Play With Fire ~Zuko X Reader~

-24- The Firebending Masters

"Please, I don't normally play this card, but..." Aang placed his hand on his chest, "I'm the Avatar. Just hear us out."

"My name is Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. Or at least I used to be. I know my people have distorted the ways of firebending, to be fueled by anger and rage. But now I want to learn the true way, the original way. When we came here, I never imagined the Sun Warrior's civilization was secretly alive. I am truly humbled to be in your presence. Please, teach us."

The chief looked at me and I nodded, he turned back to the two, "If you wish to learn the ways of the Sun, you must learn them from the masters, Ran and Shaw."

"Ran and Shaw? There are two of them?"

I rolled my eyes, "No... His middle name is 'and'."

"When you present yourself to them, they will examine you," The chief looked at him, "They'll read your hearts, your souls, and your ancestry. If they deem you worthy, they'll teach you. If they don't, you'll be destroyed on the spot."

We now stood before the eternal flame, "If you're going to see the masters, you must bring them a piece of the Eternal Flame. This fire is the very first one. It was given to man by the dragons. We have kept it going for thousands of years."

"I don't believe it."

"You will each take a piece of it to the masters, to show your commitment to the sacred art of firebending. Just as your friend, Lady (Y/N), did five years ago."

They looked at me surprised, I just smirked, "What did you expect? I had to learn it somehow. I could never take it from pure anger. Rage, sure. Anger, nah."

"Umm, Mister Sun Chief Sir‌, yeah, I'm not a firebender yet," Aang pointed at him, "Couldn't my friend here carry my fire for me?"

"No," The chief took two bits of flame then turned towards the two men, "This ritual illustrates the essence of Sun Warrior philosophy. You must maintain a constant heat. The flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big, and you might lose control."

He handed them the flames, "I'm sorry, I'm just a little nervous," Aang looked in awe, "It's like a little heartbeat."

"Fire is life, not just destruction. You will take your flames up there," The chief pointed to the mountain, "The cave of the masters is beneath that rock."

I went with the Sun warriors. Him and Aang approached us later.

"Facing the judgment of the firebending masters will be very dangerous for you. Your ancestors are directly responsible for the dragons' disappearance. The masters might not be so happy to see you."

Ham Ghao placed his hand on his hip, "I know I wouldn't be."

"But once they find out I'm the Avatar..."

"Have you forgotten that you vanished, allowing the Fire Nation to wreak havoc on the world‌? The decline of the dragons is your burden, too."

I stood behind the chief as the two boys walked up to meet Ran and Shaw. I followed him as he walked back.

"Bring 'em out!"

"Chanters!"

The drums ran out in the familiar rhythm. The fire circle was lit. The chief spoke into the sound-amplifying device, "Those who wish to meet the masters, Ran and Shaw, will now present their fire."

"Sound the call!"

I bowed beside Ham Ghao, not fully watching the initiation, "Oh, here it comes. Any moment now. Dinner for the masters."

I glared out the side of my vision, "Say that again and I'll kill you."

The chief turned to us, "Quiet!"

"What?" He smirked at me, "Everyone's thinking it."

They began the Dancing Dragon. The dragons rested on either side of the platform, "Judgment time."

The dragons blew fire at the two. I tensed. I heard their yells, but the flames formed a multi-colored vortex around the two. I sighed in relief.

The dragons left. The two boys came down the steps, "Their fire was beautiful. I saw so many colors, colors I've never imagined."

"Like firebending harmony."

The chief placed his hand on my shoulder, "Yes. They judged you, and gave you visions of the meaning of firebending."

"I can't believe there are still living dragons. My uncle Iroh said he faced the last dragon and killed it."

Aang looked at him, "So your uncle lied."

"Actually, it wasn't a total lie," The chief smiled, "Iroh was one of the last outsiders to face the masters. They deemed him worthy and passed the secret onto him as well."

"He must have lied to protect them, so no one else would hunt them."

Aang looked at his hand, "All this time, I thought firebending was destruction. Since I hurt Katara, I've been too afraid and hesitant. But now I know what it really is... it's energy, and life."

"Yeah. It's like the Sun," he curled his hand into a fist, "but inside of you. Do you guys realize this?"

The chief smiled, "Well, our civilization is called the Sun Warriors... so yeah."

"That's why my firebending was so weak before. Because for so many years, hunting you was my drive... it was my purpose. So when I joined you, I lost sight of my inner fire. But now, I have a new drive. I have to help you defeat my father and restore balance to the world."

Aang and him both sent out a powerful blast of flames. I smiled.

"Now that you have learned the secrets, and you know about our tribe's existence, we have no choice but to imprison you here forever," The chief and I laughed, "Just kidding. But seriously, don't tell anyone!"

We got back to the Western Air Temple, "With this technique the dragons showed us, Zuko and I will be unstoppable."

Sokka smirked, "Yeah, that's a great dance you two learned there."

"It's not a dance. It's a firebending form."

Sokka laughed, "We'll just tap-dance our way to victory over the Fire Lord."

"It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old!"

Katara smirked, "Oh, yeah‌? What's your little form called‌?"

Embarrassment flashed over his face, "The Dancing Dragon."

I laughed along with the others. It felt right.