Chapter 18: In which the wheels turn (Patreon)

“This is so fucked,” Toph said blandly, toeing the wood beneath her feet with her arms crossed as she stared at the horizon unseeingly.

I consciously ignored the umpteenth statement from the blind girl as I looked toward the horizon myself, letting the sun’s rays slide across my face as I inhaled softly, my chi stoking within me.

“What part of traveling the world as the retinue of a Princess did not imply ocean,” I asked, amused, slowly but carefully kneading Yue’s back as she lay across my lap, in a puddle of contented flesh.

“You think I’ve ever been on a ship before?” Toph asked, grunting as she crossed her arms and turned to glare somewhat in my direction, “How else was I supposed to know that I would be able to sense all of jack diddly squat out here?”

“Is that really true?” I asked, running flickering trails of flame over Yue’s brown skin, erasing the minuscule tension beneath. Yue sighed happily, which sounded more like a cat owl’s rumbling purr than I could really describe as she sank deeper into my lap.

“Is what true?” Toph scowled, her tone warning.

“My Firebending sense covers everything,” I said by way of explanation, “Heat is everywhere, or at least a relative lack of it; ocean water is not just water; it also contains minerals you’re your element, Earth.”

Toph frowned, turning her head away, back to the ocean water. “Earth isn’t like that; water’s a whole other element from Earth,” she replied grumpily.

“If you say it is,” I shrugged, “I’m not the Master Earthbender, so I’ll take your word for it.”

Toph flicked her head irritably, turning away. “So anyways what’s that story you alluded to about why, despite being a firebender, you’re also a waterbender?” she asked.

“I’d like to hear that as well,” Azula spoke up, looking up from some scroll she had unrolled across the deck a little ways away.

I looked at the girl who smiled beatifically at me.

“I’m going to ignore the likely fact you figured it out who knows how many weeks or perhaps months ago.”

Azula shrugged, her smile remaining, “A girl with a secretive brother is never left lacking for entertainment, Zuzu,” she smiled cheekily.

I frowned, thinking it over in my head. “It’s a load of spirit nonsense,” I decided upon, “I don’t really know why, but I had an encounter with the Moon Spirit; in her infinite wisdom, she gave me Waterbending, thus the strand of white hair on my head that matches Yue’s, who herself was blessed by the Moon Spirit when she was born.”

Toph shrugged at that, but Azula looked fascinated, and instantly I spotted the direction of her thoughts.

“There’s no way that increases my claim on the throne, Zula,” I frowned at the girl.

“I don’t know,” Yue spoke from beneath me, a warm, sleepy, melted aspect to her voice, “Chosen by the spirits as their voice doesn’t sound all that bad.”

I looked at the girl on my lap in wide-eyed betrayal, my hands halting for the briefest moments.

“I didn’t say stop,” Yue said, and I could hear the amusement in her voice as I rolled my eyes despite her inability to see such.

“I didn’t think you were such a spoiled princess,” I commented before my hands once again resumed their work.

“Do you have any idea how many meetings I had to sit through?” Yue pouted, “I’ve never met people who liked the sound of their own voices more.”

“I met the Northern Water Tribe nobility.” I felt the need to point out.

“Aww,” Yue cooed, “Don’t be a sourpuss; some of those nobles are your future in-laws.”

I released a faux-annoyed huff but didn’t get to respond as Toph comedically mimed throwing up, though her motion and sound were rather too visceral.

“Spirits,” Toph groaned, shaking her head, “Can you be like less in love with Sparky? It’s going to actually make me sick.”

Yue hummed, and I saw her share an amused look with Azula of all people. “Perhaps you’d prefer that my fellow princess take my place?” she asked, and Azula’s eyes flickered in interest, and she sat up the slightest bit straighter.

“I’m over here to avoid her in the first place,” Toph scowled in our general direction, “Toph Beifong doesn’t feel fear,” she said bluntly, “but she’s tangled with enough Earth Kingdom wildlife to know that you don’t fuck with the crazy ones.”

She jabbed a finger at Azula, who looked incredibly amused, “She’s literally the scariest thing I’ve ever encountered,” she said bluntly.

An actual small flush of red went through Azula’s cheeks, and she placed a hand on her cheek, “Aww, you, you don’t mean that,” she cooed.

Toph looked vaguely ill, and she turned back to the ocean, “Spirits, how do you sleep at night?” She shook her head.

“Carefully, with the doors locked,” Yue supplied with a yawn, looking perfectly at peace in the warm sun bronzing her back.

Azula looked with interest at Yue, her head cocked to the side. “I don’t know why you believe either of those things would stop me,” she commented, before she shook her head, “I have no intention of having a bastard child; we of course will be married before any such event occurs.”

Yue hummed and then nodded, “I suppose that makes sense,” she nodded to herself, “Your reasons much match my own.”

“We’re also all a little too young for that kind of stuff,” I supplied, ignoring Azula’s aggrieved look and Yue’s discontented sigh, “I’m serious, we’re years away from being ready for that stuff.”

Azula sighed, shaking her head. “Whatever you say,” she shrugged, “I will of course accede to the wisdom of our future Fire Lord.”

“Ditto,” Yue sighed again in pleasure.

I restrained a frown, glancing between the two, the words striking me as odd considering what I had said before.

Azula’s eyes flickered to Yue again, and I saw a flicker of something dark in them before that disappeared. “I also want a massage later,” she looked meaningfully at me in a familiar nostalgic way, words that came across as threatening but weren’t really, just assertive.

Toph again mimed throwing up, this time coughing along with the motion.

“You know,” Azula said, rolling her head in thought, “I have to wonder about you, Toph Beifong, such a visceral reaction, one might wonder if you were,” she politely covered her mouth, “jealous?”

Toph frowned, before turning to look directly at me, “Okay, just how fucking pretty are you, dude? Seriously, no noble title explains the amount of,” she arched her fingers, “’fuck me’ coming off your girlfriends.”

“Fiancées,” Azula and Yue chimed in unison.

“And he’s very handsome,” Azula shrugged her shoulders, “It’s in his blood.”

“He’s more elegant, isn’t he?” Yue replied, turning to Azula with a small smile.

“And what the heck is up with you guys?” Toph jabbed her finger again for emphasis, “You’d think you were sisters who’d grown up together.”

Azula and Yue turned to look at each other before, in unison, they shrugged, both sharing a small smile.

“Common interest,” they said together, and I could tell by their tone that they absolutely had done this on purpose.

Toph looked genuinely a little unsettled, her head turning towards me, “Actually dude I take it back, both of your girlfriends together are the scariest thing I’ve ever encountered.”

“They’ll probably take that as a compliment,” Mai said dryly, evidently having awoken from her nap as she came up from below deck, “No one said there’d be this much sea travel,” she sighed heavily as she continued to lackadaisically drift across the deck toward the mast that Ty Lee had found to balance on.

Suki frowned from over where the Kyoshi Warriors had been practicing for the better part of several hours, her eyes following Mai for a moment before she seemed to consciously not make a comment and went back to standing on her palms, slowly walking across the deck.

Suki glanced at me momentarily, and there was an ocean of questions in her hazel eyes; she hadn’t been avoiding me necessarily, but there hadn’t been a real moment to talk to her.

With a group as large as this, even though there was some crossover between people, there were still isolated groups within the larger group that were more tight-knit.

Suki and other Kyoshi Warriors, Mai and Ty Lee, Azula and Yue now.

It wasn’t distaste but simply the fact they all had prior bonds within their groups, while the other people they were now meeting were newer and more uncertain, or simply just people they had spent more time with recently.

Maybe we all had the same goal, but I rather believed part of what needed to happen next was to strengthen their bonds with each other. We were a strong group of teenagers, but while we still had years of time yet before things really got exciting, I wondered about the potential of truly creating a group of interdisciplinary Nation warriors.

The thought had been nagging at the back of my conscience about how useful such a group could be, perhaps not intentional at first, but looking at them I could see it.

The first issue was helping them get to where they could be; the second issue was hard targets. My last conversation with the White Lotus Earth Kingdom informant still bothered me, where I had asked her about the Earth Kingdom bandits we had encountered and their commonality.

Bluntly, the Earth Kingdom was in worse shape than I had really thought; I mean, I knew they weren’t doing well, but they really were beginning to lose ground.

It wasn’t necessarily a surprise; the Fire Nation had industrialization, and more importantly, the full hegemonic power of its entire self. The Earth Kingdom still acted as more of a collective of provinces, each attempting to fend off its invaders.

But I couldn’t help but wonder how much further they could push if they actually had some unity, of course overthrowing Earth Kingdom leaders to eventually get the one’s I wanted so they could unify was the wrong move.

Probably. A part of me that sounded an awful lot like Azula whispered that if the Earth Kingdom was actually as broken as I had read, seen, and extrapolated, I might actually be doing the Nation a favor.

Okay, easy there; I took a deep breath and was reminded that perhaps Ozai and I shared more in common than I might wish.

Oh well, there wasn’t much I could do about that; I just hoped that if I actually did go full line of Azulon crazy, Yue would figure it out beforehand and sit me down for a talk.

-

The familiar and yet not-so-familiar sight of the Eastern Air Temple came into view steadily, and I found myself tracing it with my eyes, wondering what exactly it contained inside, especially considering my own adventures there not yet a hundred years back.

Wow, that was a really strange thing to think.

We ended up beaching our ship on the sandy beaches I had gone with Anya to and then began the process of disembarking our supplies to make a camp at the base of the mountains.

I hesitated and, after sharing a glance with Toph, decided that I would go meet with the current sole resident of the Eastern Air Temple, whom I could feel calmly sitting up on the mountain above us, the rate and flow of his blood indicating his absolute calm.

I ascended the mountain with bursts of blue flame rocketing from outcropping to outcropping till I grabbed the edge of one of the still scarred with fire stone platforms before flipping myself over to encounter the man I had sensed.

He was darkly tanned with an unkempt beard, wearing somewhat threadbare but clean clothes.

He also had two bowls of juice that smelled rather pungent, one in front of him and the other set in front of a pillow, equally worn in front of him.

His eyes were closed, but I could feel chi stir within him slightly. “It seems my guest has arrived,” he chuckled, his eyes opening and giving me a warm smile.

I frowned, crossing my arms over silken black and crimson robes uncomfortably, “You were expecting me?” I asked not truly to clarify but to see if he would reveal more.

“I was told to wait here for someone,” the man shrugged, “And so thus I waited. I am Guru Pathik. From the way you walk and the air you breathe, I can tell like many of the people of Fire you come bringing change.”

“Any signs if it’s a good one?” I asked curiously.

The man tilted his head contemplatively, “The spirits have already spoken; whether humanity agrees is ancillary.”

I nodded my head respectfully at the non-answer, a moment of nostalgia for my Uncle going through me.

“You carry water’s weight as well,” Guru Pathik sighed and shook his head, “I suppose it remains to be seen what that will mean; regardless, you come for a reason, and in repayment of the debt the Eastern Temple owes you, I will give you what aid I can.”

I frowned at that, “There is no debt-“

Guru Pathik clicked his tongue like a teacher interrupting me, “To say there is no debt does a disservice to your deeds. Air nurtured by flame is perhaps strange when the reverse is true in the physical world, but I find spiritual matters have a bit more complexity.”

I released a small breath, deciding to move on to what I actually needed to say, “I intend to use this Temple as a place to start enacting change from.”

Guru Pathik hummed softly, “You wish to inflict more violence on the world?” he asked almost curiously.

“I wish to save it,” I rebutted.

Guru Pathik placed his chin on his hand as he stroked his beard, “I cannot truly object,” he admitted, “you are the Moon Spirit’s answer, you beloved by night and day equally, something not seen for three thousand years.”

“The last time I heard that was from Agni and Tui,” I replied quietly, “You don’t care to shed more light on that, do you? The suspense has been killing me.”

Guru Pathik chuckled somehow light but at the same time gravelly, “Forgive me, I suppose I do like talking in circles; one must amuse themselves in isolation,” his eyes crinkled, “but yes, I will give you your answers, please sit and partake at your leisure.”

I nodded, accepting his invitation, taking several steps forward before I settled on the pillow across from him.

The man took a sip of his liquid before he spoke again, “You have been chosen to be Dunshi. The last time one was created it was for the purpose of dealing with an Avatar driven mad by the spirits, leaving the world out of balance.”

Interesting, “That’s not exactly the current issue,” I pointed out, “We don’t have an Avatar whatsoever right now.”

Guru Pathik nodded, frowning, “The years since the Avatar’s disappearance have been uncomfortable for the spirits; without the bridge between the worlds, our world is on edge from more than just a war; the world itself is changing as coal is burned in the engines of the Fire Nation. A revolution is upon us and so is change. The debate has now begun; some days ago, the Avatar woke from her slumber.”

I startled, looking at the man, a frown now tearing across my face, and he chuckled, looking at my expression.

“The future has changed, and the Spirits have begun placing their bets; you have stirred them especially with your choice of allies, as happened those three thousand years ago; the question of the Avatar’s legitimacy hangs in the balance.”

I looked at the man tapping my leg idly. “I did this,” I stated, shaking my head, “By becoming this Dunshi thing?”

“You are the first in a long time,” Guru Pathik smiled sympathetically, “You will not be the last of this era; already too much is at stake, already you have enraptured Fire and Water, already you have made Air question itself, Earth as it’s won’t to do sits waits and listens.”

“I’d think if anything Air would wish me gone,” I replied with a raised eyebrow.

“Air does not recognize family,” Guru Pathik rebuked, “Not the way at least you do in the Fire Nation; you are the sole reason Airbenders beyond the Avatar survive; it is no light thing.”

“But I could only do that because of Agni and Tui,” I pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

“And Agni and Tui only used their power to do so to prove a point to the spirit of Air,” Guru Pathik nodded solemnly, “To show there was an option aside from rule of the Fire Nation or once again submission to the Avatar. To have a Dunshi, perhaps several, begin turning the world.”

“Anya isn’t like that,” I replied, releasing a heavy breath, though my words felt weak on my lips.

“Perhaps not,” Guru Pathik shrugged, “But we all live in a world now without an Avatar; we have proved it possible, and so now the question becomes: once the Avatar returns, will we once again allow them to decide what is right?”

I looked at the man, and he looked at me, and I found even with my bending senses he likely got the better measure of the man across from him. “I didn’t start this to subvert the Avatar,” I felt the need to point out.

“But regardless, you are here before me now, knowing in your heart what you must do,” Guru Pathik replied. “You were made Dunshi because the spirits looked in your heart and saw what they needed to see.”

“You don’t have a side in this?” I asked curiously.

Guru Pathik smiled, but it was a soft, sad thing. “I am tired of violence,” he said. “Whichever path leads to peace I will be more than happy to see. I am here to speak with you just as I will speak with the Avatar.”

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” I replied, shaking my head, amused with myself, perhaps amused with the world.

“From the moment you took your first breath, it has been your choice,” Guru Pathik rebuked, “Unfortunately for you, you are a most stubborn sort, the kind who insists on changing the world.”

“I just wanted to stop the violence, stop innocent people from getting killed,” I frowned as I gave the words thoughts, “But the more I traveled, the more I realized that I could not leave it in the hands of the Avatar, even after meeting them,” I looked at the man smiling despite myself, “As long as the world must rely on one person for the necessity of peace and balance, all of our fates will in turn hang by a thread.”

Guru Pathik nodded, though it wasn’t necessarily in agreement, more a neutral thing where he was merely acknowledging my argument, “I can see why your philosophy has so enraptured the spirits,” he replied.

I sighed before I shook my head with a small smile, “Glad to be entertaining,” I replied, releasing a breath of misted ice that circled through the air.

Guru Pathik chuckled good-naturedly, smiling, pleased with himself or me, I was unsure.

“So is this it?” I asked, “You tell me these things, and then I move on and do what I will?”

Guru Pathik smiled, amused, “More or less, there is one teaching left I have to offer,” he replied.

“The chakras?” I asked.

Guru Pathik chuckled, “Truly you are a most interesting person.”

I frowned in thought, “Forgive me, but I believe I would be unable to achieve such; I don’t believe I possess the necessary capacity to unlock the Thought Chakra,” I shook my head.

“Oh?” Guru Pathik looked interested in my words.

“Earthly attachments.” I replied bluntly, “I don’t believe I would ever be rid of them.”

Guru Pathik frowned in thought, stroking his beard idly, “Who is it?” he asked curiously.

“Far too many people to begin with now; I didn’t intend to at first, but I admit I find myself unwilling to let go of them; they’re mine.”

“Possessive,” Guru Pathik replied with a raised eyebrow, “Not unlike a dragon, I suppose,” he mused aloud.

I raised my own eyebrow. “You don’t think I’m truly saving the world out of some altruism, some heroic attitude? I’m saving the world because the people I love reside within it, no more, and no less.”

“You’ll refuse the power that might save them?” Guru Pathik interrogated, a frown on his face.

I raised an eyebrow at him, “I don’t give a damn about more power; I have plenty.” I jerked a thumb at my chest, “I don’t need spiritual enlightenment at the cost of my friend's happiness.”

Guru Pathik frowned and opened his mouth to respond, and I cut him off.

“I don’t make people I love cry for something as silly as power,” I grinned at the man, fully feeling the smile of confidence, “The Strongest Man I know would say something similar in my position.”

Guru Pathik cocked his head to the side, “You say that with much confidence, but this man, however strong, could not hope to match the Avatar.”

I frowned, thinking, “Nah, actually I think Uncle Iroh would win.” I shrugged.

“Iroh,” Guru Pathik blinked, “You refer to the man who was once the Dragon of the West.”

I nodded my head, curious at the almost personal note to the man’s voice.

Guru Pathik began to chuckle, which turned to a full belly laugh, “Ah yes, I would expect his nephew to follow in his footsteps.”

Guru Pathik shook his head, still chuckling, “Yes, who am I to tell a young dragon to clip his wings and passions? You will be wanting to talk with him; there is much of his journey you can learn from.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” I nodded my head, looking toward the darkening sky, “Let me prepare you a meal as thanks,” I said, turning to the man who blinked and then began laughing again.

-

Iroh stared contemplatively at the Eastern Air Temple, finding it oddly alive to his senses if not visibly even as he fiddled idly with a White Lotus between his fingers.

Even as his ship lay docked some distance behind him and he continued his easy walk along the beach, his eyes observed the Temple with a faint melancholy.

He glanced up as a flickering warmth made itself known to his senses, only to see a blur of descending black cloth.

He watched, amused, as it landed before him, then stood to its full height, a tall, lean youth who crossed their arms with a warm smile and warmer pale gold eyes. A strand of formerly black hair was now purely white, shimmering before Iroh’s eyes, and he released a small breath in wonder.

“Zuko,” he said, returning the boy’s smile, “It is good to see my nephew in full health,” he said, and meant every ounce of those words.

Zuko visibly grimaced and then began to bow, “My apologies Uncl-“

Iroh rolled his eyes and then stepped forth, wrapping his nephew in a full-body hug, tightly gripping his nephew like he would have his son, “My dear boy, you worried me, but I should have known even then that Moonlight is an impossible thing to destroy.”

Zuko sighed and shook his head. “Unless someone killed the Moon Spirit’s physical form,” he replied evenly.

Iroh’s gaze sharpened. “You know something?” he asked.

Zuko sighed, but his pale gold eyes meant Iroh’s own firmly. “I know many things, Uncle, and I will share them all,” he hesitated, almost unsure, “But I must ask first where your allegiance lies.”

Iroh frowned, “You can’t be referring to Ozai,” he returned, thinking aloud.

Zuko flicked a familiar pai sho tile out of his sleeve and tossed it to Iroh, who caught it without having to look at the piece to know what was on it.

“Oh,” Iroh sighed and dipped his head, “The Avatar then?”

Zuko nodded his head, “I have to ask first, Uncle, knowing what I know of the White Lotus. I know your duty to the Avatar; I can’t say I have the same perspective.”

The boy was looking at him grimly as if bracing himself for the worst, and the only response Iroh had was to chuckle and shake his head.

“We are not a monolith; perhaps with Master Pakku you may have a problem, but I can tell from your look that you have given this some consideration. I am behind you, nephew.”

Zuko blinked, looking surprised. “I had several arguments,” he said, and Iroh saw the beginnings of almost a pout on his nephew's face.

“Then you may tell them to me over tea,” Iroh said, amused, before glancing up and then back to his nephew, “I presume you have a way up suitable for your Uncle’s advanced age.”

Zuko shot him a wry look, and then shook his head, “A conversation is never boring with you, is it, Uncle?” he turned and gestured for Iroh to follow.

Iroh laughed, pleasant warmth filling his gut.

It was good to now be on the right side of history.

Better to be with family again.

-

“This is stupid,” Toph grumbled, shaking her head as she ‘looked’ at the temple structure, analyzing how deep the stone of the temple was embedded into the mountain and finding herself disconcerted.

“You know being angry all the time isn’t good for your skin,” Azula said calmly as she stood on one of the pillars above her, arms crossed in front of her stomach in thought.

“Do me a favor then and don’t bother mentioning it to me if I break out,” Toph replied dully, “Because I truly do not give the faintest essences of a shit.”

“Did something in particular happen?” Azula asked curiously, and Toph shifted her feet uneasily, unable to truly tell if the girl was telling the truth, asking genuinely.

“Nothing,” Toph bit back, “I just didn’t think I was signing on to do construction work was all,” she replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“We don’t exactly have any other Earthbenders,” Azula pointed out, and Toph could tell the girl was casually examining her fingernails.

Toph knew, and truly, it wasn’t as if she minded doing the work in particular; it was rather easy to fix, restore, and modify the buildings with her own talents.

What had her on edge was the fact that Azula kept showing up to watch her, day after day; at least for the hours she worked on the temple, the girl would sit idly, seemingly doing nothing but observing her.

Any other person, Toph would have asked by now what the fuck they thought they were doing, but she stood by the fact that the other girl frankly scared the shit out of her.

Still, she was about at her breaking point: “Do you not trust me to do this by myself?” Toph grunted.

Azula cocked her head to the side, though a single disturbance seemingly went through the girl, “Oh, I’m not worried about that.”

Toph groaned, attempting to glare at the other girl, “Then why the Fuck are you here?”

Azula hummed, the vibration traveling through her, and a long silence passed, and Toph almost thought she was being ignored if she couldn’t tell Azula was still focused on her; finally, she said something, “You bend like my brother; I find it interesting.”

Toph’s expression widened unconsciously, before narrowing as she regarded the other girl, biting back the first instinct to say something aggressive about the other girl’s strange preferences, for marriage partners she pressed further, “What do you mean?”

Azula pressed a palm to her chest, “There is no one who knows my brother better than I,” she said confidently, “Therefore I made a habit of studying his bending, especially considering the fact he taught me, he does not bend like other combat benders, practiced martial discipline forms, he bends like a creature breathes, natural instinctual. You are the same.”

Toph frowned in thought before she clenched her toes into the ground, and suddenly the stone of the buildings shot into itself, mending the entire building to full functionality, looking almost brand new.

“That’s what happens when you learn from badger moles,” she replied, bluntly turning to walk away, and Azula hopped down from her perch to follow.

“Badger moles, really?” Azula asked, and despite her apparent interest, nothing about her body changed whatsoever.

“Yup,” Toph said, popping the p, already regretting engaging with the other girl.

She really should have known better.

-

Yue sighed, looking over the reams of scrolls laid out before her, before reaching up and rubbing a gentle healing layer of water over her eyes before shooting a look at the wick of the lamp that had lit her room late into the night.

Warm familiar hands softly pressed into her back, and Yue sighed, leaning back into them, letting a small smile turn her lips up. “Remember me?” she asked, her eyes falling half-lidded in pleasure.

“As if I could forget,” Zuko chided from behind her, “I didn’t ask you to do all the paperwork.”

“Even with your Uncle’s help, we find ourselves oversupplied on funds and resources which do not have a home to go to,” Yue shook her head, “I’m the natural choice.”

“And so is Azula, but you don’t find her here until midnight,” Zuko replied quietly.

Yue's lips turned up in amusement as she sank further back into Zuko’s hands, “You’re sister while diligent with her training, does not seem to particularly care for the minutiae of running an organization like ours, speaking of which,” she attempted to turn but instead groaned softly as Zuko’s hands pressed further into her muscles and she allowed herself to lean against the desk continuing to speak, not wanting to let herself get distracted, “We need a name Zuko,” she mumbled out.

“Why?” Zuko asked curiously, “We’re ten people, and I didn’t think we’re currently recruiting.”

Yue sighed, shaking her head, “You want to oppose the current world order. As your fiancée, I of course will support you, but when we actually begin doing things, we need a name that people can say can support.”

Zuko chuckled, “You make your support sound so natural and reasonable,” he replied, and his throat became slightly husky.

Yue hummed and fell back against Zuko, attempting to urge him onward, “As your intended, it is my solemn duty to do anything-ah,” she gasped before she continued, “you ask,” she murmured, and words that had been rote filled with a terrifying amount of control over her future, she said as she now meant them a loving prayer.

Zuko’s lips trailed the side of her neck for a moment, and she gasped, her stomach flipping as it felt like electricity shot through her, “And I appreciate you more than you know,” he murmured into her ear, “I couldn’t do any of this without you; I wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t met at the North Pole.”

Yue shook her head, a smile curving her lips even as she gasped quietly again as his hands hit a particular pressure point in her back, relieving an incredible amount of tension, “And I wouldn’t be here without you either; my Father actually sent a message, you know?”

“Oh?” Zuko questioned, though he didn’t stop gently kneading her back.

“Mmm,” Yue hummed, “He wanted to share his thanks for the new trade deals for the North Pole with the Beifongs' help, of course.”

“They’re not wondering where their daughter went?” Zuko asked curiously.

“Apparently Toph had a bit of a conversation with them before we left, some dramatic speech about making her own way before vanishing into the stone of the mansion.”

“Toph didn’t tell me that,” Zuko murmured, and Yue sighed as flame trickled through her muscles.

“You know how she is,” Yue shrugged, “She’s getting antsy though for some kind of actual mission.”

“You have one in mind?” Zuko asked.

Yue fiddled with her desk for a moment before pulling out a scroll Iroh had acquired for them, and Zuko released her back, and she sighed in disappointment as he stepped forward to look over the scroll.

“Earthbender Prison ship break?” he asked curiously.

“I’m sure she’ll find it entertaining,” Yue replied, amusement curling her lips before she shook her head, “Iroh was also looking for you, said there was something important he needed to discuss.”

“More interesting than an Earthbender Prison ship break?” Zuko looked at her, wounded.

“Awww,” Yue cooed, reaching up and mushing Zuko’s cheeks between her palms before placing a feather-like kiss on his forehead, “Is the big bad Fire Nation Prince bored?”

Zuko grinned, then tilted his face up, pressing a gentle kiss to her own lips, and Yue’s breath caught in her chest. “Never,” he grinned rakishly.

Yue’s cheeks colored slightly even as she smiled gently at him.

-

Suki was hot, sweaty, and tired, and quite frankly she was sick of it.

“Can you please tell me why we’re in this spirits-forsaken place?” she asked her charge, airing out her shirt as much as she could as they stood still in the ruins of the ancient city for a moment.

The man she had sworn to protect almost a year ago looked at her with concerned pale golden eyes; he gestured lightly at her, and suddenly she felt herself surrounded by cool mist, rapidly lowering her temperature to something more suitable.

“You should have said something, Suki.” Zuko shook his head and once again returned to looking at the mosaic, a soft frown of thought on his face, “We’re waiting for the Sun Warriors to approach us; they seem to think making guests wait is good manners.”

“Sun Warriors?” Suki tensed, her hands going to her fans even as chi began to circulate through her limbs.

Azula, who stood next to her looking remarkably unbothered in the heat, looked fascinated, “I thought they were extinct?”

Zuko turned with a smile as, from around them, the ancient ruins that they had walked into filtered in a group of people who wore tribal clothing, led by a large, gruff-looking man with a large feathered headdress, “What are you doing here, Children of Fire?” he directly addressed Zuko and Azula.

Azula did not look surprised, merely raising an eyebrow at the man.

Zuko spoke, “My Uncle Iroh sent us here to see and understand where we come from, though perhaps that is too strong to say; he merely mentioned it in passing that the ruins were quite the sight.”

The chief cocked a brow as he stared at the teenager, “Did he tell you anything else?” he asked.

Zuko shook his head, smiling easily, “No, but you already knew that, didn’t you?”

The chief nodded, “I do not believe Iroh would break his promise so easily.” he crossed his arms, “But I suppose one can never be sure of the children of the Fire Lord.”

Zuko shrugged while Azula’s lips curled into a slight sneer.

“The Masters will decide your worth,” the chief grunted.

Some time later, Suki watched in slack-jawed awe as Zuko and Azula danced across a stone bridge, their movements perfectly synced as blue flame spiraled into the sky as massive dragons spun around them, mirroring their movements.

Red and Blue scales flashed, even as a murmur from one of the tribesmen next to her whispered in shock, “What power.”

Blue fire soared upward in a spiraling pillar as both dragons breathed upon the two members of Fire Nation royalty, turning their flame into a multicolored rainbow hue, and Suki looked on with no words, struck by the pure beauty of the moment as the sunset’s rays shone down upon all of them.

The fire faded, revealing the Prince and Princess unharmed, turned inward as Zuko gently held his sister against his chest, who herself was desperately gripping her brother, soft, unheard words being exchanged between them.

They turned, and Azula realized each of them was holding a massive, almost jewel-like egg, retrieved from who knew where.

They set them on the ground and then backed up together with steps that were far too in sync.

For a minute they remained there before Azula stepped away from her brother and then breathed out, before letting a kick and fist shoot out, igniting a massive roaring wave of blue fire, only to gain mass as Zuko stepped forward and snapped out in a lower motion, somehow matched though to Azula’s movement causing blue fire to snap out in a massive blue wave roaring and rippling across the sky even as they covered the eggs.

Suki’s breath caught again as she realized what she was truly looking at.

The birth of dragons.

-

Azula regarded the stubborn blue-scaled creature that had once again tried to snatch her breakfast.

“No, Tia,” Azula shook her head in amusement as she stared at the young blue dragon who was now looking at her innocently as its face could manage.

A larger-scaled red creature suddenly came in from the open sky, tackling the blue dragon, rambunctiously nipping at its sister.

“Druk,” Azula shook her head, “Be nice to your sister,” she chided, a soft, gentle smile on her face.

Druk looked up guiltily and then began to lick gently at his sister’s scales, cleaning them as if that had been his intent all along.

“They’re getting big,” Zuko said from behind her, joining her on the platform that Azula had surmised was once for Air Bison. He settled into a seat beside her, holding his breakfast as well.

“Not enough to ride yet,” Azula shook her head, but her words were not chiding nor disappointed; truly, she wasn’t certain that she wanted the dragons to stray far from her gaze at all; it was an unsafe world.

“It’s good that it’s just the other members of the Dragon Lily that know about them still,” Zuko remarked, shaking his head, “It’s going to be difficult keeping them secret the more they grow.”

Azula smiled at her brother, leaning her head against his shoulder, “Do you think this is what it’s like to be a parent?” she asked softly.

Zuko hummed, “Perhaps, though these children are a bit more proficient at taking care of themselves,” he replied.

Azula nodded, thinking, hesitating for the first time in her life, “About the Dragon Dance-“ she began, and Zuko turned to look at her quietly, not saying a word in response, his kind, soft smile on his face.

“I’m sorry I lost my composure,” Azula admitted quietly. “I didn’t realize what it would mean to see the true nature of Fire.” She looked away, only to feel Zuko’s arm wrap gently around her shoulder.

“Never apologize for feeling, Azula,” he murmured quietly into her ear, causing her to shiver slightly, “Regardless, it was intense.”

Azula nodded quietly, for once not having an immediate reply; she felt different- not changed exactly, but as if she now knew a part of herself in a way she hadn’t before.

“Am I evil, Zuzu?” she asked quietly.

Zuko gripped her firmly, “No, Zula, you’re not evil,” he replied.

Azula shook her head, “I mean it was our ancestor Sozin who began the dragon hunts; our Nation murdered countless numbers of them, and I didn’t-“ she shook her head, her chest feeling tight as she looked at Tia, “I didn’t care then and I didn’t care until Tia hatched, but look at her, how could anyone want to hurt her, kill-“ her voice broke unexpectedly.

“Oh Zula,” Zuko wrapped her into a full hug, bringing her head to his chest, “We’re all products of our circumstances; the fact that you can now, after meeting Tiamet, realize what our blood has cost the world says everything about you. You’re more than who you were born to be.”

Azula nodded quietly and buried her face in Zuko’s chest as warm wet liquid began to leak from her eyes.

-

Anya looked out over the vast, almost implacable tracks of Ice before her, a distance away from the South Pole village.

Idly she wondered if Zuko would have liked it here or if his flame would have made it difficult to exist.

Not that she supposed it truly mattered; her friend was gone, likely along with all of her people from what Katara had said.

Her cheeks faintly colored at the thought, Katara was vivacious, more than she had truly expected when she had met her, and she stirred strange feelings in her chest.

She didn’t really know what to think about it, but that seemed to be a recurring refrain. She glanced at the horizon as she began to truly acknowledge the fact that she would have to leave.

The world was out of balance, and it was her duty to bring it to balance by stopping the Fire Nation. That much was clear from Katara’s words.

Yet she thought it wasn’t unreasonable to take a bit more time among the people of the South Pole to ready herself for her journey.

She would need to go to the North Pole to learn waterbending; there was no one here to teach her.

She blinked as air currents carried raised voices to her, and she turned, looking back in the direction of the village, only for her eyes to widen as she saw what looked like a fleet of Water Tribe ships coming to berth on the Ice.

She jogged down the icy slopes and came to a stop behind the crowd of people who were gathering around an elderly man with a beard and Gran-Gran, Katara’s grandmother, who were staring at each other in absolute shock.

“What are you doing here, Pakku?” Gran-Gran finally said quietly.

The so-named Pakku did not quite frown, but he still looked rather surprised; he shook his head. “I have come here to help rebuild our sister nation,” he sighed, “Given recent events, the North Pole has realized it can no longer stand alone.”

“Who decided that?” Sokka, Katara’s brother, asked gruffly, crossing his hands in front of his chest, even as Anya looked at the boy, not for the first time, confused by his presence. All the time it seemed like Sokka was lying, and why was it that Sokka’s face was just a touch too effeminate to seem truly a man?

Of course, Sokka would push back on any help, Anya thought, rolling her eyes.

Katara stepped forward, pushing past her brother, shooting him a raised eyebrow, which he looked a little sheepish at before she looked at Pakku.

“I’m a waterbender; can you train me?” she asked.

Pakku blinked before an amused smile crossed his lips. “Technically, the traditions of the North Pole forbid women from being trained that way,” he began, and Katara visibly tensed, looking frustrated; then Pakku shrugged, “I had a somewhat recent student though who would be disappointed if I held to that tradition now.”

Gran-Gran and Katara looked surprised.

Sokka frowned, “Who was he?” she asked curiously.

Pakku looked toward the sky for a moment, seemingly reminiscing, “An excellent young man by the name of Hakoda, truly a boy who demonstrated to me what it meant to be a waterbender,” he looked at them seriously, “A talented waterbender and an even more talented warrior, he came to us from the Earth Kingdom, unknowing of his own heritage, by the Moon’s favor he became betrothed to our chief’s daughter.”

A low hum went through the crowd, not quite disbelief but uncertainty.

Pakku nodded his head in agreement. “I know it sounds like a spirit tale,” he looked seriously at Gran-Gran, “But all of it is true, and he is the reason we are here today; it would be a disservice to him to hold to old tradition.”

“The Way the World Was” Arc Finished

Next Arc: “The Way the World Is”

-

Author’s Note: This is the finale chapter for the first of three sections of this story. In the next chapter, we will be moved toward these Characters in adulthood and the ripple effect of Zuko’s actions. While a part of me thinks it might be interesting to fully write out the next four years, I think, for the sake of pacing, it is necessary for a significant span of time to elapse. The organization that Zuko is building and Anya beginning to learn the elements (and actually master them) is going to take some time. We’re going to see a couple of scenes from that, but overall, because of how I write, I think it would take entirely too long to actually get through the next three-four years at my typical pace, and these next three years I believe are better shown in retrospect when needed because the actual action will be taking place during the original timeline of the story.