Play With Fire ~Zuko X Reader~

-23- The Western Air Temple

I felt empty. Hopeless even. I watched as my feet hit the ground below me.

"This is humiliating."

"You mean getting thoroughly spanked by the Fire Nation or having to walk all the way to the Western Air Temple?"

"Both."

I looked up to see Aang petting Appa, "Sorry guys, but Appa gets tired carrying all these people."

Toph was leading the group, with me in the back.

Teo wheeled himself along, "I wonder how the rest of the troops are."

"They're probably on their way to a prison," Haru frowned, "Seems like my dad just got out and now he's going back in."

The Duke looked up at the sky, "I miss Pipsqueak."

Sokka laughed quietly, "I miss not having blisters on my feet."

Toph straightened up, "Hey, we're here! I can feel it!"

We stood atop a cliff. Katara looked at our guide, "Uhhh... I think your feet need their eyes teachchecked."

Aang smiled, "No, she's right. We are here!"

"Wow... it's amazing!"

We made our way down on Appa. When we landed, Teo looked around with wide eyes, "It's so different from the Northern Air Temple. I wonder if there are any secret rooms."

Haru ran off, "Let's go check it out!"

The mention of secret rooms felt like a needle prick to the heart. I guess pain is better than feeling nothing.

"You guys go. I think we need to talk about some things."

Aang looked mournfully at the others, "Why can't I go?"

Katara looked at him, "We need to decide what we're gonna do now, and since you're the Avatar, maybe you should be a part of this."

Aang sat down, "Fair enough. So, what's the new plan?"

"Well, if you ask me," Sokka smiled, "the new plan is the old plan! You just need to master all four elements and confront the Fire Lord before the comet comes."

"Oh, yeah. That's great, no problem. I'll just do that."

"Aang, no one said it's going to be easy."

Aang glared at her, "Well, it's not even gonna be possible! Where am I supposed to get a firebending teacher?"

Sokka pointed at me, and I hit him over the head.

Katara raised her hand, "We could look for Jeong Jeong!"

Aang laid down on the bench beneath him, "Like we'll ever run into Jeong Jeong again."

"Who's... oh," Toph folded her arms, "never mind. If it's important I'll find out."

"Oh well, guess we can't come up with anybody. Why don't we just take a nice tour around the temple?" With that, Aang flew off with Momo.

"What's up with him?"

"There's gotta be someone who can teach him firebending," Sokka looked at me, "Remind me why you can't do it."

I sighed, "I'm all out of Passion."

Sokka rolled his eyes, "So you just don't feel like it."

I sat down, "It's more complicated than that. While water, air, and earth benders can only bend around their element, firebenders can create flames. While we can get it from an outside source, we still need a kind of... inner kindling, I guess that's one way to put it. That's why my flames look different from the others. While the default is orange, the same color as anger, sometimes the inner source affects the strength and color. Azula is a functioning example, her source is confidence and hunger. Making her flames hotter, and a blue color. I'm a rare case, I can source my flames from two different places. My yellowy-white flames were from my passion. I've lost that passion. Now I can only source it from pure rage. Meaning I can't control it, and if I really let it loose, it would probably kill me and everyone in a mile radius."