Author's Note:

Hello everyone and welcome to the next part of 'The Siege of the North'. We get some more deviation from canon this time around as the fight continues. Thank you for your continued support of this story and I hope you enjoy the chapter.

I own nothing.


The Werewolf and the Moon

The red moon tarnished the sky.

A lot had happened since Arnook had told Sokka to protect Yue. He'd found her just to discover that Zuko was in the city and had kidnapped Aang, their search took them far out into the icy wastes around the city but, eventually, they found them. As Katara paid the firebender back in full for beating her earlier, Sokka set about freeing Aang who then claimed that the Moon and Ocean spirits were in trouble and they had to get back. Bringing the unconscious Zuko with them (which Sokka still felt was an incredibly bad idea), they flew back to the city as fast as possible.

Then the moon turned red.

Sokka couldn't explain it but the sight filled him with dread, he felt a deep urge, a desperation to get back to the oasis where the spirits dwelled. It went without saying that someone killing the Moon Spirit, as Aang claimed was going to happen, was a very bad thing but it meant more to Sokka then that. If Qimmiq was right, being a werewolf meant that Sokka was deeply tied to the moon, who knows what would happen to him if the spirit was gone.

Beside him, Yue held her head as if in pain, "Ugh…"

He gently took her hand, previous issues between them forgotten in the midst of recent happenings, "Are you okay?"

She looked at him, expression troubled, "I feel faint."

Aang also held his head, "I feel it too. The Moon Spirit is in trouble."

"I owe the Moon Spirit my life."

Sokka gripped Yue's hand a little tighter, "What do you mean?"

"She looked toward the red moon, her gaze slightly distant, "When I was born I was very sick and very weak. Most babies cry when they're born but I was born as if I were asleep. My eyes closed. Our healers did everything they could. They told my mother and father I was going to die. My father pleaded with the spirits to save me, that night, beneath the full moon, he brought me to the oasis and placed me in the pond. My dark hair turned white, I opened my eyes and began to cry…and they knew I would live." She turned her gaze upon Sokka, "That's why my mother named me Yue, for the moon."

Silence fell over the group as they considered her story, strangely enough, Sokka wasn't that surprised by her tale, as if he'd already sort of known it. It may have been because he was a werewolf that he'd subconsciously recognised her blessing from the moon, maybe that was why he'd been so drawn to her from the moment he first saw her and why she could sense the danger looming over the Moon Spirit right now.

He sensed it as well but instead of feeling faint like Aang and Yue, he felt agitated and restless, like he wanted nothing more than to leap off Appa's back, let the beast out and charge to the Spirit Oasis to deal with whoever was trying to kill the spirit. However he refused to do so, releasing the werewolf now was far too dangerous and besides, Appa would fly there quicker than any beast could run and bring the Avatar with him to boot. That and the fact he had a duty to Yue, both as her protector and friend, he could not afford to lose control now.

The oasis appeared in the distance.


They landed beside the spirit pool just in time to see Zhao being jumped upon by Momo.

The lemur escaped the admiral's flailing arms and flew to Aang, perching on the Avatar's shoulder as the Fire Nation soldiers saw them. Sokka pushed Yue behind him as he and the others readied for a fight but Zhao held up a bag that no doubt contained the mortal form of the Moon Spirit, knife pressed against it.

"Don't bother!"

Aang immediately lowered his staff and held his hands up appealingly, "Zhao…don't."

The man grinned ruthlessly, "It's my destiny…to destroy the Moon…and the Water Tribe."

"Destroying the moon won't just hurt the Water Tribe. It will hurt everyone…including you." Aang tried desperately to convince him, "Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world."

"He's right Zhao!"

Sokka saw a familiar firebender standing on the other side of the oasis, his eyes fixing the admiral with a fierce stare. Sokka was confused as to why Zuko's uncle was siding with them but Zhao seemed unsurprised as he answered the man in an almost disappointed tone, "General Iroh, why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?"

Iroh's stare did not lessen, "I am no traitor, Zhao, the Fire Nation needs the moon too. We all depend on the balance." He pointed at the bag the admiral held, "Whatever you do to that spirit I'll unleash upon you ten-fold!" He took a firebending stance and Sokka couldn't help but admire the amount of power that single motion somehow displayed, "LET IT GO, NOW!"

Zhao stared right back and for long moments the two men locked gazes, demanding the other to falter. Then, Zhao lowered the knife as if in defeat and carefully released the spirit from the bag and back into the pool. At once, the moon returned to its true, silvery colour and Sokka felt the agitated beast calm slightly in its familiar, serene glow.

Then everything fell apart.

With a sudden look of madness and desperation, Zhao unleashed a cry of rage and launched a blade of fire straight into the pool. Time seemed to slow and everyone could only watch as the flames sliced the water and struck the Moon Spirit, ripping a gash in its side that burned closed immediately from the sheer heat. The moon above winked out of existence as its spirit died but Sokka didn't just see it, he felt it.

The moment the spirit was struck he felt a surging pain inside, a fierce blow to his heart, his very spirit, that made him stagger back with a cry of pain. The moment darkness fell he felt the searing agony of loss as he realised that the moon was gone, it burned as if he'd just seen one of his dearest destroyed before his very eyes and with the pain came rage.


In the few seconds that followed the spirit's murder, Iroh sprung forward, no doubt to make good upon his promise of wrath to Zhao, but any battle that was set to happen halted as a terrible sound resounded from Sokka.

It was an unearthly scream of deep pain and unadulterated rage, it shifted into a horrific growling roar and his body shifted with it. Feelings of wrath ran rampant within him as a red mist descended upon his vision, people could only look on in terror as his muscles bulged, tearing his clothes to scraps, his face lengthened into a snout filled with fangs as his eyes became tainted red, claws emerged from his powerful feet and hands as the fur pelt grew across his body. The werewolf gave a terrifying howl that seemed to cut into the very souls of those who heard it and then fixed its eyes upon Zhao.

The admiral shook in fear as he gazed upon the beast that had once been a Water Tribe boy he'd regarded as no danger to him, the beast snarled and then pounced and the firebender barely jumped to the side to avoid being rent open by the fearsome claws. Like lightning the werewolf swung with one of its arms, smashing the admiral with the back of its paw and sending him flying into one of the oasis' walls. Driven by sheer terror, the other nearby firebenders launched flames at the beast striking it in the back but it was a foolish move. The werewolf simply turned round and snarled at them, completely unharmed, with unnatural speed it launched itself at them and cleared them all with a single swing of an arm.

Though it happened with such speed, Zhao still managed to recover and escape and with no admiral to focus on, the beast turned its attention to the battle in the city and the other Fire Nation soldiers. It charged out of the oasis eager to wreak its vengeance upon the enemy that had dared to harm the moon.


With the sudden loss of the moon, the Water Tribe had lost both power and hope.

The waterbenders could no longer bend and were being easily pushed back by the firebenders. The Fire Nation knew that victory was in sight and they fought with ferocity and heart, determined to claim the spoils as quickly as possible. Water Tribe warriors faltered as fear gripped them, the sudden disappearance of the moon shook their confidence, their will to fight and they were starting to give in to despair.

Then they heard the howl.

It came from the palace and all eyes looked and saw an unbelievable creature standing at the top of the steps, the werewolf.

It gave another howl and bounded down into the fight, Fire Nation troops were scattered as it flung itself upon them with wild abandon, weapons shattered and bent under its immense strength, fire blast were shrugged off by the thick hide, people were flung away against walls and others ran in terror. A set of tanks moved to deal with the beast and it dived towards them, dodging fire blasts with ease, the werewolf reached one of the tanks. With a growl of anger the beast gripped it and, exerting immense strength, it flung the machine onto its side, rendering it useless.

Then, as if the werewolf were merely a herald, another mighty force joined the fight.

A great glow came from the Spirit Oasis and it grew brighter, lighting the entire city. A great fish-like being, made from water with lines of pure light running through it like veins, towered over the palace. It moved forward and came down into the streets themselves, and some people spotted the white bubble that contained Aang, his eyes and tattoos shining with power, moving along the main canal the spirit headed towards the outer wall where the Fire Navy continued the attack. Members of the Northern Water Tribe recognised the great Ocean Spirit and all bowed in deference to its power and presence, the Fire Nation attempted to attack it but were swept away by immense waves of water, tanks were thrown around like toys and with a werewolf, the Ocean Spirit and the Avatar pouring out their wrath, the Fire Nation soon began to retreat.

The werewolf made to pursue but something held it back, it looked up at the Ocean Spirit and in its brilliant glow, the red mist of rage was swept away. The Spirit and Avatar looked down upon it and as if commanded, the werewolf began to rapidly run back towards the Spirit Oasis.

It had somewhere it needed to be.


The beast arrived just as Yue gave her gift of life back to the Moon Spirit.

It shot forward and gently caught her in its arms as she collapsed backward, her life gone from her body. For endless moments it looked down upon her beautiful, still face and a single tear fell from its eyes to land upon it. A gentle glow surrounded her body and with silent grace it faded away, leaving the beast's arms empty.

It didn't notice the body of the Moon Spirit glow in Iroh's hands but it did notice the glow of the pond as the general placed the living spirit back into its waters.

The light rose from the pool and formed into Yue's form, she softly placed her ghostly hand upon the side of the beast's face and smiled sadly, "Goodbye, Sokka. I will always be with you."

She leaned forward and the beast placed its paw upon her face in mirror of her hand, gently they kissed and like a quiet stream, the werewolf melted away leaving behind Sokka as he said goodbye.

The kiss ended and as they parted Yue spoke again, "For we are both Children of the Moon."

She rose and faded and Sokka reached up to the sky as if trying to pull her back to him. His hand fell and he slumped forwards, burying his face in his hands as he wept. A gentle weight fell across his shoulders and he realised that Katara had wrapped her coat around his bare body, silently she circled her arms around him in a tight hug, giving him comfort in his grief as only she could.

In the skies above, the full moon shone down upon them.


PS-So no I didn't have Yue survive but now Katara, Aang and Iroh know what Sokka is so expect some aftermath next chapter. Please let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully update soon.