The next morning the boat was just off the shore of Irashimu. Aiori was extremely excited, while Zuko just watched her feeling a twinge of pain. Iroh watched with a mild face as she smiled into the wind. The boat ramp went down and hit the snow, causing a wave to scatter to the sides. Before running off, Aiori ran back and hugged General Iroh. He hugged her back and pat her head with love. Then she walked over to Zuko and hugged him, and touched his face with a tender hand. She walked to the edge of the ramp and looked back at the crew she had grown so close to and smiled. She waved back at them and ran off the ramp and onto the grounds on which she was born. They watched as she scurried up the snow dunes that created a natural barrier to the village. Zuko sighed and bowed his head as he walked off with the screw and his uncle to see her off. This was the moment he dreaded, the moment Aiori would leave forever.
"Mom, Dad, Chumani!" she yelled as she ran up the dune. "I'm home! I have returned!" her voice echoed. "Everyone, I'm back! I'm…" she stopped when she reached the top of the dune and looked down. The sight sent chills through her blood and made her heart stop.
There were bodies strewn in the snow just below, and blood was covering the ground. Buildings were ruined, and the proud flag that once brandished in the wind was destroy by fire. The wooden structures of the village were smoldered with ashes and everything was dead. "No." she whispered and looked upon the massacre. Her village, her people, her home…destroyed. Zuko ran up with the others and looked down and gasped from the shock! The crew began to talk amongst themselves about what they saw. Zuko walked up to Aiori and placed a hand on her shoulder. "NO!" she yelled and ran down the hill! Zuko called for her, but she didn't stop! She ran as fast as her feet would carry her, falling over and then hastily pushing herself up! She ran over to a body and looked at it. It was terrible. "No…I should have been here! I should have helped them!" she yelled. She stood up and looked around. "My family."
"Aiori," Zuko tried to talk to her.
"My family, they have to be here! They had to have done something!" and she ran over towards the royal family hut. Zuko ran after her, knowing she wouldn't like what she saw. She ran in and stopped dead in her tracks. Zuko caught up and looked at the sight with her. Her parents, and little Chumani, lay on the ground, with swords sticking out of their backs. "My family." She cried and she looked forward and saw a fire bender helmet resting on the sword that lay in her father's back. She fainted on the spot, Zuko catching her and laying her down slowly. Iroh walked in and gasped.
"Oh no…the royals." He said and then he looked down at a passed out Aiori. "What happened here?"
"Zhao," Zuko said with clenched teeth. "He did this."
"This is so wrong." Iroh said. "Zhao should not have done this. He had no reason."
"He did Uncle," Zuko explained, "He wanted revenge on Aiori. He knows of Aiori's destiny…he wanted to see to it that she is unable to do so, and he's willing to do anything to get his way."
"That's why he tried to kill her."
"He wants to end Irashimu." And Zuko looked around and sighed, "And that's what he did." He looked back down at Aiori. "But he missed one. As long as Aiori is alive, Irashimu will always exist and the legend will live on. She is all that is left of Irashimu, and if he wants to get to her, he'll have to go through me first."