𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 ꩜ prince zuko

¹⁶

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

        IT TOOK YAN A while to adjust to Zuko's presence on Team Avatar. She still carried a deep-seated resentment toward him and went out of her way to avoid any interaction. If he sat near her, she would quietly shift away; if he tried to speak to her, she would turn on her heel and leave. The trust wasn't there — maybe it never would be — and her anger simmered just beneath the surface. Knowing Yan, forgiveness was unlikely; for now, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and endure his presence. Even Katara had pulled Zuko aside, making it crystal clear that if he so much as threatened Aang or anyone in the group, she wouldn't hesitate to end his redemption journey herself.

        Aang spent the day training with Zuko, or at least that's what he thought they were doing. It quickly became clear that something was off; as Zuko attempted to demonstrate his firebending techniques, his usual fierce power had all but vanished. Where once there had been roaring flames, now there was barely a flicker sputtering from his fists. Aang initially chalked it up to the high altitude of the temple, suggesting they move to a lower level. But even there, nothing changed; Zuko's firebending was gone and neither of them could figure out why.

        "Listen, everybody, I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my firebending," he remarked as the group sat around the campfire, sharing dinner. Katara suddenly burst into laughter, prompting puzzled glances from everyone around the circle.

        Katara chuckled softly, Yan raising a brow at her. "I'm sorry, I'm just laughing at the irony. You know how it would've been nice for us if you'd lost your firebending a long time ago? Maybe you're just not as good as you think you are." she chuckled as she glanced over at Zuko. Yan joined in with a quiet laugh, nodding in agreement just as Momo scampered up and perched himself comfortably on her shoulders.

        Aang set his bowl down, his mind racing as he pondered why Zuko's firebending had become so noticeably weaker. "Maybe your firebending comes from rage, and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to," he suggested.

        Yan let out a playful huff as she finished her congee. "You want me to piss him off? I'm happy to do it, no risk involved. I've been itching for a good fight with him." A mischievous smile spread across her face as she cracked her fingers, eager to provoke Zuko enough to reignite his firebending. Call it getting even without actually getting even.

        "Let's save the landslide for another time, Yan. I got an idea." Sokka grinned as he stood up, prodding Zuko with a stick. While it didn't exactly anger him, it was starting to get under his skin until Zuko finally snapped, shouting at Sokka to stop.

        "Okay, cut it out! Look, even if you're right, I don't want to rely on hate and anger anymore. There has to be another way." Zuko sighed in annoyance, rubbing his temples to ease a growing migraine.

        "You're gonna need to learn to draw your firebending from a different source. I recommend the original source. You need to go back to whatever the original source of firebending is. For earthbending, the original benders were badgermoles. I met a badgermole when I was younger when I ran away and hid in a cave; I learned earthbending from them not only as a martial art but as an extension of my senses." Toph suggested, Sokka sitting beside her and cracking a few jokes which she ignored.

        Aang listened in wonder, smiling widely at her short story. "That's amazing, Toph! I learned from the monks, but the original airbenders were the sky bison. The ocean and the moon spirits were the original waterbenders, that's how the people of the Northern and Southern Water Tribes learned how to bend water; they watched the moon push and pull the tides." Aang explained, glancing at both Appa and Katara with his loving smile.