Book I: Water

Chapter 7: The Underground

Gaoling, South-Western Earth Kingdom - Ten Years After Sozin's Comet

They finally drew near to the town of Gaoling around noon on the fourth day after their escape from Zhao's ship. It was a clear, crisp day, with not a cloud in sight. The mountains surrounding the town were stood out starkly, dark peaks against the pale blue sky, and the rooftops of the houses and shops were a brilliant green.

They landed in a wooded glen in the foothills to the north of the town, where Appa and Momo would be well-hidden. The people of Gaoling had little love for the Phoenix King who claimed to rule them, but on the whole they found paying their taxes to him an acceptable price for peace. Showing up in town with an obvious airbender in tow would be unwise. Aang was reluctant to leave the bison behind, but Zuko assured him it was only temporary, and besides, he would have the lemur for company. Privately, Katara wondered if the Underground would really be able to accommodate the large beast, but she said nothing.

While Aang said his goodbyes to Appa and Momo, Katara dug a square of blue cloth out of her pack. It had probably been included in their supplies for mending clothes - Amaruk and Kinto had been very thorough, after all - but it was large enough to function as a headscarf as well. She threw the cloth to Aang.

"Tie that over your head," she directed, "to cover your tattoos." Aang attempted to comply, but clearly had no idea how to do it, and Zuko wound up having to help him. The end result still looked odd with his orange and yellow clothing, but at least it didn't scream "airbender" too loudly.

Next she tossed down Zuko's pack, and then her own. Zuko caught each of them deftly. Best not to show up looking totally destitute, either - and on the off chance that Appa was discovered in their absence, at least they wouldn't run the risk of losing all their supplies as well. She climbed down from the saddle, shouldered her pack - Zuko already had his on - and the three of them set out.

"Now, when we're in town," Zuko said as they began their walk, "we use code names. I'm Lee, and Katara is Kya." Aang nodded his understanding enthusiastically. "You should pick a name for yourself, too," Zuko added.

"How about Kuzon?" Aang suggested.

Zuko and Katara exchanged a surprised look. "A Fire Nation name?" Katara asked.

"I had a friend named Kuzon, before the war," Aang explained. "And if you guys pretend to be my parents, it would make sense for me to have a Fire Nation name, wouldn't it?"

Zuko made an uncomfortable sound somewhere between a groan and a cough, while Katara laughed. "We're not quite old enough to pass as your parents," she pointed out good-naturedly. "And people in Gaoling know us - or they know Lee and Kya, anyway. We can't just show up with a twelve-year-old son out of nowhere."

"Oh yeah," Aang said. He tilted his head, considering. "Maybe I'm your nephew then?"

Katara nodded. "That could work."

"You should still choose a different name, though," Zuko said. "We don't want to look like we have any ties to the Fire Nation."

Aang gave Zuko a skeptical look, as if to say how convincing he found that idea, but then shrugged. "What about Kisu, then?" he suggested. "He was one of my friends at the air temple."

"Okay," Katara agreed. "So our story is, you're Lee's nephew, and we've taken you in because your parents died. We're in Gaoling again looking for my brother." It was close enough to the truth that none of them should have trouble keeping it straight - Aang and Zuko were even related, sort of, through Avatar Roku.

"It won't seem odd that this whole family is wandering around the Earth Kingdom getting separated?" Aang asked. "I thought people in the other nations mostly stayed in one place."

Zuko shook his head sadly. "Since the burning of the Earth Kingdom during the comet, it's pretty common," he explained. "Lots of people were displaced, and most of them still haven't found new homes. You see drifters and refugees in all the big towns."

"Oh," Aang said. "I guess I hadn't thought of that."

They walked in silence for a while, coming out of the woods and approaching the walls of the town. "Remember," Zuko said, giving Aang a warning look, "stick close to us, and follow our lead. No wandering off, and no improvisations."

"Yes, Uncle," Aang said dutifully with a smile, clearly enjoying playing his part in their charade.

Zuko flinched just slightly. Aang didn't seem to notice, but Katara reached out and squeezed his hand. He sighed, then looped her arm around his and led her into the town, with Aang following close behind them.

They made their way towards the main square at the center of town, stopping to chat briefly with the people who recognized them. Aang had a way of charming people that made their story all the more convincing - no one would suspect such a gregarious young boy of hiding anything. When Katara mentioned her brother - by his code name, Desna - she was informed that no one had seen him in town for a long time, but this didn't worry her. She was certain that Lagora, at least, would know how to find him.

When they reached the main square, they found most of the stalls empty - it wasn't a market day, so there were no farmers from the surrounding region there to sell produce. A few traveling merchants were in town - one selling cloth, another displaying bright copper cookware, and a third offering exotic teas and spices. In spite of the hardship the Earth Kingdom as a whole had faced in the last few years, the people of Gaoling were still wealthy enough to afford such luxuries, and there were no small number of shoppers in the square.

They bypassed the stalls, Zuko leading them towards the row of shops on the south side of the square. Katara couldn't help but cast a nervous glance towards the town hall, where the Fire Nation flag stood out in stark red against the green rooftop. There were more soldiers stationed outside than she remembered. But her attention was quickly diverted when she noticed Aang was no longer following them. She had to drag him away from the display of brightly colored shoes in front of the cobbler's shop - which they didn't need and probably couldn't afford anyway. At last they walked through the door of the small apothecary which was at the end of the row.

A bell rang as Zuko pushed the door open, but the shopkeeper was already in the front of the store, helping one of her customers. Both women looked their way as they came in - one tall and fair, wearing a plain brown and yellow dress, the other dark-skinned and dressed in distinctive blue and white - and both faces immediately lit up with surprised recognition.

"Kya! Lee!" Suki said without missing a beat. "I never expected to see you here when I came to town this morning." An older man who was examining the shelf of herbal remedies against the wall turned and glanced over the newcomers for a moment, then went back to his shopping.

"We didn't expect to find you here either, Bulan," Katara replied. "We were just looking for Lagora."

The woman in question had come around to the other side of the counter and gave Katara a heartfelt hug. It was always good to see another Water Tribe woman, when you were so far from home. "What are you doing back here?" Lagora asked. She kept her tone light, but the look she gave Katara was piercing.

"Neither of you have ever met Kisu," Zuko supplied, putting a hand on Aang's shoulder and pushing him forward a bit. The boy had become shy again amid the reunion of the adults. "He's my nephew."

"The same nephew Lee was looking for all that time, if you remember," Katara added.

Lagora's brow furrowed in confusion, but Suki's eyes widened. "Really?" she said, looking at Aang with scrutiny, but also a hint of awe. "We didn't think your uncle was ever going to find you, young man."

Aang laughed nervously. "Yeah," he said with an apologetic shrug. "I didn't mean to disappear for so long."

"It wasn't your fault," Katara reminded him. "Anyway, now that we've found Kisu, we're looking for Desna - is he still around here somewhere?"

Lagora laughed. "Oh, you know how your brother is," she said, seeming relieved to be following the conversation again. "He spends all that time up in the mountains to get closer to the spirits or whatever it is he does. But yeah, he's around."

"I can take you to him," Suki offered. "I'm sure he'll be thrilled you found your nephew - big family reunion, right?"

"Right," Zuko confirmed. "That's why we're here."

Suki nodded and turned to Lagora. "You'll come see my sister later, then?" Lagora nodded, and didn't seem too concerned, so whatever was ailing one of Suki's warriors that required a healer couldn't be too serious.

They said their goodbyes and left the shop. Suki looped one arm around Katara's once they were outside, while Aang and Zuko trailed behind them. "You've got a lot of explaining to do," she said in a low voice. Katara smiled and nodded - but all of Suki's questions would have to wait until they were somewhere less public, and they both knew it.

"You should know," Suki went on in a careful tone as she led them towards the town's eastern gate, "we had word of your father recently." She gave Katara a pitying look, and Katara's heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be good news. "He's come down with the sweltering sickness."

Katara's blood ran cold. Sweltering sickness was code for being captured by the Fire Nation.


Ba Sing Se - Ten Years Earlier

Zuko let out an involuntary sigh of relief as he pushed through the door into the kitchen of the tea shop, enjoying the respite from the chattering of their customers, however brief he knew it would be. Setting down the tray of cups he had just cleared from one of his tables, he looked around, surprised to see the kitchen empty.

"Uncle?" he called out. "Table four is waiting for their ginseng, is it ready?"

"I'm back here," came his uncle's voice from the pantry. "Come here a minute."

Confused, Zuko obeyed. He found Iroh pouring over a letter, his brows drawn and his mouth set in a grim line. Zuko didn't know who could be writing to them while they were living under false names in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se, but it certainly didn't look like they had sent good news.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked.

"We're closing early today," Iroh replied. He gave Zuko a serious look. "Get everyone out within the hour. Then we have much to discuss."

Zuko waited a moment for further explanation, but none was forthcoming. Iroh went back to reading the letter, waving a hand to dismiss his nephew. "Go on," he said. "The order for table four is waiting by the stove."

Zuko complied with his uncle's instructions, delivering the order and hanging the sign in the window of the shop to indicate they were closed. The group of girls at table four twittered to each other about this unusual turn of events - they were regulars, and knew the tea shop's hours. When they asked him why the shop was closing early, he could only stammer a half-coherent answer, which made them all giggle as he walked away, glad that he'd be done with them soon.

But he was far more anxious about what his uncle's letter said than he was relieved to see them go when the last customers finally left. Hastily retreating to the supply room, he found Iroh much as he had left him, only now he had rolled up the letter and was staring hard at the floor, deep in thought.

"What's going on?" Zuko asked. "Who was that letter from?"

Iroh looked up at him, and smiled reassuringly. "Let's just say I still have a friend or two back home," he answered cryptically. "One of my friends just happens to be privy to certain...information, about the Fire Lord's war councils. And he felt that this information should be shared with me."

"You've had...spies? In Father's war councils?" Zuko said in disbelief. "This whole time?"

"'Spies' is such a negative word," Iroh replied. "As I said, they are merely my friends. When you get to be an old man like me, you have friends in all sorts of places."

"And what did your...friend tell you, that's got you so worried?" Zuko pressed, growing increasingly annoyed. His uncle was dancing around the point.

Iroh sighed. "He says that when Sozin's comet makes its pass again at the end of the summer, the Fire Lord plans to take advantage of it to lay waste to as much of the Earth Kingdom as he can." Zuko was taken aback - he hadn't considered what the return of the comet might mean - but when he thought about it, it wasn't surprising. Of course his father wouldn't pass up an opportunity like that.

"In particular," Iroh went on, "he aims to raze Ba Sing Se to the ground, to prove once and for all that none can stand against the might of the Fire Nation." The look his uncle gave him now was one of careful scrutiny, and yet Zuko still couldn't understand.

"Okay," he said, thinking for a moment. "The comet comes in a month, right? So we have plenty of time to get out of the city by then."

Iroh closed his eyes and sighed again, and Zuko was painfully aware that what he had said had disappointed his uncle somehow. Getting to his feet, Iroh came closer and placed both hands on his nephew's shoulders.

"Zuko, please," he said, his voice thick with emotion yet unfaltering. "The time has come to stop running away."

"I don't see what else we're supposed to do," Zuko insisted stubbornly. There was no point in staying in the path of danger. They couldn't even warn anyone else, without exposing themselves as Fire Nation and incurring the wrath of Earth Kingdom justice, and their own people would show them no more mercy. Best to just get out of the way quietly while they still could. "We don't have a choice," he concluded in a low voice.

"There is always a choice," Iroh replied. "A choice to do what is easy, or to do what is right." His hands tightened on Zuko's shoulders until his grip was almost painful. "To save ourselves, or to stand up those who would sow devastation on the world."

Zuko shook his head. "No. You can't mean…" He couldn't even say it.

"Ozai is going to lead the attack on Ba Sing Se personally," Iroh declared. "And I am going to challenge him."

"Uncle," Zuko pleaded, "that's insane. You can't do that."

"I cannot in good conscience do anything else!" his uncle shot back. "Your father is no better than Zhao, and his designs no less catastrophic for the world. He cannot be allowed to carry out his plans unchecked!"

Zuko shoved Iroh away from him, breaking his grip. "I don't believe you!" he shouted. "My father is not-"

"Zuko, think!" Iroh shouted back. It was the first time Zuko could ever remember his uncle cutting him off like that. "He has treated you, his own son, who has shown him nothing but loyalty, with abuse and contempt! A man who is so unjust to his own family is no less cruel to the rest of the world!"

Zuko shook his head. He was speechless. He couldn't believe the things he was hearing, couldn't bear to hear them. He had never wanted to hear those things spoken out loud, no matter how much he might have secretly…

"Ozai is not the good man you think he is," Iroh went on, his voice more measured, even apologetic. "And I am sorry that I can no longer wait for you to admit this to yourself in your own time."

Zuko turned away, his face hot and his eyes burning. He wanted to call his uncle a liar, a traitor, a fool. How could Iroh even think such things? But in the place in his chest where that dull ache had lived for the last several months, in his heart, he knew exactly how. Every shameful, dishonorable thought he had ever briefly had now clamored for his attention, trying to convince him that what his uncle said was true.

"I am going to stand against Ozai," Iroh said again. "I will defend this city." He drew close to Zuko again, placing his left hand on his nephew's right shoulder. "I would like to have you at my side when I do."

It was very tempting. His uncle's arguments were sound, his concerns sincere, and his love and respect for his nephew unquestionable. In some ways, it would be the most natural thing in the world for Zuko to fight alongside him.

But to oppose the Fire Lord - to go up against his own father, deliberately…

"I can't," Zuko said, his voice very small. He remained turned towards the wall, unable to look his uncle in the face. Iroh's hand stayed on his shoulder.

"Very well," Iroh said, and though he sounded understanding, Zuko knew he'd disappointed him again. "But nevertheless, I must."

"Why?" Zuko asked weakly. "Why do you have to do it? Why can't it be someone else?"

"Who else is there, who could face him?" Iroh said sadly. "Ozai will not be stopped by a challenge from just anyone. In the absence of the Avatar, this task falls to us." He squeezed Zuko's shoulder reassuringly, and finally let his hand fall away. "To me," he amended.

Zuko knew there was nothing he could do or say in the next month to change his uncle's mind, as much as he wished he could.


Gaoling, South-Western Earth Kingdom - Ten Years After Sozin's Comet

The glen where Suki brought them to the east of the town looked exactly like the sort of place one would expect to find a spiritual recluse. A stream tumbled down from the mountains, sunlight dancing on the water as it babbled over dark stones. On the far side, tall evergreens grew on the steep bank, while the near side was somewhat more level. Ahead of them was a cliff face with several arched openings that looked man-made, but very ancient. One of them was hung with Water Tribe talismans - Katara only recognized one or two of them, meant to invite benevolent spirits.

Outside of this cave, there was a low, smoldering campfire with a tea kettle set on the hot coals. Sitting by the fire, with a steaming cup of tea in one hand and a writing tablet on his knee, was Sokka, dressed in loose-fitting brown robes. Around his neck hung several thin cords, each with a different object hanging from it - wood and stone amulets, a reed whistle, a shark tooth, and even a pai sho tile. He was engrossed in his writing, reed pen scratching away at the paper, and the tip of his tongue just poking out of the corner of his mouth.

"Planning a great campaign, O Mighty Warrior?" Katara asked. Sokka looked up at her and smiled. If he was surprised to see her and Zuko, he didn't show it.

"Poetry, actually," Sokka replied casually. "The water spirit who told me you were coming had a most charming voice, and I've been trying to capture it in verse all afternoon." He took a sip of his tea, then set down the cup, but didn't get to his feet. With his free hand he scratched at the beard that now covered his entire chin and jawline, less neatly trimmed than Katara remembered.

"You're giving the mystic hermit thing your all, huh?" Zuko commented. When they'd last seen him, Sokka had only just told them about his first experience with the spirits, in vague terms. It had both frightened and intrigued him, then. Now, he seemed much more at ease with the subject.

"I wish I could give it more," Sokka said wistfully. Katara just caught Suki's frustrated grimace out of the corner of her eye. So, she was not at ease with it, it seemed.

"You talk to the spirits?" Aang asked curiously.

Sokka looked at the boy as if just noticing him. "Well," he demurred, "they talk to me." Setting his writing materials aside, he finally stood, and gave Aang a searching look. "But they didn't tell me you were coming today," he said softly.

"Today?" Aang asked, confused. "You mean they told you I was supposed to meet you some other time?"

"Oh," Sokka said with a noncommittal wave of his hand, "they were vague as to the timing. But I've known I would one day meet the Avatar for a long time now." He sounded oddly melancholy about it, and it made Katara nervous. There was a deeper wisdom in her brother's eyes than she had ever known him to possess before, and she got the distinct impression that he now knew things that were hidden from mere mortals such as herself - and not all of them were good things, either.

Sokka turned those knowing eyes back to her. "Though it does make more sense, now," he mused aloud, "why you would come here, when you had every reason to stay away."

Katara stiffened at the reminder. "We were tasked with bringing the Avatar to the Underground," she said. "Once we can say we've seen that done, we're going back home."

Aang started and looked between her and Zuko in confusion, and Katara realized belatedly that they had never discussed the extent of their mission with him. She and Zuko had understood, between themselves, that they would not stay long with the resistance, for much the same reason they had left in the first place. But what did Aang know of such reasons? They had told him it was their duty to protect him. Of course, he would have assumed this arrangement was indefinite.

"Then I'll show you where the object of your quest is," Sokka said wryly, "without further delay."

He turned on his heel and set off at once, striking a course up a narrow path that ran by the stream, further up into the mountains. The rest of them hurried to follow. The path ended on a rocky outcropping against a sheer cliff face.

"There's nothing here," Aang observed in confusion.

"Not outside," Sokka replied. Disentangling the whistle from the collection of trinkets around his neck, he blew a short series of sharp notes. In response, a sizable section of the cliff face shifted and sank down, revealing a tunnel sloping downward into the mountain, and a pair of earthbenders, who both nodded at Sokka in greeting.

"Welcome to the Underground," Suki said, leading the way into the tunnel.

Once they were inside, and the entrance closed back up behind them, Katara felt at ease to speak freely. "What happened to Dad?" she asked Sokka in a hushed voice.

Sokka grimaced. "They'd just had a narrow scrape with the Fire Nation navy, and had to find a harbor in the colonies to repair their ships. The spot they chose turned out not to be safe enough." Katara shuddered. The same thing could have so easily happened to them, just a few days ago. "They lost Uquino, and Dad was captured. The rest made it away safely."

"Do you have any idea where he's being held?" Katara asked.

"None," Sokka replied sadly, "Or I'd have attempted a rescue by now." He gave his sister a small smile. "I'm not that much of a hermit, you know."

"Sokka the warrior monk," Katara said, shaking her head. "You and Aang will have so much to talk about."

"We'll have to let the General know he's here first," Sokka said as they came to a place where the tunnel branched in three directions. He turned over his shoulder to look at Zuko. "And he'll want to see you, of course."

Zuko nodded, and he and Aang followed Sokka towards the middle of the three tunnels. But Suki pulled Katara aside towards the right hand tunnel instead. "Since you're here," she said, "maybe you can take a look at Ty Lee, so she doesn't have to wait for Lagora."

"Alright," Katara agreed with a glance at Zuko, who nodded again. Aang looked at her hesitantly, but she waved her hand, encouraging him to go with the men, and the group parted ways.

"What's wrong with Ty Lee?" Katara asked as they made their way down the passage, presumably towards the barracks where the Kyoshi warriors were quartered.

"Just a broken wrist," Suki replied. "Nothing life-threatening, but it will keep her out of commission for a while, without a healer."

"That shouldn't be too hard to fix," Katara said. They walked in silence for a moment before she spoke again. "We stopped at Kyoshi Island on our way here," she said carefully.

Suki frowned, a harsh expression that looked even starker in the torchlight of the underground tunnels. "Did my mother kick you out as well?" she asked.

"We weren't welcome," Katara confirmed. She gave Suki a sympathetic look. "For what it's worth, I think she really does want you to come home."

Suki stopped, and turned to face Katara head-on. "She destroyed the war fans," she said, pain evident in her voice. "We went back, to recruit new warriors, and she had all our fans destroyed."

Katara reached out and laid a hand on her friend's arm. She knew the war fans were almost sacred to the Kyoshi warriors. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't know."

"She says she's preserving Kyoshi's legacy," Suki replied bitterly, "but she's destroying her symbols…"

"In her mind, I think, the village itself is Kyoshi's most important legacy," Katara said, trying to offer some comfort. She hated to see such discord between mother and daughter, even if she didn't agree with Sachiko's actions. "She thinks she needs to do this to keep her people safe."

"I know she does," Suki replied, shaking her head. "But I can't go back there," she insisted stubbornly. Looking away, she added in a softer voice, "I'm not like you, Katara."

Katara might once have taken offense at such a comment, but she was old enough now to understand that the three years she and Zuko had spent at the South Pole had been a blessing for both of them. And Suki spoke not condescendingly, but in undisguised envy. Nobody wanted to live like this, hiding or fighting at every moment, for years and years. Wars weren't supposed to go on forever.

With the Avatar's return, hopefully this one wouldn't.


Ba Sing Se - Ten Years Earlier

Zuko had lingered at the tea shop in the lower ring for three weeks, reluctant to leave his uncle's side, but at last Iroh convinced him that if he was not going to defend the city, the best course of action was to get out of the way, as he had suggested himself. One week before the comet was due to arrive, he gathered the few possessions he had accumulated since their arrival in the Earth Kingdom capital, and the even fewer he had held on to from before then, and headed for the southeastern city gate.

Iroh accompanied him through the crowded, noisy streets, staying close to him. Every so often, in a low, tense voice, he would offer some hurried reminder or piece of advice.

"Are you sure you packed enough to eat?" he asked as they turned off of the street where the tea shop was located onto the main road that would lead to the gate.

"Yes, Uncle," Zuko replied. There were many towns along his route, so he would have frequent opportunities to replenish his supplies anyway.

"And you have the money I gave you?" Iroh fretted as they stepped out of the way of a heavily-laden cabbage merchant's cart that trundled past them. Zuko nodded. He could feel the weight of the coin purse snug against his chest within the folds of his tunic.

They walked in silence for a while before Iroh spoke again. "Remember to keep up with your meditation, every day." Zuko couldn't help but roll his eyes. He wasn't a child who needed to be reminded of such basic things. Would Uncle be telling him to clean his teeth next?

"But don't let anyone see you," Iroh cautioned hastily. "If you're discovered, especially after…"

"Uncle, I know," Zuko interrupted. This was worse than when they had parted ways at the north pole. He tried not to think about why his uncle would be even more anxious now. They drew near to the inner wall that separated the lower ring of the city from the farmlands within the outer wall. Zuko stopped just out of earshot of the earthbenders guarding the gate. "I won't let anyone find out who I am," he assured his uncle in a low voice.

Iroh looked at him searchingly for a long moment, but finally sighed and reached into his sleeve. He pulled out something small enough to fit inside his closed fist, and pressed the flat, round object into Zuko's hand. "Take this," his uncle said quite seriously, "and do not lose it, whatever you do. When this is all over, and it's safe, I will send one of my friends to find you. This is the sign he will look for."

Zuko looked down at the object in his hand. It was a pai sho tile - the white lotus, his uncle's lucky game piece. Uncle had carried this exact tile with him for as long as Zuko could remember, with its paint slightly faded and a scratch on one side. It felt like he was being given more than just a covert sign, and that made him uneasy. He didn't see why all this was necessary. "Why can't you just come find me yourself?" he asked softly, wincing at the childish whine in his own voice.

Iroh reached up and caressed the left side of his face. Zuko flinched, but did not pull away, as his uncle's fingertips touched his cheek, just at the edge of his scar. "Things are going to be very different," Iroh said carefully, "and very complicated, if I succeed." And of course, Zuko knew they would be. If Iroh stopped his father… "But we will be together again, as soon as it is possible," Iroh reassured him.

Zuko nodded, and closed his fist around the lotus tile, as if grasping onto his uncle's words. He just wanted all of this to be over - wars and invasions and sacred duties and the ache in his heart that had returned when Iroh had told him about his father's plans for the comet. But it never seemed to matter what he wanted - the world kept spiraling further into madness and there was nothing he could do about it. There was nothing he could do…

Iroh's right hand came to join his left, pressed to either side of Zuko's face. "There is one more thing that you must promise me, Prince Zuko," his uncle said. Zuko blinked in surprise at the first use of his title in months, when he least felt like he deserved it. "No matter what happens, you must never forget who you are."

The words were a painful echo of another parting, a cryptic farewell that had turned out to be her last, and they filled Zuko with an even greater sense of foreboding than he had already had. But his uncle was waiting for an answer.

"I promise," Zuko said.

Iroh pulled him into a hug, then pushed him away, his hands now gripping Zuko's upper arms. "Now you must go," he said. He smiled, but Zuko could tell it was forced. Iroh turned him around to face the city gate, one hand resting on his back. "Be brave, and don't look back." He gave Zuko a little push.

Zuko walked through the gate, past the bored-looking earthbender guards, out of the city proper and away from his uncle, still gripping the lotus tile tightly in one hand. Obedient to the last, he did not turn around.


Gaoling, South-Western Earth Kingdom - Ten Years After Sozin's Comet

The passageway Sokka led them down brought them to a large chamber with a round stone table in the middle - like every feature of the underground hideout, it looked like it had been fashioned with earthbending. The surface of the table was covered with maps, charts, and other documents. Even though Aang had never seen such a place before, he could tell that this was clearly the war room.

Though it was large enough to accommodate a full council, there were only two people occupying the room at that moment. An old man with a long white beard, whose green robe gave him a stately rather than militaristic bearing, was in the midst of some kind of hushed, yet heated disagreement with a young woman, about Katara's age, who was dressed more plainly. The familial resemblance between the two was obvious - pale green eyes, angular features, and presumably the old man's white hair had once been the same shade of brown as the woman's.

Sokka interrupted the family dispute. "Goren," he greeted the elder man with a bow of his head. "Where is the General?"

Goren gave the young woman - his daughter, Aang guessed - a look that said their discussion was over, before he answered Sokka. "He's gone into town, to visit the Bei Fongs for a few days." The old man shrugged apologetically. "You know we have to keep up appearances."

Zuko looked disappointed at this news, but Sokka was unfazed. "Well, we'll have to call a council without him," Sokka replied with a grin. "Zuko's found the Avatar."

"The Avatar?" Goren asked in amazement. "Where is he?"

Aang stepped forward, tugged the blue cloth off his head to reveal his tattoos, and waved. "Hi," he said brightly. "I'm Aang."

Goren looked at him in confusion for a moment, then turned to Zuko. "A child?" he asked. Aang had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. He really was trying to embrace the whole Avatar thing, but it wasn't helping that he kept being treated like he was just a kid. He knew he was young, but he wasn't that young…

"Aang is the Avatar," Zuko was saying. He put his hand on Aang's shoulder. "He has mastered airbending, and my wife has begun instructing him in waterbending."

Aang could tell that Goren had more questions, but he refrained from asking them. "You are right," he said to Sokka instead. "This calls for a council, urgently." He turned to his daughter. "Liu, go find Suki and the others."

"Suki and Katara are seeing to one of her injured warriors," Zuko supplied. Liu nodded, and left the room with a last stubborn glance at her father. Whatever they had been arguing about, she was not going to let it go.

It didn't take long for the small council to assemble and take their seats around the table. Goren, whom Sokka explained to Aang was the rightful king of Omashu, was apparently the senior member in the absence of the General. How a general could outrank a king was beyond Aang, but nevertheless, Goren presided over the meeting. Liu was also in attendance, along with Suki, who had brought Katara with her. The last two to join them were an earthbender named Hong and Kohnna, the waterbender he had heard so much about. Aang curiously eyed the man who would presumably be continuing his training when Katara left, but saw nothing remarkable about him, good or bad.

Goren started by asking about how the Avatar had been discovered and how he had come to the Underground. Zuko and Katara did most of the talking on his behalf, though Aang recounted an abridged version of how he had escaped the massacre of the Air Nomads. Their story so far told, the conversation then shifted to a raid on a Fire Nation outpost south of Omashu that was planned for the following night. It took Aang a moment to catch up, but when he did, he realized Goren was assuming that the Avatar would take part in the raid.

"Hold on," Zuko spoke up, apparently having come to the same realization. "We brought Aang here so you could protect him, not send him to the front lines of the war."

Goren didn't seem troubled by Zuko's challenge. "With all due respect," he said in a tone that implied that was not much, "you are not the boy's father."

"His safety was entrusted to me," Zuko argued. Aang slouched a bit in his chair. He understood Zuko took his mission seriously, and he was grateful of course, but he felt that maybe it was time for him to let up. It wasn't like Zuko and Katara were even going to stick around to keep babysitting him.

"Until you delivered him to us," Goren pointed out. "You have done so, and now your duty is fully discharged." Aang perked up a bit at hearing the old man agree with him.

But Zuko wasn't swayed. "I do not consider my task accomplished until I can formally hand custody of the Avatar over to the General himself," he declared. Aang wondered when he had formally been placed in Zuko's custody - it had all seemed so unofficial to him. "As the General is not here," Zuko continued, "the boy remains my responsibility."

Goren gave Zuko a pointed look. "Were those the terms given to you by the Council of Elders at the South Pole?" Zuko's jaw clenched, but he did not answer. Goren turned to Katara. "Were they?" he asked her.

"No," Katara said sadly, with an apologetic look at her husband. "They were not."

"Then as I am in charge in the General's absence, the Avatar is now my responsibility," Goren concluded, looking back at Zuko firmly. "Not yours."

Kohnna nodded and finally spoke. "We can not waste his potential," he said to Zuko, then addressed the council as a whole. "With the Avatar on our side, we could accomplish so much. We could even take back New Ozai, and hold it this time." Hong muttered a vague agreement while Goren smiled in approval. Katara looked about to protest.

"The Avatar can speak for himself, you know," Aang said at last, cutting off further debate. All eyes turned to him, most in surprise. It was like they had forgotten he was there, even while they argued about him.

"And what do you say, Avatar Aang?" Goren asked him. "Are you ready to fight for our cause?"

Aang opened his mouth to answer with an enthusiastic yes, but he caught Zuko's eye. He remembered what Zuko had told him as they had flown away from Zhao's ship, remembered the sight of burned flesh and the sick feeling of being responsible. It could have been a lot worse, he had said. You're not ready.

"Not everyone gets the luxury of waiting until they are ready," Aang replied in lieu of what he had wanted to say. "But with Zhao still out there looking for me, I don't think you want to advertise that you have Avatar. If you had planned to stage this attack without me, I think you can afford to go ahead with your original plan." He looked down at the table, avoiding the disappointment he knew would be in Goren's face. "Besides, I don't think I'd be much help to you in a fight. Not yet."

"You speak very wisely, for one your age," Liu said. Aang looked up at her. The princess had kind eyes. "That is a far greater strength for an Avatar to possess than prowess in combat."

"And yet that is what it will take to defeat the Fire Nation," Kohnna pointed out. He studied Aang carefully. "If you are not ready yet, then your training will be of the utmost importance."

"It will also be a matter for the future," Sokka said. "The Avatar has made his will known. The raid will continue as planned, without him."

With that, Aang was dismissed from the council. Katara came with him, and showed him to the makeshift kitchens of the underground hideout, so they could both get something to eat. Aang could tell she was proud of his decision, but he just felt tired and anxious, and didn't want to talk about it any more. After they had eaten, he asked about Appa, and Katara assured him that some of Suki's warriors had gone to get him.

"He hates being underground," Aang said worriedly.

"There are some caves nearby that they use as stables for ostrich horses," Katara assured him. "Suki said they would bring him there."

"Okay," Aang said with a nod. Appa could handle caves. Still, it would be strange, being separated from him. He wished they had at least taken Momo with them, though he supposed it would be good for Appa to have a friend amid the strange animals in the stables. "I don't know if Kohnna will be a good teacher," he said, abruptly changing the subject. "He seems strict."

Katara gave him a patient look. "You thought I was too strict," she pointed out. "He's not so bad. I'm sure you'll get used to him."

Aang shrugged and blinked his eyes heavily. "I guess," he tried to say, but it was lost in a yawn, and Katara told him it was time for bed. She showed him to the barracks, and he collapsed onto the nearest bunk, fully clothed. He was vaguely aware of Katara pulling off his boots and laying a blanket over him before he gave himself over completely to sleep.