| abstract
| - Zuko commences Aang's firebending training at the Western Air Temple and tells Aang to show him how much fire he can produce. Seeing as it is not very much, Aang thinks perhaps a demonstration from Zuko would help. However, Zuko finds that his own firebending is very weak; he tries to firebend at lower altitudes, hoping that it is the height hindering him, but to no avail. Later that night, Zuko apologizes to everyone, saying he has lost his firebending. Out of spite, Katara laughs and coldly jokes how convenient it would have been for the group if Zuko's firebending had failed him months before. Aang hypothesizes that Zuko must not have enough rage to create fire like he used to in the past. Sokka, stating that all they would have to do is make Zuko angry, starts poking him wildly with his sword sheath. However, Zuko says that he no longer wants to rely on anger and hatred, so Toph encourages him to learn from the original source of firebending, like how she learned earthbending from the badgermoles, who were the original earthbenders. Zuko says that the dragons were the original firebenders, but that they have been extinct for some time. Flabbergated, Aang comments that when he was a kid there were many dragons and Avatar Roku had a dragon, but Zuko does not find it very helpful. Knowing that either he needs to find another way to firebend or the Avatar needs to find a new teacher, Zuko tells Aang about an ancient civilization that died out thousands of years earlier called the Sun Warriors, hoping the ruins of the culture could provide an alternate but equally viable source. Zuko and Aang fly to the Sun Warrior ruins on Appa, they land and start exploring the ruins. Aang nearly falls into a trap, which Zuko is surprised to see still works even after centuries of being built. He bypasses the trap by running across the adjoining wall. Aang is hesitant to continue, but Zuko edges him on and they find a massive stone carving depicting dragons and a Sun Warrior. In the mural, two of the dragons are breathing fire onto the Sun Warrior. Aang is surprised because he got the impression that the dragons were friends with the Sun Warriors, while Zuko remarks that they had a funny way of showing it. Aang asks Zuko what happened to the dragons, and Zuko reveals that the dragons became extinct because Fire Lord Sozin started the tradition of hunting them for glory and the title of 'Dragon'. He tells Aang that the person who killed the last living dragon was his uncle, Iroh. While exploring the ruins, Aang and Zuko come across a locked door with a sunstone on top. Zuko sees a celestial calendar is used to open the door specifically on the summer solstice and uses his sword to reflect sunlight onto the jewel, causing it to open. Aang compliments his intelligence, telling him he "doesn't care what anyone else thinks". Inside they find various statues which depict a firebending form called the Dancing Dragon. Aang imitates the first statue and discovers there are tile switches linked to the dance positions. He persuades Zuko to perform the dance with him and as they do, they activate an ancient key mechanism. Upon completion of the Dancing Dragon, a pedestal with a huge gold, egg-shaped gem rises in the middle of the room. Zuko picks it up despite Aang's warnings, inadvertently triggering a trap. The chamber doors close, and a viscous slime fills the room. Zuko and Aang find themselves trapped by the liquid in a barred skylight where they have plenty of air but no way to get free. They are subsequently captured by the still-flourishing Sun Warrior tribe, which accuses them of attempting to steal Sun Warrior treasures. After explaining that Aang is the Avatar and they desire to learn the true form of firebending, Zuko and Aang are put through a ritual where they have to carry a portion of the first fire, given to man by the dragons, up a mountain and present it to the true "firebending masters", Ran and Shaw. At first, Aang is scared to try to hold the flame, but the Sun Warrior chief comforts him by saying that fire is not just destructive, but it is life. They reach the lair of the masters and are sent to the top of a stairway, where they see two caves at the top. Aang and Zuko present their fires and each face one of the two caves. Aang, however, loses his portion of the fire due to being distracted and scared; he tries to take a piece of Zuko's fire, but accidentally knocks his hands down, extinguishing his flame as well. At that moment, two dragons emerge from the two caves, to Zuko and Aang's great shock, and start flying in circles around them. Zuko and Aang earn the respect of the dragons by performing the firebending technique that they learned from the statues, dancing with the dragons in the process. The dragons breathe beautiful, multicolored flames around them, revealing the true and harmonious way of firebending. When the dragons return to their caves, Zuko understands the reason he could not firebend was because he had lost his "inner fire". He used to draw his fire from rage, anger, and his burning desire to capture Aang, but after he joined the group, he could no longer draw from this source. However, after watching the dragons, he learns that he can draw from the true source, his desire to help bring balance to the world. He describes this new found feeling as "the sun but inside of you". Aang realizes that fire is not destruction, but energy and life, and is able to firebend as well. The chief explains that Iroh was the last outsider to visit the masters and deemed worthy to learn the secret. He lied to keep the dragons alive so they could continue on. The chief explains he has no choice, but to imprison the both of them forever to keep their existence a secret, which astonishes them both. He soon reveals that he is joking, but is very serious that they do not tell anyone. Back at the Western Air Temple, Zuko and Aang show everyone the firebending moves they learned. Sokka pokes fun at them by saying that they would just "tap-dance" their way to victory over the Fire Lord. Zuko tries to explain how serious and ancient the technique is, but they cannot look past the name of the form, the "Dancing Dragon", so they do not take it too seriously.
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