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Part 1 of The Turn of a Century
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The Best of Zuko, Good_or_Decent_Zuko_With_a_dash_of_Iroh_Azula_Gaang, Wonderful_Worldbuilding_Fics, Mah Cabbages, avatar: tla
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2021-01-15
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2021-09-10
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The Edge of Fate

Chapter 25: The Firebending Masters Part 2

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Apparently, being licked by aardvark sloths was the order of the day. Zuko wasn’t complaining; it could have been something way worse, but Aang writhed constantly. Who could have guessed that the Avatar was ticklish? He was distracted from the giggling Avatar by the booming chief:

“For trying to take our sunstone, you must be severely punished!”

“We didn't come here to take your sunstone. We came here to find the ancient origin of all firebending,” Zuko countered, trying to sound polite.

“Yeah, right. They are obviously thieves, here to steal Sun Warrior treasures,”

“Please, I don't normally play this card, but ... I'm the Avatar. Just hear us out,” Aang declared with a giggle as the sloth licked his stomach. Zuko thought he should take over lest Aang seemed impertinent with his childish laughter.

“My name is Zuko; I am the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. O-or at least I used to be,” he stammered as he tried to think of what to say, “I know my people have distorted the ways of firebending, to be fueled by anger and rage. But now I want to learn the true way, the original way. When we came here, I never imagined the Sun Warrior's civilization was secretly alive. I am truly humbled to be in your presence. Please, teach us,”

The Chief considered this and replied, “If you wish to learn the ways of the Sun, you must learn them from the masters, Ran and Shaw,”

“Ran and Shaw? There are two of them?”

“Yes. You must come with me,” he said as people parted to make way for him. Aang and Zuko followed, somewhat puzzled, but encouraged that they found some guidance. The Chief talked on as he led them through some complicated paths:

“When you present yourself to them, they will examine you. They will read your hearts, your souls, and your ancestry. If they deem you worthy, they will teach you. If they don't, you'll be destroyed on the spot. If you are going to see the masters, you must bring them a piece of the Eternal Flame,”

“What is that?”

“You will see, young Avatar,”

They climbed another set of stairs, which ended in an enormous fireplace.

“This fire is the very first one. It was given to man by the dragons. We have kept it going for thousands of years,”

“I don't believe it,” Zuko gasped, not only because of what the Chief said, but also because this fire felt almost identical to the sunstone in the Temple.

“You will each take a piece of it to the masters, to show your commitment to the sacred art of firebending,”

“Umm, Mister Sun Chief Sir, yeah, I'm not a firebender yet. Couldn't my friend here carry my fire for me?”

“No,” The Chief replied as he took a handful from the fire, “This ritual illustrates the essence of Sun Warrior philosophy. You must maintain a constant heat. The flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big, and you might lose control,”

The Chief stopped before Zuko first who reluctantly extended his arms to take the flame. It drew him to itself before, but as soon as he held it, he felt inexplicably weird.

“...It's like a little heartbeat,” he heard Aang say, and he wanted to agree, but it didn’t feel right; none of this did.

“Fire is life, not just destruction. You will take your flames up there. The cave of the masters is beneath that rock,” when Aang and Zuko turned to leave, the Chief called, “Wait!”

“What is it? Did we do something wrong already?” Aang wondered.

“No, you should wait till your flame takes colour,”

“What does that-oh look Zuko! Your flame!”

Zuko looked down to see that his flame became a shade of murky yellow. He turned away, revolted.

“Mine is gray,” Aang pouted, “Is that bad?”

“It mean that you are reluctant towards your fire,”

“That’s somewhat…true. So the colour of the eternal flame shows your relationship with fire?”

“With fire and with yourself, as a firebender,”

“What about Zuko’s?”

The Chief gave his flame an indifferent look, “It means that you are disgusted with yourself and your fire,”

“That doesn’t make much sense; if I am disgusted with my fire, why would I be here?” Zuko asked.

“You must find your own answers. Off you go, and good luck,”

Aang and Zuko walked slowly and quietly through the forest. They both had their own thoughts to consider. Zuko was consumed by the fire in his palms and by what the Chief had said. What answers should he seek? He could very well understand being repulsed by himself after all that passed, but why his fire? Was it really such an inseparable part of him that his emotions of himself were reflected on it? But if that were the case, how could it have left him? Why couldn’t he bend?

As a distraction, he started to think of all the other colours of fire he had seen. First that came to mind was obviously Azula’s cobalt-blue flames. What did that signify? It was intense and bright, so that must mean that she had confidence in herself. His father’s fire was a deep shade of red, a maroon colour, with the same intensity as Azula’s. He was a wild and willful man, so that made sense. His uncle’s was orange, warm and lively as he himself was. Zuko thought this was all, but all of a sudden, he remembered the streaks of burgundy in his grandfather Azulon’s flames, Lu Ten’s focused white flames, and Quon’s lazy coral flames. He even thought of Commander Zhao’s aggressive scarlet flames. His eyes fell on the fire in his palms, and he reproached himself for not being at least like Zhao. It burned even murkier.

Thanks, you are really helping,” Zuko thought. He considered himself lesser than any firebender out there, who despite a lack of individuality, at least wouldn’t put up with such thoughts. Indeed, Zuko wouldn’t mind being mediocre, if only this constant comparison to others around him would cease.

Everyone says my fire is ‘lazy’. I don’t care. You know what? I like it that way. It’s just like me,” Zuko sighed at Quon’s words. If only he could care less about what others thought in favour of what he himself felt.

“Zuko, we made it,”

Zuko looked up to see that they had already left the forest behind. Now they stood in a valley where the warriors of the tribe were already gathered. Farther ahead, Zuko could see two vertical rocks with a bridge in the center, and he gulped without really knowing why.

The Chief started again, “Facing the judgment of the firebending masters will be very dangerous for you. Your ancestors,” he turned to Zuko, “are directly responsible for the dragons' disappearance. The masters might not be so happy to see you,”

“I know I wouldn't be,” another man grinned.

“But once they find out I'm the Avatar ...”

“Have you forgotten that you vanished, allowing the Fire Nation to wreak havoc on the world? The decline of the dragons is your burden, too,”

After such encouragement, the Chief took a small portion of their flames and gave it to two warriors who went in opposite directions. The Chief himself turned back and the warriors started their rituals.

“Psst! Zuko!” Aang whispered, “We could turn back now. We've already learned more about fire than we'd hoped,”

“No, we're seeing this through to the end. We will meet these masters and find out what's so great about them,” he added as an afterthought, “We have to,”

“What if they judge us, and attack us?”

“If it comes to that, I’ll hold them off and you will get away,”

“Zuko, no-”

“Listen, Aang. There was never much hope for me anyway; I will die one way or another. Let me at least do it with some dignity,”

“I can’t. You shouldn’t-”

“Promise,”

“I will not!”

“The world depends on you; you can’t forsake it again! Promise!”

“..Ok,” Aang answered, crestfallen.

“Good, let’s go,” Zuko said loudly

With a sign from the Chief, the warriors started beating their drums.

“Climb the stairs,” he commanded.

Zuko and Aang did as they were told without daring to look at each other. When they reached the top, all became silent until the Chief’s voice boomed:

“Those who wish to meet the masters, Ran and Shaw, will now present their fire,”

Aang and Zuko stood back to back, each facing one cave

“Sound the call!”

They heard the sound of a horn that caused the earth to rumble and held their breaths. Aang made to turn around, but Zuko told him to stand still.

“Aren’t you freaked out?”

Zuko took a deep breath; he was ready for whatever was going to emerge from those caves.

“No and neither should you be,”

“Right, of co- Oh no, those eyes are huge! This was a mistake,”

Zuko was startled; he would have stepped back if Aang wasn’t right behind him. Those eyes were real and judging by their size, they belonged to a gigantic creature. Suddenly, their flames went out. Zuko felt Aang press his hands, and for once, he felt truly grateful for the support.

“Remember-”

A huge red dragon emerging from the cave interrupted him. His mind was emptied of all previous thought as he watched it circle the bridge with another blue dragon. Zuko didn’t pause to question this; he didn’t want to know how dragons still existed or whether they were going to incinerate him on the spot. He wanted to be frozen in that moment for eternity, to watch them as though he had no other concern in the world.

“Zuko, I think we're supposed to do the Dragon Dance with them,” Aang whispered

“What?”

“The Dragon Dance,”

 Zuko shook his head, “What about this situation makes you think they want us to dance?”

“Well, I think they want us to do something. Let's just try it,”

“Fine,” Zuko replied unwillingly because he didn’t want to move at all. Why couldn’t he watch the dragons in peace?

Aang tugged on his sleeve one more time and he adopted the first stance of the dance. The dragons stood at attention at this, and Zuko’s wonder grew as he moved, for the dragons moved with them, imitating every move in their own fashion. It was an exhilarating experience; he felt the energy surge through his body once more. Exhaustion left every limb as he shifted through the stances. By the time it was over, Zuko was glad to be alive and better than he had been these last months. He even believed that they had passed the test, until the dragons placed themselves at the sides of the bridge, and the blue dragon peered into his eyes. The Judgement had just begun. Zuko tried to gather his thoughts, but what would justify him before the Masters? What good had he done?

I am sorry for what befell your kind,” he thought, knowing that it reached the dragons, “It was unfair and monstrous,”

Hundreds of fleeting images filled his mind. He saw himself treating his crew and his uncle abominably at every turn.

I never claimed to be kind,”

The scenes changed. He saw that he was chasing Aang, Katara, and Sokka. He saw the scared faces of the women and children in the Southern Water tribe and the fires that engulfed Kyoshi Island.

I have done much that I regret, but couldn’t amend,”

Another image appeared in his mind, one that haunted him for eternity. His father towered over him with fire in his fist that pressed heavily on his eye, blinding it forever. Zuko felt the sting at that moment; he almost took his hands to his face to make sure it wasn’t happening again. Then, he saw a vision of a different world. In this world, he sat silently in the war council, listening and learning how to kill most effectively, his own people or others. He grew up healthily; he had his father’s love and his sister’s respect. He was cold and ruthless with bright red flames, which sought to destroy more than he had ever done in this life. These two contrasting images circled in his mind, and it took Zuko a while to realize that he was being offered an unbelievable choice. Could he ever become that other Zuko? Could he really turn back time? Should he, now that he had a way of doing it? His sacrifice had meant nothing anyway; the 41st division would have been killed, with or without his interference. Why should it be valuable if it didn’t change a thing?

I will always stand by the downtrodden,” he thought with sudden resolution as he remembered what he said at the council. Those words had showed who he really was, and even if they achieved nothing, at least he could tell himself that he wasn’t a part of that massacre, that he did what was in his power. He wouldn’t step back, not for a thousand burns on his body; he couldn’t bring himself to. He was at one with that division; he felt it in his heart, and such a bond should never be broken.

Zuko felt that it was all over and closed his eyes, in the feeble hope that he didn’t open them to darkness again, despite the fact that he had no right to expect anything. It was only a matter of time before the judgement was concluded, and what did he have to show for it? They might forgive Aang; he was a child after all, and he kept balance in the world. Zuko was dispensable; the world would continue as it was, with or without him; he had accepted that fact long ago.

His eyes flew open at Aang’s yell, and he saw a fire vortex engulfing them. For a second, he thought this was the end for both of them, that they had failed, but by degrees, he realized this wasn’t a destructive fire; it was a blessing. It had hundreds of shades and it swirled around them both, sharing its warmth, life, and energy with them without harming or devouring them. Zuko finally understood what the Chief had said; he realized his own truth. He had been disgusted of his fire because it hadn’t been natural and genuine, because it was removed from its real purpose, just as he himself was. He saw now, with perfect clarity, how altered he was these last years, how eager for so much that was against his character. As the vortex faded away, Zuko promised himself that he would never wrong himself so terribly again, not for anyone or anything, and he was sure that only then, could he do right by the world.

“That was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! I didn’t even know fire had so many colours!” Aang beamed as soon as they descended the steps.            

“It wasn’t just about that; the masters gave you visions of the meaning of firebending,” the Chief replied.

“How…how are the dragons still alive? Uncle Iroh claimed that he killed the last one,”

“So your uncle lied,”

“Actually, it wasn't a total lie. Iroh came here, just like his father and uncle had done before, to meet the masters. They deemed him worthy and passed the secret onto him; he was the last outsider to receive their instruction,”

“Then he must have lied to protect them, so no one else would hunt them,”

“He did the right thing,” Aang smiled and continued, “All this time, I thought firebending was destruction. Since I saw what disasters fire caused in the world, since I hurt Katara, I have been too afraid and hesitant. But now I know what it really is ... it is energy, and life,”

Zuko tried to speak calmly despite the trilling of his heart, “It is also your image of yourself and your will. I think that is why my firebending was so weak before. I spent so many years lying to myself about everything, until I lost sight of what truly mattered. Your revival brought me hope, Aang, but it was just a false hope because it wasn’t for the right reasons; it wasn’t true to what I really was. Ever since Ba Sing Se, I have fought with myself so often about so many things, that I lost what little meaning my life had in my eyes then, and so, I lost my fire. But now, I have a purpose close to my own heart; I will help you defeat my father and restore balance to the world.” Zuko felt a warm fire soar within him as he spoke those words, and bowed to Aang with a smile, since he knew he would cry otherwise.

The Chief sighed, “That’s all great, but now that you have learned the secrets, and you know about our tribe's existence we have no choice but to imprison you here forever,”

“What?” they both gasped.

“Just kidding. But seriously, don't tell anyone!”

“Nice one, you guys. We will totally tap-dance our way to victory over the Fire Lord,”

Normally, Zuko would kill Sokka, but that day, he was too happy to be bothered, so he merely smiled, “You are wasting your breath; I don’t think anything can provoke me today,”

“Ah, what a shame,”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t be so sure,” Katara intervened.

“But you see, I am,”

“Well you shouldn’t be,”

Zuko looked at her questioningly until she continued, “It’s time for a good checkup, just so we are sure you are better,”

“There is no need for that. You can see that I am fine,”

“You have looked ‘fine’ before,”

“But I can bend!”

“I am not convinced,”

Zuko clenched his jaw with a smirk, “Fine, but first you will have to catch-”

“Haul him!”

“You seriously think-hey Sokka get your claws off me,”

“What, am I ‘provoking’ you?” Sokka laughed, “Come on Toph, Aang. Let’s get him down,”

Zuko scoffed; he was not going to yield so easily. He twisted Sokka’s arm and threw him back before Aang and Toph caught up to them. After that, it was all a mess; they all united against him in a troublesome mixture of bending, fighting, and tackling, and before long, they were just a haphazard heap of bodies on the floor. Zuko managed to disentangle himself from Toph’s rocks, Aang’s ‘hug’, Sokka’s knots, and stood, looking over them victoriously.

“I told you; don’t-”

“I hope there are no broken bones in this mess,”

Zuko wheeled around and found himself facing Katara

“You are the one who set them on me; you should have seen this coming,”

“You didn’t have to break them,” she protested, and for a moment, Zuko believed that she was seriously angry with him. He was about to suggest some way of procuring medications when she, quite unexpectedly, knocked him off his feet.

“Of course; how couldn’t I see it coming?” he sighed as he rubbed the back of his head.

“That’s how it always is,” she laughed as she knelt, “Aang, Sokka, Toph, are you guys ok?”

“Yes we are-”

“Of course they are; I made sure not to hurt them!”

“How very kind of you. Now, if you will please let me,”

“Of course,” Zuko nodded mockingly, “I am all yours, Miss Healer,”

Notes:

Eh, good? I messed a little with the flames. Fire has to do both with purpose and character; if they clash, firebending suffers. Of course, this still doesn't affect Azula because she is a naturally domineering person who is, you know, being all domineering and "effective". That is not to say that she is bound to be evil; she could surely use her leadership skills to do much good, but if she tries to do good without real conviction, then her bending would be weakened too. As for Zuko, he was naturally soft spoken and empathetic, and he has been going against that. Of course, those traits can be used for evil too, especially manipulation...
Basically, what I am prattling on about is that it isn't your traits that determine your purpose and destiny (that would be too fatalistic), rather, how you use them and whether that aligns with your beliefs and who you are. Zuko was suffering from that conflict within himself; Azula wasn't. If she were forced to be "nice" without real conviction, her bending would suffer as much as Zuko's did over the years with being "aggressive".
...............
I started watching ATLA with my sister. Her most important comment:
"Man, Aang is a kid. How the heck do the ship him with Katara; that's so wrong!"
Also, about Zuko holding Katara's necklace is s1:
"It's moments like this, isn't it?"
Overall:
"I am shipping so hard rn"
Basically, we are on the right track hehehe