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Hail Fire Lord Zuko
Favor smiles on you this, and all days forth
You will come to the Dwelling of the Master on the eighth day of the second month in the earth season
Come just as you are. Your actions speak for you
All will be revealed at the appointed time
With life comes sacrifice
Lǐng Xiù of the Sun Warriors
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“But, Sire- it is unheard of and so unbecoming-”
Zuko kept steadfastly \ loading the small airship , side stepping the gaggle of advisers, and stowing a crate of supplies aboard the deck.
“At the very least, take a squad of firebenders-”
“The answer is still no, Shyu.” The group collectively groaned as Zuko calmly reiterated for the umteenth time. “The letter was clear. I’m going, and I need to go alone.”
“But what if something should happen to you?”
Zuko had thought about that. Of all the possible outcomes for being summoned by the Sun Warriors- from awards to retribution- Zuko knew going alone was not wise. How many assassination attempts was he up to now? It had to be a couple of dozen at least… But sometimes you just have to have faith that everything will turn out alright and you won’t get eaten by a dragon.
One could only hope.
He was packed and off by midday. The wind was in his favor so he should arrive at the settlement in the early hours of dawn the next day. He unfurled the letter and read it over once more, absently slipping his hand under the lip of his nagagi and rubbing the ridges of the star shaped scar that resided there. It was a familiar habit, the rough texture of the scar tissue soothing below his fingertips. How the scar could calm him was a mystery. He almost died the day he received it.,The intense heat of fire and the smell of ozone consumed the sensory memory tied to the mark- tasting death's embrace meant nothing compared to the unbridled fear of not stopping the bolt in time. And blue, blue everywhere. Staring down Azula and being faced with that striking contrast of color in a world surrounded with orange and red- blue was never far from his mind- blue fire, blue water, blue energy-
Blue eyes.
Perhaps that’s what made it a comforting motion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was dark when he landed, and thankfully he knew what to expect this second time around. It had been some years since he visited the Sun Warriors After the war, he began correspondence with them. As part of the Harmony Restoration Program , he wished to unite the diverse population of the Fire Islands without the use of military oppression and lies the way his predecessors had.
Zuko just had to wait the short minutes until dawn, announce his presence and be patient until the people received him. Thank the spirits he wouldn’t have to deal with any booby traps or that awful black goo this time around. He was comforted in the fact that he was a guest for this visit.
For whatever that was worth .
Still… it wouldn’t hurt to tread lightly. Usually the Fire Lord was never far from his dual swords; however, Zuko left them stowed on desk. As a gesture of good will; he instead retrieved the crates of medical supplies he brought as a gift to his hosts courtesy of the newly appointed Water Tribe Ambassador. She was taking the Fire Nation by storm and rapidly carving a rather complicated and indelible place in the Fire Lord’s heart. But he couldn’t focus too much on that for fear of the inevitable heartbreak when she left to return to her people. His mind instead drifted to the cricket-moths that chirped their last songs in the stillness of the night. Once his tasks were complete, Zuko settled himself down on a tuffet of Pink Spirit Blossoms and focused on his breathing.
The peace didn't last a single second.
Something jabbed him in the ribs and Zuko lurched into a fighting stance.
“Woah-woah- take it easy there Fire Lord!”
He lowered his arms a fraction but was horribly outnumbered, completely surrounded by a huge group of heavily painted warriors. How on earth did they sneak up on him like that?
“You’re going to miss the sunrise just sitting there.”
“Oh- I though-”
A collective -and mildly unnerving- chuckle circled through the group as the Chief stepped forward. “Fire Lord Zuko,” He bowed respectfully deep to his host who strangely did not bow in return, “On behalf of my people I bid you welcome on this day of days!”
“I am honored by your invitation.” Zuko rose and the company started whooping in a way that he had never experienced. It was definitely a good sound–a warbling high pitched chirp that was musical in a way.
“Thank you all.” He sheepishly gestured behind him, “I’ve brought-”
“There is no need for modern luxuries here, Fire Lord Zuko.”
“It’s the least i can do-”
The chief shushed him with a single finger to his lips. “You need nothing .” Zuko’s eye bulged and he looked back and forth to the surrounding Sun Warriors. “In fact…”
Ling Xiu clapped his hand and four burly men grabbed his limbs and heaved Zuko above their heads. “Hey- what are you-”
“See that he is prepared for the ceremony!”
Another chorus of cheering sounded with yips and hollars echoing against the canyon walls. Zuko tried to flip himself in all directions to see where they were taking him, but even as the sky began to gray and the city rose up on all sides, he was upside-down and backward- completely unable to tell where he was going. And to top it off the entire civilization was coming out of their homes to join the procession of the ungainly Fire Lord.
He let his body flop against the backs of the two men holding his arms. There was a down-right parade of dancers, drummers and people clapping or juggling flames behind him. So many people! He had no idea the Sun Warrior civilization was so… established. Their existence was baffling, but this was a HUGE amount of people. They were all painted and ready for the day of days. The acrobatic dancers were particularly-
What in Agni’s name- “Katara?”
A dancer disappeared into the throng as soon as he spotted a flash of blue eyes.
It must have been a trick of the morning light. Blue eyes were uncommon in the Fire Nation, but perhaps more prevalent among the indiginous Sun Warriors.
Yes, there was a completely logical explanation.
“In you go, Fire Lord!”
Then with the most manly shriek, Zuko was hurled through the air and plunged into a frigid cold man-made pool in the middle of the square. He swam to get his head above water sputtering and trying to swallow the curses that were on his tongue. “Hey! What’s the big idea?!”
The Chief palmed his forehead. “Ay-yah! We forgot. A thousand apologies, my Lord. “ With another clap of his hand, Zuko was quickly removed from the pool, stripped of every shred of clothing he possessed, and deposited back into the water.
Right there.
In front of everyone !
He attempted in vain to shield his naked body within the water, but he was again being hoisted out of the pool. “Painter’s come forward!”
A tiny bit of white cloth was pinned around his most intimate parts, but it left nothing to the imagination; the wetness that still clung to him and dampened the translucent fabric. It probably looked as though he had peed himself .Needless to say, he was pretty sure his entire body was pink with embarrassment.
Four women draped in sheer, loosely woven ponchos replaced the men who carried him. Each woman’s face was covered with an intricate red veil that hid the finer details of their faces. They all carried a bowl of red powder and a vial of liquid. In what could only be called a choreographed motion, the women poured the liquid into the bowl and three moved around him on all sides. One woman remained directly in front of him and he watched her hand the vial back to a waiting receiving hand. All at once, the four women dipped two fingers into the smudge, stirred and touched color to his pale skin.
A woman behind him spoke, her voice wizzen with authority. “Close your eyes.”
Zuko obeyed, then felt a swift and sudden pull of energy from his skin. He was instantly dry- hair and all. Reflectively he tried to open his eyes, but the elder woman gave him a rap on the back of his skull. “Stay still, Fire Lord.”
They meticulously began painting his face, torso and legs, moving his limbs as needed. It was the most intimate touch he’d had in an extremely long time, but the onlooking crowd made it impossible to find any sort of enjoyment -or simple comfort- with these strangers’ touch. As it was, his nerves were wound tighter than a metalbent vice. Touch of any kind was something Zuko reserved for the people he cared for- Sokka’s arm slug round his shoulder, Toph’s good-natured punch, Suki’s whispered confidence, Aang’s embraces… and Katara.
A hand grazed his scar. He assumed that the touch was from the woman in front of him, and he jerked away from her. That was too invasive.
The four women paused, and Zuko let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding.
Breathe.
Focus on your breath and nothing else.
A hand came to rest gently along his jaw from the woman he assumed to be in front of him. A soothing whisper begged him with hushed urgency. “Trust me, Zuko.”
He swallowed, and nodded. The woman's thumb gently stroked his cheek as the painting was continued by the others. The gentle touch of the woman’s finger tips soothed him in a familial way he couldn’t explain and subconsciously leaned toward- her voice tender and fierce all at once. The inexplicable need to call out her name…
His mind was playing tricks on him.
Wait… the water had been pulled off of him. It felt like waterbending, but that was impossible- why would a waterbender be here? It was probably some fire bending technique that he wasn’t aware of. Any schoolboy could steam himself dry. Maybe an ancient Sun Warrior bending form? Yes, that had to be it.
These couldn’t be Katara’s resilient fingers- no matter how much as he wished they were.
“Keep your eyes closed.” The Elder woman's voice broke his thoughts and he gave another small nod. The woman in front of him finally removed her hand from his ruined cheek and he heard the squelch of smudge. A final symbol was drawn on his brow, two connecting half circle arches with a dot in the middle- an ancient symbol for the sun.
Something was quickly shoved into his hands and Ling Xiu’s voice rang out. “The ritual is complete, you may look upon yourself, Fire Lord.
Zuko blinked down at the bundle in his arms. A pair of pants- Praise Agni and all that is holy. Then he looked over the intricate geometric lines that covered his torso. He bowed gratefully to the three women in front of him.
“Thank you.” Zuko glanced at the Chief who gave him a thumbs up so he forced himself to grimace a smile back.
This is what he signed up for- this was just part of the ritual. He bowed again to the women lined up in front of him uttering another, “Thank you.” before he cocked his head. “Hey, weren’t there four of you?”
Ling Xiu stepped in front of him. “Dress quickly Fire Lord, the sun is graying over the horizon and we must go to the lair of the Masters.”
Zuko nodded curtly, waiting an awkward moment for the crowd around him to dissipate a bit; he didn’t need to expose himself any more than he already had. The pants were simply made in the style of the other Sun Warriors, but a distinctively embroidered waistband set it apart from the others. It looked like the sun setting over the ocean… or maybe the moon rising. The block colors flipped with each repetition of the pattern. Simple and effective. And perfectly balanced like Ran and Shaw themselves. The Fire Lord closed his eyes and took a breath in a silent prayer to the Spirits. This was a time for reverence and he was honored to be invited to bear witness to the ancient ritual.
“What's the matter, Fire Lord?”
Zuko froze.
“Never dressed yourself before?”
And blushed.
“Put on some pants already!”
That mocking voice he would know anywhere. He looked around frantically for the source of the voice, but Katara was nowhere to be seen.
“We haven't got all day!” A man to his left shouted impatiently.
Zuko went rigid and stooped to pull on the garb. Perhaps his ears were playing tricks on him now. The crowd was snickering at him again, and Zuko was starting to think that he was going crazy. But he wasn’t crazy- he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that had been Katara’s voice.
But then a young girl to his right said something to her friend about the shapeliness of his backside and… and now he couldn’t be sure. Zuko was trying very hard to not let the mockery sour his mood in this reverent time. But this kind of heckling was making it nearly impossible to keep his cool.
And he wouldn’t admit to the crippling disappointment that the ribbing wasn’t coming from Katara.
The Chief was shaking his head. “Leave him be- we can’t leave the Masters waiting.”
Zuko was finally dressed and took a moment to scrutinize his reflection in the pool. He definitely looked the part of a sun warrior. After a moment of contemplation, he pulled loose his top knot and re-tied his hair into a phoenix tail. Now he was presentable and he hurriedly jogged to catch up with the Chief.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When they reached the canyon at the base of the twin-peaked mountains, there was a familiar sight: Drummers seated at the ready, firebenders presenting their element at the ready, worshipers dancing and bowing with dogmatic reverence. Zuko realized then that the mountains that the Dragons called their home were perfectly positioned at true North and South. The sun rose, set and moved directly across the valley in its daily journey East to West. There were so many elements of this place that he hadn’t been able to appreciate the first time around. The young Fire Lord was again humbled and fell to his knees bowing toward the mountains with his own deep genuflection.
How had he of all people come to this moment? If anything, this experience only solidified Zuko’s present course in life. Through all his failures and mistakes, he must have done something right to be here. Washed clean -albeit was a bit barbarically washed- and found worthy once more.
An echoing voice sounded.“Just as the Great Sun, we humble ourselves in the Darkness of Night and greet the dawn.” Zuko peaked an eye up and looked around as the others in attendance all prostrated themselves along with him to the sound of a horn. The Fire Lord pressed his forehead a bit more deeply on to the earth as the announcer continued. “A new dawn approaches- this day of day begins.”
The drummers begin their summoning underscore. Keening wails of agony or joy- Zuko wasn’t completely sure which- rise up from the crowd. Should he join them? He closed his eyes and let the earth rumble beneath him until it melded into his bones.
Just as suddenly as it started, the chant ended.
“With Life Comes Sacrifice.”
Nothing moved.
Zuko could hear his heartbeat in his ears.
In the complete stillness a set of bare, tanned feet padded past him. And he couldn’t help it- he had to see what was happening. No one else was moving- he knew he shouldn’t move either, but Zuko had a strong need to see- to be sure-
The Fire Lord was struck dumb. Not a single thought could process the figure he watched ascending the steps. The sun rising behind him elongating the lone figure’s shadow their entire path. He would be in awe if it wasn’t for the white hot fear that gripped his soul in that moment.
It… it couldn’tbe.
No- it couldn’t be!
“Katara!”
She turned her profile in his direction and smiled in acknowledgement before she turned back to the stairs and continued her climb.
Agni and the spirits above! It was Katara!
And she was ascending the stairs! What in Koh’s Lair was she doing?! The world stood still- Zuko couldn’t breathe. She didn’t have the eternal flame! She needed it!
Zuko whipped his head around desperately looking for a flame he could give her- Tui and La what is he thinking?!! Katara wasn’t a firebender!
This couldn’t go on. “Psst!! Lǐng Xiù , hey!”
The Chief's eyes shifted in Zuko’s direction from his position on the ground.
“What’s going on?”
“ Shhhh !!” Someone interjected,
But Zuko was panicking, “She can’t firebed-”
Lǐng Xiù shrugged. “I suppose she will have to dance if she cannot present the flame. It worked for you.”
“But she doesn’t know that form!”
“Shhhhhhh!!!”
“Please, Lǐng Xiù call it off.”
“I’m sorry Fire Lord Zuko, but a sacrifice must be made.”
His chest throbbed painfully. Katara was about two-thirds of the way up the stairs. Zuko looked around helplessly- no one was doing anything to stop this madness. “Let me take her place- please Lǐng Xiù!”
Not her.
“This is the way it must be.”
“NO!!! Katara!!!”
She didn’t hear him; She was too far away. Zuko didn’t have time to debate within himself - pulling a flame from one of the bearers, he ran.
“Come back Fire Lord!”
Then he was running as fast as his legs would carry him. But Katara had already stepped onto the platform.
Just a little further!
Now she was bowing, and he could feel the rumbling from the mountain under his feet. The scar on his chest burned as he ran. He couldn’t- wouldn’t lose her, not while he could help it. One more step-
“Please Agni-”
The Master’s are coming- he was too late-
He felt Katara’s gasp and the heat of the opalescent fire as it brilliantly swirled around them. But he had her. She was safe. Zuko extended one arm over her shoulder with the eternal flame presented to the Masters while the other arm was wrapped securely around her collar bone, holding her as close to his body as possible. Nothing mattered now.
Katara was safe.
His body sagged in relief. He had her. He’d done it.
“Zuko- let me go!”
……
…Seriously?!! “Let you go- Katara, do you want to get eaten?!”
She shrugged his arms off her, and for the first time he realized that she had been holding something. “I have an offering. See?”
Zuko blinked. “That thing?!”
“Yes.” Katara gently cradled a golden oval that triggered Zuko’s memory. “This thing .”
“When I touched that thing the last time, it set off a booby trap!”
“Because you weren’t supposed to touch it.” The “duh” was heavily implied.
“Give it to me.”
Katara yanked it away. “No.”
He reached for it. “Katara, that thing could be dangerous!”
"Don’t touch it."
"What?! Why?!?"
"Because that's why I'm here, hot man."
"Don't call me that!"
Ran and Shaw had long since stopped breathing flame and coiled themselves around the pair, curiosity seemed to flick over their expressions as the pair bickered. Katara was the one to notice they were being watched and bowed respectfully toward the great beasts. “Please forgive Zuko. He was worried about me.” And in a lower tone she muttered, “And he completely ruined the surprise.”
Zuko was far beyond rationality and the ability to process the situation. So he merely stood there, dumb struck, mouth agape, trying desparately to make sense of the scene in front of him. Katara raised the golden oviform and the Red Dragon craned his neck to inspect the offering with a sniff that moved both his and Katara’s hair. The Blue Dragon repeated the action quickly then reared up on its massive front legs. It occurred to Zuko in his stupor that he should probably know which of the Dragons was Ran and which was Shaw, but for the life of him he didn’t know. Katara inclined her head and something nudged them both from behind. With a reassuring touch, the waterbender led them into darkness. His feet were moving forward into the mouth of the mountain cave with two enormous dragons flanking him.
The situation should have given him pause, but Zuko would follow Katara to the ends of the earth.
Heat was the first thing he registered in the Master’s lair. The sulfuric smell was second. Instinctively, Zuko lit a flame in his hand and watched Katara lower a hand from the wall that she was using to guide herself.
“Thanks Zuko.”
“No problem.” Wait- there was a huge problem. “Now can you explain to me what’s going on?”
She cast him an unamused eye over her shoulder. “You are infuriating, you know that?”
He opened his mouth to speak but another nudge from behind stopped his mouth. Both Dragons were right behind them. He cleared his throat and monitored his retort in a neutral tone. “It takes one to know one.”
Katara ignored the sarcasm. “I got a letter about a month ago so I came. It really isn’t that hard to comprehend.”
“But why all the secrecy?”
“I was told this is the way it is done.”
“They threw me into a fountain naked!
The waterbender giggled. “I wish you could have seen your face.”
“Katara-”
She stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. “But I am sorry I worried you, Zuko. Really.”
Zuko swallowed hard with a nod. “I thought… Katara I thought they were going to…” He couldn’t say it.
“Do you trust me Zuko?”
He met her eyes with all deadly seriousness. “With everything that I am.”
“Then trust me.”
The Fire Lord didn’t have time to take a breath before yet another insistent nudge pushed them both deeper into the lair. Every cell in his body warned him to turn back. The heat was stifling, and the air was getting harder to breathe; however, angering a dragon in its own home was not something Zuko wanted to do. Carefully he took Katara’s free hand and lit their path. He had no intention of getting separated.
“Well there’s no turning back now.”
Katara smiled, her eyes glittering in the firelight with a gentle squeeze of gratitude. “Thank you Zuko.”
The apprehension from earlier fell away as they walked in silence. Her hand in his was all the strength he needed. As long as they were together, the dragons marching them to certain doom could be forgotten.
“The cave is narrowing.”
As if to answer, the dragons ignited the space. Sconces burned to life illuminating gilded mosaics that littered the walls. Precious stones, shells, and bones were inlayed into the wall masterfully- a lost and forgotten art, so meticulously designed it would make a historian weep. It had all been hidden away at the back of a Dragon’s lair.
It didn’t take the Fire Lord long to recognize other attributes of the discovery when familiar low meditation tables and arches came into view. “It’s a shrine.”
The story illustrated in the ancient art was clear. Everywhere dragons and humans firebending under the Sun’s watchful eye. The passage of the seasons was also depicted and showed when to offer tribute to the Spirits as well as the Dragons. The story shifted from seasons to daily activities. By day, the valley was prosperous under the watchful eye of the Masters, and by night and the light of the moon. The Dragons slept while the people fished in the sea, gathering food as tribute for the Masters-
“Zuko! These are waterbenders!”
“What?” He shook himself and looked where Katara pointed.
“See?” It did look as though some of the fishermen were bending the bounty of the sea into waiting baskets on the land.
“And look here - this is what my letter said.”
Zuko chewed the words slowly. “‘ Balance takes humility. Just as the Sun humbles himself to the Moon.’ Didn’t Lǐng Xiù say something like that before you went up the stairs?” She nodded, obviously preoccupied.
“Katara, what aren’t you telling me?”
She sighed and nodded at some internal resolve. “I have an idea why we are here.” Zuko listened. “My letter said, on this day of days, sacrifices made to a Child of the Moon will be honored. Balance takes humility, just as the Sun humbles himself to the Moon, so does the blood sacrifice made by our Fire Lord prove his worth in this new era. The Masters have found him worthy. By your hand, new life will come forth.”
Zuko thought for a moment but came up with nothing. “I don’t get it.”
Katara gestured back at the relic she had been holding the entire time. “When I got here, they took me to a big room with this egg-thing on a pedestal and said only waterbenders had the power to guide its journey properly.”
“Guide the statue… on its journey… Can a statue go on a journey?”
Katara rolled her eyes and held it right in front of his face. “It’s an egg, Zuko.”
He blinked.
“It’s a dormant dragon egg.”
He looked down at the golden relic. It was an egg.
It was a dragon egg!!
“I told them I didn’t know how to help, but Lǐng Xiù said once I was inside it would all be revealed. He knows this shine is in here, but he’s never seen it because, well-”
“The Master won't let you in without a waterbender.” She nodded. “Katara, what we are about to do… I can’t even believe it.”
“Neither can I. Dragons could return to the world!”
“If anyone found out about this, the mountain would be overrun with people.”
“It makes sense why everyone’s been so cryptic about the whole thing.”
“So earlier, in the square did see you?”
She nodded with a blush. “I was briefed about what to do for your ceremony, and was told that it had to be that way.” She gave his jaw a tender touch, just as she had in the square. “I told them you would hate it.”
His hand raised on its own, closing his eyes and pressing her palm more firmly to his cheek. “I knew it was you.”
Katara’s thumb softly ran over the ridge of his scar, respectfully gentle and affirming like when she was painting him earlier. “I’m glad.”
He opened his eyes to see her smiling up at him and he could feel his own grin growing across his face. The Fire Lord had known before this moment that he was falling for his dear friend, but now there was no denying that his heart was bound to her.
She parted them and looked around the cave. “Now we just need to figure this out.”
Zuko nodded and looked at the pair of Dragons watching them.
“You don’t question a dragon.”
A low rumble of a sound bloomed from their reptilian counterparts. The dragons were totally laughing at him. Zuko could not help the scowl in their direction.
Katara tugged his arm and pulled his attention back to their task, “Come on, I think that’s where we need to go.”
The Fire Lord followed her toward a glowing human sized archway. It didn’t take long for either of them to realize that the glow was emanating from a subterranean lava flow just beyond the passage.
A platform of stone big enough for two, maybe three people to stand, was suspended above the lake of magma. Zuko put his arm out in front of Katara and the relic- er, egg- as a falling precaution.
“There’s nowhere else to go.”
Katara wiped the sweat from her brow on the back of her wrist, glancing back at the expectant dragons. “I don’t know what to do next.”
Zuko crossed his arms and stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I know dragon eggs have to be hatched in a volcano- but I also know dragons aren’t impervious to molten rock. If we put the thing straight in there, there's a chance it will just burn up.”
Katara hummed and knelt down, placing the object in her lap. “I have an idea.” Zuko settled himself beside her. “It takes a waterbender right? Well maybe I can cradle the egg with water to give it a buffer from the lava.”
“But you didn't bring your water skins.”
“True, but I can sense water nearby. And if the worst comes to worse, I could use our sweat.”
Zuko cringed. “Yeah, I don't think that is the answer.
Katara stuck her tongue out at him.
“Maybe we are missing something.” Zuko stood up to search, following the curve of the wall for any sign of liquid. He was becoming short of breath and panting while sweat dripped off his body. If he could smell anything other than that volcano, he would most likely be appalled by his own body odor. He glanced at Katara, who was also breathing heavily, but the determined furrow of her brow made pride swell in his chest. She didn’t have to do any of this- these were his people and customs, yet she had come with no questions asked. The woman before him was incredible and the Fire Lord was humbled to be in her presence.
Then in a moment of clarity, Zuko jogged back to the mosaic and followed the depictions. The ocean met the land where the people were. The sun was setting and the moon was rising- like the design on his pants! He felt around the area and- “Found it!”
“What is it”
“A fire lock.” Zuko blasted into the camouflaged trigger hole and everything began to move. The wall was in motion, the figures now animated and alive in the stone wall. “Woah…”
“WOAH!!”
Katara’s echoing yelp was an immediate cause for alarm. Zuko only had a second to jump to where she was through the archways before the passage was closed to them. He covered her as the platform where they sat began to ascend the wall of the volcano. Spiraling upward until it came to a stop. A second archway matching the first was there, open and awaiting them.
Zuko helped her to her feet with a nod. “You okay?”
Katara was already walking inside the passage with an indignant flip of her hair that slapped him in the nose. “Never better.”
The Fire Lord followed with a smirk of idolisation he couldn’t repress.
Inside was a fountain- well, what looked like a fountain- lava fed into the room from a sculpted dragon head to their left and cool fresh water fed in from another sculpted dragon head in the wall to their right. Both were carved right into the mountainside- most likely by ancient Earthbenders. The combined elements steamed where they connected in a drainage pool in front of them and in the center there was an altar that celebrated the cooling magma. It was the perfect size for the egg Katara carried.
Katara squared her shoulders and took a fortifying breath. “You ready?”
Zuko didn’t know what possessed him at that moment. But before he consulted his better judgment and talked himself out of the action, he moved to take Katara’s free hand, bringing it to his lips, eyes never leaving hers. “I’m ready.”
A dusting of a blush lit up Katara’s surprise before a slow, tender smile spread across her lips.
Nothing more was said. The pair turned their attention to the task before them, barefoot and painted as it had been done for thousands of years before them. The waterbender broke their connection to call water to glove her hand and held up the egg to the sunlight streaming in from above them. The firebender extended his palm to light the altar, raising the flame from the lava flow and controlling it to a focused pyre.
Then the egg was lowered to rest and the benders stepped back.
Only the sounds of the earth’s roaring power could be heard in the stillness of the space.
Crack !
Both Zuko and Katara gasped when the shell split in a lightning shaped fissure right down its center. When their hands had found each other again was anyone's guess, but their grip on one another tightened as they stood with bated breath.
The golden shell fell away, revealing a crimson tail dangling down from a thin scaled body that was obviously upside down. Two red marble eyes popped open, blinking repeatedly before the bottom of its body plopped over itself under the weight of its tail.
“Ohh-” Katara was quick to coddle the tiny beast, who made a pathetically cute cry with his tiny maw as he was touched for the first time. The little creature was unsteady and squirming, the instinctive need for self-preservation in the unfamiliar new world was clear.
“Hold still you silly little noodle.” The hatchling made a growling sound and snapped at her hand which didn’t sit well with Zuko.
“Hey, be nice.”
The baby dragon looked more like a glorified salamander-snake, but when it heard Zuko speak it opened its translucent wings with a shriek of surprise.
Spirits- there was a dragon in front of him!!
“It’s okay little one.” Katara crooned and held out her hand. “It’s okay.” The dragon sniffed her hand curiously. Although it was only a minute old, the red eyes glowed with an ancient understanding. After a tense beat, the baby closed his eyes and nuzzled into her palm for a scratch under its chin.
“See? You’re safe.”
The dragon turned his too-big-for-his-body head in his direction and Zuko repeated the action.
“We’re your friends, little guy. What? wait- hey!”
Upon sniffing his hand, the little dragon squealed and crawled eagerly up Zuko’s arm with his needle-like claws and draped himself across the Fire Lord’s shoulders. A gentle rumble much like a cat-owl purr viberberated from the little body.
Katara was elated, clasping her hand under her chin excitedly. “Aww! He loves you!”
“I don’t know why.” Zuko reached up and gave its little nose a rub with his finger. “And how do you know he’s a he?”
Katara crossed her arms and an unamused raised eyebrow. “Zuko, if you can’t tell he’s a boy then we are going to have a very long talk about the sparrowkeets and the bumble-flies when we get back to the FIre Nation.”
The Fire Lord pinked. “I well… um, I’ll take your word for it.”
Katara giggled and continued to pet the creature adoringly from his perch on Zuko’s shoulders. “So what are you going to call him?”
For the first time that crazy day -through all the surprises, twists and turns- Fire Lord Zuko, son of Ursa and Ozai, ruler and protector of the united Fire Islands, co-founder of the United Republic of Nations and hero of the One Hundred Year War- was rendered completely and utterly dumb. He was speechless.
“Well?”
“He’s…… he’s mine?”
Katara nodded with gentle reassurance.
“He- this dragon… he’s mine ?”
“Yes Zuko.” Katara leaned against him to nuzzle the dragon, keeply them in a close embrace. Her hand came to rest on his chest right over the scar he had earned for her. “He’s yours. You have sacrificed and been trusted with new life.”
Zuko swallowed hard. Registering Katara’s close proximity and bringing his arms up around her to hold her close. The dragon maneuvered himself over both of their shoulders in response, licking the waterbender with his forked tongue. Without Katara he would have been dead ten times over- and she could take him out of the world with a flick of her wrist. Master Katara, daughter of Kya and Hakoda, bearor of the Mark of the Brave, named Mighty in the Earth Kingdom, Hero of the One Hundred Years War and savior to both the Avatar and the Fire Lord, and newly made ambassador to the Fire Nation- Zuko was humbled to be in her presessence. That this incredible woman was here allowing him to hold her was a mystery to him. She was a Healer, Warrior and most importantly a Friend who he loved with everything that he was.
“Thank you Katara.” He brought their brows together in the manor of her people. “You are everything .”
Katara hummed and looked up at him- Agni, those eyes- and gently cupped his scared cheek. “I’m so glad I got to share this with you Zuko.”
“Me too.”
She was leaning in. Could this be real? Spirit’s what if he wasn’t reading the signals right? Zuko’s nerves got the better of him, and he pulled away.
“Druk.”
Katara’ blinked up at him confused. “Druk?”
“Druk.” Zuko swallowed. “The dragon’s name.”
“Oh… oh yes. Of course.”
She was starting to pull away, and Zuko began to panic. Then like an idiot Zuko blurted out- “Katara- wait. Can I kiss you? Because I really-”
Zuko never got to finish the thought because Katara silenced him with her lips.
Silly Humans, Druk purred happily, Could not see life-mate in front of face. Is good I help. And the light red dragon cuddled closer to the warmth of his new human slaves.