Chapter 7: The North
Admiral Zhao stood in front of a board of commanders, his back to them, looking at a giant map sprawled on the wall. Murmurs circled the table, followed by glimpses of stifled smirks. The admiral clenched his fist, fighting the urge to lash out at the men. "The Avatar is heading north to find a Waterbending master", he growled.
"What are we waiting for then! Let's go get him!", a captain spoke up.
"Patience, captain Li, this is not some earth kingdom village you can run over. The northern tribe is a great nation, how do you think they've resisted for 100 years. We'll need a massive invasion force". Zhao stared at the map on front of him, focusing on the dots marked on it. "Luckily, I know just where to pull some troops".
Another commander abruptly spoke up. "Excuse me, but I cannot see why we are taking orders from a disgraced admiral!?", he shouted. "He was left for dead by a riverside not a month ago, that too by a student of his own master!".
Zhao grit his teeth, raising his hand to touch his red skin. The room fell silent, a crippling tension wafting through the air. "Thank you, commander, for voicing your qualms", Zhao said. "Allow me to reassure you". Swiping his hand through the air, the admiral slashed fire towards the man, burning his eyes. The man screamed in agony, writhing on the floor, clutching his bleeding eyes. "Can you see why now!?"
Appa flew over open water, as he had been doing for almost a whole day. Trunks breathed some fire into his hands to warm himself, while Sokka huddled near him to leech some of the heat. "We've been flying for ages, are we even going in the right direction?", Sokka complained.
"This is the way the map showed us", Aang said. "Don't worry Sokka, I'm sure we'll be there soon and you'll get a warm welcome". Ceasing his breath of fire, Trunks perked his ears eastward, obviously sensing something was amiss.
"Ambush!", he shouted, as the water rose up to freeze Appa's legs. A bunch of row boats revealed themselves from behind the icebergs. "I don't suppose this is water tribe for a 'warm welcome', is it?". The ambushers drew closer to their targets, the sight of the airbender slowly causing them to realise just who they had captured.
"Wow, there are so many Waterbenders here!", Katara remarked. After being caught, the group explained their intentions for coming to the tribe, convincing the captors that they weren't hostile. Having the Avatar show off his airbending also helped win them over.
"Yeah, we'll find a teacher in no time", Aang chirped. As they entered the massive gates of frozen water, their eyes were met with a spectacle. A huge city formed entirely of ice and snow, intricate designs and architecture the likes of which the two southerners had never imagined. However, Sokka's eyes were caught on something else, someone with dazzling white hair.
"The city is beautiful", Katara awed. Her eyes darted around, entranced by the splendour of the icy city.
"Yeah, she sure is", Sokka mindlessly responded, his gaze still locked on the girl.
As a gesture of hospitality, the chief, Arnook, threw a feast for the group. As Sokka, Katara, Trunks, and Aang sat on the table, he began a speech.
"Tonight, we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sister from the southern tribe, and they have brought with them a great guest; The Avatar. We also celebrate the 16th birthday of my daughter, princess Yue, who is now of marrying age." Sokka's ears instantly perked.
"Thank you, father", Yue said before turning to the crowd. "May the great ocean and moon spirits guide us, especially in these dark and troubled times.".
"Now, Master Paku, and his students, will perform in honour of our esteemed guests". At the front of the hall, in front of a dazzling water feature, an old man and two students began to execute fluid katas in unison. Water whirled around to their whim, spinning and changing form, as though it were dancing. Aang, Katara, and Trunks, were mesmerised by the display of bending finesse
Zuko sat alone in his quarters, contemplating. "The Avatar no longer has the protection of that friend of his, I should strike before that freak regains his power. But how?", Zuko thought. He was brought out of his thoughts by the squeak of his door, though he didn't bother to look who entered.
"Prince Zuko", came his uncle's voice. "We have a guest". The banished Prince turned, watching as Admiral Zhao walked into the room behind his uncle.
"Zhao!", Zuko spat. However, before he could charge forward in rage, surprise froze him. Zhao was wearing much bulkier armour, yet still it was visible. A massive burn ran down his face, his hair and beard nearly all gone, almost as though he'd been plunged into a volcano.
"Ah, yes, hello, 'Prince' Zuko. I'm afraid I'll be commandeering your ship", Zhao stated, a slight smirk adorning his charred face.
"What!". He moved forward to get in the man's face, but was swiftly held back by Iroh.
"Yes. The avatar is headed to the North Pole, and we are going to capture him. We'll need quite the invasion force, so I'll be taking your ship and crew".
"Even the chef!", Iroh sniffed.
Zuko locked eyes with the burned admiral, for a moment it was like looking into a distorted mirror. Zhao noticed how Zuko's eyes darted to his scars, quickly turning to leave as he did. "Good day".
"I'm not letting him take our ship, Uncle!", Zuko growled, spewing sparks from his fist as he struck the cold iron of the wall.
"I'm afraid we have no choice, Prince Zuko. As admiral he has the authority to commandeer our vessel and its crew". Iroh put a hand on his nephews' shoulder, though it was quickly shrugged off.
Walking back into his tent, Zhao sat at his desk, pulling out a small brown bag. "Will you get the job done?", he asked as group behind him. "I need to be assured that this task is executed properly".
"For the right price, anything will be done", the reply came.
"Oh, I think we can come to an agreeable sum." Zhao spilled open the bag, releasing a cascade of glittering gold coins.
A yellow grin adorned the man's face, his chapped lips splitting from the movement of his lips. "This'll do. Don't you worry about the job, it's what we do best", he assured.
Zhao turned, smirking at the group. "Yes, of course. After all, you pirates are known for your explosive personality". The pirate passed the sack of coins to his men, propping up his hood, and sneaking out the admiral's tent.
After the meal, Trunks went wandering about. Although the initial spectacle had impressed him, the place was pretty boring in all honesty, as almost everyone stayed inside to keep away the cold. It was bleak and quiet, only the sound if a few children to be heard, as he strolled about.
On his walk, he found a group of benders in an open space, and watched them spar with the water, creating whips and tendrils to deflect and parry each other's strikes. Their form was so flexible and patient, unlike his own, which utilised a sharp and forceful style of combat.
"Hey!", one of them called, pulling Trunks out from his train of thought. "What are you staring at!?"
"Oh, nothing, I was just watching your bending", Trunks replied.
"Why not come spar us then!", another shouted. "You look like you've got a warrior build"
Trunks waved his hands in refusal. "No, I'd rather not". He turned to walk away, thinking that his friends would have probably finished with what they were doing.
"Ha, a purple haired freak and a coward! What are you even with the Avatar for then, are you just some kind of fanboy!?", one of them barked. The half saiyan turned, slightly ticked off by the insult.
Trunks didn't want to use Firebending here unless he absolutely had to, it would cause issues knowing how much people disliked the fire nation. Although, he could probably beat these guys with brute strength alone. "You know what, fine! Let's see what you've got", he said, walking to the sparing area.
Trunks got into his fighting stance, palms forward to face his opponent, waiting for the signal to begin. A student shouted to begin the match, as Trunks charged with speed, aiming for a knockout punch. However, the water bender waited for him to step forward, using the moment of imbalance to knock him on to his chest, blasting him in the back with melted snow.
"Ha! What happened, can't fight anymore!", they mocked. "This is why you don't go up against the students of a master!". Trunks felt blood rush to his face, as he wiped the snow from his brows.
"You know what, screw this", Trunks thought. The moment he got up, the student launched another volley of water but, to his shock, the half saiyan simply brushed it aside with a solid shoulder barge. Taking advantage of his guard being down, Trunks threw a shattering palm to the stomach, winding the bender. While he was hunched over, gasping for air, the half saiyan delivered the knock out blow to the neck. "Yeah well, I'm a Masters student too!"
Abruptly, a yell came from behind him. "What are you doing, beating on my students!", came the irate voice of Master Paku.
Startled, the half saiyan turned around with a quick reply. "They started it", Trunks explained. The old man's scowl only intensified as he turned to glare at his students, who all bowed in fear.
"Oh really? Regardless, you have embarrassed my students despite being a guest to our tribe, and by extension, you have disrespected me. For that, you must be humbled!".
Master Paku launched a wave of water at Trunks, who quickly crossed his arms to block the incoming attack. The water slammed into his forearm, the freezing temperature stinging his skin, as the water pressure pushed him back.
The rest of the Gang exited the hall, rambling about how lovely the food was, however quickly ceased the conversation when they saw Paku fighting Trunks. "Hey, get away from him!", Aang shouted. Hearing Aang, Trunks lost focus for a moment, allowing the master to break his defence. Immediately, Trunks was slammed with water, which then instantly froze.
"That will teach him!", Paku scoffed. Turning away, the old man failed to notice the growing glow in the centre of his ice wall, as it began to shake and crack. The Gang passed glances, knowing that things were about to become ugly.
"Guys, I think Trunks is mad", Sokka gulped. With a mighty roar the ice shattered, white flames erupting from the boys screaming mouth. Trunks went on the offensive, propelling himself into the air with fire, moving into a devastating axe kick. Paku was taken surprised by the fire, but quickly created a wall of ice to guard, yet the force of the blow still rattled him.
Bouncing off the ice wall, Trunks spun several times mid-air, assaulting Paku with a barrage of fire lashes. Being pushed back, the old man tried to use a tendril of water to cancel the onslaught, but was still thumped in the chest from the force of the collisions.
"You're quick for an old man", Trunks growled. "But you're still too slow to fight me!". Spreading his fingers, he generated multiple streams of fire, slashing away with fiery lashes. Paku was on the back foot, as Trunks only moved forward with greater ferocity, until he was nearly against the wall. Running out of space, he had only one choice, wrenching the water from the wall behind him and barrelling it towards Trunks.
The water extinguished Trunks' flames, and pushed him several metres away. "Enough!", Paku shouted. He raised an eyebrow, something about the boy was familiar, and he felt as though he'd overlooked something. "Who are you? Who is your Master?"
Trunks bitterly responded, whipping the water from his chin. "My name is Trunks, a student of master Jeong-Jeong".
Master Paku dropped his stance immediately. "You're the successor of Jeong-Jeong!?" Trunks, calming down a little, nodded. To his surprise, Master Paku instantly bowed to him. "I sincerely apologise for the actions of my student, and that of my own. I should have recognised your status as a fellow master".
Trunks, now confused rather than angered, returned the respectful bow. "No problem, just a misunderstanding", he said, catching his breath.
"Master Trunks, would you come with me please?"
The half saiyan was really confused by the change in tone and behaviour, as he went from being in a fight, to being respected as a master in a matter of seconds. "Why?"
"I believe I may be able to help you tap into the power that Jeong-Jeong spoke about to you". The half saiyan widened his eyes, wondering as to how an old master in the northern water tribe had contact with his illusive master for him to know about that. He agreed, following the older master.
Zuko lay in his room, his face scrunched in silent anger. His mind, however, was locked on the image of Zhao's brutal scarring. "Did the Avatar's friend manage to defeat Zhao?", he thought. "He could nary muster a flame the last time we fought!"
Suddenly he snapped upright, as he heard some rumbling up on deck. "Uncle?". No reply. He got up, on guard, as left his room to head for the deck.
"Who's there!", he shouted, jumping into the control room. It was empty. The only thing Zuko saw was a green bird sitting on the rails, which squawked before flying off. "A Bird?". Before the Prince could digest what was happening, an explosion blasted into life from all sides, as a pressure wave shattered the glass on the ship.
The green bird flew down on to the arm of its owner, who stared up at the burning ship, smiling with the rest of his pirates. "Good work lads, earned ye coin", he laughed.
The half saiyan was confused as to why Jeong-Jeong told Paku about his locked abilities, but he followed along nonetheless, hoping something good would come of it. They walked deep into the city, until they reached a door. "What's behind that? I can something strange behind it, and it's oddly familiar. ", Trunks said.
"This is the Spirit Oasis; the spiritual centre of the North Pole. Here you may be able unlock your inner power", he explained. Paku opened the door, as warm air came rushing out, the space inside untouched by the ice. Lush, green, grass surrounded a pond, within which two coy fish swam. "You should meditate here".
"What then, will the spiritual energy unlock my hidden abilities?", Trunks asked.
"I don't know. It's not like I've ever done it". With that, Paku shut the door and left, leaving Trunks to himself.
The half saiyan walked across the creaky bridge and sat by the pond, watching the fish inside circle. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and lost himself to thought. What was it that Jeong-Jeong thought was locked in him? "Maybe that lion turtle gave more than just fire? What was it he said? 'in life I would grant humans the gift of fire, but to you I grant with it knowledge' what does that mean, what knowledge?", Trunks thought.
He opened his eyes, surprised to find the white coy fish staring back at him. Its energy was weird, like what he sensed from the statues at the air temple. Strangely, Trunks felt compelled to touch it. He held his hand out, the warmth of the pond washing over his hand, as the white fish swam to his finger.
The moment his hand touched its scales, ice water shot through his veins. He yanked out his hand, clutching at his chest, not from pain but surprise. "What the hell!", he gasped. The fish still looked back at him, its black empty eyes beginning to unsettle him.
Trunks walked out of the room, clutching at his chest, and suddenly feeling much colder. Looking around, he sensed for where the gang were, but stretching his senses was oddly strenuous. Eventually, he located their room, walking in to find a depressed atmosphere. "Hey guys, you wouldn't believe what happened?"
"Oh, trust me, after today's nonsense I'll believe anything!", Katara grumbled. Trunks, hearing the anger in her voice and the expression on everyone's face, decided to ask what had been going on.
"Uhm, what did I miss?"
Sokka spoke first. "It's Yue, one minute she likes me, the next she tells me to get lost. Urgh", he moaned, face planting into the pillow. "Why are women like this!?". The last comment got the boy a murderous glare from Katara, but Trunks quickly moved on to ask her about her day, just to spare his friend the earful.
"Okay... Um, what about you two?"
Both Aang and Katara sighed. "Paku won't teach Katara because she's a girl", Aang said. Katara didn't speak, instead face planting like Sokka.
"What? That's ridiculous!", Trunks scoffed.
Sokka lifted his face from the pillow, turning to his sister. "I know it's a bit long winded, but why doesn't Aang just teach you. You know, learn with Paku in the day and teach you at night", he suggested. The room fell quiet, and you could almost hear the crickets, as Aang and Katara realised how simple a solution that was
"Oh my God, that's genius!", Katara squealed, shooting up from the floor. "Aang, let's go now". She grabbed Aang by the wrist, running outside with a smile on her face, leaving the half saiyan and Sokka alone.
Trunks sat on the floor, the cold now actually bothering him. "Hey Sokka, is it cold in here or is it just me?", he asked. Shivering, he rubbed his arms together, quickly covering himself with the blanket Katara had left on her sleeping bag.
"I mean, yeah, it's pretty cold in here. You can get a fire going if you want", Sokka replied. Trunks nodded, grabbing a bunch of hay from the pile beside them, setting it in the middle between him and Sokka. With a grunt, he threw his fist forward at the stack, as he usually would. Nothing happened. Blinking at his fist, he tried again, not being able to summon even a whimper of smoke.
"What's up, you forget how to Firebend?", Sokka joked.
"Uh... Maybe?", he said, still trying. "Urgh, nothings coming. What the hell did that fish do!"
"I'm not sure what you're on about, but I think you should see Paku", Sokka suggested, confused by the fish remark. Trunks nodded, standing up and headed for the exit.
He ran out into the cold night, searching the streets for Paku's energy signature. To his luck, Master Paku was a block away, and coming in his direction. Rushing over to him, he found the master angry, an even deeper scowl than usual on his face. "Master Paku, there's an issue!", he said.
"What is it?", Paku asked, the irritation evident in his voice.
"After sitting in the spirit oasis, I can't seem to Firebend anymore!". The half saiyan struck out his fist, still with no fire being produced, to show the old man that he was being serious.
"What!? What did you do?"
"Nothing!", Trunks replied. "I meditated for a while, thought about what master Jeong-jeong said, and that's about it. Aside from that shock I got after touching the white fish, everything was normal!"
He thought for a moment, scratching his beard, casting his mind to what he'd heard from Jeong-Jeong. After pondering the issue, he shook his head, as if to banish a though from his mind, but just as quickly seemed to reconsider. "I have an idea, it's ludicrous, but so is your entire situation in honesty", he stated.
Before Trunks had a change to even ask, Paku launched a ball of water directly at his head. Instinctively, Trunks held out his hand, bracing for the shock of cold water, but to his confusion he felt nothing. The water floated mid-air, only a few inches from his hands. "What? I'm waterbending!?", he gasped.
"Seems my theory was correct", Paku said. "Try to bend the water from the canals"
Taking a stance, Trunks focused his energy on the water, mimicking the movements he saw before at the feast. As he swept his arms in a fluid motion, the water rose and moved around him, albeit whilst shaking and sloshing off. "How is this happening?", Trunks awed.
"Taking into account what master Jeong-Jeong told me of your story, I hypothesise that the spirits have not only given you Firebending, but the ability to change your chi. The fish that you touched in the oasis was no regular fish, it was the embodiment of the moon spirit, the one who taught us to bend".
That's when Trunks understood what the lion turtle meant when he talked about 'Altering energy'. Trunks closed his eyes, sensing inside himself for his Ki. He felt his energy, it wasn't too different from what it was after his encounter with Wan, but it wasn't hot like before, but cool like Katara's. "So what am I, a discount Avatar?", Trunks awkwardly chuckled.
Master Paku turned away from him, contemplating for a moment, his eyes stern. "Before you ask, I will not teach you how to Waterbend", he announced. The half saiyan was confused by the sudden and abrupt deceleration, and his face made it evident.
"Your friends have disrespected my culture, and disobeyed my orders, so I will not teach any of you". He opened his mouth to refute the man's decision, however quickly abandoned the idea when he saw the unmoving scowl on his face. Instead, Trunks dropped his head in respect, swiftly walking away.
As the sun illuminated the city, the Gang went to appeal with the chief, an attempt to overrule Paku's decision. Pleading, they asked that Paku only teach Aang if no one else, however the answer did not sway from a definitive no.
The chief sighed, crossing his arms. "Maybe, Master Paku will reconsider teaching the Avatar if you apologise", he suggested. The three boys turned to Katara, tension in their minds, as they expected her to break out in furious refusal.
Looking down at the floor, begrudgingly, Katara accepted. "Fine", She grumbled. Walking up to the base of the steps, she could see Paku looking down on her, a condescending smirk smeared on his face. She clenched her fists, gritting her teeth in anger, but tried to remind herself that this was for the sake of Aang's duty as the Avatar.
"I'm waiting, little girl", he mocked. At that, Katara snapped, and Sokka slapped his face in frustration. All thoughts of duty and the greater good vanished, replaced by all encompassing fury.
"NO! No way I going to apologise to a sour, arrogant, old man like him". Jutting a finger at the man in rage, she subconsciously cracked the ice around as she shouted. "I'll be waiting outside, if you're MAN enough to fight me!". The gang gawked at her challenge, following her outside, trying to dissuade her.
"Katara, come on, you can't beat him!", Trunks said.
"I know!", she spat. The half saiyan knew it was futile to try and dissuade her, the anger in her eyes blinded her to reason. He pulled back Aang and Sokka, shaking his head, as if to say that they had to just let her do this. It was about something he knew all to well as a saiyan; a matter of pride.
As master Paku walked out into the courtyard, he completely ignored Katara, walking past her without batting an eye. "Aren't you going to fight?", she growled.
"Get back to the healing hut with the rest of the women", he stated dismissively. Katara clenched her jaw and fist, creating a small water whip out of the snow, lashing the back of his balding head. Instantly, Paku turned, now angered. "Fine! You want to fight?! Watch closely!".
Trunks narrowed his eyes, as he actually did begin to observe the movement of the master, knowing that watching him fight was an invaluable opportunity. He'd many a time learned just from watching his father training in the time chamber, and from just copying Jeong-Jeong.
Paku smoothly rotated his arms, pulling two streams of water from the reservoirs, blasting katara, before redirecting it to form a ring around the two. Bringing his arms tighter, the water enclosed around them. With a swipe, Katara broke the flow, accidentally drenching Sokka.
She charged at Paku with speed, but was sent airborne by an ice ramp, and landed on a pillar. The master raised his arms, pulling water from the snow beneath his feet, sending another torrent hurtling at the southern girl. Twisting her feet to bend the snow, ice wrapped around her ankles, anchoring herself as she dispersed the attack.
"You can't knock me down!", she yelled. The crowd cheered with gusto, except Trunks, who was busy comparing Katara's flawed forms to Paku's. She tried to get in close combat, her fists blocked by ice once more, before she was swept into a reservoir.
Still determined, she shook the wet hair out of her eyes, raising a stump of ice from the water. Sliding her hands across it, she hurled razor sharp ice sheets at the old man, who narrowly avoided being struck.
Katara leapt forward, but Paku created a massive wave, washing her back on to the floor. Her clothes were soaked, and the cold seeped into her bones, yet she still got up. Spotting that he was standing next to a column of large vats, she swiped her arms to topple them, crashing them on top of him.
With a raise of his palms, Paku pulverised the vats, reducing them to snow. "I'll give it you; you are an excellent Waterbender!", he admitted, albeit mockingly.
"You still won't teach though, will you", Katara growled.
"No".
She charged with a water coated hand, aiming again for close quarters, but the master pivoted around her. Quickly, Paku bombarded her with pellets of water, knocking her to the ground, ripping off her necklace as it did.
As she rose again, Paku decided he was done. Syphoning all the water from the reservoir, he forced it into a solid state, forming giant shards of ice. Bringing his arms down, the ice followed, trapping Katara in an icy cage.
"This fight is over!", he announced. "Such a shame, so much potential, if only you weren't born a girl". Turning around, the master began to walk away, straightening out his clothes as he did.
Squirming and struggling, Katara glared daggers at the old man. "Get back here, I'm not finished yet!", she shouted. She tried to bend the icicles, but her immobilised her hands with the icicles, leaving her without bending.
"Yes, you are!". As he was about to leave, Paku noticed something glistening in the snow, feeling an odd sense if familiarity. Bending down to pick it up, his eyes widened as though he'd seen a spirit. "This... Is my necklace"
"What!? No, it's not! It's mine, so give it back!"
"I carved this 60 years ago for the love of my life... For Kanna"
Katara paused, her rage and desire to fight completely washed over by confusion and curiosity. "You knew my Grandmother?", she said, the ice around her melting away as Paku released her.
"Yes, she was the love of my life, before she suddenly disappeared".
"It was an arranged marriage, wasn't it? Gran-Gran wouldn't let your tribe's stupid customs run her life, that's why she left". This seemed to strike a chord in Paku, as he stared at the necklace he'd carved so long ago.
Zhao sat in front of Iroh, both of them with a cup of ginseng tea. "I'm so sorry to hear about the Prince, I'm devastated really", Zhao said.
Iroh held his tea, watching the steam rise from the cup. "The Fire Lord will not be happy when he finds out who is responsible", Iroh stated. "This is a severe insult to the Royal family, and will be met with execution, or worse.
Zhao took pause, holding the tea to his lip. "You know the perpetrators?". He watched Iroh with hidden tension, examining the general's eyes for a hint of suspicion.
"Yes... it was pirates!", Iroh grunted, slamming his fist on the table. Zhao smirked, knowing his plan was a success, and continued sipping his tea. After a moment, he placed his cup down, clearing his throat.
"I hope you've reconsidered my offer; I'd be honoured to have you has my general in this monumental siege of the North"
"I have. It would be my honour, to lead you to victory!". Iroh lifted his cup for a toast, as too did Zhao. "To the Fire Nation!".
"To the Fire Nation!", Zhao repeated. Taking another a sip of his tea, he abruptly flinched, spilling some of the drink as the hot liquid touched a spot of scarred flesh. Using his thumb, the Admiral wiped his lip, looking up at his new general. "Apologies, general Iroh".
Iroh nodded, placing his cup down on the table. "If I may ask, Admiral, how is it that a powerful bender such as yourself has been burned to such a degree?", he asked. "I have heard rumours that a companion of the Avatar bested you in combat".
Zhao scowled remembering the day, and the humiliation of being left for dead on the bank of a river. "The rumours are, unfortunately, true", he admitted. "I was not expecting my old master's pupil to be as powerful as he was, so it was my folly, I underestimated him".
"The last I saw him; he could barely create a flame! How much could he have improved?".
"More than you could believe! Jeong-jeong taught him well enough, but it's his raw power that intrigues me. His fire burns pure white, a raging sun more than flame, destruction unlike anything I've ever seen!". He placed his fingers on his scarred jaw, scrunching his face. "Or felt".
Iroh resumed drinking his tea, finishing the cup in a long sip. "Thank you, admiral, for your tea and your offer", he said. Standing up, the old general bowed in respect, folding his arms back into his sleeve. "May I take your leave, until the siege?". Zhao nodded, still nursing his throbbing lip.
Walking with rushed pace through the halls of the battleship, Iroh headed for the corridor leading to the fuel room, where there was only a single guard. Halfway through, he approached the soldier, gently tapping on his shoulder.
"You don't have to do this you know", the soldier said. He reached up to his face plate, sliding it off, revealing a cut up, and scorched, Prince Zuko.
"No nephew of mine is stowing away on a ship, without backup!"
"Thank you, uncle", Zuko said, sliding the mask back on.
"Be prepared prince Zuko, the invasion will begin at dawn, it would do you well to slip through just before the bombardment", his uncle advised. "More so, be weary careful of the Avatar's purple haired friend. He was powerful enough to thoroughly best Zhao. He is not the same man he was on Kyoshi Island". Zuko nodded, determined to succeed.
The next morning, Aang was up training with Paku." Not bad, not bad! Maybe, you might just get it when you're my age at this rate", he joked. From behind Aang, Katara and Trunks came running, an eager look on both their faces. "What do you think you are doing!" they both paused, gulping in fear of being rebuked. "You're late". Katara smiled, taking stance, as Trunks did the same with a smirk.
Zhao stood upon the helm of his ship, staring into the almost full moon, which was veiled by a thick plume of smoke. "Finally, my fleet is compete", he said. Behind his ship, hundreds of others followed, appearing to cover the entire ocean. Zhao touched his neck, feeling the burned and blistered skin that ran across it. "I'm coming for the both of you!"