Author's Note: It's been like a month since I've updated this, hasn't it? Well, I still need to write the evil two remaining chapters and the past two weeks have been… hectic. Well, that's my excuse anyway…

Le Code de l'Honeur: Je n'ai ni donné ni reçu de l'aide dans cet examen... Oh, wait, this isn't a French test? Never mind, then…

The trip to the North Pole was, in a word, boring. Toph was pleased to hear that, although her parents hadn't truly accepted her, they had realized that their plans for a perfect daughter had backfired completely and that there was absolutely nothing they could do about it. She finally was allowed to travel with the Avatar and his friends, but was encouraged to return to Gaoling at some point to tell her parents about her adventures (and perhaps shed some light on the mysterious disappearances of Master Yu and Xin Fu).

Well, Toph was mostly pleased. She had only one complaint:

"But now this isn't nearly as much fun."

The group visited Teo and the Mechanist at the Northern Air Temple, but nothing particularly special happened there.

As Appa flew farther north, the air got colder. It really wasn't much of a problem for a group armed with parkas, thick fur, and firebending. Except, of course, for Jet…

"I'd rather freeze to death," he proclaimed, "than keep warm using someone's firebending."

"Suit yourself," Mai shrugged as she sat close to Iroh.

A wintry blast of air hit Appa and Jet shivered violently.

"Rather freeze to death," he reiterated.

"I'd rather watch Jet freeze to death," Zuko rolled his eyes, "than have him cuddle with me." Katara stifled a laugh as she pulled closer to Zuko.

"Move aside, Sugar Queen," Toph huffed, "Me and Never Mind need to keep warm too."

"Everyone needs to keep warm," Aang crouched around a small flame he had conjured, "You know, except for Jet."

"Fine," Jet sulked, "Go ahead. Put me down. But you'll see, I'll get through this just fine."

Appa swam lazily through the icy waters. The Northern Water Tribe was close. Aang scanned the horizon for the turreted ice wall.

"Can't you find this place any, any," Jet paused to sneeze, "Any faster?"

"Appa's tired," Aang pointed out, "You feel like carrying us there?"

"This brings back memories," Sokka sighed nostalgically, "Mainly bad ones, but memories all the same."

"Are you feeling all right, Jet?" Mai asked.

"Just fine," Jet insisted, "I'm just… just… Achoo! Sneezing a lot…"

"No, you aren't," Mai put her hand to his forehead, "You're officially sick."

"You should've tried warming up to me when you had the chance," Zuko seemed to momentarily borrow all of Sokka, Toph, and Mai's sarcasm, "Too bad I realized that I could do better. No offense, Mai."

She merely sighed, "Would it really be too much to expect-?"

"There it is!" Aang interrupted, "The Northern Water Tribe!"

The giant ice wall adorned with the Water Tribe's crest loomed before them. The sentinels recognized Appa, nodded to each other, and opened the gates.

"Welcome, Avatar Aang!" Chief Arnook greeted them as Appa swam into the city, "Katara and Sokka! And… I see your group has expanded…"

"Sure has!" Aang exclaimed as he dismounted, "This is Toph, Zuko, Mai, Sifu Iroh, Jet, and, uh… Zhuo and Ginta."

"You mean Prince Zuko and General Iroh of the Fire Nation?" Arnook was apprehensive.

"It's all good," Sokka grinned, "They're on our side now."

"Although your suspicion is not unwarranted," Iroh bowed as he carefully climbed down Appa's side.

"It's cold!" Toph shrieked as her foot made contact with the ice.

"Oops! Forgot!" Sokka exclaimed as grabbed Toph off of the ground, "Ice roads, I carry you if you want."

"Why not?" Toph rolled her eyes as her face flushed slightly.

"Well, come," the chief waved, "Everything will be explained to you at my house."

Team Avatar's general consensus was to shrug and follow the northern chief.

"Hey, um… Northern Water Chief Guy?" Jet asked awkwardly as he walked, "Do you happen to-" A sneeze. "Have a-" Another sneeze. "Spare parka or something?" Zuko snorted. "When I said I'd rather freeze to death-" Yet another sneeze. "I didn't actually want to freeze to death."

Arnook gave his apologies, but Jet was on his own. He sullenly trudged the rest of the way to the chief's temple, occasionally sneezing. On their arrival, Arnook directed them to a small, near-empty room. A vaguely familiar teenage boy was curled up uncomfortably in the corner.

"All right, Sangok," Arnook smiled warmly, "Just tell them what you told me."

Sangok looked up and did a double-take when he saw Katara, "Y-You never said she would be here…"

"Is that a problem?" Arnook scratched his head.

"You don't have to be afraid of me anymore," Katara rolled her eyes, "Our waterbending spars are over and done with."

"Y-You gave me nightmares…" Sangok admitted, "Horrible, horrible nightmares about being frozen in ice fifty feet off the ground… And nobody wanted to help me…"

"Sangok, I had to duel her too," Aang pointed out.

"Nobody ever wanted to help me," Sangok repeated.

"Fine, I'll leave," Katara sighed, "Tell me what happens."

"And the ice encasing my body slowly absorbs my body heat as I inch toward imminent death," Sangok continued regardless.

"Get to the point," Zuko snapped.

"About a week ago," the boy jolted to attention, "I went to the Spirit Oasis… At night… Alone… Triple-polar-bear-dog-dare, you know?"

"Oh, I know," Sokka laughed knowingly.

"Go on," Zuko urged.

"Well, I went in there, and… and…" Sangok seemed unable to continue.

"And?" Zuko prompted.

"And I saw…" A dark look crossed the fire prince's face. "Yue! I saw Princess Yue!"

"Yue?" Sokka nearly dropped Toph, much to her chagrin.

"Yeah, Princess Yue!" Sangok blurted out, "She says Sozin's Comet's coming in a few weeks! But there's a way to stop it!"

A moment of stunned silence. "Stopping a comet?" Fred was skeptical, "Is that… possible?"

"She said so," Sangok nodded as he reached into his parka, "I'm not sure how it works, but she gave me this." He produced an orb from his pocket. "She called it the Sacred Crystal Orb or something. Fell into the Spirit World ages ago, something about a ritual and some Earth Kingdom tribes… There's apparently a shrine in the… Dragonbone Catacombs, was it? And it goes there on the day of the comet and whoever places it on the shrine shouts-"

"Redemption?" Milo shrugged.

"How did you know?" Sangok leaped back.

"Lucky guess," Milo sighed.

"Something about other worlds too," Sangok shifted uncomfortably, "The comet could give the Fire Nation the power to reach there too… I'm not sure about that though."

But the others were sure, even if they didn't show it.

"Well, that's it," Sangok squirmed some more, "May I go now?"

Aang gently took the orb from Sangok. Arnook nodded in consent and the young waterbender ran off to play ice marbles or shirk lessons or otherwise enjoy his life.

"My mother used to tell a story kind of like that," Zuko scratched his head, "I forget how it goes though…"

"But how exactly does that stop the comet?" Fred asked.

"Weird stuff happens," Sokka suggested, "You'll learn to just accept it soon."

"Can we just go?" Jet unleashed the sneeze he had been holding in.

"To the Fire Nation, yeah, sure," Zuko pointed out, "That's where the Dragonbone Catacombs are, under the Royal Palace."

"Fire Nation?" Jet sneezed, "Never thought I'd actually be going there…"

A/N: And now to write that next chapter… I can't read any more manga until I do…