Kuzon was confused when he came to. He was dead; Ozai and Zhao had killed him. So how was he here… and where was here anyway?
Everything looked strange, the colors just slightly off, and the textures all wrong. It was like what his mind was sensing and what he was actually experiencing were two different things.
"That's a close enough explanation." A voice suddenly came from behind him, causing Kuzon to spin around and almost fall off of the large tree root he stood on.
Kuzon's eyes widened as he recognized the person, no – the Spirit that was standing before him.
"Avatar Roku." Kuzon said, bowing deeply to the Avatar.
"There is no need for that, Kuzon of the Dragons." Roku said, causing Kuzon's eyes to widen in surprise. He hadn't been called that since his trial with Sozin. "You were a friend to Avatar Aang; therefore, you are a friend to us all."
Kuzon nodded slowly, still just trying to figure out what was going on and why Roku was there.
"So, I'm in the Spirit World?" Kuzon asked slowly, looking around at the strange world he had ended up in.
"For the moment, yes." Roku nodded and while Kuzon thought the wording of his statement strange, he wasn't about to push it. He wasn't sure how to act around the Fire Nation Avatar. Sure, Aang was the Avatar, but that was totally different than talking to a fully-fledged Avatar in the Spirit World.
Oh great, his head was beginning to hurt.
How was that possible? He was already dead!
"I understand that you are confused, and while you are quite good at them, don't appreciate word games. So I'll be blunt." Roku said, causing Kuzon to almost sigh in relief. After all those decades around Royals and doing espionage he cherished bluntness. It was rare in the Fire Nation Court.
"Kuzon, you have spent the majority of your life searching for Avatar Aang, and have proven yourself to be a true friend… even if a bit of an insane one."
Kuzon didn't even bother to protest. He was rather aware that obsessing on one task for over eighty years definitely wasn't the definition of sanity; not to mention everything else he had done in his lifetime.
Then again, Bumi wasn't entirely sane either… what was it about Aang, that caused him to befriend two almost-but-not-yet insane people? (Who later became insane.)
'Thoughts, back on track.' Kuzon scolded himself. 'This is important.'
Roku simply sighed.
"Aang's journey has just begun. Very soon he will find himself thrown into a world he is not ready for, and tasked with an almost impossible mission. When you were a child, you swore that you would find Aang; and almost every day since then you have renewed that vow. The Spirits have heard you, and as such, have an offer for you."
Kuzon blinked slowly, working through what the Roku was saying. "Alright… continue."
"Aang will need a friend when he reemerges into the world, someone who knows the war, who has seen it evolve. He will need a guiding hand, and a protector."
"And you think that's me." Kuzon stated in disbelief. How was he supposed to do any of that? He was dead, incase Roku and every other Spirit in on this missed that little fact. It would be rather hard to help Aang from the Spirit World, even if he was the bridge between the two.
Roku smiled softly, "We know it's you."
"What exactly are you offering here?" Kuzon asked slowly, still trying to keep up with everything.
"We are offering you a second chance. As you know, all Souls are reincarnated into the world at some point or another. However, very few ever remember their past life. This is the gift we offer you: a second chance at life, a second chance at being Aang's friend, at finding him. It will not be easy, and you shall not remember immediately, but in the end, you will fulfill your vow.
"You will find Aang."
Kuzon thought about it for a moment, but in the end, there was no choice. There never had been.
"I accept."
Zuko gasped as air suddenly filled his lungs and his heart restarted once more. He pushed himself up, ignoring his uncle's hands and worried words as he coughed up water.
Finally, he had his answers, finally he could remember everything. Finally, he remembered who he was.
He was Prince Zuko, the banished Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, tasked to capture the Avatar to regain his honor. But he was also Kuzon of the Dragons, Kuzon of the Shadows; the Fire Lord's pet who had vowed to find his friend.
And he had done it, although it had taken two different lifetimes and a hundred years. Chuckling to himself, he allowed himself to revel in the moment of that realization. Ok, sure. He had found Aang, then fought him, and then hunted him and his friends practically everywhere, only to help him…
But he had been having a major identity crisis, so that was understandable. (Or at least it was to him.)
His lungs finally free of all the water, he collapsed back down onto the cold, rocky shore. Zuko scowled as the rocks dug into his aching back, which hurt even worse than his burning throat. That was the second time that Zhao had killed him now – for who else could've been behind it? – and Zuko would not allow that man a third opportunity.
"Zuko! Zuko, answer me!"
He finally realized that his uncle, that Iroh was still hovering over him, almost in a panic. Frowning – as he didn't like his uncle or his old friend worried like that – he pushed himself back up into a seated position. Ignoring the pain that shot through his back at the movement, his mind whirled with what he could do, what he could say.
"I'm fine, Uncle." Zuko rasped out, settling on a scenario.
However, as the words left his lips, Zuko realized for the first time that he was alright. Sure, he was battered, bruised, and rather angry at Zhao for killing him again. But for the first time in this body – no, for the first time since Aang went missing – he was truly alright.
What an interesting feeling.
"Fine!?" Iroh exclaimed in disbelief, eyeing his nephew as if he had suddenly gone mad and considering everything, well, that probably wasn't all that far off. "Zuko, your heart stopped. You died!"
"I know," Zuko replied, making Iroh give him an extremely worried look. "But there are more important things to deal with right now."
Iroh spluttered, but Zuko ignored him. He would explain to his uncle later. "I need a messenger hawk and something to write with, and we'll need to procure ourselves a new ship. Pai Sho may or may not become involved eventually…"
Zuko trailed off, seeing the rather freaked out expression on Iroh's face. He smiled at the man, and patted him on the shoulder like he had so many years ago.
"Then, I think I owe you an explanation."
Iroh took a deep breath, collecting himself before giving Zuko a piercing look.
"Yes, I would say that you do."
Zuko simply quirked his lips into a knowing smirk.
The hawk was procured and sent out before dawn; however Iroh had demanded to at least wrap Zuko's ribs before they set out looking for a new ship. Something that was turning into quite a challenge. It was practically midday and they still had yet to find anything that could be piloted by two people and still be a generous size.
Zuko was being vague as to why they needed a large vessel, and it was starting to frustrating Iroh. He had become accustomed to being the vague one. For it to be turned around on him – by his teenage nephew nonetheless, was quite vexing.
The main problem that the two ran into was the price of the ships. Normally, gold wouldn't be a problem for the two. However, they had both agreed that being as incognito as possible here was needed. Therefore, they were both dressed simply and could only spend the gold they had managed to salvage from the ship and carried on them. Which wasn't a lot.
Iroh had tried to convince Zuko to purchase one of the many smaller, cheaper vessels they had seen that morning. But the prince was stubborn. After talking to every single person on the docks, Zuko turned towards the port shops.
He had been at this specific port many times during his years as Kuzon – there were few places he hadn't been to as Kuzon – and although his knowledge was seventeen years out of date, he was hoping to get lucky.
It would be nice to get some good luck for once.
For while the prince knew logically that it would take time for Zhao to gather his forces and make his way to North Pole, he was still overcome with the urge to do something. After all these years, after everything he had gone through, he was finally able to accomplish something, he was finally able to help Aang.
And damn it he wasn't going to fail. Not this time.
Not again.
Not to Zhao.
"There is no need for a large ship, Prince Zuko!" Iroh whispered harshly as they wandered down the street. "I understand that you're upset, but running off to confront Zhao isn't the answer! Let go of your pride, there is simply no need…"
"This is not about my pride." Zuko said sharply, turning and giving his uncle a stern look. Yes, he knew that he needed to explain things to his uncle. But right now…
Iroh opened his mouth to say something more, but Zuko walked forward and into a small tavern that was practically falling down.
"Pri… Nephew!" Iroh exclaimed, surprised and rather irritated as he ran after the prince. Zuko was completely composed as he leaned across the bar. The barkeep eyed him carefully, and Zuko was disappointed to see that it was no longer Tai behind the bar.
"Can I help you with something?" The man asked as he cleaned a glass, eyeing Zuko's cut up face in wariness. The prince stared at the bartender for a moment before nodding to himself. The older man resembled Tai enough that it was probably his son. Well, it was time to see how tattered his old resources were.
"Yes," Zuko said slowly as Iroh appeared at his shoulder, looking worried. "I am curious as to whether amber dragonflies can still seek shelter here."
The man's eyes widened and he almost dropped the glass in shock. Thankfully he caught it last minute and set it down carefully on the counter.
"Of course. Dragonflies are always welcome amongst our white petals." The man recited the other part of the passcode in shock, obviously surprised that he ever used it. Iroh raised an eyebrow looking between the barkeep and Zuko in curiosity.
"How can I help you?" The man asked, glancing over at Iroh in hesitation. Zuko smiled.
"Oh, don't worry about my uncle. He's quite fond of Pai Sho." Iroh turned towards his nephew so quickly Zuko worried for a moment that he had hurt his neck. But the man simply stared at his nephew in thinly concealed shock.
"I see," The man said slowly before refocusing. "And what is it exactly that the two of you require?"
Zuko's expression morphed into a predatory grin. "I need a ship with a large deck that can be piloted by two, all of Master Fly's reports that you have, the finest duo swords you can get, and shelter."
The man's eyes widened with each request, and widened even further when Zuko dropped his bag of coins onto the counter.
"And unlike before, I have gold."
Despite Zuko's desire to move northward as soon as possible, he was able to be patient. Iroh and the prince spent the night in Hue's, nephew to Tai it turned out, spare room. Tai had passed on the year before, but had taught his nephew all of the Dragonflies' codes and ways in case someone came knocking. For while Kuzon had passed on seventeen years ago, his information network had never dissolved. They had gown during their time alone, Zuko was happy to discover; working together as a group to fight the war in the shadows.
After showing the pair to the room, with the prince still ignoring his uncle's questions, Hue had returned quickly with the information reports that he had. The Master Fly was a position exchanged once a year to a volunteer in the organization who would take all of the reports, filter them, and condensed all the information into one useful report that originally had been sent to Kuzon.
However, since Kuzon's death, the Master Fly began sending out the condensed reports randomly to everyone he could. The reports came out as needed; depending on how important and frequent the individual reports that Master Fly received were. Or at least, that's what Hue explained to the young prince.
"How far back do these go?" Zuko asked the man, glad that his uncle had given up and was now in another room making tea. A moment's peace was exactly what he needed.
"I brought you all of the ones I have from the past five years." Hue informed the prince. "Uncle Tai became a bit of a hoarder in his later years. Although we knew it was dangerous, he kept every single report he could after the Amber Master's death."
Zuko nodded, hardly believing the fact that he was actually this lucky. Maybe the Spirits really were on his side.
"I shall leave you to read those." Hue said, placing a candle by Zuko and walking towards the door. "I should have both your ship and swords procured by morning."
"By morning?!" Zuko exclaimed, looking up at Hue in surprise. Even in the Dragonflies' height of power and resources, it would've taken them days to get what he had requested.
The barkeep smirked. "Oh, little Amber Heir. It's been far too long since your family has been in charge. We're not just a group of little dragon-spies anymore. We've grown."
"Yes, I can see that." Zuko said faintly as Hue left, chuckling. He was surprised that he had been tied to his past life so quickly, and by someone he had never met…
Oh well. It did no harm for Hue to believe that Zuko was Kuzon's grandson or something. In fact, it might be useful. It would all depend on just how the rest of the Dragonflies would react to "Amber's Heir".
"We need to talk, Prince Zuko." Iroh said quietly into the night, as the two lay on their bed scrolls. The moon was high in the sky, and all of the fires in the room had gone out long ago.
"I know." Zuko breathed quietly a few moments later. He hadn't been able to sleep, his mind whirling with plans and horror regarding how bad things had gotten since he had died. Sure, he had known more or less the Fire Nation's view of the war since he was the Crown Prince, but that didn't mean he knew the rest of it. Like the Dai Lee. If he ever got his hands on that Long Feng person… well, he could deal with him after Zhao and his father were taken care of.
"Zuko…" Iroh practically growled when Zuko stayed silent. The prince's eyes remained closed, but he rolled them and pulled the blanket higher around his shoulders.
"We'll talk tomorrow, Uncle." Zuko finally said, his voice echoing softly. "Let's just get out on the water first, alright?"
Zuko took Iroh's silence as agreement, and allowed the image of Zhao's head on a pike lull him to sleep.
"Prince Zuko." Iroh's tone was sharp and his eyes narrowed as he planted himself behind his nephew on the bridge of the ship later the next day. "I believe you promised me an explanation as to what has been going on. I have been patient, now I would like some answers."
With a sigh, Zuko nodded in response. He knew that he really did owe Uncle an explanation. He probably shouldn't have pushed his luck with Iroh for so long, but now at least Iroh had proven he had definitely learned patience over the years, and he had done it before he was a "fossil" too. Ok, the retired general had proven his patience long ago by putting up with his bratty attitudes over the years… Zuko winced at the memories. Damn, he had been such a spoilt brat.
But still, he hadn't remembered their little bet back then.
Refocusing, Zuko returned to the problem he had been trying and failing to solve for over twenty-four hours now. How he was going to tell his uncle everything without Iroh thinking he was completely insane. Not to mention convincing his uncle to actually believe all the insanity he was about to tell him…
He sighed again. This was going to be an interesting conversation.
When Zuko turned around, Iroh's face was completely blank. But he knew his uncle was at his limit, he was simply too familiar with his tells – as both Kuzon and Zuko.
Words failed him, and Zuko found himself simply staring at his uncle, actually taking the time to study his old friend. The grief of losing Lu Ten weighed heavily on his uncle and old friend, and he felt his heart clench at the thought of his cousin and latest little apprentice being dead. It had been so long, and yet Zhao's first attack still seemed like yesterday to a part of him.
"Zuko?" Iroh asked slowly, unfolding his hands and taking a step forward. Zuko realized that he had been rubbing his chest where Zhao had shoved the knife into his heart. He tore his hand away and suppressed a shudder. Zhao would get what was coming to him, now was not the time to get caught up in memories.
"I'm fine." The prince said slowly as he grabbed two cushions from the side of the room and placed them down on the floor. He chose one of the pillows and waited until his uncle took his own seat before speaking.
"I'm sure you've noticed," Zuko began after several moments of silence, deciding that it was best to just start at the (sorta) beginning, "my weird behavior as of late…"
"Oh, yes. It was painfully obvious Prince Zuko, or at least it was to someone who knew you." Iroh muttered the last part to himself, and Zuko nodded, allowing him that.
"Right," Zuko sighed, finding that all of his nerve had left him and he now had no idea how to put any of this into words. "I…I am not sure where to start, honestly."
"The beginning is usually the most useful place to begin a story." Iroh said with a quirk of his lips and Zuko couldn't help but laugh.
"True, however that would take too long." Zuko sighed, threading his fingers together before throwing his hands up in the air. Jumping to his feet, he started pacing.
Iroh settled in to wait patiently, sliding his hands into his sleeves, his eyes never leaving his nephew.
"Alright. Here's the quick version. A very long time ago, I made a vow. I was seriously committed to this vow, but was never able to complete it. So, when I died, the Spirits decided to interfere." At the mention of Spirits, Iroh's eyes widened and he stared at his nephew in disbelief.
"I started remembering bits and pieces after getting knocked into the ocean by Aang," Iroh blinked in surprise at the way Zuko addressed the Avatar, "and his Water Tribe friend. As time went on, I got more and more memories of before… but well, I didn't exactly take the conflicting views well."
Zuko grimaces as Iroh's eyes widened in understanding, "Your illness."
The Prince nodded, "Identity crisis would be an understatement."
"Anyway, when the ship exploded – oh, it was those pirates by the way, no doubt employed by Zhao," Iroh took note of the sneer that flickered across Zuko's face as he mentioned the Admiral. "And my heart stopped…"
"You remembered everything." Iroh concluded, stroking his beard thoughtfully, his eyes calculating.
Zuko nodded his pacing ceasing as he came to rest at attention, hands behind his back to keep himself from fidgeting. What was his uncle going to say? That was the barest of all the details. It really explained very little. It didn't even go anywhere near how he had gotten the boat and swords, or why he was so determined to go north…
After a moment of silence, Iroh cleared his throat, suddenly nervous. "Prince Zuko, who… I mean, how did…"
Zuko chuckled his heart lightening as his uncle accepted what he had heard so far. This part was easier. He had spent many hours the night before debating about how he would specifically reveal his identity to his uncle.
And this morning, at the sun rose, he had gotten the best idea.
Bringing his colorful fire to life around him he allowed it to form into a large fiery lotus flower in his hands before he dropped into a kata. The same kata, in fact, that he had been practicing all those years ago when Iroh discovered his colorful, dragon-taught bending.
He could feel his uncle stare in shock as he moved seamlessly through the forms, but he didn't care. Zuko allowed the chatter in his mind to fade as he flowed from one stance to the next. It was peaceful, it was relaxing, and he was almost sad when it was over.
Opening his eyes at the completion of the kata, he found that Iroh was staring at him in complete shock. His jaw was practically on the floor and his eyes were almost bugging out of his head.
Clasping his hands behind his back once again Zuko chuckled to himself. This was the first time in this lifetime that he had seen Iroh look like that. It was nice to know he could still shock the man to that extent.
"I'm glad you finally picked up some patience," Zuko said simply to say something when he realized that Iroh wasn't snapping out of it any time soon. His face scrunched up as he remembered his childhood and the recent years as a banished teen. "I'm pretty sure I would've driven you insane otherwise."
It was only then that Zuko allowed silence to fall. He knew that his uncle needed to have the time to process everything that he had just learned. It was a big bombshell to drop on the man.
'Not that it had been an easy one to deal with myself.' Zuko admitted, knowing that Iroh was probably dealing with the news better than he had; and Zuko had had a much, much longer processing time.
"Kuzon?" Iroh finally asked in disbelief, slowly getting to his feet. He reached out towards his nephew, as if not believing exactly what he was seeing.
Zuko smiled mischievously, "Hello, Iroh. Now you seriously can't call me old."
As Iroh collapsed backwards, Zuko tilted his head to the side. For the first time since awakening he wondered just how this all was going to change everything. He knew what he had to do now but beyond that, what he was going to do afterwards…. He had no idea.
With a shrug, he turned back towards the wheel. Something heavy weighed on his mind, but now wasn't the time to dwell. He would consult with Uncle once he regained consciousness. But for now…
He had an old friend to meet up with.
High up in the northern mountains, a messenger hawk flew. Higher and higher it soared, until it was no longer the only being in the sky.
The bird didn't falter or even screech as cheerful children on gliders flew by, circling the hawk.
"What's that hawk doing here?" One of them called to another.
"I don't know; it doesn't have the Fire Nation crest on it."
"But it's a Fire Nation hawk! Why doesn't it have a crest?" One of the smaller ones yelled as the group approached the temple.
With a final loop, the hawk descended until he landed carefully on Teo's knee, causing the boy to blink in surprise. As the rest of the children landed around him, he carefully asked the hawk,
"Is this for me?"
The hawk simply ruffled its feathers, turning around so that Teo could remove the scroll from his back.
"Who's it for, Teo?" One of the children asked.
"Who is writing to you?"
"Yeah! With a Fire Nation hawk too!"
"Quiet!" Teo told the other kids. "We won't find anything out if you don't calm down."
All chastised, the children fell silent. Teo removed the scroll from its container, and the hawk instantly returned to the air.
Shrugging, Teo examined the scroll, finding that it was sealed with an empty wax press and had something written on the side.
"To Lee's decedent," Teo read, extremely confused.
"What'cha got there, son?" the Mechanist asked as he appeared behind the children.
"I don't know. A hawk brought it, but I don't know who's it for." Teo told his father as he handed him the scroll.
Reading the inscription, the inventor's tattered eyebrows rose in surprise. "Lee was my grandfather's name."
"Really?" Teo asked in surprise. He had never heard much about his grandfather, only that he had lived in the mountains away from the village, had been a bit of a hermit with his wife, and that they had both died years before the flood.
"Yup." His father confirmed. Unrolling the scroll, his eyes widened as a Pai Sho lotus tile fell out. He read the missive quickly, before laughing loudly.
"What's it say?" Teo asked, the rest of the children muttering in agreement behind them. They wall wanted to hear what the strange letter said.
"Here, you read." The Mechanist said, handing the now open scroll back to his son.
"Oh ancient white blossom,
You have hidden and lied,
Against your initial judgement,
But now it is time.
"Set your secret free,
Soar high and Roar,
Come find your friend,
The Avatar has returned."
Teo blinked as he came to the end of the verse, looking up at his chuckling father in confusion.
"What was that supposed to mean?"
"Keep reading, there's more." The man grinned, and Teo continued.
"I promised Lee many years ago that I would be cryptic, and I hope his spirit finds this suitable.
"To the person reading this, I thank you for taking care of Mako over the years. I do not know how much information Lee shared, but his safety has given me the strength I have needed over these past decades.
But now it is time, and we must fly together once again. Tell Mako he can find me in the northern seas, heading towards the Northern Water Tribe. He shall know which vessel is mine when he sees it.
My thanks and blessings,
KZ of the Dragons"
"KZ? What kind of name is KZ?" One of the children asked, and Teo could only shrug. He had no idea.
"Maybe it stands for something, like a secret code!" The smallest one chimed in.
"Oh, there was a code alright." The Mechanist piped in, "but it wasn't in the writer's name."
"Huh?"
"Was it in the poem then?" Teo asked, and the man simply winked at his son.
"Teo, do you remember those tales about a purple dragon living in these very mountains I told you when you were a boy?"
"Of course!" The boy exclaimed, "Those were always my favorite."
"Well, there might've been more truth to those stories than fiction." His father informed him before turning and starting down a hallway. The children all hurried to follow the inventor.
"You see, my grandfather was part of a secret organization; and this organization was protecting the purple dragon in my tales. He was one of the last dragons, and my grandfather did not want him hunted down like the rest of his kin. So one day, when the dragon brought home an injured friend, and the friend begged my grandfather to hide the dragon away, he did. Grandfather told everyone in his secret organization that the dragon had died, so that the dragon could live safely, away from everyone who knew it existed."
"But you know he exists." The smallest piped up again. Teo and the others nodded.
"Yeah, he must've told somebody that the dragon still existed."
"Ah, I never said he told no one about the dragon. In fact, he told my father the story and took him to meet Mako, that's the dragon's name. When I was old enough, my father passed on the stories to me, and also took me to meet him." The inventor explained, leading the children deeper and deeper into the mountain.
"Are you going to take us to meet him?" Teo asked excitedly. It was be so cool to meet a dragon!
"No," His father replied, shaking his head. "When the valley flooded, and we moved here, it was too risky for Mako to stay close. I don't know where he is living now, only that it is somewhere in the mountains. So, the last time I saw him I told him that if he was ever needed, or if it was ever safe for him to come here, I would signal him."
"How?" Teo asked his father as he came to rest in an empty stone passageway.
The man grinned. "Like this." Slipping his hand into an unnoticed crack in the wall, he pulled down on a giant level. Instantly, the whole mountain shook as the loudest horn they had ever heard sounded.
The mechanist cackled happily as the sound echoed through the air. Just because Mako's friend had promised to be subtle, didn't mean he had to be!
Everyone living in the temple was gathered around in the courtyard, watching the clouds and the nearby peaks.
The Mechanist hadn't told anybody but the children who was coming, and why he had sounded such a horn, but they were all curious. As long as they weren't about to be blown up, they typically didn't care what the man got up to.
"When's he going to get here?" A child asked the inventor, who simply smiled at the boy and shrugged.
"Whenever Mako wants to appear I suppose. Remember children, this isn't just any animal, but a very intelligent being who has been living here for longer than any of us."
"Wait," A woman spun around and stared at the man in disbelief. "What on earth have you summoned here?!"
Everyone else started whispering anxiously to each other; do doubt remembering the recent battle with the Fire Nation.
"A friend." The man replied simply, as suddenly massive wing beats filled the air. With a large gust of wind, the massive purple dragon darted out from the cloudbank below them.
A few people screamed, others pointed, but the children all cheered.
Mako circled the entire temple once before landing on the courtyard edge, his claws digging into the ground. Glancing dismissively at the children, Mako focused his attention on the inventor. His large golden eyes bore into the man, who simply smiled and stepped forward.
"Old friend, it seems that I have a message for you."
"Nephew, why are you burning a large face onto the deck of the boat?" Iroh asked, stepping out onto the deck some time later.
"Uncle, you're awake!" Zuko exclaimed happily, glad that the man was up and about. He had been starting to worry about Iroh, he wasn't exactly young… oh how nice it was to be the young one out of the two.
Fire danced fluidly around the teen and with one final blast of controlled fire, the smiley face was complete. It was as large as the deck, and would be seen clearly from the sky.
"Yes, now, why are you burning the boat?" Iroh asked, obviously wanted to focus on one problem at a time. Respecting that, Zuko shrugged.
"When we were little, whenever we'd get separated from Chey and couldn't get back, we'd burn large pictures into the ground, so that she could see them from the sky and find us." The prince gestured at the smiley face burnt onto the deck. "I thought the same concept would work now, to help Mako find us."
"I see," Iroh said, though you could tell he really didn't. "I assume that Mako and Chey were your own dragon teachers?"
Zuko blinked, looking at Iroh in shock. First at how easily his uncle was apparently taking this – besides fainting – and then at what exactly he said. "You mean you never heard why I was the Fire Lord's dog for two whole reins?"
Iroh shrugged, "I heard that you had committed treason, but no one ever told me the specifics and the documents from your trial suspiciously vanished when I was a child."
Zuko shook his head in dismay. Of course the transcripts vanished. "Sozin addressed me in front of the court when I was twenty-two as Kuzon of the Dragons. Because I had been more or less adopted by a green dragoness when I was thirteen and had spent the nine years before the trial growing up alongside of her son, Mako who's purple."
"Ah," Iroh hummed, before blinking. "Wait, you mean this purple dragon of yours is still alive?!"
Zuko grinned, "Unless something happen to him in the past seventeen years, yes; and I doubt anything has, considering I left him with a member of the White Lotus."
Iroh just stared at his nephew, slowly shaking his head. "It astounds me Prince Zuko, for all your hatred for the game; it was you who taught me how to play Pai Sho!"
The prince chuckled, "I assume the white lotus strategy and passcode I taught you came in handy eventually, then?"
"Yes," Iroh nodded, "soon after Lu Ten's death in fact. They were able to help me get out of a rather… embarrassing situation. I'm a Grand Master now."
"Are you?" Zuko asked in surprise. "Impressive. I never officially joined, though I did have quite a few Dragonflies in the organization."
That was actually how he had found Bumi eventually, and how the two had stayed in contact until his death. Speaking of which, he should really let his friend know that he was alive…sorta.
"Dragonflies?" Iroh asked, getting his own thoughts back on track. While he was having a slightly easier time wrapping his head around what Zuko had told him, there were way too many holes in the story.
He wanted to know everything.
"Well, Prince Zuko, I think I would like the full story now, especially the reason why the Spirits decided to bring you back and what these Dragonflies of yours are."
"From the beginning?" Zuko asked, and no, it was not a whine! He was too dignified to whine!
Iroh nodded, ignoring the prince's town with finely tuned practice. "From the beginning."
The assassin-reborn-prince sighed. "Might as well put on a pot of tea then."
Iroh beamed.
"So, Roku and the other spirits allowed you to come back early and have access to your memories because not only where you childhood friends with our young Avatar, but because you also swore to find him, thus spending the majority of your life as Kuzon trying to track him down? Only to be reborn as my nephew and being given the same task, to find the Avatar." Iroh summarized rather well, the general didn't mention his Dragonflies, but they hadn't really been important enough to be mentioned.
Zuko nodded, "The ages match up too if you think about it. I was banished at thirteen as Zuko, and I swore to find Aang at age thirteen a hundred years ago. Not to mention the fact that my death and birth line up pretty well as well."
"Well, I dare say that you've succeeded in your quest then." Iroh grumbled, wondering why it was his best friend/mentor/nephew that ended up being the Spirits' plaything. He dismissed the thought. He knew Spirits well enough to know that he would probably never know the reason behind the beings' actions.
"Well, that is certainly a tale, Prince Zuko." Iroh paused suddenly, his eyes widening just a bit as he thought of something.
"Unless you would prefer Kuzon?" He asked this slowly, as if dreading the answer. He adored his best friend, but he also loved his nephew. He did not want to sacrifice one for the other, but he didn't want his nephew to be gone as well.
As if the prince knew what he was thinking, Zuko shook his head. "I am Kuzon, but I am also Zuko. I'm a mix of the two, and don't worry, the temper I had as Zuko didn't just vanished. It's just more… restrained and refined with Kuzon's age mixed in."
Zuko glanced towards the horizon and sighed, "A rather insane, obsessive old assassin isn't needed here, and honestly, neither is a rude, bitter, obsessive prince." He met Iroh's gaze and held it. "I'm going to have to become someone else, something else. Because, uncle… Roku gave me one last message before sending me back.
"The spirits are in danger."
The hawk returned that night, and Zuko knew that Mako would soon be following. Writing one more letter, he slid it into the slot on the hawk's back, and sent the bird off.
This time, the unnamed hawk traveled south. There was one more friend who deserved to know he was back.
In Omashu, King Bumi listened to the numerous reports from his scouts and scanned the latest report from the current Master Fly. It appeared that not only was there a large fleet of ships moving towards the Northern Water Tribe, but an army was marching towards Omashu as well.
"…however, we are not out matched! Our walls have held for one hundred years…" The soldier's report as interrupted as a hawk suddenly flew in through a window.
"Fire Nation!" A random soldier yelled, causing everyone but Bumi to snap to attention and drop into bending stances.
"Calm yourselves!" Bumi scolded the soldiers as the hawk came to rest on the arm of his throne. "This hawk does not have a crest. Besides, were you really planning on throwing rocks at a bird?"
The soldiers looked sheepish as they relaxed. Bumi removed the message and began to read as the hawk took off back through the window, probably to hunt.
The soldiers all waited silently as the king read. Ten minutes soon became twenty, and still the king said nothing. A half hour came and went, and it was forty-five minutes before Bumi moved again.
With a hysterical cackle, Bumi slumped over in his throne, banging his fist against the armrest.
The room started to shake as Bumi continued to laugh, and the soldiers panicked. All the time, Bumi just cackled as they fled the room. Eventually, the shaking stopped and the hysterical laughter calmed.
It was nice to know that they had both managed to fulfill their vows.
Now softly chuckling to himself, Bumi smirked. "Oh, he's a mad genius!"
Iroh jerked to wake behind Zuko as a loud roar echoed across the sky. Zuko glanced up out of the cabin's window and over the wheel towards the sky. A wide smile stretched across his lips as he dashed out of the cabin and out onto the deck. Iroh was quick to step up and take the wheel. His eyes searched the dark, cloudy sky.
The Dragon of the West's eyes widened as out of seemingly nowhere, a large purple dragon dropped onto the deck. The whole boat rocked, and Iroh nodded, seeing Mako's size. Zuko had been very smart to insist on a boat of this size. Mako would've sunk the ship otherwise, and even now the dragon caused the boat to sink dangerously low in the water.
Iroh couldn't hear what Zuko said as he came to a stop in front of the large purple dragon. But there was barely a pause before Mako's neck snaked around Zuko in a dragon hug.
A smile stretched across the old general's face as he saw Zuko hug the dragon back. Only to blink in surprise as Mako suddenly twisted around, grabing the back of Zuko's shirt between his teeth, and tossing the prince overboard.
Iroh burst out laughing as the dragon settled down on the deck, radiating smugness.
Oh yes, Iroh believed that he and Mako would get along just fine.
"I know your upset with me," Zuko grumbled as he climbed back onto the boat, completely soaked. "But did you really have to toss me overboard?"
Mako snorted, blowing a cloud of smoke at Zuko in response. The prince coughed, using his flames to push the smoke away.
"Alright, alright. You got your payback, are you happy now?" The damn and smoking prince asked, arms crossed over his chest and his golden eyes narrowed.
Mako tilted his head to the side, before sending a small ball of fire flying towards Zuko.
It happened to quickly that Zuko didn't even have time to dodge. The fire flew over his head, and at first he thought that Mako had missed. Then he felt something very hot on top of his head.
Zuko's eyes widened as Mako started chuckling – or at least the dragon version of chuckling.
"My hair!" Zuko exclaimed, trying and failing to put the dragon fire ontop of his head out. "Why did you have to attack my hair?"
Mako huffed, rolling his eyes and swatting his reborn bother with his tail. Finally, the fire went out. Sadly – or not so sadly depending on how you look at it – Zuko's phoenix tail was completely burned away. Leaving the boy almost completely bald, besides a small diamond patch of hair.
Feeling the top of his head, Zuko glared at the dragon. He had forgotten how much of a handful Mako could be.
"If you didn't like my hair you could've just said! There was no need to burn it off!" Zuko yelled at his reptilian brother. The dragon just rolled his large golden eyes and settled down into a more comfortable position on the deck.
"Well," Zuko muttered after a small moment of silence. "I had been planning on cutting it off anyway…"
Mako purred smugly. He enjoyed being right.
"Oh, shut up you." Zuko muttered as he looked up at the bridge, and could see his uncle laughing hysterically through the window.
Great. He was never going to live this down.
"Nephew, would you explain why you want me to accept Zhao's offer? He tried to kill you!" Iroh exclaimed, losing his legendary patience quickly. He didn't understand whatever plan Zuko was concocting.
"Yes," Zuko admitted, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. "But that is exactly why I need you to accept the offer. I have a vague idea as to what Zhao's planning, but we need more information. Not only is Aang and the Northern Water Tribe in danger, but the Spirits as well.
"We need to figure out what Zhao's doing to endanger the Spirits; and while I am having my Dragonflies work on the issue, none of them have the access to Zhao and his plans that you would if you took his offer."
Zuko paused, turning to look at Iroh out of the corner of his eye. "Besides, this way you can keep an eye on the man who's killed me twice."
Iroh's whole body tensed before the older man relaxed. "Alright, I'll go along with your plan, Prince Zuko."
Zuko nodded, and continued to fill in his uncle on the details. One of his Dragonflies had already obtained a small boat for Iroh, and he would be dropping his uncle off at the next port to rendezvous with the fleet that was already underway.
Sure, he could just give Iroh this boat and fly north on Mako but the dragon was too noticeable. Besides, he had learned that having a secondary means of escape was vital.
By sailing there, they would arrive at roughly the same time as the fleet. This was the safer option. Zuko was very aware that Aang and his friends would hesitate to trust him, not to mention the Northern Water Tribe. If he simply flew in and tried to warn them, they most likely wouldn't believe him; and he had no intention of getting put in a cell.
It was better to show up at the same time as the attackers and actively work against them. That would show what side Zuko was really on without him ending up in a cell – immediately that was.
On the bright side, he would have some kind of hair by the time they reached the North Pole.
Then Mako and Iroh would stop laughing at him.
Hopefully.
Iroh was incredibly glad that he had gained such self-control over the years. He didn't believe that he would've been able to sit across from his nephew and mentor's killer sipping tea peacefully two decades ago. By Agni he could barely believe that he was doing it now!
He didn't completely agree with his nephew's plan, but he did see the merit in it. Sadly, he agreed that Zuko had little chance of convincing anyone of his change in loyalty without proving it in battle against his own people. This was something neither man was looking forward to, but both had agreed that it was necessary.
Before Iroh had left, Zuko had filled him in on his many secrets, including his history with the White Lotus and some of the details regarding the Dragonflies. Iroh had been incredibly impressed with the network Kuzon had managed to build, astonished at how wide the organization had grown in recent years, and even more impressed that there was little resistance in Zuko taking command once again. It was also difficult for him to imagen how Kuzon's life must have been like, constantly being between stuck between a rock and a hard place, while being the Fire Lord's pawn.
At least his nephew/old friend had learned how to play the Fire Lord right back; otherwise things would probably be very different in the world.
Iroh sipped at his tea, pulling himself from his thoughts. There would be time to recollect at another time. Now he had to be at his best, and tread carefully.
"I am devastated to hear about Prince Zuko." Zhao said, trying and failing to sound sincere. "Just devastated."
"The Fire Lord will not be pleased when he learns who was responsible." Iroh said slowly, his face impassive as Zhao narrowed his eyes at the old man. Iroh could tell that Zhao was suspicious. It had been days since Zuko's "death" after all, and while it could be brushed off as time spent in mourning, it was still enough of a gap for Zhao to get suspicious.
But Iroh couldn't help but get that little jibe in. The man had been responsible for his nephew's death twice – even if he did come back (in a fashion) each time.
"You know who was behind the attack?" Zhao asked, trying and failing to keep his expression completely nonchalant.
"Indeed," Iroh said, nodding slowly. Suddenly, the man slammed his fist down on the table, careful not to spill his tea. "Pirates."
"We had an unfortunate run-in with them a while back. They wanted revenge, and apparently had no qualms in waiting for it."
Zhao's lips twitched up into a satisfied smirk behind his cup, but Iroh saw it anyway. He didn't win Pai Sho constantly by being unobservant.
"So," Zhao said, changing the subject now that the majority of his suspicions were dealt with. "Have you reconsidered my offer?"
"Yes," Iroh said slowly. "I apologize for my delayed arrival. It would be an honor to serve as your general."
Zhao smirked as Iroh raised his cup of tea.
"To the Fire Nation."
"To victory."
As Iroh sipped the brew, his own lips twitched into a smirk.
To victory indeed.
Later that evening, as Iroh was returning from dinner, an older sailor paused and smiled at the man.
"It is an honor to serve with you, General Iroh." The sailor exclaimed, clasping Iroh's forearm and bowing.
"The honor is mine," Iroh replied with a kind smile and a nod as the man stepped back and continued on his way.
Iroh resumed his trek to his quarters, slipping his hands into his sleeves, the small slip of paper securely hidden in his fist.
Oh yes, Iroh was very impressed with Zuko's Dragonflies.
The weeks passed quickly, as Zuko found himself rather busy. Using unmarked messenger hawks, the usual system, and an old code, he communicated frequently with his uncle and the rest of his network. While discussing the future with Mako, Zuko had begun to make plans that went beyond simply convincing Aang of his loyalties (and identity) and the invasion of the North. Zuko knew that Sozin's comet would arrive by the end of the summer, and knowing his father, Ozai was sure to use its power for complete devastation of the Firenation.
Zuko also caught up on what had been going on during his seventeen year absence, and what had changed in the world. He was particularly disgusted at the reports that came in regarding Ba Sing Se. Sure, the Dai Li's crimes against the people weren't exactly news, but it had definitely escalated to a horrifying scale. Kuzon had already been planning Long Feng's assassination when he had been killed, and now Zuko was beginning to work towards the same goal. Thankfully, he had many Dragonflies in the higher ranks of the Dai Li. Which was dangerous, but considering they had yet to be discovered in seventeen years, Zuko did not believe that they would be discovered now, no matter what brainwashing techniques they had come up with.
While many of his agents had passed away during his absence, the organization did not suffer for it. As his Dragonflies had proven, the group had only gotten stronger in the past seventeen years. In fact, many of his Fire Nation Dragonflies had risen through the ranks, and were now more privy to important, classified information. They were no longer just a network of spies, but almost a fourth party in the war, one that simply fought in the shadows.
He couldn't be more proud.
But Zuko would make up for his many mistakes over the past century. Aang wouldn't be fighting this war alone, or in the shadows. Zuko would make sure of it.
Finally, after many long weeks, everything they had been preparing for was coming to a head. Zuko thought grimly to himself as he followed the grey, soot filled clouds at a distance. He was dressed in black and purple from head to toe, not clearly allying him with any Nation. The only difference between his current outfit and his Blue Spirit one was the fact that the black fabric was lined with purple and he had purple fabric wrapped around his arms and waist. The purple was naturally the exact shade of Mako's scales. His duo swords were sheathed on his back and his Blue Spirit mask was tucked into his tunic, just in case he needed it.
Mako hummed beside him, nudging Zuko with his snout. The large dragon was clearly excited to leave the small (to him) boat, although he was anxious about the upcoming battle.
"I know," Zuko said quietly, patting his brother reassuringly.
Mako huffed, and Zuko smiled at he dragon. "Oh, don't worry. I'll be sure to get you some armor crafted before we face my father, alright?"
Mako nodded, pleased with Zuko's answer. The prince chuckled, before looking out onto the horizon and taking a deep breath.
Change was in the wind, and my, what change it would be.
"This will truly be one for the history books, General Iroh." Zhao said smugly, practically radiating pride as he and Iroh stood, gazing at the horizon, where the Northern Watertribe lay just out of sight.
Iroh said nothing, keeping his face a perfect emotionless mask. He slightly hated the fact that he actually agreed with Zhao for once, though not for the same reason.
"Just think: centuries from now people will study the great Admiral Zhao, who destroyed the last of the Water Tribe civilization." Zhao continued on, and Iroh clenched his fists from saying anything.
"You're lucky you're here to see it." Zhao snapped, and Iroh almost sighed. Sadly, Iroh hadn't managed to hide all of his contempt and dislike of the man from Zhao, and so the admiral was usually even worse to be around than before.
"Be careful what you wish for, Admiral." Iroh finally said, his gaze heavy as he looked towards the Water Tribe. "History is not always kind to its subjects."
"I suppose you speak from experience." Zhao said, for once not sounding completely condescending or dismissive.
"But, rest assured," Iroh almost relaxed as Zhao's brashness returned. "This will be nothing like your legendary failure at Ba Sing Se."
"No," Iroh agreed slowly. "I suppose it won't be."
"Tell the captains to prepare for the first strike." Zhao ordered, and Iroh turned to comply.
He couldn't wait to get off this ship, and only part of it had to do with pride. Iroh was a general, not a messenger boy. But it seemed like Zhao continuously forgot that fact.
Oh well, Iroh sighed. He only had to put up with it for a little while longer.
A light flickered from the tower of the last ship. It blinked into existence four times before fading out completely. With a grim look of determination, Zuko lowered his spyglass.
Raising his hood and bringing up his scarf to cover his nose, he climbed onto Mako's back.
"It has begun."
Determination filled the steel grey eyes as the second fireball crashed into the Water Tribe's thick wall.
"Yip yip." Aang commanded Appa as they took off towards the leading scout ship. It was the only one currently in sight, and Aang was determined to protect the people of the Northern Water Tribe.
He hadn't been there when his own people were attacked; he was going to make a difference now.
"You've got to be kidding me." Aang looked on in horror as the rest of the fleet came into view. There were countless ships, and Aang suddenly doubted whether or not they could actually win this fight.
Just as Appa approached the fleet, a loud thunderous roar split the heavens and a huge blast of fire rained down upon the first row of ships.
"What?!" Aang exclaimed in surprise as out of a wisp of a cloud, a large purple dragon appeared.
Aang's eyes widened as he saw watched the large beast twist in the air, coming around for another sweeping attack against the fleet.
Fire balls filled the air as the panicing officers tried to down the dragon. Aang watched, stunned, as one got particularly close to the dragon's side, only for it to be blown to pieces in an colorful explosion of flame.
Narrowing his eyes, Aang just managed to catch a glimpse of a figure in black as it climbed back onto the dragon's back, before the two were on the opposite side of the fleet.
"Come on, Appa." Aang said, steering the bison towards the fleet. His heart suddenly felt lighter, and determination once again filled his eyes as he watched the dragon and dragon-rider attack ship after ship.
Maybe there was hope for them yet.
A roar cut through the air, causing every man, woman, and child in the Water Tribe to freeze, and look towards the sky.
They couldn't make anything out with the naked eye, but Katara and Soka shared a look. That hadn't sounded like Appa.
Maybe they weren't alone in this fight.
The fleet froze, officers stilling as a roar vibrated through the air. Many cried out in horror, but more in pain and shock as fire suddenly reigned down from the heavens, causing many of the frontline ships to catch fire.
Those whose ships hadn't been attacked, looked up and screamed, as they saw a large purple dragon dive out of the clouds.
"DRAGON!" The cry vibrated through the fleet as fire reigned down once more, and fireballs flew. One got dangerously close to Mako's size, but the fireball was destroyed at the last moment by a colorful burst of fire.
Battle cries filled the air as more fireballs launched. Eyes wide with horror, the crew of a ship scattered as the dragon landed on their deck. In a swift movement, the frontmost caterpult was within its claws, and a second later, the metal machine was ripped in two.
"Attack men!" A high ranking officer ordered, "The Fire Nation does not run from a fight!"
Although it was obvious some of the sailors disagreed with the man, they charged forward towards the dragon. Before they could even attack however, they were blasted back by colorful flame. Before the fire even cleared, a black clad figure attacked, swiftly and deadly the man battled, horrifying the sailors even further as they realized that the dragon had a rider, and that rider was a firebender.
The purple dragon finished destroying the catapults, and even tore a hole into the deck while the bender kept the soldiers off of his friend.
"Traitor!" the cry rang up on the ship and one officer was timidly explaining to Zhao what was going on.
With a beat of its wings, the dragon launched itself off the ship, twisting high into the sky only to come back down as sweep along the side of the ship just as the rider jumped overboard. He landed safely on the dragon's back, and with one final burst of flame damaging the hull, they flew off towards the next ship in line.
Time stretched on, and although many ships fell to Aang, Zuko and the waterbenders, there was still a large amount by the time the sun began to fall.
Iroh was still aboard Zhao's ship, attempting to figure out just how Zhao was going to put the spirits in danger. It was the one part of the plan that Iroh had never heard from Zhao's lips, although he knew it existed because of Roku's warning to Zuko. He just had to be patient.
Which was rather difficult when Zhao was threatening to toss officers overboard because of his nephew.
"Why is that dragon still in the sky?!" Zhao roared, his usual composer gone. "I want it shot down, and that traitor killed!"
It was the only thing Zhao seemed to care about. It didn't matter how many ships he lost, or that the Avatar was here. He was obsessing over Zuko and Mako, wanting to kill the dragon and the traitor that they had seen bend flames.
"It's almost twilight, admiral." Iroh said simply as he approached, probably keeping the young officer from getting struck. "As your military consultant I must advise you to halt your attack. Waterbenders draw their power from the moon, and it is nearly full tonight. You should wait and resume your attack at daybreak."
"Oh, I'm well aware of the moon problem." Zhao practically hissed as he tried to regain his composure. "and a solution is in the works. What I am currently more interested in is your advice on how to deal with this traitor."
Zhao turned and glared at Iroh, "As my Military Consultant, Dragon of the West, refresh my memory. Didn't you claim to have slain the last dragon?"
"Yes," Iroh said slowly, nodding as he folded his arms. "I did slay what I believed to be the last dragon."
"Well obviously, you were wrong." Zhao said, his eyes narrowed at the older man.
"Apparently." Iroh agreed, wondering just what Zhao had planned.
"Tell me, if we stop attacking do you believe that the traitor and his beast will withdraw?" Zhao asked, suddenly changing topics.
"Hmm," Iroh said, stroking his beard. He honestly had no idea what Zuko was planning for tonight, so he didn't lie when he said, "I cannot say, Admiral. But surely the man is tired after fighting for so long."
Zhao was silent for a long time, before nodding once.
"Daybreak it is."
And the fleet stilled.
"Aang!" Katara's voice echoed through the air as the boy and bison returned to the city. They both flopped down tiredly, Aang rubbing his head.
"I can't do it." He said tiredly, "Even with the dragonrider's help, I just can't do it."
"What happened?" Katara asked as she got closer, having not heard him muttering about the dragon and its rider.
"I must've taken out a dozen Fire Navy ships, and the dragon and its rider took out at least twice as many! But there's just too many of them, we can't fight them all."
"But you have to! You're the avatar!" Yue exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear.
"I'm just a kid." The boy replied, shaking his head in exhaustion. Why did everyone always forget that he was just a kid?
"Wait," Katara suddenly said, her blue eyes widening. "What's this about a dragon and dragonrider. Is that was we heard earlier? It's roar?"
Aang nodded tiredly.
"They took out at least two dozen ships, the purple dragon and its rider. Even though he could only bend fire, he was faster than I was sabotaging the ships!" Aang exclaimed, rubbing his forehead as he closed his eyes briefly.
"Did you just say that the dragonrider is a firebender?" Katara exclaimed in shock as Yue covered her gasp with her gloves.
Aang just nodded tiredly, only to jump to his feet as a roar, not nearly as ferocious as the last one, cut through the air.
Looking up, everyone in the city saw the large purple dragon circle the tribe once before flying off towards the cliffs.
"Well," Katara said slowly. "I guess they all couldn't be bad."
Aang smiled weakly at his friend.
Night fell and the moon rose as Zuko kept himself warm beneath Mako's wing. The freezing weather had little effect on the large dragon, whose inner fire kept him nice and warm. The ice beneath them was slowly melting from the heat that Mako's scales gave off. The two shared a small packet of dried meat that they had brought with them, as Zuko awaited his uncle's reply.
It was too risky to use hawks, too many eyes that could accidentally see it. Light signals were risky for the same reason, though no one would be able to decipher the code. Thus, one of his Dragonflies in the Water Tribe had slipped out in the dark to physically pass on the message to the Dragonfly on Zhao's ship. It was a lot of effort just to get a simple message to Iroh, but worth it. Zuko needed to know if the man had been successful in finding out how the spirits were in danger from Zhao yet.
"You did well today," Zuko said absently as he stroked Mako's scales.
Mako hummed in agreement, smoke trailed out of his nostrils. He nudged Zuko with his shoulder, but before Zuko was able to respond, a boomerang whistled by, and buried itself into the snow mere inches from Mako's wing and Zuko's foot.
Unwrapping the small piece of paper from the weapon, Zuko frowned as he read his uncle's message.
Zhao appears to be targeting the Moon Spirit. Methods yet unknown.
It wasn't nearly as much as he was hoping for, but it was better than nothing.
Picking up the boomerang, he tossed it off of the cliff in the direction it had come. While he was no boomerang master, hopefully he remembered how to throw one well enough for his Dragonfly to get his boomerang back.
"I'm going to head out." Zuko said to Mako, only for the dragon to shake its head and wrap Zuko tighter in his wing.
"Mako!" Zuko exclaimed, trying to push the large appendix away. "I need to warn Aang that Zhao is planning on attacking the Moon Spirit, if only because he's the bridge between the two worlds and might know how that is possible."
Mako grumbled, but after a moment, let Zuko go.
"Thank you," Zuko drawled as stepped away from his lifetime friend.
Mako huffed, blowing a small burst of fire at Zuko, which dissolved harmlessly before it even had a chance to reach him.
"I'll call you if I need you, alright?" Zuko said, knowing that Mako would be less worried if he could keep an ear out for him.
Mako nodded before curling up more securely in the snow. Zuko shivered as he pulled up the scarf, it was going to take him a few minute to adapt to the cold, now that he no longer had Mako to act as his furnace.
With a grimace, Zuko began making his way towards the edge of the cliff, and the city below.
Hopefully Zuko would be able to talk to Aang without Katara snooping around. Kind girl that she was to others, he knew that it would be incredibly difficult to get Katara to trust him. Which was partially his fault, he knew.
Well, here's to hoping.
Zuko crept carefully through the city, knowing that if he got caught he would have to reveal his identity, and that that wouldn't go too well. He was thankful that his hair had managed to grow back somewhat over the past few weeks, as it kept his head warm beneath his hood; and it had gotten Mako to stop laughing at him.
He crept carefully down a building, now scorning the fact he didn't choose to wear white or blue. Black stood out glaringly obviously against the ice crafted city, even at night. But the moon was high and the night bright and Zuko couldn't afford to get caught.
Sliding around a wall, he ducked into a drainage pipe, where an older man in his fifties was waiting. His hair was grey and his face lined but he nodded to Zuko as he appeared.
"The Avatar, the Princess and the Southern Water Bender have gone to the oasis." The Dragonfly said quietly, withdrawing a small scroll and passing the map to Zuko.
"Have there been many casualties?" Zuko asked the waterbending Dragonfly, who simply shook his head.
"There could've been a great many more, Amber Heir, had you not intervened."
Zuko nodded, satisfied with the answer. It was interesting, how quickly his Dragonflies had chosen Zuko's new title. While it wasn't quite as prestigious as Amber Master, it was suiting, and thankfully not humiliating.
"Thank you," Zuko said, nodding to the informant. "Keep me apprised of anything of importance."
With two solemn nods, they parted ways. Zuko had an old friend to find.
Zuko heard Aang and his friend long before he saw them.
"How about some quiet?!" Aang exclaimed, his voice echoing up the cliffs to where Zuko was climbing down. He had ended up having to take the long way around to the oasis, since there were so many waterbenders patrolling.
Zuko couldn't help the small smile that spread across his lips at the sound of Aang's voice. Sure, he had spoken to and seen the young airbender as Zuko, but he wasn't just the prince anymore; and this was the first time since remembering that he had heard his old friend's voice.
Zuko quickly scolded himself as continued the climb down. He wasn't sure what Aang was attempting to achieve by coming to the oasis, but he had a fairly good idea.
"Come on guys," Aang's voice echoed as Zuko melted more ice into hand and footholds. "I can hear every word you're saying."
Zuko couldn't help but chuckle. Aang always had been easy to distract during meditation.
Climbing down faster, Zuko looked over his shoulder at the three figures below him. Katara and who he assumed was the Water Tribe Princess stood just a few feet away from Aang, who sat cross-legged in front of a small koi pond. All of the sudden, his stomach tightened and a shiver ran down his spine. Zuko hurried, practically sliding down the ice instead of climbing. Urgency coursed through his veins but he was too late. Just as his feet touched the ground, Aang's eyes and tattoos lit up.
"Damn it." Zuko muttered to himself, resisting the urge to run a hand through his very short hair.
"Is he ok?" The princess asked and Zuko reevaluated his plan.
"He's crossing into the Spirit World. He'll be fine as long as we don't move his body. That's his way back to the physical world." Katara explained and Zuko sighed. Just dealing with the watertribe girls would take a lot of delicate handling. He grimaced; he hated delicate conversations, too many memories of the Palace, in both lifetimes.
"Maybe we should get some help?" The princess asked, and Zuko almost paniced. As much as he didn't want to deal with both watertribe girls, just dealing with Katara was one hundred times worse.
"No, he's my friend. I'm perfectly capable of protecting him."
"I'm glad to hear it, young bender." Zuko said before he could completely stop himself, causing both girls to spin around, their eyes wide with panic.
"Who're you?" Katara demanded as the Princess backed away slowly.
"A friend," Zuko said carefully, hoping that Katara didn't recognize his voice. "Aang probably mentioned me, my friend and I were attacking the Fire Natation Fleet earlier."
Katara's eyes narrowed at Zuko, while Yue looked back and forth between the two, not completely sure what to do.
"You're the dragonrider, the one who Aang says is a firebender."
"I am," Zuko said slowly, his hands still raised as he took a hesitant step forward.
"Well, what are you doing here?" Katara asked, her eyes narrowed at the black clad figure. "How did you even find us?"
"I came to speak with Aang," Zuko said truthfully, keeping his tone mild, hoping that it would help disguise his voice. He then turned and glanced over at his glowing friend.
"Something that does not seem possible at the moment." He muttered, almost to himself but the girls heard him nonetheless. "As to how I found you… I have my ways."
Katara's eyes narrowed even further, for some reason the dragonrider's voice sounded incredibly familiar, but she just couldn't place it.
"Why did you want to talk to Aang?" Katara questioned, still suspicious despite the fact that Aang had said he was on their side.
"I came to warn him," Zuko said truthfully. "Zhao is planning on attacking the Moon Spirit, and since Spirits are the Avatar's area of expertise…"
"What?!" Katara exclaimed, her eyes wide as Yue gasped and covered her mouth in horror.
"I must warn my father!" She exclaimed and ran off, leaving Zuko cursing repeatedly in his mind.
There was a tense moment of silence before Katara continued.
"And why should I trust you? From what Aang says, you're a firebender."
"I am," Zuko admitted. "But that doesn't mean I agree with what my people are doing, with what my people have done."
Katara stared at Zuko in thought before jerking her head towards the boy. "Prove it. Lower your hood."
Zuko swore under his breath, slowly shaking his head. "I'm afraid that's not the best idea."
Katara's eyes narrowed to slits, all of her suspicions returning in a flash. "What are you trying to hide?!"
Zuko didn't know how to reply to that comment so he stayed quiet.
It happened in a flash. Katara was suddenly moving, and a huge blast of water flew right at Zuko's face. With a twist and a light burst of flames he was able to deflect the worst of it, but he was still thrown backwards. He collided harshly with the cliff wall behind him, and his hood slid off his head at the impact, revealing his short, new grown hair, his eyes and the very distinctive scar that was only partially covered by the scarf.
"Zuko!" Katara exclaimed in shock before she shifted into a more aggressive stance. "Of course it was you! You just wanted me to leave you alone with Aang, didn't you!? This whole thing was a trick just so you could capture Aang!"
"Katara," Zuko sighed tiredly, keeping his arms raised over his head as he climbed to his feet. "Why would I attack my own fleet, work against the Fire Nation, fly in on a dragon, and get labeled a traitor simply to capture Aang?"
The fact that he called the avatar by his name completely went over Katara's head. He could tell by her rage flooded eyes that it didn't matter what he said, she wouldn't believe him.
"Firebenders never make sense." Katara shot back and was obviously done talking as another large wave of water rushed towards Zuko.
The dragonrider sighed, slipping into a kata and blasting the water away with an overpowered blast of colorful fire. He would be hard-pressed to beat Katara here. Not only was it night, but the moon was practically full. He would have to fight carefully, using his century of experience to keep an upper hand – at least until the sun rose.
Not that he really wanted to fight her at all, but he had to talk to Aang; and if that meant playing the bad, evil firebender for Katara, then so be it.
"It seems you've found a Master." Zuko commented as he strode forward, blasting aside a waterwhip aimed at his head. "I do hope Paku hasn't been causing you too much trouble."
"What?!" Katara exclaimed incredulously, freezing in shock and allowing Zuko to dart forward. He sent a small blast at her feet to unbalance her, but before he could get closer to deliver a head blow, he was blasted back as a wave hit him in the side.
"Stop lying!" Katara snarled and Zuko sighed, rolling to his feet. He actually wasn't lying. He had met Paku once at a White Lotus meeting he had snuck into, and knew him very well by reputation. The man had almost discovered one of his Dragonflies once, about twenty years ago. His network had kept an eye on the powerful waterbender ever since. So he was very aware how sexist Paku was.
Darting forward, Zuko sent two blasts of fire at Katara, coming from two separate directions, causing the girl to dodge as well as put up a shield to block the attack. Unsheathing his swords, he rolled under another attack and sent a wave of fire towards Katara's back. The girl blocked, twisting the water from the ground and nearby river in a large attack, but was not expecting Zuko to step up right beside her and kick her back, his swords now coated in flames as he continued to advance. Benders rarely fought hand to hand, something he had taken advantage of many times when he was the Fire Lord's personal assassin.
He was blocked yet again from knocking the girl out as she used her position on the ground to her advantage. With a few spins, she was back on her feet and a huge wave crashed into Zuko. But that was not the end. Katara was now angry, and she bended the water rapidly, sending blast after blast straight at Zuko's chest, faster than he could block. He was thrown back against the canyon wall, the opposite one this time, and was instantly frozen in place.
Zuko's head throbbed as his body tingled from the cold. But he did not move. Instead, he focused on his breathing, feeling the sun rising in the east. Katara no longer had the advantage.
Taking one last deep breath, he melted the ice holding him in place. Glancing sadly at the young waterbender, Zuko said as he dropped to the ground,
"You should never turn your back on your opponent, even if you believe they are beaten." In two swift moves, Zuko dodged under her attack and knocked her over the head with the hilt of his sword.
His eyes softening as he stared at the young, unconscious teenager, Zuko sighed.
"Forgive me," He said, shifting her into a more comfortable position, before sending a sharp whistle through the morning air.
A moment later, Aang was in his arms as Mako came to land besides him. Giving Zuko a disapproving look, the three took off, quickly gone from sight.
"It's daybreak at last." Zhao exclaimed, the twitch of his eyebrow the only sign of his impatience. He had finally regained some composure, which was reassuring to Iroh. Zhao was dangerous when angry.
"Let's write history."
Iroh didn't even look at Zhao, hoping that his nephew was successful in warning the Avatar. With the winter nightfall only a few hours away, their window of time was swiftly coming to a close.
"Hello, Aang." Aang's reflection morphed and the young avatar looked down in surprise.
"Roku!?"
The previous Avatar simply smiled.
"Roku," Aang said suddenly, remembering why he was there. "The water tribe is under attack! I need to find the ocean and the Moon Spirits."
Aang's reflection rose up out of the water, forming Avatar Roku, who looked thoughtfully at Aang.
"Indeed, you do. But not for the reason you think." Roku stated gravely and Aang gave him a puzzled look. "The ocean and the moon are ancient spirits. They crossed over from the spirit world to the mortal world very near the beginning; and now, they are in very grave danger."
"What?!" Aang exclaimed, flinching back in surprise. "How are they in danger!?"
"There is an old friending waiting for you in the Mortal world, he can explain. Right now you have a more important task, you must find the location of the ocean and the Moon Spirits. And there is only one Spirit I know of who is old enough to remember…"
"Who?" Aang asked, his grey eyes wide as he tried to comprehend the fact that the Spirts he was looking for where in danger.
"His name is Koh; but he is very dangerous. They call him "The Face Stealer", when you speak with him, you must be very careful not to show any emotion at all. Not even the slightest expression or he will steal your face." Avatar Roku warned, and a look for horror flashed across Aang's face.
But it passed quickly, and Aang nodded in determination.
"Katara!" Soka exclaimed as Appa landed in the oasis. His sister groaned, but managed to sit up by the time he sprinted over.
"What happened? Where's the dragonrider?" The older boy asked, while Yue watched in worry from Appa's saddle. Soka had sent by her father to escort the Dragonrider to him, along with the Avatar and Katara. They needed everyone they had on the frontlines, the Fire Nation had breached the city.
"It was trap!" Katara exclaimed, her eyes alight with fury. "The dragonrider was Zuko, and he took Aang!"
"What?!" Soka exclaimed, mouth dropping and eyes widening.
"Come on!" Katara practically growled, running towards Appa. "We have to find him!"
Soka's expression hardened and he nodded.
"Let's go find Aang."
"I know taking him wasn't the best idea!" Zuko growled, scowling at Mako as batted away the flames. The wind was howling outside of the dragon-wing tent they were taking shelter in. "But what else was I supposed to do? Aang's in the Spirit World, and Katara wouldn't listen to me once she figured out who I was."
Mako unhappily grumbled, the sound echoing from deep within his throat. He glared at Zuko again, and snorted smoke.
"Yes, yes, I know this isn't going to help them trust me, but Mako, what was I supposed to do?" Zuko glared right back at the dragon.
Obviously, Mako didn't know either, for he just huffed in irritation and closed his eyes.
Sighing, Zuko looked over at Aang.
"Please wake up soon,"
Until, all Zuko could do was hope that his plan would be enough.
Fireball after fireball reigned down upon the icy city. The mechanical tanks rolled forwards, rhinos roared and troops marched. The firenation was obviously taking advantage of their limited daylight hours.
Another wall sectioning off the city fell, and hope started to fade in the Waterbender's hearts as the Avatar and Dragonrider were nowhere to be seen. The smug smirk had yet to leave Zhao's lips since the sun rose. Iroh was beginning to worry about where his nephew was. Hopefully nothing had gone wrong with speaking to the Avatar.
"I don't need to remind you that we have a time limit." Iroh said slowly, looking at Zhao out of the corner of his eye. He would be so happy once his nephew's plan was successful, and he no longer had to support the annoying man.
"If we don't defeat the Water Tribe before the full moon rises, they will be undefeatable." Iroh said, turning and look at the man, trying to see if he could pull any more details out of the man regarding his plans for the Spirits.
"I assure you, I have everything under control. I intend to remove the moon as a factor."
"Remove the moon?" Iroh exclaimed in faked shock. "How?"
Finally! Some answers…
"Admiral Choi!"
Iroh almost groaned as a boy in an old Fire Nation uniform charged in. Really? Did they have to be interrupted now? Iroh looked closer at the boy and resisted to urge to face palm. Was this the Water Tribe's best attempt at an infiltration? The kid looked obviously out of place, was in an out of date uniform, and didn't even know the Admiral's name!
"Prepare to meet your fate!" The lad exclaimed as he ripped off his helmet and revealed his distinct Water Tribe features. Iroh sighed, the boy was cocky. Very cocky.
He lunged at the two and Iroh did nothing but shake his head sadly as in one swift move Zhao tossed the lad over the balcony and into the water.
After that terrible display, Iroh was incredibly impressed with the Dragonflies. They never would've done something that stupid.
"As I was saying," Zhao continued, and Iroh was pleased to see that the man's smug smirk was at least gone.
Now Iroh would finally learn the details they needed.
The Fleet's spirits were lifted, as the dragon and traitor were nowhere in sight. They were so excited, so focused on attacking the Water Tribe that not one sailor noticed the few dark shadows slipping off of their ships, and towards the rear of the fleet on briefly existing, ice paths. Soon, they would make their move.
The man took a deep breath, staring down at the deciphered parchment in his hand. The message had arrived through the normal channels two days before. Was this the right thing to do?
My Dragonflies,
For too long has the Fire Nation been allowed to terrorize and conquer our world; for too long have the Dragons been forced into the shadows. Hidden and silent, we have come far. But the time for us to rise is upon us. The Avatar has returned, and together we shall stand.
We shall show the Fire Nation, and the world, that there is a fourth faction in this war. No longer will our battles be hidden in the night, in the alleyway shadows.
The Fire Nation is leading an invasion on the Northern Water Tribe, and Admiral Zhao, in his never ending hubris, plans on attacking the Spirits. Therefore, I plan to take a stand, to emerge from the shadows, and to say no more.
I plan on aiding the Avatar, and stopping Zhao. The balance of our world is already crumbling without Zhao angering the Spirits.
If I am unsuccessful, if we fail, I fear the ramifications.
I shall not order anyone to stand with me in the upcoming battle; I shall not make you step out of the shadows. In fact, many of you are needed where you are. The shadows will forever be our greatest advantage. However, if you are tired of the lies, of the death and destruction, and believe that you could do more fighting here in the light…those of you in the North, wait for the sign, and then step forth. Everyone else, you'll know when to make a move, if we fail.
For the rest of my Dragonflies, I am proud of how far your wings have spread these past seventeen years. You have grown strong.
May the Dragons soar free once again,
Zuko of the Dragons
Amber's Heir and Crown Prince of the Fire Nation
The man couldn't believe that Prince Zuko was Amber's Heir. He wasn't even sure how it was possible. But he had been around when the Amber Master was still alive. He had even had the pleasure of meeting Kuzon once, long ago. His way with words was similar, and there was no doubt that Zuko knew all of the codes and protocols.
Now, the only question was: should he fight? Or stay where he was?
Aang took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts and schooling his features as he entered Koh's cave. It had been horrifying to see the monkey outside without a face, but he knew that he had to face this Spirit if he wanted to save the ocean and the moon.
"Show no fear," He muttered to himself. "Show no emotion at all." And entered the cave.
The walk was long, and Aang was beginning to wonder if Koh was even there.
"Hello?" He asked hesitantly. The young avatar knew that time was running short, even if it did run differently in the Spirit World. "I'm looking for a Spirit named Koh."
He heard something shifting behind him, and schooled his features just as Koh appeared before him.
"Welcome." The spirit practically hissed, and it seemed disappointed when Aang simply bowed and thanked him.
This would be an interesting encounter.
"Don't worry! Prince Zuko couldn't have gotten far in this weather," Yue tried to assure her younger friend as the snow poured down around them.
"I don't know… he does have a dragon now." Soka commented offhandedly, causing both girls to glare at him.
"I'm not worried that they're going to get away in the blizzard. I'm worried they won't."
Yue wasn't sure how to respond to that, but Soka definitely had something to say.
"Katara, they're not gonna die in this blizzard. Zuko's new friend is a giant fire breathing monster, and besides, if we know anything it's that Zuko never gives up. They'll survive, and we'll find them."
No one brought up the possibility that Zuko had simply flown away. No one wanted to think about it.
"I need to find the moon and the ocean." Aang said, mentally sighing in relief once Koh was done monologing.
"Their Spirt names are Tui and La." Koh corrected the boy, twisting around him. "Push and pull, and that has been the nature of their relationship for all time."
"Please, help me find them. They're in danger."
"Yes, someone is going to kill them. But then, your little friend knows all about that. Or at least, he will." Aang resisted the urge to blink or look surprised. Who was this friend the Spirits kept mentioning? "Besides, you've already met them."
What?
"Tui and La, your moon and ocean, have always circled each other in an eternal dance. They balance each other. Push and pull, life and death, good and evil, yin and yang." Koh continued, facing away from the boy.
"The koi fish!" Aang exclaimed, suddenly realizing what Koh meant. But by the time Koh spun around, Aang's face was blank once again.
"I must be going now." Aang said in a monotone, desperate to return to the physical world.
"We'll meet again." Koh said as the young Avatar left. "And I do hope your friend knows what he's doing."
"I know where they are! I need to get back to the physical world!" Aang exclaimed to his Roku reflection.
"A friend is here to guide you back," Roku said with a small smile as he faded away, revealing a panda's reflection.
"Hei Bai!" Aang exclaimed cheerfully, climbing on his friends back.
Hopefully he wouldn't be too late.
Iroh was now very worried. He hadn't seen his nephew or Mako at all today, and the full moon was now rising. The air suddenly seemed electrified, and Iroh had to suppress the urge to shiver. He watched the tides change, as the waterbenders struck back fiercely, and wondered just how long it would last.
"We'll be following this map to a very special location." Zhao said, "and when we get there… we're going fishing."
Iroh was very worried for his nephew and for everyone else as well.
"The moon has risen." Zuko commented to himself, but Mako huffed in agreement. Aang was still not responding, and he was starting to worry.
If Aang didn't wake up soon, he was going to have to try and stop Zhao himself; and considering he had killed him twice, Zuko wasn't exactly keen on that plan.
He really didn't want to die again.
Something bright caught Katara's eye, and she spun around just in time to see a blazing light streak towards a large snowy hill.
"Look, that's got to be Aang!" She exclaimed, and Soka steered Appa after the light.
They were coming.
Mako and Zuko stilled as a light burst through Mako's wing, causing Aang's tattoos to flare before fading. His eyes opened, and Zuko couldn't breathe. Finally, after all these years, after all of the pain and the sacrifices, his friend was here, finally he could make things right.
Zuko could tell that Aang was disoriented, so he said nother as the boy rubbed his eyes and looked around. Aang froze when he saw Zuko, but his eyes widened in shock as he took in the large purple dragon head resting next to him, and the fire burning between them.
Before Aang could say anything, Zuko spoke.
"Last time we met, I told you that we would've been great friends, but that things weren't that simple."
Aang's suspicious look faded, but hesitation shown clearly in his eyes. Zuko gave Aang a tired smile before continuing.
"Things are even less simple now, but I was wrong. I've… learned something recently; and once this is all taken care of, I have a story to tell you." Zuko shook his head, "An unbelievable story. But we don't have time for me to explain now. So, what do you say Aang? A truce until the Spirits are safe and the invasion is over?"
Aang's face lit up when Zuko used his name and he gave Zuko a proud smile.
"I knew you weren't all bad. You remind me too much of my friend Kuzon." Aang replied with a twinkle in his eye that faded into a confused glint as Zuko started laughing.
Even Mako started chuckling in amusement, making Aang look at the dragon oddly.
"Oh Aang," Zuko said fondly at his old friend. "You have no idea."
All of the sudden a loud thump was heard and the inside of the 'tent' shook as something collided with Mako's wing.
The dragon growled, his golden eyes narrowing as Zuko sighed.
"That'd be your friends. Sadly, Katara didn't react well to my identity and grabbing your body was the only way I could think of speaking to you… without being put in a cell." Zuko explained as he stood, stretching as Mako did the same, the layers of snow falling off his body as he unwound.
Mako huffed at Zuko and Aang watched on in amusement as Zuko shot him a dark look. "Well, I'm sorry if I didn't want to end up in a cell! It doesn't matter if I could've gotten out. I spent long enough on a leash in a gilded cage, thank you very much!"
"ZUKO! We know you're in there and we know you have Aang! Come out or we'll see how well you'll do against a waterbender powered by the full moon!"
"Alright, alright." Zuko muttered to himself as Aang got to his feet, the stupid grin still on his face. "Geez woman, calm yourself."
Aang snickered, but didn't get to say anything as Mako suddenly moved his wing, exposing them to the freezing temperatures, but thankfully not dumping any of the snow on them.
"Aang!" Katara exclaimed happily as the two groups were revealed to eachother.
"Get away from him." She threatened, suddenly doing a one eighty and glaring at Zuko.
"Katara! It's alright. He's on our side." Aang pipped up, the grin fading, but still playing at his lips. The three Water Tribe members froze, staring at Zuko in shock, causing him to roll his eyes and cross his arms.
"What? I tried to tell you Katara, but you didn't listen. If I was trying to capture Aang, why would I attack my own fleet? Why did I try to talk to you peacefully? Why wouldn't I just fly away with Mako once I had Aang? You know I'm technically a traitor now, right?"
Katara simply eyed him with suspicion as Yue and Soka exchanged glances.
"He does have a point you know." Soka said, scratching the back of his head.
"But…" Katara went to protest, but Aang cut her off. His eyes widening as he remembered what Roku and Koh had told him.
"We don't have time for this!" Aang said, taking a step forward and planting himself between the two. "The Ocean and Moon Spirits are in danger, we need to get back to the oasis!"
Zuko nodded in agreement, mentally hitting himself for getting off topic.
"There's no time to waste. Zhao is planning something to do with the Moon Spirit." Zuko said, causing the younger kids – mentally if nothing else – to share a wide eyed look.
"He's going to kill it!" Aang said, eyes wide with worry, causing Zuko to shutter and pale. He had learned a lot about the Spirits during his hunt for Aang, in both life times. Who knew what killing the Moon Spirit would do to the world?
Mako snorted, nudging Zuko in the side and gesturing for him to get on.
"Mako's right," Zuko said, getting strange looks from everyone but Aang. "We really need to go."
Everyone nodded, faces suddenly grim. Aang and his friends climbed aboard Appa as Zuko swung up onto Mako's back. The bison growled a bit as Mako stood up and stretched out his wings. The purple dragon hissed back, but Zuko hit Mako's neck.
"Stop it, that's Aang's bison. Show some respect for the kid who saved your egg." Zuko scolded the dragon, causing Aang to spin towards him in shock.
"What?!" Aang stared at Mako in surprise, was that really the dragon that he and Kuzon had saved as an egg?
"Later!" Zuko yelled as Aang nodded. The two large animals took off into the sky as Zuko grimly stared at the moon. He didn't want to believe it, but his instincts were telling him that they were too late.
Mako and Appa were flying as fast as they could (without leaving the bison behind) and they were almost back to the oasis when an electrical charge surged through the air. Aang and Zuko shared a look of horror just as the moon went red.
"I'll meet you there." The horror turned to determination as Zuko spoke. Aang pressed a hand to his head, but nodded anyway. Even he, who was a firebender, felt weaker without the moon in the sky. He figured it had something to do with the fact the Spirts had meddled in his reincarnation.
Eyes glinting, Zuko suddenly shoved his hands into a pouch as Mako took off at top speed, leaving the bison far behind.
All across the globe, people looked to the sky in horror as the moon went red. People cried, people panicked, and some people rejoiced. But a select group stared at the sky grimly, before turning and setting to work.
Within seconds Mako was high above the Northern Water Tribe, the red light glittering menacingly off his purple scales. There was a weight in the air that neither of them liked, but they knew what they had to do.
"Well, let's see if I remember how to do this." Zuko said humerously to Mako as he stood on his dragon's back. Mako grunted, and closing hid eyes, Zuko leaned back, dropping into the air.
Twisting so that he was facing down, Zuko counted to three, then he clapped his hands together and called upon his fire. The powder covering his hands sparked, and started spewing thick smoke as he increased the flames.
Soon, he was nothing more than a smoky, flaming speck falling through the sky. But he was not alone. Mako twisted in the air, smoke and sparks bellowing from his mouth as he followed his friend down through the sky. Then he twisted, and with powerful beats of his wings, drew a horizontal figure eight in the sky.
"Mako!" Zuko yelled as he extinguished his flames. His eyes start to stung and the ground was coming up fast. With a whistle, Mako cut through the air and caught Zuko carefully in his claws.
As one, they twisted about again, this time speeding off towards the oasis, leaving a large, smoky dragonfly sparkling in the red light above the city.
"I'm a legend now!" Zhao exclaimed, staring at the red moon in triumph. "The Fire Nation will for generations tell stories about the Great Zhao, who darkened to moon!"
"Sir!" One of the guards behind Zhao exclaimed, pointing towards the sky. Everyone turned and stared at the large glittering dragonfly.
"What's that?" Zhao snarled, but got no answer.
In the rear of the fleet, a man lowered his eyeglass.
"I really hope I made the right choice." He muttered to himself before turning towards his fellow Dragonflies.
"Attack."
The Water Tribe froze in horror as the moon turned red and their bending failed them. The Fire Nation troops cheered as they suddenly surged forward, confidence renewed. The men dressed in blue turned and fled, until something caught one's eye.
"What's that?!" The lone waterbender's cry echoed throughout the city, mingling with other similar exclamations.
A glittering smoky dragonfly hung suspended in the air over the city. For a moment, all movement froze on both sides of the battle, as the people wondered what it meant.
Then, the stopping of feat was heard, and fear gripped the Water Tribe's heart. Fire blasted through the air, but it never reached them. Turning to look at one another, they stopped running and turned back towards their enemies.
Only for their mouths to collectively drop open in shock. Fire benders were surging forward, but they were not attacking the Water Tribe warriors, but their fellow firebenders. Not knowing what to believe, they watched in awe as a single line of Fire Nation soldiers stepped forth between the two sides, turned, and stood shoulder to shoulder facing the people they had just attacked. Then, Water Tribe warriors, benders and nonbenders alike, stepped forward as well. Together as one, with a purple cloth tied around their waists and their helmets discarded, they planted their feet, narrowed their eyes and blocked the remaining Fire Nation soldiers' path.
"Tonight, the Dragons rise from the shadows." A single, older Fire Nation man spoke from the middle of the line, grey streaking his black hair.
"And you shall not pass us." A younger Water Tribe warrior declared.
Time seemed to freeze, no one dared to breathe, until fire balls danced through the sky. They crashed, one after another with everyone looking on in shock, into the fleet; as lone ship with a purple flag practically glowing in the red light.
Suddenly, the enchantment was broken as the cry of traitor sprang up from the Fire Nation ranks; and they surged forward, though with less excitement than before.
The Dragons had joined the war.
"It's nothing." Zhao hissed at the man who dared to interrupt his historic *cough*egotistical*cough* speech.
"They will call me Zhao the Conqueror, Zhao the Moon-Slayer, Zhao the Invincible!"
"I don't know, Zhao the Egotistical Backstabber sounds better to me." Zuko growled as he landed on the ground to the right of Zhao, Mako dropping into a crouch right behind him.
Appa landed only moments later on the opposite side of the pond, Aang, Katara, and Soka jumping down and landing in fighting stances, watching Zhao and Zuko was hard eyes.
"You!" Zhao exclaimed in shock. "You're alive?"
"Oh yes." Zuko growled, a smirk spreading across his lips. "That's the second time you've killed me Zhao, I'm afraid I won't let there be a third."
Aang and the others shared subtle but confused glances as Zhao's eyebrows furrowed in frustration.
"What?" He asked, totally thrown for a loop. Soka kept looking between the giant dragonfly in the sky, Zuko, and Zhao wondering what exactly was going on.
"Oh, surely you remember." Zuko said, his smile vicious, slipping forward into a steadier, though rather relaxed, stance as tiny flames danced across his fists. "It wasn't that lot ago."
"What are you talking about, you traitor!?" Zhao snarled, trying to get a response from Zuko but the prince's smile just widened.
"Oh, isn't that a familiar sound. No one's called me that since you stuck a knife in my back." Zuko said conversationally. "Though I do suppose it was my fault. If I hadn't dismissed you for a spineless fool you never would've had the chance to stab me."
Zhao's face suddenly paled drastically, and the soldiers behind the admiral shared a look. What was going on?
"Th..that's not possible!" Zhao snarled, tightening the grip on the bag.
Zuko laughed, a hint of hysteria creeping in as his crooked grin taunted the man.
"Impossible? Nothing is impossible, especially when Spirits decide to meddle." The assassin-turned-prince informed the man, as Aang's eyes widened in shock. He shared a look of pure confusion with his friends, all of their stances relaxing subconsciously.
Seriously, what was going on?
"Though, I suppose I should thank you," Zuko admitted, abandoning his stance all together and shrugging, his muscles still tense. "If hadn't killed me Avatar Roku might've not given me the chance to be reincarnated with my memories; and then where would we be? I'd still be an angry, banished prince who just wants to go home, foolishly chasing my old friend. The Water Tribe would've suffered a lot more casualties, Mako probably never would've left his mountains, my Dragonflies would never've come out of the shadows, the Spirits never would've been able to have their revenge and you probably would've already killed that fish."
Everyone was staring at Zuko, even Iroh who had appeared sometime during his little monolog.
"Now," Zuko said, unsheathing his swords though still looking completely relaxed. "Are you going to release the Moon Spirit or are we going to have to do this the hard way?" He raised an eyebrow in question, his golden eyes suddenly hard. "Because I seriously doubt you are going to be able to get the drop on me this time."
Snarling, but unnerved enough where he didn't actually say anything, Zhao simply raised his fist and held it up to the bag.
Aang and his friends exchanged scared looks as Zuko sighed, "Hard way it is then."
"Zhao! Don't." Aang said finally deciding to speak up. Zuko paused, something glinting beneath his fingers as he collapsed his swords into one but not sheathing them. He was curious what he friend was going to say to try and reason with Zhao.
Besides, Aang would probably feel bad if he didn't try the pacifist approach, the little airbender that he was.
"Destroying the moon won't hurt just the Water Tribe, it will hurt everyone – including you. Without the moon everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world. Now, I don't know what your history with Zuko is, but please, let the Spirit go." Aang pleaded with the man, but Zhao just scowled.
"He is right, Zhao." Iroh said, finally speaking up, stepping forward and taking his place to Zhao's left, across from Zuko.
"General Iroh," Zhao said suddenly finding his voice. Zuko rolled his eyes after sharing a glance with Mako. "Why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?"
"I'm no traitor, Zhao." Iroh said boldly, lowering his hood and narrowing his eyes at the man. "I am loyal to the Crown Prince."
Zuko looked over at his friend and mentor. "But what if I'm a traitor?"
At that Iroh just shrugged, and more confusion filled the air.
"But yes, the point everyone is trying to make is that doing anything to that Spirit an incredibly bad idea." Zuko said, his voice dropping in a very dragon-like growl at the end. "So, why don't you be a good boy for once in your life and let the fish go. I'm getting terribly tired of the dramatics here, and I lived in the Fire Lord's palace constantly for 33 years and then every other six months for 34 years! I know dramatics!"
Everyone blinked at Zuko slowly, even Mako. Iroh was suddenly worried for his nephew's mental health when Zhao said,
"You're insane."
Zuko shrugged, "Probably, you try having 113 years of accumulative experiences in your brain along with two identities and not be a bit unstable."
"You were 'a bit unstable' when I was a child, Zuko. I believe you are past that at this point." Iroh stated, in light amusement.
Zuko shot his uncle a hurt look, "Well, at least I'm not an old man anymore!"
"Enough!" Zhao said, his hand burst into flames, only for him to scream in pain as a dagger suddenly speared his hand clean through. Something glinted in the air and a millisecond later, there was a ripping sound and the bag split open, dropping the Moon Spirit harmlessly back into the pond with a splash. The moon returned to normal, and the red light faded.
"Just try it Zhao," Zuko sneered, his eyes uncharacteristically dark, as if he was reading the thoughts going through Zhao's mind, another dagger twirling over his fingers. "Let's see how you measure up to the Fire Lord's personal assassin."
At this point, Aang and his friends were really just watching the show, with Soka spinning his finger near his temple every once in a while, usually after Zuko said something. They all relaxed though as the world returned to its correct coloring and the moon was restored. Mako snorted and Zuko chuckled, apparently the dragon had just insulted Zhao.
Just as everyone was relaxing, Zhao lashed out with his uninjured hand, and blasted the Moon Spirit with a stream of fire.
Everyone gasped in horror as all color drained from the pond, and then the moon, plunging everyone into darkness.
"That," Zuko growled, suddenly between Zhao and the guards, "was a very bad idea."
Zhao tried to run but Zuko was right there. The prince didn't even bother using his blades. He grabbed the larger man by the hair, planted his heel in the dirt and spun around, sending Zhao flying right towards the purple dragon. Mako roared, and flamed burst forth of his maw. Zhao tried to block it with a fire shield, but the dragon fire was much too powerful. As soon as Mako's flames cleared, Zuko was back at it, lifting the burnt man by the hair and sneering.
"I'm going to enjoy putting your head on a pike."
Iroh was not alone taking down the guards, as one of them had turned, removing their helmet as they aided Iroh. Almost instantly the other three guards were unconscious. It was hardly even a fight.
Zuko looked over towards Aang, to see him kneeling by the pond. Dread filled Zuko's stomach and almost instantly he was by his friend's side, pulling him away from the Ocean's stare.
"A spirit's revenge is a powerful thing." He muttered into his friend's ear. "I don't want you to regret doing something while channeling its rage. Your own anger is devastating enough… control it, don't let it control you."
Aang shot Zuko a dazed but thankful look as Iroh lifted the dead koi fish out of the water.
"There's no hope now." Yue said sadly and Zuko blinked, he had forgotten the princess was even there.
"There is always hope, M'Lady." The Dragonfly guard said, causing Katara, Soka, and Yue to send him disbelieving looks.
"He is right, though." Zuko said, pulling Aang to his feet and stepping forward. "Hope is what pushes us forward, allows us to achieve the impossible." He smiled thinly, "Though stubbornness does help as well."
Mako suddenly hummed, taking a step forward. Bringing neck around, he blew warm air on Yue, and then onto the white koi.
Iroh instantly understood, and Zuko wasn't far behind.
"You have been touched by the Moon Spirit." The general observed of the princess, and Zuko looked sadly at everyone, wandering over to where Zhao was lying on the grass. "Some of its live is in you."
"Yes," Yue said slowly, "You're right. It gave me life, maybe I can give it back."
Aang's eyes widened, but he still looked pretty dazed as he glanced between everyone. Mako shuffled over and wrapped himself around the young airbender.
The dragon nudged Soka with its snout as the boy's eyes widened and he appeared ready to cry.
"No!" Soka exclaimed, surging forward and grabbing the hand of his crush. "You don't have to do that."
"It's my duty Soka."
"I won't let you! Your father told me to protect you!" Soka pleaded, but Yue's mind was set.
She pulled away from his with a solemn, "I have to do this."
The Dragonfly stepped forward and put a comforting hand on Soka's shoulder as Mako nudged him once again with his snout.
Yue placed her hands on the koi, which instantly glowed brightly. Seconds barely passed before she collapsed backwards into Soka's arms.
"No!" The boy exclaimed, holding Yue's body close as he fought off tears. "She's gone."
Zuko knelt by the side of the pool, Zhao's left arm grasped tightly in his hand. The man was burnt, slightly cut up, and unconscious, but alive. As if sensing him, the Ocean Spirit swam over and hovered at the edge of the pool as Zuko nodded his head respectfully.
"He might've killed me twice, but he killed your life partner. The moon will be alright, but… this is my thank-you, for everything you all have done for me. We all deserve to have a bit of revenge, as long as innocents aren't hurt in the process." Zuko spoke softly, eyes never leaving the Ocean Spirit's, though his mind flashed to Aang. Without even a sound, he nudged Zhao forward, and the man slid silently into the pool. The water glowed blue just a briefest moment; at the same time the ghost of Yue, now the Moon Spirit, appeared a few yards away as Iroh slid the fish into the pond and moon returned to the sky. No one noticed the water change colors, or how the fish seemed to have nodded to Zuko before swimming over to where its newly healed partner was.
Zuko might've not been able to kill the man himself, but he supposed that the ocean Spirit probably get revenge enough for the both of them.
Besides, Zuko looked over at Aang, who was smiling, softly but sadly as Yue vanished completely, his future was looking much brighter. Maybe was time to leave some of that darkness behind him as well.
"Where's Zhao?" Katara asked Zuko as he wandered back over, and he almost jumped, realizing that it was the first ime the girl had talked since they had reunited with Aang.
"I don't know." Zuko said with a shrug, and it was the truth, even if Iroh didn't believe him, judging by the look the older man sent him.
Katara opened her mouth but Zuko simply walked passed her. Seeing his brother approaching, Mako uncurled from around Aang, leaving the young Avatar looking at Zuko in question.
"If you still want to do something about the fleet sitting outside of the gate, then do it. But don't do it out of anger, do it out of your need to protect these people. That way, you won't ever have to regret your actions."
Aang bit his lip uncertainly, glancing around at everyone before saying softly, "But I don't know how to control the Avatar state."
Zuko simply smiled softly. "You just helped reunite the ocean and the Moon Spirits, not to mention you are the Avatar. Now that the ocean isn't likely to use you to fuel his revenge, I'm sure that they'd be glad to help you."
Aang looked up at Zuko searchingly, before nodding slowly. Everyone stepped back as Aang walked towards the pool. He took a deep breath before closing his eyes and walking into the water. Almost instantly, the reunited koi fish glowed, and Aang entered the Avatar state.
Eyes glowing and voice echoing, Aang turned back towards the group and bowed slightly, eyes locked with Zuko.
"Thank you."
Zuko nodded back slightly, acknowledging the ocean and Moon Spirits thanks right before the pool swallowed up Aang. Almost instantly, Zuko jumped onto Mako's back and they took off into the air.
He was not going to miss this.
The Dragonflies managed to keep the Fire Nation from advancing any further while Water Tribe's bending was gone. Lives were lost, and they were pushed back a fair deal, but their interference made a difference, and the Water Tribe was not going to forget it any time soon.
A cheer went up when the moon reappeared in the sky and seemed to be staying there that time. It was then that the waterbenders rejoined the fight, pushing the firebenders further and further back. The Dragonflies and the Water Tribe worked together as one, and unlike the other firebenders, didn't freeze when the whole city started to glow. Well, the many waterways began to glow, but the light reflected off of the ice, making it appear like the whole city was glowing.
But it wasn't until the water around the front of the main wall surged up, depositing a glowing Avatar Aang on the highest standing point that the remaining enemy soldiers turned tail and ran back to their ships.
With a simple stance, Aang brought his arms slowly over head and raised the water level by the wall. Like a massive wave, all of the – now boarded – remaining ships were pulled to the top, before Aang made a simple shoving gesture and the few ships that were once part of a fleet were carried away safely by the wave. It was unlikely that they would be returning anytime soon.
Once the ships – besides the one Dragonfly controlled ship flying a purple flag – were out of sight, the light faded from Aang's eyes and tattoos. As soon as Aang's senses returned, Zuko and Mako appeared at his side, hovering lightly in the air.
"Come on," Zuko said, extending a hand to his friend. "I think that's enough excitement for one night, don't you say?"
Aang nodded tiredly and allowed Zuko to pull him up onto Mako in front of the older teenager. They flew off back towards the heart of the city, the cheers of the Water Tribe and Dragonflies echoing through the air.
"What would you like us to do, Amber Heir?" The same elder firebender who had spoken out against the Fire Nation asked.
Zuko shrugged tiredly, watching the sun rise and the citizens beginning to move out from their icy hiding places.
"I don't have any orders for you, and honestly, I don't think I'll have them very often. All of the Dragonflies who step forward and become Dragons… what you do now is up to you. If you want to help the Avatar end this war, than you can. If you want to fight in the Earth Kingdom, you can. If you want to fade back into the shadows, you can. If you want to take the fight to the Fire Nation, well, you can do that too.
"Last night wasn't just about us stepping out of the shadows, it was about us showing the world that we are stronger united, even those of us with fire in our veins. There's going to be a lot of stigma, hatred, and distrust of the Fire Nation because of the war. But maybe, just maybe, we can show the world that the Fire Nation is not a nation filled with evil, crazy psychopaths."
"Don't worry, Amber. They'll realize soon enough that you're the only crazy one here." The rebellious guard of Zhao's commented with a teasing grin, causing Zuko to roll his eyes.
"It must come with the title then." He mused, causing everyone to laugh.
"Alright, get some rest." Zuko said, waving them off. "I am going to go and sleep for the next week."
Small laughs echoed throughout the large group as they wandered off in separate directions. Those of the Water Tribe returned home, while the Fire Nation member's headed towards the docks, where their stolen ship awaited them.
"Well," Zuko muttered to himself. "That was interesting."
"That it was." Zuko jumped, seeing that the guard had lingered behind. A small smile danced across the man's lips, though his eyes were serious.
"I just wanted to say, Master Amber, I won't say a word."
Zuko raised an eyebrow at the man, slightly impressed that he had pieced it together, though he supposed that he hadn't really been subtle when dealing with Zhao.
The man simply smiled knowingly and walked away, leaving a bemused prince in his wake.
Zuko yawned.
"I really need to get some sleep."
Zuko waited two days for Aang to corner him like everyone else had. Iroh had been the first person to, of course. Then Yue's father had pinned him down and questioned him for five hours straight. That had been a lot of fun. Of course, Katara and Soka tag teamed him not long after that. Katara froze him to a ceiling for a good three hours after Soka punched him in the face. But after that they seemed to be fine with him, which is why he had stayed on the ceiling. He did deserve it after all.
Paku was actually the one who let him down, though it wasn't very carefully. Why, Zuko had no clue. But he had a feeling the man knew more than he let on.
Things were starting to look better, now. Mako was a hit with the kids, as was Appa, and twenty four hours after the moon was restored, the Northern Water Tribe officially became allies of the Dragons – as the revealed Dragonflies were being called. That had settled a lot of remaining tension in the city, though most people still couldn't believe that the dragonrider was the Fire Lord's son, or that members of their own tribe had allied with firebenders.
Honestly, Zuko couldn't even believe what had happened half of the time, and he lived it.
"Can we talk?"
Zuko blinked, turning to see Aang standing hesitantly in the icy doorway. Zuko nodded, giving the younger boy a small smile. He turned his gaze back out over the city, watching the sun reflect off the water. It seemed that he wasn't going to have to wait quite as long as he thought.
Though how exactly he was going to explain everything to his old friend was going to be a whole different matter. He wasn't the same person Aang had known, a month and a century ago. He'd lived through so much, done so many things… he worried that Aang wouldn't believe him.
"Who are you Zuko? Really? Why would the Spirits... why would Roku… reincarnate you? When did you start remembering? How were you able to do all of this?"
Zuko glanced over at his confused friend out of the corner of his eye and sighed, leaning on the icy balcony railing.
"I think you missed a few questions there," Zuko teased half heartedly before shifting uneasily. "I told you earlier that my story is long and unbelieveable; and while it might be easier to start at the beginning I think I'm going to get the most unbeleiveable part of it out of the way first."
"Alright," Aang said slowly, nodding and giving Zuko an unreadable look.
Well, it was now or never.
"You said earlier that I remind you of Kuzon – well, I'm glad I can remind you of myself." Zuko's lips twitched as Aang's eyes widened in complete disbelief. "When Gyatzo showed up and told us you were missing, I swore to find you. I even ran away and ended up going back up to the top of that mountain. The reason I didn't die is most likely due to the fact that Mako was a very curious hatchling, the fact that we saved him as an egg might've helped but…"
Zuko was suddenly cut off as Aang threw himself around the older teen and hugged him as hard as he could.
"Kuzon?" Aang asked timidly, hardly believing what his old friend was telling him. Zuko chuckled, relaxing and wrapping his arms around the smaller boy.
"Hello, Aang."
They stayed like that for a while, each boy basking in the other's presence. Zuko could hardly believe it. Finally, after all of these years, after everything… he had finally found his friend.
Aang eventually pulled back, his eyes practically glowing with happiness and determination.
"Tell me everything," The young avatar demanded, and with a laugh Zuko complied.
No longer would either of them be alone, no longer would they have to fight the war by themselves. They would deal with the Fire Lord together, and they would deal with everything that followed together as well.
The world wouldn't know what hit them.
Happy NaNoWriMo everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed my twoshot, I definitely enjoyed writing it although it didn't turn out quite the way I expected. But when do stories ever?
I might come back and expand this into a proper story and continue it through the rest of the series but that would probably be much later, after I finish my other series.
I would really appreciate any feedback, and thank you all for reading!
Cp
