꧁ chapter twenty-four ꧂
glowing eggs aren't for touching

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AS THE NIGHT fell, Meiluna walked alongside the edge of the cliff on the outskirts of the Air Temple. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the cool breeze send chills through her body.

With her head down, she distracted herself by kicking a small pebble in front of her as she continued moving forward.

"Princess?"

Meiluna whipped around quickly, seeing Prince Zuko standing a few feet away from her.

Startled by his voice, she misstepped, tripping on the rock near her feet, falling towards the large canyon.

Zuko's eyes widened as he ran forward, yanking the girl's arms towards himself.

In the spur of the moment, he had pulled with a large amount of strength, leaving Meiluna to topple straight into his chest, pushing the two of them to the ground.

Meiluna watched him with wide eyes as their noses almost brushed against each other. She could feel his heart racing from underneath her as she placed a hand on his chest to quickly push herself up.

She tucked her hair behind her ear before holding a hand out to Zuko.

"Sorry, you scared me" She said quietly.

Zuko placed his hand in hers, getting up himself.

He noticed how cold her dainty hands felt against his. Like the North Pole ran through her veins.

"Sorry" Zuko muttered as he realised he had been holding on to her hand for a moment too long and quickly pulled his own hand back.

Meiluna nodded silently as she watched him burn in embarrassment before deciding to turn back around and continue her walk.

A little further away from the edge this time.

"Wait!"

Meiluna turned around to see Zuko following, stopping very close to her. She crossed her arms waiting for him to speak.

"I want to apologise,"

"You already did" Meiluna stared at him unwaveringly.

"No, I mean," Zuko nervously shifted on his feet, "For what I did in Ba Sing Se"

Meiluna's eyebrows furrowed slightly. Her mind trying it's hardest to push away the memories of the Zuko she remembered from the Earth Kingdom.

"I never wanted to hurt you" He told her quietly.

Meiluna's cold gaze stayed on him as he shifted uncomfortable feeling as though she was scrutinising his every move.

"But you did" She replied sharply.

Zuko's lips parted in surprise as he heard the conviction in her voice, completely devoid of its usual lightness.

"I thought I was doing the right thing, giving you a chance" Meiluna shook her head as she clenched her fists.

"I didn't-"

"Now every time I look at you, I see you siding with Azula. Siding with the rest of the Fire Nation," She started to grow angrier, "The same Fire Nation that took my sister away from me"

All of a sudden, in a flurry of movement, she brought her hands up, using her waterbending to pin Zuko against the wall behind him with jagged shards of ice.

"I hate you!"

Zuko could now hear the emotion behind her voice in those three simple words. He couldn't respond, as much as he wanted to. He did feel responsible. He did think it was all his fault.

"My sister is gone because of you!" Meiluna stepped closer to him as she yelled loudly, "What is wrong with you!"

He watched as Meiluna ran her hands through her hair, pulling at the strands in annoyance as she let out a frustrated scream.

She didn't think twice before turning around to go back to her tent, leaving Zuko trapped and in shock. He brought his hands up to slowly melt away the ice that held him up, feeling the wintery chill from the water that trickled down his arms.

Meiluna huffed as she angrily turned in her sleeping bag, unable to sleep with her frustration still remaining unresolved. All she wanted was a quiet night with Yue, and Zuko had to ruin everything. Now, she couldn't see her sister, or go to sleep. It was a lose-lose situation.

She turned around once more in her sleeping bag, trying her hardest to settle in a comfortable position when she heard footsteps just outside her tent.

"Princess?"

Prince Zuko's voice rang in her ears while she glared at the entrance of the tent. She noticed the outline of his back against her tent, supposing that he had decided to take a seat right outside. She picked up her pillow and aimed it at him. It hit him through the thin material of the tent while she frowned.

"I'm sleeping"

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"Listen everybody, I've got some pretty bad news," Zuko addressed the group, "I've lost my stuff"

"Don't look at me," Toph said, raising her hands to her head, "I didn't touch your stuff"

"I'm talking about my firebending. It's gone" He spoke, looking down.

Katara's loud laugh cut through the silence.

"I'm sorry, I'm just laughing at the irony," She spoke maliciously, "You know, how it would've been nice for us if you lost your firebending a long time ago"

"Well, it's not lost," Zuko said, looking annoyed as he stood up, "It's just weaker for some reason"

"Maybe you're not as good as you think you are" Katara smiled sarcastically.

"Ouch" Toph commented.

"I bet it's because I changed sides" Zuko proposed.

"That's ridiculous" Katara dismissed.

"I don't know, maybe it isn't," Aang spoke up, "Maybe your firebending comes from rage and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to"

"So, all we need to do is make Zuko angry?" Sokka asked as he pointed to the Prince, "Easy enough"

He grabbed his sword, poking Zuko with its hilt several times as he laughed.

"Okay, cut it out!" Zuko yelled before attempting to calm himself down, "Look, even if you're right, I don't want to rely on hate and anger anymore. There has to be another way"

"You're gonna need to learn to draw your firebending from a different source," Toph suggested as she took a bite of her food, "I recommend the original source"

"How's he supposed to do that? By jumping in a volcano?" Sokka asked excitedly.

"No. Zuko needs to go back to whatever the original source of firebending is" She replied.

"So, is it jumping into a volcano?" Sokka asked seriously.

"I don't know. For earthbending, the original benders were badgermoles" Toph explained,

"One day, when I was little, I ran away and hid in a cave. That's where I met them. They were blind just like me, so we understood each other. I was able to learn earthbending not just as a martial art but as an extension of my senses. For them, the original earthbenders, it wasn't just about fighting. It was their way of interacting with the world"

"That's amazing Toph!" Aang said in awe, "I learned from the monks, but the original airbenders were the sky bison," He leaned back to look at Appa, "Maybe you can give me a lesson sometime buddy"

"Well this doesn't help me. The original firebenders were the dragons and they're extinct" Zuko huffed.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked, "Roku had a dragon and there were plenty of dragons when I was a kid"

"Well they aren't around anymore, okay?" Zuko snapped.

"Okay, okay," Aang spoke calmly, "I'm sorry"

"What about the ancient Sun Warriors?" Meiluna asked as she turned to the others, "They were the first people to learn firebending"

"Sun warriors? Well, I know they weren't around when I was a kid" Aang told her.

Meiluna frowned.

"No, they died off a thousand years ago but their civilisation wasn't too far from where we are now. Maybe we can learn something by poking around their ruins" Zuko explained.

"It's like the monks used to tell me," Aang spoke wisely, "The shadows of the past can be felt by the present"

"So what?" Sokka asked doubtfully, "Maybe you'll pick up some super old Sun Warrior energy just by standing where they stood a thousand years ago?"

"More or less. Either I find a new way to firebend," He turned to Aang, "Or the Avatar has to find a new teacher"

"Someone should go with them to make sure he doesn't try to, oh I don't know, kill Aang" Sokka crossed his arms.

Meiluna turned to see Katara, Toph and Sokka all holding a finger to their noses.

"Thanks for volunteering, Luna," Sokka smiled as he pushed the girl towards Appa.

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"We've been riding for hours. I don't know why, but I thought this thing would be a lot faster" Zuko complained.

Meiluna frowned, sending Zuko a subtle glare as she patted Appa affectionately as if to say,

Don't listen to him Appa! You're perfect just the way you are.

Appa let out a small growl.

"Appa's right, Zuko. In our group, typically we start our missions with a more up beat attitude" Aang smiled.

"I can't believe this" Zuko whispered to himself before he decided to lie down.

"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it"

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Meiluna took in her surroundings with astonishment. She had only ever heard about this place in books, never would she have thought she'd have the chance to see it in real life.

"Even though these buildings are ancient, there's something eerily familiar about them. I can tell the Fire Sages' temples are somehow descended from these" Zuko spoke as he walked slightly behind Aang and Meiluna.

"Ok, we've learned something about architecture. Hopefully we'll learn something about firebending too. The past can be a great teacher" Aang explained.

He stepped forward and got caught in a tripwire, activating a trap that made spikes pop up in their path.

Meiluna felt a force pull her back quickly before the could fall into the trap. She looked down and saw that Zuko had a grip on her arm as Aang managed to use his airbending to save himself.

She quickly pulled her hand away with a scowl that Zuko believed was as threatening as a turtleduck.

"Thanks" She mumbled, still not making eye contact with Zuko. He nodded despite knowing that she wouldn't see him, feeling exceptionally nervous around her.

"Zuko, I think the past is trying to kill me" Aang spoke, looking scared.

Zuko knelt down to inspect the spikes.

"I can't believe it," He picked up the tripwire, "This booby trap must be centuries old and it still works"

"There's probably a lot more," Aang realised making Meiluna look up in worry, "Maybe this means we shouldn't be here"

Zuko took two steps back before racing toward the wall adjoining the path, running on the wall then jumping to the other side.

"Where's that upbeat attitude you were talking about?" Zuko asked with a small smile, "Besides, people don't make traps unless they've got something worth protecting"

"Aang," Meiluna called out with a shy smile,

"You mind airbending me to the other side?"

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"Look, this seems promising," Aang pointed to a carving of a person being surrounded by two dragons breathing fire at him, "Though, I'm not sure what this tells us about the original source of firebending"

"They look pretty angry to me" Zuko said examining the carving.

"I thought the dragons were friends with the Sun Warriors" Meiluna looked curiously.

"Well, they had a funny way of showing it" Zuko replied.

"Zuko," Aang spoke making the Prince stop in his tracks, "Something happened to the dragons in the last hundred years"

Zuko closed his eyes making Meiluna look at the boy questioningly.

"Something you're not telling us" Aang continued.

"My great-grandfather Sozin happened" Zuko opened his eyes before walking away.

Meiluna and Aang shared a look before following after him.

The three of them walked together across a bridge as Zuko explained,

"He started the tradition of hunting dragons for glory. They were the ultimate firebenders. And if you could conquer one, your firebending would become legendary and you'd earn the honorary title, Dragon," He paused just as they approached a path that had a dragon statue on either side, "The last great dragon was conquered long before I was born," He reached up to rest his palm against the dragon,

"By my uncle"

"But I thought your uncle was," Aang hesitated slightly, "I don't know, good?"

"He had a complicated past, family tradition I guess. Let's just move on"

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"It's locked up!" Aang informed Zuko and Meiluna as he attempted to open the gates in front of them.

"Wait," Zuko looked up noticing something, "It's a celestial calendar. Just like the Fire Sages have in their temple. I bet that sunstone opens the door, but only when sunlight hits at just the right angle," He looked back over to Meiluna, "On the solstice"

"Monkey feathers!" Aang cried out exasperatedly.

Zuko furrowed his eyebrows in confusion while Meiluna felt a soft laugh escape her lips at his expression. She quickly tried to play it off as a cough when he turned to face her upon hearing her sound of amusement.

"The solstice again? We can't wait here that long!" Aang complained.

"No we can't," Zuko unsheathed his sword, "But we might be able to speed time up"

He placed his sword into a circle carved into the ground, redirecting the light,

"Let's see if we can outsmart the sunstone"

Aang stared at it blankly,
"Nothing's happening"

"Come on" Zuko mumbled to himself when the ground began to shake, opening the gates.

Aang picked up his staff as the three of them walked up to the entrance.

"You know, Zuko, I don't care what everyone else says about you," He nudged the Prince with his elbow, "You're pretty smart"

Zuko smiled at Aang's compliment before realising what he had actually said.

He turned to look to Meiluna who only looked straight ahead at the Avatar. She glanced up at him for a second before moving to follow Aang as she spoke,

"Come on, Sifu Hotman"

Zuko eyes widened as she gestured for him to follow her while she walked toward Aang. He wasn't sure if she was meant to say that to irritate him or make fun of him, either way, he liked that she was speaking to him.

She entered the room with Zuko by her side when she noticed Aang read something inscribed on the statue of a man.

"It says this is something called the Dancing Dragon"

He placed his staff to lean on the statue as he copied the statue's stance. He noticed he had pressed a button with his foot as he did so, he looked back up and rushed over to Zuko, grabbing his hand,

"Zuko get over here! I want you to dance with me!"

Zuko instantly retracted his hand,

"What?"

"Just do it" Aang insisted.

Zuko groaned as he reluctantly moved to stand in front of a statue.

"Let's follow the steps of the statues,"

Aang and Zuko assumed the posture of the statue in front of them moving in opposite directions as they continued to press similar buttons on the ground.

"Don't you see? These aren't dance moves. These statues are giving us a lesson. I think this is some kind of Sun Warrior firebending form" Aang explained.

"This better teach us some good firebending" Zuko grumbled, feeling embarrassed.

He didn't think that practicing dance moves with a twelve year old boy would exactly win over a Princess.

Zuko and Aang performed the same final move, causing part of the ground to detract, revealing a vertical column emerging from it.

Meiluna watched in amazement as she saw an egg shaped sunstone displayed at the top.

"Hurray!" Aang cheered before his expression quickly changed to one of confusion, "Wait, what exactly is that?"

"It's some kind of mystical gemstone" Zuko started to walk towards it before Aang interrupted.

"Well, don't touch it! Remember what happened out there with those spikes?" Aang reminded, "I'm just very suspicious of giant glowing gems sitting on pedestals"

Zuko decided to ignore the Avatar, picking up the sunstone as he observed it in admiration,

"It almost feels alive"

Just as Meiluna was about to reach over to hold the sunstone, a geyser of viscous slime erupted from the pedestal.

She let out a yelp as the slime sent her and Prince Zuko straight towards the grates in the ceiling, sticking them there.

"Oh no, it's another trap!" Aang looked at the two worriedly.

"Ugh, I can't pull free. It's like some kind of glue" Zuko groaned as he attempted to pull himself out.

Meiluna felt the the slime encase her body, sticking to her hair, cringing at the feeling.

All of a sudden, Aang appeared on the other side of Meiluna, completely covered in the dark substance.

"I can't move! Zuko do something!" Aang cried out.

"Me? I can't move either! You do something!" Zuko yelled back looking to Meiluna.

"This is your fault! Fix it yourself!" She yelled back angrily.

The slime continued to fill the entire room, pushing the three of them further into the grates, before it finally came to a standstill.

"It stopped" Aang noted.

Zuko looked to the Avatar with a hint of optimism,

"At least we have air. Maybe if we stay calm, we can figure a way out of this"

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"You just had to pick up the glowing egg, didn't you?" Aang glared at Zuko.

"At least I made something happen. If it were up to you, we'd never have made it past the courtyard" Zuko scoffed.

Aang sent him an annoyed glance before starting to yell loudly,

"Help!"

"Ugh, Aang!" Meiluna desperately tried to move her head away from the Avatar who had decided that yelling straight into Meiluna's ear would somehow work.

"Who are you yelling to?" Zuko asked, sounding irritated, "Nobody's lived here for centuries"

"Well, what do you think we should do?" Aang questioned.

Zuko's eyes flitted to Meiluna, who still had her head leaning further away from Aang, leaving her hair barely grazing against his own face.

Zuko met Aang's gaze,

"Think about our place in the universe?"

Meiluna let out a small laugh seeing Aang's frustrated expression.

"Who is down there?" A voice boomed.

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"For trying to take our sunstone, you must be severely punished" The Sun Warrior Chief spoke as he stepped towards the three.

"We didn't come here to take your sunstone. We came here to find the ancient origin of all firebending" Zuko tried to explain.

"Yeah right. They are obviously thieves here to steal Sun Warrior treasures" Another Sun Warrior told the Chief.

"Please," Aang pleaded, "I don't usually play this card but," He dramatically placed his palm on his chest, "I'm the Avatar, just