Accidental Avatar 3.5: The Burn Book

Stuff was lost, shenanigans ensued

A/N: Sorry this has taken so long, guys. I just got so... Meh ... with lockdown happening, having no schedule whatsoever, and our Lovely Amaya taking a vow of radio silence for a year and a half. In other news, though... Uni is back next week, and that means a regular schedule and dedicated writing time... I just have to work out how to split those 3 seconds of writing time between all my works... any suggestions? Love Yall :)

"Listen, everybody," Zuko said as he stepped into the light of the campfire. "I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff."
"Don't look at me," Toph raised her hands. "I didn't touch your stuff."
"I think I saw your honour in a white van with candy talking to your stuff earlier," Muteki suggested.
"I'm talking about my firebending," Zuko exasperated. "It's gone."
"Well, seeing as you're worse than useless now," Katara spat from the other side of the camp, "maybe you should get gone too!"
"Katara," I warned her.
"And take him with you!" she pointed a dark glare in the direction of where Mangetsu was quietly eating with his back to the group.
"Katara!"

Mangetsu slowly put down his bowl and quietly walked away, never once looking back at the group.

"Katara, that was uncalled for," Sokka said firmly. "It's obvious that whatever happened between the three of you, Zuko didn't put him up to it - for one thing, when has ANYONE been able to tell him what to do? Also, he obviously regrets it since he's acting worse than after that whole Hama thing."
"Uh..." Zuko looked very lost but also confused. "Thank you?"
"Hey, I'm backing up the ninja kid," Sokka said. "I trained with him; I know he's not some monster."
"Easy for you to say," Katara said darkly. "He didn't try to kill you."
"Children!" I said loudly. "You can't change the past by complaining about it, and no, we are not throwing them out over one freak episode."
"But," Katara tried to complain.
"No buts, young lady," Muteki straightened to his full height. "He acted out of character and has been very sorry since. I rule it as some form of PTSD triggered by something you did."
"Yeah, Katara," Toph agreed. "He has been acting like he's terrified since it happened."
"So we will love him and help him get through what has been a scary experience for him," I continued. "And I understand that it was scary for you too, and you're scared of what comes next, and so are the rest of us."

While this conversation was happening, the younger kids seemed to be squirming uncomfortably.

"But seriously, dude," Sokka looked back at Zuko. "You couldn't have lost your fire bending like... back when you were chasing us?"
"It's not necessarily lost," Zuko seemed happy to change the subject. "Just weaker, somehow. Where I used to have a roaring flame, I can hardly get above a smouldering puff."
"I wouldn't worry," Muteki commented, turning to look at me. "The ladies love a good smoulder."
"Oh, is that what you call that look?" I asked. "I thought you were just constipated."
"This is an amazing smoulder," Muteki smouldered at me a bit longer.
"Maybe neither of you are as good as you think you are," I suggested.

Toph made an 'ouch that gotta hurt' kind of noise while Muteki put a hand to his chest with his jaw hanging open.

"I bet it's because I changed sides," Zuko continued.
"That's ridiculous," Katara snapped.
"I don't know," Aang shrugged. "Maybe it isn't. 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 had a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Easy enough."
He then proceeded to nudge Zuko in the waist and head with the hilt of his sword several times.

"I could drop a rock on his toes," Muteki suggested, bending a basketball-sized rock into the air.
"Ok, cut it out!" Zuko bellowed, and Sokka seeped backwards, tripping on his own feet.
"Look... even if you're right," Zuko continued. "I don't want to rely on hate and anger anymore... It's cost me too much. There has to be another way."
"You're gonna need to learn to draw your firebending from a different source," Toph said bluntly. "I recommend the original source."
"How's he supposed to do that?" Sokka asked as Toph took another bite. "By jumping into a volcano?"
"Yeah," Muteki agreed. "You learn firebending, and I'll learn Lava Bending."
"No," Toph cut in. "Zuko needs to go back to whatever the original source of firebending is."
"So is it jumping into a volcano?" Sokka pressed.
"Probably not," I shrugged.
"I don't know," Toph said as everyone turned to look at her. "For earthbending, the original benders were badgermoles."

She briefly explained how when she was younger, she ran off and hid in a cave where she met badgermoles and learned to earthbend like them - because they were also blind, she learned to use it as more than a fighting skill but an extension of her senses, like them.

"That's amazing, Toph," Aang said cheerfully. "I learned from the monks, but the original airbenders were the Sky Bison."
He reached over and patted Appa's nose.
"Maybe you can give me a lesson sometime, buddy," he smiled.
"Well, this doesn't help me," Zuko sighed. "The original firebenders were the dragons, and they're extinct."
"What do you mean?" Aang frowned. "Roku had a dragon, and there were plenty of dragons when I was a kid."
"Dude, that was like, 100 years ago," I laughed. "No exaggeration, it really was 100 years ago. Things can change in just ten years, and this is ten times that."
"Exactly," Zuko threw in. "Just... they aren't around anymore, so they're not an option."
"No one recorded these things?" Muteki asked. "Like... murals or ancient civilisations working to preserve the knowledge of ancient masters?"

Zuko had this face that I can only describe as a lightbulb moment.
"There might actually be another way," he said, pacing towards the fountain. "The first people to learn from the dragons were the ancient Sun Warriors."
"Sun Warriors?" Aang followed Zuko. "Well, I know they weren't around when I was a kid."
"Look, just because 100 years have passed from before and after you got iced does not change the fact that you are still a kid," Muteki threw in.
"Regardless..." Zuko had a sneaky smile. "They died off thousands of years ago, but Muteki's comment about murals from ancient civilisations reminded me of them. We may be able to learn something by poking around their ruins."
"It's like the monks used to tell me," Aang smiled. "Sometimes, the shadows of the past can be felt by the present."
"So what?" Sokka added. "Maybe you'll pick up some super old Sun Warrior energy just by standing where they stood 1000 years ago?"
"More or less," Zuko threw an odd look just past Sokka's head - he's been doing that a lot lately. "Either I find a new way to firebend, or the Avatar has to find a new teacher."
Aang looked worried.