The Flames of the past (Avatar: Zuko love story)

Chapter 20: Mia the Fire-Bending teacher

"Mia?" Aang asked quietly when they were resting at a river for a moment.
Mia stopped doing her Fire Bending moves and looked at Aang. "Yes?" Mia asked and she looked at Aang.
"I want you to learn me how to bend Fire." He said. Mia sighed annoyed. "Aang, we have discussed this before...-"
"- I know, but please, only a few moves. I know I have to master water and earth first, but..." Aang stopped for a second, "you are the only one who can help me." Mia frowned and looked at Sokka and Katara who both shrugged. "Fine." Mia said and she took a deep breathe. "Let me do this first." She said. Her one hand was stretched to the left, and her finger tops straight to the sun. Her other hand went to that point, down to her armpit, stomach, other armpit and shot out to the sky. Out of her finger tips a bright shot of lightening was seen.

With open mouths the other three looked at her, not knowing what to say. "Are you going to teach me that?!" Aang asked super excited. "No." Mia replied strict. "Zuko's uncle Iroh taught me it. Only a few Fire Benders are blessed with it. Like my mom..." That last thing came very quietly out of her mouth, for her mother killed a man once with lightening on purpose. "Okay let's start with what Fire Bending IS." Mia said.

Aang sat down in front of her and Mia took a deep breathe. When she breathed out, smoke came out of her mouth. "Fire is energy and the element of power. Firebenders use their chi as a source for their bending. So, breathing and the energy of the sun is very important. This facet of firebending is a sharp contrast to the other bending arts, which manipulate already present sources of their element, though firebenders can also control or enhance flames nearby. Unlike other bending disciplines, firebending has few defensive moves aside from blocking and dodging, although master firebenders are able to create walls of fire to absorb incoming attacks or shoot down approaching projectiles."

"Like you?" Aang asked. "Yes." Mia replied.
"You are a powerful bender..." Aang said quietly. "No I am a bender with discipline," Mia replied calm, "have you looked at Zuko's face? That can also happen by accident. You could burn the skin of his skull only at talking to loud at him or sneezing in front if his face. Just like Air, it comes from yourself. If you haven't any discipline, and only use it to destroy, you will be very, very dangerous. You understand?" Aang nodded slowly and Mia clapped in her hands. "Go ahead. Go and breathe. Inwards through the nose, outside through the mouth. Your face towards the sun, your eyes closed to concentrate."

"That's it?" He asked. "For now, yes." Mia said and she walked away, leaving Aang alone. After three hours Mia returned and Aang still sat on the stone. "We are going to work with Fire now." She said calm. Aang immediately stood up and cheered. "I mean.... let us begin." He said quickly. Mia grabbed a leaf that fell down and burned a hoe in it with her fingers. "Concentrate on the Fire," Mia said and she gave the leaf to Aang, "I want you to weaken the Fire for burning the edges as long as possible." Mia said and she walked away again. Katara walked towards her and Mia whispered: "Please keep an eye on him, before he burns himself." Katara nodded and Mia walked away into the forest.
"This is the worst Fire Bending instruction EVER!" He yelled after Mia, who ignored him.

Mia heard a scream after a minute or two and rushed back to to Aang. Mia find Katara crying and Sokka on top of Aang, ready to punch him. "What the heck is going on? Get off him, Sokka! Now!" Mia yelled while she ran over to Katara, but she ran away.
"He burned my sister! This is all your fault!" Sokka yelled back to Mia.
"Shut up! You should worry about your sister, I will teach Aang a lesson without wanting to punch him in the face!" Mia yelled back. Sokka frowned and angrily he ran to Katara. "Mia... I am so sorry, I just wanted to..." He cried. Mia looked very angrily at him, but she knew he didn't do it on purpose, so she sat down next to him and hugged him. "Please listen to me next time, fire is so dangerous."

"I will never, ever bend fire again! It's only pain and distruction! I hate it!" He yelled.
"It's life... energy..." Mia mumbled, "and you must do it Aang. Eventually." She said quietly.
After a few minutes Katara and Sokka came back. "How are your hands?" Mia asked.
"H-healed." Katara replied confused.
Mia stood up and looked at her hands. "You have healing abilities... Just like my mom. Some people are blessed with it. You are lucky." Mia replied with a smile.

Aang apoligized to Katara and Sokka, and Mia was feeling very stupid. While they were on Appa, Katara noticed Aang was burned a bit as well. "Let me do that." Katara said and she bend some water and put it on Aang's arm. It lightened up, and the red spot of Aang was gone. "Wow that's some good water..." Aang said with a smile. "When did you learned that?" Sokka asked. "I guess I always had that in me. Only I never knew." She replied. "Pff..." Sokka started, "if you knew that earlier I wouldn't have had two fish hooks in my thumb!"
Mia laughed. "I remember that!"
"How do you get two fish hooks in your thumb?" Aang asked, seriously thinking about it.
"He tried to get the fish hook out with another fish hook." Mia said grinning and she closed her eyes. That night, she dreamed about the Fire Bending lessons she got from Uncle Iroh, who were always as intresting and fun.

~

Mia knew they would pass the Northern Air Temple, and of course Aang wanted to visit it. Luckily for Mia, that would be the last stop before the Northern Water Tribe. "Mia could you do the lightening again?" Sokka asked, "cuz that was pretty impressive." Mia frowned at him. "I don't think so. It reminds me of my mom, she roated a man once on purpose." Sokka swallowed loudly and Katara looked with her big blue eyes at Mia. "Oh.." Was the only thing Sokka could say. Snow was already lying on top of the hill. Honestly Mia wanted to put Fire Nation clothes on. Beautiful and comfortable, but if she'd do that now... She would be in huge trouble. Her clothes doesn't even fit her anymore.

"Hey guys, look at this!" Aang yelled. Mia looked up and they saw the Northern Air Temple, with things flying around it. "THEY ARE AIRBENDERSSSSSS!" Katara yelled amazed. "No, they aren't..." Aang said quietly. "BUt they are flying!" Sokka yelled. A guy with a flying-thing like Aang has, but then bigger, flew over Appa, followed by a few others. "We should find some solid ground, before we would crash down." Sokka said and Appa landed down. Mia, Sokka and Katara stepped off and Aang landed down as well. One of the flying guys was injured, or paralized, for he laid in a kind of wheelchair. He rushed to the four and said amazed to Aang: "Hey! You are a real airbender! You must be the Avatar!" He yelled, "that's amazing! I-I've heards tories about you!"
"Thanks..." Aang replied and cratched his bald head.

"wow! That air glider chair is incredible!" Sokka said when he walked up to the guy. "Yeah? Well wait until you see what other things my dad designed." He went away and the four followed him. When they entered the temple it looked more like a factory. Mia looked at Aang, who was looking at tye whole thing with an open mouth. "My dad's the mastermind behind this. Everythings's powered by hot air," the boy said, "it even pumps hot air currents outside to give us a lift when we're gliding."
"This place is unbelievable." Aang said.
"It's great isn't it? No, just unbelievable." Aang replied.

"Aang used to come here a long time ago... He is just very amazed by how.... Different it is." Mia said and walked up to Aang, who was looking at a wall painting, where pipelines rushed through. "This is supposed to be the history of my people." Aang said quietly. Mia laid a ahand on his shoulder, but he walked away.
"I am sure some parts of the temple are still the same." Mia said to Aang when they moved on.
They met Teo's (that's the boy's name) father, and the folk that now lived there. They were the victims of a huge flood, that washed away their village. They came up here and build up a new life. Sokka was gone with Teo's dad, and Mia, Katara and Aang went along with Teo. "There's on part of the temple that is still unharmed." Teo said when they stopped at a huge door.

"That's the same door we saw at the other airtemple." Katara said.
"Only an Airbender can open it... I have always wondered how it looked like inside." Teo mumbled.
"Aang?" Katara asked hopeful.
Aang opened the door and they stepped in. All four mouths opened and they looked at a room, that was red. A huge red flag with black fire hung on the wall, surrounded by weapons.
"This is a nightmare..." Aang said quietly. "Wait!" The father of Teo yelled.
"You are making weapons for the Fire Nation!!!" Aang yelled angrily and pointed to him.