To Zuko, firebending had always been a tool, a dangerous, unreliable tool. A tool that was never the right tool for the job, but always had to be good enough. Fire was pain, and blindness, and a time when he had once been able to see. Fire was something he could never turn his back on.
“It’s like a little heartbeat,” Aang whispered. It sounded as if he were smiling, just a little bit. Zuko’s heart sank.
He tried to give that knowledge to the Avatar, but the Avatar was Aang, and there was nowhere for wariness to take root in Aang, only fear or easy acceptance.
Zuko felt the fire in his hand. It was nothing like a heartbeat. He could feel the fire in Aang’s hands like a spot of color in the shadows. All around him, there were little spots of color, and behind him, in the first flame, the color pooled and shimmered.
He closed his useless glass eyes. Fire pulsed and wove through the air around him, but Zuko held tight to the fire in Aang’s hands and followed it up the temple steps. And when it went out, he climbed a step that wasn’t there and stumbled. As he fell heavily to his knees on the stone bridge, his hand itched for his cane, in the hands of the Sun Warriors at the bottom of the stairs.
The bridge under their feet rumbled under them both, and Aang froze and Zuko ran into him. “Uh oh,” Aang said softly, standing rigidly, back to Zuko.
Then the rumbling stopped. A roar cut through the air and Zuko turned his head to the sound, hands coming up to shield his face.
“You still think we can take them?” Aang whispered. Zuko could hear the smirk in his annoying little voice.
“Shh.” Zuko hissed. “I never said that.” Then what else Aang had said connected inside his brain. “Wait, there’s more than one?”
Aang nodded. Zuko could feel the flex in his shoulders until he moved back. “Two.”
Two dragons. They had to be dragons.
“Zuko,” Aang muttered, poking him in the back with his elbow. “I think we’re supposed to do The Dragon Dance with them.”
“What?” Zuko demanded. “What about this situation that you think they want us to dance?” Of course this was how it was going to end. He was going to be eaten by dragons.
“Well, I think they want us to do something,” the Avatar hissed anxiously. “Let’s just try it.”
Zuko hadn’t seen the statues. His body scrambled to remember the sequence of moves. Every time he put his feet down, he breathed out, afraid the ground wouldn’t be there. The bridge’s edge had to be somewhere. He heard the sounds of the dragons, flying just beyond.
His fists hit Aang’s, and the two stilled. A snarl sent hot air into Zuko’s face. Aang shook, and Zuko froze.
The fire came for them both. The screams burst out of their throats together. They couldn’t stop them.
The fire rolled through the air past them and around them. Zuko felt the fire, and the warmth as it wrapped around them. It lived. It moved around them. Sunlight. It felt like sunlight, if sunlight breathed.
“I understand,” he breathed, but he wasn’t sure he did anymore.
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branchandroot
Quiet Shadowed Places: Fire Bending Masters
Date: 2010-10-06 08:12 pm (UTC)“It’s like a little heartbeat,” Aang whispered. It sounded as if he were smiling, just a little bit. Zuko’s heart sank.
He tried to give that knowledge to the Avatar, but the Avatar was Aang, and there was nowhere for wariness to take root in Aang, only fear or easy acceptance.
Zuko felt the fire in his hand. It was nothing like a heartbeat. He could feel the fire in Aang’s hands like a spot of color in the shadows. All around him, there were little spots of color, and behind him, in the first flame, the color pooled and shimmered.
He closed his useless glass eyes. Fire pulsed and wove through the air around him, but Zuko held tight to the fire in Aang’s hands and followed it up the temple steps. And when it went out, he climbed a step that wasn’t there and stumbled. As he fell heavily to his knees on the stone bridge, his hand itched for his cane, in the hands of the Sun Warriors at the bottom of the stairs.
The bridge under their feet rumbled under them both, and Aang froze and Zuko ran into him. “Uh oh,” Aang said softly, standing rigidly, back to Zuko.
Then the rumbling stopped. A roar cut through the air and Zuko turned his head to the sound, hands coming up to shield his face.
“You still think we can take them?” Aang whispered. Zuko could hear the smirk in his annoying little voice.
“Shh.” Zuko hissed. “I never said that.” Then what else Aang had said connected inside his brain. “Wait, there’s more than one?”
Aang nodded. Zuko could feel the flex in his shoulders until he moved back. “Two.”
Two dragons. They had to be dragons.
“Zuko,” Aang muttered, poking him in the back with his elbow. “I think we’re supposed to do The Dragon Dance with them.”
“What?” Zuko demanded. “What about this situation that you think they want us to dance?” Of course this was how it was going to end. He was going to be eaten by dragons.
“Well, I think they want us to do something,” the Avatar hissed anxiously. “Let’s just try it.”
Zuko hadn’t seen the statues. His body scrambled to remember the sequence of moves. Every time he put his feet down, he breathed out, afraid the ground wouldn’t be there. The bridge’s edge had to be somewhere. He heard the sounds of the dragons, flying just beyond.
His fists hit Aang’s, and the two stilled. A snarl sent hot air into Zuko’s face. Aang shook, and Zuko froze.
The fire came for them both. The screams burst out of their throats together. They couldn’t stop them.
The fire rolled through the air past them and around them. Zuko felt the fire, and the warmth as it wrapped around them. It lived. It moved around them. Sunlight. It felt like sunlight, if sunlight breathed.
“I understand,” he breathed, but he wasn’t sure he did anymore.