Chapter 38.5- And so the Dragons Danced

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They had returned to the Lion turtle and Aang’s training had continued in essence. Now, his days were split between contact with his past lives and the time he spent learning under Master Jeong-Jeong. The former Fire Nation Admiral was a harsh taskmaster, seeing to it that every single basic that existed was covered before Aang began to bend in earnest. The time being wasted had grated at her in the beginning but Aang had borne it all with a Monk’s patience.

She had enjoyed the stupefaction on Jeong-Jeong’s face, however, as Aang beat every expectation he had and then some. She had mourned the loss of her lighthearted friend as he began to be replaced by the Avatar that the world needed, but she could still feel pride at how far he had come as a person and as a bender. Jeong-Jeong was running him through a kata, and Aang followed with ease, keeping up with every one of the old master’s movements and executing them perfectly. In the end, the man sighed and reached out to touch Aang’s shoulder.

“I don’t say this often, but you’re something else” He said with awe in his voice.

“I haven’t seen anyone learn these katas so quickly since-“ at that, his voice cut off as he realised something. That drew Katara’s attention almost immediately.

“Since who, Master Jeong-Jeong?” Aang asked immediately.

“Since the last person I trained, Natsu Wu.” He said, making both of them freeze.

“General Natsu?” Aang asked.

“The one and only.”

“You trained that monster?” She hated the way rage made her voice crack as she cut into the conversation.

“‘That monster’ as you so affectionately refer to him, was once a boy. He was a gifted boy, yes. The kind of prodigy that you heard stories about but never saw in real life.”

“What was he like?” It was Aang that asked, as she could not find the words to reply the tone that the old master had taken. He sounded so melancholic.

“He was sharp, and hardworking, and focused. He never hesitated to work at any thing you asked him to, and once he put his attention into something, it was only a matter of time until he mastered it. He is the first fire bender outside the royal family in the modern age to bend lightning and he learned it without a teacher or tutor in the subject.” He said, still sounding sad as he looked back on it.

“It sounds like he was a good student”

“He was the very best. The kind that any teacher would have been lucky to have”

“Then why do you sound so sad when you speak of him?”

“He reminds me of a time long passed and a man long gone. I trained him with the knowledge that he would be one of the best to ever wear the Fire Nation crest and now I must bear he weight of his deeds on my conscience. The damage he has done, the people he has hurt, they all weigh on me like I did those deeds myself.” He said gravely.

“But Master Jeong-Jeong, you said he was a genius. I think he would have learned what he learned and done what he has done without your training” Aang said.

“That is a nice sentiment, Avatar Aang, but I have trained two men as personal apprentices in all my life. One of them, Zhao, killed the moon spirit, and the other, Natsu, has become the scourge of the Earth Kingdom. At some point, the blame will have to leave the students and extend to the teacher who armed them with the knowledge they used to cause the harm in the first place” He said.

“Well, if you care so much about it, why haven’t you stopped him yet?” She hadn’t even heard Sokka’s approach and from the Firebender’s face, he hadn’t either. Aang just smoothly stepped aside to allow Sokka space inside their circle as they spoke.

“He was my best student. He had no father in his life at the time, and I can not deny that some part of me grew to care for Natsu Wu as a son. The year I spent training him was one of the best and most peaceful of my life. He made me a better man in a lot of ways” He said.

“So you don’t truly regret the monster he has become” Sokka challenged. “The men, women, and children that he kills wherever he goes mean nothing to you then”

“Watch your tongue, boy. I care. Of course I care. But what could I do? Even back then, Natsu had been a generational prodigy- a pool of unlimited potential. I have no doubts that he has since surpassed me at this point”

“But not the two of us together” this time, all four of them turned in shock to the voice. When had he gotten here? How? Before them stood Zuko’s uncle and he seemed to be far from the kind old man that she had expected to see.

XXXXXXX- NATSU WU

The eclipse is coming, I told myself as I stared down at the ranks of firebenders as they trained. In canon, the Avatar and his people had used the eclipse as a tool to attack the Fire nation capital and assassinate the Fire Lord. That was a possibility this time as well, but a feeling in my stomach refused to be settled by that fact.

We had a month till it came, and I had begun to obsess about keeping the non-bending arm of the army up to snuff as well as training the firebenders to fight without their weapons. They probably thought I’d been hit over the head or something, but I was fine with the looks I received if it meant I didn’t find myself with egg on my face when the eclipse came. I myself had begun to train with the spear without my heat to enhance me, and it had been far from easygoing so far.

“There you are” Toji said as he landed on the roof I was standing on.

“Here I am” I replied with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s time for more training” He said.

“We already did our session for today” I said.

“Yes, and I’ve been thinking. To be honest, you’re kind of shit with the spear.” I lifted an eyebrow at his words but did not dispute them.

“Sure, in a month you’ll probably be able to take on the average soldier and win but I doubt that’s enough for what you have in mind”

“Just give your pitch, Toji”

“Archery” He said instantly.