Hey, Harry," Aang said as the group sat around, relaxing, they had set up camp in a forest next to a nearby village. Katara was sewing some clothes while Sokka was doing some push-ups and Appa was busy eating some fruit. "are you busy?" He asked. Harry, who was sat with his legs crossed and his eyes closed as he meditated like he had been doing for the last hour, opened his eyes and stared at Aang.
"I am, in fact, incredibly busy doing nothing," Harry told him in a very soft voice. "it's a lot harder than it sounds." He shrugged, ignoring the fact that Momo was next to him and was sat exactly like him in an attempt to copy him.
"I can believe that," Aang nodded understandingly. "anyway, I was wondering if you can teach me some fire bending." He said with a wide grin, positive that Harry would agree instantly.
"No," Harry said before closing his eyes. "now, if that will be all, I think that I need to get back to doing nothing." He added, yawning slightly.
"But...but why?!" Aang blurted out, looking at Harry with wide eyes, looking like he didn't understand what he was looking at.
"Because there's nothing to do." Harry easily answered.
"No! I mean...well...yes, there isn't anything to do right now," Aang admitted. "but that's not what I meant. What I want to ask is why you aren't going to teach me firebending?!"
"Well, because roughly about an hour ago you had not yet mastered water, earth, and firebending." Harry began explaining without opening his eyes, "Have you mastered them in the last hour?" He asked doubtfully.
"Well...no..." Aang stuttered, rubbing the back of his head.
"In that case, get back to me when you do. Good boy." Harry replied, resisting the urge to reach out and pat Aang on the head.
"But I need to learn how to bend fire!" Aang protested.
"Yeah, but water first." Harry calmly said.
"But why?!" Aang whined. "You know a few water and earth techniques," He pointed out. "why don't you teach me a few fire bending techniques?!"
"I started learning those techniques mostly because I wanted to see if I could do them," Harry began answering. "plus I only learned after reading Avatar Roku's scrolls that it was better to learn them in a specific order. I'm a firebender so I started copying Roku's order. Fire, air, water, and earth. I mastered fire, clearly, I'm not perfect with air but more than good enough with it. Then it's water and then finally earth for me. Right now, I don't think you couldn't handle firebending. Learn water and Earth first."
"But that's not fair!" Aang protested. "I've helped teach you airbending."
"Thanks for that, by the way," Harry replied.
"I taught you airbending so you should teach me firebending," Aang argued.
"Fair enough." Harry nodded.
"Great," Aang smiled. "so you're going to teach me?" He asked hopefully.
"Of course," Harry replied. "it wouldn't be fair if I didn't teach you."
"Cool, so when do we start?" Aang asked excitedly.
"We'll start as soon as you master water and earthbending," Harry said, opening his eyes to look at Aang's face and the dropped jaw that he was supporting. "give or take a couple of minutes to eat." He added.
"What?!" Aang gaped at him.
"You heard me, baldy." Harry rolled his eyes. "Fire is not a toy, learn the other goddamn elements first, then we'll talk."
"But that's not fair!"
"Neither is life, now shut up before I shave your head," Harry said in an irritated voice.
"Guys, help me out." Aang pleaded to Katara and Sokka.
"I don't know, Aang," Katara said, biting down softly on her lower lip. "I think that Harry might be right, you're good at waterbending but you've hardly mastered it, I think you should really focus on that instead of dividing your attention between two elements. After all, that is why we're trying to go to the North Pole." She pointed out.
"Well, as much as it pains me to admit it, I agree with Harry," Sokka said apologetically as he stopped doing push-ups and sat up. "the last thing I need is two fire-jerks throwing flames around." He added, shaking his head.
"Love you too, Sokka, you prick," Harry commented.
"I heard that!" Sokka yelled.
"You were meant to!" Harry yelled back before opening his eyes and staring at Aang. "I want to get at least another hour of meditation so I will be dealing with this shit now. Listen to me, chrome-dome, go and master waterbending, then you will find an earthbending teacher, preferably not an annoying one, then I will teach you firebending." Harry said before turning to Katara. "Thank you for agreeing and you're doing a great job with the sewing." He said before turning to Sokka. "Shut up and get a haircut." He said before huffing and closing his eyes.
"My hair is..." Sokka began but was interrupted by Harry who had opened his eyes once more.
"Oh, I will kill you," Harry said matter-of-factly. "I'll do it." He warned before looking around. "Please, everyone, just be quiet for at least five minutes." He said before closing his eyes once more, only to be interrupted by a very large sneeze from Appa. "Goddamn it." Harry groaned, pressing his face into his hands.
"I must admit, I am fairly impressed," Fire Lord Azulon said, sitting behind the flames in his throne room. Looking down at the people in the room, standing to the side was his two sons, Iroh and Ozai. Kneeling a small distance away from him was the boy that had quickly become a growing legend in the Fire Nation, the boy with the green flames. The boy that everyone knew was being trained by the best people that the Fire Nation had to offer, including Iroh, the dragon of the west. "my son has told me that you're training is happening at an impressive rate." He said to the green-eyed, ten-year-old, boy.
"Thank you, Fire Lord Azulon." Harry respectfully nodded his parents on either side of him.
"My son had told me that he has been working hard to train you and that you are excelling in the art of lightning," Fire Lord Azulon stated. "lightning isn't something that any and every firebender can use, that is especially true at your age."
"Young Harry is indeed very impressive," General Iroh smiled. "in a few years he might even surpass me." He grinned, sending a wink towards Harry.
"Thank you so much, respected General." Harry's father said with a happy smile on his face.
"Hmm," Ozai grunted. "perhaps in that case we could have him lay waste to Ba Sing Se instead of you." He said mockingly. Every person in the room instantly knew what he was talking about, General Iroh had been attempting to invade Ba Sing Se, the supposedly impenetrable Earth Kingdom. He had so far been unsuccessful after nearly a year of trying to break through its outer walls. Fire Lord Azulon looked more than a little irritated by his youngest son's comment but Iroh had responded before he could do or say anything.
"Hmm, maybe," Iroh said in a thoughtful voice that was matched by the look on his face, making it sound like he was genuinely considering it. Ozai rolled his eyes before he continued speaking.
"I will freely admit that the boy is an excellent firebender," He said, looking at Harry appraisingly. "he will make an excellent member of the Fire Nation army."
"Yes," Fire Lord Azulon agreed, he already had such great plans for the boy. There was a small risk of losing the boy in battle but if the boy did lose his life in battle then he clearly was not as strong and competent as they had believed him to be. After a few years of useful service, he would pull the boy out of the army and have him marry his granddaughter, Azula. Hopefully, the boy would be a good influence on her and while he was at it he might even get his grandson to improve his own firebending skills. Once Azula and the boy were wed, they would be the perfect power couple, together they would enforce the will of the Fire Nation. Blue and green flames together, a beautiful and destructive combo. Any children they produced would most likely be very powerful as well. "I am sure that he will fight admirably, he may even become a general sooner or later, we should..."
Whatever Fire Lord Azulon was about to say was cut off by a voice, soft and quiet but firm and unyielding. "No." Everyone in the room turned to the owner of the voice.
"I beg your pardon?" Fire Lord Azulon asked Harry.
"I will not be fighting in the Fire Nation's army," Harry stated, meeting Fire Lord Azulon's gaze without flinching, something that was an impressive accomplishment on its own, more so when the person in question was a ten-year-old.
"And why not?" Fire Lord Azulon frowned, keeping hold of his temper with the type of solid willpower that had made him such a feared man.
"This war has gone for a hundred years, there have been enough corpses without me adding to it," Harry answered. "I have no desire or interest in taking part in this."
"Harry!" His mother and father hissed at the same time. "What are you doing?!" Harry's father whispered, looking panicked.
"You're refusing to do your duty?" Ozai asked, glaring down at Harry.
"Now, now, brother, he is only a child." General Iroh protested, frowning at him.
"That is undoubtedly true, brother," Ozai agreed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes again. "but that does not change the fact that he will not remain a child forever. Eventually, he will become an adult and will have to do as expected of him, including producing children and fighting in our army. Not enlisting such a powerful firebender would be a horrible waste, especially one that you're willing to claim may end up surpassing you in a few years." Ozai turned his attention away from Iroh and back to Harry. "All that power and you won't fight? Pathetic," He hissed. "if that's the case then what use are you?" He glared at him.
"I don't know," Harry said, glaring back at Ozai. "it would probably make me almost as useless as the second-in-line to the throne that hides in the safety of his father's palace while his brother actually does fight."
"You dare to speak to me like this?!" Ozai roared. Harry's parents opened their mouths, most likely to apologize but Harry opened his mouth first.
"You say that my duty is to have kids and fight, General Iroh had a child and is fighting in the war, you only had kids. Where are you on the battlefield?" Harry asked. "Lost your courage or do you simply think you're too good to fight in the army?"
"Enough!" Fire Lord Azulon cut off Ozai's response, he turned back to Harry. "You are young, you will have plenty of reasons to want to join the war effort. You will most definitely change your mind," He said so confidently that it was clear that in his mind that Harry would be convinced to join, one way or another. Before Harry could respond with a comment, Fire Lord Azulon spoke again. "you may leave now, I'm sure you can go and play with my grandchildren," He said to Harry, his words may have been phrased as a suggestion but they were definitely not received as such, he then turned to both of Harry's parents. "you two will stay." He commanded the now deathly still pair.
Harry nodded respectfully before standing up and quietly walking out of the throne room, once the doors were closed he nodded to the guards outside of the room before he walked off. He breathed out a heavy sigh, knowing that, even if the whole Fire Nation didn't find out about his refusal to fight, the Fire Lord would try to get him into this war one way or another.
"Harry!" A voice hissed as he turned around the corner, he saw Azula and Zuko standing there and gesturing him to follow them. Harry allowed himself a small smile before he followed the two of them into Azula's room.
"Are you crazy?!" Zuko blurted out once they were inside. "You don't want to fight in the army?!" He looked at Harry like he wasn't sure that he was really looking at Harry and not some imposter.
"Nope," Harry confirmed with a nod, not even surprised that Zuko and Azula knew about what had happened given that the two of them liked to keep sneaking into the throne room. "definitely not."
"But why not?! You'd be great in it!" Azula said, sounding very confused. "You're like the best firebender ever!"
"Thanks," Harry smiled at her. "but that's not who I want to be."
"I don't get it," Azula frowned. "why wouldn't you want to fight?"
"That's hard to explain," Harry sighed. "let's talk about it later. Anyway, the Fire Lord did order us to play." He grinned.
"Fine, but you shouldn't have talked to Father like that," Zuko said, shaking his head. "he's definitely angry with you know."
"Let him be," Harry snorted. "I'm not scared of him."