale through her nose, and flex her fingers before she swung around. In a swift motion she lunged forward, fire igniting from her fingers.
The blast forced Zuko to slide back, his boots skidding across the stone. He exhaled sharply, then rushed forward, his fists a blur as he intended to send a rapid series of fire strikes towards Elyrie. But even before he reached her, she had already lowered her fists and stared at him.
The whisps of smoke dissipated as quickly as they had appeared. Zuko sighed heavily, dropping his head in frustration.
"This is a problem." Elyrie concluded.
Zuko had tried again and again for the entire day, to no avail. The problem persisted well until the evening.
He leaned against a stone column, arms crossed over his chest, his golden eyes fixed downward in deep contemplation. The cool night air carried the scent of burning wood and simmering food from the campfire, where the others had gathered for dinner. After a moment, he exhaled sharply and turned toward them, his decision made.
As he approached, the flickering firelight cast long shadows on his face. The group looked up, sensing the weight in his steps.
"Listen, everybody," Zuko said, his voice low but steady. "I've got some pretty bad news." He hesitated, looking down for a moment, as if reluctant to say the words aloud. "I've lost my stuff."
Toph, sitting cross-legged by the fire, raised both hands to her head. "Don't look at me," she said, before folding her arms. "I didn't touch your stuff."
Zuko shook his head. "I'm not talking about my things," he clarified, lifting his gaze to the group. "I'm talking about my firebending. It's gone." His voice was flat, but the frustration beneath it was unmistakable.
A stunned silence settled over the group. Sokka, Haru, The Duke, and Teo exchanged glances, their expressions ranging from surprise to concern. Then, suddenly, a soft chuckle broke through the quiet.
Zuko turned sharply toward Katara, his expression darkening as she laughed, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry," she said, still grinning. "It's just, the irony. You know, how much easier things would've been for us if you'd lost your firebending a long time ago?"
Zuko shot her an unimpressed glare, folding his arms again. "Well, it's not lost," he muttered. "It's just weaker, for some reason."
Katara raised an eyebrow, lifting her bowl and taking a slow sip. "Maybe you're not as good as you think you are."
"Ouch." Toph smirked, clearly enjoying herself.
Zuko ignored them, rubbing his chin in thought. "I bet it's because I changed sides."
Katara snorted. "That's ridiculous." She took another sip.
Zuko ignored her and let his gaze rest on Elyrie. After their failed sparring session, she had retreated to train by herself. They hadn't exchanged as much as a glance, but now she had tilted her head slightly to the left. He knew what meant, she was thinking about it. "I don't know," she said, her expression thoughtful. "Maybe it isn't. Your main source of firebending had been rage for a long time, and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to."
Miraculously, she managed to both provide an answer to his confusion and cut even deeper into his soul. Had he really been so filled with rage?
But before Zuko could react, Sokka leaned forward, a grin spreading across his face. "So, all we need to do is make Zuko angry? Easy enough."
Sokka jabbed him in the side with the hilt of his sword. He grinned as he jabbed Zuko again against his head. And again in the side. He chuckled to himself, clearly enjoying the experiment.
"Okay, cut it out!" Zuko snapped, swatting Sokka's arm away. The sudden motion sent Sokka's sword flying, and it landed unceremoniously on his own head with a dull thunk. He groaned, rubbing the sore spot, while Zuko exhaled in irritation. "Look, even if you're right, I don't want to rely on hate and anger anymore," he said firmly. "There has to be another way."
Toph, now eating from her bowl, shrugged. "Then you're gonna need to learn to draw your firebending from a different source. I recommend the original source."
Sokka's eyes lit up with excitement as he sat down between Toph and Elyrie. "How's he supposed to do that? By jumping into a volcano?"
"No," Toph deadpanned. "Zuko needs to go back to whatever the original source of firebending is."
Sokka blinked. "So.. is it jumping into a volcano?"
"I don't know," Toph admitted, setting down her bowl. She leaned forward slightly. "But for earthbending, the original benders were badgermoles." As she spoke, her voice softened and her mouth formed into a smile. "One day, when I was little, I ran away and hid in a cave, and that's where I met were blind, just like me, so we understood each other."
She smiled at the thought. "I was able to learn earthbending, not just as a martial art, but as an extension of my senses," she explained. "For them, the original earthbenders, it wasn't just about fighting. It was their way of interacting with the world."
Aang smiled. "That's amazing, Toph!" He leaned back thoughtfully. "I learned from the monks, but the original airbenders were the sky bison." He glanced at Appa, who let out a low growl from his resting spot. "Maybe you can give me a lesson sometime, buddy!"
"That doesn't help me." Zuko said, his voice barely hiding his disappointment, "The original firebenders were the dragons and they're extinct."
"What do you mean?" Aang frowned as his gaze went from Zuko to Elyrie, "Roku had a dragon, and so had Sozin. And there were plenty of dragons around when I was a kid, and..-"
"Well, there aren't anymore, okay?!" Zuko shouted, his hand clenched into fists at his side.
"Okay, sorry!" Aang held up his palms to signal that he didn't mean any harm. His grey eyes went over to Elyrie, and she lightly shook her head at him.
The last century hadn't been kind to the dragons, she knew that. "But maybe there's another way," she said out loud, speaking as her thoughts were searching her memory, "The first people to learn from the dragons were the ancient Sun Warriors."
"Sun Warriors?" Aang repeated, "They weren't around when I was a kid."
"No," Elyrie admitted, "They died off thousands of years ago. But their civilization isn't too far off from where we are now."
"For all your Fire Nation-related facts, our walking encyclopaedia." Sokka murmured as he motioned to Elyrie with an exaggerated movement, "But how will that help with the jerkbending?"
Zuko turned to Aang, determination settling over his features. "Maybe we can learn something by poking around their ruins."
Aang nodded slowly. "Like the monks used to tell me - sometimes, the shadows of the past can be felt by the present."
Sokka crossed his arms, unimpressed. "So, what? Maybe you'll pick up some super old Sun Warrior energy just by standing where they stood a thousand years ago?" He waved his hands vaguely. Elyrie elbowed him swiftly and he groaned.
Zuko felt a sting when he saw how comfortable they were, but he met Sokka's gaze unwavering. "More or less," he said simply. He took a deep breath. "Either I find a new way to firebend, or,-" His voice trailed off for a moment before he turned to Aang with a serious expression. "Or the Avatar has to find a new teacher."
Aang's stomach twisted at the thought. He didn't want to think about that possibility—not after everything they'd been through.
For a moment, the fire crackled between them, sending sparks into the night sky. Then, without another word, Zuko turned back to the fire, his jaw set.
The next morning, Aang and Zuko climbed onto Appa and flew off to the ancient sites of the Sun Warriors. The rest of the group stayed behind and resumed their adapted routines in the ruins of the Western Air Temple.
Elyrie spend most of her time sparring with Toph now her feet had been properly healed. The small earthbender seemed to try and catch up on the lost days. So, after the morning Elyrie was bruised blue and black on her legs and arms- and politely declined the opportunity to resume after lunch.
She found a quiet spot to admire the Western Air Temple as it stood in its inverted majesty, its pagodas suspended from the cliffs like chandeliers in the sky.
Sokka came to sit next to her on the column. "Toph's going easy on you?" he grinned as he handed her a flask of water.
"Like always." She answered casually, her face contorting in pain as the motion of bringing the flask to her lips ached.
"Do you think Aang and Zuko reached their destination by now?" Sokka changed the subject as she handed the flask back and he took a sip himself.
"I should think so," Elyrie answered as she mentally calculated the distance from here to the Sun Warrior's ancient city. "It is located on an island north of the Fire Nation mainland, so my guess is half a day's flight?"
"Can you tell me more about the Sun Warriors?" Sokka asked.
"The Sun Warriors were the first people to master firebending," Elyrie answered, searching her brain for the history, "And are one of the earliest known firebending cultures on the Fire Islands, predating the Fire Nation's formation by thousands of years. They learned the art of firebending directly from the dragons, and the latter gifted their civilization with the so-called Eternal Flame which is said to be the first fire given to mankind by the dragons. They kept it burning for thousands of years."
"And then they died out?"
"More or less," Elyrie said as she tried to remember what caused the downfall of such a great civilization, "I believe their civilization was bit by bit stripped away due to outside forced. First, raids from pirates and after that, the Fire Nation itself."
"Do you think they'll be able to find anything in the ruins?"
"I don't know," Elyrie only shrugged, "But it could be a nice bonding experience for them."
"Don't let Katara hear you say that," Sokka warned, "She still isn't happy that the two of them left without anyone else present."
"I'm not surprised." Elyrie answered. The coldness Katara exhumed was almost palpable every time Zuko was around.
"Do you think it's safe for Aang to go on a mission with Zuko alone?"
"Not much we can do about it now, is there?" she answered, spinning her ring around her finger as she avoided his gaze.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Sokka asked, his voice gentle. Elyrie met his gaze now and she saw empathy in his lightblue eyes.
Did she want to talk about it? About how Zuko, who had left her in Ba Sing Se, had returned without any warning? Who had wounded her, both physically and mentally?
She would be lying if she said she was fine. Sokka would see right through her lie. Not that she blamed him – her catatonic reaction to Zuko's appearance had been enough to prove that she wasn't fine. But then, what could she do about it now?
"He hadn't betrayed the Invasion," Elyrie began as she continued to twist her fingers, "And for a moment, I thought he could be forgiven." That I could forgive him.
Sokka didn't say anything, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. On the contrary, it helped her to think and form her thoughts. She inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm her racing heart. For a moment, she had thought Zuko to be gone after Combustion Man blew him over the edge.
It ached so much, the thought of knowing he would never return. She had lost so many, so much in so little time.
Yet, he survived. And in that rush of relief, she had admitted she was happy to see him alive and well.
"But then, after we agreed he could stay and teach Aang true firebending, I thought about everything that happened. He jumped in front of an assassin, yes – but he sent the assassin after us. He joined us, but only after betraying us." She continued, speaking her thoughts out loud, "And he..-"
She stopped herself, sucking in a breath to keep the words from falling of her lips.
"And he, what?" Sokka asked and he offered her the waterflask again. She took it from him and took a gulp to soothe her dry mouth.
"If I say it, will you promise not to tell anyone else?" Elyrie lowered the flask and handed it back to him.
"On my word of honour."
"I thought he loved me in Ba Sing Se, and that he would choose me. But as soon as the opportunity presented itself, he turned his back on me to start a relationship with Mai."
"That gloomy girl who sighs a lot?" Sokka's eyebrow's rose in confusion.
"The knife thrower, yes." Elyrie nodded.
"He broke your heart." Sokka swung his arm around Elyrie's shoulder and squeezed it gently.
"Or at least my pride," Elyri joked half-heartedly.
"Thank you for telling me." Sokka said as he let go of her shoulder. Elyrie felt the tears prick behind her eyes after seeing the gentle smile on his face. It felt good to finally talk about her feelings out loud.
"So, to summarise," she said, wiping a stubborn tear away with the back of her hand, "My feelings regarding him are complicated at the moment."
"Hey, I know about complicated relationships." Sokka shrugged, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, "My first girlfriend turned into the moon and the other was captured by Azula."
"Suki?" Elyrie asked as she sat up straight, "the Kyoshi warrior?"
"Yes," Sokka nodded grimly, "Azula told me." His eyes drifted off as he gazed over the cliffs surrounding the temple, "And now the rest of our troops are captured as well."
"Kun, Panuk, your father, Bato,-" Elyrie summed up all their names, seeing their faces appear in front of her.
"Where would they take them?" Sokka asked her, but she shook her head.
"There are over a dozen prisons in the Fire Nation, one even worse than the other." She answered grimly, "They are probably separated and send across the country. Trust me, I have been wondering the same ever since the troops were captured. Because then we could use our time more productively and try to free some of them."
"Maybe there is someone who knows where they took them." Sokka said, his eyes lighting up with a sliver of hope.
The setting sun cast long shadows across the ancient stone, as Aang and Zuko stood before their gathered friends, poised and ready.
"With this technique the pictures showed us," Aang said, brimming with confidence, "Zuko and I will be unstoppable."
Side by side, they moved fluidly, their bodies mirroring one another in perfect synchrony. Each motion was precise, deliberate—their arms curved like fire itself, sweeping through the air as they reached the final stance of the firebending form.
The moment they finished, the others clapped.
Sokka smirked. "Yeah, that's a great dance you two learned there."
Zuko scowled, already irritated. "It's not a dance. It's a firebending form."
Sokka wiggled his fingers in mock elegance. "Sure, sure. We'll just tap-dance our way to victory over the Fire Lord."
Zuko's patience frayed. He took a step toward him, his golden eyes narrowing. "It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old!"
Katara crossed her arms, her lips quirking up in amusement. "Oh, yeah? What's your little form called?"
Zuko hesitated. His expression darkened slightly as if he already knew what was coming. Then, begrudgingly, he muttered, "The… Dancing Dragon."
Silence hung in the air for half a second before laughter erupted from the group. Sokka practically doubled over, and even Elyrie smirked in his direction. Zuko clenched his jaw, shut his eyes, and exhaled sharply.
Somehow, learning ancient firebending still wasn't enough to spare him from their teasing.
"And you learned this by observing the paintings on the ancient ruines?" Elyrie asked as she tapped her nails on the metal surface of her fans.
"Yup!" Aang said enthusiastically, "It was really educational, right Zuko?" He elbowed Zuko, who groaned as he said: "Yes, quite."
"I see." Elyrie only said. Zuko had the unnerving feeling she tried reading his mind with those sapphire eyes focused on him. He almost wished she went back to avoiding his gaze.
"If you don't mind," Aang yawned loudly, "I'm going to bed. Good night!"
"Me too!" Zuko happily took the opportunity to excuse himself from the group and be alone after the long day. He immediately went to his room to kick off his boots and change into his sleeping shirt. With his back to the door, he sat down crossed-legged and inhaled. Meditation should help him process what happened today. He longed for the silence.
"Pictures then?" a voice broke the silence. Zuko almost shot a fireball in the general direction of the sound before he halted himself.
Elyrie stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed. Her face was like a mask, but her eyes were piercing his own.
"What?" Zuko blurted out, and immediately regretting it.
"You regained your firebending by studying pictures of dragons?" Elyrie elaborated, her voice was low with sarcasm. She tapped her long fingers on her arm and raised one eyebrow at him.
"Yes." He murmured as he hold her gaze, albeit with difficulty. What happened to avoiding me? He inwardly groaned as he almost wished for her to ice him out again – because lying felt terrible.
"I don't believe you." Elyrie said, "But I don't think the rest of the group has any difficulty believing you and Aang. However," she pushed herself with her hip from the doorframe and took a step inside his room, "I am curious as to what you found that you can't seem to tell."
"Then why would you want to probe it out of me?" Zuko answered, his baritone laced with irritation, "You could ask Aang the same thing, he was there with me."
"Because whatever it is you found, it enhanced your abilities. And I want you to teach it to me, but I can't without fully understanding what I'm learning." She answered coldly.
Zuko felt the familiar sting in his chest. For a moment, he hoped she came to him because she trusted him to share the secret with her. But her motivations were calculated and pragmatic.
"I can't tell you," he finally said, "I promised."
"Then can you at least tell me what the ruines looked like?" Elyrie sighed, her posture deflating in defeat.
"The ruines were magnificent," Zuko said, "You could see the influences on the modern Fire Temples. And they showed us their history. The statues mimicked the Dancing Dragon, and the core of firebending." He met her eyes and genuinely smiled. "You would have loved it."
Elyrie didn't answer, but he saw a glint in her eyes before she turned on her heels and walked out of the room.
I changed the explanation slightly, because I always found it odd that Zuko and Aang just told the rest about the Dragons – after they promised not to do so. So I used it for a little one-on-one time for Zuko and Elyrie.
After all, they are going to need their time ;)