@Life_ispeace thanks for suggesting that song, it really is the way Iris feels (mostly)
Enjoy the next chapter!
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~ {0} ~ (=last night's nightmare)
A dark entity got out of the metallic wall she rested her back on. It passed its hands around her neck and it started choking her. Iris gasped in the lack of air but she couldn't move. What was that thing? And then it spoke, that voice wasn't familiar but it heard scary...
Iris... when the time comes... beware the Red Shadow Demons...
(Don't worry, guys, I'm preparing a Sequel with that sentence)
~ {0} ~
She was dropped back in her cell and the door was locked before she even had the chance to move. Iris couldn't move. She wiped the blood from her lip that endlessly bled. She tasted her own blood in her mouth and she pulled the disgusting taste out spitting it.
Iris looked at the fresh scars on her hands. She hissed in every move. The pain was endless but familiar. It felt like these three years all over again. She shut her eyes painfully as she tried to wake up. She couldn't wake up, but she managed to crawl herself towards the metallic wall where she rested her bleeding back.
She knew her blood would color the metal but she didn't care the least. She felt the coolness of the metal pass through her wounded back easing the pain. Iris wiped the sticky tears from her cheeks and her eyes.
It'd been another one day of torture. The exhaustion washed over her. She felt the stinging pain in every wound, every burn. She let her head fall back on the wall and she closed her eyes trying to calm. She was breathless from the efforts to move.
I'm Alive... at least, I'm still breathing...
She needed to stay Alive. She needed to keep breathing.
She had to...
>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<
"I know you're nervous, but remember fire bending isn't something to fear," Zuko said crossing his arms.
Aang took a deep breath and he said "Okay, 'not something to fear',"
"But if you don't respect it, it will chew you up and spits you like an angry komodo-rhino!" Zuko snapped.
Aang let out a strangled cry of fear.
"Now, show me what you got, any form of fire you can make," Zuko said.
Aang took two deep breaths and he tried to make fire, only to make a pitifully small smoke come out of his hand. Aang looked at Zuko embarrassed and he said "Maybe I need a little more instruction. Perhaps a demonstration?"
"Good idea, you might wanna take a couple steps back," Zuko said.
Aang walked some steps behind and Zuko got in his stance. He tried to send a fire blast but his efforts looked as pitiful as Aang's. Aang, still, started clapping.
"What was that?! That was the worst fire bending I've ever seen!" Zuko lectured himself.
"I thought it was... nice," Aang said encouragingly.
Zuko tried a couple for times with different stances and forms but all came with the same result. He growled at himself angrily and disappointedly.
"Why is this happening?!"
"Maybe it's the altitude," Aang suggested scratching her head skeptically.
"Yeah... could be," Zuko said unsurely doubting that.
After moving some floors down Zuko tried a couple more times again failing to make his usual long fire blasts. He wasn't sure about this, but he thought that switching sides could have caused that.
"That one kinda felt hot," Aang said trying to cheer him up.
"Don't patronize me, you know how it's supposed to look like!" Zuko snapped angrily.
"Sorry, Sifu Hotman," Aang said.
"And stop calling me that!" Zuko snapped again angrily "You're worse than Iris!"
"Ooh! How did she call you?" Aang asked eagerly.
"Flamehead'," Zuko answered knowing that he'd regret that.
Aang started laughing amusingly "I'll make sure to use that one!" he muttered.
"Hey, jerks, mind if I watch you two jerks do your jerk-bending?" Sokka said mockingly as he sat on a bench with a half-bitten apple on his right hand.
"Get out of here!" Zuko exclaimed angrily.
"Okay, take it easy, I was just kidding around," Sokka said as he turned around to leave giving a last look at Zuko "Geez, sometimes I wonder what Iris saw in you,"
"Yeah, I mean... Gershwin was great, I really approved," Aang said completely agreeing. "Sometimes I even thought you and Iris were together," Aang said looking at Sokka.
Sokka choked. He started coughing harshly spitting the last bite he had taken from the apple. Thanks a lot, Aang!
What?! Sokka with Iris?! No, no, no, no...! Zuko thought. "Get. Out!" Zuko said angrily with gritted teeth.
Sokka started walking away whispering "Jerk-bending' still got it!"
>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<
There has to be something I can do to escape... Iris thought, looking at the metallic cell she was locked in. Metal bending? She thought but she rejected the idea when she remembered that she didn't know how to metal bend, and even getting out of there she'd have to fight her way through thousand guards. Still, she knew the Boiling Rock. There was no way out of that prison.
Blood bending? That could work, but she hadn't tried it again. If she failed and they captured her again, the torture would get worse than it already was. Iris focused her gaze on the metallic floor of her cell.
I've survived so many things, I can survive this one too...
>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<
"Listen, everybody, I've got some pretty bad news, I lost my stuff," Zuko said walking towards the campfire everyone was gathered around.
"Don't look at me, I didn't' touch your stuff!" Toph said crossing her arms.
"I'm talking about my fire bending, it's gone," Zuko said.
Katara started laughing loudly and it seemed like she was doing it on purpose. Everyone looked at her and she stopped, saying "I'm sorry, I'm just laughing at the irony. You know, how it would have been nice for us if you'd lost your fire bending a long time ago,"
"Well, it's not lost, it's just weaker for some reason," Zuko said.
"Maybe you're not as good as you think you are," Katara said meanly.
"Ouch!" Toph commented sarcastically.
"I told you, Iris was a better fire bender," The Duke said at Haru.
"Yeah, did you see what she did out there?! It was incredible!" Teo said.
"I bet it's because I changed sides," Zuko said ignoringthe other three.
"That's ridiculous," Katara said.
"I don't know..." Aang said unsurely "...maybe your fire bending comes from rage and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to,"
Sokka popped from the other side with a wide smile on his face "So, all we need to do is make Zuko angry, easy enough!" and he started teasing him with his sword until it turned out really annoying.
"Cut it out!" Zuko snapped at him making him stop. "Wait, if you're right, I don't wanna rely on hate and anger anymore. There has to be another way,"
"You're gonna need to learn drawing your fire bending from a different source. I recommend the original source," Toph said.
"How is he supposed to do that? By jumping into a volcano?" Sokka asked sarcastically.
"No, Zuko needs to go back to whatever the original source of fire bending is," Toph answered.
"So, is it jumping into a volcano?" Sokka asked.
"I don't know. For earth bending the original benders were badgermoles. 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 earth bending, not just as a martial art, but as an extension of my senses. For them, the original earth benders, it wasn't just about fighting, it was their way of interacting with the world," Toph said.
"That's amazing, Toph. Iris and I learned from the Monks, but the original air benders were the Sky Bison," Aang said and then he leaned over looking at Appa "Maybe you could give me a lesson sometime, buddy!" and Appa roared in response.
"Well, that doesn't help me. The original fire benders were the dragons, and they're extinct," Zuko said.
"What do you mean? Roku had a dragon, and there were plenty of dragons when Iris and I were kids," Aang said.
"Well, they're not around anymore, okay?!" Zuko snapped angrily.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Aang said.
"But maybe there's another way. The first people to learn from the dragons were the Ancient Sun Warriors," Zuko said walking a bit away from the others.
"Sun Warriors?" Aang asked following "Well. I know they weren't around when I was a kid,"
"No they died over thousands of years ago, but their civilization wasn't too far from where we are now," Zuko said "Maybe we can learn something by poking around the ruins."
"It's like the Monks used to tell us. Sometimes the shadows of the past can be filled by the present," Aang said.
"So what? Maybe you'll pick up some super old Sun Warrior energy just by standing where they stood a thousand years ago?" Sokka asked sarcastically.
"More or less, either I find a new way to fire bend, or the Avatar has to find a new teacher,"
>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<
You need to learn controlling your powers, Iris.
"How do I do that," Iris asked still unable to move.
Healing your wounds is the first step. Take the Defender's Pendant out of your pocket.
Iris used the less injured arm, the left one. Luckily the pocket was on the left side and she found it taking it out. "Now what?"
Place the Pendant at the area where the pain feels more intense.
Iris did as the spirit instructed her. She felt a sudden pain stinging her hand at the area she had placed the necklace on. She looked at the injury and her eyes widened when she saw no blood, no wound, no burn marks on the area.
"Why are you helping me?"
I've always helped you, Iris.
This time she recognized the voice perfectly. This wasn't the spirit, this was Gershwin. She sighed in relief. "Thank you... thank you so much,"
I told you when you'd need me I'd guide you. I couldn't let you, Iris. I love you...
Iris smiled warmly "I know,"
>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<
"You had to pick up the glowing egg, didn't you?" Aang asked irritatingly not being able to move.
Night had fallen. They went in the Ancient Sun Warrior Ruins. Zuko had made the mistake to pick up a golden, egg-shaped rock which caused a huge wave of glue, stick them at the only window of the room. They'd been stuck in that glue the entire day.
"At least I made something happen, if we were up to you we'd never have made it passed the courtyard," Zuko said angrily.
"HELP!"
"Who are you yelling to? Nobody's lived here for centuries!" Zuko said.
"Well, what do you suggest we should do?" Aang asked irritated.
"Think about our place in the universe?" Zuko suggested.
Great suggestion, Zuko! Aang thought angrily and he shot him a cold glare without saying anything. After a long moment of silence Zuko finally spoke.
"I'm sorry, Aang,"
Aang looked confusedly at him "For what?"
"For..." Zuko hesitated "...you know-"
"Iris?"
"Yeah," Zuko answered "Do you think she'll ever forgive me?"
It took a moment for Aang to answer "I... I'm not sure. But she loves you,"
"She does?!" Zuko asked "I mean, she still does?"
"Yeah... well, it'll take some time to admit that but, she cares about you. Do you love her?" Aang asked.
"Yes, I never stopped... I tried to forget her but I just couldn't," Zuko said honestly.
Aang found himself smiling. Who could have thought that one of his very first enemies would turn out to be his friend and love his sister? "Then she'll forgive you, I know she will. She just needs more time,"
Zuko smiled "Thanks, Aang,"
"Hey, who's down there?!"
>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<
"Now that you know about our Tribe's existence, we have no choice than to imprison you here forever!" The Chief said.
Aang's and Zuko's jaws dropped in surprise and their eyes widely opened.
"Just kidding," The Chief said suddenly smiling and then he looked at them seriously again "Seriously, don't tell anyone,"
Turned out, the Sun Warrior Civilization had secretly survived from the eyes of the world. They accepted to let Aang and Zuko talk with the Masters, Ran and Shaw, and they were surprisingly the last dragons. Iroh had lied about killing the last one, protecting them.
Zuko and Aang were deemed worthy and they safely returned back to the Western Air Temple on Appa.
"With this technique, the Dragons showed us, Zuko and I were unstoppable," Aang said as they repeated the 'Dancing Dragon' form in front of their friends in the Temple.
When they finished the others started clapping.
"Yeah, that's great dance you two learned there," Sokka said sarcastically.
"It's not a dance, it's a fire bending form," Zuko said getting off his stance.
"We'll just, tap-dance our way to victory to the Fire Lord," Sokka said sarcastically and the others laughing.
"It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old!" Zuko said angrily.
"Oh yeah? What's your little form called?" Katara asked mockingly.
"The Dancing Dragon," Zuko answered hesitating and everyone started laughing and Zuko growled angrily...
>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<
Here it is, guys! I know it's not satisfying so I'm preparing another one chapter for today!
Thanks for reading and if you liked it Vote and Comment me your ideas! Next chapter will be updated within the day!
:)