Chapter Text
My crew was traitorous, i always knew it. They only listend to me because of uncle, that much was obvious.
But i'd never suspected that they'd actualy ambush me.
It was quite the plan, i must admit.
They had set the boat on fire and left, with uncle.
Either they convinced him i'd ran off, like i dmitedly somethimes do, or he didnt care as much as i'd asumed. Maybe he'd gotten sick of me after the last three years.
Either way, i found mtself coughing awake. It was hot, i was sweating.
The heat coud onlt mean one thing, the boat was burning, and the only reason it hadnt reached my room was because of the sealing door that does quite the job of sealing, with only a bit of smoke coming through.
The heat though, that was unberable, and to be expected if the whole boat was burning. The metal is propably really hot, and woud propably start melting if it werent for the water doign the tiniest job of cooling everything down.
I kick the door open, not bothering to change, mostly because my uniform was still on me because i hadnt botherd to take it off, and partialy because more fabric meant i coud burn easier.
The fire was, infact, everywhere.
I coud make a small path to lead my was out, but my firebending isnt good enough to actualy put it out more than i coud move it out of my way.
As i reach the ladder i brace myself for the heat of the metal. It must be close to its melting point. I take a deep breath and quickly climb up the ladder, i can feel my hands blistering.
Suprisingly, firebenders normaly dont have ny contact with fire, its always the tiniest distance away, so we dont burn ourselves. Saftey etiquete 101.
I wanna lay down and cradle my aching hands, but the rest of the boat is also burning.
I have no choice but to jump into the water, and do so with the tiniest bit of hesitation.
As i swim in the water, watching the boat burn, my suspicions are confirmed.
It was my crew.
The saftey boats are gone, and no one was on the boat. Wich is stupid, if they had been, they woud've put the fire out long ago, or brough him to saftey.
I sigh and set my eyes on the land i see nearby, a forest.
I quickly swim towards it and use my elbows to pull myself onto the shore, my hands hurt too much to use them.
I sigh and feel my eyes getting heavy.
I'll propably die.
Not from injuries, those are minor. But im in enemy territory, falling asleep in my armor, and mt hands are injured, so bending isnt really too much of an option.
I coudve just stayed on the boat.
Thy woud've been a less emberasing death, atleasth.
☆
"Many great firebenders coud turn into dragons back in the day. They used to soar the skies with pride." A vouce so elegant it coud only belong to a royal said, stroking a young boys soft hair.
"Why dont they anymore? That sounds so cool!" The youn bot says in admiration.
The woman, his mother, sighs.
"Its not that simple, dear. Many people decided that anyone who wasnt fully human, wasnt pure enough to be a firebender. If any of them still exist, they hide it, because its said to bring shame."
The boy pouts.
"Thats stupid"
The woman chuckles.
"It is, isnt it?"
☆
"You're a disgrace!"
The scream of disspointment was echoing through the walls.
A man, muscular and angry, woth the voice of a king, was standing over a small, scaled dragon, who was shamefully backing up.
"This family is not going to have a shamefull beast like you in its Ranking!" Fire cackled in the mans hand, dangerously close to the dragon, who pressed itself against a nearby wall.
"If you ever turn into this disgracefull thing again, i will make sure you dont see the light of day, or the dark of the night ever again!" The man screams as he grabs the dragons hind leg, burning it in the process.
The dragon shakes loose from the mans grib, falling onto thr floor and turning back into a young boy, who nods.
"Yes father"
As the man, rhe boys father, walks away, looking ashamed and furious, a woman rushes over.
"Oh zuko, are you okay?" She asks as she looks at the boys leg.
He nods.
"Yes mother. I- im okay"
◇
"Aww look at him, he's so small!" A voice squeals.
"Arent they suppost to be ex- ow!" Another, lower voice questions, before someone seemingly steps on their foot.
"Who cares, he looks so cute!" A third voice claims.
"He looks injured, though" the first voice says.
What are they talking about?
I open my eyes slowly, where the heck am i? Did the grass grow fast? Was i just not aware of how high the grass was when i pulled myself out of the water?
"Look at his leg! It looks almost deformed!" One of them says.
"And his front paws, looks like s fres injury, maybe burns?" The voice adds.
I finaly open my eyes and look around.
The grass isnt high. Im small. Really small.
and i know those voices.
The first is that watertribe girl.
The second was her brother, i think they're siblings atleasth, they look identical.
The third one is none other than the avatar.
But there's a fourth person.
"Looks fine to me" a monotone voice claims.
It was that odd earthbender girl that recentlt joined the avatar. She was blind, i think. Weird sense of humor.
"Toph! He seriously doesnt look well!"
It's very obvious what happend, i turned into a dragon.
"It coudnt hurt to keep him, he's no bigger than momo." The avatar says.
"Doesnt look like he started teetthing yet."
Right. Dragons are babies untill their 25th birthday. Amazing. Wonderfull. Delightfull. Just what i needed.