"Water... Earth... Fire... Air..." Katara voices over as the benders demonstrate as she talks. "My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days, a time of peace when the Avatar kept the balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked." It journeys into the map showing the world and closes in on a bender displaying all the elements. "Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the ruthless firebenders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished." He disappears from sight. "A hundred years have passed and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe." It shows the Water Tribe men on their boats and Katara hugging her older brother Sokka holding up a lantern. "Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken, but I haven't lost hope. I still believe that somehow the Avatar will return to save the world."
The Storm of Our Spirits
A flock of birds fly over the Fire Navy ship as it steams forward, on the main deck Iroh sniffs the air and Zuko looks out of a telescope in the background, the sound of blades clashing can be heard when suddenly Rin jumps back knocking into Zuko, he snaps his head around about to yell at her but stops himself. "There is a storm coming. A big one." Iroh announces to them.
"You're out of your mind, Uncle. The weather's perfect. There is not a cloud in sight." Zuko argues with him as he lowers the telescope.
"The storm is approaching from the north. I suggest we alter our course and head southwest." Iroh advises them.
"We know the Avatar is travelling northward, so we will do the same," Zuko tells him a matter a fact at this Rin jumps back into her fight as she was off duty for the day but didn't stay in her room as she was feeling bored, just staring at those four metal walls.
"Prince Zuko, consider the safety of the crew," Iroh warns his nephew looking at the deck with the crew.
"The safety of the crew doesn't matter!" Zuko exclaims at his Uncle and his eyebrow goes up in concern as a crewmember enters his view. The Lieutenant, who clearly overheard the remark and was very unhappy. He realises this, and begins to speak to the Lieutenant and walks up to him. "Finding the Avatar is far more important than any individual's safety." He remarks and enters the ship shutting the hatch behind him. Iroh stands next to the offended Lieutenant.
"He doesn't mean that he's just all worked up." Iroh tries to correct what his nephew had said.
On the ocean, the ship sails through the rocky wave as a black edge of an ominous storm approaches straight towards them. Zuko walks onto the deck, four crewmen, including the Lieutenant from earlier that day, are there looking at the storm clouds. The Lieutenant turns, folding his arms across his chest, to address Zuko. "Uh! Looks like your uncle was right about the storm after all." Lieutenant Jee addresses him crossly.
"Lucky guess." Iroh brushes it off as he enters.
"Lieutenant, you'd better learn some respect," Zuko warns him, pointing at his chest with two fingers. "Or I will teach it to you." He adds, he knew that if he had said this in front of Rin she'd have started to shout at him. He walks past the Lieutenant, who no longer contains his contempt towards the Prince.
"What do you know about respect? The way you talk to everyone around here, from your hard-working crew to your esteemed uncle and even General Rin shows you know nothing about respect. You don't care about anyone but yourself! Then again, what should I expect from a spoiled Prince?" Lieutenant Jee argues his points. As the Lieutenant speaks, Iroh makes a decapitation motion with his hand, trying to head off the conflict. Zuko stops mid-step shortly into Lieutenant Jee's speech. Iroh sighs putting his hand over his face, resigning himself to the brewing disaster. By the end of the tirade, Zuko's eyebrow is twitching, clearly stung by the accusations. He turns around and assumes a firebending stance, the Lieutenant follows suit.
"Easy now." Iroh tries calming them down hands up in a calming gesture. Zuko and the Lieutenant's hands crossing at the wrists, indicating that the ritual of combat had begun. When they cross, the sound of steel on steel can be heard and smoke curls from where they meet. Iroh appears in between them breaking their wrists apart in a neat movement. "Enough! We are all a bit tired from being at sea so long. I'm sure after a bowl of noodles everyone will feel much better." He adds. Zuko and Jee glare at each other a moment longer, then both turn around and walk away in the opposite directions.
"I don't need your help keeping order on my ship," Zuko tells Iroh.
"Actually it's my ship." Rin makes her presence known, they turn to see her leaning in the doorway. "Jee came past me moaning about you by the way, so wanna tell me what's going on?" She asks Zuko as Iroh places his hand on Zuko's shoulder, but he just rudely shoves him off. Zuko walks to the bow, where the storm clouds now fill the sky. Rin joins next to him and nudges him slightly knocking him over almost. "Jee has always been like that, he doesn't think first. But from what I can tell maybe what you said wasn't right..." She says softly.
"Excuse me!" Zuko exclaims at her before she could finish.
"Hang on let me finish. Jeez, I was there that day with your father." She tells him, looking at him as he touches his scar. "I know how much you want to go home but I think you should look at the crew the same way, they want to go home as much as you do Zuko. I don't agree with what Jee said, though I have to say you do come across as spoiled." She laughs as Zuko frowns at her before smiling at her laugh.
The ship navigates through the storm, inside the ship Lieutenant Jee lowers a cup he takes a drink from. His face bathed in firelight somewhere inside the ship. "I'm sick of taking his orders and I'm tired of chasing his Avatar!" Jee snaps as he sits at the table, addressing one of the crewmen, making wide hand gestures to drive in his point. "I mean who does Zuko think he is? At least Rin looks out for us." He adds on.
"Do you really want to know?" Iroh asks him, the crewman sitting around a fire barrel from the top of the stairs from the upper deck. Jee and the three other crewmen at the fire barrel stand up in respect.
"General Iroh! We were just-" Jee tries covering his outburst.
"It's ok. May I join you?" Iroh asks them dismissing enters, with a hand raised in acceptance.
"Of course, sir!" Jee tells him, Iroh approaches and sits down with the other men. He strokes his beard and begins to tell them.
"Try to understand, my nephew is a complicated young man. He has been through much..." Iroh tells them.
A younger Zuko, without his scar. His look of determination, however, has not changed as he walks down a hall to a pair of Fire Nation guards who block his attempt to enter the room beyond the doors. "Let me in!" Zuko orders his voice slightly higher in pitch when Iroh appears from his left, putting his hands on the young man's shoulder.
"Prince Zuko, what's wrong?" Iroh asks his impatient nephew.
"I want to go into the war chamber, but the guards won't let me pass!" Zuko complains and his voice breaks slightly at the end. He is clearly disappointed as Iroh leads him a short distance away from the guards.
"You're not missing anything, trust me. These meetings are dreadfully boring." Iroh promises him.
"If I'm gonna rule this nation one day, don't you think I need to start learning as much as I can? Plus I saw a girl my age go in there." Zuko argues with reason.
"Very well. But you must promise not to speak. These old folks and girl are a bit sensitive, you know." Iroh warns his young nephew.
"Thank you, uncle!" Zuko thanks him bowing to him. Iroh puts him around Zuko's shoulders and walks past the guards, who make no move to stop them.
The War Chamber is a temple like a chamber, with a throne on a dais, wreathed in fire and the back wall is occupied by some sort of huge, ornately carved red statue. The war council is in session, filled with Fire Nation Generals (Rin is there) sitting around a map of the Earth Kingdom continent that adorns the floor. One of the Generals on the left of the room is standing to address the others. "The Earth Kingdom defences are concentrated here." The General informs the others as the Fire Lord sits on his throne watching the Generals discuss the situation. "A dangerous battalion of their strongest Earthbenders and fiercest warriors, so I am recommending the 41st division." He suggests to the room.
"But the 41st is entirely new recruits. How do you expect them to defeat a powerful Earth Kingdom battalion?" An Older General questions him.
"He doesn't. They'll be used as a distraction while he mounts an attack from the rear." Rin cuts in coldly looking at the General in disgust at the very thought.
"What better to use as bait then fresh meat?" The General asks the room rhetorically.
"You can't sacrifice an entire division like that! Those soldiers love and defend our nation! How can you betray them?" Zuko jumps up to defend those soldiers, the Generals all look back at Zuko, some clearly disapproving of Zuko's outburst.
Back in the present on the Fire Nation ship with Iroh continuing on with his story to the crewmen. "Zuko was right, you see, but it was not his place to speak out, and there were...dire consequences," Iroh tells them as he lowers his head in sadness at the memory. "After Zuko's outburst in the meeting, the Fire Lord became very angry with him. He said that Prince Zuko's challenge of the General was an act of complete disrespect, and there was only one way to resolve this."
"Agni Kai. A fire duel." Jee continues in horror at the thought of a younger Zuko having to participate in the duel.
"That's right. Zuko looks upon the old General he had insulted and declared that he was not afraid. But Zuko misunderstood. When he turned to face his opponent, he was surprised to see it was not the General. Zuko had spoken out against a General's plan, but by doing so in the Fire Lord's war room, it was the Fire Lord whom he had disrespected. Zuko would have to duel his own father." Iroh informs them and remembers what happened that day.
Zuko stood in a rectangular arena with a large crowd on either side and drops his ceremonial cloak to the floor, exposing his bare chest. He turns to face his opponent, and recognizes him to be his father, he freezes up in horror.
"When Prince Zuko saw that it was his father who had come to duel him, he begged for mercy..." He continues on with his story of what happened to his beloved nephew.
In the rectangular arena, a much larger opponent silhouetted advances slowly towards Zuko making the poor boy terrified. "Please, father, I only had the fire nation's best interest at heart! I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!" Zuko pleads with his father for mercy. The Fire Lord advances, still a silhouette against the fires burning around the arena. He too was shirtless but built massively compared to others.
"You will fight for your honour." Fire Lord Ozai orders him.
"I meant you no disrespect. I am your loyal son." Zuko pleads, stricken as he tries to humble himself towards his father on the floor.
"Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!" Fire Lord Ozai orders him sharply.
"I won't fight you." Zuko stands his ground against his father still in a pleading tone.
"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher." Fire Lord Ozai warns his son and stands a few feet from Zuko, as he raises his tear-filled face to his father. Faces in the crowd are familiar, many are Generals from the war council, a grinning Admiral Zhao, Rin standing at the far back of the crowd glaring at Fire Lord, Iroh looking fearful for his nephew, and Azula looking cruelly who hopes for the worst to befall Zuko. Azula raises her left fist in anticipation of the disgrace her brother is undergoing and Iroh looks away in despair.
"I looked away," Iroh tells them honestly.
The crowd are illuminated by the flame, with the following of Zuko's scream of anguish can be heard all across the room.
"I always thought that Prince Zuko was in a training accident..." Jee says embarrassed of what he had said before.
"It was no accident. After the duel, the Fire Lord said that by refusing to fight, Zuko had shown shameful weakness. As punishment, he was banished and sent to capture the Avatar. Only then could he return with his honour." Iroh finishes off the story.
"So that's why he's so obsessed. Capturing the Avatar is the only chance he has of things returning to normal. That must have been why General Rin was so upset the day before we left" Jee says in understanding, the last part the crewmen all nod at the memory of when Rin had walked onto the ship at the beginning of their journey to find the Avatar.
"Things will never return to normal. But the important thing is, the Avatar gives Zuko hope. And Rin understands that." Iroh says remembering the day too well.
Zuko is sat in front of a flame on an altar, it was dark inside the room as he is silhouetted by the light. He thinks about the past, a memory of two young children running across a hillside, their father follows behind them. The children looked happy. Zuko remembered when he was a young boy, standing on the same Hillcrest with his father next to him. His father's hand on his shoulder. He breaks out of his thoughts at the sound of a lightning strike. The storm begins hitting the ship with lightning striking the bridge.
The ship battles through the waves, Zuko and Lieutenant Jee struggle to stay upright on the ship's main deck, water drenches them both and the deck repeatedly. "Where were we hit?" Zuko asks Jee over the noise.
"I don't know! General Rin is looking into it!" Jee answers back over the noise.
"Look!" Iroh yells out as he points to the bridge tower with a crewman hanging off some of the riggings.
"The helmsman!" Zuko exclaims in shock, he climbs the external ladder up to the bridge area, Jee following behind him. On the deck, Iroh senses something coming and lightning strike flares, but Iroh bends the lighting through his body, away from the men trying to rescue the helmsman and forces it to strike open water. Iroh smoking and looking confused, but otherwise undamaged as the helmsman finally let's go with a cry. He falls, but luckily a hand grabs him, Zuko and Jee work together to save him. Rin runs over next to Iroh to look up at the two smiling glad that they had worked together to save one of the crew.
Appa flies in the clouds and the people on the ship below can clearly see Appa flying above them. "The Avatar!" Zuko shouts.
"What do you want to do, sir?" Jee asks him fully cooperative even with Rin still not on duty. Zuko looks at him pausing to consider their options and looks to Rin who nods her head knowing she will make the right decision.
"Let him go. We need to get this ship to safety." Zuko answers them, making Rin and Iroh smile at him proud of his actions.
"Then we must head directly into the eye of the storm," Rin tells them, they all look at her.
"You're not on duty until tomorrow." Jee teases her as Zuko and the crew look out over the bow.
Zuko and the crew are on the deck of the ship has reached the eye of the storm, which they can see above them and the wind has died down but it is drizzling. "Uncle, I am sorry." Zuko apologies to him sincerely.
"Your apology is accepted," Iroh tells him smiling, putting a hand on his nephew's shoulder. Suddenly, a bubble of energy erupts from the sea in a boiling blue mass in front of the prow of the ship and rockets into the air. Zuko looks up from the deck looking up at Aang as he looks down as he retreats up into the eye of the storm. Rin soaking wet gets her hair and smacks Zuko in the face with her hair, he seems almost shocked at first then goes grumpy.
"Rin, that's gross," Zuko complains but all she does is laugh at him. Jee looks at them and smiles thinking about what Iroh had told him about that day but maybe Rin could help lighten the Prince's shoulders of all that weight.
A few days later, red hawk-like bird, flies through the moonless night sky and cries out over a Fire Nation fortress on the upper reaches of the fortress. There are several towers connected by the walls of the fortress that are all manned and have fires burning inside. On the left of the fortress are Fire Nation ships in the water beyond. Several fierce looking archers, their faces painted for both decoration and camouflage, release volley after volley of arrows that strike their targets dead in their centre. The successive arrows split the one already occupying the bull's eye right down the middle of its shaft. In one of the fortress towers where Colonel Shinu and Commander Zhao stand side by side watching the archers. "Absolutely not. The Yu Yan archers stay here. Your request is denied, Commander Zhao. I will not go against General Jou's daughter, he was a dear friend of mine." Colonel Shinu denies Zhao's request.
"Colonel Shinu, please reconsider. Their precision is legendary. The Yu Yan can pin a fly to a tree from a hundred yards away – without killing it. You're wasting their talents using them as mere security guards." Commander Zhao tries to get him to reconsider.
"I can do whatever I want with their talents. They're my archers and what I say goes." Shinu argues not wanting to go against Jou he was a long time friend before he died.
"But my search for the Avatar is –" Zhao tries arguing back.
"– Is nothing but a vanity project! We're fighting a real war here and I need every man I've got, Commander." Shinu interrupts his almost rant about why he needed his archers.
"But -" Zhao tries again but it doesn't work.
"That's final! I don't want to hear another word about it." Shinu orders him but all Zhao can do is grumble to himself, then the red hawk-like bird swoops down into the tower. The bird lands on Colonel Shinu's outstretched arm and unties a message from its back then it flies away. Colonel Shinu shows Zhao behind him as Shinu's expression turns to one of horror as he reads the message. Zhao approaches from behind him and Shinu hands over the message to him.
"News from Fire Lord Ozai?" Zhao asks and reads over the message as a smile grows on his face. "It appears I've been promoted to Admiral. My request is now an order." He announces and Shinu bows to him and exits the room. The archers fire their arrows again at their targets as Zhao looks over the railing of the tower at the archers below. Atop the tower two masked figures, one blue one and a purple one listen before leaving quietly.
The Fire Nation ship steams through the water with land visible behind it as Zuko stands over Jee's shoulder as they both look at something. "We haven't been able to pick up the Avatar's trail since the storm," Jee informs him as they look at the map of the world. Jee's hand positions and he extends his index finger indicating that they are currently at the northwest extremity of the Earth Kingdom, close to the easternmost extremity of the northern air nomad lands. "But, if we continue heading northeast –" He tries saying when the light is blocked by an enormous shadow. On the bridge where Iroh and a crewman play Pai Sho on the right while Rin is talking to the helmsman on the left. Another Fire Navy ship, a massive hulking one, passes them to starboard, heading in the opposite direction, everyone on the bridge stares at it.
"What do they want?" Zuko asks in general.
"Perhaps a sporting game of Pai Sho!" Iroh replies with hope in his voice but he knew that wouldn't be the case.
"It's not good that's all I can say." Rin points out to them as the ship rests alongside the much larger, double-smoke stack Fire Nation vessel. A Herald unrolls the scroll to reveal a drawn figure of Aang and some writing in Asian calligraphy, showing it to them but Zuko who looks very sour.
"The hunt for the Avatar has been given prime importance," Herald announces and lowers the scroll. "All information regarding the Avatar must be reported directly to Admiral Zhao. I'm afraid even you General Rin cannot stop this." He informs them.
"Zhao has been promoted? Well, good for him!" Iroh cheers making a move on his Pai Sho board and his opponent looks distressed at the move and slaps his face.
"I've got nothing to report to Zhao. Now get off my ship and let us pass." Rin half lies to Herald and narrows her eyes at him.
"Admiral Zhao is not allowing ships in or out of this area," Herald informs her cowering almost at her eyes that looked as if a fire were inside them.
"Off our ship!" Zuko snaps at him angrily and Herald and his two guards behind him leave as Iroh smiles.
"Excellent!" Iroh cheers leaning forward and gathers all the chips on the table. "Ake the pot. But, you're all improving. I'm certain you will win if we play again." He tells his opponent. Zuko looks over the waves as Iroh and the men begin another game in the background behind him and Rin walks over to him, they silently stare out into the water.
The ship steams by the shore, the sunset in its last stages in the background as Zuko practices his firebending with Rin on the foredeck and Iroh watches them. "Is everything okay? It's been almost an hour and you haven't given the men an order." Iroh asks Rin as she punches towards Zuko and a burst of fire blasts towards him.
"I don't care what they do," Rin replies looking away out to sea till Zuko kicks out to her, she ducks under kicking out his legs from under him.
"Don't give up hope yet. You both can still find the Avatar before Zhao." Iroh promises them, though it felt more like an empty one at this point. Zuko and Rin stop then he turns to face his Uncle with a look of desperation and fear on his face.
"How, Uncle? With Zhao's resources that Rin has been denied, it's just a matter of time before he captures the Avatar." Zuko tells him turning around to look out to sea. "My honour, my throne, my country, I'm about to lose them all." He whispers to himself and Rin puts her hand on his shoulder in slight comfort.
Inside a large room, Aang is hung up his arms stretched out and his face downcast, the room is dark, but there is a fire in the room that sheds some illumination. Aang his shackled between two stone pillars that have flames on their crests, by his arms. Outside the prisoner, room stand guards where he's inside a fortress being held and it looks impregnable with rank upon rank of walls, gates and towers. Back inside the prison chamber, where Aang struggles against his bonds when the door opens and he looks up to the doorway. Admiral Zhao walks into the room towards Aang, hands behind his back to show off his authority over the young boy. "So this is the great Avatar? Master of the elements. I don't know how you've managed to elude the Fire Nation for a hundred years, but your little game of hide and seek is over." Zhao tells Aang smug at the fact he had captured him.
"I've never hidden from you. Untie me and I'll fight you right now!" Aang argues trying to get back to his friends.
"Uhh, no. Tell me, how does it feel to be the only Airbender left?" Zhao asks him trying to dig at them as he puts his face up to Aang's. "Do you miss your people?" Aang's face with a look of defiance melts and drops his head. "Oh, don't worry, you won't be killed like they were." Aang looks up again in anger. "See, if you die you'll just be reborn and the Fire Nation will have to begin its search for the Avatar all over again. So, I'll keep you alive - but just barely." He threatens him slightly and turns to leave, still smirking. Aang blows a gale force wind, knocking Zhao until into the wall where he collapses in a heap. He shakes his head to clear his vision and stands back up. "Blow all the wind you want! Your situation is futile. There is no escaping this fortress - and no one is coming to rescue you." He says before exiting the room, slamming the door behind him.
Outside the fortress, it's night, where figures in a blue and purple mask appear on the road leading to the fortress where a wagon makes its way towards the gate. The undercarriage of the wagon passes them and the Blue and Purple Spirit hold onto the underside of the wagon as it reaches the gate. "All clear." The Guard announces and the gate guard looks at the wagon and walks around it. When the guard checks the undercarriage, the Blue and Purple Spirit are gone. The guard gets back up from looking under the wagon. "All clear. Go on in." He tells the wagon driver. The Blue and Purple Spirit hid inside the wagon as it enters the first of the fortress' three gates. The massive central tower where Aang is being held prisoner and in the first courtyard where the wagon is being unloaded. The Blue and Purple Spirit run from them and duck into the shadows hidden from view.
On an ornate balcony with bonfire pots on either side, is festooned with gold and red spades, Admiral Zhao appears in ceremonial dress flanked by attendants. During his speech, the innermost courtyard full of Fire Nation soldiers standing to attention. "We are the sons and daughters of fire! The superior element! Until today, only one thing stood in our path to victory. The Avatar! I am here to tell you that he is now my prisoner!" With this said the soldier's cheer three times. "This is the year Sozin's comet returns to grant us its power!" This gets another cheer to be heard. "This is the year the Fire Nation breaks through the walls of Ba-Sing-Se and burns the city to the ground!" He exclaims as the Blue and Purple Spirit steadily and stealthily infiltrate the fortress.
Aang struggles still fruitlessly against the chains that hold him, he finally stops, breathing heavily, when suddenly, the frogs start to leap out of his shirt and hood. "What? No! Don't leave frogs! My friends are sick and they need you! Please go back to being frozen!" He pleads them with as if they could understand what he was saying to them. He begins to struggle again against the chains as the frogs hop away from him towards the door.
The four guards standing outside the prison chamber look confused when they hear frog noises coming from inside. They look down at their feet to see a few frogs coming from underneath the door, suddenly, they look up as a Fire Nation soldier's helmet comes bouncing down the corridor towards them. One of the guards walks up the corridor and turns right at the first junction, he disappears from view. A gout of flame erupts from the cross hallway as well as the sound of a brief scuffle as if in a fight. Two more guards go up to the junction following the other and turn right, they take precaution and go into a firebending stance. Looking down the cross hallway, the first guard who went down hangs from the ceiling all tied up. The Blue and Purple Spirit are on the ceiling above the two new combatants, they drop down onto the floor and begin to fight one on one with the guards, but it quickly ends. The last guard stands where he can now see the Blue and Purple Spirit at the junction, the last guard grabs the alarm horn next to him, but a knife gets thrown knocking it out of his hand. The guard lets loose a gout of flame at the Blue and Purple Spirit as he runs down the hall towards the door, but one of the intruders extinguishes the blast with a bucket of water. The Purple masked figure then sweeps the guard's feet out from under him with the empty bucket and looks to the Blue masked figure, they share a look before nodding to one another.
Inside the Prison Chamber Aang still, struggles against the chains holding him, he then stops and looks at the noises of violence coming from the other side of the door. These stop abruptly and replaced by the sound of the lock turning in the door when suddenly the door opens to the Blue and Purple Spirit entering the chamber. The Blue masked figure wields two curved swords as the Purple masked figure wields a bo-staff and they run towards Aang, who screams in fear having no clue what was happening or why they were there.
In the prison chamber, Aang still screaming as the Blue and Purple Spirit approaches him, with two swords and a bo-staff, the Blue Spirit cuts the chains that hold Aang freeing him from his bonds. Aang pulls his arms back in surprise looking at his liberators in a wonder of why they would help him, The Purple Spirit turns her back as if looking out as the Blue Spirit continues to cut Aang's remaining bonds before turning and walking back towards the door. "Who are you? What's going on? Are you here to rescue me?" Aang asks them as the Purple Spirit opens the door motioning for them to follow. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." Aang still follows them out past the gagged and tied up guard at the door of his prison chamber and hears more frog noises and turns to see his frogs on the floor. "My frogs! Come back! And stop thawing out!" Aang yells and the Blue Spirit comes back picking the Avatar up by his collar and carries him out. "Wait! My friends need to suck on those frogs!" He keeps yells out as they make their way.
Aang, the Blue and Purple Spirit walk silently in the sewer system underneath the fortress as soldiers walk back and forth above them. They hop out of a gate into one of the courtyards.
Zhao walks in one of the many torch-lit corridors of the fortress, followed by a scriber as they walk. "I want a full transcription of my speech sent to the Fire Lord, along with glowing testimonials from all of the ranking officers present, and -" Zhao orders him but stops as he hears a moaning sound. To Zhao's right, where the soldiers that the Blue and Purple Spirit tied still lie. Zhao seeming upset lams open the door to Aang's prison chamber, to see that it is empty, except for a frog on the floor. Zhao turns around in anger at what he sees and leaves the chamber, the scribe following in tow.
"Sir, should I hold off sending that speech to the Fire Lord?" Scribe asks him hesitantly.
The three would-be escapees who are now scaling a rope on the innermost wall of the fortress, they soon get spotted by a guard. "There, on the wall!" The Guard shouts a warning, a soldier appears at the top of the wall they were climbing. The Guard at the top of the wall cuts the rope and the trio fall down the wall, but only Aang screams as they fall. Aang airbends them just in time for a soft landing when the dust clears, the Blue Spirit unsheathes his swords and the Purple Spirit gets into a fighting stance with her bo-staff and they run. At this time Zhao stands on the ornate balcony again overseeing all of this.
"The Avatar has escaped! Close all the gates immediately!" Zhao shouts out from the balcony. As the trio run to escape, Aang passes the Spirits.
"Stay close to me!" Aang tells them as the third gate closes in front of them, as the two other gates beyond it, and it gets blocked by many soldiers. Aang airbends a blast of air that blows them out of the way, Aang makes it to the gate, but the Spirits get involved in a fight and have to stop. Aang turns to see his liberators in trouble and grabs a spear from one of the guards closeby, he airbends him out of the way, breaking the head off the spear and launches back into battle to save his new friends. The gate closes behind him as the Blue and Purple Spirit are surrounded, but Aang airbends them all out of the way. With a mighty effort, he catapults his liberators to the top of the third wall but he himself instantly get surrounded, but Aang appears using his staff as a helicopter blade.
He plucks the Blue Spirit off the wall who holds onto the Purple Spirit and head into the next courtyard. Aang struggles to keep them aloft, the Blue Spirit uses his swords to knock the spears sent up to them by the guards as the Purple Spirit uses her bo-staff deflecting attacks. They barely make it to the top of the next wall as they crash unceremoniously onto the battlement, Aang's staff goes spinning away as guards instantly rush them. Aang runs for his staff, but a guard stops him, taking several swings at Aang's with his sword. The Purple Spirit throws the guard over the wall side, Aang then airbends the other guards off the wall following the other. Aang and the Spirits knock off the soldiers as they reach the top, with two mighty blasts, Aang depopulated the two scaling ladders nearest him as the Blue Spirit knocks the one final soldier off his. Aang brings over two scaling ladders and steps onto the ladder his liberators that had just emptied and hands over the other ladder to the masked people. "Here, take this. Jump on my back!" Aang tells them and they comply as Aang begins to use the ladders as massive stilts, shedding one each time a step is taken.
The first ladder shed still has some Fire Nation soldiers on it, but it falls in the dust as in the second courtyard dawn is approaching. "Gimme the next one!" He yells out to the masked people and they comply. At the bottom of their stilt, a Fire Nation soldier sends a gout of flame up the ladder but it is too late though, but Aang and the Spirits jump from the last stilt and just manage to grab the edge of the final wall. They are unable to hold on, however, and fall to the ground, the Blue Spirit draws his swords and the Purple Spirit readies her bo-staff. Four firebenders unleash their flame on them, but Aang puts the masked people behind him and airbends the flames away.
"Hold your fire! The Avatar must be captured alive!" Zhao orders his men and the Blue Spirit instantly comes behind Aang and crosses his swords in front of Aang's throat as the Purple Spirit swings her bo-staff at any approaching soldiers. The escapees accenting the standoff between them and Admiral Zhao. "Open the gate." Zhao orders through gritted teeth.
"Admiral, what are you doing?" An officer questions him.
"Let them out, now!" He orders him and the gate begins to open and the Spirits back out with their captives, swords still at his throat.
"How could you let them go?" The Officer asks him.
"A situation like this requires... precision." He tells the officer and the Spirits continue backing away from the fortress. Zhao now looks down on from the top of the main gate as an arrow gets strung on a bow by an unseen soldier. "Do you have a clear shot?" He asks the Yu Yan archer, but he doesn't respond but lowers his head in preparation for his shot. "Knock out the thieves. I'll deliver them to the Fire Lord along with the Avatar." He says and the archer releases his arrows, the arrows make their impact points on the Spirits masks. From the hit of their masks the collapse backwards hitting the ground behind them, Aang turns around in horror, his eyes glazed over. He soon recovers, turns around and airbends up a huge cloud of dust around him and the Spirits. "Quick! Recover the Avatar!" Zhao shouts in a slight panic as the main gate opens and a crowd of Fire Nation soldiers emerge from within, running towards the dust cloud.
Inside the dust cloud, where Aang removes the Blue and Purple Spirit's masks to reveal Prince Zuko and General Rin unconscious. Aang backs away in horror from the two unconscious Fire Nation teens, he falls backwards onto the ground. He jumps back up and runs away from them, but then turns to look at them, his eyes huge and full of compassion. He sees the Fire Nation soldiers get closer through the smoke, he hesitates still but when the dust clears there's nothing there. The crossroad where the Fire Nation teens had fallen is now empty nothing for them to find or capture. Admiral Zhao looks insanely angry when a frog hops onto the railing ribbits quickly and hops off.
Somewhere in a forest looking straight up into the canopy overhead, it's now morning, Aang sits on a nearby root as he looks unhappy as looking at Zuko and Rin who look to be a bit dazed still. "You know what the worst part about being born over a hundred years ago is? I miss all the friends I used to hang out with. Before the war started, I used to always see my friend Kuzon. The two of us, we'd get in and out of so much trouble together. He was one of the best friends I ever had - He turns to face both Zuko and Rin - and he was from the Fire Nation, just like you two. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?" He asks them as they lie on a bank of earth. Aang next to them, perched on a large tree root, after a pause, Zuko lets loose a huge gout of flame at him, but Aang dodges and flies away on a current of air. Zuko and Rin watch him hop away from tree branch to tree branch out of their sights.
They make their way to the cutter vessel so they can make it back into the mothership, Zuko walks past his Uncle sullen on the main deck as Iroh practices with the sumki horn he had bought not that long ago as Rin walks up behind Zuko. "Where have you both been, Prince Zuko, General Rin? You missed music night! Lieutenant Jee sang a stirring love song." Iroh tells them but they just walk away.
"We're going to bed. No disturbances." Zuko replies as they walk leaving Iroh to rub his head in slight confusion but begins to blow his horn again.
Zuko awake in his own chamber seems lost in thought as he looks at the Fire Nation symbol hanging on his wall, then rolls over himself. He hears a soft knock on his door, he groans in frustration and yanks the door open to see Rin there looking as sullen as he does and he steps out the way for her to come inside and she steps inside the room and he closes the door behind her.