Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate hearing the feedback from you guys!

The rest of the chapters in the story have all been fully edited and updated just so that you know. Everything that happened in them is the same plot-wise, but I did add small dialogue and descriptions to make it flow better - as I had done in the previously edited chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender

XxXxXxXxXxX

"This fiend who has wounded the mighty Agni, you are certain that he used… energybending?" The Chief of the Sun Warriors stared at Aang and Azula raised an eyebrow at the audacity of the question; the man was certainly willing to challenge his betters.

Aang rubbed his fingers against his forehead. "Yes, Chief, I am certain. I don't know how to fix it, at least not yet. Do any of you have an idea? I'm more than open to hearing them."

"It's not Agni himself who is injured, though," she pointed out. "He has only become weakened by the plague unleashed by Lee."

"So if you somehow went directly to Agni, it wouldn't do anything?" Katara questioned and Azula wondered if there was already a new generation of the Fire Royal Family in her womb; it was amusing for Zuko to think that she wouldn't notice the change between them. "Is that right, Aang?"

"That's correct," her husband sighed tiredly and Azula placed a consoling hand on his shoulder for a brief moment. "The only way that I know how I could definitively fix it is if I manually entered the chi of all of the infected ones."

"You would never be able to find them all before the plague spread through the Four Nations, if it can affect other benders." Zuko's hand scratched the Dragon, Druk's head, "I'm a poor Fire Lord because I don't know how bad the Fire Nation is right now, but from what uncle said, it sounded like it were many who were infected. This plague spreads like fire itself; it's ironic."

"Mother agrees with that assessment," she said after a moment. "She raised the same point about how the plague seems to exhibit characteristics of actual firebending, at least its destructive capabilities."

Katara frowned, "Where is she? I haven't seen her."

"She's entertaining Samir whilst we talk, hopefully figuring out a way to stop the plague and reverse its effects." Aang stared upward into the sky, directly at Agni's dim light. "All Firebenders rely on the sun, on Agni's light. If the plague directly targets Firebenders only, Agni himself might hold the answer to it… Do any of you have ideas?"

"This is energybending, Aang," Katara sounded apologetic. "The only one who understands it is you."

Aang blinked, "Then let's change that."

Azula raised her brow, "What?"

"I can teach you all energybending," her husband perked up; the shadows in his gray eyes dispersed. "It's not exclusive to only me; any bender can master it, although your feats will not all be the same. Just as how each bender, no matter the element, is different in terms of skill and power, an Energybender is the same."

"Why now?" She questioned, "This could have been useful before now."

"I hadn't thought about it. You've already used energybending, though. Remember when we faced your father for the first time in the Spirit World? You used the- "

"The spiritual lightning attack," she murmured.

"I trust your judgment, Aang," her brother nodded his head. "If you think that it would be beneficial, then I would master it."

Katara's eyes brightened, "This could be one of the ways we rebuild the Order of the White Lotus! Only Masters, Grandmasters, and Sages know energybending!"

"Yes, I like that, Katara," the smile slowly faltered on Aang's face. "I'm sorry, Chief, but I will not be teaching you or your firebending Sun Warriors energybending."

"None of us would want to learn such an art that has weakened the mighty Agni," the Chief backed away. "I will leave you to it, Avatar Aang."

Azula watched as the Chief left, "I find him quite fanatical."

"Think of their way of life, Azula," her brother pointed out, leaning forward. "He has been raised in an ancient civilization that is separate from the Fire Nation."

"They are your subjects, are they not, Zuzu?"

"Yes, but I will respect their customs."

"What a merciful Fire Lord you are."

"I like to think so. Anyway, Aang, are you sure about this? If you start this, it could lead to a threat in the future, an Energybender who is disillusioned, perhaps a member of the Order itself. You are opening a path to new threats if you do this."

Aang paused and closed his eyes. "So you think that only an Avatar should have this power?"

"Well… a little bit," her brother hesitated before leaning forward. "Ultimately, it's your decision, but you are the most powerful being in the world, probably in both Realms. You can take someone as powerful as my father's bending away. What's more powerful than that?" Zuko's golden eyes were staring at Aang intently; she understood his line of thought and while she agreed with it, she also didn't. "Should anyone else have access to that sort of power? I mean, look at what Lee, an Energybender has been able to do. He has unleashed a plague using energybending to decimate my nation and people. It's the most powerful bending art and someone, such as Lee, could use it for… wicked purposes."

"You always assume the worst," Katara jested half-heartedly in a murmur. "Why do you do that?"

"I'm being realistic. At least I'm not as bad as I used to be. I now hope for the best but prepare for the worst."

Before Aang could speak, Azula cut in. "All bending arts are dangerous, Zuzu. A Waterbender can use bloodbending. An Earthbender can suck someone into the earth, suffocating them. A Firebender can shoot lightning, use combustion-bending, or raise one's internal body temperature. Airbenders can suck the air out of someone's lungs and compress the air pressure until one's body explodes. Energybending can take one's bending away but it can also give it to someone in Samir's case. I think that we should learn it. Since Lee received it from Vaatu, there is the chance that others could receive it regardless. Look at the plague; it sounds like the infected have received a tainted form of energybending and that is why they attack other Firebenders to spread it - have it burn like fire itself. There need to be people who can and know how to stop an Energybender."

Aang nodded his head, "Exactly. I'm going to teach you all, those I think wouldn't abuse it."

"Fair enough," her brother shrugged. "So how do we learn energybending?"

Her husband's lips pulled into a smile. "Energybending is quite like firebending, actually, so you and Azula - and any Firebender, too - will have an easier time mastering it than the other benders."

Katara frowned, "Why is that, Aang? Why do Firebenders have the advantage?"

"Because energybending focuses on the energy inside someone, and firebending focuses on the same: one's inner flame. It will feel familiar to Firebenders, that's why."

"Could Sokka learn it?

Azula cut in, "She has raised an excellent point. Is it possible for non-benders to learn it at all?"

"No. Benders have a large, definitive advantage that non-benders never will and it's a crucial difference."

"I think that I understand," she tilted her head in contemplation. "A bender has more chi and better chi flow than a non-bender and thus, more energy to manipulate, to feel in others. They can learn energybending because of it while non-benders cannot; the difference is in the chi."

Aang smiled at her, "Very good."

"How do we learn it?" Katara straightened, "Do you… give it to us?"

"Ultimately, yes. It requires knowledge and the only one who has the necessary knowledge is me, Dark, the Lion Turtles, the Elemental Spirits, and the Ancient Spirits such as Koh and probably Wan Shi Tong - and presumably Ozai, too, because of Dark."

Zuko groaned, "That's fantastic. Ozai is gaining power daily, it seems."

"He probably is," her husband said bluntly. "I've desperately searched for Dark but I can't find him; his power clouds my senses. He knows more tricks than I do, I guess." Aang shook his head and sat down in front of them. "This is what the Lion Turtle told me: 'the true mind can weather all of the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can tough through the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginningless time, Darkness thrives in the Void but always yields to purifying Light.' He then told me that in the era before Wan became Avatar, they bent not the elements, but the energies within yourself, and to bend another's energy, your own spirit must be unbendable. If not, you will be corrupted and destroyed."

Azula blinked, "And what exactly does that mean?"

Aang paused for a moment. "What it means is- …no, here's an example: I used energybending on Ozai and the monster did not give up easily; his spirit and energy were intense and because I was only a 12-year-old boy at the time, it nearly crushed me."

"What would have happened if you had been… crushed?" Zuko demanded, posture tense. "Would you have been killed?"

"If I had been crushed, your father's energy would have mixed with my own, his personality and mind more than likely destroying mine, corrupting everything." Aang shook his head, sighing audibly. "I believe that he would have been in control of my entire body, all of the power of an Avatar at his fingertips; the world would have been doomed."

Azula felt the urge to touch her husband and placed a gentle hand on his tense shoulder. "That was quite a gamble, then."

"Yes, it was," Aang stared at her in regret. "I shouldn't have done it. I see that, now. I risked the entire world's future on my personal beliefs. Yangchen was correct and I should have listened to her; it was a child's naivety and foolishness that has led to all of this. Because of my… folly, Ozai is still alive to wreak chaos across the world, across my world that I'm supposed to protect."

"Dark would have been freed regardless," she said after a moment, understanding her husband's line of thought. "If you had killed my father, which would have burdened you so much more back then because you were not ready for such an act, Dark could have always chosen a different vessel full of hatred after he escaped from the Tree of Time. The world brims over with hatred-filled men, Aang; my father is at the forefront, but there are more possibilities from which to choose."

Katara nodded, "It's not your fault, Aang. Don't blame yourself over something that you had no control over."

Aang placed his large hand over Azula's own and squeezed gratefully. "Thank you. I needed that," his gray eyes swept over them all. "Are you sure that you want to master energybending? It's one of, if not the most dangerous bending art of all as Zuko said earlier; there were reasons why it went extinct."

"We're all adults, now, Aang," her brother said after a moment, his words clear and purposeful. "No child should ever learn energybending and frankly, it sounds like the only reason why you survived against my father was that you're the Avatar. Katara, Azula, Toph, Bor, King Bumi, my mother, my uncle, and I are all adults, not children. We can handle it. There's no one group of benders who I would trust more."

"I agree," a small smile spread over Aang's lips and Azula felt relieved. "Yes, you're right," he stood to his feet and immediately placed his thumbs on Azula's bosom and forehead. "Let's get started, then."

XxXxXxXxXxX

All of the Nobles were packed into the Throne Room before Hahn's icy throne, demanding answers. What happened to Chief Arnook? What about the rumors of an invasion force coming for them? What about the news of an assassin? Where was Sokka, the rightful heir?

Hahn waved his hand and they all begrudgingly fell silent, eyes distrustful and angry. "My friends, I am sorry for all of the vicious discontents that have swept through you all. I have called you all here to share the truth."

"What has happened, Hahn? Where is Chief Arnook? Is it true? Was he…?"

"It is sadly true, my friends; he was killed in front of me by a zealous Waterbender." Hahn bowed his head, trying to convey anger and sorrow. "It was a man and he smacked me aside before I could protect Chief Arnook. He knocked me into darkness," he showed the wound that he had inflicted upon himself on the side of his head; the dried blood was vivid to see. "When I awoke, the Chief laid dead before me."

Horrified gasps echoed as many of the Nobles fell to their knees, every move displaying sorrow and shock. Chief Arnook's wife bowed her head but managed to barely keep her composure at the announcement of her husband's murder; Hahn had informed her previously and it had been tense beyond anything that he had experienced before.

"What will happen now, then? Sokka isn't here!"

All numerous pairs of eyes stared at him and he inhaled slowly, trying to refrain from casting suspicion unto himself. "Yes, but the reason why Chief Arnook had summoned me was to discuss the succession of the Chiefdom; he named me his new heir and that upon his death, I would become the new Chief of the Northern Water Tribe." Shocked gasps ensued and hushed, unintelligible conversations flooded his ears at his words, but he raised his voice to continue. "My friends, I am now your new Chief!"

"My husband didn't confide this news to me, Hahn." Chief Arnook's wife suddenly declared, cutting through everyone else's conversations; she glared at him heatedly, eyes shadowed with deep grief and suspicion. "Master Pakku and Sokka would not agree with this; they should decide- "

"But Master Pakku and Sokka are not here," he snapped. "I am, and the burden of the icy throne falls to no other but me. Chief Arnook would have wanted nothing else; he told me as much."

"What about the assassin? Has he been caught?" One of the men demanded, "They say that the bastard killed two of the guards!"

"He is still on the loose, but I have our guards on the hunt for this elusive monster," he assured. "He murdered our former Chief and two of our guards. I will not rest until he is caught and severely punished for his evil deeds."

"And the rumors of an invasion force, Hahn?"

"It's Chief Hahn," he corrected sharply, ignoring the frown on Chief Arnook's wife's face.

The man spluttered in shame. "Yes, of course. Forgive me… Chief Hahn."

"The rumors are true but we don't know who is attacking us," he sunk in his icy throne, suddenly wondering what need he had of Vaatu any longer. Vaatu had promised him the icy throne, but Hahn had acquired it on his own through sheer dedication. Now, he needn't ally with Vaatu; he didn't need the spirit anymore. "We will destroy the invasion," he cried out, raising his fist in the air. "Prepare the men and I will lead us to assured victory!" Hahn laughed freely, the potential glory of his leadership spurring him on; he would be remembered! "I will be remembered as Chief Hahn, the freer of freedom! We will be victorious under me, he who will be immortalized for his bravery and strength. I will command the ocean and seas against all of our enemies! I am Chief Hahn so join me, my friends, as I wipe out Vaatu's invasion force, and the Northern Water Tribe will prevail!"

Silence met his declaration and Hahn began to feel trepidation as Chief Arnook's wife's eyes gleamed with triumph. "I thought that you had said that you didn't know who was attacking us, Hahn?"

"Yeah, he did say that!" One of the men exclaimed, "Why'd you say Vaatu, then? Did you lie to us, Hahn?"

"It's Chief Hahn!" He roared, "It was a slip of the tongue, that is all. As I said, I will lead us to victory and be remembered as- "

The moon's light suddenly pierced through the roof of the palace, through the cracks and holes offered for praise to the Moon Spirit, and the beam shone blindingly in front of the icy throne. Before Hahn's stunned eyes, before all of the Nobles, words began to be carved into the ice where the moonlight hit, the screeching sound grating to everyone's ears. Hahn leaned forward but couldn't glimpse the words because the lettering was upside down; only the Nobles could read it.

"Hahn, the Chief-Slayer," one of the men breathed and raised his sudden distrusting eyes towards him, all of the others following. "It reads: Hahn, the Chief-Slayer!"

"He is the murderer of Chief Arnook and the two guards," a soft voice whispered and Hahn's face drained of blood when he recognized it as Yue's voice; she was nowhere to be seen, but her voice echoed all around them. "He has lied to you; he has blotted Sokka's reputation all so that he could seize control of the Chiefdom. He wounded himself to mask his evil deeds, and he works with the dreadful Vaatu; he is a traitor. The ships that are coming to the Northern Water Tribe, Hahn has known about them; he led them to you all."

The voice vanished and all was silent until Chief Arnook's wife seized the opportunity to point at him while Hahn was deprived of words. "It is a sign from the Moon Spirit, my beautiful girl! We have heard it all: Hahn is the assassin, the traitor to us all! He wishes our destruction and has led an invasion straight to us!"

"That bitch," he whispered just before he tried to dash away, but his feet were frozen to the ice. The Nobles stomped towards him, spears of ice forming in their hands. "Let me go! I am your Chief!"

"He who must declare himself Chief is no Chief, you fiend!" Chief Arnook's wife shrieked, "Kill him! Somebody kill the assassin who murdered my husband!"

"You will pay for what you did in the Spirit World, Chief-Slayer," the leading man, who he recognized as Master Pakku's son, barked out while looming over him. "You're right, liar: you will be remembered but only as Hahn, the Chief-Slayer. None of us liked you; we all liked Sokka more."

"Fuck you!" Hahn spat, trying to reach for his dagger but before he could react, Pakku's son speared the ice through his chest.

He grasped weakly at the icy spear plunged into his chest but felt his strength fading as the murderous eyes of all of the men condemned him, the blood dripping from his lips a terrible realization: he was going to die. The ice faded from around his feet and he toppled forward, the men sliding to the side as Hahn's head smacked against the ice, pain erupting through his mind, but new pain overwhelmed it. He felt smashing feet crack against his head and back as the men began to trample him, stomping and kicking like a Polar Dog.

"We may be Nobles, Chief-Slayer, but we know of revenge and death and blood!" One of the men pulled Hahn's head up and gripped it on the sides; he then yanked it down with terrible force and his nose smashed against the ice, the bone exploding back, shooting up to pierce his brain.

"Hahn, your afterlife will not be a gentle one," the voice of Yue reached his ears as he laid dying beneath the feet of furious Water Tribesmen. "You murdered my father; your punishment has scarcely begun. You have brought this upon yourself, Chief-Slayer."

He felt his spirit leave his body; he saw Yue's wrathful gaze, and then nothing.

XxXxXxXxXxX

"What happened to her?" Jin asked softly, hugging herself, the fire casting her face in grief; she still wore Bor's shirt. "Was it one of those men?"

Bor looked up from his position of bandaging Toph's feet; the sight of her blackened, oozing, and maimed feet would forever haunt him. "It was the Butcher, the leader of all of the men and women who… plundered Ba Sing Se; he scorched her feet, the only way that she can see, with lava. He said that he was going to sire sons through her; he took her source of sight from her so that she would be powerless when he… raped her."

"I see," the woman's face was streaked with dried tears. "I'm sorry."

Suki handed him more bandages, looking at Jin while Bor gingerly wrapped the gauze around the soles of Toph's feet. "Why didn't you get away when you had the chance after we all fully escaped Ba Sing Se? Why are you still with us? It could be dangerous."

"I almost did," her reply was a whisper and Bor looked up for a moment, glimpsing the haunted eyes reflected by the fire before continuing his work, ears listening. "I'm not sure if I can tell you why I haven't abandoned you three."

"Four." Suki corrected softly, "I'm pregnant."

"I suspected but didn't want to be wrong. Forgive me."

"Why did you stay with us?"

Bor barely saw Jin's posture tighten. "Maybe it was the rape, but I don't know if I'm being honest with you all. I have always been told that it is the absolute worst thing that a woman can ever experience. I believe it now, by Devi, I do. And I heard the fury and disgust in King Bor's voice when he appeared to shout at that animal. I'll never be able to forget that moment for as long as I live, no matter how much that I want to. Maybe it's the fact that King Bor, my King saved my life. I can't be certain."

"Knowing that the Butcher's men are most likely hunting us, you still chose to stay." Bor wondered aloud, fingers delicately bending the gauze to stretch across the expanse of Toph's maimed feet. "You're quite brave, Jin, or crazy."

"Brave will do, King Bor."

"I'm very concerned that Toph hasn't awakened yet." Suki interrupted in a whisper, features pinched with a terrible guilt that Bor didn't understand. "This can't be good for her."

"It might be better," he finished the bandages and stared at Toph's unconscious face. "I can't even imagine her reaction to the truth; she would be… truly blind."

"If we don't get to Aang and Katara quickly, I fear that her feet may have to be amputated to stop infection from spreading."

"I know," he grimaced, trying to keep his emotions in check; they all needed him to be strong - just as his grandfather! "Do you have any idea where the Sun Warriors are?"

"No."

Jin wiped away sudden tears. "I don't understand all of this. Why would they…? I was a Noble! I was supposed to be safe, but I wasn't and my husb- husband died."

"The Butcher and his loyalists cared nothing for any of that; they were insane." Bor stared at the woman, "We both lost much because of them."

"Your grandfather," Jin looked hesitant. "King Bumi, he was killed?"

Bor inhaled roughly, the grief thrashing inside. "Yes. He was tortured by the Butcher and then killed by the Whore."

"Whore?" Jin stiffened and he remembered what fate had almost befallen her.

"Sorry. I mean that."

"Who was the… the Whore, then?"

"The Whore was the Butcher's large-eared sister and lover; she deserved what happened to her."

Suki's hands were still rooted on her stomach. "Do you think that what they said was true about Avatar Kyoshi, how she… laid with the Conqueror and… bore him a child, a son?"

"It would explain how powerful they were, the Butcher and Whore, descendants of not only Chin the Conqueror but Avatar Kyoshi, as well." Bor commented quietly, "I don't know, though. It could have been the truth or a lie. We'll never know."

"Bor, I'm so sorry that- …it's my fault," she closed her eyes tightly. "If it weren't for me, Toph wouldn't be maimed and Bumi wouldn't- he wouldn't be dead."

"Don't do that," he pleaded, feeling his own emotions rise precariously. "Don't play the blame game."

"But it's true; it's my fault. We could have all escaped if I wasn't pregnant, if I wasn't the weak link of the group."

"Perhaps, but that's all in hindsight, isn't it?" Bor swallowed, holding up a hand to stall her. "It is my fault, too. My… grandfather would still be alive if I had simply killed the Whore instead of strangling her with my bare hands."

"Why did you do that?" Jin asked, her words tender.

"The rage was overwhelming. After I killed the ones who were holding the ropes, I could have crushed the Whore with a boulder while she was distracted, but I ran at her instead, killing her with my bare hands because after my- " he swallowed and he was unable to keep the tears from spilling down his cheeks. "After my grandfather's discovery that the Butcher was the Sage of Vandals, I reckoned that the Whore was the only person in the world - beyond himself, of course - who the Butcher cared for. At that point, he had taken my father from me, maimed Toph, and de-limbed my grandfather. My grandfather ultimately took what the Butcher cared for most, but I took what was second most precious. I wanted them both to suffer and I thought that killing the Whore with my bare hands would do that, but it only secured my… grandfather's… demise."

Movement.

Panic erupted through him and Bor was prepared for an attack, but it was Toph - she was twitching! He prayed that she would stay in slumber, but he knew that it wasn't to be when her eyelids fluttered open and her milky eyes bulged in pure, unadulterated horror and panic.

"Let me go!" She screamed, thrashing, fists smashing into Bor's side and he grunted. "I can't see! Where am I? WHERE? Oh, it hurts! Bor! Bor! Where are you?"

"I'm here, Toph," he said in what he hoped was a soothing voice. "It's okay, we're all safe."

She stilled and he saw her feet move slightly, stretching and he saw blood begin to soak the bandages; then she began to shake, tears spilling down her cheeks, horrifying realization carved into her blood-drained face. "My feet, he- he… the lava… it hurts…" she choked out, her features a mass of distraught hysteria.

Bor pulled her up into his chest as the tears soaked his bare chest, his own tears spilling into her hair, the sight of her maimed feet a cursed beacon to his eyes. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, not knowing what else to say, not knowing if he could say anything else.

Suki crawled over and placed a quivering hand on Toph's back. "Toph, it will be okay. Aang and Katara will heal your feet; we'll find them, we must."

"How will we find them?" The words bumbled past her lips in a frantic rush. "None of us know where they are! I'm ruined! My feet are… burned! I can't see!"

"I guess we'll just have to hope that- "

"Hope is not a fucking strategy!" Toph's hands crunched against the soil and she seemed to sigh against his chest. "I- I can still see somewhat; I'm not tru- truy blind. At least that- that sick fuck didn't take my- my hands," the tears still flowed freely as she pulled back, stumbling as she tried to stand on her feet.

"No!" Bor shouted and locked her in place with his arm, keeping her from standing up. "You can't; you'll make it worse!"

"I doubt that it would get worse," she hissed and bowed her head, seeming to pull into herself, quivering as her finger weakly pointed at Jin. "Who is she?"

Suki answered, "Her name is Jin, a former Noble in Ba Sing Se who Bor saved from…"

Toph stilled and Bor noticed that her head was riveted where her maimed feet were. "From what? Tell me. I need the distraction."

"It's a horror-filled one," he murmured.

"My husband was… he was killed by an animal, and then that animal ripped me away from Thryn's body; he was on top of me, raping me." Jin's voice shook but her words were clear, a true Noble. "After which, I suspect that he would have killed me; there was no way that I was going to live. King Bor appeared and saved my life, slaying the animal and two other monsters."

"What?" Toph's head popped up, her death-like pale features highlighted by the flames. "King Bor? No, no, where's Bumi?" Her head began to look around and her fingers dug into the soil. "He's fine, isn't he? I… I can't hear or feel him."

Bor scrunched his features tightly, trying to control his emotions. "You were unconscious. Grandfather's limbs were sliced off with lava by the Butcher but because grandfather was… he was so remarkable, he used his face to- to metalbend a shard through the Butcher's skull to kill him; he then used his face to free me and I killed everyone else, who were all too stunned to react." Toph had become eerily still but Bor continued, knowing that if he didn't, he would never be able to say the words again. "I strangled the Whore with my own hands, but she managed one final strike against grandfather; he… he died minutes later."

"I'm so sorry," she whispered and one of her dirty hands cupped his cheek, and Bor nestled into the contact, feeling his own sorrow augment at the sight of Toph's visible grief; the tears flowed down her cheeks as the pain in her milky eyes were prominent to his own. "I loved him as a father."

He swallowed and pulled her into his chest, sinking his face into her hair. "I did, too; he was the only one who was always there for me no matter what."

"That fuck is dead?" Toph's voice shook against his bare chest, "The Whore and Butcher are no more?"

"Yes, they are dead." Suki said softly, "Bor carried you while he and I escaped; we stumbled upon Jin, and Bor rescued her from a terrible fate and- "

"Thank you again, King Bor," Jin stared at him from across the with such gratefulness that he felt overwhelmed.

"You're welcome, Jin."

"- we tunneled our way out of Ba Sing Se and have stopped here to rest." Suki continued, voice soft and gentle. "We're trying to get to the Sun Warriors' ruins so that Aang and Katara can heal your feet and we can… tell everyone what happened. I dread Aang's reaction."

Toph swallowed thickly and Bor held her tighter, feeling her hands sink into the ground between his legs, probing and gripping harshly. "And Ba Sing Se?"

"We don't know," he answered into her hair. "It's been overrun and I don't know how many were killed by the Butcher's men."

"Chyung and Ba Sing Se are without Kings, then."

"I know," he nodded solemnly. "When all of this- "

"What happened to the King of Chyung?" Jin demanded in a disturbed gasp, suddenly sitting straighter. "Bipin was killed?"

"Yes, by one of the Butcher's men, the advisor. Two of the Four Major Earth Kingdom Cities are King-less, now. When all of this is over, this new war with Dark and Ozai, we have a lot of work to do."

"I have family in Chyung," Jin whispered, hugging herself. "I hope that the rest of them are all right."

"Are they Nobles, too?" Suki asked, "Are they like you?"

"I am from Chyung's oldest Noble House. King Bipin is- was my cousin; he spoke with me… before everything happened."

"That's why we waited so long," he murmured in realization. "You two were catching up."

"That moron?" Toph questioned, her words muffled but heard clearly. "He was as arrogant as any Firebender who I've ever met."

Jin nodded, "Yes. He wasn't bright, but that comes from his father, I'm sure; it wasn't from my aunt. We were never close to one another; it was only obligation that he spoke with me."

"Will Chyung fall into disarray? Is there an heir?"

"No, there isn't. His royal claim comes from my aunt instead of my uncle and my aunt died when he was young; she had no further children. There is no male heir to Chyung's throne."

Bor closed his eyes, "That will make every man eager to seduce all of the female heirs, then."

"Unfortunately."

"Why were you in Ba Sing Se, then?" Toph finally turned away from his chest and her face was still streaked with tears. "Why didn't you marry someone in Chyung?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because if I don't keep my mind off of what that fucker did to me, I'm going to become insane. Tell me, Jin."

"I loved my husband but I didn't always; it was a match between our families. His father and my own had been fighting over who found a collection of rare gems first, so they arranged our marriage."

"You don't have any brothers?"

"No. I am the eldest girl among my father's three daughters."

"It makes sense why he'd be so eager to see you married, then. With no son, he would have lost it regardless."

Jin nodded, "It would have stayed in the family through my children."

Bor felt a terrible thought occur to him. "I know that your… husband was killed, but did you have any children, any young ones who were…" he discovered that he couldn't even finish the thought.

"No, King Bor. Thryn and I had been trying, but I never carried a child to full-term."

"That's good," he muttered before inhaling sharply in realization. "I mean, about the Butcher's men having no targets through your children. I didn't mean your… inability to- to…"

"Just stop talking," Toph whispered. "You'll make it worse; she understood what you meant."

Jin smiled tightly, "I did understand, King Bor."

"Sorry."

"There's no need for that. All of our minds are frazzled and tired; rest would be the best remedy."

"I won't be able to sleep," he said softly. "I can't."

"That makes two of us," Toph informed him just as quietly. "I guess Bor and I will take watch but…" a bitter and haunted smile graced her lips; the tears returned to her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. "I won't be watching, only Bor will be. I physically can't except for my hands; I'm all but… useless now, a true- true blind girl."

"I'm sorry, Toph," Suki approached loudly, no doubt making sure that her presence was heard and felt. "If I hadn't been there, you wouldn't have been… maimed."

Toph snorted but it lacked the energy that it usually did and the sound filled Bor with even more grief. "We don't know that. That sick fuck and his crazy whore could have done something else; they were insane enough to do anything. And I don't want you to be regretful. It was me who left you vulnerable; when I felt Bor being choked, instinct took over and I rushed to him to save him. I wasn't thinking, only reacting. Plus, I kind of forgot that you were pregnant. I was used to the skilled, able Kyoshi Warrior and I left you by yourself. It all started because of my mistake."

"But- "

"And Bor and I stopped attacking of our own free will; we- we knew what we were doing." Toph's fingers crunched the soil and her head then turned to look at Suki; she sniffed and used one of her dirty hands to wipe away her tears, leaving a smear on her cheek. "You're my friend and Snoozle's wife; you're pregnant with his spawn. I would always do what I must to make sure that you three are safe until Snoozles gets back. I'm not going to condemn you for my plight; the- the blame belongs solely to that sick fuck and his crazy whore."

"Three?" Suki whispered after a moment; she looked startled and grateful all at once. "Did you misspeak?"

"I guess now is as good a time as ever. I've known for a while." Toph's words were soft and even Bor stared at her in shock. "There are two of Snoozle's spawn in your womb; their heartbeats are strong."

"Congratulations," Jin smiled gently; her ears still shone with sorrow. "The spirits have blessed you."

"So that is what Yue meant. That clever wom- spirit." Suki blinked her shock aside and wiped away sudden tears; she kneeled and slowly wrapped her arms around Toph. "Thank you for what you did for me. Both my child and- children and I would be dead if it weren't for what you and Bor did." Toph nodded against Suki's shoulder but didn't say anything. "My words cannot easily express how grateful I am, but perhaps if you name my firstborn, then you will understand."

Toph finally perked up, "You… you want me to name your firstborn?"

"Yes."

A slow grin spread across Toph's face and the sight relieved Bor more than anything; the distraction worked. "Snoozles isn't going to like that, you know? He'd want to name both of them, probably something hilarious."

"It doesn't matter; he will abide by my decision if he knows what's good for him."

"I would be honored, Suki." Toph patted Bor's hand with what once seemed like lost enthusiasm. "I'll pick something that will be remembered forever."

Suki faltered, "Please don't make me regret this."

Toph laughed and it lifted Bor's spirits and based on Suki's expression, it lifted her own. "You already gave your word! It's too late to take it back! Oh, I can't wait to hear what Snoozles says!"

Staring around at everyone, Bor reckoned that perhaps, they would be okay. While they had no idea where the Sun Warriors were, or if Avatar Aang was even still there, he felt better about their chances than previously.

XxXxXxXxXxX

"You have made great progress," he smiled and controlled some small bursts of wind to entertain Samir. "I shouldn't be surprised, but I am."

Azula smirked, "We are prodigies, Aang."

"You three are prodigies," Zuko corrected, pointing at Azula, Katara, and Ursa. Aang raised an eyebrow at his friend as he continued. "You all understood energybending almost immediately and outshone my output."

"Perhaps, Zuzu, but where you outshone us was in sheer determination and willpower. I would wager that because of those qualities, you rival any of us in energybending, save for Aang."

Katara placed a gentle on hand on Zuko's shoulder. "You work harder than all of us and possess a commitment that I can't fathom."

"I suppose."

"You know of your father's struggles with bending, Zuko." Ursa calmly stated, "He always had the raw power, the greatest that I have ever encountered for firebending, but not the skill. He was surpassed by many and humiliated often but because of his determination and willpower, he is now the strongest and deadliest Firebender in the world."

"The Avatar is the holder of that title, mother." Azula declared with utter confidence. "He is above him."

Aang was unable to keep the short bubble of laughter from escaping his lips. "Maybe, Azula, but your father is at heart, a Firebender. He can master all of the elements but foremost, he will always be strongest in his firebending. Likewise, I will always be strongest in airbending, although I have become stronger in the other elements to the point where others can't discern a difference. Ozai is a more powerful Firebender than I am."

Azula frowned, "As Aang, perhaps, but as the Avatar, no. If you enter the Avatar State, your firebending is boundless. Nothing can compare to it."

"But that's cheating."

"In true war, there is no such thing."

"All right," he chuckled and sat Samir down. "You raise excellent points. I give up."

"Only you could bring the Avatar to his knees," Katara murmured without bitterness. "The more I experience it, the more amusing it becomes."

Zuko shook his head, "I have yet to reach that point."

Azula smirked as Samir bolted towards Momo, trying to catch him. "Do not worry, Zuzu. There will be plenty of time to get you there."

Aang's senses suddenly prickled and he stiffened. No one else noticed or felt it, but he did. Someone was trying to reach him - a spirit.

"Avatar Aang."

"Yue," he turned around and there, Yue floated before him as a specter; none of the others could see her.

"The situation is dire."

"What are you talking about?" Aang demanded, stepping forward; he dimly noticed that the others had detected the change and they stared at him in concern, wondering what was going on. "What has happened?"

"The Northern Water Tribe has become ever more strident in the past weeks. Hahn fanned the flames of discontent and fear; he even reached my father, and in my weakness, I failed him. He was murdered by Hahn."

Aang's eyes widened and he scarcely breathed. "Chief Arnook is dead?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Azula's own eyes widen at his words. "I'm so sorry, Yue."

Yue smiled sadly; her ethereal eyes shed tears. "I was unable to stop it. Hahn killed again after; he murdered two of the Royal Guards."

"He killed two Waterbenders?" Aang contained his disbelief and horror as best as he could. "I would have never thought. How?"

"Yes. They were in such a panic that after my father was assassinated by Hahn, they were not prepared for Hahn himself to be the assassin. He took great advantage of their distraction. I watched it all. Hahn was inherently trusted when should not have been. He had been blatantly garnering favor for the past months and my father had not yet revealed that Hahn was a traitor. He had chosen to confront him instead, which led to his murder."

Aang's eyes closed in anger and sadness. "I will fix this, Yue."

"The Northern Water Tribe is in desperate need of your aid, but it is not for that."

"What do you mean?"

"I achieved my vengeance on Hahn; he took the Chiefdom but I revealed the truth of his actions and the foul stench of his lies. Hahn was killed by a furious mob of Nobles. I then took his spirit and condemned him to the thorniest areas of the Gardens of the Dead; his afterlife will not be a gentle one. For eternity, his flesh will be brutally pierced by thorns."

Digesting those words, Aang nodded and focused not on Hahn, but what Yue needed. "I would congratulate you, but it's not in my nature for something so… vengeful."

"You are notorious in the Spirit World for your ability to inflict vengeance, Avatar Aang."

Aang frowned, "That doesn't- that is not important right now. If not for Hahn, why does the Northern Water Tribe need my aid? What has happened? Do I need to find Sokka and take him there?"

"That would be ideal, but there is something much more pressing." Yue's form wavered, "I haven't much time."

"Then speak quickly!"

"Hahn was allied with Vaatu before his death; he led Darkness and Chaos straight to the North. As we speak, they are about to- "

Dread hissed in Aang's ears and he whirled around, ignoring the confused and concerned faces of his friends, daughter, and wife. "We must leave! Come on! The Northern Water Tribe is facing extinction! Everyone, get on Appa! NOW!"

"Avatar Aang!" Yue cried out and Aang froze; he turned around and swallowed at the visible terror on the spirit's spectral face. "Vaatu is here!"

XxXxXxXxXxX

"What?" Iroh stared at the messenger in horror and shock; he stood to his feet. "That can't be. I don't believe a word of it! It's a trick; it must be! My brother is devious beyond any other; he would send this false message to spread even more fear during this plague!"

The messenger swallowed thickly. "It is true, Prince Iroh. I would never tell you otherwise. It's been confirmed through multiple, authentic sources that have been loyal to Fire Lord Zuko throughout his reign. The entire Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se burned; it's gone and many thousands died. If not for a Waterbender and some resourceful Earthbenders in the Middle Ring, the lava and fires would have consumed the entire city and most of its inhabitants."

Shuddering, he braced himself against the wall, terrified at the thought of how many were and could have been killed if not for the Waterbender and Earthbenders. "The Four Nation's most-populated city could have been destroyed, but by whom? Who did this? There are over a million people in Ba Sing Se!"

"From what I know, these men called themselves vandals who answered only to their sage."

"And King Bumi? Has there been any word about him, Prince Bor, Lady Toph, and Lady Suki?"

"Over a dozen bodies were found in what remained of the palace, my liege. They were discovered in the remnants of the Throne Room…"

"And?" He pressed desperately. "Speak!"

"One has been identified as the limbless body of… of King Bumi of Ba Sing Se, former King of Omashu."

The words floated in the air of the Fire Lord's privy chambers and Iroh staggered back before he collapsed into the chair. His eyes closed as the truth flared with the intensity of Sozin's Comet.

"My friend," he felt the tears spill down his cheeks. "He's gone…? He died without limbs?"

"I'm sorry for your loss, my liege. Based on how he died, many believe that torture was utilized before his demise."

His training as an heir to Sozin converged in his mind and he shook himself out of his grief - for now. "And the other bodies?"

"King Bipin of Chyung was recognized as one of the corpses and his personal guards were surrounding him. They were slaughtered."

While trying to blink away his shock, he found it hard to; the murder of an anointed King - two anointed Kings! - was unthinkable, usually. "What about the others?"

"No one knows who the last bodies are, my liege. Based on the reaction of the vandals, it is believed that they were their leaders and fellow vandals. The two bodies that these vandals expressed the most grief over were a woman and man's. The interesting part about the man is that there is a large, gruesome hole through his skull; it is what killed him. The woman was strangled to death."

"What were the descriptions of these two bodies?"

"From what was described, the man was older, around your age, Prince Iroh. The woman was younger but it said that she had the largest ears of anyone ever encountered."

Iroh stared into his chalice of firewhiskey. "At least Prin- King Bor, Lady Toph, and Lady Suki are okay… Has there been any word on their location? What about my sister, niece, and Fire Lord Zuko? What of Avatar Aang?"

"No one knows about King Bor, Lady Toph, and Lady Suki, my liege. As for Dowager Fire Lady Ursa, Princess Azula, Fire Lord Zuko, and Avatar Aang, there is no change of which I am aware."

"Leave me," he waved his hand and the messenger respectfully bowed his head and exited the privy chambers.

Once he was alone, Iroh finally let go, freeing his grief. He had lost so many friends and ones close to his heart through the years, especially after his brother had somehow hunted down and killed almost the entire Order of the White Lotus. His lone reprieve was that Pakku and Piandao were still alive, but his sword-wielding friend still needed to be rescued from Vaatu's influence. From what his nephew had shared with him in the last letter, Master Sokka, the Ladies Mai and Ty Lee, and several of the famed Kyoshi Warriors were currently searching to rescue Piandao and it was a stark relief.

Zuko had also informed him that fixing the effects of the plague that Lee had unleashed was the Avatar's top priority. That brought him relief, too; the Fire Nation had suffered and in some places, it had become so bad that Iroh felt that it was almost an atonement for everything that the Fire Nation had done during the Great War. So many of those who had become infected, who were former Firebenders, had been killed and the plague had nearly accomplished what Lee had sought. Based on the latest report that Iroh had received, the only Firebenders remaining were Masters - and there weren't many. At least half of the Children of Fire had been killed and now, the central power in the Fire Nation were the non-benders and he knew for certain that he himself was the last Firebender in the Caldera.

Based on what was described to him, a Master Firebender could not be infected, so firebending would still live on but it would take a long time to build it back up. Maybe, indeed, it was their atonement. After all, the Fire Nation had committed the worst recorded crime in the history of the Four Nations: the Air Nomad Genocide. They had killed airbending down to one child, and now only the Master Firebenders remained because of Lee's plague, which Zuko had notified him was actually energybending.

Iroh's eyes shut and for the first time in a long time, he implored the winds of fate to be benevolent in their machinations. He feared what could further happen to the Four Nations and the Spirit World before this new war ended.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Nobody spoke; the air was tense as Appa flew faster than he ever had, and all prepared for the worst. Aang sat on Appa's head and his gray eyes gazed at nothing in particular; he felt far away. Was his legacy going to be that of failure? No matter what he did, it seemed that he was never prepared. He had searched and searched for Vaatu but his counterpart knew more secrets than he did, knew how to shield himself and his army from Aang's sight.

Now, because of Aang's continued failure as Avatar, the Northern Water Tribe was in great danger. He had had no idea about Chief Arnook's death or Hahn's increasing resentment that turned into a murderous rage. For all that he knew, and knowing how the winds of fate deemed reality, the Northern Water Tribe was already destroyed and Vaatu and Ozai had corrupted both Yue and La.

He was pulled out of his grim thoughts as Azula gracefully hopped onto Appa's head; she sat next to him. "There is only one woman's words that should affect the mood of my husband, and those words are mine."

In spite of his best efforts, a chuckle escaped Aang at her words and his fingers began to rub up and down her back; he relished the contact. "She's actually a spirit."

"My words remain true," she tilted her head up at him challengingly, wickedly, gesturing to his searching and curious fingers. "Your lips can finish what your fingers have started, or has the Moon Spirit robbed you of your desire, as well?"

"It would take much more than the words of a spirit, any spirit to rob me of my desire for you."

"Prove it, Avatar."

"Please don't," Zuko's loud, pleading, and annoyed voice drifted into his ears; his friend was riding on Druk next to Appa. Aang was surprised that the new Dragon was able to keep up with Appa, but after consideration, he realized that the lingering effects of Appa's own airbending were helping Druk, propelling him further and faster. "I've been scarred enough in my life."

Aang laughed and felt his grim thoughts retreat - for now. He leaned down and caught Azula's smirking lips in a quick passionate kiss. "I will the first chance that I get, but to my great regret, there are things more important right now."

"Something for which we're all grateful," Katara remarked dryly from the saddle and Aang saw Zuko turn his head back to smile at her words. "I've seen a lot in my life but that is something that I never want to see."

"What are you talking about?" Samir demanded with a pout, "I don't understand."

Azula's laughter was pleasant to Aang's ears as she answered. "It is nothing, Samir. Do not concern yourself with it."

"If we are to arrive at a battle where my husband leads the fray, I believe that Samir would best be suited to be away from it." Ursa's tone was serious, on the verge of a reprimand. "She is much too young and if Ozai discovers who she is… " she intentionally trailed off and the message was received.

Aang paled and he noticed that Azula's fingers suddenly dug into his skin painfully; her nails even pierced his Air Nomad garbs. "Of course, but I couldn't leave her with the Sun Warriors!"

"I'll be okay, daddy." Samir assured with innocent confidence, "I can airbend."

"And you will be an excellent Airbender," Azula cut in, "but now is not the time to test yourself. You still have much to learn. You will not be a Master for years."

"But I can do it," his daughter protested. "I'm strong."

Ursa's hand brushed some of Samir's hair. "Yes, you are, but this is not your fight, my dear. It is your father and mother's."

"And your uncle's," Zuko called out from Druk's neck, who was still flying strong, not looking to be as fatigued as Appa was. "You don't need to worry, Samir."

"And who will watch Samir during the battle?" Katara wondered worriedly, "One of us will have to stay behind."

Aang glanced at Azula, "What do you think?"

His wife's eyes narrowed in consideration and all traces of the mischievous woman from earlier vanished. "Samir must be somewhere safe; she needs to be away from the battle. It is the only acceptable scenario."

Zuko suddenly laughed and Aang frowned. "Why are you laughing?"

"Yes, Zuzu," Azula didn't look amused; she looked tempted to shoot lightning. "Pray tell us."

His friend immediately stopped laughing at the look on Azula's face and Aang's lips twitched in amusement. "Sorry. I only realized the irony. A Firebender will stay behind with an airbending child trying to keep them away from the enemy. It's the same scenario from when I kidnapped Aang at the Spirit Oasis."

Aang's eyes widened, "That's it! That's where Samir can stay - and Appa, too: above the Spirit Oasis! There they'll be safe. Appa can rest while staying there; he will need to after this long, rapid flight."

"But who will stay behind with them?" Katara demanded, "Normally, I wouldn't mind but since we will be at the Northern Water Tribe, I think that Aang and I as the only two Waterbenders would be the strongest to fight."

Azula and Zuko glanced at each other but before either could speak, their mother did.

"You mustn't fight amongst yourselves," Ursa cut in; she looked serene. "I have seen enough death in my life. I will stay with Samir while you four fight to stop Ozai and Dark. Are you okay with that, Samir?"

His daughter nodded; she still didn't seem to fully grasp that she would be near a battle because of Aang's mistake. "Yes, grandma."

Aang saw Azula nod tersely, "A wise decision, mother. The possible sight of me being alive might cause Ozai to be so overwhelmed by his undoubted rage that he will make a mistake and we can strike the final, mortal blow."

"And I've fought at the Northern Water Tribe before," Zuko added. "It's a lot different than any other place in the world. The cold years to snuff out a Firebender's inner flame."

"Let us hope it snuffs out Ozai's," Azula murmured darkly and Aang silently agreed; it would be much easier and save so many more lives.

"Wait, shouldn't we all go to the Spirit Oasis?" Zuko looked over at him, the world below them. "Wouldn't that be where Ozai and Dark go?"

He closed his eyes for a moment. "They don't know that we're coming. We have the advantage of surprise. We don't know how far they've even gotten into the North. After all, Ozai only has Vaatu for help, no other incredibly powerful benders of whom we're aware. They might not even have an army, although that's very unlikely; they could have attempted to sneak into the North. We need to see what has already happened first. I can't make a decision until then."

"You might have to," Azula hummed next to him, golden eyes enveloping him. "We will need you to aid us regardless if there is an army. I doubt that we will last long without you, Aang. There are only three of us without you against a potential army of corrupted benders and non-benders under the leadership of my father and Dark. Perhaps mother and Samir can notify us if they see anything as Appa flies over the Spirit Oasis? That way, you can focus on the army, which will hopefully lead straight to Ozai and you-know-who."

"Yes!" He nodded before he thought of something better. "Katara, you will remain on Appa as he flies over the Spirit Oasis and depending on what you see, you will come back, helping inside the city if you need to, or yell as loud as possible and make a grand display that will allow me to see you as I try to help those in the city or wherever I am. I don't want to abandon the Water Tribesmen."

"I can do that, Aang." Katara's blue eyes were serious, "If I see… wait, what does Dark look like?"

Azula's lips twitched, "You will know when you see him."

"If I see Dark or Ozai, then I'll create a small avalanche from the top of the Spirit Oasis that will descend into the Palace; it won't destroy anything. You wouldn't be able to miss it."

"Sounds like a plan." Aang patted the side of Appa's head, "Come on, bud. Keep going. We're almost there. You'll drop us off and then fly to above the Spirit Oasis, okay? Then you can rest."

"Speaking of that," Zuko called out. "I don't want to risk tiring Druk out before we reach the Northern Water Tribe; he would be a good ally for the fight."

"Here, jump on Appa," Aang suddenly squeezed Azula's shoulder and floated off while adjusting his speed to match that of Appa's; he flew beside his animal companion and Druk was on his other side. "The weight won't change and we'll still make it in time - hopefully."

Zuko slowly stood on Druk's head, "Don't let me fall. If you do, that means that there won't be a Fire Lord to sit on the Dragon's Throne save for Azula."

"Or uncle, Zuzu," Azula chided in amusement, looking unconcerned. "How quickly you forget about him sometimes, he who is sitting on the Dragon's Throne for you right now."

"Don't worry," he cut in. "Just jump off and I'll airbend you into the saddle."

A moment passed and then Zuko jumped off of Druk's neck and Aang, while maintaining his speed, shot a small blast of air to spring Zuko into the saddle. His friend landed and fell into Katara's arms.

"Well-timed," Katara smiled down at Zuko and Aang knew at that moment that she was in love with him. "I think you did that on purpose."

Zuko smiled up at her and adjusted himself until he sat next to her, bodies touching. "I think that you're right."

"Aang, look!" Azula interrupted in a shout; he swiveled his glance to where she was pointing and paled. The Northern Water Tribe was finally visible in the distance and it wasn't good.

Fires burned in a cold where no fire should burn and smoke floated into the crisp air, and worst of all, dozens of massive industrial Fire Nation warships were on the waterfront. And floating in the air above the warships were four Fire Nation airships, the same kind used on the day of Sozin's Comet. Above, he was paralyzed as he watched the carnage below; the snow was permanently stained red already leading to the city and so many on both sides had already died - he could see it all! Thousands of thousands of Firebenders and non-benders - Children of Earth! - swarmed the city and although the Water Tribesmen were at an advantage being in their home and having water all around them, it was obvious that the North hadn't been prepared because of Hahn - and they were losing, men falling who were never to rise again in every direction where Aang looked.

One side had been prepared and the other hadn't. Vaatu and Ozai's army was vast, larger than he had imagined. How he continued to fail; he had drastically underestimated how many people Vaatu had been able to corrupt and entice with words of vengeance against Fire, how many Children of Earth feared him after his actions towards Kuei.

"We're too late," he whispered in horror, staring at the army cutting through Water Tribesmen. "I must help them!"

"Appa, go faster!" Katara cried out desperately, "Come on!"

"Aang, if we destroy the ships, both air and sea, they will be stranded!" Azula called out and Aang was thankful that she was a born-tactician. "We can keep them from escaping!"

Zuko jumped onto Appa's head next to his sister. "I think that this is an excellent time to practice my lighting-generation."

"I think that you're right," Azula echoed her brother's earlier words. "Mother, come aid us!"

Samir cuddled into Katara as Ursa climbed to the front of the saddle, standing over her children. "It has been a long time since I have attempted such an attack, but I will do what I can."

Aang began to twist his fingers in the familiar motion and he felt the others do the same, heard the sparks of lightning begin to crackle and pop. All at once, they unleashed their strikes and they sizzled through the air in brilliant streams until they connected with several of the warships; they exploded in fiery balls and the flames and smoke rose high into the air until Aang himself could taste it. The explosions reached the airships and it caused one of them to waver in the air. In response, while his wife, friend, and mother-in-law continued to shoot lightning strikes to destroy all of the warships, Aang inhaled sharply and feeling his inner flame, he felt the energy surge through his chi paths until it erupted out of his forehead; the first airship exploded in shards of metal and flames. He quickly replicated the attack into the other three before any counter-attack could be fired at Appa. Noxious clouds were thick in the air, the black smoke darkening the Northern Water Tribe even further.

"I'm glad that you're on our side," Zuko muttered behind him after all of the ships were destroyed. "Or actually, I'm glad that I'm on your side."

"Appa! Let us down and then fly to the top of the Spirit Oasis!" Aang began to descend and he shockingly felt Druk begin to follow his actions - maybe it was out of a predatory sense that battle was soon at hand. "Keep Samir and Ursa safe! I'll come to get you when it's over!"

XxXxXxXxXxX

"You will teach me all of your tricks," Ozai smirked and unleashed another massive fireblast from his fists into approaching Water Tribesmen; he could taste the blood in his mouth but it wasn't his own. Hama's was next to him and her fingers were sprawled forward as she held multiple Waterbenders in her grip; their bodies were twisted and bent abnormally before she dropped them. They were all dead, eyes filled with blood as their dead faces showed their fear and anger. "I have already imagined many uses for the skills that you will teach me."

She fluidly swung her arms in a circle and a rotating circle of ice shards floated around her; she fired them into faraway Water Tribesmen and many of them dropped with cries of fury and pain. "You already have many skills, Piandao. I look forward to teaching you more."

On his other side, Zhao snarled and fired more blasts from his fists, destroying the water coming towards him. "We're almost there. It's just past the wall. The Yu Yan Archers, other Firebenders, and non-bending Children of Chin will finish off the rest of the Tribe while we take the Spirit Oasis."

"Good." Ozai sighed remorsefully as he killed the Waterbenders attacking them with well-timed fireballs. "If only Lee could unleash his plague here. It would be much more enjoyable. I wish it worked on more than just Firebenders."

"At least he tried," Hama countered. "Vaatu said the plague only works on Firebenders because of fire itself, how it wants to consume everything in its path. Lee took out the inner flame and replaced it with the need to feed. The chi of a Firebender is already primed to consume, and Lee didn't need to do anything else."

"I know what he said," he snapped. "I wish that it would change, though."

Vaatu reared back behind them and a pulverizing energy blast disintegrated a group of recovering Water Tribesmen. "I fear that the Avatar knows of the attack. He could be here soon. We must hurry. It is ill-advised to confront him now; we must wait and build our power."

Ozai's arm suddenly began to throb and he gnashed his teeth together; he flexed his fingers and then unleashed his lightning, destroying the wall of impenetrable ice in front of him. A sudden blast of hot air hit him but it wasn't the Avatar as he had feared; he saw luscious grass.

"How is this possible?" Hama followed him into what was the Spirit Oasis and she kneeled to brush her fingers through the strands of grass. "Nothing grows in the Water Tribes. It was why we traded with the Earth Kingdom."

Vaatu floated ominously towards the pond in the middle but he answered. "It is spiritual energy; this place brims with it. It makes the impossible possible."

"In that pond are the Ocean and Moon Spirits." Zhao declared confidently, a smirk on his ugly face. "They circle each other."

"This is where my children have existed for eons." Vaatu sounded thoughtful and disappointed; he floated even closer until they all stood before the pond. Just as Zhao said, two Koi Fish circled each other, one black and the other white. "They became mortal for the humans because of the Avatar. I will mend their folly."

"How will this work?" Hama questioned, "Can they… talk?"

"We are already communicating. Yue is furious, adamant that the Avatar will stop me. There will be no convincing her. Thankfully, we only need one of them. She is pure, but in La… I sense a rage and darkness of great proportions." Suddenly, the moon shone brighter and Ozai squinted, feeling the air around them hum with immortal power - but it was substantially, laughably weak. Vaatu's dark, booming laughter erupted and darkness condensed around them, flooding the Spirit Oasis like a mighty tide, fogging the moonlight, snuffing it out, and Ozai basked in the feeling of true divine power. "Yue, your devotion is admirable but useless. There will be no stopping the inevitable. La, join me and I can restore your true immortality. Although Yue will forever remain this way because Tui is gone, I can return your rightful- " his ally abruptly became silent for several moments.

Ozai stepped forward, glaring down at the black Koi Fish in the pond. "What is it saying?"

"La is enraged that the Spirit-Slayer walks the earth; he wants his sister's killer returned to him."

"Don't believe a fucking word that thing says!" Zhao cried out, eyes bulging as he stumbled away. "It's lying! Agni, of course, it's lying! Why wouldn't it? It hates me!"

"You have served me well, Zhao." Ozai stared at Zhao, "Now is your chance to perform your greatest service."

"NO!" His former Admiral tried to flee but Hama raised her fingers; he became frozen, desperately seeking escape. "Please, don't do this! My liege, please!"

Ozai gripped the frozen Zhao by the neck and dragged him to the pond. "Without you, none of this would have been possible. I will remember you fondly."

"STOP!" Zhao squealed like a fire ferret but before he could speak again, Hama released him and Ozai shoved him into the pond; he was swallowed whole immediately, disappearing into the sudden inky blackness, and the water swayed in pleasure.

"Are you now more willing to- …ignore what your sister is saying, La." Vaatu purred and shadows slowly coiled around the black Koi Fish, enveloping it. "Don't you yearn to be restored to your rightful place? Don't you wish to be free from the fear of being killed just as your sister nearly was? Give me power over water and you will be augmented to your former glory."

Ozai's lips curled as a brilliant blue energy flowed from the Koi Fish through all of the shadows into Vaatu and his ally hummed in fervor; the blue energy spiraled through his form until it slowly immersed permanently into him.

"Congratulations," Hama murmured. "Only one more."

Before anyone could speak, Vaatu froze and whirled towards the ice wall on the other side, looking up, and Ozai followed his ally's gaze. It was the Avatar's Sky Bison! Lighting suddenly descended from the sky in four decimating strikes and he stared in shock at the explosions in the distance - an image that reached his line of sight from above the towering ice wall. Then he paled as one of the four airships that Zhao had been able to procure was destroyed by an abrupt explosion and the sight and residual sound of the attack was familiar.

"Fulki-Aridam," he breathed out in shock as he watched more lightning descend from atop the Sky Bison, destroying the other warships based on the size of the explosions, and how the other airships were destroyed in the same attack. "That assassinating-traitor!"

"No," Vaatu seemed to shrink back as he hissed. "The Avatar is near and it is he who leads the charge against our army. I can feel his power; that last strike carried his whisper of strength. I can sense it from here."

"The ships," he whispered in realizations of horror and rage. "They trapped us."

"Come. We must leave. Forgive me, La, but I will conclude this in a future encounter…" his ally paused before he suddenly rushed forward and the darkness in the Spirit Oasis cleared. The Moon's light pierced against Vaatu for a moment but it seemed to cringe at the contact before it abruptly, almost mournfully withdrew; his ally hadn't even seemed to feel it. Instead, a haze of shadows converged around Ozai and Hama, and Vaatu's form seemed to dwindle but his power was in no way diminished. "The natural darkness will confuse them," his ally whispered. "Be silent and don't attack. It will draw the Avatar's gaze if you do. It's not him, but someone else. I would feel him if he were so close."

Ozai opened his lips to ask what was happening but his eyes noted a moving object pass above them, his golden eyes seeing through the haze of darkness that Vaatu had covered them in. It was the Avatar's Sky Bison - they were found! Before the terror spread through him and he panicked, he remembered Vaatu's words. With clear eyes, he glimpsed the outline of someone - a woman? - stand up and jump off of the beast; the snow atop of the cliff transformed into water and reached up to catch her. It was clearly a waterbending woman but she only critically stared down into the Spirit Oasis for several tense, long-lasting moments.

The Sky Bison still floated far above them and Hama suddenly tensed beside him. "It's Katara," she hissed and Ozai, hiding his surprise over the revelation of the identity of the woman, gripped her arm with bruising force to keep her from ruining their concealment.

"Not here," his words were barely audible but before either could speak again, the outline of Katara turned away and looked up at the Sky Bison.

"It's okay!" The words were barely understandable from the great distance but he deciphered them with effort. "They're not there! I don't see anything! I'm going to help Aang! You know what to do!"

Another voice answered but it was indecipherable.

The outline of Katara suddenly rode away on a wave of water, disappearing from sight. Ozai glanced up at the Sky Bison and he glimpsed the shape of two more passengers in the saddle - and the Avatar assuredly wasn't one of them. The Sky Bison flew away, its two passengers ignorant of their coming danger.

A dark grin crossed his face as Vaatu rose back up and the haze of darkness faded. "A clever trick, my friend, but before we leave, I believe that I can wound the Avatar in ways that will not cause bodily harm to any of us."

"The Sky Bison?" Vaatu hummed and turned towards the direction where the oblivious, weary-looking Sky Bison had headed. "I believe that you're correct, Piandao."

"Katara was fond of the beast, for she was fond of the boy who I never knew was the Avatar." Hama smiled sickly, "This will be a worthwhile retribution."

"Plus the two in the saddle. Our men will hold the Avatar off for a bit, wherever he is. We have time because they don't know where we're at." Ozai stared at Hama. "Take me up there."

"Hold on, then."

Vaatu immediately darted up to the cliff where Katara had once stood in a single stride and Hama grabbed Ozai's arm; she gathered a waterspout to form around them and it deposited them next to Vaatu atop the cliff. From there, Ozai glimpsed the full view of the Northern Water Tribe and what he saw scared him. The Avatar was more fearsome than he had remembered because arrows blurred through the air in dizzying speeds; all of the Yu Yan Archers were in the presence of a true Master, something that Ozai had never thought possible, but he understood. An Airbender would be incalculably greater than any non-bender at archery.

"It can't be," he whispered and unconsciously, his fingers tightly gripped the hilt of Embers; he narrowed his eyes at the sight of a creature breathing fire and slithering and tearing through his men and Ozai felt faint because it, in fact, was. It was a creature of extinction and legend, a Dragon - a Dragon! It was a monster, another monster on the side of the Avatar, not just the Sky Bison as he had believed but another one, another breed that undoubtedly hated him. There were now two; he yearned to use Embers as his grandfather before him had done and cut off that Dragon's head, skinning it in the process, but he recognized that it would be suicide with such a disadvantage in numbers.

Besides the Dragon - a Dragon! - he recognized the outline of his son and his teeth ground together. Only his worthless son could have kept such a secret from him and befriend one of the creatures of Sozin's sport. The tide of battle had blatantly changed; the Water Tribesmen were revived and fought back harder. Many bodies fell, the Firebenders and non-bending Children of Chin and Earth, and Ozai turned his gaze when he saw another flash of lightning but could only stare uncomprehendingly at the sapphire flames that flared in the distance following the lightning strike.

"There she is," Hama spat out next to him. "I… can see Katara; she is strong. We should have killed her earlier!"

"Don't be foolish," Vaatu's words were far away. "That would have only secured- "

Ozai's hearing malfunctioned and one of his fists clenched while his other hand pulled out Embers as he finally understood the truth; it stared at him and he couldn't look away. He nearly staggered but he remained standing; his whore of a daughter had survived. There was only one Firebender in the past several generations who could produce sapphire flames and Ozai would have been notified of someone else.

"She's alive," he snarled and only had enough awareness to turn away before he blazed down to attack them and finish what he had failed to do months ago. He was unable to keep a thick spurt of flames from erupting past his lips. "The Avatar healed her from death! My daughter is alive! And there's a Dragon!"

Hama whirled to face him, features shocked. "Daughter? You have a daughter? She works with the Avatar?"

"She fucks the Avatar!" Ozai's rage grew and he narrowly avoided the perilous mistake of choosing to confront the Avatar and his children and the Dragon. "She spreads her legs for that boy; she is a traitor, a failure!"

"Enough!" Vaatu hissed and if Ozai weren't mistaken, his ally seemed both furious and wary. "Raava's vessel has grown stronger; he has mastered more elemental arts. We must hurry to strike a crushing blow to him."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"I didn't see Ozai or Dark!" Katara's voice screamed as she entered the fray on a wave of rushing water. "I don't know where they are!"

"I may not be able to feel Dark, but we'll find both him and Ozai!" Aang answered and the confidence in his friend's voice spurred Zuko on. "Come on!"

Oh, he had missed this, the feeling of war and combat, the strength of his fire rushing through his blood as he showcased his might against those who would kill him. Zuko embraced the unholy cold of the Northern Water Tribe, for it strengthened his inner flame that much more, forcing him to adapt with each breath that he took. Around him, dead Water Tribesmen lay and he vowed to avenge them; the color of blood was everywhere and his eyes locked onto it.

His father's army, indeed, was massive but with Aang on his side, he felt satisfied in an eventual victory. He knew inherently that without his friend aiding him, Katara and Azula, no matter their strength as the most powerful benders of their generation, they would eventually die. This would be the day when things changed; they could end this new war! Upon the sight of the Avatar, a resurgence swept through the Water Tribesmen, while dread poisoned their foes.

With each footstep, the bloodstained-snow beneath him began to melt; he met his combatants with precision and power, feeling his rage compound at the sight of those against whom he fought most. While he cut through non-benders with dark green eyes, it wasn't them who enraged him; it was the others. He recognized them, how could he not? They were former Nobles in the Fire Nation, his own subjects! His Generals and Admirals had abandoned him for his father and Vaatu! Some of the Heads of his Nobles Houses, as well!

"Fire Lord Zuko!" General Lao's brother, the former Noble Head Kiju, and Zuko was suddenly surrounded by a group of his former Nobles, including Generals and Admirals; he was outnumbered vastly. "You will face your doom, as you doomed my brother!"

His face contorted into a mask of cold rage. "Your treachery is what will doom you, not me! Traitors, your death-days have come!" Zuko mounted the same attack that his uncle had against the Dai Li in Ba Sing Se all of those years ago; he roared fire through his lips and spun around. While they were distracted for a brief moment, he pulled out his Dao Swords and dashed forward, killing two of them quickly. He heard Druk roar and the sound of flesh being ripped from flesh, the smell of sizzling skin, and then the sound of terrified screams.

"Dragon!"

"Get down!"

Blood splattered against his face and it was hot; it sent him into a frenzy. He used his blades and his firebending to defend himself and when they all launched a combined assault, Zuko rolled backward and at the same time, swiped his flames through the attack before he spun his fingers to unleash lightning - it was so useful! - at them. Several of them were blown apart while the last were blasted back, landing in a heap in the snow. Before Zuko could make sure that they were dead, he fell to his knees as crushing pain erupted in his mind; he looked down and an arrow had found its mark.

It was through his shoulder and Zuko groaned in pain; he intentionally fell forward and snapped off the arrowhead, keeping the pain inward as he chose to leave the shaft of the arrow in his shoulder, trying to keep it from overwhelming him. As he kneeled on the ground, catching his breath, he heard another deafening roar and saw Druk dash past him and heard an agonizing scream echo behind him; he slowly turned around and saw Druk spitting out the upper body of a Yu Yan Archer.

His Dragon peered down at him for a moment and Zuko smiled. "Thanks, Druk," he grunted and forced himself to his feet. Druk stood next to him and as he caught his breath, he observed the battle.

Katara was as fearsome as she was beautiful; she was atop a waterspout and floating in her hands were ice shards and when she shot them at the enemy, he dimly noticed that she shot them in non-fatal areas of the body. They were incapacitated but not dead; she was more merciful than Zuko himself was. His good eye widened in horror when he saw Yu Yan Archers begin to shoot arrows up at her.

"LOOK OUT!" He bellowed and Katara turned around at the last second, raising a thick shield of ice to protect herself. Zuko shot his fire at them, one blast noticeably not as precise, but more non-benders wielding swords, axes, clubs, spears, throwing knives, and bows soon appeared and Zuko searched for Aang and found his friend.

Aang was leading the siege and behind him was Azula. The air dazzled and ripped through the opposition, water and ice sweeping all attacks to the side. Sapphire flames blazed brightly even in this realm of darkness and cold and Zuko was never more thankful that his sister was on his side. Azula said something and Aang glanced back and Zuko didn't miss the alarmed expression; his friend whipped out his bow and fired an arrow so fast that Zuko took a moment to even process what happened.

"The Avatar!" One of the non-benders screamed in a rage after his comrade had fallen, an arrow through their chest; it wasn't quite fatal from what Zuko could discern. "Kyoshi will suffer for what she did! Come on! Get him!"

Before Zuko could try to intervene, the Yu Yan Archers, too, turned their attention from Katara to Aang; his friend floated in the air, arrows hurtling through the air into a small part of the Yu Yan group; they fell before they could even react. The others pulled back their arrows and released them at Aang, but his friend turned the bow to the side and pulling his hands together at the bottom, he swung the bow as he had done countless times before with his glider. A wide arc of wind rushed down and deflected the volley of arrows back at the non-benders below.

His friend suddenly fell from his position in the air and when he smashed into the snow and ice, a maelstrom exploded in all directions and swept those in the vicinity off of their feet. Aang immediately then used waterbending to freeze the non-benders and Firebenders; he fired dull ice to knock out the Firebenders to keep them from escaping.

Aang nodded at Zuko before he turned and shot fire near an enemy who had nearly snuck up on Azula. The man stumbled back at the last moment but the sound alerted Zuko's sister; she whirled around and lightning sprang from her fingertips and the bodies of the enemy began to pile even higher. He turned away from her sapphire flames and narrowed his eyes.

Something was wrong. Where were Ozai and Vaatu? Katara had looked into the Spirit Oasis but hadn't seen them. They were nowhere to be found, apparently, and Zuko wondered how they expected to escape without helping their army. His father was many things but a fool was not one of them. What was that? Something caught his attention; it was above the Spirit Oasis! He saw a flash in the distance, a tiny ray of fire blaze for a moment but then it was gone.

It was Ozai - it had to be! They had somehow snuck past Katara!

He was about to warn Aang of what he saw when Katara jumped down from her waterspout; she rushed toward him, eyes concerned and frantic. "You're hurt!"

"I'm fine," he countered, remembering his shoulder. "I've had much worse, believe me."

"Let me heal you."

"No. Not now! Heal me when this is all over. What do you need? How can I help?"

Katara pointed toward the heart of the city. "While on the waterspout, I saw a large group break away and enter the city!"

"Fuck," he hissed and ran a hand through his hair. "I missed them. Damn it!"

"So did Aang and Azula, but it doesn't matter. I'm afraid of how much destruction and death that they've already caused in the city. I'm going after them and try to help any who I can find. I could use your help in there. "

"I'll be right after you but I'm first going to make sure that all of these guys are either dead or unconscious. Druk will help you until I get there."

Katara leaned forward and brushed her lips against his for but a moment before she pulled back; she sent a smile only meant for his eyes. "Don't be too long."

"I won't," he assured and watched as she sped away on another wave, already disappearing into the city. "Go!" Zuko hissed and pushed Druk after Katara. "Help her! I'll be fine."

His Dragon obeyed him and dashed after Katara. He cursed suddenly; he had forgotten about Ozai! Seeing that Aang and Azula were finishing the enemy who still remained, he opened his mouth to tell them and for a moment, everything seemed okay but then he heard a scratch behind him, the sound of rushing feet running through the snow. Zuko whirled around, words fading from his lips, prepared at the thought of another enemy, and he was correct.

A knife was slashing up at his face, a snarling countenance with insane eyes his adversary!

XxXxXxXxXxX

Ozai's feet crunched through the snow and his golden eyes connected to the outline of the tired Sky Bison in the distance; his lips curled in victory and he turned his head. "This should be easy. Earlier, I saw two people in the saddle after Katara left but I have no idea who they could be."

"They will be easily dealt with." Vaatu floated behind them as a corporeal shadow of might and immortal power. "You know what to do, Hama."

"Yes," she suddenly raised her hands and the Sky Bison bellowed in the distance in fear, followed by a childish squeal of terror. "They are all in my grip. One… one of them feels like a child."

"How interesting," Vaatu murmured. "Who would the Avatar trust to be alone with his precious Sky Bison? What child? The same one who we briefly encountered before you lost your arm, perhaps."

Ignoring the phantom pain in his once-decapitated limb, Ozai's lips curled in anticipation. "Let's find out," as if drawn by a force beyond his understanding, his flames swirled around Embers until it molded into a pure fire-blade and he quickly stomped towards the frozen Sky Bison; he was being further pulled into this realm of cold and darkness, with no solitude of light and warmth save for his own flames. As he approached, the figures in the saddle became clear and indeed, one of them was a child; the other was a woman struggling in Hama's grip but it was useless to fight.

Ozai stepped even closer, unafraid of the frozen Sky Bison and he raised Embers higher, intensifying the light produced by his flames. He suddenly lurched to a stop, staring at the sight that wasn't possible - it couldn't be!

The face! The hair! The skin! The hauntingly familiar, beautiful golden eyes reflected in the shafts of light from his flickering flames around Embers. Ursa!

As if in a trance, he stepped even closer and the extra light proved it. "Ursa," he gasped out, the name of his wife floating in the cold air; he almost didn't believe it, nearly convinced that his mind was playing tricks but it was true. She was finally within his grasp - she was here! "At last… you have returned to me." When his wife's eyes filled with terror and she didn't speak, he clenched his jaw. "Well? I am your husband! SPEAK!"

"This is your wife?" Hama stood next to him, fingers still flexed; her face was carved with something that he couldn't decipher. "I wasn't aware that you were… married."

Ozai snarled, realizing that Ursa might not be speaking because of Hama's hold. "Let go! Release them!"

"So be it," Hama's fingers slackened and immediately, the once-weary-looking Sky Bison unleashed a deafening roar; a vortex of incredible wind rushed toward them.

"No! Just Ursa and the child!" He screamed, diving to the side; he barely held onto Embers. "Hold the Sky Bison! It's about to take-off!"

Before his wife was lost again to him, Hama recovered her hold on just the Sky Bison, freezing the beast once more.

"Indra's animals have always surprised me," Vaatu floated forward and Ozai heard a quick shriek echo from the child. "For such a usual peaceful spirit, she birthed aggressive creatures."

Ozai ignored his ally and stared directly at Ursa. "The winds of fate have bles- " he was cut off when a gust of painless wind collided into his face, surprising him. He didn't fail to notice that Ursa's beautiful eyes widened in dread as the child was suddenly pulled by her into her arms.

"How fascinating," Vaatu murmured next to him. "We now have a way for you to Master airbending after Hama teaches you waterbending."

"The girl?" Ozai stepped forward, Embers held in front of him. "Another Airbender… How fortuitous."

At his words, the child wrestled in Ursa's grip and freed her face; she stared directly at Ozai and he was immediately pulled in by the face and gray eyes just like the Avatar's. "You hurt mommy!" She began to thrash and that's when the air suddenly reacted violently and began to beat against Ozai, but he only laughed because it was pitiful, amusing. "You are a bad daddy! You hurt her with lightning!"

Ozai's smile faded and his eyes narrowed into slits; he dimly noticed that Hama was staring at him strangely. "Mother…? You foul Airbender! You are the Avatar's girl… You are Azula's?" His eyes moved to Ursa's and he saw the truth in them; he pointed the sword up at the child. "That whore! I have sired nothing but failures, but that will change; my new breed of children will be better!"

"I never wanted to see you again," his wife suddenly hissed, turning the child away, and overwhelming heat emanated from her - and Ozai felt his loins stir in ways that he hadn't experienced in years. "I wanted to forget but I never have, how you turned your back on our children, torturing them and nearly killing them. You told me in our courtship that you wanted to be better than your father but you failed; you surpassed him both in cruelty and wickedness!" Ursa suddenly leaped out of the saddle and landed in the snow; steam began to drift from underneath her. "Get out of here, Samir and Appa! Find Aang!" Ursa's fingers wound and lightning sprang from her fingertips; it was painfully bright in this realm of darkness and cold.

"No, grandma! I can help!" The airbending child cried out and jumped out of the saddle while Ozai jumped to the side at the last moment. The lightning landed just past him and Hama was swept off of her feet by the blast; her grip faded and the Sky Bison roared and rocketed into the sky in a massive gust of wind. Vaatu merely watched the Sky Bison depart - why?

XxXxXxXxXxX

Zuko whipped his head back as the deadly-sharp edge of the blade sliced the flesh under his chin; the eruption of blood streamed across the hand that held the knife. He lashed his flaming foot into his newest adversary's kneecap, and the man - it was actually a young man who was a few years older than Zuko's age when the Great War ended - screamed but didn't fall as Zuko had expected. Instead, their eyes connected almost casually - golden vs insane! - but the eyes that stared at him were not casual; they seemed to enlarge and burst from their sockets, widening in paralyzing fury, brimming with insanity.

"You!" The man suddenly lifted one of his hands and viciously pressed it into Zuko's wounded shoulder; he hissed in pain as the malicious fingers sunk into his flesh, digging and stabbing, pushing the shaft of the arrow even further without mercy. "I've always known the truth about you, Fire Lord!" The face was now contorted horribly, a mass of twisted and all-consuming rage, insane eyes squinting as his blood-stained teeth took on the appearance of animals' fangs. "Now I'll finish it, what I should have done years ago instead of what I did do!"

A strange fluttering was felt in Zuko's chi - energybending? - but it quickly vanished and the man's face crackled with even more rage; the fingers dug deeper. Zuko snarled and remembering that Ozai was at the Spirit Oasis and he had to warn Aang, roared flames from his mouth into the man's face. The man staggered back and screamed animalistically, howling like a beast, hands flying to his flaming face. The impossible sight kept Zuko silent, stunned. The man should be dead; his flames were so much more potent since he had mastered his chakras, but the man was still somehow alive. It shouldn't be possible!

Catching his breath, Zuko rubbed his shoulder but before he could do anything else, such as warn Aang about Ozai, the man somehow remarkably recovered and spun around; the blade appeared again, surging toward him, the line of assault aimed for his stomach. He pulled one of his Dao Swords at the last second and deflected the knife; he then kicked the hand and he saw the knife clatter to the ice and snow.

In reaction, the man stepped forward with a sizzling face and wrapped his hand around Zuko's throat with great strength. He struggled but the grip was unlike anything that he had experienced; it was a strength that wasn't possible and again, he felt the fluttering in his chi again - energybending? - but more insistent and painful. Zuko felt paralyzed by the attack and was helpless to move but quickly, the feelings in his chi vanished and the man screamed in rage.

"No!" The hand squeezed even tighter around his throat, suffocating him. "I'm going to kill you! You deserve it! You killed me! An eye for a scarred eye, Fire Lord!"

Zuko choked for air and raised his good arm. With one of his Dao Swords still in hand, he sliced the blade through the wrist. The grip immediately faded but he still felt the fingers on his throat; the man stumbled back, staring at his stump of a hand in horror.

Peeling the severed hand off of his neck, Zuko raised the sword. "Now I'll finish it, not you."

"No! You aren't- " the man was cut off as Aang appeared, staring at him in shock.

"It's you," his friend breathed and swiftly imprisoned the man in the thickest prison of ice that Zuko had ever seen; there would be no escaping from it. The sudden break was needed and he pulled his hand to the wound under his chin and with pained breath, cauterized it; he then did the same to his shoulder wound after yanking out the shaft of the arrow. "This must be Lee. He has Dark's energy inside him; it's greater than I had imagined. Can't you feel it? Did you… burn his face?"

"I had to. He should be dead but… he survived and it already seems to be healing from it. Is that from energybending?" Zuko answered with pained breath before he overcame the pain; he stared at Lee almost uncomprehendingly for the words finally pierced through his mind. "Wait… he's the one who unleashed the plague?"

"It will be glorious," the trapped Lee hissed, malevolent eyes gleaming like rotten rubies. "Through me, the Fire Nation will die. It's the ultimate revenge! I know of your lies, Fire Lord!"

Stuffing his sudden hatred, Zuko remembered. "Aang, it's Ozai! I saw him atop the- "

"AANG!" Azula screamed from behind them and they both whirled around. "Look! It's Appa!"

Zuko blinked and saw Appa racing toward them. Aang tensed beside him, "That's… I told him to wait. Why is he…?"

He stepped forward when Appa crashed before them in a heap of exhaustion but he paused in horror at the empty saddle; it was a cursed beacon to his eyes. Where were his mother and Samir? A terrible silence was prominent for several moments before Aang's face drained of blood.

"Appa?" His friend rushed forward and put his hands on Appa's head. "He's exhausted…"

"Where is Samir?" Azula demanded, coming to stand next to him; he didn't know who she was asking out of himself, Aang, or Appa. "Where is she?"

Aang staggered forward before he shuddered. "Ozai."

Zuko remembered, "The Spirit Oasis! I saw him at- " he was cut off as his friend blasted off of the ground and blazed into the sky.

He shared a dreadful glance with his sister - what had happened? - and he quickly turned to the weary Appa. "Watch him!" He pointed at the trapped Lee. "If he escapes, eat him!"

"That would be unlikely," his sister's words were brisk. "Appa is a vegetarian and he is not angry enough to consider such a meal; he is also exhausted. This Lee will not escape; that ice is thick."

"Come on, then!" Zuko turned and with Azula by his side, they rushed into the city to aid Katara and Druk and eradicate the remaining army of invaders. Bodies hit the snow and ice as they passed, watching each other's back and killing any who opposed them. The sounds of lightning and agonizing gasps before eternal silence were prominent.

"I never knew that this would be so fun," his sister purred as they kept going, killing all of their father's followers. "Slaughtering Ozai's pathetic group with you by my side is cathartic. Don't you think?"

"Absolutely," he ducked from a sudden attack and spun the other away with a flaming blast of fire from his foot; the attacker fell with a pained cry as his chest was blackened. "I could do this forever," he suddenly felt his wounds. "I take it back… I want this over as soon as possible."

Azula glanced at him before leaning back to avoid a fireball from an enemy; she didn't even look as she returned fire, killing him. "Let us arrange that rapid conclusion, then, brother."

Zuko smiled and further entered the fray of the city with his sister.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Ozai didn't have much time to feel anger or righteous bemusement at Vaatu's inaction; his wife jumped at him with a snarling face, hot flames nearly searing his face before he rolled back just in time, swiping Embers through the blast.

"Our children needed you but what did you do?" Ozai barely had enough time to bat away another incoming fireball, this time with his other hand. "You scarred him and locked away most of who she was! You made them kill your enemies and almost each other!"

He finally jumped to his feet and shot his own fireballs at his wife. "They were weak! Azula grew weak! They deserved nothing less than what I did!"

"You tortured them!"

"I raised them never to serve!"

"Bold lies!" Ursa fired more lightning and Ozai narrowly avoided it; he stumbled to the side, trying to stay on his feet. Fighting against his wife was something that he had never thought possible and his body rebelled against him. "Foul deceiver! You have no children! They are no longer yours! I will kill you for what you did!"

Ozai suddenly caught sight of Hama standing to her feet at last. "Get the child!"

Ursa's features contorted into hysteria as she threw more fireballs at him. "NO! Leave her alone! SAMIR! Run!"

"Too late," Hama hissed gingerly and as he easily deflected the attacks, he saw the child frozen in place, pure terror on her young, Avatar-like face. "Cease your attack, woman."

Ozai smirked in triumph at his motionless, petrified wife. "Yes. You understand; you were always so clever. My waterbending Master can tear this child's body apart - and she will if I command her. You care for this girl, Ursa. I guess that she would be our granddaughter… but she is yours, not mine. My blood does not flow in that bastard's veins, only the Avatar's; she looks just like him… You know what you must do."

Tears flowed out of Ursa's eyes and she slackened even further, head nodding slowly, painfully. "Yes… I do. I- I will come with you, but if you even touch a hair on her head, I will kill you."

Vaatu finally spoke, "That, you need not worry about. The Airbender will not die; there is a plan for her. She is the answer; through her, his position as a Master of all of the elements will be secured. Come. We must depart. I can sense the Avatar approaching us rapidly - and he is angry."

"Release her," his wife demanded, staring directly at Hama. "Do it, now!"

"Go ahead," he, too, looked at Hama, nodding his head. "Release the child."

Hama's fingers loosened and the girl lurched forward, and Ursa rushed forward to pull her into her arms, whispering words into her hair.

"DADDY!" The child immediately shrieked, her terrified voice ringing unlike anything that he had heard before; it had somehow been amplified by the girl's airbending. "HELP!"

"No!" Ozai screamed and felt a chill descend down his spine and he spun around, terrified at what it meant. He saw something - the Avatar! - fly out of the expanse of the Spirit Oasis and rush straight at them in a blur of unstoppable motion. He recognized the blurry color of the Air Nomad garbs first and he stumbled back. "Stop him! Hama, stop him!"

She straightened and jerked her arms forward, her fingers stiff and immovable. The Avatar suddenly froze ahead and it was apparent immediately that his escape would be imminent; he was too powerful. "Hurry!" Hama hissed, falling to her knees, "I can't hold him for long. There's… there's something rising inside him!"

"The Avatar State," Vaatu hissed and shadows began to wrap all around them, including the child and Ursa. The child tried to reach for the Avatar but she was pulled back by Ozai with a daring look at his wife; he saw Ursa hesitate but when one of Vaatu's tendrils ominously wrapped around her waist, she solemnly put her other hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Daddy," the girl whispered with tearful eyes and the brilliant glow of the Avatar's orbs was seen before the shadows coalesced around them all and Ozai felt the weight of triumph bearing down on him before it all faded.

"OZAI!" The Avatar bellowed just before they vanished.

XxXxXxXxXxX

The Avatar roared up at the heavens, enraged; he immediately tried to latch onto Vaatu's energy but it was gone! Further fury swept through him but he used that as strength, feeling the fury of all of his past lives compound with his own. His eyes closed and he teleported into the Spirit World but there was still nothing! Vaatu couldn't be felt! Where was he?

The thought of his daughter in Ozai's grasp sent him spiraling even further; his power stretched through the Spirit World, probing and relentless.

"VAATU!" The Avatar screamed and the earth beneath him cracked ominously; the air heated with the intensity of Sozin's Comet and he spewed violent flames from his mouth. "Where are you?" He was nowhere to be found - and Samir and Ursa were gone, too! The stench of Vaatu's darkness was impossible to miss but now, it was impossible to find!

'How is that possible?' He shouted inwardly, demanding answers. 'He can't just disappear! I should be able to feel him! Where did he go? TELL ME!' All of his past lives spoke and he easily comprehended the cacophony of different voices but ignored them all angrily; they knew nothing.

Then Raava spoke, 'Vaatu has learned tricks during his imprisonment, Aang. I am sorry. I cannot find him, but your child will be rescued. We will do it together.'

The Avatar snarled but slowly felt the peace of Raava descend into his furious heart, soothing away the pain and grief. His fury simmered but wasn't all-consuming as it had been; it was hidden for now.

Aang fell to his knees as the Avatar State slowly left him; he clutched his legs with his hands, gripping his flesh with such force that he didn't know if he could ever let go. He began to shake in realization as the whispered words reached him - 'DADDY! HELP!' Aang had failed and now, his daughter and mother-in-law were in the clutches of the greatest monsters in both of the Realms.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured as tears spilled out of his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, Samir. I fai- failed. I failed you. Ursa, forgive me." He didn't know how long he remained there; days could have passed for all he knew but his mind descended into a state of cold anger. It felt similar to how he felt when he had lost Appa in the Si Wong Desert during the Great War. "I'll find you," he stood to his feet. "I promise."

Teleporting back to the Mortal Realm, Aang didn't feel the great cold of the Northern Water Tribe. Immediately, he returned to the Spirit Oasis. After he had seen Appa appear without Samir and Ursa, and with Zuko's words about seeing Ozai at the Spirit Oasis, he had blazed toward it. It was easy to see that Ozai had been there; many dead bodies laid outside the actual Spirit Oasis. When he arrived, he had felt the lingering taint of Vaatu's power and with dread, he had observed the pond where Yue and La swam. It was apparent immediately that while Yue hadn't succumbed to Vaatu, La had; the Koi Fish's eyes had glowed purple just as the corrupted Agni and Devi.

Then he had heard Samir scream for him and Aang had flown toward the sound. Just when he had been certain that he was going to stop Ozai and Vaatu while saving his daughter and mother-in-law, he had been forcefully stopped using bloodbending; it had been a-somehow-younger Hama, he was certain. It had been the same sensation from a decade ago except much, much stronger. It was impossible not to recognize it; it was Hama's bloodbending grip and he had broken free too late, just as they vanished with Samir and Ursa.

Now, staring down at the corrupted La once more, he felt his face contort. "How foolish you are," he muttered angrily before he remembered that anyone was liable to succumb to Darkness and Chaos, even Aang himself at times; he calmed himself slightly. "You gave Vaatu power of water, didn't you?"

"He lied!" La's masculine voice reverberated in his mind, a deformed screech. "He promised me my immortality!"

"Your immortality?" Aang echoed in disbelief; it was hard to keep his anger under control. "You forfeited your immortality thousands of years ago! You chose to- "

"Because of you, Avatar! Kirku convinced me, that sly Balance-Keeper!"

Aang ignored La, for there would be no reasoning with him. "Yue, I am sorry that I failed you, failed everyone."

"If anyone failed, Avatar Aang, it was I. Hahn should have been stopped sooner and I should have warned you prior to my father's death. I tried to stop Vaatu but failed miserably; he is too powerful."

"He took my daughter and mother-in-law," he whispered and cursed those words as they left his lips. "I tried to find them but they're gone; they disappeared somehow."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Avatar Aang."

"Don't say that," he snapped. "They're still alive, and I'm going to find them."

"Forgive me."

Aang inhaled deeply and reached down into the pond. La tried to furiously swim away from him, darkness-tainted words reaching his mind but he used his waterbending to envelop the Ocean Spirit in a small globe. Then he reached his hand in and wrapped it around the slick scales; the darkness of Vaatu immediately shrieked in outrage and Aang pulled it out of La. Without so much of a glance, he dropped the Ocean Spirit back into the pond and focused his power over the tendrils of darkness wavering in his hand. With effort, he forced it to disperse into nothingness.

"Avatar Aang…" La whispered and the difference was blatant. "I failed… When I saw my sister's killer, my dark emotions swelled. Vaatu took advantage."

"That's… wait, what?" Aang demanded after the words finally resonated inside him. "Your sister's killer? Zhao is dead!"

"No, he is not. He has been returned to his prison. Vaatu had liberated him many months ago and I have been furious ever since. The mortal was working with Vaatu."

Aang digested those words, ignoring the impossible, sudden revelation that Zhao had been working for Ozai and Vaatu and was alive. "So much is being kept from me," he whispered. "So you decided to give Vaatu power of Water after he freed Zhao? I don't understand. Why would you do that?"

"I would have done anything to see the mortal returned to his prison. When Vaatu, too, offered to return my immortality, I was helpless to resist."

"Clearly," he muttered flatly. "So Zhao is… gone?"

"Yes. He is where he belongs."

Aang turned away, unable to keep speaking to the Ocean Spirit; he flew out of the Spirit Oasis and almost turned back, the sudden and crushing fear too much. But he couldn't do that; Azula and Zuko didn't deserve that. With a heavy heart, Aang found his wife and friends in one of the courtyards in the city. A group of captured enemies had been gathered and were imprisoned together while heavily guarded by over a dozen Waterbenders who all looked exhausted. He was relieved to see that the not-so-scarred-now Lee was still there; he had questions for that darkness-infected Energybender for Vaatu.

Azula immediately stepped toward him when he landed next to Appa - his friend thankfully seemed more rested, prepared for another flight - worry on her face that was visible only to his eyes; the sight forced him to brace himself against his best friend's side for a moment. Katara stood with Zuko and was healing the wound on his shoulder and under his friend's chin, the blue glow of the water a brief distraction. A large group of other Water Tribesmen stood near Katara and they were speaking about the injured men in the battle. Druk was curled near Zuko, but the creature's eyes were watching the prisoners.

"What happened?" His wife demanded urgently, drawing all attention onto Aang. "Where are Samir and my mother?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered and gathered his composure. "Ozai and Dark… they took them."

"What?" Azula grasped his arm and her golden eyes were suddenly frantic, desperate, on the verge of dark fury. "Our daughter is… gone? My mother?"

Aang felt tears spill down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't save them. They've… they've disappeared." Sapphire flames sparked at his wife's fingers but they suddenly vanished; she wavered and he pulled her into him and felt several tears dampen his garbs. Everyone was quiet and he looked at Zuko; his friend was frozen in place, golden eyes hazed. "I'm sorry," he whispered and squeezed Azula tightly.

"We'll get them back Aang," Katara spoke fiercely, blue eyes hard. "They will regret it. We won't stop until Samir and Ursa are found."

Azula moved out of his arms and didn't look at any of them. "I will see this world burn to get our daughter and my mother back."

"It won't come to that," he assured fervently. "I will find them no matter what."

"Is that a promise that you can keep, Avatar?"

"What else happened?" Zuko insisted desperately in interruption and Aang felt thankful; his friend was holding Katara in his chest tightly, an anchor to reality. "How come… you couldn't save them?"

"La foolishly gave them power over Water, that… insular Koi Fish. I would have saved them but… I was caught in bloodbending. Hama is working with them and she has somehow become younger. I suspect energybending and direct manipulation of her chi."

Katara stepped away from Zuko, astonishment and horror in her eyes. "Hama? No, she's in prison - if she hasn't already died!"

"She hasn't died and she wasn't in prison. It was her, Katara. I'd wager my life on it. It was her bloodbending grip; it was a sensation that was always impossible to forget and I felt it again today."

"How could this have happened?"

"It was Hahn!" One of the Water Tribesmen sneered and pounded his spear against his cupped palm. "That traitor! He killed Chief Arnook and led this invasion straight to us!"

"No… It was my failure that led to this," he said softly, bitterly and saw a single tear slide down Azula's cheek before her posture changed; she suddenly resembled the girl in the Great War. "That's how this all happened."

A burst of piercing laughter split the air and Aang turned to face the trapped Lee. The Energybender howled and tears spilled out of his gleaming eyes.

"You always fail, Aang!" Lee raucously shook in his ice prison. "First, you were gone for a century, then you lost your Sky Bison, and now this! I know you! That's all you do - fail! The end of the Great War was only luck! Now your daughter is gone and the skin-melted bastard's mother is gone; they're probably dead knowing Piandao!"

"You fuck!" Zuko screamed in rage and suddenly darted past the Waterbenders who acted as guards and attacked Lee, smashing flaming fists into the Energybender's not-so-bad-burnt face; the punches didn't even seem to affect the Energybender that much. "You want death so bad? I'll give it to you!" Zuko pulled out one of his swords and while none of the Water Tribesmen cared, Katara did for she immediately pulled at his arm.

"No!" She grunted but Zuko didn't lower his word; it was poised to stab through Lee's head. "Don't do this! We need him!"

"I don't care," his friend hissed. "I'm going to kill him."

Lee began to laugh again, his hysterical cries hovering in the air. "I win. You're proving me right, as I wanted in Ba Sing Se! I win!"

Aang tried to cut in but Zuko beat him to it in a snarl. "No, you don't. I don't give a fuck about you, your thoughts, or least of all your life." His friend lowered the sword, "You're only alive because of my love for Katara and her mercy."

"Oh, I know all about Katara's love and mercy."

"What?" Zuko was incredulous, "You're fucking crazy. I don't know you and I never knew you in Ba Sing Se. You know nothing about Katara."

"He's right, Lee. I don't know you, either," Katara stated quietly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Lee turned his head to look directly at Aang, "Yes, you do. My face is different, that's all."

"Who the fuck are you?" Zuko demanded, leaning forward, face pinched into something sinister. "Why do you hate me and my uncle? Why do you work for Dark and my father? Why did you unleash the plague in the Fire Nation? What did I do to you?"

"You ruined me… You and your uncle are who caused my death. The generous Vaatu rescued me and gave me my second chance. I despise you, Fire Lord. This time, I didn't fail in my goal to snuff out Fire."

"You're insane. You fool, if you hate me so much, why are you with my father. You should despise him even more than me. Again, why do you work for him and Dark?"

"Father?" Lee, for the first time, looked confused. "There is no Fire Lord Ozai! What are you talking about? I work for Piandao and Vaatu of my free will."

Aang stepped in, finally having enough; Azula was still quiet, staring into the distance with an indecipherable expression. "We don't know that yet. Enough with this. I can't deal with this right now."

"Fuck you, Aang! I know what I know!"

Zuko immediately smashed his fist into the side of Lee's temple but the Energybender only laughed, healing features crinkling. In fact, Lee didn't seem to feel his injuries.

Aang sighed and bound up to the trapped Lee, the Water Tribesmen parting for him; he placed his hand on Lee's forehead and was immediately bombarded with intense dark energy. It was shocking how much was there but he didn't have the strength to deal with that right now. With a grunt of effort, he forced slumber to befall the Energybender and when he opened his eyes, Lee was unconscious.

"Fuck," Zuko breathed out. "I never thought that he would shut up."

"Are you all who remains of your Tribe?" He demanded to the Water Tribesmen. "Have you cleared the city?"

"I cleared the city, Aang, with Zuko, Azula, and Druk's help." Katara informed him, "They joined after you left and we finished off the army - at least those who we could find. So many of my people are dead… So many on both sides…"

"We are the only men of our Tribe who we know are alive, Avatar Aang." One of the Water Tribesmen answered his first question solemnly, "We were saved by Fire Lord Zuko."

"The Dragon saved me," one of the others said. "I thought that I was going to die."

"Princess Azula got us; we were surrounded but she appeared and saved us."

"Lady Katara saved me and my group!"

Standing to his feet as he turned away from the unconscious Lee, Aang was thankful that his friends had managed to keep the North from being extinguished fully; he did a quick estimate of how many were before him. "And there are only around a hundred of you out of the thousands who woke up this day," he closed his eyes to control his dark, horrified emotions. "I want you all to deal with the prisoners for now. Is this all of the enemy?"

One of the Water Tribesmen nodded; his eyes glinted with death and blood. "We killed all of the Firebenders who were still alive," he shot a nervous glance at Zuko and Azula.

Zuko snorted but it lacked energy. "You won't hear any protest from me. My subjects betrayed me and only their deaths would be acceptable atonement."

"I killed some of them myself," Azula murmured; her voice was different, containing a disconcerting amount of predatory impulses.

Aang closed his eyes at the thought of the amount of dead. "This is all my fault," he felt weary and yearned to indulge in his Air Nomad upbringing by just flying away to avoid these problems, but he wasn't that kid anymore. He was the Avatar and he had to do better to hold himself accountable; he needed to stop failing! "I need to… find Samir and Ursa. After I speak with whoever is in charge- "

"That would be you, Aang." Azula looked back into the distance, "Everyone here looks to you for guidance."

"What Water Tribesmen has been in charge?" He adhered to his wife's words. "Who took over after Hahn was killed?"

"Onartok," one of the men answered quietly. "People said that he's who struck the killing blow on that traitor, Hahn."

"And who is Onartok?"

"He's Master Pakku's son. He hasn't been seen since the battle started. We don't know if he's alive; we haven't seen him. I fear the worst. Without Sokka, we will be thrown into a succession crisis."

"Sokka will be here eventually," he closed his eyes, trying to keep himself in control. Vaatu and Ozai had unleashed so much death! "Since Onartok isn't here, I'll speak with all of you who are here. I want the prisoners all contained and guarded heavily. I have failed but no longer. I want to know what they know."

Azula straightened and marched up to him; her golden eyes were on fire. "I will handle that. They will tell me where my father has taken our daughter. If they don't… I will force them to."

"Avatar Aang, why did they attack us?" The same man asked desperately, hearing the other Water Tribesmen begin demanding the same. "Why did Hahn lead them to us?"

He felt his anger latch onto a dead man. "Hahn cared for nothing but power; he allied with Dark to gain more of it. You were attacked because Ozai needs power of water; he is trying to become his own Avatar."

The man's eyes were wide, on the verge of disbelief. "How can he? You're the World Spirit incarnate! I didn't think that such a thing was possible for anyone else."

"It is… I'll explain later."

"But why did those Children of Earth attack us?" The man pointed at the unconscious prisoners. "They're of the Earth Kingdom; you can tell just by looking at them. Why would they attack us and join Ozai and… Dark? The Firebenders need no explanation."

Aang sighed tiredly once more. "The Children of Earth have felt the need to fight against me because of what I did to King Kuei of Ba Sing Se last year."

"You killed him, right?"

"Yes. He ordered his men to kill me and mortally wounded my Sky Bison. I defended myself and then healed Appa. These Children of Earth were also easily corrupted under the promise that they can get their vengeance on the Fire Nation for the Great War."

Zuko looked at him, "One of them mentioned something about Kyoshi."

"I heard it but I don't understand what they meant by that."

"... And the Fire Nation, Avatar Aang?" The Water Tribesmen asked darkly. "Of course, those of Fire are all savages. They just couldn't help themselves, could they?"

"No, they couldn't," Zuko spat, answering instead. "Just as Hahn, they wanted nothing more than power. Many of the Fire Nation soldiers and Nobles all despise me as much as Lee apparently does. They see me as a failure of a Fire Lord. They were effortlessly swayed to follow my father once more. I've always known that they wished for the Great War to resume so that they could reign supreme - the doctrine that my great-grandfather, grandfather, and father preached - but I should have done more to contain them."

"This is a nightmare," the man muttered.

"I will tend to the injured," Katara cut in; she looked sad. "There were many injured and they need help quickly or there will be nothing that I can do. I don't know how many women survived the- "

"All of them," one of the other Water Tribesman interrupted. "All women survived. When we realized that there would be an invasion, all of the women and children were sent into the underground ice caverns for safety. We checked and the invasion force thankfully didn't hit the caverns."

"They could have helped you!" Katara snapped, "I understand the children and elderly, but the women your age could have entered the battle and saved lives! Why would you send them away? They could have kept some of your fellow men alive! There are not even a hundred of you left out of the thousands that you started with!"

"It's to keep our civilization from dying. Women are the ones who bear our children." The Water Tribesman slowly leaned up and held a hand against his shoulder; it was badly burned. "We have lost much today, but because the women are all safe, we can rebuild. Losing our fellow men is tragic but not debilitating. Losing our women would be. We can recover our population in a single generation with only us hundred men but if the women had fought and been killed, it would have taken centuries to build back from. This is one of the leading reasons why the Water Tribes have men fight instead of the women."

Katara looked speechless and Aang took over. "I never knew that."

"I didn't know it either," his friend whispered, her blue eyes considering. "That's actually a little flattering."

"It's actually something similar that the Sages have mentioned about me being the Last Airbender. I could repopulate my people quite easily by spreading my air-touched seed, but if I had been a woman, it would have taken much longer and been more potentially disastrous because there is a limited number of children that a woman can bear. A man can sire children without limit if he desires it."

"And because of that, we will be able to rebuild in a generation," the Water Tribesman nodded. "We all know how important women are to our people; we protect them for they are the mothers of our children."

"You can discuss it all later," he spoke tiredly, not wanting to talk about philosophy. "Here is what will happen. Azula will interrogate, Katara will heal, and I will question Lee and take away his energybending. Zuko, what will you do?"

His friend sighed, "I will help with the burial of the dead and search to see if any of the enemy somehow survived. This will all take several days to sift through everything that must be done."

Aang nodded, "I can help with whatever any of you need me to do but I do have pressing concerns. This doesn't involve just the Water Tribes but the Four Nations. I must be on top of it. After I deal with Lee when I am more mentally composed, I will go into the Spirit World to speak with Wan Shi Tong. He should know how Vaatu eludes my gaze and how he just disappears. If he does, then I'll hopefully be able to find Samir and Ursa. He should also know what I can do about the plague that Lee unleashed, but I'm hoping that Lee himself can tell me."

"I doubt that fucker would tell you anything, Aang." Zuko seemed to believe his declaration, "Why waste time on him? I should just kill him."

"He has answers that we need, Zuzu," Azula's voice was deadly calm. "Aang will speak with him while I speak with the others. They will tell us what we want to know. If they don't, I will enjoy persuading them to."

Zuko scratched at his healed chin irritably. "Still, I want to be the one to kill Lee; he spread the plague and that is a crime that only the Fire Lord can deal with."

Katara glanced at him in worry. "That sounds like something that your father would say."

"I'm never going to kidnap my wife," his friend's face softened and he gripped Katara's hand. "I'm just really pissed right now."

"We all are," he cut in, gesturing to everyone, including the Water Tribesmen. "We need to rest, or at least try to before we do anything else after making sure that the prisoners are secured."

"Will Ozai kill them?" Katara's words were soft and frightened, worried. "Ursa and Samir?"

"Ozai will not kill mother; he is obsessed with her, always has been." Azula seemed full of both rage and calm. "I want to know why he took Samir?"

"To wound me - and yourself if he knows that you're alive and that Samir is your daughter - in ways that no physical attack ever could," he said darkly. "He hates me above all others. He would know that Samir's an Airbender and my daughter; she looks just like me. From what I gathered, Samir was also used as a way to keep your mother under control. I assume that… Samir was captured and that's how they got compliance from your mother."

"She once swore never to go back to him," Zuko murmured bitterly. "It would have taken something drastic for her to be receptive to him."

"And Samir was that drastic measure," Aang whispered those cursed words. "I shouldn't have brought her here. What… what was I thinking?"

Azula seemed to flinch; he glimpsed the mist in her eyes. "I pray that mother will keep her safe. If anyone can handle my father, it is she. I cannot imagine how terrified Samir feels."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"I have a lead." Sokka beamed proudly, staring at his friend's faces; they were in a tavern after a long day's journey. "I've been asking around and they say that the man in the corner over there works for some guy named Piandao. This is it!"

"Are you sure, Sokka?" Haru leaned forward, goblet pushed to the side. "This could get… messy."

Mai began, as always, twirling one of her shurikens. "I think that it will be fun. I haven't killed anyone in months."

Sokka blinked, "Um… how awful, I guess."

"Thanks."

"Even if something does happen," Koko cut in, "we'll all be here. It's all of us against him. I don't care if he's a bender. We have Haru."

Ty Lee grinned, rubbing Haru's arm. "He's strong and he can do so many things with those fingers of his."

"Just because you started teaching me chi-blocking doesn't mean that I want to hear that stuff." Sokka crossed his arms, "Please, keep it to yourself. My ears will thank you."

"You mean keep to myself how Haru can- "

"That's it," he stood up and turned to approach the man. "I can't take more of your lovey-dovey talk."

Haru chuckled, "Good luck."

Sokka kept his stride calm but he was tense inwardly; he slid across the man who he was told to see. "I hear you know some things about a guy named Piandao."

The man took a long drink from his goblet before he smacked his lips. Then he sloppily, blew out the candle, throwing them into relative darkness. "You're a fuckin' surprise. It's not often you see a Water Tribesman. What do you want?"

"They say that you know Piandao."

"Who's asking?"

"Me, obviously."

"Do you have a name?"

"Wang Fire."

The man abruptly burst into laughter and Sokka suddenly smelled the haze of alcohol surrounding the man. "That's a funny name. Wang Fire."

"You're drunk," he leaned back, trying to clear his nose of the stench.

"Probably. But then again, I usually am around this time. Are you wanting to start a lecture, Wang Fire?" The man suddenly giggled again before it cleared, replaced by a drunk's logic. "It won't do anything, I'll tell ya. I failed in school so none of those lectures work on me. My teachers worked on me, though. I wanted to marry her. Give it your best shot."

"You're sick."

"No, I'm drunk."

"You're also dramatic. That candle-blowing stunt was extreme."

"No, I'm drunk. That's what you said. Am I repeating myself?"

"Um…"

"Sorry about that," the man took another huge swig from his goblet. "I didn't sit down next to you, Wang Fire." A brief giggle escaped the man's lips and he shrugged lazily, leaning back. "You are who sat across from me. Are you here to kill me?"

"What?" Sokka asked incredulously, wondering briefly if he should give up. "Why would you think that?"

"That sword of yours I doubt is dull."

Sokka suddenly turned serious, hoping that it would work. "I have no overriding urge to see you dead, but you may provoke that urge."

"Fascinating. How could I do that?"

"By not telling me what I want to know - and you can tell me."

"Do you know something that I don't?"

"You know Piandao."

"That's right!" The man slammed his goblet on the table; he leaned forward, tilting his head. "What can I do for you?"

Sokka successfully battled the urge to face-palm. "I need to know about Piandao. They say that you know him."

"I work for him," the man hummed thoughtfully. "He's going to kill the Avatar and I'm going to help him. Do you want to kill the Avatar, too?"

"Um… yes?"

The man suddenly smiled, "Well, why didn't you say so? Yeah, I can tell you where Piandao is at. Words from the dark are impossible to miss."

"Whatever you say," he smiled uneasily. "You hate the Avatar for the same reason I do, right?"

"Of course! Kyoshi murdered my sire and the newest incarnation of that bitch murdered King Kuei of Ba Sing Se and he hasn't allowed us our revenge against the Fire Nation!"

Sokka forced himself to nod eagerly but inwardly, he felt sick. "The Fire Nation killed my mother."

"Mine, too! Did they murder your wife and kids, too, like they did one of my brother's?"

"I'm not going to give them the chance." Sokka was lying through his teeth but he needed the location of Piandao; he would figure out if he could trust a drunkard's word later! "That's why they should be destroyed."

"Exactly! Wang Fire, you may be a Water Tribesman, but you have the heart of the Children of Chin." The man downed the rest of his goblet, "I can take you to Piandao. He just got back from the Northern Water Tribe. He got power of water; there's only one more element to go before we can destroy the Avatar."

Sokka narrowly concealed his horror. "How… wonderful. Shouldn't you, I don't know, be celebrating, then? You're by yourself."

The man suddenly slackened and his features tightened; he seemed nearly sober. "I'm grieving. My leader was killed. He was the greatest man I ever knew and he was the soul of the Children of Chin."

"I'm sorry for your loss. What was his name?"

"Chin V. With no leader, we all decided to continue to follow Piandao and Vaatu until the Avatar and his followers are destroyed. You would be a good recruit. Are you by yourself?"

"No. That group sitting at that table over there. Do you see the woman twirling the knife?"

"Yes."

"That group is with me. We want to work for Piandao and see our goal realized."

"You all non-benders?"

"No. That guy is an Earthbender, a pretty good one."

"Me, too! He could be integrated into the Children of Chin, then! There are hundreds of us and we all work for Piandao!"

Sokka nodded in discomfort. "So where is Piandao?"

"Oh, he's a week's journey from here on foot. If he hadn't moved bases, we could walk there in less than a day from here. Since he got back from the North, my letter said that he's now on the coast; it's probably easier to learn waterbending. He's near Yu Dao."

"Then we'll be going to Yu Dao." Sokka smiled and leaned back in relief; he had finally found Piandao. "Are you wanting to take us?"

"We can go, now!" The man unsteadily stood up from his chair and staggered towards the door, barely opening it. "Come on!" Sokka stealthily motioned for everyone else to follow him and they all stepped after the man; they were outside of the tavern, the night air crisp and refreshing. "It's this way!"

"Where?" Mai suddenly asked, stepping towards the man.

The man lurched and turned around, "It's this way- "

In a blurred motion, Sokka watched in shock as Mai threw her shuriken and it pierced through the man's throat. The man stood there uncomprehendingly and Mai tore the weapon out of his throat; blood burst out and the man collapsed to the ground, dead.

"Why did you do that?" Sokka cried out after a stunned pause. "What the fuck?"

Mai shrugged, "We have the knowledge that we need. He could set up a trap for us; he won't be as harmless when he's sober. You never know. We could never trust him."

"Bu- but you weren't even there!" Sokka spluttered, "You just killed him!"

"He was loud; we all heard what he said."

Sokka turned to look at everyone else. "We just killed a guy who did nothing to us! Do you have a problem with that?"

"He's working for Ozai in one way or another." Haru shrugged. "He won't be missed."

"You're cold," he muttered.

"Says the guy from the Water Tribes."

"Guys, we need to hide the body." Ty Lee interrupted worriedly, "Someone could see it and they would think of us, first. We're the travelers."

"Koko? How can you just stand there?" Sokka demanded, looking at the other Kyoshi Warriors; they didn't talk much. "Do you agree with them?"

His friend sighed, "Tactically, yes. It would be best to remove this potential enemy and obstacle from our path. Morally, no. But this is war, Sokka. There's no morality in war, there can't be."

"Fine. I guess we're going to Yu Dao," he said in defeat. "That was information that we killed for," he then pointed at Haru. "Just use your earthbending and bury the body; make sure to get the blood, too."

Haru stomped his foot and pulled his hands towards himself and a grave-like hole appeared. Sokka grunted and rolled the man's body into it; he pulled dirt and rubbed it over the blood spots. When he was finished, he stood back up and Haru closed the hole.

They all stood above the unseen grave, a place that no one would ever know was there. An awkward silence was prominent for several moments before it was pierced by Koko.

"What kind of name is Wang Fire?"

"An awesome one!"

XxXxXxXxXxX

Well, that's all for this one, everyone! That's all for this one, everyone! I hope that you all enjoyed it and I'd also really appreciate it if you left a review; it would help me out! Man, a lot happened in this chapter! Here we go:

**Aang decides to teach the Gaang energybending and it's also decided that all future Order of the White Lotus Sages, Grandmasters, and Masters will be required to know it, too! I do think that this would be an honest reaction in light of Lee's actions with the plague. He realizes that there could be 'evil' Energybenders and so he reacts by teaching his closest allies and friends energybending to combat anymore potential 'evil' Energybenders. Although it was never clear what would have happened if Ozai had overpowered Aang during that energybending scene in Sozin's Comet, I do think that it makes sense for Aang's spirit to be destroyed and for Ozai's 'malevolent' energy to take over, at least partially. If that is the case, as I am doing for this story, then it shows how RISKY Aang's decision was and how he almost doomed the world to a truly evil Avatar.

**Hahn coins himself as Chief in front of the Nobles in the North but is then killed in a mob rampage because of Yue's actions. In short, don't ever piss off a spirit, especially an Elemental one, regardless if Yue is the weakest of them all because they will get revenge.

**Bor, Suki, Jin, and Toph rest after fleeing Ba Sing Se! Toph eventually wakes up and is understandably hysterical and distraught about her feet. Because she's such a strong person and so tough, she intentionally, instinctively distracts herself from the pain by asking questions and demanding things about what happened and who Jin is. Then Toph spills the beans about Suki's pregnancy, about how she's pregnant with twins. I wonder if anyone saw that coming. Let me know if you did. Anyway, this is what Yue meant by 'the Water Tribes will be united under your children.' So if you have a spirit who has a special, healthy interest in your life, you'll turn out all right.

**Aang finishes teaching Azula, Zuko, Katara, and Ursa all that they need to know about energybending; it's definitely the easiest bending art to master. Then Yue appears! She tells Aang about what has happened but because she is weakened, none of the others can see her. Also, there were some questions about Hahn being able to kill the two guards, and I hope that Yue explained it succinctly. Hahn spent weeks, months earning favor and trust with Arnook and people knew it. So when Arnook is assassinated, their first thought isn't Hahn but someone else. Plus, there were only two of them. If there had been another, that's a different story. And of course, Vaatu arrives while she is speaking to Aang.

**Iroh learns of the death of Bumi and is anguished by it. He thinks of how many friends and loved ones that he has lost and that leads into how much the Fire Nation has lost from Lee's plague. Pretty much, all Firebenders who aren't Masters are infected and most have been killed, thus leading to firebending dying out rapidly. Masters are able to fight off the plague because a Master's chi flow is better; there are very few true bending Masters not just in the Fire Nation but in all of the nations. So as a result, Lee has almost accomplished what he set out to do, but don't worry, all is not lost!

**Aang, Azula, Zuko on Druk, Katara, Ursa, and Samir fly to the North! (Yes, those were some 300 movie quotes that Azula said to Aang.) Okay, for those of you wondering what Samir was doing there: Aang wasn't going to just leave her with the Sun Warriors and Azula would have certainly never allowed it. Also, he wasn't focused on her, but on the Northern Water Tribe. (He's still a new dad, come on!) So Ursa volunteers to stay with Appa and Samir away from the battle - and Katara will look into the Spirit Oasis to see if anything is amiss - because Appa needs to rest. For those of you who are wondering why Druk wouldn't need to rest, it's because he's a reptile. Reptiles are able to extend their metabolic energy reserves by keeping themselves sustained at a lower output rate for a long period of time. Mammals, like Appa, aren't able to do that because they rapidly accumulate their energy and then they just as quickly burn their reserves in one powerful surge. So Appa is gassed by the time they reach the Northern Water Tribe; it's actually really, really impressive that Appa was able to fly to the North non-stop.

Then they get to the North and Ozai's army is already there and it's not good! So because of Hahn, the North wasn't prepared except for the knowledge that there would be an attack. Preparations can make or break an army and the North was nearly broken because of Hahn, but it was saved in time because Aang and the one-third of the Gaang entered the battle and turned the tide!

**Ozai, Hama, Zhao, and Vaatu go the Spirit Oasis! Zhao is returned to his prison so that Vaatu can receive power of water from an enraged La and when Katara goes to glimpse the Spirit Oasis, she doesn't see anything because of the haze of what looks like natural darkness. Ozai learns that Azula is still alive and that his son has a Dragon. His reaction is about what you would expect. Then they follow the not-paying-attention-because-he's-so-exhauted Appa and then Ozai finally encounters Ursa once again after years. Samir, because she's still a kid, doesn't have a sense of danger so she stupidly attacks Ozai with air and they learn that she's an Airbender. Ursa attacks them and in the confusion, Appa manages to fly away on a burst of adrenaline (do animals have that?), but Samir fears that Ursa could get killed so she tries to help and as a result, she is captured. (Remember, she's only a 7-years-old kid.) Aang appears at the last second after seeing the empty saddle on Appa, but Hama freezes him with bloodbending and they disappear.

**Zuko fights in the battle and even though the odds are against him and his friends, they persevere. He kills his former subjects, the Nobles, because treachery is not tolerated and what else would you expect in a war, a battle? No one is really shown mercy because if you do that, they could stab you or one of your friends in the back. That is definitely a philosophy that Zuko would live by in regard to his enemies. Just after Druk and Katara go into the city, he remembers that he saw a flash of fire above the Spirit Oasis - Ozai spurting out those flames at the fact that his daughter was still alive - but before he can tell Aang and Azula, he is attacked by Lee. Zuko fights him off and it culminates in Lee getting one of his hands sliced off. Then Appa appears and Aang realized what had happened; he flies away while Zuko and Azula go into the city to strike the final blow to the army of invaders.

**Aang, after Vaatu and Ozai disappear with Samir and Ursa, enters the Avatar State and goes to the Spirit World, trying to find Vaatu to rescue his daughter and mother-in-law, but Vaatu disappeared; he cannot be felt. Don't worry, it will be explained why and how Vaatu can do this and how he seemingly teleports and took Ozai to the Spirit World without mastered chakras in Chapter 8. Aang, of course, is furious and miserable and when he confronts Yue and La, he is pissed off, understandably so. He learns about Zhao's involvement but how the man was also returned to his prison in the ocean.

About the Water Tribes and only men fighting. There must be a reason for that, right? At least in Canon to me, it just seemed like a sexist thing to give Katara more power and a defining moment, but there must be a reason why the Water Tribes are that way. It doesn't just magically happen or else it's a plot convenience-thing. So I created a viable reason. Women - sorry, guys - are biologically more valuable for procreation and this has been proven in real-life history. If a population loses 30%, 40%, or even 70% of its men, it can recover in a single generation, whereas losing that many women would take centuries to build back from (Irish potato famine, and Russia during the 20th century, particularly during Stalin's Great Purge, for example). So the Water Tribes took on that mindset and that's one of the main reasons why Water Tribe women never fight.

**Sokka, Haru, Ty Lee, Mai, Haru, and Koko and the other Kyoshi Warriors have a lead about Piandao! Sokka talks to one of the Children of Chin, who is also drunk because of Chin V's death, and he says that he can take them to Piandao. Sokka learns some of the stuff that happened and when they all leave, Mai kills the man, recognizing that he could become a threat. Sokka isn't pleased but he reluctantly agrees and they bury the body. Their next stop is Yu Dao, where the man said Piandao was.

I think that was everything so leave a review and tell me what you think of the chapter. I'd really appreciate it!

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