Fire and Aether

Chapter 34: The Western Air Temple

    It was quiet as Team Avatar, Aurora, Catie, and all the children walked through the desert, followed closely by Crystal and Appa. No one in the group felt the need to lighten the depressive mood that had settled over them. Even Sokka had barely shown any sarcasm lately and had only used one nickname during their journey (calling the group Team Avatar 2.0).
    "This is humiliating." Katara muttered.
    "Do you mean getting thoroughly spanked by the Fire Nation or having to walk all the way to the Western Air Temple?" Sokka asked.
    "And here I thought you were too depressed for sarcasm." Rose said, a bit of a smile seeping into her words.
    "Both."
    "Sorry, guys." Aang replied. "Appa gets tired carrying all these people."
    "And Crystal is still just a baby. She's barely gotten to the point of carrying three fully grown people at a time, let alone all the extra children."
     Before the conversation could get too upsetting, Toph called out that they had made it. Team Avatar 2.0 looked where she was pointing to find that they were close to the edge of a cliff.
     "Uh...I think your feet need their eyes checked."
     "No. She's right. We are here." Aang said.
     "Where is it exactly?" Rose asked her honorary brother.
     "On the underside of this cliff. We just need a way to get down there."
     With that, Team Avatar 2.0 split up, some hopping on Appa, the rest on Crystal.
                          * * * * *
     Zuko left his war balloon behind, tying it up so it wouldn't fly away. Grabbing some rope, he tied it to where he needed it. He climbed the rope then swung over to the temple. As he reached it, he had a flashback of when he originally came here with his Uncle Iroh, shortly after his banishment.
    "What a stunning view!" Iroh said as he gazed at the temple and the sky beyond it.
    A 14 year old Zuko stood at his side, a bandage covering his eye. "The only view I'm interested in seeing is the Avatar in chains." he replied, angrily.
    "You know, the Avatar and his Guardian haven't been seen for 100 years. The chances of finding him here are very slim."
    "First, we'll check each of the air temples. Then we'll scour the world, searching even the most remote locations until we find him."
    "Prince Zuko, it's only been a week since your banishment." his uncle pleaded. "You should take some time to heal and rest."
    "What else would I expect to hear from the laziest man in the Fire Nation?" Zuko lost his temper. Iroh sighed, sadly. "The only way to regain my honor is to find the Avatar....so I will."
     Zuko groaned as he recalled that memory, wishing he hadn't have treated his Uncle Iroh so badly. He wished he had listened to his uncle and followed his heart. He never should've listened to his father or Azula.
     Most of all, he wished he hadn't have betrayed the woman he loved. For he could not deny the truth: he was in love with Rose and had been for a long time, possibly since the day he met her. And how funny, he thought. If only that version of him from the past could see him now.
    If someone had told him back then that he would fall in love with the Avatar, he wouldn't have believed them. Much less that he would betray his father for her.
    Zuko was pulled from his revelry by the sound of Appa's roar. He backed up, watching as Appa flew through the sky to the temple, followed by the giant version of Crystal.
    Once they'd disappeared, he raced through the temple. He'd meet up with Rose and her friends soon enough. But, first, he needed a minute to decide what to say.
                      * * * * *
    As soon as Team Avatar 2.0 landed, the children ran off to explore. Aang was tempted to join but Katara stopped him.
     "Hold on moment. We need to figure out what to do next. You're the Avatar's Guardian; you should be a part of this conversation."
    Aang groaned. "Fair enough."
    "Aurora, sis, do either of you want to be a part of this talk?" Rose asked.
    "Well I need to make myself useful in some way." Catie answered.
    Aurora chuckled. "And I can provide some insight as to what the future holds."
    "So what is the new plan?" Aang asked.
    "Well, if you ask me, the new plan is the old plan." Sokka explained. "You just need to master all five elements and confront the Fire Lord before the comet comes."
     "Obviously." Aurora said. "That was always the plan."
     "Then what was the point of the invasion plan?" Catie asked.
     Aurora sighed. "There was always only a one in ten chance the invasion plan would work but, if on the off chance it did work, it was worth taking the chance if we could stop the war faster."
     "Guys, this sounds great and all but there's a problem with this plan." Rose said quietly. "I need a firebending teacher. Where am I gonna find one of those?"
     They thought for a moment. "What about that guy who helped you when we got separated?" Katara asked. "The one Aurora told you about?"
     "Jeong Jeong?" Rose and Aurora asked in unison.
     Katara nodded. "But where would I find him?" Rose asked.
     "It doesn't matter." Aurora stated plainly. "He's not the one meant to teach you."
    "Then who is?"
    "Someone who cares for you a great deal."
    "Ugh!" Rose groaned. "I can't deal with this right now!"
    She mounted Crystal and headed off. "I'll go check on her." Aang said, taking out his air glider and following her.
    "Who would be her teacher?" everyone but Aurora wondered.
    Aurora only smiled grimly. She knew exactly who it was...
                      * * * * *
    "Hello, Zuko here." Zuko said, working on his speech. He rubbed the back of his head. "But I guess you probably already know me...sort of. Uh..so, the thing is, I have a lot of firebending experience and I'm considered to be pretty good at it. Well, you've seen me...you know, when I was attacking you?"
    Zuko groaned. "Uh, yea, I guess I should apologize for that. But, anyway, I'm good now. I mean, I thought I was good before but it I realize I was bad. But, anyway...I think it's time I joined your group and taught the Avatar firebending."
    The frog-squirrel he was talking to only croaked in response. "Well what's your answer?" The frog-squirrel leap frogged away. "Yea, that's what I'd say too."
     He sighed. "How am I supposed to convince these people I'm on their side? How am I supposed to convince her?" He hung his head in shame.
    "What would Uncle do? 'Zuko, you have to look within yourself to save yourself from your other self.'" He did an impression of Uncle Iroh. "'Only then will your true self reveal itself.'" He groaned. "Ugh...even when I'm talking for him, I can't figure out what he means."
     "What would Azula do?" He asked himself then doing an impression of his sister. "'Listen, Avatar, I can join your group or I can do something unspeakably horrible to you and your friends. Your choice.'"
    He groaned again, sitting down to think. "I guess I'm not that good at impressions."
                       * * * * *
    "Is everything ok?" Aang asked Rose.
    "I don't want to talk about it." she said.
    "We don't have time to anyway." said Toph as the rest of Team Avatar 2.0 showed up. "That'll have to wait. "
    With that, she pointed to a figure behind Appa. Appa moved, revealing Zuko.
    "Hello, Zuko here."
                       * * * * *
     Everyone got into a fighting stance, save for Rose who was being unusually meek and Aurora who didn't seem bothered by the Fire Nation prince's sudden appearance.
     "Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there so I just thought I'd wait for you here."
     Crystal, now in her tiny form, excitedly flew around him, nestling into his neck, and laying around his shoulders. Appa then began licking Zuko's face, which surprised Aang, who lowered his air staff.
     "I know you must be surprised to see me here."
     "Not really." Sokka said hatefully. "Since you've followed us all over the world."
     "Not to mention all the destruction you've caused along the way. " Catie added, angrily.
     "Right..." Zuko said. "Anyway, what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed and I, uh, I'm good now. And I think I should join your group. Oh, and I can teach firebending...to you." He turned his brown gaze onto the woman he loved.
     Rose was quiet, thinking. Aurora smirked smugly. "Toldya so."
     "You can't possibly think any of us would trust you, can you?" Katara cut in, her anger obvious. "I mean how stupid do you think we are?"
     "Yea, all you've ever done is try to hunt us down and capture Rose!"
     "I've done some good things." Zuko fired back. "I mean, I could've stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something."
     As if to further make his point, Appa licked him.
     "Appa does seem to like him, as does Crystal." Toph said.
     "Dragons are drawn to firebenders." Aurora explained.
     "He probably just covered himself  in honey or something so that Appa would lick him." Sokka replied. "I'm not buying it."
     "I can understand why you wouldn't trust me." Zuko said. "And I know I've made some mistakes in the past."
     "Like when you attacked our village?" Sokka angrily asked.
     Katara burst out, "Or when you stole my mother's necklace and used it to track us down and capture us?"
     "Or when you nearly got the North Pole destroyed when you kidnapped my sister?" Catie added.
     "Look I admit I've done some awful things." Zuko admitted. "I was wrong to try to capture you and I'm sorry that I attacked both water tribes. And I never should've sent that Fire Nation assassin after you. I don't know why he's trying to kill you. I asked him just to find you. I'm gonna try to stop him."
     "Wait you sent Combustion Man after us?"
     "Really?" Catie said. "That's what you chose to call him?"
     "Well that's not his name, but..."
     "Oh sorry, I didn't mean to insult your friend."
     "He's not my friend!"
     Toph spoke up. "That guy locked me and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up!" She mentioned another adventure of theirs in the Fire Nation.
     Zuko sighed in defeat, his eyes turning to Rose and Aang who hadn't spoken the entire time. "Why aren't you saying anything?" His attention first on Rose, he reminded, "You once said you'd always love me." He turned to Aang then. "And you once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me." He turned back to Rose. "You both do."
     Rose turned away. "I can't do this right now." She took her place in between her sister and Aurora.
     Aang looked around at the others, seeing Rose upset and his friends angry and shaking their heads. "There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done. We'll never let you join us."
    "You need to get out of here, now." Katara said.
    Zuko frustrated, said, "I'm trying to explain that I'm not that person anymore."
    "Either you leave or we attack." Sokka warned.
    "If you won't accept me as a friend, then maybe you'll take me as a prisoner."
    Zuko fell to his knees. Rose turned back to him in time for Katara to send a wave of water at him.
    "Get out of here and don't come back!"
    "Enough, Katara!" Rose shouted. She turned her gaze to Zuko. "You should go. I'm sorry."
    "We'd better not see you again."
    Zuko stood and left.
                        * * * * *
    Later that evening, after he made it to his campsite, he reprimanded himself for his own stupidity. "I can't believe how stupid I am!" he groaned. "I mean, what was I thinking? Telling them I sent an assassin after them? Why didn't I just say Azula did that? They would've believed that. Stupid!"
    "And Rose..." He thought as he sank to his knees. The pain was so clear on her face. He had hurt her...and he had no idea how to fix it...
                     * * * * *
     Team Avatar 2.0 stood in the temple, thinking over what just happened. "Why would he try to fool us like that?" Katara asked.
     "I don't care." Rose stated flatly. "I don't even want to think about Zuko right now."
     She went over to sit down away from the rest of the group, Catie going to check on her as the others discussed what happened.
    "Obviously, he wants to lead us into some kind of trap." Sokka theorized.
     Katara talked about her time with Zuko in Ba Sing Se, how he had acted around Rose and how he shared his story about his mother. It was all to trick her. Aang cut in then, explaining what Rose had shared about soulmates and their soulbond.
     "It's true." Aurora said. "Destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things will come to pass."
     "And what was all that about saving Appa?" Katara continued, ignoring Aurora. "What a liar!"
     "Actually, he wasn't lying." Toph stated, flatly.
     "Oh hooray!" Sokka replied, sarcastically. "In a lifetime of evil, at least he didn't add animal cruelty to the list."
     "I'm just saying," Toph continued, "considering his messed up family and how he was raised, he could've turned out a lot worse."
    "You're right, Toph." Katara said, sarcastically. "Let's go find him and give him a medal...the "not as much of a jerk as you could've been" award."
     "All I know is that while he was talking to us, he was sincere. Maybe you're all just letting your hurt feelings keep you from thinking clearly."
     They argued with her, pointing out all the messed up things he'd done. "And are you willing to put Rose through all of that again, knowing how torn up she is?"
     Rose was sitting beside her sister, crying silently. Aurora cleared her throat. "She'll be ok. He is her destiny, after all."
     "Besides that," Toph added, "you're all ignoring one crucial fact: Rose needs a firebending teacher."
    With that, she turned and left.
                         * * * * *
    The next morning, Team Avatar 2.0 and all the children sat in the temple, serving up what food they had at their disposal. Rose silently accepted her bowl of food and retreated into a corner to eat beside Aurora who comforted her.
     "Has anyone seen Toph?" Katara finally broke the silence.
     "I haven't seen her since she stormed off yesterday."
     "I think we should go look for her."
     The kids offered to go find her, heading out moments later. Toph appeared soon after, busting through a pile of rocks. Team Avatar ran to check on her.
     "Toph, what happened?"
     "My feet got burned."
     She explained that she went to see Zuko and he accidentally burned her feet.
     "See?" Sokka said in response. "You trusted Zuko and you got burned...literally."
     "Zuko is clearly too dangerous to be left on his own." Catie said as katara worked on healing Toph's feet. "We're gonna have to go after him."
     "I hate to go looking for a fight but we have no choice." Aang added.
     The group began brainstorming ideas to take Zuko prisoner. They set Toph down with her feet in the water of a nearby fountain.
     "Luckily enough, he will come to us." Aurora stated in her usual cryptic tone.
     Unbeknownst to Team Avatar, Combustion Man was watching them and, this time, he wasn't alone. As he prepared to kill the team, Zuko swung on a vine out of nowhere and knocked him down.
     "Stop!" he shouted. "I don't want you hunting the Avatar anymore! Im ordering you to stop! You were never supposed to kill her in the first place!"
     "Oh, Zuko, how disappointing!" Malvina said, appearing on one side of Combustion Man, her sister on his other side. "I hired him to kill your little girlfriend. He won't listen to you but he will listen to me. Kill them all!"
    "No!" Zuko shouted.
    "I'll handle the witches!" Aurora shouted. "The rest of you draw that man's fire!"
    A fight ensued but despite the fact they outnumbered Combustion Man and the witches, they couldn't get a good angle to fight off them. Sokka came up with a plan, hitting Combustion Man with his boomerang. Unable to focus his power, he accidentally blew himself up.
    Growling in anger, Malvina grabbed her sister and disappeared. Zuko joined the group to check on them after the fight.
    "I can't believe I'm saying this but, thanks, Zuko." Aang said.
    Zuko approached them. "Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday." he explained. "I've been through a lot in the past few years, and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth.
    "I thought I had lost my honor and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn yourself by choosing to do what's right. All I want now is to play my part in ending this war. And I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world.
     "I'm sorry for what I did to you." he apologized to Toph. "It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild. So as a firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending so I don't hurt people unintentionally."
     Rose finally spoke up. "I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher. Elements like air, water, and earth are easy to control because they are inanimate.
    "But fire and aether are alive. Advanced aetherbending requires a vast amount of skill because the spirits don't listen to the living. Fire, in the same way, is alive and mischievous.
    "Both can be dangerous if you're not careful. And now I can see that you understand that as well. I'd like you to be my teacher."
     "Thank you." Zuko said, bowing to Rose in the firebending gesture of respect, her following his example. "I'm so happy you've accepted me into your group."
     "Not so fast." Rose said. "I still have to ask the others if it's ok with them." She turned her attention to Aang first. "Aang, you're my Guardian, my oldest friend, and my honorary brother. What do you think?"
     "You're my family, Rose. I will follow you, regardless."
     "Thank you. Toph, you're the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?"
     "Go ahead and let him join. It'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet."
     Rose smiled. "Catie, you're my sister. What do you think?"
     "Do what you have to do, sis. This is your choice."
     "Sokka?"
     "Hey, all I want is to defeat the Fire Lord. If you think this is the best way to do it, then I'm all for it."
     "Aurora?"
     "It is what shall be."
     Rose shook her head at the seer's cryptic words and finally turned to the one she considered would be the biggest problem. "Katara?"
     "I'll go along with whatever you think is right. But if he hurts you again, he's a dead man."
    With that, she turned and walked off, Sokka and Catie running to check on her.
    "I won't let you down, I promise." Zuko said, walking towards the group.
    Yet, they walked away.
                         * * * * *
    Later that day, Sokka showed Zuko to where he'd be staying for the foreseeable future. After Katara threatened him, Zuko decided to visit Rose.
    He stood outside her door, exhaled deeply, and knocked. Rose opened the door. "Hey. I wanted to see you. Can we talk?"
    Rose looked hesitant. "Ok. Come in."
    She opened the door more for him, letting him in. No sooner was the door shut than his lips were on hers, pulling her into his body. Rose pulled away.
    "I can't."
    "What do you mean?" Zuko asked. "Didn't you get my letters? I meant every word of what I said. I still love you. I want to make up for everything I've done; be the man you deserve."
     "And I understand that." Rose said, sadness clouding her features. "And I love you. I always will. But you broke my heart when you betrayed me in Ba Sing Se and, as noble as your intentions are to try to fix what happened between us and be a better man," She looked up at him through the tears in her eyes, "I need to protect my heart. That's why I can't be with you right now. Maybe someday we can fix what was broken but....I don't know. I'm sorry, Zuko."
    His heart shattered in that moment. As Rose pushed him out the door, he finally understood how much he must've hurt her.
    There was only one thing left to do: he had to make it up to her.