AUTHOR'S NOTE: Aaaaand we're back!
It's been a while, hasn't it? Like I said, I needed a short break from finishing Book 1 BUT – without any further ado – I am returning to you today with the first chapter of Book 2.
Exciting stuff awaits you! I hope y'all are ready for some good shit...
As far as output goes, I will probably go back to my one chapter a month model. Should that change, I will make it known in another Author's Note.
That all? Yeah, pretty much.
ENJOY!
Fire. Earth. Water. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed, when the Water Tribes attacked...
Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.
A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang.
Initially, we had some problems getting along. In his world, the Fire Nation is the one who started the war and plunged the world into chaos. My brother used to hunt him there before becoming his friend, so did Ty Lee.
I'm... apparently still causing a lot of pain.
After many adventures and a short falling out, we became better friends than ever. We saved the last bastion of the Fire Nation and beat back the Water Tribes when they thought they could squash us. We even took a... special prisoner.
Oh yeah, and there's also this annoying little waterbender who hunted us relentlessly. But I totally beat her in our last fight.
For the last few days we've been travelling in secret to get to the Earth Kingdom. I mean, Aang already knows a bit of earthbending, but it can't hurt to get a proper teacher. Especially since he's so determined to find his old friend Toph. Wherever she might be...
So yeah. Unfortunately, Aang's old world is still in turmoil, and will continue to haunt him because of it.
But I believe Aang can save this one.
Avatar: The Last Firebender
Based on Distorted Reality by Ogro
Written by Carrotine Clara
Book 2: Earth
Episode 1
The Blue Dragon
Act I. - The Newcomer
It snarls again. It coils slowly around one of the pillars of the palace. Azula has had enough nightmares in this place to finally make it out to be a Fire Nation building. The sky is pure red, as if on fire, as are the borders of the building. The smoke clashes against her body - the heat rises from her boots to her face, giving her the sensation of melting flesh. Her heart is beating out of her chest. Her temples pulsate. Her breath shots in and out like knives. She closes her eyes, hoping the shadow leaves her alone.
Azula's eyes snap open in the middle of the night. Her nightmares, especially the ones involving the serpent, usually end with some kind of dramatic climax. Often times she gets eaten. This time, somehow, she woke up before that.
She scratches her forehead, letting out a pained snore. The others are still asleep in their tiny below-deck bunker beds. Ty Lee and Zuko snuggle together in one, which initially upset her, but it's almost been a week now, so why bother complaining. They'll be leaving tomorrow.
Aang snores softly. A faded shiver of moonlight glances upon his skin, giving it the sparkling appearance of a shooting star. Azula sighs, leaving the room. A pair of grey eyes snap open as the door closes.
The hauntingly beautiful lunar shimmer reflects on the ocean water just as beautifully as it did back on her home island. She would often sit by the water for hours as a kid, staring out into the distance, watching the waves slowly creep away like a colony of ants moving to a new location. She remembers the calming smell of the warm air mixed with salt water.
Right now the air is just cold. It is still technically winter, although inside the Northern Passage the natural warmth of the underwater geysers makes it, so she doesn't need to wear a parka all the time. On that train of thought, Azula wonders when they would ever reach one of the poles. After all, they would need a waterbending teacher for Aang eventually. They would also inevitably clash with the Great Chief at some point, and he's probably somewhere cold. The firebender pictures a palace twice as large as the governor's house in Musho Ichi, built entirely from solid crystal clear ice. She shudders at the thought.
TY LEE: Hey.
Azula turns around slowly, the presence of the airbending girl uplifting her spirit. The acrobat's brown hair hangs down the back of her head in a braided loop. She's wearing the same two piece she's had from the start, although it is actually a custom-made piece now, replacing the loving shades of pink with the typical yellow shades of the Air Nomads. Azula herself still wears her iconic pink-crimson combo, with the heirloom headpiece keeping her topknot in one place.
She gives Ty Lee a faded smile.
AZULA: Do I look too sad again?
The semi-sarcastic answer is answered with a playful scoff.
TY LEE: No, of course not.
The acrobat walks up to the railing, leaning against it like Azula does.
AZULA: I'm... guessing it's my aura then?
Ty Lee shakes her head.
AZULA: Then... why are you here?
The acrobat expresses a soft smile.
TY LEE: To spend some time with you.
Azula returns the smile with one of her own. For a few moments they stare together into the distance.
AZULA: I guess... since you are here...
She starts playing around with her fingers like she's solving an invisible Rubik's cube.
AZULA: What... is my aura... color?
Ty Lee raises an eyebrow.
TY LEE: You want me to read your aura? Really?
Azula hesitates for a moment, but ultimately nods. Ty Lee slowly moves her hand towards the firebender, gently touching her shoulder and closing her eyes.
TY LEE: Hmm...
Azula gets a bit nervous.
Azula: What?
She removes her hand, opening her eyes again.
TY LEE: It's like... it's soft and... floaty. But then all of a sudden it solidifies. Like it's turning into spikes.
Azula frowns.
AZULA: Did you see... a dragon?
TY LEE: A dragon?
Azula nods quietly. Ty Lee takes the question to heart and genuinely thinks about it, but ultimately sighs.
TY LEE: No. I didn't see anything like that.
Azula turns her head away, leaving Ty Lee burning with the question of where that came from.
TY LEE: You're purple.
Azula reacts with surprise and confusion.
TY LEE: Your aura. It's a bright purple.
AZULA: Really? Huh. I thought it was going to be blue. Because, you know...
She creates a small blue flame in her palm.
TY LEE: No. It's purple. Bending has nothing to do with it. You could be a waterbender and have a yellow aura.
Azula scoffs dismissively, though tries not to be too mean about it. She also wonders if Ty Lee is referring to anyone in particular.
A hard punch almost knocks the dummy over. Almost. Kenora grunts in her deep-seated hatred. She blasts the dummy with a stream of water, knocking it over with way too much force and decapitating it in the process. Her breath ways down heavy on her. She sits down for a moment, letting her overworked muscles relax, if only for a moment.
It has been tensing up in the North Pole since their catastrophic loss. Her father has mostly avoided the public eye, devastated by his shameful misconduct. Rumors of a Chief's Trial have been spreading.
Kenora had mostly been ignoring it. Her strategy was to ignore the ruckus and the politics, focusing instead on her training. She had been too weak for far too long to stop now. Too long was she intimidated by Sokka, scared of people finding out about her true gender, scared of not being strong enough.
She beat the Avatar. So why couldn't she beat the firebender?
All this time in the dojo had one unfortunate downside. Her secret encounters with the princess became more and more rare. At times it felt more like a chore to her than something she wanted. But Yue surely understands. Kenora hopes at least.
As she glares at another dummy, she pictures the raven-haired girl glaring back at her. She destroys this dummy in a fit of rage as well.
Going back to sleep was a bad idea. The shadow figure continues to lurk in her dream palace. Always present. Always watching. The moment Azula decides to turn around, the rumbling of thunder strikes fear into her heart - a flash of blue lighting flies towards her, reflecting in her yellow pupil and ending her nightmare.
The bright sun shines as an omen of good fortune. Aang has decided to wear an Air Nomad outfit very similar to what he had in his world, his Fire Nation pants and boots replaced by brown airbending attire.
Zuko is still wearing his crimson red peasant outfit, acting as if he had never even left the Twin Island.
ADITHYA: They're really cute together, aren't they?
The Dibuang Princess, who of course came along, leans against the metal railing next to Aang, sharing a flirty smile with him. He scratches the back of his bald head.
AANG: They really are. It's been a long time coming.
The two lovers giggle at something dumb that Zuko apparently said. Aang looks past the two, noticing a strangely distant and quiet Azula. Apparently she had trouble sleeping. Aang wonders if that has any deeper meaning.
ADITHYA: Oh, there he comes...
All heads and eyes turn towards the stairs of the wooden ship, seeing two Dibuang soldiers and Jeong-Jeong bring forth a chained-up prince.
SOKKA: Hey...
His timid voice and the rattling of the metal chains as he awkwardly waves paint quite the picture of a soldier fallen from grace. Azula crosses her arms, Ty Lee manages to conjure up a glare, Zuko pouts, Adithya's face tightens up and Aang fears that he made the wrong decision.
JEONG JEONG: I hope you know what you're doing, Avatar.
He hands Sokka over like he's cattle. Aang walks over to the old master, the rest of the Dream Team and Adithya following suit.
AANG: There's no need for chains. He's here by his own choice
Jeong Jeong blows his aversion through his nose in a spiteful snort.
JEONG JEONG: I can't justify doing it on a Dibuang ship. Once you're in the air you're free to deal with him as you please.
Aang nods. Sokka appears a little disappointed.
AANG: Thank you, Master Jeong Jeong.
He bows and hands Sokka over to Zuko and Ty Lee, who walk the prince to a resting Appa. Sabachi flies off the saddle and lands on Sokka's head in a provocative fashion.
SOKKA: Oh, he's just going to do that? Okay...
After glaring at the prisoner for an appropriate time, Adithya picks up a small stack of paper scrolls from behind her.
ADITHYA: Aang, these scrolls will help you master firebending. But remember, they're no substitute for a real master.
She smiles at Azula, who reciprocates with a significant delay.
ADITHYA: Aang...
The princess takes another breath, with the words she intended to say getting stuck in her throat.
ADITHYA: Take care.
She underlines her goodbye with an awkward nod. Aang nods back, carrying the literature over to Appa. Now it's only Azula.
JEONG JEONG: Fly straight to the Earth Kingdom coast to the south of here. A few days east and you will reach Ba Sing Se. There, Aang will be safe to begin his earthbending training.
Azula nods quietly, her mind visibly occupied with something else.
AZULA: Can I ask you one last thing, master?
Adithya raises her brow at the oddly cold tone.
JEONG JEONG: Sure.
AZULA: If I wanted to learn how to summon lightning, what would I need to look out for?
Adithya's heart skips a beat. Even Jeong Jeong seems shocked. (No pun intendet.)
JEONG JEONG: Lightning bending is a rare and difficult skill. It's also incredibly dangerous.
He sighs.
JEONG JEONG: But knowing you I'll tell you this much...
She smirks with too much confidence. Chime.
JEONG JEONG: Lightning is a pure form of firebending, without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire. To perform the technique requires peace of mind.
Azula waits a few more moments, as if waiting for him to continue. Unfortunately, he does not.
AZULA: That's it?
JEONG JEONG: If you are willing to kill yourself in your pursuit of power, go ahead. But I assure you, your friend the Avatar would rather have you alive.
The raven-haired girl looks over to the boy. Her cold stare and facade break apart a bit.
AZULA: I guess. I hope we meet again to train it together, Sifu Jeong Jeong.
His face, as stern and as unchanging as a rock, displays a smile for a second.
JEONG JEONG: I hope so as well, Azula.
The two firebenders say their goodbyes without any more words.
The mighty waves of the north stand no chance against the will of the massive ironclad cutting it in half. The crew bows as a royal carriage is brought out. Within the carriage, behind silk curtains, hides the blurred image of a young woman, a girl of the Water Tribes. A princess.
She's wearing an intricate dress with multiple layers of expensive blue fabrics. Her nails are long and painted in pure white color. An array of different bone necklaces crests the girl's chest and neck. Her long, brown hair is styled in a traditional fashion, with intricate hoops and braids running across, a topknot fixated with a clear glass headpiece, meant to look like sharp ice. Her calculating, blue eyes snap open.
Finally, she steps out of her seat, revealing herself as Princess Katara.
KATARA: My brother. Your prince...
Her voice somehow manages to be a blend between being soft and intimidating.
KATARA: ...no, our prince... has been captured by violent dissidents of the Fire Nation.
She walks down the line of soldiers.
KATARA: I know how many of you feel about Crown Prince Sokka. But I assure you, if you hesitate to help me bring him back, I will not hesitate to bring my wrath upon you.
She stops for a moment, overseeing the crew with a cold stare, that slowly melts into a sympathetic smile.
KATARA: But I know in my heart that no such treachery lies within any of you.
She walks over to a random soldier, gently touching his shoulder.
KATARA: I believe in all of you. We will succeed in our mission.
Her hand slips away again as quickly as her tone shifts.
KATARA: Dismissed.
The soldiers leave. The captain runs up to her, pounding his chest.
CAPTAIN: Princess, I'm afraid the tides will not allow us to bring the ship into port within the hour.
She nods respectfully.
KATARA: I understand. I just hope we arrive in time to meet all the generals and admirals, before they return to the Earth Kingdom battlefield.
She runs her finger across the railing.
KATARA: Father would surely hate it to miss one of them, just because the darn ship was too slow...
An empty threat, but the captain's compassion is activated.
CAPTAIN: I'll pull us in. We'll double our efforts!
She reacts with something resembling a smile.
KATARA: I'm sure you will.
Appa had missed flying these past few days, and he is sure to let everyone know that audibly as they soar towards the Earth Kingdom. Fluffy clouds disperse on command, done by Ty Lee's graceful airbending. Azula is almost a bit jealous of her impressive skills. Jealous of the attention she's getting from Aang because of it. But no, she cannot think about her friend that way. She mustn't.
SOKKA: So, uh... where are we headed?
His cheerful tone is met by a hiss from the lemur and a glare from the firebender petting it. Aang looks back briefly, as he is steering the beast.
ZUKO: We're um... we're going to the Earth Kingdom. Ba Sing Se.
AZULA: Don't tell him that!
Her spiteful response was almost as aggressive as Sabachi's hissing.
TY LEE: Sorry Sokka, but I think you can decipher that... some of us aren't really fans of you yet.
She clenches Zuko's hand, the boy averting his eyes from the prince. Sokka throws his chained arms up in a gesture of innocence.
SOKKA: Hey, I totally get it. No hard feelings. After all I did hunt you halfway around the world.
TY LEE: Um...
ZUKO: Well, technically you didn't.
Sokka frowns in protest.
SOKKA: Uh- excuse me?
TY LEE: Kenora did most of the work.
SOKKA: No, she didn't!
ZUKO: What about the time you attacked Crescent Island?
Sokka stumbles over his own words, unable to answer.
TY LEE: Or how about that time we fought her by the river?
AZULA: Or when she rescued me from the Blue Spirit?
Everyone's eyes shot towards the raven-haired girl. Aang's head most of all, so abruptly in fact that he almost flips Appa.
AANG: She what?!
SOKKA: The Blue Spirit-
He scoffs in disbelief
SOKKA: You mean the masked assassin with the-
AZULA: Katana. Yes. Ty Lee and I fought it the day you raided that village in the swamp.
Sokka shudders in horror. Zuko clenches Ty Lee's hand slightly harder, letting her know how worried he feels about this.
AANG: And Kenora rescued you?
His mind races to his own Blue Spirit adventure.
AANG: Were you captured?!
AZULA: Yeah, after I beat Kenora in a fight, by the way.
SOKKA: Well - my point is, I'm not a danger at all-
AZULA: So, I'm guessing there's a Blue Spirit in your world as well, Aang?
He nods quietly.
AANG: He saved me from Zhao.
Azula's jaw drops. Her guess is that Zhao in Aang's world was the Bato of this. Ty Lee, with a confused expression, mouths the word "he" to herself.
AZULA: Wait - saved you? That... thing didn't try to kill you?
Aang shakes his head.
AANG: It wasn't a thing. It was a person in a mask.
Azula wonders if that is the case here too.
TY LEE: Do you know who it was?
He nonchalantly nods over to Zuko. Baffled looks are what follows, most of all from Zuko himself.
ZUKO: Huh?
AZULA: You're the Blue Spirit in his world, dum-dum.
The boy scratches the back of his head.
ZUKO: Oh. Would you look at that...
TY LEE: Wait, so if Zuko is the Blue Spirit in your world...
Very slowly, and much to Sokka's dislike, everyone's head turns towards him.
SOKKA: Woah-woah-woah! I am not some masked lunatic with a sword!
TY LEE: It would fit the time with Kenora.
ZUKO: And that time in the jungle.
Aang truly doesn't know whether or not this bumbling, clumsy Sokka could be this kind of assassin. And moreover - if he was, why would he deny it?
SOKKA: I- that's not true! I was with Kenora in the jungle! And that time she apparently rescued you...
He mumbles to himself.
SOKKA (quietly): That explains why she was missing for an entire day...
He clears his throat.
SOKKA: That time she rescued Azula I had a broken arm. You know, from the villagers we saved?
TY LEE (sarcastic): Oh, you good Samaritan.
ZUKO: Azula?
Only now does the Dream Team notice her unnerving silence.
AANG: You've been awfully quiet.
Internally she's brewing. A part of her, snaking like a serpent, whispers her to lie, to hide the truth. She decides to ignore that part.
AZULA: He's not a waterbender. The Blue Spirit is.
More invisible question marks floating over everyone's head. The serpent briefly gets the upper hand.
AZULA: But he could be lying, you know. Maybe our prince is good at hiding it.
To her surprise, Sokka scoffs.
SOKKA: I wish. If I was a waterbender maybe my father would've lovingly embraced me instead of throwing boats at me so that I would finally leave.
Ominous silence, accompanied only by the sound of draught.
AANG: We can take your chains off when we land. Maybe.
Aang looks back ahead, Sokka smiling in the back of the saddle. Ty Lee seems unhappy about it, but manages to swallow her pride, which is helped a lot by a few smooches from Zuko. Azula glares soullessly into the distance, more than unhappy about this development.
The serpent in her continues to whisper.
You should've lied...
As her thoughts aimlessly drift alongside the water of the canal, Kenora is rudely taken out of her daydreaming, caused by the hectic movement of the people around her. Whispers float alongside the faces of timid citizens - soldiers run around in a well-organized frenzy. As Kenora looks around, she spots a gigantic ship in the harbor. Even her father's ship pales in comparison.
YUE (whispering): Psst!
Her eyes shift towards the canal down below, where Yue is waving Kenora towards herself.
Kenora freezes the wall back up, giving the two girls the privacy they need.
KENORA: What is going on out there?
YUE: What is going on with you?
Kenora finally has the patience to look at the person she's talking to. Yue pouts and crosses her arms, indicating very much that she's not happy.
KENORA: With me?
YUE: Yes. I have sent five different messengers to talk to you, just this week. What's going on?
Her voice reeks of a sincere pain she had been holding on to for a while. Kenora sighs.
KENORA: What do you think I'm doing? I'm training...
She walks a few steps away, her emotional need to distance herself translating into physical positioning.
YUE: All the time? This isn't healthy, Kenora...
KENORA (aggressive): What do you know?! You weren't there! You didn't witness war! You didn't see what happens if we lose!
She stops her rant as soon as she sees the quiet expression of terror on Yue's face. She shuts up. But she refuses to apologize.
YUE: It's that bad, huh?
Kenora exhales loudly.
YUE: I can't do this anymore.
KENORA: Now is not a good time. Let's talk when things are quieter-
YUE: No.
Kenora's heart skips a beat.
KENORA: What do you mean?
She has to pull the answer out of her in an almost surgical capacity.
YUE: This. I can't do this anymore.
She waits a few seconds for Kenora to take it in.
YUE: My father would already disapprove of... something like this. Heck, my people wouldn't want it either...
KENORA: And what about what you want?
Yue pouts in an awkward fashion. Kenora saw something like this coming, yet a few tears still roll down her freckled cheeks.
YUE: I am glad you showed me this side of myself. But you clearly have some stuff to deal with that I can't help you with. Or rather you won't let me help you.
Kenora answers with a face that screams "question mark".
YUE: The Great Chief arrived this morning.
Any romantic feelings are immediately pushed aside by the revelation.
KENORA: What?!
YUE: I'm guessing he's going to speak to my father about the failed invasion.
Kenora feels the ground being pulled from under her.
KENORA: Shit. He's going to talk to mine as well - he's in trouble!
She melts the wall.
KENORA: We'll talk later.
YUE: Wait - no! Kenora!
KATARA: Hello.
Kenora almost shrieks in surprise. A girl her age in a dress fancier than anything she's ever seen is standing perfectly symmetrical by the canal. Yue immediately falls on one knee.
KATARA: I'm so sorry. I guess shouldn't've snuck up on you like this.
She takes one step into the hideout. Kenora is still too baffled to talk.
KATARA: Yue! It's so good to see you again. Gosh, it's been a while, hasn't it?
Yue dares to get back up.
YUE: I uh... it's such a surprise to see you, Katara.
Kenora's heart skips yet another beat.
KATARA: Yes, I saw you in the city earlier and tried catching up to you.
She eyes the dark sewage spot. Kenora and Yue share a quick nervous look.
KATARA: Strange place for you two to meet...
Katara's eyes wander back over to Yue.
KATARA: But I get it. Being around the palace can make you feel paranoid at times. It's a nice spot. You can relax... maybe smoke some seaweed...
Kenora frowns with more than a bit of surprise. Yue on the other hand still looks terrified.
KATARA: I wouldn't do it too often with your condition though, Yue. But don't worry, I won't tell your father.
A wink. Kenora is convinced. Yue on the other hand has not unfolded her sleeves.
KATARA: I was actually hoping to speak to Kenora in private so...
She gestures very politely for Yue to leave. The girl nods, looks one last time at Kenora, then leaves rather swiftly.
KATARA: I think we met a few times as kids, but I can't seem to recall the last time we saw each other, Kenora.
Kenora pulls up some vague memory of the royal courtyard in the south, quickly dismissing it as one of the nasty parts of her life she has successfully gotten rid of.
KENORA: You... want to speak to me in private?
KATARA: Absolutely! Maybe some place more... official.
She walks towards the melted exit.
KENORA: And... what do you wish to speak to me about?
Katara turns around with a smile.
KATARA: An offer.
Land encroaches upon them. A welcome change of pace, as a break is more than needed.
Aang's mind hasn't been able to settle down ever since the Blue Spirit development. He hasn't written off Sokka completely, although seeing as he is a banished prince, lying about his bending skills just wouldn't make sense.
Perhaps in this world it was just an evil spirit. A spirit of vengeance out on a vendetta against Azula. Why? He doesn't have the answer to that.
A third thought had also crossed his mind. Perhaps it is that thought that is giving him a headache again.
But Aang could not live with himself if it was her.
Act II. - The Serpent
Landing ashore, the sky is filled with pelican seagulls, swirling around the beachhead like a swarm of flies during a hot summer evening. The previously sunny sky has taken on a shade of depressing grey, indication that rainfall is either approaching or outrunning them.
Azula has noticed Aang's repeated head-grabbing and groaning, indicating that he might undergo some kind of Avatar-related event soon. She communicates her fear with Ty Lee, who was already able to tell something was up with the boy based on his aura.
ZUKO (holding up a map): If we continue flying south down the river, we'll reach Ba Sing Se in a week or two.
Ty Lee snuggles up to the boy, leaning her head on his shoulder. Azula scoffs quietly enough to not be noticed. Sabachi meanwhile continues her very passive aggressive resting upon a struggling Sokka's head.
SOKKA: It's probably not a good idea. There's lots of Water Tribe outposts along that path. The Navy clashes a lot with the Earth Kingdom there.
All eyes lock on to him, though this time only Azula openly frowns.
ZUKO: If that's true, we should probably listen to him.
AZULA: "If" is the key word here.
Now everyone shifts over to the raven-haired girl, including Aang. She snorts in protest, offended by the mere suggestion that she is wrong.
AZULA: What? So, all of you are trusting him already?
Aang opens his mouth but-
AZULA: I know very well that you do, but I do wonder why Ty Lee and Zuko aren't up in arms about this.
Sokka's head lowers in defeat.
TY LEE: I never said I trust him. But his intuition is right.
ZUKO: And...
TY LEE: And based on his aura he's telling the truth.
Zuko nods, totally proud of his girlfriend being the smart one here. Aang walks away from the conversation altogether, his head beating harder and harder again. Something must be coming up.
TY LEE: Are you okay?
He decides not to explain his situation, simply walking over the white beach sand onto a grassy hill.
AANG: I'm going for a walk.
As his image disappears, the kids stare after him in silence. Sabachi finally leaves Sokka alone, flying over to a resting Appa in the hopes of annoying him instead.
SOKKA: Does he... do that often?
ZUKO: Refuse to talk? Yes. We've... gotten used to it.
He literally and figuratively shrugs it off.
AZULA: Don't distract from the main discussion here, prince.
Sokka finally musters the courage to conjure up a glare.
AZULA: Just because you're willing to rat out information like this doesn't mean we suddenly trust you. Not now. Not ever.
SOKKA: Well, did I say anything to indicate that? Because I believe I didn't.
She charges him and stops right at his face. Glare meeting glare, nose almost touching nose.
ZUKO: Stop it you two.
They reluctantly back off.
ZUKO: We're going to be travelling like this for a long while, so you better start getting along eventually.
Almost symmetrically, they both turn their backs towards each other, pout, and cross their arms.
AZULA & SOKKA: You wish.
AANG: Guys?
Aang has quietly returned from his apparent stroll, much earlier than anyone expected.
TY LEE: Everything alright?
He sighs.
AANG: Everything is fine. But that's not why I'm here. I need to show you something.
Confused looks are exchanged, Azula and Sokka continue to give each other the silent treatment.
Aang had wondered upon arrival what the meaning of all the pelican seagulls was. At first it reminded him of home, the swarms of the winged scavenger that he had encountered in the desolate wastelands. He knew it meant something. In addition, solving the problem took his racing mind off the migraine. This was certainly enough to distract him momentarily. It was certainly big enough. Upon crossing over a few grassy hills, Ty Lee covers her mouth in shock, Zuko's heart skips a beat, Sokka's jaw drops and Azula simply stares in silence.
The gigantic, massive serpent that once attacked Aang and his friends in the titular path they crossed to get to Ba Sing Se lies on the shores of the northern Earth Kingdom. A green, scaly, terrifying creature, almost a hundred feet long, is now simply a carcass serving as the world's largest dinner table for dozens upon dozens of birds and probably a few hundred smaller creatures. It's the natural way of life, so he was told by the monks growing up. Still, it is quite an eerie sight to look at.
SOKKA: Huh. Would you look at that.
Sokka shows signs off relief, which he obviously now has to explain.
SOKKA: Two years back we tried crossing into the Earth Kingdom's center. We travelled incognito of course, but still, we were ambushed by a bunch of these.
Aang's brow immediately shots up.
AANG: "A bunch"?
SOKKA: Yeah. The Earth Kingdom Navy isn't nearly strong enough to take on ours, so they have to come up with different strategies. One of them is breeding these Aqua Serpents. They breed the babies in Ba Sing Se and then release them into the wild once they're big enough. Good way to deter some of the smaller ships, but they seldom stand a chance against the ironclads.
His explanation sounded a bit too enthusiastic, angering the others again, minus Aang of course. They continue to stare at the cadaver, whose skull is visible, with half the head picked apart already.
ZUKO: Really wild how... something this big can just be... killed like that.
Another few moments of silence. It's not real silence. The wind is blowing through their hair. The birds are ripping apart the flesh from the bone, fighting with each other, unable to understand that there is more than plenty for all. Eventually one of the pieces being fought over is stolen by Sabachi, who quickly flies back to Appa.
SOKKA: Where are we going next?
No one responds. Sokka is of course unnerved by this, as he wishes to make himself useful.
SOKKA: Again, the southern route is risky. I'm not saying I'm against it but...
AANG: We're going to the Northern Air Temple.
The gang reacts even more shocked to that than the sight of a dead 100-foot-long serpent. Azula and Ty Lee exchange nervous looks, as if trying to get the other person to say something. Ty Lee folds first.
TY LEE: But Aang... what if... you...
AANG: I've been getting headaches again. It's been worse today.
He turns around and looks towards everyone. Of course, one particular individual seems more than confused.
SOKKA: Um... should we be worried about that?
AZULA: No, dingus. It means that he's going to have a vision.
TY LEE: Avatar-related.
SOKKA: Oh...
He tries to respectfully shut up. Aang continues to stare at the massive, washed-up carcass, his gaze burning into the rotten flesh, the green color having lost its brightness. The coiling voice sounds in Azula's head once again.
The prince... he needs to be dealt with...
AANG: I suspect that my prior incarnations want to talk to me. Since, you know, I went into the Avatar State back in Dibuang.
SOKKA: Prior incarnations? You mean like Avatar Kaiyuko?
Silence... he needs to be quiet...
ZUKO: Yeah. We went to his temple actually.
SOKKA: Really? Aw man, that sounds so cool. I always wanted to go there as a kid...
You need to shut him up...
SOKKA: Avatar Kaiyuko was my favorite as a kid!
Shut him up NOW!
SOKKA: I always thought it was so cool how he-
AZULA: Shut up! SHUT UP! NO ONE CARES WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, SOKKA!
Everyone goes quiet again. Ty Lee's alarm sensors go off.
TY LEE: Azula...
Her calming voice, mixed with the concerned look of her brother, manages to quench the voice again, allowing her to regain her own agency. Aang and Sokka look simply shocked. At last, Azula herself is shocked at her own behavior. She can usually manage her emotions better than this. Especially her anger. She has been feeling more and more of it over the course of their journey. The resentment she felt because of Aang. The pain she endured from Ae' Kiki... she had never really talked about it. Not even with Ty Lee.
Without another word she leaves for Appa. The others follow suit in silence, the screeching of the hungry pelican seagulls haunting them in the background.
Kenora's ocean blue eyes stare intensely at a silver tea kettle sitting on the wooden table. She has been asked to wait in one of the more ceremonial palace chambers. In effect this means more ice, less fur. Fewer chairs and no fireplace. Not a room you'd want to spend a night in. But it was beautiful, nonetheless. Ice shaped pillars and arches run across the carved sealing, expensive looking glass and rare metals decorating it, the kettle being one of them. But she stares at it for different reasons. Because, of all things, the room reminded her of Kaiyuko's temple. Surely it was haunted by a spirit, or several of them. But why the mirrors? As she stares at the metal object, her reflection is contorted and blurred.
Kenora gives up. The only other person in the room is Katara's personal guard. A girl, possibly a bit older than her. Her hazelnut brown hair and her lighter skin indicated she was not from the homeland. Possibly a colonial, though in full blue armor, dark greens mixed in between, giving her the appearance of a samurai. Her helmet was strange and spiky, with two horns going upwards in an arc. Kenora can't help but be reminded of a horn bug. Her expression is a cold, serious stare. Her lips are slightly pursed at all times.
KENORA: So, uh...
For some reason Kenora decided to strike up a conversation.
KENORA: You're a bit... young for a bodyguard. Are you a friend of Katara?
No response. Not even a look. Kenora's eyes go across the girl, trying to spot any interesting details-
Her heart skips a beat. Her pupils grow and her face muscles freeze up in fear.
The guard is carrying a katana with her. It might not be the same one, but it reminds Kenora of this dastardly assassin the soldiers started calling the Blue Spirit. She would have to find out if this girl was a waterbender. How would she go about that?
KENORA: So, um... are you a... waterbender?
The wooden doors open, Katara entering symmetrically in the middle.
KATARA: I'm sorry I kept you waiting. I needed to get something from father first and he is... well, you know...
Kenora shots up from her slouched-over position to sitting upright.
KENORA: A busy man?
Katara smiles, somewhat naively, Kenora thinks. The princess walks over to her guard.
KATARA: Thank you so much for waiting here, Suki. You can go back to the ship and rest now.
Suki nods and leaves the room. Katara closes the doors behind her and lets out a long sigh. leaning her back against the wall. She proceeds to take out her fancy hair pin, letting her brown beauty float down her neck. Kenora is surprised by how fast the princess lets down her guard. She also takes note of Katara's very beautiful face.
KATARA: You cannot believe how glad I am to be at one of the poles again.
She sits down across from her, pouring hot tea from the kettle into her delicate cup.
KENORA: Must be a long trip from the Great Cove.
KATARA: You are correct. But we didn't depart from the South Pole. I've been travelling for almost a year now.
She takes another sip from her beverage, allowing Kenora to ponder for a moment.
KENORA: Really? Why is that?
KATARA: WSO tours.
Kenora nods, both about the information she receives as well as the fact that Katara doesn't react to her lisp at all.
KATARA: You know, the usual. Wave my hand at the brave troops, give a few speeches for morale...
Based on her tone and body language Kenora deducts that the princess is not too happy about this.
KENORA: Are you forced to do them?
KATARA: No, not at all. I volunteered.
More questions are uncovered than answered.
KATARA: To get out there. See the world.
She smiles sheepishly.
KATARA: It's also a great way of hearing some stories about my brother and the brave Pirate Princess.
Kenora blushes in surprise. Mostly at the inherent silliness of the title.
KENORA: "Pirate Princess"?
Katara giggles, which shifts into an embarrassed expression.
KATARA: I... have to admit... I came up with that one. But... it's the name that stuck the most with people.
She shrugs. It takes Kenora a few seconds to realize what she is saying with this.
KENORA: Wait... what people?
Another smile from Katara.
KATARA: You think that we wouldn't hear from you? Kenora of the South? The girl who bravely hunts down the Avatar? Leading a squad of pirates all on her own? That kind of thing tends to spread.
Her ego satisfied, Kenora pouts happily.
KATARA: Not just that - it inspires people. Makes them change their mind a bit.
Kenora assumes that this is going somewhere, and so remains quiet. She guessed correctly.
KATARA: A girl who can lead on her own? A waterbender who fights men twice her size and wins?
KENORA: The Avatar as well.
Katara pauses, confused.
KENORA: I beat the Avatar in a fight.
Katara's jaw drops with joyful surprise. Kenora crosses her arms like the arrogant little thing she is.
KATARA: No. Way.
KENORA: Yes, I did. Pretty tough one that Avatar.
Katara scoffs with her mouth open, shaking her head.
KATARA: Well, I guessed correctly then...
KENORA: About what?
The princess gets up, grabbing a scroll she tucked in her back, holding it with two harms.
KATARA: That you would need this.
She hands the scroll over to Kenora, who accepts it, if slightly confused still.
KENORA: What is this?
Katara snorts with excitement.
KATARA: Your captain's license.
The two lovers chatter with each other, blissfully unaware of the danger sitting next to them. He keeps rattling his chains, a desperate attempt to get their attention. The serpent inside Azula coils, but for now she can push it away.
AZULA (eyeing her nails) Would you mind stopping that?
Her question is shot out cold and precise. Zuko and Ty Lee stop their whispers. Sokka lets his head bobble down like a sad stuffed toy losing to gravity. Ty Lee can feel her inner walls crack open slightly.
TY LEE: You know... we could just take them off, right? Even if he wanted to betray us...
AZULA: Absolutely not. Are you kidding me?
Pure rage boils inside her, seeing as her friend betrayed her like this. Wait, betray? No, that's too harsh. She just... disagrees. Yet still, she is wrong.
AZULA: I don't...
Everyone watches closely as she tries to overcome her ego and speak the truth.
AZULA: I don't feel safe with him. There. You happy?
She crosses her arms and legs like a human clam avoiding a rapacious diver.
TY LEE: We understand Azula. But there is no danger. I mean, look at him.
For once he doesn't play along and actually expresses a dislike of the comment made at his expense.
ZUKO: Also, why would he attack us? He helped us fight off the Water Tribe in Dibuang.
Azula scoffs. Sokka wonders why he mispronounced it "Tribe" instead of "Tribes".
AZULA: That's a stretch...
ZUKO: Why are you so afraid, Azula?
She pouts arrogantly at her brother before responding with her face averted.
AZULA: Because this is what I would do. Fake cooperation with the enemy to gain their trust. Make myself appear as vulnerable and harmless. Then, when the time is right, I would STRIKE-
She turns towards her friends and the prince, all of whom look in utter shock and without blinking. A few moments of silence allow Azula to power down.
AZULA: I'm just saying.
This is where she notices even Aang peaked back. His grey eyes glued onto her as if she were a transparent specter which he tried to pierce with his gaze.
TY LEE: Aang?
It takes her longer than she appreciates to notice his stare is unrelated to her. That's when the light comes back, when his eyes, his mouth and his tattoos start flickering like a dying light bulb. This is also when they start losing altitude.
SOKKA: Uh... UH?!
Sokka starts hovering, though a brief air swipe from Ty Lee flings him back into the saddle. Azula is the one to immediately jump forward to Appa's head, while Zuko grabs Aang. Sabachi is comically grabbing onto Sokka's head again.
AZULA (to Appa): Hey big guy, that was a little misinput earlier - PLEASE FLY BACK UP STRAIGHT!
Her combined zoolingualistics and pulling his reins very hard gets the bison back on a straight path, with the beast protesting the sudden change via a growl.
AZULA (to Appa): You should really pay more attention to your pilot, Appa.
He growls again. Sokka stares ahead in shock.
SOKKA: This is just like what she did.
He points obnoxiously at Azula.
AZULA: What?
TY LEE: It's true. Your eyes were glowing when you went into the Spirit World.
Zuko frowns in surprise. Though he heard what happened in the Golden Sanctuary, he obviously hasn't heard this detail. Sokka can accurately read the room. Well, "room".
SOKKA: Is that not normal?
No one knows the answer, including the person being talked about.
AZULA: I'm guessing that if the spirits try to contact you... that's how they do that.
Ty Lee looks over to Zuko, who shrugs. Azula continues to steer in silence, her thoughts drifting with the clouds.
What has he gotten himself into this time?
Kenora is speechless. All she had ever hoped for is now a mere piece of paper in her hand.
KENORA: I- I-
A million thoughts rush to her head. This is it. Her ticket out of there. But to where?
KENORA: I don't even know what to say.
KATARA: Say yes!
Kenora's eyes latch back onto the princess, who notices her blunder with an awkward blush.
KATARA: Oh, I'm stupid. I didn't even tell you what you're supposed to say yes to.
She scratches the back of her head, in a fashion very reminiscent of her brother.
KENORA: Well?
Katara clears her throat, folding her hands behind her back.
KATARA: To backpedal a little bit, I have been assigned a mission...
She deliberately lets Kenora hang onto that for a moment.
KENORA: A mission?
KATARA: It's about Sokka.
Kenora freezes up. Does she know that her brother betrayed the Water Tribes and joined the Avatar? Katara stares at her, as if trying to read her response.
KATARA: I take it you know what happened.
Kenora nods with a delay.
KENORA: Of course.
KATARA: Yes. It's tragic how the Avatar took him as a prisoner against his will.
Katara turns around, giving Kenora at least a few seconds to slow her pulse.
KATARA: My father wanted to send a small army to track him down, but as Bato's failure proves, the smaller the crew, the easier it is to hunt this Avatar.
Kenora's brow shoots up like a sledgehammer-bell-game.
KENORA: And he let you go? Aren't you... just a girl?
She turns back around and the two exchange a cathartic smile, sharing the surmounting of their common oppression.
KATARA: I mean... it doesn't hurt to be the Crown Princess and all.
She sits back down, propping up her head with her arms. Kenora blushes slightly.
KATARA: And... it wouldn't hurt either if the mission was led by the most famous waterbender girl in the whole Confederation.
Now Kenora blushes openly, though for much different reasons.
KENORA: I don't know if I'm that important...
KATARA: I think you are.
Katara has her completely on the hook as she gets back up.
KATARA: It would be a small crew commanded by you. You'd get your own ironclad, though it's a relatively small model, and...
She taps her lower lips, her mind racing.
KATARA: Suki would probably fight alongside you if I asked her.
Kenora wonders if Suki is allowed to say no. Another thought rushes to her head.
KENORA: What about you?
Katara is too stunned to speak.
KATARA: Uh- me?
KENORA: Yeah. I thought you're all the rebellious princess. Can't you fight?
Katara sits back down with her arms crossed, though Kenora can clearly tell that it wasn't her fault.
KATARA: I can fight. But try to find a waterbending teacher who will risk his reputation to teach me...
KENORA: I'll teach you.
Kenora didn't really think that one through but felt like returning the favor.
KENORA: I mean, no one ever taught me, technically, but I managed to teach it to myself. Can't be that hard to teach someone else.
Katara's frown turns into a bright smile. That's when Kenora remembers the mission at hand, her gaze wandering back to the paper scroll lying on the table.
KENORA: But I don't really know about the mission.
She tries grabbing onto her missing necklace, a motion she hasn't done in months. The necklace is still in a drawer in her room, buried under a whole bunch of useless crap.
KENORA: After the Golden City I... wanted to move on from the Avatar thing.
Katara nods respectfully.
KATARA: I understand. I want this to be your decision.
She gets up abruptly, taking her teacup with her.
KATARA: The license is yours either way. I'm sure you have a whole bunch of other stuff you would want to do with it.
Kenora nods with a dumb expression, dumb according to herself. As Katara leaves the room and closes the door, Kenora relaxes in her chair, letting out a loud sigh. First the katana, then the captain's license, then Sokka, then this mission. A roller coaster of emotion. Unable to find an answer right away, she finally decides to open the scroll.
By decree of Great Chief Hakoda
This certifies that
Princess Kenora of the Moraine Barracuda Clan
is, in the eyes of the Confederation of Water Tribes and of the spirits that protect it, worthy of holding the title
CAPTAIN
and is entitled to all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto.
The Great Chief's signature is far less impressive than she had expected. Still, her expression is stuck endlessly in an obnoxious smile.
KENORA: "Captain Kenora".
She likes the sound of that.
KAIYUKO: It's time we talked.
Aang gasps, though no air enters his lungs. He finds his body is blue, transparent, and once again resembling the older one he had back home. Beneath him, a massive dog-cat creature leaps from wave to wave, traversing the ocean at impossible speeds. He finally looks up, spotting a much more stern-looking Kaiyuko, sitting on his animal companion in a meditative position.
KAIYUKO: The Avatar State is a defense mechanism, designed to empower you with the skills and knowledge of all the past Avatars.
Aang imitates the pose, trying to look just as serious as the waterbender.
AANG: I know that already.
Kaiyuko remains silent, keeping Aang on edge.
AANG: I assume you know that too.
KYOSHI: We do.
In an instant, Kaiyuko's shape changes to Avatar Kyoshi.
KYOSHI: But there is something we don't know.
Aang gulps, being able to feel his heart beating faster in his physical body.
AANG: And that is?
Kyoshi morphs into light, which becomes Avatar Lostris.
LOSTRIS: You.
At first, a scoff. But her face won't change. As she mophs back, Kysohsi doesn't change. And neither does Kaiyuko, who glares at him with the eyes of someone staring at his enemy. The spirit creature beneath Aang begins to growl. At him.
Despite being in a spirit form, Aang starts fearing for his life.
Puwati runs up and down his palace office. His gestures are frantic, his voice barking with insults and distressed accusations. Kanna doesn't quite know how to react and choses to remain quiet for now, waiting for the large man to calm down. Even when is seated behind his desk again, his fists remain tensed up and clenched, as if holding on for dear life.
PUWATI (angry): She can't do it...
He breathes heavily. His frown turns into and angered glare. Kanna remains completely quiet with her arms folded beneath her parka's sleeves. Though she has to admit this is one of the angriest times she has seen him. The only time she remembers Puwati angrier was when he found about Kenora's disappearance, a day on which she happened to be visiting Whale Tail Island.
Puwati gets up and kicks his desk, just hard enough to make it jump, but not hard enough to have it slam into Kanna.
PUWATI (angry): She can't take her away from me! NOT AFTER ALL THIS TIME!
KANNA: You need to calm down, Vice-Chief!
Not sure how using his title would deal with his temper, however it does work, and the large man sits back down.
PUWATI: I don't like it. I don't like it one bit.
KANNA: And yet you can't change it. And you certainly can't change her mind, you have tried that in the past.
Puwati eyes the letter he received from the Crown Princess. He snarls like a hurt dog.
PUWATI: "Mission to retrieve Sokka from the clutches of the Avatar." Why on earth does she need my daughter for that?!
KANNA: Watch your mouth when talking about my granddaughter!
For once Kanna is the one to lose her patience, a sight powerful enough to shock the Vice-Chief. This is also the first time he can remember the old woman pulling rank like that.
KANNA: Be glad that my son hasn't punished you for your failure in the Golden City. He could've picked you for this mission. Would you have preferred that?
PUWATI: Yes.
The initial shock is reflected right back at her.
PUWATI: That way it wouldn't put her in any more danger.
She nods, respecting his passion despite his insolence. Puwati gets up again, much calmer this time, grabbing his harpoon-hook like a shepherd does his staff.
PUWATI (staring out the office window): You have to accompany them, Kanna.
Her wrinkled ridge shots up.
KANNA: Why would I-
PUWATI: Please.
His voice reeks of genuine desperation.
PUWATI: There's something about her...
Kanna snorts, humored.
KANNA: You know more than well that Kenora is different-
PUWATI: Not Kenora.
He pauses to turn towards her.
PUWATI: The Crown Princess.
She listens closely, allowing him to continue something that might become slander.
PUWATI: Forgive me, Chief Mother. I have no proof of this.
He stares back out the window, overseeing the vast northern capital.
PUWATI: There's something off about Katara. I knew her. As a girl.
Kanna begins to understand.
PUWATI: When she was young, she was kind. A pure soul. Fierce, and full of joy. Where Kenora would see injustice, Katara would already have acted on it.
Kanna reflects on his words.
KANNA: Things have changed since her mother died.
PUWATI: I know. But I'm not talking about the assassination.
He walks back to his desk, his eyes continuously staring at Kanna, like a cat eyeing a mouse.
PUWATI: She's on her little tour project and now this? Shows up out of nowhere to the North Pole? And for what? Kenora? She could get a hundred different people to be her captain.
KANNA: But those other hundred people would've been adult men. What's your point?
His mouth turns to a sad pout.
PUWATI: Did she visit you?
Kanna shakes her head.
KANNA: No. I presume she might do that later today, after she performed all her duties.
PUWATI: She's leaving tonight.
Kanna's face turns from surprise to disbelief to concern. Puwati places himself down on his chair again.
PUWATI: Tell me, would the Katara you know not even visit her gran-gran?
The Chief Mother refuses to respond. But the answer is as clear as day.
Within what feels like the blink of an eye, Hoa leaps onto a beachhead, the same one Aang and his friends had visited earlier today. The hundreds of pelican seagulls fly away frantically, most likely being able to sense the spiritual presence.
The beast deliberately causes Aang to fall off, landing in the sand and almost sliding far enough to enter the dead serpent's rotting guts. Hoa continues to snarl at Aang, his sabretooth fangs displayed in a manner meant to intimidate. Kaiyuko appears once again in front of Aang, towering above him with crossed arms. This time Kyoshi and Lostris also materialize, cornering the boy's spirit on the ground.
Aang finally decides to fight back.
AANG: What do you mean you don't know me?! You're my past lives!
KYOSHI: We are the Avatar's past lives. The Avatar who went missing one hundred years ago in this world.
Aang gets up, trying to contain his anger.
AANG: I know! I told you before - I'm the Avatar from a different world! One in which-
LOSTRIS: The Fire Nation was responsible for the war. We know that story.
KYOSHI: We just don't buy it.
The sand below him feels like it's devouring him. Aang takes a guess that Ty Lee is freaking out right now about his current body's vitals.
AANG: What do you mean?
A fourth figure appears, one that Aang has seen in visions before. An airbender woman, one with long dark hair and orange robes, which glide down as graceful as the winds.
YANGCHEN: In the Avatar State, you are at your most powerful, but you are also at your most vulnerable.
The sight of an angered-looking Air Nomad Avatar truly shakes him to his core.
AANG: What do you mean?
KYOSHI: When you saved these people in Dibuang...
LOSTRIS: ...when you connected to the Beast Dog...
KAIYUKO: ...that was the longest you had ever been in the Avatar State.
Aang listens closely while finally getting up.
YANGCHEN: The glow is the combination of all your past lives, focusing their energy through your body. Which means we were able to feel your energy more than ever before.
The past lives share some concerned looks.
AANG: And?!
KYOSHI: You're not the Avatar.
Aang's thoughts shift wildly as to what this means. Is the difference between his world and this one too great to be compatible. Or is it-
His eyes snap open wide. The other Avatar's seemed to have gotten the message, yet Aang dares to speak it out loud, nonetheless.
AANG: Aang... is not the Avatar in this world.
He eyes their reactions closely. It seems he was right on the money, and none of them like it. He shudders at the thought.
AANG: I'm... not the Avatar in this world.
YANGCHEN: No. A different airbender was meant to be our reincarnation.
KAIYUKO: But you like totally took it from them, dude.
Aang's heart and mind are racing. He hears the echo of Ty Lee's voice sounding in his head.
TY LEE (distant echo): Are you okay? Aang? Aang, are you alright?
The other Avatars seem to hear it as well. He tries calming his nerves and clear his mind.
AANG: So, I stole the Avatar's powers in this world?
LOSTRIS: That's the thing...
KAIYUKO: There's a chance you are like, telling the truth.
A hint of optimism shrouded in the brooding voice of Avatar Kaiyuko.
KYOSHI: It is possible that in your world a boy named Aang was the next Avatar. And that his previous life, Roku, sacrificed himself in order to save his world from the Fire Nation.
Aang allows himself to grief for a second. So, Roku is really gone.
LOSTRIS: But if you're lying...
YANGCHEN: ...if you're not the Avatar from a different world...
They don't dare to finish their thought.
AANG: Then... then what?
LOSTRIS: It means you could be a dark spirit.
Dreadful silence. Only the wind blowing through them and the waves crashing behind them fill the air with any kind of sound.
KYOSHI: An ancient spirit. Much older than the Avatar, or even Ogro the Leviathan.
LOSTRIS: A dark spirit able to perfectly replicate a human, and powerful enough to latch onto the Avatar Spirit.
Aang feels the heat rising in him as the implications dawn on him.
AANG: But... even if you're not my past lives, you can still connect to my Avatar Spirit. Can you not find out whether I'm telling the truth or not?
A pointless question, as he already knew the answer.
LOSTRIS: Like we said, our connection is artificial.
KAIYUKO: We're connected, man. But it's just not good enough.
Once again - utter silence.
AANG: So... what now?
The Avatars share another round of uneasy looks.
KYOSHI: We couldn't destroy you if we needed to.
Those words frighten Aang more than he expected.
LOSTRIS: So, we have to do the next best thing.
KYOSHI: Protect the Avatar Cycle.
Aang begins to understand what this means.
YANGCHEN: If our connection ever becomes pure, we will meet again, Aang. But until then...
AANG: I won't be able to access the Avatar State.
His response was dry and almost sounded spiteful.
KYOSHI: That way, should you die, we can ensure that the next Avatar is the right one.
Yangchen sighs with a heavy heart.
YANGCHEN: Goodbye, Aang.
Within the span of a second, she dissolves.
LOSTRIS: I hope we are wrong.
So too does Lostris. Kyoshi disappears without a word. Kaiyuko remains, petting his animal companion spirit.
KAIYUKO: Just for the record, I think you're totally rad. But the other Avatars are right. And it's not just us four. This is something all Avatars have discussed. Even Nanook agreed.
AANG: Who is Nanook?
Kaiyuko snorts quietly.
KAIYUKO: The first Avatar.
With that, Kaiyuko dissolves alongside Hoa, leaving Aang with quite a lot of questions.
And even more worries.
A loud knock. Yue opens the door an inch.
YUE: Who is i-
Kenora smiles like a dork.
YUE: What are you doing-
KENORA: Sorry to barge in.
She invites herself into Yue's room without letting her finish, giving the northern princess a heart attack.
YUE: What are you doing?!
She double-checks to see if anyone saw her.
YUE: If my father finds out-
KENORA: Well, it won't matter anymore, will it?
Already in the offense, Kenora forces Yue to cross her arms and pout angrily.
YUE: I told you I'm not doing this anymore.
KENORA: Because of your father...
She mockingly does an impression of Yue's voice.
YUE: No, because of you. I was just trying to be nice about it.
She runs over to her wardrobe, picking out some clothes. Kenora lets her ego get the better of her and reacts naively.
KENORA: What? Me?
YUE (while picking out clothes and throwing them on a pile): Because ever since you lost that stupid invasion, you have become a self-absorbed maniac, who never has time for me anymore.
Kenora scoffs like an asshole.
KENORA: We hang out plenty of times.
YUE: Not as much as before the invasion.
Kenora grunts dismissively.
YUE: It's always just "Oh, I have to train. I got to get ready!". You never think about us anymore!
KENORA: That's not true! You don't know what I think.
YUE: But I know how you act.
Kenora raises her brow, pressing her left hand against her hip and pointing with the other.
KENORA: Well, you certainly didn't mind how I "acted" when we spent a night together.
Mentioning this clearly works up Yue more than anything, making her blush in shame and anger and... a third emotion.
KENORA: I certainly didn't hear you complain. In fact, I kind of remember hearing the opposite when-
YUE: Get out.
It quiets her down. No need to make this a shouting match. She can't make sense of why Yue is suddenly all up in arms. But what of it? After all...
KENORA: I came to say goodbye. I'm leaving today.
Yue remains quiet. And angry, simply folding the dresses she just threw on the floor earlier. Kenora got the message.
KENORA: Great. See ya.
After much thought, Kenora ultimately decides to slam the door, giving Yue the chills inside, before she finally breaks down crying.
Kenora would not lose a tear over this when packing her things. She would instead feel rather furious for the entire afternoon. Kicking her room's desk quite a few times.
It coils and coils. Slithering up the pillars of a red palace, lurking in the shadows. Occasionally a part of it reveals itself to the naked eye, allowing Azula to spot blue scales running down it.
She can't for the life of her explain why she pictures it like this. It's nothing but a feeling. An underlying voice in her head that is overly critical. Overly precise and pushing Azula to her limits. That feeling has always been there. It has always helped her to reach her limits, then surpass them. She had it under control.
Now it's different. It doesn't feel like a part of her anymore. It's something else.
TY LEE: His heart is racing. This can't be good.
The boy's body occasionally twitches, giving everyone on board a rather ominous feeling.
ZUKO: Is there anything we can do? Can we help him?
He frantically picks out several books and stashes of medicine, as if one of them would magically announce itself as the solution.
SOKKA: I think we should just wait.
How dare he...
ZUKO: What do you mean?
The prince shrugs.
You should toss him off the saddle for that.
SOKKA: Isn't this what happened with Azula? She came back perfectly fine in the Golden City.
Silence him.
AZULA: Dibuang.
Sokka sighs.
SOKKA: What? What did I do this time?
AZULA: It's Dibuang. The Golden City is what you colonizers call it.
Zuko joins in on the anti-Azula train.
ZUKO: Yeah, she's right. But that doesn't help us right now. Can we land?
They look below, spotting mere clouds and the occasional stone top. They had reached the mountain range half an hour ago.
SOKKA: How far is it?
How DARE he?!
AZULA: Wouldn't you know? Seeing as your ancestors killed all the airbenders.
Yes! Like that!
Sokka frowns.
SOKKA: I didn't kill anybody! And it wasn't all of them...
Ty Lee gasps dramatically. She looks as though she is about to slap him.
TY LEE (angry): It was still more than enough!
Sokka overflows with regret. Yet it is too little too late.
Yes! Make them hate him!
ZUKO (angry): Way over the line, Sokka!
He starts whimpering with fear. It is a long way down from the bison...
SOKKA: I- I'm sorry, I- I- I didn't mean it like that!
AHAHAHAHA!
The serpent cackles with delight. The fire inside her burns bright as she glares at him in the back.
ZUKO (angry): I vouched for you! And this is how you-
He stops himself.
No! Why did he stop?!
TY LEE: What is it-
The question answer itself as she too looks ahead, tears running down her face. Sokka's face turns to a pale shade. Azula is the last one to look ahead.
To spot the ruins of the Northern Air Temple.
Act III. - Old and New
The serpent finally shuts up. The deluge of emotion overcoming everyone is more than enough to silence it.
Only the stone foundations are what's left of what was once a great construction, towering hundreds of meters above the ground. A symbol of peace. Destroyed by war. Ty Lee starts crying into Zuko's shoulder.
Appa grunts when landing. Azula correctly translates that he finds the smell familiar, asking curiously where they are. Azula pets his head calmly.
AZULA (quietly): Don't worry about it.
Rather than hovering down with excitement like she usually does, Ty Lee slowly climbs down the bison, Zuko helping her reach solid ground. Sokka remains on the saddle. He hasn't said anything since the fight.
Wind howls across the massive temple grounds. A few rocks managed to survive. They tell the tale of a temple that once stood there. Probably massive in size, most likely some more buildings standing on the other mountain tops. Or maybe it was a much different building, not a tower at all. Maybe it was purely decorative, and the Air Nomads lived somewhere down below, like in the Western Air Temple. Zuko has to keep himself busy with thoughts like this. Puzzles that never have a correct answer but simply keep his mind occupied. He stares with sorrowful eyes at Ty Lee, who seems absolutely shattered. Her braid is pulled aside by the howling winds, giving it the impression of the trapped souls of this temple tugging at her hair. He's powerless to help her. And there is no way of telling what actually transpired. Which foundation housed what building. Which stood where, how the monks lived. Perhaps Aang could enlighten them upon his arrival. For now, they are but lost.
Ty Lee falls to her knees. She does not weep, missing the strength to do so. Hoping he can at least do something, Zuko approaches her slowly from behind, kneeling down next to her.
Her delicate hands pick something up from the rubble. A stone tablet depicting the Air Nomad symbol. Or at least half of it, as the tablet is broken.
TY LEE (weak voice): It's... all gone. All of it. Not even a trace.
Zuko puts his arms around her slowly. He does have the strength to show some tears.
Azula runs a number of calculated responses through her head, none of which sound good enough. She could talk about the Air Nomad villages, which are apparently somewhat common in the bigger Earth Kingdom cities. She could talk about how the Air Nomad culture did survive, that it will flourish again after the war.
That's when the serpent slithers back into her mind.
This is our chance... you can destroy the prince now and no one will bat an eye. Look around you...
As the wind howls it carries a message with it - death. That's all this depressing plateau has to offer. She looks over to Appa. Aang is still unconscious, Sabachi watching over him. Sokka hasn't moved an inch, staring soullessly into the distance, his eyes oozing with pure shame.
Now is the time! Get rid of him! Your friends will thank you for it...
The serpent gets impatient with Azula's inactivity.
What are you waiting for?! Do it!
She looks over to Sokka. But in the end, her eyes wander over to Ty Lee and Zuko. As she makes her choice, as she chooses to approach her friends, the serpent finally falls silent for good.
She kneels down on the other side, laying her arm over Ty Lee and Zuko, tightening their collective bond. She has finally found out what the right thing to do is. There is no way of fixing this, undoing it. For now, they have to accept it. They will make up for it later. She will make up for it. The Water Tribe will pay, and she will be there to deliver justice.
To deliver vengeance.
As the sun is beginning to set, a comet-like shimmer of light enters Aang's body.
He opens his eyes, shocked by the sight.
AZULA: Aang!
His friends have of course noticed his return, as have Appa and Sabachi. He jumps down, being engulfed by a group hug.
TY LEE: We're so sorry, Aang.
They let him go, allowing him to take in the sight. Yet, for unbelievable reasons, he seems little impressed.
AZULA: Are you okay?
He sighs.
AANG: I have bad news. Very bad news.
Wind continues to howl on its own for a bit, as the others are too afraid to ask what's going on.
The sun is setting slowly over Agna Qel'a. Spring is showing some of its first signs, with minor damages in the frozen architecture melting off, several waterbenders working their hardest to fix it.
Kenora isn't sure if she's going to miss it or not. She never saw that much of the city in her time here. She was mostly at her gym, a steamy room full of cold equipment.
She also became very familiar with some of the lower parts of town, the spots on the side of the canal where she would spend many great nights with Yue, ironically also making them steamy rooms.
The thought of Yue only enrages her though. With enough belongings to fit into one rucksack she makes her way over several bridges, walking closer and closer towards the harbor. The Great Chief's enormous ironclad ship, known as the Empress, makes the rest of the northern fleet look absurdly small in comparison. Even her father's ship, the Koriata, now appears like the boat of a fisherman. Wait - her father! She completely forgot about him! She's going to have to run back and-
KATARA: Kenora, I'm so glad you came.
At the massive metal plank leading up to the admittedly less impressive ironclad, Katara was apparently waiting for her. Her soldiers, or, Kenora thinks, her soldiers now, are loading the ship with all sorts of crates and supplies. Katara can tell something is off.
KATARA: Everything alright, Kenora?
KENORA: Yeah I... I just need to head back really quick. I haven't said goodbye to my dad and-
YUE: Kenora?!
The brave Pirate Princess refuses to turn around for a few too many seconds.
KENORA: Hey?
She notices the large number of servants and luggage surrounding Yue, and the two ex-lovers both make the same horrifying realization.
KATARA: I thought, since we're already being such a girl power team, nothing would fit better than inviting the Princess of the North Pole.
Scared of the consequences of upsetting the Crown Princess, Kenora and Yue simply nod.
YUE: Right. It's going to be... fun.
Katara claps her hands together.
KATARA: Awesome! I was hoping you would say that!
As if tensions weren't high enough already, Katara forces the two opposing parties together, buy hugging both of them from the middle, pressing their heads against hers.
KATARA: Southern Princess, Northern Princess-
PUWATI: Crown Princess.
Another set of boots suddenly walk onto the scene, distracting both Kenora and Katara and allowing Yue a moment to flee onto the vessel. Katara greets him with a cold smile.
KATARA: Vice-Chief Puwati. I hope didn't mind my absence I was incredibly...
After rambling a bunch of empty phrases, she finally takes note of Kanna standing next to the Vice-Chief. Her pupils dilate and her fake smirk turns into a warm and genuine smile.
KATARA: Gran-Gran!
She storms the old woman, greeting her with a hug. Kenora can't help but notice her father's very skeptical expression.
KATARA: I didn't know you were in the north, I thought you'd be travelling home by now.
Kanna laughs warmly, her voice sounding relieved to see her granddaughter again.
KANNA: No, I was waiting for the right moment.
She shares a serious look with Puwati. Katara can read the tension correctly. Kenora wonders how the princess can shift to such a calculating look so fast.
KANNA: Nevertheless, I was actually hoping you'd take me along with you.
Katara scoffs, while still trying to sound polite.
KATARA: Surely you have better things to do, Gran-Gran.
She shrugs.
KANNA: Well, I accompanied your brother for a few years. Would only be fair to help you now.
A grin full of love. For some reason, Kenora thinks, the princess hesitates. Again, with a strange look that quickly shifts back to a smile.
KATARA: Of course, you can.
The old woman nods.
KANNA: Great. I have brought my things with me already.
A comically big amount of luggage is carried by an assortment of men. Katara scoffs once again, leaving Kenora to wonder why. Now it's only Puwati, his daughter, and the Crown Princess...
KATARA: Well... I'll leave you two for a moment.
She bows slightly.
KATARA: Vice-Chief.
Puwati nods and Katara leaves.
It takes the father and his daughter a few seconds to start the talks.
PUWATI: You're leaving rather abruptly.
Kenora sighs.
KENORA: I know. I was going to run back and say goodbye.
She sighs again, more heartfelt this time.
KENORA: To be honest, this whole thing happened way too fast. She wanted to leave tonight and-
PUWATI: I understand.
She's surprised by his quick answer. And the happy expression that follows it.
PUWATI: I know better to try and stop you. Should I call you "Captain" from now on?
All her worries are washed away by his very uncommon joyful expression. She runs towards him, giving him a last goodbye hug.
As she is digging the side of her face into his stomach, he hides his actual expression, one of fear.
PUWATI: Please be careful.
They separate and he smiles again, a little less energetic now.
KENORA: I will. You too.
He nods.
As he watches his daughter get on that boat, which she lovingly called Pāpaka, his worries do not end. Katara may have been able to trick the Chief-Mother, but the fact that she went along with them tells him that she still shares his worries.
There's something off about this princess. Her smile, her energy, her aura - it's all weird. It's all wrong.
All of it is wrong.
MESSENGER: Vice-Chief?
He fails to turn around, simply grunting as a response.
MESSENGER: I've been sent by His excellency, the Great Chief. He's ready to see you now.
Puwati takes a deep, long breath.
The sun is almost set. The wind has stopped howling. Everyone appears even more shocked than they already were before. Azula remains the only one standing.
AZULA: So... what does this mean?
She looks around the group, desperate for an answer.
AZULA: Guys?
ZUKO: So, if Aang were an evil spirit...
Silence, as the boy realizes how dumb it sounds.
ZUKO: Ah, forget it.
TY LEE: You're not an evil spirit, Aang. We know this. Why don't your past lives do?
AZULA: Cause they're not his past lives.
She says it so bluntly and without any forethought that it completely changes the vibe.
AZULA: What? It's true.
ZUKO: Sure but... you could be a bit nicer about it.
She pouts at her brother. Aang gets up in her defense, literally.
AANG: She's right. There's no point in having self-pity right now. We need to move forward.
He turns around, intending to head to Appa.
TY LEE: Aang, wait!
She and Zuko get up, causing him to stop.
TY LEE: You are not in this alone. We're a team.
He turns his head slightly.
ZUKO: You're powerful even without the Avatar State.
He turns around halfway. Azula uncrosses her arms.
AZULA: We have your back. Trust us.
Finally, he turns around all the way. He sighs with a heavy heart.
AANG: It was already pretty dangerous so far. Without Kenora, we would've lost Adithya. What help am I to this world if I-
AZULA: Stop.
She grabs his shoulders, firmly grounding him on the stone.
AZULA: You just said yourself, self-pity is pointless. You're worrying about stuff that didn't happen instead of looking at all the stuff that did happen.
ZUKO: Think about Musho Ichi.
TY LEE: Or the Golden City.
AZULA: Or us.
She blushes a bit when uttering those words but manages to swallow down her feelings for now.
AZULA: Think about how you changed us, how you helped us. How you helped this world.
She finally let's go and sighs.
AZULA: I'm going in circles here...
AANG: You are right.
He takes a good long look at all of them individually.
AANG: I have you. All of you. We're in this together.
Another group hug. The tension seems gone for now, though Azula can't help but feel like Aang isn't feeling that much better about it. Ty Lee knows it.
As they walk back to Appa, hoping to escape these depressing ruins, they notice the absence of one Sokka.
AZULA: Oh no, he must've-
SOKKA: Go without me.
They find him only a feet away from Appa, cowering on the ground. His voice is mat and dry.
AANG: What's going on?
SOKKA: Look at this place. My people did this, and I brushed it off like it was some minor inconvenience.
With a thousand-yard stare he looks over to Ty Lee.
SOKKA: I'm so... so sorry.
For a few seconds, no one knows how to respond.
AZULA: Oh, boo-hoo.
She stomps towards him, pulling him up by his shackles.
AANG: Azula, what-
AZULA: You listen here, prince - we have a bit of a situation with our Avatar, so I am kindly recommending that you stop moping around actually help out.
His spirit remains kaput.
SOKKA: I... how am I going to help-
To his and everyone's surprise, she unlocks his chains, allowing him to move his arms freely.
AZULA: There.
She turns around, walking past by the others and onto Appa. Sokka meanwhile is trying to find the right words, stumbling over his own voice.
SOKKA: Bu- bu- uh- wha- what about what I said earlier?
AZULA (from Appa's head): Yeah, I've been to one of your schools. Just a heads up - they lied to you about lots of things. I would starts reconsidering some of my positions if I were you.
As she scolds him from the front, Aang, Ty Lee, Zuko and eventually also Sokka share a relieved smile.
Calling it Pāpaka was a dumb idea, Kenora thought. But it also fits. It's a small, round little boat, mostly ironclad, but still carrying sails and other wooden features. It will do.
She doesn't quite know what to think of Katara, her weird bodyguard Suki, or the fact that her ex is now coming along. It's all a mess. But it's something. Something to do.
And this time she had no one in her way. She is a captain now. She can make the rules. They stand no chance, not the Avatar, and not the firebender. She smirks at her own victory. And the victories that will soon come.
Kenora finally walks back inside. Above her, hidden in the sails, hidden in the faded moonlight, a Blue Mask watches.
As Aang tries to find a landing spot for a night camp, Azula drifts back into her thoughts. The palace is empty, the serpent is gone. Or is it lurking in the shadows?
She sighs, for she does not know. For now, she managed to overcome it, silence it when it gave her spiteful advice. Advice she found somewhat compelling, but ultimately too destructive.
She leans her head on the side of the saddle, looks over to all her friends (and Sokka), hoping for their sake that, should it come back, she will be ready for it.
Ready for this Blue Dragon.