Aine peeked her head out of the corner as the four firebenders ran past her hiding spot. Aine raised her fist to trap the soldiers in ice and moved her hands towards the water. The soldiers screamed in unison as they fell into the water.
"Aine!" her father called out desperately as he cut down several Fire Nation soldiers. "Get to safety!"
"No!" Aine dodged a fireball as she jumped across the canals in between of her father and five Fire Nation soldiers. Aine moved her hands up to make an ice wall to defend against the firebenders.
Aine ignored her father's yelling as she bends water into a water gimbal as she shoots water bullets to force the firebenders off of the roads. Aine ran towards the palace taking out many firebenders as she water whips them off the houses and into the sea below.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shoot through her body causing her to collapse and water fell onto the floor around her. Aine pressed her right hand to her chest squeezing her eyes shut.
"Tui… is dead?" Aine wheezed heavily. "H-How?"
"Look a waterbender!" Aine looked up seeing a tall man wearing Fire Nation armor. "It's the princess of Northern Water Tribe!"
Aine winced as the soldier yanked her to Aine's feet and pinned her hands behind her back. Aine continued to resist as the soldier pulled her along to a man with a top-knot, beard and a cruel smile.
"Commander Zhao! We got the second princess of the Northern Water Tribe!" the soldier saluted to the man.
"Ah," Commander Zhao turned to her. "You are either Princess Yue or Princess Aine."
"Aine." Aine narrowed her eyes at Commander Zhao. "Why did you kill the Moon Spirit? The balance has been thrown off!"
"To give the Fire Nation an advantage!" The commander spread his hands.
"You're a monster!" Aine struggled against the hold. Commander Zhao laughed as his hand spark a flame closed to Aine's face.
"Admiral Zhao!" A baritone voice stopped the man from burning Aine. Aine turned to see a tall teenager with an old scar taking up most of the left of his face. The male teenager wore light colored clothes as he landed beside Aine firebending the soldier away from her. The male teenager wrapped his arm around Aine to throw her away from him. Aine slid across the icy floor as Admiral Zhao and the teenager fought.
"I thought I killed you, Prince Zuko!" Admiral Zhao fought the prince fiercely. Aine got up, bending the water into an ice shield in front of Prince Zuko blocking the fire.
"What?!" Admiral Zhao looked at Aine who smirked at him with glowing blue eyes. "How!"
"I'm connected to the Moon Spirit since I was born." Aine grinned at Prince Zuko who stared at her. "Short-term allies, Prince Zuko?"
Aine frowned concernedly as she noticed the cuts and bruises on Prince Zuko's face. Prince Zuko tackled Aine as the fire hit the space where her head was. The prince rolled onto his feet as Aine blocked another fire attack with water wall and then sending Admiral Zhao off of his feet with a water jet.
Prince Zuko engaged into a ferocious fight with the admiral as Aine blocked the fire that edged too close to the prince.
Admiral Zhao screamed in outrage, "Why are you fighting together? You are enemies!"
Aine glanced at Prince Zuko who was staring at her with intense golden eyes. "An enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Aine could see Koizilla out of her peripheral vision taking out Fire Nation ships. Zuko blocked an attack coming at her and shot one of his own at Admiral Zhao. The moon filled the sky with brightness once more filling Aine with more power.
"Oh, spirits." Aine breathed out as she tackled Prince Zuko into the ground as water crashed over the top of them. The water pressured forced Aine harder onto Prince Zuko causing her to wave the water off the two.
The Water Spirit La separated from Avatar Aang by going back into the water. Aine groaned slightly as she lifted herself off of the Fire Nation's Prince.
"I'll kill you both!" Admiral Zhao shouted as he sent a fire stream towards them just as an arm made of water wrapped itself around the man. La lifted the man up into the air just as Zuko reached out to the man. Aine held Prince Zuko's wrist gazing at the Water Spirit with piercing blue eyes and stepped in front of the prince.
The Water Spirit sank back into the water bringing Admiral Zhao with him. "Why?" Prince Zuko asked her. "Why did you protect me?"
Aine blinked at Prince Zuko confused as they both straighten up from the ground. "You helped me. I helped you. Now, I'm going to heal you of your wounds so shut up and take off your shirt."
"I'm not taking off my shirt!" Prince Zuko glared out at her. Aine crossed her arms over her chest staring at him stubbornly.
"Take. Off. Your. Shirt." Aine pointed at him. "Admiral Zhao said you should have died. Now, off."
Prince Zuko grumbled as he winces taking off his shirt. Aine pursed her lips seeing dark bruising on his chest, kneeling beside him with hands covered in water. Zuko sucked in his breath staring as the water covered his chest and up the left side of her face across the bridge of his nose healing at a rapid rate.
He stared at Aine with stunned eyes as the bruises, cuts and the scarring faded away. "Prince Zuko!"
Both turned to see an older man wearing Fire Nation clothes walking towards them at a brisk pace. The man paused seeing Prince Zuko's scar faded into a whiter scar tissue than the inflamed red it was before. The scarring was healed around his eyes but light pink scarring on his forehead and cheek.
The man bowed respectfully towards Aine, "Princess Aine… you look like your sister, Yue."
At his tone, Aine stiffened slightly as she helped Prince Zuko with his top. "What happened to my sister, General Iroh?"
In response, Iroh pointed at the moon. "After Tui was murdered… your sister took Tui's place as the Moon Spirit."
Aine closed her eyes inhaling deeply before Aine helped Prince Zuko up to his footing. "Follow me."
Iroh and Zuko followed the Northern Princess as she leads them through secret passages of the palace. Aine moved the ice wall with a fluid motion. Aine turned towards them, "Keep going straight and you'll be just outside the Southern wall. Keep out of the sight of the watchmen and you'll be okay."
"Thank you, Princess Aine." Iroh bowed again. Zuko stared at her with wide golden eyes and repeatedly opened his mouth and close it.
Aine tilted her head at the Fire Nation's Prince before she pushed Prince out in the pathway. "Go."
"I… Thank you for healing me, Princess Aine." Zuko fumbled with his words before running towards General Iroh. Aine closed the ice wall blocking the escape route as she walked back out of the passage.
~.~.~.~.~
"Aine!" Sokka ran over to her with wet eyes. Aine smiled weakly as she gripped his shoulders with her hands. "I-I'm so sorry that I couldn't protect Princess Yue."
"Yue is her own person, Sokka. I'm not angry with you for protecting her with all your might." Aine nodded at him with a firm nod.
Aine stepped out into the open causing the tribe to cheer as she made her way to stand next to her father. Her father, Chief Arnook, raised his spear in victory causing the crowd to cheer loudly.
"Today, we have won a great victory over the Fire Nation today!" Her father's voice carried across the city. "Unfortunately, I have lost my eldest daughter during the siege… She has taken the Moon Spirit's place after Tui was murdered. My living daughter; however, fought Admiral Zhao to have the justice that the Fire Nation scum has done!"
"I didn't fight the Admiral alone, Father. Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation helped me fight him. Now… I'm not sure what happened between the Prince and the Admiral but the Water Spirit didn't kill Prince Zuko when he took the Admiral…" Aine paused inhaling. "I cannot serve as your princess any longer. I am sorry."
Aine ignored the gasping and sobbing of her people as she walked away and into the palace. Aine closed her bedchamber door. Aine unbound her white hair from the traditional haircut, braiding her bangs from her face and into a larger braid. Aine took off the fine clothing that would identify her as the Northern Water Tribe princess and into traveling clothes.
"Your sister would have stayed." Her father's voice sounded behind her. Aine straightened as she turned to face Arnook with tensed eyes. "But you are not Yue."
"No." Aine stared her father as he sighed heavily as he handed her frozen spirit water dagger. "What's this?"
"The spirits had given me two visions when Yue and yourself were born. One brave girl becoming the moon and the other's union with the sun. You say you fought together with Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. Give this dagger to Prince Zuko as a sign of respect and honor from the Northern Water Tribe for protecting you."
"How… How did you know I would travel with Aang?" Aine blinked. Arnook laughed merrily as he walked out of her room.