Zuko can what?

Despite the war being over, the Gaang just couldn't resist the pull of adventure. They were just kids, after all. Toph had never seen the North Pole and Zuko had yet to be there as a friend, so that's where they were headed.

Zuko, as the Fire Lord, was going to personally visit all four nations to prove the Fire Nation's new ruler is good and cares for them all now. Although Iroh wished to return to his tea shop, he'd agreed to watch over the Fire Nation to allow Zuko his quest.

Aang, as the Avatar, was to oversee the peacemaking between Zuko and the Northern Water Tribe. Toph was there out of curiosity, and Sokka, Suki, and Katara… Well, they're friends. Zuko had asked Mai to come, but… She refused. Somehow that angered Zuko, and yet he oddly didn't care either. It was confusing, so he pushed it to the back of his mind.

Appa had been flying for hours by the time they finally found some solid ice to land on. The bison needed rest, so they landed and began to walk through the snow and ice. Luckily there wasn't a blizzard, but the cold was still piercing.

Zuko glanced around at his friends, trying to come to grips with how surreal this all still feels. He's never had friends of his own until these people and it's difficult to come to terms with. His gaze settles on Toph, as he notices something…

"I know you can see better without shoes but... How are your feet not freezing off right now?"

"No idea, but this place is worse than the desert, it's worth a bit of cold."

Katara winces and comments, "We do have some spare shoes if you want them, or you could ride on Appa-"

But Toph insists, "I'm fine Katara!"

But right before they're about to settle down for the night under a glowing full moon, the group is met with a surprise. They're suddenly surrounded by waterbenders- In the Northern Tribe's army clothing. Zuko immediately drops into a fighting stance, only for Sokka to give a relieved, "Oh, thank goodness! Is the Northern Tribe near?"

One of the waterbenders growls, "Maybe… But you took everything from us. You'll never get there."

Zuko suddenly regrets wearing Fire Nation attire, although… His scar is probably too recognizable anyway.

"That wasn't me, that was my father! I fought to free you from tyranny… At least in the end. But even before I changed sides, when Zhao was here, I fought him when he killed the moon! That's something, isn-"

The waterbender cuts Zuko off, "Enough. You did take everything from us, because war was all we knew. You- All of you- destroyed our lives."

Aang protests, "But if I hadn't stopped Ozai, you wouldn't have lives at all! At least now, you can heal, and recover. You can make new lives, in peace."

"…No."

Water explodes up through the ice, slicing towards the group. Katara freezes it before it reaches them, but the battle officially begins. Zuko charges towards one of the waterbenders with a roar, punching his fist forward for a mighty fireblast… But it's immediately blocked by a wall of water. He finds himself on the defensive, dodging and running from flying icicles and sharp ice sheets, his fire only useful to melt what would've otherwise killed him.

He manages a glimpse around. Katara and Aang are able to fight water with water, so they're doing well in this battle. Toph is completely unable to bend, so Sokka and Suki are doing their bests to defend her. They're used to not bending. Appa manages a few tail swings to blow or hit the waterbenders away, but he can't do much without destroying the ice below them. Momo crouches on Appa's new saddle, looking for an opportunity to strike.

Zuko's brought back to attention by a cold wave of water throwing him to the ground. He scrambles to his feet, kicking out fire as he goes. His firebending may be weak, yet somehow… He doesn't feel weak. He remembers what Uncle Iroh taught him- Waterbenders use their opponents strength against them, they flow, like the element commands. Zuko tries to do the same.

Instead of blasting just to be blocked, he dodges with the ice and water shooting at him, spinning to shoot fire where his opponent is aimed the other way. But he's still on the defensive, especially when two waterbenders team up against him. Zuko is very hard to scare, but he still feels fear rising up in him as death gets harder and harder to dodge. Literally.

He looks around in panic, but there's no one to run to his aid. Then there's an icicle shooting straight towards him, and he's sure it's over as he moves to try to blast it to less harmful water…

No fire comes out, but the ice turns to water and is weakly flung to the side anyway. Zuko looks around, prepared to thank Aang or Katara… But they're completely on the other side of Appa, and by a ways.

The waterbenders briefly pause, seeming to be in shock. One of them shoots another icicle at him, and once again, Zuko waves his hand and it turns to water.

But… He's not the Avatar! How is he… Waterbending?
His two opponents, equally perplexed and scared, notice that their allies have all ran from the rest of the group. They scream and flee as well, spooked by the other double bender.

Zuko just stands in shock, legs shaking not with cold but with weakness under the heavy blow of what just happened. Surely he imagined it, surely-

He jumps as Sokka rests a hand on his shoulder, "Uh, Zuko, you okay-?"

Zuko slaps his hand away, stumbling back, "I'm fine!"

The loud outburst catches everyone's attention, and suddenly all eyes are on him.

"What's wrong, Zuko?"

"Did you get hurt?"

"Is the full moon weakening you? Stay closer to the group, we can-"

"NO!" Zuko explodes, and both heat and cold run down his arms as he punches downwards from frustration, "I THINK I CAN WATERBEND!"

Silence. After a few moments of the only sound being Zuko breathing heavily to vent his frustration, Katara gently explains, "No, you can't... Only the Avatar can do that, and that's Aang. You're not-"

"But I just did it! Shoot ice at me, Katara, I'll prove it!"

"I-I don't-"

Zuko swings around to Aang, "Then you do it! Shoot ice at me!"

Aang hesitates, then says quietly, "If it'll bring you peace... Fine, I'll hit you with some ice."

Aang pulls up an iceball from the the ground, making it rounded before gently tossing it at Zuko, too slow to really hurt if he fails. But he doesn't. He waves it away like before.

More silence, only broken by the water splashing down.

Katara breaks the silence again, "Maybe you've invented a new kind of firebending? You're melting ice after all, and that takes heat."

Before Zuko can respond, Aang comments, "I didn't see any fire, and the water moved to the side as well. I think… I don't know how, but somehow… Zuko's right."

Katara crosses her arms, skeptical, "That's impossible!"

Aang sighs, "I know…"

Zuko ventures, "Bending either comes from a nonhuman bending force teaching a human… Or is passed down through families, correct?"

Aang nods, "Pretty much."

"…I'm a descendant of Avatar Roku. Maybe… Maybe the ability to bend multiple elements is beyond spiritual, it's physical as well, and it can be passed down."

Aang looks thoughtful, but Katara still scoffs, "I lost my mother because I was a waterbender, but she wasn't. It's definitely in the spirit. Plus, you don't have any waterbending relatives, do you?"

Zuko adds angrily, "I also learned some waterbending form and style to redirect lighting! My Uncle is a far more spiritual man than I, but I got it from him! Possible or not, I can Waterbend!"

He performs a sweeping motion with his arm, following through with his whole body. A thin stream of water lifts from the ice below, hovering beside him momentarily before weakly splashing back down. Zuko insists, "You can't argue with that!"

He's shaking all over, now it's both weakness and cold. Katara hesitantly concedes, "…That was Waterbending…"

Sokka gestures to the moon, his voice oddly soft, "It's a full moon. Maybe it's a blessing from the moon spirit…"

Suki gently wraps her arm around Sokka's middle, and Zuko remembers the whole 'girlfriend turned into the moon' thing. He growls, "Maybe, but either way I'm doing it…"

He suddenly feels lightheaded, the cold piercing his heart. He shudders, huffing out a weak puff of smoke, then his knees turn to jelly and the Fire Lord collapses.

As darkness spins around him, he faintly makes out the sound of reactions around him.

"Zuko!?"

"I'll grab the kindling we brought, we need to warm him up!"

"Did Sparky just pass out!? It's so hard to tell on this ice!"

"What's with magic stuff and causing fainting!?"

Everything goes black.