Author's Note: The Kemurikage are spirits mentioned in the ATLA comics. Essentially they are the spirits of mothers who lost their children. In the Fire Nation, they are rumored to steal children who misbehave.

It was the year 96 AG, not that the spirits cared, when the Kemurikage sensed a child's great distress from up North.

Contrary to popular belief, the Kemurikage was not on the constant look out for misbehaving children. It saddened them to know that was how their beloved nation remembered them but it didn't really matter in the end. They rarely made physical appearances these days anyway. It was only when they sensed a child in danger or in distress that they felt the need to interfere.

The Kemurikage was different from the other spirits. It was a swarm of spirits rather than one being but only together they were complete. They liked to stay together but they often drifted apart to wander the Fire Islands to watch over the children of Agni. Today was the first time in centuries they felt a calling from another nation.

They all felt it and the feeling was overwhelming. It was a bit hard to tell with the distance but they could sense two children. One of them was very weak. The other was very afraid. Worry flashed between the Kemurikage and the choice was made quickly. They would head North and see what was causing these children so much anguish.

Spirits traveled quickly when they abandoned their physical forms. A piece of the Kemurikage appeared at the Northern Water Tribe in an instant. There, the sky was a deep, deep dark. Deeper than the deepest ocean, darker than the darkest ink, and more beautiful than the islands firebenders roamed. It was like someone had thrown a cloak over the tribe to hide it from the harsh light from above or a raven had taken up residency over it and wrapped the whole continent up in its wings. As a shadowy being themself, the Kemurikage loved it.

It was cold though. Too cold for someone who called the Fire Islands home. The Kemurikage didn't sway though. A child's wellbeing was far more important to their own comfort.

The Northern lights were stunning though, the auroras filtering down from the spirit world and staining the void with their brilliance. Flowing softly through the sky, it was almost like being back with the others in their home realm.

The Kemurikage was surprised when they entered one of the tribe men's dwelling to find the Blue Spirit and Tienhai. Or rather, their humans. The last thing the Kemurikage expected to find up here during the polar night was a child of Agni. They weren't meant to be so far from the sun.

Zuko was lying next to a fire, bundled up in blankets and layers, but he was still shivering like the cold winds had gotten into his bones. It may as well have. If the Kemurikage could feel the cold, the Blue Spirit could probably feel it too, especially since he was tied to this mortal's firebending body. Worry for their friend buzzed through their form. They wished they had come sooner.

Pakku and Yue were feeding the flame and doing their best to keep Zuko warm. Pakku performed his duty robotically but the Kemurikage could see Yue's hands shaking and tears prickling in her eyes. She didn't think he would make it. And neither did Tienhai.

The Kemurikage trusted a child of La's judgement on this matter more than their own.

Within the boy, the Kemurikage could feel Blue lying dormant. He was tired from fighting. He was still trying but he was losing hope and his strength was fading fast. The Kemurikage knew a spirit couldn't really die but it still terrified them to see their friend like this. They missed their friend and wanted him to return home but the Kemurikage was terrified at the thought of losing Zuko as well. Like all mortals, he was destined to die but they hated early deaths. Children had so much potential lying ahead of them. It was always painful when the strings of destiny were cut too soon.

The Kemurikage couldn't remember their own life very clearly. Agni told them they'd been mothers who lost their children and that's why they felt the drive to watch over the sons and daughters of fire. Was this a mother's love they felt? Even after a thousand years, they still did not know. They knew they needed to do something though or Zuko would die.

Drawing on the darkness around them, they let their physical form manifest inside the small home before the three humans. It felt right having their cloak and featureless face back. It had been a while since they had to interfere with human affairs. Unfortunately, the humans didn't share their contentment. Yue gasped in fear and shock while Pakku immediately jumped into an offensive position. The Kemurikage wanted to sigh. Did these mortals understand they wanted to help?

Pakku threw a fistful of water at them immediately. The Kemurikage wasn't affected by it in the slightest and used a small cloud of smoke to push him back. Well, they tried. They may have overestimated their own strength a bit and Pakku ended up slamming into the far wall with a loud crack. The Kemurikage kind of wished they had the ability to apologize but Yue was on her feet before the thought had much time to linger.

"G-Get back!" she said, stuttering slightly as she held her ground. "I'm warning you!"

She was holding an eating knife. Not the best weapon but a pretty good one considering she had seconds to grab something and she only had household items to choose from. The ice princess was still visibly afraid but there was ferocity and determination in her eyes as she plunged the knife into their smoky form. It did nothing, of course, and the Kemurikage just plucked the knife out of her grip and set it aside.

She continued to try to fight them and the Kemurikage just stood still, just waiting for her to finish. They didn't want to hurt her. The Kemurikage was a bit worried she would somehow hurt herself in her efforts but thankfully Pakku stopped her before she could make much progress.

"Wait, Yue," Pakku said, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "I don't think this spirit wants to harm us."

Yue faltered a bit and stared up at them. They didn't move and merely stared back. They hoped Tienhai could see them. She would comfort Yue and convince her what the Kemurikage was doing was what's right.

Yue lowered her gaze and stepped back. Pakku shifted forward so he was standing in front of her in a protective stance which annoyed the Kemurikage to a degree but on some level they still appreciated the care this man was showing for the children who were not his own. They dipped slightly in his direction to show their gratitude before shuffling over to Zuko.

Something inside him seemed to sense the presence of a fire-born spirit and Zuko stirred in his sleep. The Kemurikage peered at him curiously now that they had the chance to get close. He was definitely suffering from the exposure to the polar night and lack of sunlight but as far as they could tell he wasn't dying quite yet. They weren't too familiar with the mortality of humans though and they feared they were misjudging his condition. The sooner he returned to the Fire Islands the better. Scooping the boy up in smoky arms, the Kemurikage carried him outside.

"Wait, where are you taking him?" Yue called after them as they drifted through the doorway and onto the street.

Home, the Kemurikage wanted to say but they remained as silent as ever. They wished they could speak to humans like Tienhai or the Painted Lady but they could not and there was nothing they could do about it. They just had to trust the mortal's faith that the spirits knew what they were doing.

But judging by Pakku's response, they did not.

The waterbender threw up ice barriers and shouted for his neighbors' help. A handful of warriors rushed from their homes with spears and clubs in hand but they couldn't really fight them without risking hurting Zuko. The Kemurikage dispersed their attackers with little more than a few smoke tendrils and continued on their way.

Somehow that still wasn't enough though. Even when they hit the open ocean, Pakku was still propelling himself after them with his waterbending. Frustration welled up inside the Kemurikage at his persistence. Why couldn't he see they were helping? Did he really want Zuko to die a cold, miserable death? Why didn't he trust that the spirits knew what they were doing?

Pakku was a master waterbender and was able to hold himself atop the water on a surf with impressive skill but he just wasn't fast enough. Pakku had to keep his balance and constantly bend while the Kemurikage could just drift over the surface with ease. There was no way he was going to catch up before they reached the Fire Islands.

...The Kemurikage was not expecting to be cut off by a sea serpent.

She was a massive thing. The Kemurikage didn't know how humans measured things but she was big even compared to the Unagi or the snake at Serpent's pass. She was easily as long but she was thick with muscle and pearly scales. She reared her head out of the water, towering over the Kemurikage and their unconscious passenger, and let out a bellowing roar.

The Kemurikage was incredibly confused. There were no sea serpents in the North that they knew of. Then they sensed it: Tienhai and a fraction of the Wolf's power. This sea serpent was Yue.

It wasn't a full moon but hear she was. The snarled and growled, unable to form words but still begging the Kemurikage to listen. The Kemurikage easily could've gone around her and continued on their way but they were intrigued. They could sense desperation and wanted to understand where it was coming from and why.

"Kemurikage." The Kemurikage turned at the sound of their given name and saw Pakku approaching fast. "Please. Listen to us. Do not take Zuko off Northern territory."

The Kemurikage hesitated and turned so they were fully facing Pakku, prompting him to continue. Yue snaked in the water and coiled around them, creating walls around them with her long form. It protected them from the harsh, ocean winds but it also blocked the Kemurikage's escape. They didn't know what to think of that.

Pakku climbed onto her head and faced the Kemurikage without flinching. "Zuko is a firebender, yes, and the polar night is hurting him but he needs to be here. The burn on his face, don't you see it? He lost an Agni Kai and we found him alone on the ice. I have my suspicions about who he really is but I am uncertain. I can, however, say with certainty that he won't have a home in the Fire Nation. He'll only be hurt worse. He already has a spirit watching over him and that spirit brought him here. I'm sure that was for a reason. Please, leave him with us."

The Kemurikage watched him carefully. Pakku wasn't an expressive man, not like the serpent glowering at him, but he seemed to be telling the truth. Still, the Kemurikage was hesitant to trust humans. They were so hard to read and they knew nothing of life on the mortal plane. Why would the people of the Fire Islands hurt him? He was one of theirs. Was it really bad enough for him to risk losing his life freezing and trapped in his own body?

Yue was a bit easier to read and she was making her feelings very clear. Even though she had the body of a great beast capable of taking down the largest ship on the sea, she still looked so young. And scared. How could the Kemurikage fight that? Deciding to trust the mortals, the Kemurikage dispersed their physical form and deposited Zuko in Pakku's arms.

They stuck around to watch, of course. They couldn't just abandon the boy. Maybe it was best if the spirits remained invisible to the mortals for the time being. They seemed to have everything handled.

Pakku seemed surprised that the Kemurikage returned Zuko with such ease and held onto the boy tightly. He crouched down on Yue's head, steadying his stance and pointed back towards the mainland. "Take us back, Yue. And try to avoid the ports. We'll re-enter from an angle. We can't let anyone see you."

The bellow Yue gave in response had a hint of teenage sass to it but she slunk through the water silently and carefully. She wasn't moving as fast as she had before, careful not to splash her passengers, but the Kemurikage was impressed by her self-control. They didn't know what it was like to have the form of such a beast but they could imagine the raw, instinctive savagery she must be fighting off.

Yue returned to human form when they reached the coast and stood drenched and shivering on the beach. Pakku merely blinked at her and ushered her back into his home. "Your father doesn't hear of this."

Yue laughed a bit as Pakku led them inside. "I don't think he'd be very happy to hear I held a weapon, let alone figured out how to trigger my transformation and used it to stop a Fire Nation spirit."

Pakku merely hummed as he put Zuko down back where he'd been when the Kemurikage took him and tried to stroke the fire back to life. "Let me get you some warm clothes. Sit by the fire."

Yue did as she was told, hugging herself and trying to rub some warmth into her arms. "So, do you know about Zuko?"

"Know what about him? There's a lot to know."

"That… he's like me."

Pakku was silent for a moment before nodding. He gave her a fresh parka and turned away. "Leave your wet clothes by the fire. And yes, I do know about Zuko's transformations. I'm more curious about yours."

"I… We're pretty much the same. Born weak, blessed by the moon…"

"But you transformed tonight and he didn't. It's not a full moon," Pakku said, crossing his arms. "Do you think you could do it again?"

Yue nodded before remembering Pakku couldn't see her. "Yeah. I think so. Why?"

"If you can teach Zuko… A dragon would be harder to hide than a firebender but a dragon has a better chance of survival than a firebender."

Hope spread across Yue's features. "I can try. If he's awake long enough, I think I can do it. You can turn around now, by the way."

"Good. Good," Pakku said and faced her. "I'll get some more blankets. Lie with him, you're freezing. Maybe some body heat will do you both some good."

Yue nodded and huddled up next to him. There were still plenty of blankets between them but both of them were shivering a bit less. "Thank you."

"I can't let the princess catch a cold, now can I?" Pakku responded, his words joking but his tone humorless. "And… I imagine Zuko would be pretty upset if he woke up and something had happened to you. He cares a lot for you, you know. I think you're the only thing making his life here bearable."

Yue's gaze drifted to the sleeping boy. "I think he's making my life here a lot more bearable here too."

It was hard to predict when the sun would come and go but Zuko seemed to be able to tell. He drifted in and out of unconsciousness throughout the weeks of darkness. Each time, Pakku would hurry to get some food and fluids into him before he slipped into sleep again but one day he managed to stay awake long enough to exchange a few sentences. Immediately, Pakku sent for Yue.

Zuko was confused by the burst of activity and tried to go back to sleep but Pakku gently slapped his face and begged him to stay awake with uncharacteristic worry. It was so strange that he nodded and tried his best to listen.

Yue burst through the door, face flushed and out of breath. It was impossible to tell if it was night or day but it was clear she'd dropped everything to come here. Mind fuzzy, Zuko reached for her. "Yue…"

"Zuko." Yue crouched down on her knees and began pulling the blankets off him. "Come on. Come on, stay awake."

"Where are we going?" Zuko mumbled as he half heartedly followed her guidance and stumbled out of his bed by the fire. "It's so cold…"

"I know, I know. We're going somewhere warm."

That seemed to satisfy Zuko and he stumbled after her. Pakku looked confused but trusted his princess and followed, making sure to ward off any curious gazes. The Kemurikage, invisible to any mortal eye, followed as well. They were intrigued. They couldn't think of anywhere Yue could take Zuko that was warmer except… No. She couldn't really be taking him there, could she?

Apparently they were because within a few minutes the trio was stepping into the spirit oasis.

"What is this place?" Pakku murmured, nearly dropping Zuko onto the wooden bridge in surprise but Zuko's shock seemed to be enough to keep him upright.

"This is the Spirit Oasis," Yue explained as she hurried over the bridges to the island at the center of the cove. She shed her coat and ushered the others over to the grass. "It's the most spiritual place in the Northern Water Tribe. And the warmest. Here, I feel most connected to Tui and La. Hopefully they can help Zuko. And even if they can't, there's enough room for him to transform."

"Transform?" Zuko echoed as he sat down in the grass. He ran his gloved fingers through it almost absently, as if he couldn't believe it was really there. "It's not the full moon, is it?"

Yue shook her head. "No. But that doesn't mean you can't transform."

"What?"

"The princess learned to control her transformation without the power of the full moon," Pakku explained, putting a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "We hope you can learn as well. It might be enough for you to make it through the winter."

Zuko glanced between Pakku and Yue in bewilderment. Yue sighed, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Scales began appearing on her face and when she snapped her eyes open, they were far more serpentine than they'd been seconds ago. "See?"

Zuko blinked in surprise and got to his feet. Slowly, he took off his glove and reached out to feel the scales on her cheek. "Wow. And you can teach me how to do that?"

"I can teach you how to transform all the way," Yue promised, taking his hand. "You just need to try to stay awake, okay?"

There was a hum of nervousness in the air. Pakku and Yue were clearly afraid Zuko was going to slip into his polar night-induced slumber before they could get him into his dragon form. The Kemurikage tried to reach out to the Blue Spirit within Zuko and rouse him awake but the spirit seemed to still be too deeply affected by the lack of sunlight. They glanced into the pool and met the gazes of the two fish circling within it. They sent the Kemurikage a flash of assurance but the smoky spirit didn't feel much better.

Yue's instructions didn't make a whole lot of sense to the Kemurikage. A lot of the things she was describing were physical sensations, something too mortal for a spirit to hope to understand. Some aspects like reaching inward to pull on their spiritual energy and controlling the flow of their chi the Kemurikage could roughly understand but they were just as surprised as anyone when horns and scales began appearing on Zuko's head and his body began to grow.

A loud crack echoed through the cove as Zuko's bones began to break, reform, and expand. His clothes tore as his shoulders broadened, pale skin turned to dark scales, and leathery wings jutted out of his back. The whole process, as painful as it looked, only lasted a few seconds and soon, a full grown dragon stood before them, roaring to the pitch black sky above.

"Zuko? How do you feel?" Pakku asked, trying to get the dragon's attention. The man seemed nervous in the presence of such a beast, fingers twitching like they were ready to grab some water to bend in self-defense. Zuko didn't seem to notice and let out a playful bellow, ducking his head down to be on eye level with his friends.

Yue cheered and threw her arms around Zuko's neck. "You did it! Do you still feel weak? Do you think you're still going to fall asleep?"

Zuko made an indecisive but honest noise. After some miscommunication and charades, the verdict seemed to be he wasn't perfect but he was doing a lot better. He didn't seem all that interested in worrying about his health though. Dipping his shoulders as low to the ground as he could, he gave a questioning look and a small chuff. Yue seemed to realize what he wanted almost immediately and broke into a grin.

"Wha- Princess, please don't," Pakku pleaded but Yue was already clambering onto Zuko's back. The waterbender sighed and pinched his brow. "Your father is going to have my hide."

"He doesn't have to know," Yue said playfully. Zuko shot a smug ring of smoke in agreement. And with a powerful beat of his wings, he launched the two of them high into the sky.

Pakku sighed, looking a bit frustrated, and shook his head before turning around to head back home. The Kemurikage gazed at the sky for a moment longer, watching Zuko dance alongside the auroras, before turning away. It was time to return to the Fire Islands. Zuko was in safe hands here.