Dragon At Heart

Chapter 22

"Please", a 16-year-old Zuko pleaded, "Don't do this."

"There is no mercy for traitors", Ozai's voice was cold and heavy like water.

The stone floor under Zuko's feet crumbled and he fell into icy cold salt water.

The water was so dark Zuko couldn't see where he was. All he could do was try to get to the surface. He needed air.

When Zuko already thought he could swim no further, that the numbing coldness would devour him completely, his hands touched something.

There was a thick sheet of ice covering the surface. Zuko tried desperately to heat it but, again, no heat would come. He was as cold within as he the water all around him was.

That was when Zuko saw movement. There was a dark figure standing on the ice. Zuko put the last of his strength into banging the ice to get that somebody's attention.

The figure looked at Zuko. It was the Blue Spirit, smiling at him menacingly.

No!

Zuko's long, scaly body could no longer keep fighting against the water pulling him down. Cold and alone, the dragon sunk further into the abyss.

"This isn't how the story ends."

Uncle.

Zuko looked around to see where the old firebender was, but saw no one.

As his vision began to blur, he could make out something. A light was there with him.

It was a boy. A boy with glowing, blue tattoos.

ooo

The dragon was shivering with fever.

It isn't over yet, Zuko reminded himself through a hazy half-sleep, There's still work to be done. This is no time to rest.

Zuko forced his eyes open.

It was still very early in the morning. He couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour or so.

Zuko lifted his head. He had landed on a treeless mountain slope somewhere inland. From this vantage point the dragon could see far into every direction.

There was a village at the foot of the mountain but, as far as Zuko could tell, no other signs of human habitation. That was good. He didn't want company.

The Avatar, Zuko suddenly remembered, I caught the Avatar.

He lifted his neck a bit more to look at himself and, sure enough, the Avatar was still in his grasp.

The Air Nomad looked quite tired but he was awake nonetheless, eying Zuko curiously. When their eyes met, Aang's face spread into a smile.

"Oh good. You're awake. I was starting to get worried. You didn't look too good. Did you have a bad dream?"

I don't know, Zuko thought to himself, I'll tell you when I wake from it.

"I used to have those, too. Nightmares. I was feeling really down because I'm all alone, and it's my fault. I ran away and got lost in a storm and because of that there was a hundred years of war. It was my job to prevent it but I wasn't there. I betrayed everyone. My people are gone, and it's my fault."

Zuko didn't know what to say. Not that he probably would have been able to say anything as the connection his Power of Dragons created still felt, somehow, disconnected.

He had never thought the Avatar blamed himself for the death of his people. Surely the kid had to see that there was nothing any one 12-year-old could have done to prevent it, Avatar or not. It wasn't Aang who was to be blamed for the death of the Air Nomads.