Going home
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Asamiya followed directly after Chief Arnook, anxious and uncharacteristically jittery. Arnook led the group down through the city toward the high ice-cliff at the very back. There was a door there, small and round, like a window, and made of wood.
"Inside you will find the spirit blossom," Arnook explained, smiling kindly. "I will wait here to escort you back to the palace when you are ready."
Asamiya bowed low, smiling, tears pricking at the backs of her eyes.
"Thank you, Chief Arnook," she said thickly, trying to hold back her tears. There was no need to cry anymore. They were so close to succeedding, she could almost see herself and her father sitting under her tree again, laughing and enjoying each other's company. But still, they came. The tears rolled down her cheeks, warm, salty, and happy. She smiled up at the old chief before turning and ducking through the round door. Inside the spirit oasis, it was warm and there was grass. Soft, green grass. Spirit blossoms grew wild all around. Laughing, Asamiya dropped into the grass, so relieved to finally be here. She lay on her back for a while, just taking in the feeling of relief that permeated the area.
"We really made it," Kyoshi marveled. Everyone looked around at the beautiful sanctuary. There was a still pond, clear and cool, and in its almost silvery waters, two fish - one white, one black - swam around each other, looking like a yin-yang symbol. Asamiya pulled a small vial that Arnook had given her from a pocket in her coat ('For your mother' Arnook said kindly. 'For any important healing she may need to accomplish.') and knelt at the side of the still pool. for a moment, she watched the fish swim round and round each other, the light fish and the dark fish moving in the same direction, making up two halves of a moving circle. She was reminded of the story of the Moon Spirit, the brave Water Tribe princess who had given her life for the moon. Yue, the princess, had been sixteen. And her mother, and uncles had all been part of that moment.
"What are you doing?" Shia asked, sitting beside the princess in the soft grass.
"Chief Arnook gave me this," she explained, holding up the vial. "He said I should fill it, and give it to Mom for something important. The water in the spirit oasis has special properties." Asamiya bent over the water, and dipped the small blue vial into the water, filling it. She pressed in the stopper, and stood, a handful of spirit blossoms in one hand, the vial on a thick cord in the other. Carefully, and reverently, with respect to the power of the water in the vial, and its importance to the waterbenders of the northern tribe, she pulled the cord over her head, tucking the vial beneath her shirt, where it would be safe.
"Are we staying here tonight?" Roh asked from where he stood next to Ursa. Asamiya nodded.
"We should," she answered. "Appa need his rest. We're gonna have to fly fast and hard if we want to make it back in time. Let's go. It's getting dark. We need to sleep, if we want an early start."
The walk back to the palace with Cheif Arnook was swift, the atmosphere bright and happy. The stars seemed to shine more brightly than ever as they walked along the ice pathways, beside the clear, cold water. The stars reflected in the water, and threw the light back, making the water look like diamonds. The moon above shone, almost like a benevolent face watching the group walk down the paths of the Northern Water Tribe. It was really a great sight. In the darkness of a clear, cold winter night, Fire Nation, Water Tribe, Air Nomad, and Earth Kingdom walked together, as friends and allies, something not seen in a hundred and twenty years, besides the Avatar's group.
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Ursa awoke early that morning. Sitting up, she could hear the sounds of fireblast clashing with water whips, and wondered what was going on. Crossing to the window, she looked out and saw Asamiya sparring with a waterbender about her age. An old man - Arnook, she recognized him - stood to one side, watching. Beside him was a younger woman, a healer, Ursa guessed. Probably in case one of those two hurts themselves. Stretching, she turned back into her room to get dressed.
Asamiya looked up from her seat at the dinning table of ice when her grandmother walked in. It was interestingly strange; in the same two weeks that she might lose her father, she finds her grandmother? Maybe it was the spirits' ways of making it up to her. No, she told herself, don't think like that. Dad's gonna be fine now.
"Hi, grandma," she said brightly, waving. Ursa could see the flush of cold, arctic air still on her cheeks from her recent outdoor spar. Beside the teen sat her brother, who beamed at Ursa. The old woman smiled at her grandchildren and their friends.
"Good morning everyone."
Ursa sat down and ate, looking curiously at the stewed sea prunes.
"I wouldn't try those if I were you," Asamiya warned quickly, making a face. As far as the princess was concerned, sea prunes were nasty. She gave Ursa the 'blech, these are yucky' look, and her grandmother nodded in understanding.
"So," Kyoshi said around a mouthful of Arctic Hen. "When are we leaving?"
Asamiya swallowed her moon peach - imported from the Fire Nation - before answering.
"As soon as we're all ready," she replied. "I'm gonna pack after breakfast." The teen girl took a swig of her caribou-deer milk, and sighed, looking thoughtfully at her plate.
"Assy?" Roh asked, using his old nickname for his sister. "You okay?"
Asamiya shook her head, blinking back into reality.
"Yeah," she muttered. "just remembering."
Asamiya sighed, took another sip of her drink, then stood, and went back to her room to pack for the trip home.
An hour later, the kids and Ursa were standing on the wall of the Northern Water Tribe, in the same place, ironically, that Aang had stood, so long ago, just after the great siege of the north pole, saying good-bye to Chief Arnook. They flew quickly, and all through the night. Asamiya seemed light-hearted, and happy, but beneath the surface, she was more nervous and antsy, though, the closer they came to the Fire Nation, the more her unease, and worry lifted, to be replaced by happiness. It had been an emotionally rough couple of weeks for all of them. But now, the relief and excitement was infectious.
Ursa, especially, felt an eagerness to get to the Fire Nation. She had been away so long, and now, it was past time that she return home. For so long, she'd wished she'd taken Zuko with her when she'd left. She knew she should have, and yet, she didn't know what kind of life she'd have, and if it was too little, she didn't want Zuko to grown up in a hard life. She had mostly convinced herself that Zuko would be better off at the palace, but part of her had always wished she'd brought her son with her. She realized now, after hearing these childrens' stories about her son's life, that she should have never left him alone. But she couldn't make up for the years lost. All she could do now, was pray that they made it back in time, and be there for Zuko and his family from now on.
The time seemed to pass more swiftly, on the return to the Fire Nation. There was a feeling of triumph, and that nothing could stop them. The food Arnook had given them to make sure that they had enough to get back seemed to taste better. The sun seemed brighter, the sky clearer, and the dolphin-eels playing in the seas below seemed to be laughing with the same joy that affected the group on Appa. And even the old bison seemed effected. He flew almost faster, and everything just seemed better.
Asamiya closed her eyes, and leaned her face into the wind, a small smile pulling up at the corners of her mouth.
"We're coming, Daddy," she sighed. "We're almost there. Hold on."
That night, Asamiya sat up, unable to sleep for her anxiousness to get home and help the Fire Lord. In her hand she held the cord on which the vial of spirit water hung. She twirled it slowly, the moonlight catching off silver and mother of pearl accents in the small container. Her father could be free of his scar. It was a reminder of a painful moment that Asamiya knew hurt him even now, even after so many years, and Ozai's death. That moment still haunted Asamiya. Looking back, she was fairly sure, now, that he had died before she'd even left the room. Nearly six years had passed, but those eyes, fixed, staring, and blank, had stayed vivid in her mind.
Her thoughts continued to wander that night. From her earliest memories when it was just her, her father, and her mother, to the last time she'd seen Zuko; lying poisoned, feverish, and weak; barely awake. But beneath the exhaustion and frailty, she'd seen her father in his gold eyes. When she'd said she was going, she'd seen Zuko, the Fire Lord, her father, inside, and she knew, somehow, that they'd make it. Now, she was so certain, she could talk easily about what would be happening afterward. Her mind moved ahead, to after her father got better. She and Zuko would sit for hours beneath her tree, like always. But, she would be a lot more attentive to any changes in the Fire Lord. She would do anything to prevent this from happening again. It shouldn't have had to happen to begin with, but at least now everything would be okay.
The grey light of dawn could be seen in the east by the time Asamiya finally lay down to sleep. Though she was used to rising with the sun, she could still sleep beyond the sunrise. The waterbender blood in her lessened her interdependence with the sun. As she closed her eyes, she smiled. I'm coming, Daddy. I'll be home soon.
Kyoshi was the first one awake. She woke just before Asamiya went to sleep, watching as her cousin curled into a ball. The Fire Nation princess may not have realized it in her tiredness, but her thoughts had been spoken aloud, and Kyoshi smiled, too.
By the time the others awoke, it was past daybreak. Roh went to wake up Asamiya, but Kyoshi stopped him.
"She just got to sleep an hour ago,"' she explained. "Let her sleep."
In Asamiya's hand was held the vial of special water from the Spirit Oasis.
Shia smiled. There was still a small grin on Asamiya's face.
No one woke the princess up. It was at least noon before Asamiya's golden eyes forced themselves open. She sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"What time is it?" she asked.
"A little after midday," Ursa said gently.
Asamiya's eyes widened a moment, then she sighed, shaking her head.
"Couldn't sleep?" Kyoshi asked. Asamiya shrugged.
"I just can't stop thinking," she replied, smiling into the wind again. Everyone understood what she meant. They were all excited. They'd done it. In just a few days, they'd be back with their families, and everything would be as it was supposed to be. Zuko would be better, they'd find whoever poisoned him, and Asamiya would be the first in line to kick their butt.
The days seemed to fly, this time. They were making incredible time, and on the third day, were seeing landmarks they'd seen on the third on the way up. They were still cutting it close, but they were almost there.
They stopped on a small island on the fifth night, opting to sleep in Appa's saddle. Asamiya pulled out her carving of Roku. There was really only one more detail to put on the small dragon, and that was the two riders; a father and his daughter, leaning in close over the dragon's back. She'd stain it back at the palace, and as soon as he was better, she'd give it to him as a late birthday gift.
One more day. They'd be back at the palace this time tomorrow night, and Zuko would be okay. They'd made great time on the way back. And the waters they were now flying over were Fire Nation. They'd passed a few of the smaller, outlying islands already. Asamiya's mind raced with excitement. They were so, so close.
Roh and the others - except for Ursa - were sleeping soundly, and that made Asamiya smile. She hadn't asked them to come with her, and for their own sakes, she wished they hadn't come. The trip had been emotionally exhausting.
As she sat against the back of Appa's saddle, Ursa came over and sat beside her, smiling slightly.
"Asamiya," she sighed. "You live in the palace. Is Ozai still alive?"
Asamiya's eyes snapped open. Thinking about her grandfather was akward for her.
"No," she replied, her voice almost cold. "He died when I was ten. He never changed. When I was a lot younger, Dad tried to bring me to him in his cell, but Ozai wouldn't connect. He just wanted to kill us both. But he's dead now. For a while I wondered what it would have been like if he wasn't evil and crazy, and had actually been my granddad, but cruelty doesn't depend on a person's level of insanity."
"No," Ursa agreed softly. "It doesn't."
The moon was high when Ursa finally got to sleep. Her husband was dead. Part of her was sad, but the other part felt finally safe. For so long, she'd been afraid that Ozai might come looking for her. But now, she wasn't worried. How could she be? Ozai was gone. There was nothing left to be afraid of. Except her son's reaction to her return. Would he even want her back after she had just left him? She hadn't seen, or written him since he was ten years old. She wouldn't blame him for turning her away.
The final morning of their journey dawned clear and bright. Asamiya was the first awake - at dawn - and when the others woke up, they found her sitting, facing the west - toward the Fire Nation capitol, her home, a small smile on her face. An hour later, they left, packing their things up, and getting ready for the final go. The return.
Shia took her place at the reigns, steering Appa always toward the Fire Nation. Kyoshi sat in the center of the saddle, far from the edges. She didn't really like heights. Sokka and the other adults sometimes teased her about being Zuko's daughter, just switched at birth with Asamiya, who, with her lack of a fear of hights, they joked, couldn't be Zuko's daughter. In the back sat Asamiya, with Roh against the left side of the saddle, and Ursa on the right.
It was after sundown when the main island of the Fire Nation came into view. The moment they saw it, the kids all cheered, and Appa flew faster, as eager to return as his riders. The stables were quiet, as was the court-yard. No one came running out to meet them. Nothing stirred, and fear swelled in the group. Clutching the spirit blossoms tight in a white-knuckled grip, Asamiya led the way, sprinting toward the palace.
The kids and Ursa didn't stop running until they reached the kitchen. They didn't even notice Toph and Aang discover them, and go running after them, until Toph called out Shia's name. The young airbender flew to her parents' arms, shouting and laughing.
The cook looked confused at the group, then Asamiya hurried forward, pressing the spirit blossoms into his hand.
"I need you to make a tea of these as fast as possible for the Fire Lord," she said quickly. "My dad's life depends on it."
The cook bowed, slightly flustered.
"Of course, princess," he said softly, unsure what the pale blue flowers would do for the Fire Lord, but faithful in serving the royal family. The group waited silently as the cook crushed the flowers, strained them, and made a single cup of tea. It was all that was needed, but all that could have been made from the amount of flowers they had. The air was tense as they waited, and watched.
In a few minutes, everyone - Sokka and Suki, Iroh, Hakoda, and Kana had found them - was hurrying to the Fire Lord's rooms. Asamiya's heart pounded. What if they were still too late? What if the antidote wasn't strong enough? The princess shook her head. She couldn't - wouldn't - let those thought slow her down. Her father needed the medicine. It was the only way.
By the tim they reached the family wing, Asamiya was shaking. She pushed quickly through the doors, the cup of spirit blossom tea in hand, determined not to be too late.
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Kay, next chapter wrapps up the poison part. Hope you guys have enjoyed this so far, I know I have. Review, please!