star_kingdom | first flame ☀ video

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first flame ☀ video

So that's it. My entire world... gone. My country, my people, everyone...

[A teenager in red and gold clothing slumps dejectedly onto the steps in Traverse Town's first district. A moogle carrying the communicator is hovering beside him.]

I'm sorry, kupo. For now, you'll have to make a new life here!

[Zuko looks up, showing his mismatched eyes; one side of his face is covered with a burn scar. His anger flares as his gaze fixes a little above the camera onto the moogle.] I didn't want a new life! How many times do I have to lose everything?!

[He moves to stand abruptly. Bad decision; the still-fresh wound in his midriff jolts and he has to sit back down, gritting his teeth in pain. The moogle flutters beside him, worried.]

Are you okay, kupo?!

...Yeah. [Zuko runs a hand through his hair, obviously agitated.] Sorry. Getting mad at you won't fix anything. [He accepts the proferred phone from the moogle and looks at it with a blank expression.] What are you giving me?

It's a communicator! Maybe you can contact your friends with it!

How--? [He's curious, even in spite of his situation. He presses a button experimentally-- and the feed ends.]

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Aang! [He blinks. The Avatar is a welcome sight, but seeing him on a tiny screen is just surreal.]

What's going on? Where are you?

I'm at the hotel! I got my room already! I don't really know my way around yet, but I can come find you!

I'm... [Zuko looks around for defining landmarks to give Aang directions.] ...on some stairs, outside the accessory shop. You've probably seen it, it's hard to miss.

Yeah! I'll be right there!

[He hangs up and, a few minutes later, there's an Airbender landing, staff in hand. He grins at Zuko.] I knew everyone wasn't really gone forever.

[Zuko matches Aang's grin with a completely serious expression. He stands up from where he was sitting, trying not to cringe at the stab of pain through his wound when he does so.]

We might be here, but I haven't heard from any of the others. Have you?

No, I haven't seen anyone else.

[He pauses, looking at Zuko carefully.] Are you okay?

What about this situation makes you think I'm okay?

[Temper? Lost. But he's more angry at himself than at Aang.]

What if we're the only two people left of our world?! How could we let something like this happen?!

[Well, he meant more about the wincing Zuko was doing over the communicator and he seemed like he was going to again.]

We can't be. I got here before you did and this guy said that I was the only one left and then you showed up. More will come, Zuko. And then we'll find a way to fight the darkness and save our world.

[Zuko figured that much, but he's a master of making everything a melodrama and all.]

How can you be so sure?! None of this was supposed to happen -- we saved our world! We saved it, and we didn't even see this coming.

[He turns and stalks off. He has no idea where to, but maybe if he's lucky there'll be some Heartless to blast.]

Well... I'm not really sure.

[He trots along after Zuko.] I have to stay hopeful though.

[Zuko's hands ball into fists. Had this been a year ago, something would be on fire by now. Then again, if this had been a year ago, he'd also be trying to capture Aang, not standing here talking to him.

And Uncle had said the same thing, once, about the importance of hanging onto hope in the most difficult times. Somehow, the thought of it just makes his anger completely deflate. He stops in his tracks and hangs his head.]

Some Firelord I was. I promised my people a better future at my coronation, and this happens. It's even worse than what my father almost did.

[Aang is not going to comment on the lack of burning things. He's noticed that Zuko hasn't just... set the town on fire yet, but pointing it out probably isn't the smartest of ideas.]

Your father would have done it on purpose. And he wouldn't have tried to fix it. People say that worlds that have gone into the Darkness can be saved and restored. We'll find a way.

[Aang does have a point. Except Ozai would wipe out everything with the darkness only if it left him something to rule over in the end.]

Yeah. If anyone can find a way, it's you. [As usual, no pressure or anything.] I'll help. And from what people have been saying, it sounds like a lot of others who've lost their worlds are working to find a way, too.

[No pressure! Aang's life is all about no pressure!]

Yeah, that's what it sounds like. This nice guy [Nephrite -_-] told me that others are fighting. Maybe we can help them.

I've heard the same thing. There's a king who's looking for help against the Heartless; all you have to do is sign up. Like joining an army, I guess.

[Which, come to think of it, Aang might not approve of, being as peaceful as he is, but...]

[He frowned a little. He didn't want to join an army and have to kill things for a living.]

I'll help fight them back but I won't kill them, Zuko. There has to be another way.

Why not? [Zuko looks frustrated again. He should've seen that answer coming.] In case you forgot already, those things destroyed everything we fought to save. They're not even people! They're just... dark things! This is different to fighting the Fire Nation.

Just because they're not people, it doesn't give me the right to kill them. And it's not all that different. An enemy that won't give up and will destroy everything in order to make it theirs.

There's always another way than killing, Zuko.

What other way? You're going to use your special Avatar powers and take away their leader's bending? [He doesn't even wait for an answer, just crosses his arms.] I didn't think so. This time there might not be any other way.

[And he sets off again, heading for the second district in search of some Heartless to prove his point. If what the moogle said is true, the things can be found just about anywhere.]

[He's taken aback by that, and a little upset. There's always another way. It's just hard to find. He doesn't want to believe there's no other way.

But he does let Zuko go this time. He won't stop the firebender from attacking the Heartless he finds, even if he, personally, doesn't want to kill them.]

[If Aang should choose to follow Zuko, it doesn't take him long to happen across some Heartless. The Firebender is outnumbered ten to one, which wouldn't be a problem, since most are just weak Shadows and Soldiers.

...It wouldn't be a problem, except the wound in Zuko's torso feels like it's starting to seize up with pain, and every punch and kick he throws just makes it worse. Two Shadows are easily dispatched with a burst of flame, disappearing into nothing but smoke, but the exertion makes him double over and grit his teeth. This was a stupid idea, yet he's too angry to care. He would wipe out every last Heartless if he could right now. He presses on, incinerating another Heartless that leaps straight at his chest.]

[He gives Zuko a little while before following. He knows Zuko doesn't handle things the same way everyone else does and sometimes he needs to be alone but... he's worried.]

[Zuko is learning Heartless are nothing if not persistent. After taking out the first wave, more appeared to take their place, and these ones are stronger. Still gritting his teeth and trying to press on despite his wound, he backs up, only for his back to hit a wall as the Heartless close ranks. They're more instinctual beings than intelligent, but even they seem to tell that their opponent isn't at his best.

Firebending at point-blank would be dangerous, so he draws his dao blades, separating the single sword into its two halves and shifting his stance. If he could just cut a path through...]

[Aang arrives to see Zuko with his back to the wall. He thinks for a second, because there doesn't seem to be enough room to send himself over to Zuko and fight over beside him, but there's so many of them.

He brings his staff around and blasts a shot of air at them, trying to blast a path through to Zuko.]

[Half the Heartless are left stunned by the air blast, and Zuko's surprise at seeing Aang is fleeting as he realises the opening he's left with. A Heartless leaps at him from the left, but he cracks its head with the pommel of his blade and kicks it off; another attacks from his right and he drives his sword through the space where its heart should be, and it disappears in a cloud of black smoke. Aang might disapprove, but Zuko can't feel much pity for the things that destroyed his home and are now trying to kill him.]

first flame ☀ video

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