AN:- Oh my goodness... I am on a roll here! Which is great :). Here is the 3rd installment of the Night Terrors Series, what started off as a simple concept to explore the parental behaviours of Zutara during the Western Air Temple and beyond has turned into... this... Oh great...
Anyways the disclaimer is in my profile, why don't you skeedaddle over there and check out my other stories after you're finished reading and reviewing this one. Please? REVIEWS are Christmas Presents to an author's soul :D

Eastonia

Mastery

Or

Four Times Zuko Was Caught and the One Time He Let Himself Be.

(Part of the Night Terrors Series)

1. Aang.

"NO STOP!"

Aang halted in his stance. Circling arms frozen in surprise.

"What now?"
"I know you want to learn the other stuff, but that move, it's too dangerous."
"And now I know you're just stalling from teaching me the good stuff!"
"Listen Aang, you complete that move without finding internal balance, you could explode the entire…"

Circling arms finished the stance. Let the chi separate and slam back into each other for bolt of… NO! Lightning was supposed to come out. No lightning did, just the beginnings of a huge explosion which was going to… wait…

BOOM!

Nothing was damaged or scorched. A few things were knocked over from the sound wave but other than that? Nothing. Except Zuko standing where the bolt of lightning was supposed to go, with hands out reached in a position that curiously reminded him of airbending. If the expression on his face was anything to go by, he was in for a whole lot of trouble.

"Tell me Avatar Aang…"

Oh dear, Avatar Aang, that was not good. Whenever Zuko was disappointed in him the full title came out. Whole lot of trouble? He should start packing for the guilt trip.

"What would have happened if I wasn't around? What if you did succeed? Did you even notice that you're not facing outwards towards the canyon? That explosion, or a lightning bolt could have caused this place to crumble, you hear me? CRUMBLE!"

Zuko was right of course, he didn't think of any of that. He was just so desperate to prove to Zuko that he had mastered the aggressive side of fire. What could be more aggressive than Azula's signature move? But he wanted to learn how to create a fire-story so badly…

Zuko sighed and shook his head.

"Aang. It's not that I do not want to teach you how to create a fire-story. It's just that I do not want you to be hurt. Come Sozin's Comet, you'll be facing down some of the best firebenders the Nation has to offer. I want you to be ready and prepared."
"But it's just so hard…"
"It always is hard in the beginning. I didn't master the basics until this year remember? You'll get there."
"Because I'm the Avatar and thus a prodigy?"
"No. Because, you are Aang. And that's why I believe you can do this."
"You really are a master bender aren't you?"
"I'm not!"

Aang just turned his head towards the sky and smiled, thinking to himself, 'then why do you sound so much like Gyatso?'

2. Sokka

"Hmmm… I think I know why I defeated you that time."
"Why? Come on dude! I have a space sword and you still beat me!"
"You trained under Piandao right?"
"Yes… where are you getting at?"
"Okay, you were with him for a week right?"
"Yes… still confused of where you're going…"
"He didn't have much time with you so he had to play to your strengths you see? I think he was hoping that that would be enough to get you through most fights."
"So?"
"If you'd like, I'll help you train your weak spots."
"Sure! That would be awesome."

Training with Zuko was… strange in a familiar way. Zuko was a good teacher, he could see what Aang meant now, but it was strange. If he wasn't careful at being focused during these sessions he could almost swear that it was Piandao's voice he heard, not Zuko's. Or the crunch underneath his foot was that of snow, not sand.

Slowly but surely he improved.

"Yes! That's it. You're doing great! And now…"

Sokka lunged forward, nian singing through the air and disarm.

One of Zuko's dao clattered to the ground.

"YES! YES! YES!"

Zuko smiled widely at him and the oddest sense of pride welled up in him. Almost as if…

"You really are a master swordsman aren't you?"
"What? No, I'm not. I still have a lot to learn…"

Sokka sat down sword between knees, polishing it. Thinking 'Then why do I feel as though it was my dad that helped me?"

3. Toph

"Okay, so this is not working… What about if we do…"
"Save it Sparky. I can't feel heat, not like you can. All I can do is…"
"Who's the greatest earthbender in the world?"
"I am."
"Who ripped her way out of a metal cage when her parents kidnapped her?"
"I did."
"Who is still the reigning Earth Rumble champion?"
"I am."
"So we are going to meet this problem…"
"Head on, rock-like."
"Exactly. You can't feel heat, that's true. I think I've been approaching this the wrong way with you. That's it. Champ, tomorrow, dawn, meet me at the training grounds."
"But isn't that the time you train Twinkletoes?"
"Yup."
"I do not understand where you're going."
"Tomorrow Champ, you're going to learn how to firebend…"

"What is she doing here?"
"Aang…"
"She can't bend fire!"
"Aang…"
"She's just going to…"
"AVATAR AANG!"
"Yes?"
"After I started teaching you firebending, wasn't my attacks easier to defend?"
"Yes…?"
"You know why?"
"Ummm…"
"Because you can see what moves I'm going to be leading into."
"Wait… you're right! It's the same for waterbending!"
"Not earthbending though?"
"I'm still working on that…"

From that morning onwards, Toph woke to the dawn as Aang and Zuko did. Slowly she learnt and slowly she understood. He was trying to protect her. Just like her father tried to (in that utterly roundabout suffocating way of his), only he knew where she stood and what she could do. So, instead of hustling her away from the battle, he gave her the tools to be safe within one.

"Hey Sparky, you're like the badgermoles…"
"Whaaaat?"

She settled herself back into the firebending stance he taught her, the badgermoles helped her master sight. He was like the badgermoles all over again.

4. Suki

"So if we strike here…"
"No."
"Or here…"
"Too many people, plus Azula's room is that way…"
"Ummm, okay, lets head in the opposite direction from that…"
"I thought so."
"But maybe…"
"Suki."
"Yes?"
"You don't need to act this way about the shopping trip…"
"It's a tactical exercise!"
"On our funds you mean."

Zuko raised his eyes at the prison clothed girl, She obviously needed some new clothes if she wanted to go about a town without a 'oh look, I escaped a prison' banner hanging about her head. But she was being a smidgen bit ridiculous.

"Humph. I am the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. I know how to handle funds!"
"Tell that to the last shopping trip you went on."

It was true though, Katara had sent Sokka and her out with their small bag of funds for acceptable clothing, and they came back with everything and anything that they did not need. It was such a good thing that he didn't reveal all the gold he stashed in his backpack when he first arrived otherwise that would have been gone too.

He sighed as Suki warily watched him.

"Okay…"

Reaching into the folds of his tunic he mentally counted out 5 gold pieces.

"There you go. 2 set of clothing will be around 3 pieces I think and if… and only if there are still 2 gold pieces left when you get back here. You can use it on whatever you want on your next trip."

Suki's eyes widened. She did not expect that.

"Whaat?"
"You still need clothing. Think of this as… pocket money, an allowance. Buy what is necessary and then if you can save the rest save it and you can treat yourself the next time, understand?"
"If I don't?"
"Then I guess you'll just have to go back to prison…"
"You wouldn't!"
"I wouldn't. Your clothes will."
"Fine."
"Oh. And Suki?"
"WHAT?"
"Don't bring Sokka with you."
"Fine oh mighty master of budgeting…"
"WHAT?"

Suki was too far away to hear the rest of Zuko's rant when it hit her. The previous conversation eerily mirrored the one she had with her village elder when they tried to teach her responsibility with money…

5. Katara

"You're found out you know that?"
"What, what do you mean?"
"You claim to have been a spoilt, arrogant Prince and well you did a good job of fooling everyone so far but no more."
"I do not under…"

Desperate times call for desperate measures Katara supposed as she bloodbent Zuko into a sitting position, not allowing him to escape the questioning.

"You were never that were you? You…"

Katara's eyes widened as somehow, he wrested control back from her.

"How did you do that?"
"Did you know, the brain is in charge of all movements we make?"
"That doesn't explain…"
"And that all commands from the brain are transmitted by electrical energy?"

Oh. So water was not the only element that could take away a person's free will. Fire could as well. But how did he know that, how could he do that… at night for that matter. Sure she could bloodbend during the day but…

"You are a master bender…"
"I am not. Every day I learn something new about my element. If a master is someone who has learnt everything there is to know about their element, then I am not one."

She suddenly realised why he refused to be called a master of anything.

"Then if you aren't a master, I'm not one either."

His head snapped up so fast that she was sure he airbent for a second.

"What?"
"We have a different belief in the Tribes. A true master is one that admits that they still have much to learn. You just proved yourself a true master…"

Zuko froze. And sighed.

"You're right. But, I can't be that. I can't be like you or Toph. You set yourselves as benchmarks for Aang, goals he can work towards. I can't be that for him. I can only support him."
"Like you do for Sokka?"
"Yes. I can't be that goal that Toph and you are. I can only teach, support and protect them to a certain extent."
"By giving them tools to protect themselves…"
"Exactly."
"Who knows Zuko, this might just be a lesson in mastery for me as well."

Zuko's single eyebrow rose into his bangs.

"I never thought about it that way…"

IMPORTANT! READ THIS!

Okay, explanation time, in the show we never actually see Zuko attempt to control electricity again. I'm just speculating here, but I'm going on the fact that he can redirect lightning now. Take that redirection and turn it into something outside his body and very, very small... it just seems to make a whole lot more sense than using heat to control another living thing. Take that concept, he wouldn't need to control her to control the blood-bending, he would just need to control himself.

That's the magic of fanfiction. Its not shown on the show but our speculations of our imaginations can be written down to share. As for why he was able to wrest control back from her... She was controlling his blood. He was stimulating the vascular muscles around his blood vessels to stop that constant control. Our blood usually is pumped through our veins by muscles, causing it to constantly move upwards. Now Zuko will not be able to control his arteries as well as the veins, and I suspect he would have to work very quickly if he's blocking the constant flow, it's a dangerous technique and could cause... well internal blood clots.(I suspect a hindrance in the flow of a liquid by another object would stop Katara, like Toph's brick wall, only this is much, much smaller. I really think he would be able to do it, Zuko is a warrior. If a warrior comes across a technique that works by accident based on something they did before (Iroh telling him to feel the sea of energy within him, he could take that one step further and probably feel the electrical impulses within him) they'll probably use it again. I'm basing his neurone-bending on this concept of Katara blood-bending him when they first arrive in the Western Air Temple, he probably didn't want it to happen again (and we all know how Zuko gets when he doesn't want things to happen again). I think he would work on himself first and then try and figure out how to use it in other people without sending a bolt of electricity to them, till then, he is still blood-bending proof...

I also think Katara would have made her peace with bloodbending somewhere along the line. She can do it. It is a tool in her hands. But she doesn't actually need to enjoy using said tool unless its necessary. In this case, the entire Gaang has been trying to corner him. And there was failure to do so. Katara knows that he will just keep on avoiding them and the topic, hence the bloodbending. Icing him over would not work as well if he doesn't want to talk...

Thanks to NotWellKnown and Isthael for reminding me to put the explanation up!

Remember to review pls :).

Eastonia