Rainbow's Gift (Avatar The Last Airbender Fanfic)

68: The firebending masters

This was how we were going to go down in history. The Avatar, the Prince of the Fire Nation and the rainbow sylph were going to die in the hands of ancient ruins. It did not sound good. None of us had said anything for a while. I really hoped we wouldn't die here. I wanted to see Sokka again. "Who's down there?" We heard a man ask and when he came into view he looked exactly like the paintings of the sun warriors. They came and took us out of the sticky goo and some weird animals licked it off us. "For trying to take our sun stone, you must be severely punished." The man who looked like the chief told us. I laughed. They all looked at me.

"My friend and I didn't take your sunstone. He did." I said as I pointed at Zuko. He frowned at me and I smiled.

"You're the rainbow sylph." The chief said. The rest started to bow down but the chief put his hand up. "Do not do that. This one has been touched by darkness." I frowned because they started to look at me with hostility.

"We should kill her." One guy said and I frowned.

"If you do that it won't end well." I told them. They actually thought they could kill me. I could feel the urge to kill rising but I tried to calm down. I don't think Aang would have like it if I did. He was looking at me right now with a look that said, 'You better not do anything.'

"We didn't come here to take your sun stone." Zuko spoke up. "We came here to find the ancient origin of all firebending."

" Yeah right." The same guy who said they should kill me spoke up. "They are obviously thieves, here to steal sun warrior treasures."

"Please, I don't normally play this card, but I'm the Avatar." Aang said with a smile. But they didn't smile back. "Please hear us out."

"My name is Zuko, crowned prince of the Fire Nation. Or at least, I used to be. 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 civilization was secretly alive. I am truly humbled to be in your presence. Please teach us." Zuko said as he and Aang bowed. I didn't think I wanted to be taught firebending. I remember Nuwa's teachings. They were horrific. But I couldn't back down now.

"If you wish to learn the ways of the sun, you must learn them from the masters Ran and Shao." the chief said.

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

"When you present yourselves to them, they will examine you." He said as he looked me in the eye. "They'll read your hearts, your souls and your ancestry." He said as he walked to Zuko. He looked nervous. I didn't blame him. His father, grandfather and great grandfather were murderers. "If they deem you worthy, they'll teach you. If they don't you'll be destroyed on the spot." I gasped. I was a horrible person. I knew that. I had murdered people. I knew my heart was dark. I wasn't going to go see those masters. But Aang grabbed my hand like he knew what I was thinking. I sighed. They gave us a room to stay for the night. Their beds were uncomfortable. Zuko was asleep so I went to sit on Aang's bed.

"I don't think I should do this." I told him.

"Why not?" He asked.

"I'm going to get destroyed on the spot." I quoted the chief.

"No, you're not. You're a good person." He said as he held my hand. I frowned.

"I don't think so. I have blood on my hands. I have killed so many people and I remember doing it." I told him as I remembered the day of black sun, I remembered the day I went after Aang when he woke up from his coma and decided to leave us. I killed a whole fleet of ships.

"But that's not your fault. You were possessed by the dark spirit." Aang tried to reason with me but I shook my head.

"Was I? I remember enjoying that I was killing those people." I told him. I sighed. "Tell my mother and Onji that I love them with all my heart. Tell Sokka....."