After The Ending

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

    I spotted the mural but it was casted over by shadows, I pulled on Zuko's wrist, he was using a flame for lighting so I needed him. With that I looked at the mural with the fire on his palm. He looked at me and I let go of his hand as I glared past him.

   "This mural illustrates the history of the Fire Nation, including it's myths and legends." Zuko explained as Aang and I looked at it.

   "Oh, Yeah!" Aang replied. "But it all stops here." We came to the doors.

   "When Sozin came to power, he ordered the rest of this corridor sealed off, as if the Fire Nation history began with him." Zuko explained.

   "Conceded much." I muttered and they looked at me, I walked over to the door. "Why didn't he just destroy it?"

   "He wanted access, just in case." Zuko answered coming up next to me. "You can still learn from the past, even if you officially deny it's existence.
   I'm guessing we'll find something about the Kemurikage behind that wall."

   "You know, there's something just like this in the sages' temple on Crescent Island!" Aang told Zuko. "Zuko, if you and I send fire blasts into each of the dragons' mouths, the whole thing will open right up!"

   "Worth a try." Zuko replied and they got into position.

   "Ready when you are!" Aang told Zuko who looked back at the three of us.

   "You might want to stand back." Zuko told us.

   "We're fine, thanks." Mai answered and we watched as they shot fire at it and nothing happened.

   I leaned against a wall and watched them continue to shoot fire at the dragons. "Yo, Firebrain." Zuko glared at me. "Shouldn't the Fire Lord have a key? Or did you lose it on a date with your ex?"

   "Woah!!" Aang nervously smiled. "Maybe one more try! Right?"

   "You've given it like, twenty tries already! My turn!" Sora walked up to the doors.

   "I didn't know you could firebend, Sora!" Aang said surprised.

   "I can't." Sora replied. "Mai, can I borrow four of your throwing knives?
   If you two had taken the time to study the dragons, instead of just blasting away, you would've notice the the locking mechanisms aren't in the dragons's mouths." He stuck the knife into a nose.

   "Wait, you're gonna pick the dragons noses? That seems awfully disrespectful." Aang said. "Not to mention gross."

   "Babe, can you help me out here?" Sora asked Mai who said sure.

   "Babe?" Aang asked.

   "Aang, you're in no place to talk." I rolled my eyes "Sweetie?" He looked at me. "What?"

   "Love." He mocked and I felt a blush come over my face.

   "Look the doors opened!" I said as Sora and Mai unlocked the door.

   "Well, look at that!" Aang walked in with the others. "You were right, Zuko! The mural keeps going!"

   We walked in to the dark and cold halls it reminded me of home. I guess I had been gone for far to long because I shivered slightly.
   My mind was still stuck on the concept of Zuko and Mai. I knew they dated but did he really have to bring me to the same date spot? I felt embarrassed about it in front of Sora.
   I hugged myself and sighed, why do I even care?

   "Oh, look, more of Zuko's cranky ancestors." Mai said and Sora laughed.

   "They don't all look cranky." Aang pointed out one specifically. "This guy's more stoic. How many Fire Lords were there?"

   "I'm not sure." Zuko replied. "The history books I studied as a kid all began with Sozin. But I bet this is the first one, the one who united the fire islands." Zuko shined his fire at the painting.

   "Guys I think I found what we're looking for." Sora pointed to a mural. "The spirits who kidnapped Tom-Tom, that's exactly what they looked like."

   "The Kemurikage." Mai said.

   "Creepy." Aang said as I left to look around.

   I spotted a small box that was in the shape of a house and inside was a red scroll. I pulled it out and opened it. "Aang, Come here, I need some light."

   "I got it." Zuko said after standing next to me.

   "It's the story." I smiled, they all stood around me and I began to read. "Long ago, long before the Fire Nation came into existance, Warlords ruled the fire islands. They fought one another for territory, and often the common people were caught in the middle. All warlords were cruel and ruthless, but worst of them was a brute named Toz.
   Feast or famine, Toz demanded annual tributes from all the villages in his territory. One year, a village dared to refuse Toz his tribute and so to teach them a lesson, Toz had all the village's children kidnapped. The children were never seen again, and the village's mother died in sadness."

   "How horrible!" Aang said. "Where was my past life in all this?"

   "Maybe this was before the first Avatar." Zuko replied.

   "I never said I was done." I said and they looked at me. "Soon after the Mother's deaths, dark spirits began to haunt Toz and his men. Every so often they would drift into the Warlords encampment in the middle of the night. The next morning a child would be gone.
   Out of fear Toz's men abandoned him. His regime collapsed however, the dark spirits the Kemurikage continue to appear, even to this day, their sadness insatiable."

   "Eeesh." Sora said. "Maybe Sozin kept acient Fire nation history locked away because it was so depressing."

   "Kaida, I think you summoned something by reading the scroll!" Aang said. "Look!"

   We looked up at the glowing smoke that drifted from the mural. It swirled around Aang's arm and past him. "Neat!" He said and started chasing it.

   "Aang! Where are you going?! It could be dangerous down there!" Zuko called to the younger boy.

   "But I think it wants me to follow it!" Aang replied chasing it.

   "He's the Avatar." I shrugged and ran after Aang hearing what the others said.

   "This kind of thing happens a lot?" Sora asked.

   "With the Avatar? All the time." Zuko replied.

   "Interesting friends you got there, Zuko." I heard Mai say.

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Re-Edited; 7/17/21