It had been some time since Kahn first arrived in this world, and now the story of Journey to the West, which he'd been telling Zuko and Azula, had finally reached its end.
"…Tang Sanzang was conferred the title of Candana Meritorious Buddha, and Sun Wukong was named Victorious Fighting Buddha…"
Kahn closed his storytelling session with a sense of satisfaction. Around him, the listeners were quiet, a faint melancholy hanging in the air as if they didn't want it to end.
"Victorious Fighting Buddha… that's so cool," Zuko murmured, his eyes shining. He didn't really know what a Buddha was, but the title alone sounded incredibly powerful.
"That's it?" Azula said, unimpressed.
"That's the ending? Sun Wukong just gets recruited? I thought it would've been better if he killed Tang Sanzang, then overthrew the Jade Emperor and the Tathagata Buddha, and became the strongest god ruling all three realms himself."
"That wouldn't even be the same story anymore!" Kahn groaned, exasperated.
Did she not understand the difference between adapting a story and rewriting the entire myth?
Azula, of course, ignored him. She was lost in her own ambitious imagination.
"It should've been Sun Wukong subduing all the forces along the way, making his comeback, and getting rid of that annoying Tang Sanzang."
Kahn rubbed his temples. Her thought process was both terrifying and… disturbingly on brand.
The rest of the group exchanged wary looks.
Deciding that their sanity was intact, they silently agreed to ignore Azula and moved on with the conversation.
"So," Ty Lee said cheerfully, "who's everyone's favorite character?"
She didn't wait for an answer before chiming in, "Mine's definitely the Queen of the Women's Kingdom! She was so beautiful and deeply affectionate. It's such a shame Tang Sanzang rejected her love."
Zuko folded his arms. "If he'd accepted, the mission would've failed."
"I know that!" Ty Lee pouted. "Mai, what about you?"
"Sun Wukong," Mai replied immediately.
Zuko's eyes lit up. "You like Sun Wukong too?!"
Mai nodded calmly. "Of course. He's powerful, brave, clever, and punishes evil while protecting the good."
Zuko smiled wide, relieved to find common ground—until Mai added flatly:
"I also want a subordinate like Sun Wukong. I could hand everything over to him. It'd save me so much effort."
"…Huh?"
Zuko froze. Wait. That's not the takeaway I expected.
"What about you, Kahn?"
"Obviously Sun Wukong!" Kahn replied without hesitation. "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven is the coolest."
After all, what boy hadn't swung a stick around pretending to be the Monkey King? The charm of Sun Wukong was eternal.
Zuko relaxed. Finally—someone normal! Truly, Kahn was his best friend.
Azula scoffed. "Sun Wukong? Please. From start to finish, he was just a puppet of the Tathagata Buddha, manipulated like a toy, and in the end, he still joined him."
Her voice carried more admiration for the Buddha's manipulation than criticism.
Kahn sighed. Yeah… she'd probably prefer the conspiracy-theory version of the story that internet fans cooked up back home.
Perhaps because they were all still caught up in their emotions, the group began reminiscing about earlier parts of the story.
Ty Lee eventually asked Kahn to tell it again.
He refused at first—repeating stories felt like a waste of time—but then a spark of inspiration struck him.
"…Maybe I should write it down and publish it as a book."
As soon as the words left his mouth, his eyes gleamed.
The idea of becoming an author in another world sounded… awesome. Maybe it would even count as cultural exchange!
Everyone supported the idea. Even Azula, usually the sharpest critic, nodded approvingly for once.
When Kahn mentioned it to Iroh, the old general chuckled warmly.
"A fine idea," he said, "but don't neglect your Firebending training."
Iroh himself had heard parts of the story and found it fascinating, though his duties at the palace had prevented him from hearing it all.
As for where Kahn came up with such a tale, no one questioned it too deeply.
They just assumed he had a creative streak. After all, storytelling wasn't nearly as important as his bending.
Speaking of which—after his battle with Kou Li, Kahn had unintentionally picked up a few Earthbending movements.
One day, on a whim, he decided to try using Earthbending stances to perform Firebending.
The result? Predictably disastrous.
Still, as he was experimenting, Iroh caught him in the act.
"Earthbending moves?" the general asked, surprised. "Where did you learn those?"
Kahn briefly explained about Kou Li, then his curiosity got the better of him.
"So… what's the actual difference between Earthbending and Firebending?"
Iroh smiled, clearly impressed. "To think so deeply at your age—very good."
He conjured a small flame in his hand as he spoke.
"The difference doesn't lie in the movements, but in the foundation. Bending is a way to better control your element, but it's not the source of your power."
He raised the flame slightly. "A Firebender's strength comes from breathing—their inner heat and life force. For Earthbenders, it comes from the ground itself.
They draw stability and power by feeling the energy through their feet. The philosophies are completely different, so one cannot replace the other."
Iroh's explanation was calm, wise, and full of insight.
Kahn listened intently, realizing he was catching a glimpse of a true master's understanding of bending.
And most importantly—this master was his teacher.
That realization filled him with pride.
Yet, something Iroh said lingered in his mind.
"Bending is just a way to help us control fire better."
Kahn's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
If bending is merely one way to control fire… does that mean there are other ways? Maybe even a better one?
His imagination sparked.
And just like that, his thoughts began to diverge—toward a new world of possibilities.
...
Author's Note:
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