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Some time after talking with Steph, Zuko still has no idea how to go about approaching the many people who he should proably talk to.

Instead, he's focusing on something that puts it all off very nicely, and practicing firebending forms out in the training field. They really do make much more sense after visiting the Masters - without having to spend to much effort on brute force and anger to produce the flame, everything flows more, and that in turn is levelling out his thoughts.

So. Another version of him had children. And they're here. They also seem to think he's their father- at least, the version that they knew. He should talk to Mel first, then. He's not sure what she thinks, but he should ask, in any case. And Iroh should know.

Later. He finishes off a form, and moves onto the next.

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"No guess," Dinah tells him.

She moves gracefully out of the way of his attack, letting the fight flow around her, and watching how he fights more than anything else.

Except she has the advantage now, and she's going to us it by hitting him hard and fast.

He fights... well, stubbornly. And while his strength clearly lies in firebending, or possibly with the twin swords that he isn't wearing right now, he also fights like someone who's had to rely on it before.

Her technique is superior, though, he realises, and focuses on speed and endurance, aiming to avoid heavier blows, and roll with lighter ones for as long as he can.

It's a test to see how he does for himself, as much as for her.

And he does pretty well, Dinah reflects. He doesn't rely on his ability nearly as much as most people here, and he's got technique and ability that go beyond pyrokinesis.

She's impressed.

Not threatened, but impressed.

She can thank Iroh for that.

Iroh, and Zuko's Sekrit, non-Firebending identity.

Meanwhile, in the actual ~~thread~~ fight, Zuko's just about hanging in there. But he's flagging, he can tell, and is grimly undecided between surrendering and keeping going until he drops, just to see if he can.

Even well trained teenage boys are not always all that smart.

Dinah knows that. Dinah's dealt with a few well-trained teenage boys.

She misses Roy, whenever she thinks of the people at home. Roy and Ted more than about anyone.

And she's rally not flagging. She's sweating and breathing deliberately, but she's not flagging. So when she sees he is, she can take his ankle out from underneath of her with a flick of her heel.

WAUGH.

He lands on one shoulder and rolls, ready to spring up and continue, but...

Look, he's down, and that's decided the point for him. He doesn't try to get up, just folds into an ingrained pose of submission, head inclined, hands slightly out at his sides but relaxed and aimed at the floor.

(Not that it's ever worked that well for him before, but some things are ingrained.)

"I yield."

Dinah lowers her hands, grins and offers him a hand.

"You're good."

Oh thank the spirits he can get out of that position.

One of the things about habit - he did that before remembering the last time he submitted to an opponent in Agni Kai. Nice to have a different memory to use, much as he hated doing it.

He doesn't smile back, because of that, but takes her hand to get up.

"Thank you," he says, in a tone that says 'not good enough!, but he looks her in the eyes before bowing. "But you're better. How long have you been training?"

"All my life," she answers frankly. "I was more or less brought up by a society of the best fighters in my world."

"That would explain your technique," he says. "It's incredible. Much better for hand-to hand than anything I know."

"That technique's called 'whatever works'," Dinah admits. "It's down to knowing as much as you can and keeping a clear head so you can use the right move in a fight."

Zuko nods.

"That's been a problem for me up until recently," he admits. "Even just using the techniques I do know... I relied a lot on rage, and although it's powerful, it doesn't make for a clear head."

"Never fight angry," Dinah says. "It's the first thing any of my uncles ever taught me."

"A lot of Firebenders can or will only do that," Zuko says, and shrugs dryly. "That our 'whatever works.' But the best ones..." Iroh, the Sun Warriors. Azula. "I'm getting better at keeping rage out of it."

"Good," Dinah says, because keeping rage out is such an imporant part of her discipline.

"Have I said how cool it is that you guys have a meta power linked to qi?"

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