"Sometimes our power resides not in what we do, but in what we don't do." —Paulo Coelho

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There are at least five bronze skinned men and women forming a semicircle around us, effectively blocking off any escape route. The only direction we have is back into the temple which will only get us trapped. They are all wearing the traditional Sun Warrior clothing depicted in all the murals throughout the city. The guy in the center, who looks about my age, has an elaborate ring over one ear. He must be the next in line to be chief of a civilization everyone believed long dead. Holy shit! The Sun warrior culture is still alive and well! My mind has been blown.

"You should go," I whisper to Aang. "You can get out of here."

"Not without you!" he hisses fiercely back.

"I am not worth losing your life over!"

He pointedly ignores me, stepping out from behind me. "Hi." Aang waves, his bright smile faltering slightly at the warriors' stony expressions.

"Aang!" I try to tug him back but he pulls out of my grip.

"We don't want a fight." Aang holds up his hands placatingly. "We didn't know anyone was still here. Sorry for trespassing. We can be on our merry way now."

None of the warriors speak.

I groan inwardly. This is going to get ugly real fast.

The lead warrior (I'm just going to call him Tàizĭ) inhales deeply. I can sense what's coming. And it's not good. I can feel how powerful these benders are.

I shove Aang as hard as I can, sending him toppling. I have no time to defend myself properly as Tàizĭ lets out the breath he was holding. Fire comes racing towards me. All I have time for is to put up a weak barrier of my own flames to keep myself from being charred to a crisp. The blast of fire is so strong I'm sent flying, crashing into the hard stones of the temple door.

For some reason my muddled brain wonders when that got closed.

And then the pain hits as I crumple to the ground.

"Zuko!" Aang tries to run to me but he's waylaid by two of the warriors, a wall of flame appearing between us. Aang stumbles back, panic in his eyes. I just catch glimpses of him fending off the two warriors with air and earthbending. I don't really see much seeing as my vision has gone splotchy with stars.

I try to get up, but I have no fight left in me. Every movement is agony and, honestly, my heart's not really in this fight. I don't have the will anymore. Maybe I really have given up. I would almost welcome the sweet relief of death.

The other two warriors are on me before I can even gather my senses enough to put up a fight if I wanted to. They grab onto me, yanking me roughly to my feet, and twisting my arms painfully behind my back. I scream as Tàizǐ lands a punch to my abdomen. Agony courses through me, every breath a knife of pain through my broken ribs. I slump, hardly conscious. Those two warriors pinning me the only reason I remain upright.

"Enough!" Tàizĭ roars, a blade of fire suddenly at my throat.

The heat is so intense I'm instantly drenched in sweat. I try to lean away but a hard yank on one of my twisted arms quickly dissuades me from that idea.

Aang freezes in the middle of a hodgepodge of boulders, the two warriors attacking him looking none the worse for wear.

"Surrender!" Tàizĭ commands. "Or your friend here dies!"

"No, Aang!" I croak out. "Don't—"

My protests are quickly cut off by a swift punch to my ribs. This time my vision goes white, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to pass out. I only claw my way back from the abyss because I'm terrified for Aang. I'll never forgive myself if he dies because he was trying to save me.

"Please, stop!" Aang holds up his hands in surrender. "Leave my friend alone!"

The two warriors who were attacking Aang are quick to restrain him, kicking him behind one knee so he's on the ground, his arms pinned behind him.

With a flick of his wrist, the blade of fire at my throat is gone. There is a grin on Tàizĭ's face as he paces back and forth between me and Aang.

Aang keeps trying to catch my eye, but I'm hardly here. I can't concentrate through the pain. Ugh. I might be sick.

"Who have we got here?" Tàizĭ drawls, finally stopping in front of Aang.

"Please!" Aang begs. "Let my friend go. He's hurt!"

Tàizĭ continues as if Aang hasn't even spoken. "The Avatar who abandoned us for a hundred years."

Aang winces.

Tàizĭ spins and paces back towards me. "And the Firelord's son. Whatever shall we do with you two?"

I manage to concentrate long enough to glare at Tàizǐ. "Let Aang go. He's the Avatar. He's the only one who can restore balance."

Tàizĭ raises a mocking eyebrow. "Aw, how touching."

This time Tàizĭ gets me in the solar plexus. All the air leaves my lunges in a whoosh, leaving me gasping. The world reels and I'm afraid I'm going to lose touch with reality. I can hardly feel anything now. Everything just seems so far…away.

"Stop!" Aang manages to break free of the warriors restraining him. "You're going to kill him!"

I blink and the next thing I know Aang is standing in front of me, a bemused expression on Tàizĭ's face as he glares down at Aang.

"You would protect him?" Tàizĭ queries. "A descendent of the man responsible for your people's murder? His ancestors have decimated the world! And he has been no better!"

Tàizĭ's right. I am no better than my father or his father or great grandfather Sozin. I cannot erase the sins of my past or the atrocities my family is still committing.

Aang doesn't back down from Tàizĭ who waves off the warriors coming to his aide.

"Zuko is not his father. He has goodness in him." Aang glances back at me, a fondness there I'd never expect to see. "And he's my friend."

"Hmmm." Tàizĭ contemplates Aang. "That matters not. Prince Zuko must answer for the sins of the Fire Nation."

"But—"

"Aang."

My strangled cry has Aang spinning to me. It's an effort to focus on his tearstained face.

"Go. This is my destiny."

"No!" Aang stamps his foot like a petulant child.

"You should listen to your friend," Tàizĭ taunts. "The need for the Avatar out way the sins of your past. For now."

"I'm not leaving him!" Aang shifts into that defensive stance I know so well from all that time I spent hunting him.

"Aang—"

"No!" Aang's shout sends a blast of air radiating outward, knocking Tàizĭ and the two warriors clean off their feet. Aang marches right up to a startled Tàizĭ and gets right up in his face. "If we keep treating Zuko like the enemy, he'll continue to believe that he is not worthy. That he doesn't deserve friends. That he can't be happy. If we keep treating each other like enemies, the world will never be able to heal!"

Stunned silence follows Aang's outburst.

I can't help a weak smile that turns up the corners of my mouth. Way to go Aang! And gratitude fills me at his words. He believes in me. In me! The guy who hunted him ruthlessly all over the world. For him, I'm willing to fight. And not just because he's the Avatar. I care about him and what happens to him. He's a friend. And I will protect him like he's family. Maybe he is. Family isn't just blood. We have the right to choose our own family. And now I'm choosing Aang and my uncle.

Tàizĭ's face contorts into disbelief and anger but a new voice rings out, cutting off whatever Tàizĭ was about to do next.

"That's enough, Zhāng."

Tàizĭ (nope, I guess his name is Zhāng) and the two warriors scramble to their feet and quickly bow to the man appearing out of the dust kicked up by Aang's shout. He wears the ornately carved headband of the chief of the Sun Warriors. Aang bows as well and the two warriors now practically holding me up dip their heads in respect.

"Let him go." The chief nods to the two warriors still pinning me in place.

"But Father!" Zhāng is on his feet, his face red with disbelief. "He's the son of Firelord Ozai!"

The chief contemplates his son. "So? Let him go." He nods once more to the warriors behind me.

The warriors let me go like I'm scalding hot. Aang's instantly by my side, gently lowering me to the ground.

"You're crazy," I croak. "You know that right?"

The gentle teasing does not get Aang to smile. I find myself irrationally disappointed. I must be delusional.

Aang starts to pull at my tunic, probably to survey the damage, but I weakly wave his hand away. "Don't bother."

The look of worry and fear for me on Aang's face nearly breaks me but I stand firm. He shouldn't have to worry about me. I'm…not worth it.

"I'm an idiot," Aang growls, but I'm pretty sure he's not angry at me. At least, I think so? "I should have had Katara doing healing sessions with you."

The snort that escapes me makes me wince in pain.

Aang gives me a look.

"She has a right to refuse. Look how I've treated you guys."

He just shakes his head. "You're worth saving Zuko. What is it going to take for you to realize that?"

Never? But I'm pretty sure Aang might actually murder me if I say that.

We're interrupted from any other argument by Zhāng demanding, "We can't just let them go! They know we're here! The little Firelord princeling will run straight to his father!"

"That's enough!" the chief snaps with a glare at his son.

Zhāng dips his head, but his jaw is clenched so tight the muscles in his neck pop. "Yes, Chief Yáng."

"Now leave us."

"But," Zhāng splutters. "We can't—"

Yáng turns sharply on his son. "You will go and you will not argue. Understood?"

Zhāng grinds his teeth but signals to the other warriors. "Yes, Father," he says differentially before all five melt into the ruins.

"So," Yáng turns his appraising gaze back on us. "You wish to learn the ways of the sun?"

"Yes," Aang answers for us. "Please, teach us."

"Hmmm," Yáng contemplates us for a moment.

I feel very exposed in my weakened state. Aang presses into my uninjured side, his hand finding mine. He squeezes it reassuringly. I find myself squeezing back. Is this what having friends and people you can trust feels like?

Yáng finally breaks the heavy silence. "If you wish to learn the ways of the sun, you must learn them from the Masters Ran and Shao."

"Ran and Shao?" Aang sounds confused. "There are two of them?"

Yáng ignores Aang, instead fixing me with a penetrating look that causes my skin to crawl. "When you present yourselves to them, they will examine you. They'll read your hearts, your souls, and your ancestry."

I flinch. I already know I'll fail this test, but if it gets Aang to do it and learn his drive then I'll follow wherever this may lead.

"If they deem you worthy, they'll teach you. If they don't, you'll be destroyed on the spot."

Okay then. Still worth the risk. If it's my destiny to die here, I'll face it with honor.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes," I cut over Aang before he can ask me if I still want to do this.

Yáng looks at Aang questioningly.

He shoots me a worried look but answers, "Yes, I am."

"Well, then." Yáng starts walking towards a final set of stairs. "I shall see you at the top."

Aang waits until Yáng is out of earshot before spinning on me. "You don't have to do this for me, Zuko. You could die!"

"And so could you!" I glare at him. "Now help me up so we can get this over with."

My apologies. The pain is making me very cranky.

Aang looks ready to settle down and argue but I save us both the struggle by somehow making it up to my feet. I hiss at the pain, a hand clutching my side only vaguely helping.

Aang lifts himself to his feet on a breeze of air, steadying me when I threaten to teeter. "This isn't a good idea."

"When has anything I've ever done been a good idea?"

"Touché."

He puts a hand on my chest before I can march off towards the stairs. "You don't have to prove yourself to me."

"Yes, I do." I brush past him, effectively cutting off any more protest.

I leave Aang standing there, his hand still outstretched to stop me.

Author's Note

Tàizĭ translates to crown prince.

Zhāng is a Chinese name meaning 'to draw a bow' or 'archer.'

Yáng is a Chinese name meaning 'light.'