peacekeeping- zuko

Warriors of the Sun

We were all eating or had finished eating and we're just chilling outside. Momo was cuddled in my lap, taking a nice, long, nap. Hey, that rhymes. Anyways, we were talking about turtle ducks and how cute they are. A very important conversation. "Listen, everybody. I've got some bad news. I've lost my stuff." Zuko announced. Toph raised her arms over her head. "Don't look at me, I didn't touch your stuff." She said, lowing her arms and crossing them. "I'm talking about my firebending. It's gone. Like Y/N's." I stopped petting Momo, "Hey! I can still make a fire. I mean, I made this one." I said pointing to the fire in the middle.

"Barely." Haru smirked. "Shut up, Earth boy." I shot. We all turned back to Zuko, faces turning serious. Katara laughed and we all turned to her. This is a serious issue, why is she laughing. "I'm concerned." I whispered to Toph. She laughed, waiting for Katara to answer. "Sorry, I'm just laughing at the irony. You know, how good it would've been for us if you'd lost your firebending a long time ago." I'm still concerned. "Well, it's not lost, it's just...weaker for some reason." Zuko shrugged. I raised my hand, "Same here, hun."

"Maybe your not as good as you think you are." Katara shot. "Ouch." Toph smiled, sarcastically. "H-hey, that applies to me, too. Words hurt, y'know." I whined, also being sarcastic. "Sorry." Katara shrugged. She didn't seem sorry. Honestly, I didn't expect her to be. Something clicked in Zuko's head and he perked up, "I bet it's because I changed sides. Same with Y/N." Katara took a sip of her soup, "That's ridiculous." "I don't know. Maybe it isn't. Maybe your firebending comes from rage and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it like you used to." Aang offered. "Soooo, all we have to do is make Zuko and Y/N angry? Easy enough." Sokka started poking Zuko with his sword's hilt.

"Okay, cut it out! Even if your right, I don't wanna rely on hate and anger anymore. There has to be another way." "You two are gonna need to learn how to draw your firebending from a different source. I recommend the original source." Toph suggested. "How are they supposed to do that? By jumping into a volcano?" Sokka said, enthusiastically. "I don't want to jump into a volcano!" I yelped. "No, you guys need to go back and find the original source of firebending." Toph explained. "So, is it jumping into a volcano?" Sokka asked, confidence flattered. "I don't know. For earthbenders, the original benders were the badger moles." Toph told us about a story where she met the badger moles and learned her earthbending from them.

"Well, this doesn't help me! The original firebenders were the dragons and they're extinct!" Zuko exclaimed, frustrated. "What do mean? Roku had a dragon, and there were plenty of dragons when I was a kid." Aang wondered. "Well, they aren't around anymore, okay?!!" Zuko yelled. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry." Aang said, backing off. I sighed, eyes landing on Momo's fur, moonlight glinting off of it. I turned to the moon. Two fishes crossed my vision. The Spirit Oasis from the North Pole also appeared. The vision ended. What are you trying to tell me, Sorla? The Spirit Oasis appeared again, the fishes swimming around. The Sun and Moon spirits. The moon. The sun. The sun.

"Zuko, the Sun Warriors!" I exclaimed. Zuko turned to me. "We learned this in third grade. They're like the waterbender's at the Tribe. They saw the moon and were like, oh let's copy that. But for us, the Sun Warriors saw the dragons and were like, let's copy that." I explained. "Oh yeah. Their civilization isn't far from here. They died off thousands of years ago, but I bet we can find something if we poke around." Zuko added. Aang joined in, "It's like the monks used to tell me. Sometimes, the shadows of the past can be felt by the present."

"So, what? Maybe you'll pick up some super old Sun warrior energy just by standing where they stood a thousand years ago?" Sokka asked. "More or less. Either I find a new way to firebend or Y/N and Aang have to find a new teacher." Momo had waken up and was chasing moths, jumping over my head and climbing on my shoulders. "Maybe I can find some spirits to talk to there. I'd like a new spirit friend." I smiled, picking up Momo. "Well, good luck with that. I'm heading to bed." Toph announced. We all followed her little by little.

*******************

"We've been riding for hours. I don't why, but I thought this thing would be a lot faster." Zuko complained. Appa groaned, not taking Zuko's comment very happily. "Language Appa. Language." I sighed, having scolded Appa about his words many times before. "I mean, he's right, though. In our group, typically we start our missions with a more upbeat attitude." Aang's voice said from somewhere over the saddle. "Ugh. I can't believe this." Zuko whispered, slouching down. "Don't worry, you'll get it," Aang smiled. Well, I think he did. I couldn't see him so. I looked over Appa's saddle, Zuko's arm around me, making sure I jump over the edge. Sounds like something I'd do. I've done it before. Katara did not take it well and lectured me about safety and what not.

Water rushed past us as we skimmed on top it. I bent some it, freezing the water into shapes and bringing it with us. I had to let go once we passed some mountains, though, since the water couldn't cross it. "Whoa." The civilization was in ruins, but it was still...mystical. "I don't sense any spirits." I announced, "But I do sense energy. I think there's still some people here." "That's impossible. They died a thousand years ago." Zuko said. I shrugged. "Alright, whatever. I still feel like there's humans, though. But, maybe it's just the energy around here."

Zuko grabbed my hand, not wanting to let me wander off somewhere and get myself killed or something. Aang was telling us about how the past is great. "Hopefully, we can learn something about firebending. The past can be a great teacher." He tripped over a string and the ground in front sunk a little, revealing sharp spikes. My hand shot up, but Aang didn't need any help. He blew air from his mouth, narrowly missing the spikes. "Guys, I think the past is trying to kill me." Aang rushed with the face of pure terror. Zuko knelt down to inspect it, still holding my hand. "I can't believe it. This booby trap must be centuries old and it still works."

"There's probably a lot more. Maybe this means we shouldn't be here." Aang suggested. Zuko let go of my hand ran across, using the wall. I'm so glad Katara gave me her water pouch too. I iced the water, making a bridge for me. "Where's the upbeat attitude you were talking about?" Zuko smiled, taking my hand again. "Besides, people don't make traps unless there's something worth protecting." I stumbled over a pile of rubble. "Wait, is that a turtleduck?" I asked, noticing some fur peeking out of the rubble I had accidentally moved. A duck's head poked out of the rubble. I crouched down and held out a hand. The turtleduck climbed on it. "That's weird. Turtleducks usually don't trust people they haven't seen before."

I held it out to Zuko and it climbed up my arm. "Heh. Looks like all the turtleducks in the world hate you." Zuko sent me a glare. "Hey, I was just showing my mom how Azula fed them, not how I do." Zuko exclaimed, indignantly. "They still hate you, though." I smiled, scratching it's head. We approached the temple and I set the turtleduck down. It ran off to who knows where. Aang asked about the dragons and Zuko explained to him about the dragon hunting hobby that had been created years ago. "But I thought your uncle was....I don't know, good?"

"He had a complicated past. Family tradition, I guess. Let's just move on." Zuko sighed. "Everyone in the Gaang has had a complicated past, hun. It's kinda sad." I shrugged. We found the door which did not open at all. Aang tried prying it open with his staff. "Move." I ordered, pushing him out of the way. I took out Zuko's pearl dagger from my shoe and slipped it inside the lock. I turned it, and pulled. Nothing. "Zuko, hand me a sword." Zuko threw me one his katanas which I slammed into the small space between the two closed doors. I kicked the doors and they rumbled a bit. I handed Zuko his sword back. "Nevermind. The past also had good locks."

"Wait. It's a celestial calendar. Just like the Fire Sages have in their temples. I bet that sunstone opens the door, but only when the sunlight hits at just the right angle. On the solstice." Zuko explained. "Monkeyfeathers! They solstice again? We can't wait here that long." Aang whined, exasperated. I kicked a rock that was minding its own business, "Fricking solstice." "No, we can't. But we might be able to speed time up. Let's see if we can outsmart the stone." Zuko decided, placing his sword close to ground, reflecting the sunlight. We waited for a while. "Nothings happening." Aang stated. "Can we go home?" I whined. "...Come'n." Zuko breathed.

The doors rumbled open. Woah. Zuko grabbed my hand again, approaching the hall. "Y'know Zuko, I don't care what anyone else says about you. Your pretty smart." Aang complimented, elbowing Zuko. Zuko smiled. Awww, the angsty teenager finally smiled.