Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA or any of it's characters. The only thing I own is my OC.
The Six Rules:
Rule Number One: Alec won't warn the Gaang about things in advance or solve their problems for them, with a few rare exceptions.
Rule Number Two: Only Alec has the right to tell people his true origins, and he will mostly limit this to group members. He will tell new group members his secret as soon as they join the Gaang.
Rule Number Three: There are some changes Alec wants to make, and he will use his knowledge of the future to make those changes.
Rule Number Four: Sometimes, to make a change, Alec will act in a way that doesn't make sense. If that's necessary, he'll tell the Gaang "I need you to absolutely trust me." After he says that, the Gaang has to either do whatever he asks or leave him to do what he needs to do.
Rule Number Five: After a change happens, Alec will tell the Gaang what happened in the original story, in the interest of transparency.
Rule Number Six: If a major change happens that Alec doesn't expect, the Gaang will have a meeting ASAP. In this meeting, Alec will break Rule One and tell them all relevant information that will help them figure out how to respond to the change.
Chapter 35:
The Source
Ty Lee POV
The mood in the saddle was bad. Everyone's aura was black from stress. Alec's was the worst. He just stared down at his lap, muttering to himself. I only caught snippets of what he said. Things like 'fucking idiot.' and 'should have killed him.' I needed to make him feel better. I opened up Alec's bag and let out the dragons. They flew out. Ved sat in Alec's lap. Druk sat in Zuko's. Alec didn't move, and just stared down at his lap, barely noticing his companion.
"This is bad." Sokka said grimly. His words didn't quite convey how bad things were, but his tone did. "We need to get to Chameleon Bay. Long Feng probably knows about the summit. We need to warn them to leave."
King Kuei narrowed his eyes thoughtfully while he stoked Bosco's fur. "I don't think he does." He said.
Everyone else turned to look at him. "What makes you think that?" Zuko asked.
King Kuei looked him in the eye. "All the generals knew about the invasion plan, but only General How knew about the summit. I even sent all the letters personally. As in, I personally wrote them myself, sealed them, put them in a scroll tube on a messenger hawk, and sent them. Nobody but me saw the letters."
Mai nodded. "Long Feng's cocky enough that he would've bragged if he knew about the summit." She noted. "I don't think he thought any of us would escape."
We needed Alec. I grabbed his chin gently and lifted his head up to look in his eyes. The sadness, guilt, and stress I saw there made my heart break. "Alec." I said gently. "We need you."
He shook his head slowly. "But I failed." He whispered so that only I could hear. "My choices didn't prevent this, they caused this."
I looked deep into his eyes. "Do you remember what I told you when we first met?" I asked.
His eyes widened slightly. "You just need to do the best you can with what you have." He repeated. "Nobody's perfect."
I smiled kindly at him. "Exactly." I said. "Now, we need you." I pleaded with him.
His aura became a little brighter. "Okay." He whispered. He stroked my cheek like he had so many times before. "Thank you."
I nuzzled into his hand. "You're welcome."
His eyes turned from despair to determination. He looked around the rest of the group. "Okay. I have an idea." He said. He turned to the Earth King. "Your Majesty, I need a favor."
King Kuei nodded. "Name it."
"When we get to camp, I need you to introduce yourself to Chief Hakoda, our dad." He said seriously. "I need you to tell him what happened, and that the rest of us in this saddle are having a meeting, alone. We'll set up that big tent you gave us. Nobody comes in or eavesdrops on us, unless they want the business end of a fireball." I could tell by his aura that he was only half-kidding.
King Kuei nodded. "I understand."
Katara frowned. "What about Azula?" She asked. "She's not dying anymore, but we need to keep an eye on her."
"We'll definitely need some kind of restraints." Zuko said. "Preferably metal ones."
"I got it." Toph volunteered. She pulled out her chain from one of the bags in the saddle and started bending. She made a set of wrist and ankle cuffs for Azula that locked around her limbs. She wouldn't be able to run away or fight in those, and they were too thick to cut through.
"Where do we keep her?" Suki asked. "In the tent with us? How do we know she can't hear us while she's still sleeping?"
A flash of inspiration crossed Sokka's eyes. "I've got an idea." He said. He started digging through another bag. After a few moments, he pulled out a pair of earmuffs and put them over Azula's ears.
"I never liked wearing those things." He said. "They kept my ears warm, but I couldn't hear anything."
Alec nodded. "That'll work. Now, I need some time to think until we get to Chameleon Bay."
Alec POV
We arrived at Chameleon Bay a few hours later. We landed at camp, and Dad ran out to meet us. "I'm surprised you're hear early." He said with a smile. "I wasn't expecting you back until tomorrow." He noticed our expressions and his smile fell. "Did something happen?" He asked seriously.
I shook my head and pointed to the Earth King. "Dad, this is Earth King Kuei. He'll explain what happened. Right now, the rest of us need to have a meeting, and then we need to sleep."
Dad seemed surprised, but he nodded. King Kuei and Bosco walked off with Dad. Well, Kuei walked, Bosco lumbered. The rest of us set up the biggest tent we had, and then Ty Lee and I carried Azula inside. We set a small fire in the center of the tent and gathered around it.
I took a deep breath. This was going to be a long talk.
"So." Sokka started, looking at me. "How bad is this?" He asked.
"Rule Six." I said simply.
Eyes widened and everyone stared at me. "I have to tell you what happened in the original story." I said. "And some things that would have happened in the future."
Several Minutes Later
I spilled my guts. I told them how Appa's kidnapping and Suki's defeat had led to Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee infiltrating Ba Sing Se. How the Dai Li had betrayed Long Feng when they realized Azula was stronger and smarter. How Zuko had made the wrong decision at a critical moment. How Aang died and Katara brought him back.
"Most of the big changes I've made, I did to prevent us from losing Ba Sing Se, to prevent Aang's temporary death, and to prevent the Fire Nation from learning about the invasion." I finished. "I wanted to end the war on the Day of Black Sun."
Everyone was stunned silent for what felt like an eternity. "I can't believe I died." Aang whispered.
"I can't believe I sided with Azula." Zuko muttered.
"To be honest, I kind of understand why you did." I said. "She's extremely manipulative, and in the story, you didn't know the truth about your mother, or all that other stuff. I think if you had known, you would have sided with us."
Ty Lee looked at me. "Why do you think we lost Ba Sing Se?" She asked.
"Long Feng was telling the truth about being inspired by you recruiting Old Man and Sparky." Toph said. "So we know why he did it."
"I underestimated him." I admitted grimly. "I thought that he couldn't accomplish anything without Azula. And I figured that because Appa hadn't been kidnapped, and Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors hadn't been captured, Azula couldn't get into the city. I figured we were fine."
I looked at Azula, lying unconscious on the ground. "I certainly didn't expect Ozai to order Azula's death." I said grimly.
Sokka gave me a flat look. "What part of that is out of character for him?" He asked with only a hint of snark.
"The fact that she's his heir." I replied. Mai, Zuko, and Ty Lee nodded seriously. "Because of Zuko's banishment, Azula was Ozai's only living heir. Now, if he dies, there's no clear successor. I don't know what he was thinking."
"Maybe he was thinking of Fire Lord Sozin." Zuko realized.
Everyone looked at him. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"Sozin didn't marry or have children until he was eighty-two. Azulon was born the same year that the war started." He clarified. "My father's definitely arrogant enough to think nobody can beat him in battle or successfully assassinate him."
"Ignoring the disgusting mental image of an eighty-two-year-old Sozin with a woman of childbearing age," I said with a shudder, "I think you're onto something, Zuko. But there's one other part of this that doesn't make sense." I finished with a frown.
"And that is?" Mai prompted.
"Why is Long Feng keeping up his end of the deal with Ozai?" I wondered aloud. "He tried to betray Azula in the original story." I looked at Toph. "Are you sure he was telling the truth when he said he wasn't planning to backstab him?"
Toph nodded. "Yeah. And I know he can't hide his lies from me. When we first met the Earth King, his heartbeat went crazy when he tried to deny all the shit he did." The conversation was so serious that Katara didn't bother correcting her language.
"So, why?" I asked. "Unless Ozai has something else that can get past the walls. I mean, we have it easy because we can…fly…" My eyes widened. "Oh fuck." I whispered.
"What is it?" Zuko asked.
"The balloons." I said, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I forgot the fucking balloons."
"What balloons?" Sokka asked.
"Way back at the Northern Air Temple." I said. Thankfully, we'd caught all the others up on our adventures in our free time, so they knew what I was referring to. "When you and the Mechanist crashed that hot air balloon and Aang had to save you two from falling to your deaths. The Fire Nation found the wreckage and figured out how to build them." I shook my head. "I forgot about that because I was so excited to work on the firebending scrolls I'd gotten. Maybe Ozai told Long Feng about them to keep him in line."
Sokka raised an eyebrow. "So, Long Feng is working for the Fire Lord because he's scared of some tiny balloons?"
I shook my head. "They're not tiny. Not anymore. The Fire Nation upgraded the designs. These new balloons are massive airships, hundreds of feet long. They can hold an entire crew of firebenders and engineers. With those things, the walls of Ba Sing Se are meaningless."
Zuko rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Be honest, Alec, how bad are things for us now?"
"Actually, things aren't that bad." I admitted. "We're in a better position than we were at this point in the original story."
Everyone seemed surprised by this. Zuko gave me a flat look. "We lost Ba Sing Se, the invasion is compromised, and you're saying we're better off? How?!"
"Those things happened in the original story, anyway." I said. "First, think about what we have in terms of people. Now, in terms of military strength, I think we can assume that the armies are relatively the same size that they were in the original story. But, think about this: At this point, The Gaang had Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph. Ozai had Zuko, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee. Suki and Iroh were in prison, and I didn't exist in this world." I said. "Now, Ozai has Long Feng, Iroh is locked up, but The Gaang has all of the others except Azula, and well, I don't know what she'll do, but I know she won't go back to Ozai."
"On top of that, Aang has control over the Avatar State, and Toph has mastered metalbending." I added. "And, Aang won't miss out on three weeks of training to recover from a lightning strike."
"Speaking of lighting strikes," Katara said, glancing at Azula's sleeping form. "What do we do about her?"
"I want to try to help her." I said quietly.
Everyone but Ty Lee looked at me with surprise. "Why?" Sokka asked.
"Because I feel bad for her." I admitted.
"Why?!" Sokka asked louder.
"Let me tell you her story." I said.
Even More Minutes Later
I told them how the failed invasion led to most of our allies getting captured. How Sokka convinced Zuko to help him break into the Boiling Rock to bust out some of them, including Suki and Dad. I told them about Mai betraying Azula so Zuko and Sokka could escape, and how Ty Lee chi-blocked Azula to protect Mai. How the betrayal sent Azula into a downward spiral, and where she ended up at the end of the story: chained up, crazy, and crying. That made everyone see Azula in a new light. Even Sokka looked at her with pity in his eyes.
"That's so sad." Ty Lee said quietly.
"How can we even begin to help her?" Zuko asked. "Can she even be helped?"
I shook my head. "I don't know." I said. "I knew I could get you, Iroh, Mai, and Ty Lee to defect, because you eventually did in the original story, but this is different. There's only one person who might get through to her. We need to find Ursa."
Mai gave me a flat look. "How are we supposed to do that?" She asked. "Even you don't know where she is."
I frowned. "It would be a lot easier if we had Iroh." I said. "And it's not safe for any of us to be seen in public, so I can't just stop by the nearest Pai Sho house."
Aang tilted his head. "What does Pai Sho have to do with this?"
I had to tell them this, too. I pulled out my box of scrolls from behind me. I pulled out the small leather pouch and retrieved the White Lotus tile from inside it. "Iroh is a member of an ancient secret society that transcends the division of the four nations."
Zuko's eyes widened in realization. "The Order of the White Lotus." He said.
I nodded. "Yeah. They have members all over the world. And Jeong Jeong left me a note implying that they control every single Pai Sho house on Earth." I said. "If any group has the resources to find Ursa, they do."
"So, if we can contact them, they might be able to find Ursa, who maybe can help Azula." Suki said. She shook her head. "That's a lot of uncertainty. What do we do with Azula in the meantime?"
"We should have at least two of us watching her at all times." I suggested. "We can take shifts. I think every shift should have at least one bender. We can switch off every few hours so that we can all get a good night's sleep."
We agreed on groups of people to take shifts. Aang and Katara, Zuko and Mai, Ty Lee and me, and the last group was Toph, Sokka, and Suki. We rotated shifts every two hours throughout the night.
The Next Morning, Third Person POV
In the Fire Nation colony of Yu Dao was a man. A man who just turned forty, with brown hair pulled into a topknot and golden eyes. He was relatively short, only about 5'6, and wiry. He certainly wouldn't win any strength contests anytime soon.
But Intelligence Minister Rezok had little need for physical strength. His greatest weapon was his mind. He was currently in a small vacation home in Yu Dao. He enjoyed being here, away from servants. His upbringing in a small village in the Fire Nation taught him to do things for himself. He liked taking vacations and not being waited on. His vacation home was small, and modestly decorated. He wasn't wearing his government robes, instead he wore a simple shirt and pants that made him look like a middle-class citizen.
He made himself some ginseng tea to help him wake up. While the kettle was heating up, he went outside and breathed in the fresh morning air. He retrieved the freshly-delivered newspaper from his front stoop, and brought it inside without reading it. Once the tea was ready, he poured himself a cup, before he sat down in his chair with the newspaper and began to read.
The headline on the front page nearly made him spit out his tea.
"Triumph and Tragedy! Ba Sing Se Surrenders! Princess Azula Tragically Slain!"
Rezok put down his tea and urgently read the article.
"The Capital received bittersweet news last night. According to Propaganda Minister Soruk, Fire Lord Ozai had assigned Princess Azula the task of negotiating Ba Sing Se's surrender to the Fire Nation. Princess Azula performed this task admirably for months, but last night, tragedy struck. While the negotiations had been secret, the Avatar somehow caught wind of them, and assassinated Princess Azula in cold blood. Ba Sing Se's representative at the negotiations, Long Feng, was the only survivor. Princess Azula's sacrifice was not in vain, however. Long Feng, inspired by Princess Azula's defense of him and her tragic demise, immediately surrendered Ba Sing Se to Fire Nation forces. The war in the Earth Kingdom is over, and Princess Azula's sacrifice will not be forgotten."
Rezok didn't believe it. Nothing about the article made sense to him. He needed some time to comprehend this. And Azula was dead?! His associates would not be happy about this.
A Few Hours Later
Rezok was pacing in his living room, muttering to himself under his breath, when he heard a voice.
"Rezok." It said simply.
Rezok spun around. He saw, sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, a man. The man was well built, and almost six feet tall. He wore a black hooded cloak over his frame, and on his face was a mask. A plain wooden mask with holes for the eyes and a horizontal slit over the mouth. The Mask. Rezok knew his true name, of course, but he always insisted on using the codename. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Rezok rolled his eyes.
"Must you always be so theatrical?" He asked.
The Mask chuckled. "You know I can't help it." He said. "It's part of my background." His voice turned cold. "The Source is…displeased." He said diplomatically.
Rezok knew The Source as well, and he knew that in this context, 'displeased' meant 'apoplectic'. "I assume they saw the newspaper?" He asked. He shook his head. "How do you get word so fast?"
"Trade secret." The Mask replied dismissively. "The Source wants to cut off all aid to the Avatar, assuming the article is correct. We haven't been able to establish contact with Iroh to verify that the article is true."
"I doubt that it is." Rezok said. "I've been thinking about it ever since I read it. Some things don't add up."
The Mask tilted his head. "Like what?"
Rezok picked up the paper and pointed at one particular sentence in the article. "It says here that Azula had been negotiating with Ba Sing Se for months. That's definitely a lie. I know for a fact she was hunting the Avatar, Iroh, and Zuko. She sent me a letter asking for information on the Avatar and his friends months ago so she could hunt them down."
"You're certain?" The Mask asked.
Rezok nodded. "If Ozai sent Azula to negotiate with Ba Sing Se, I would have known about it. He would have asked me to dig up any information about the city and its leadership that I could. Also, if there were negotiations taking place, why would the Fire Nation attack the city in the middle of the negotiations?"
"The drill, you mean." The Mask realized.
Rezok nodded. "Exactly."
"What do you think really happened?" The Mask inquired. "Do you think the Avatar really killed her?"
Rezok's expression turned grim. "I'm not certain, but I have a theory."
The Mask nodded, urging him to elaborate.
"Ozai didn't tell me about these alleged negotiations." Rezok began. "And I've proven my 'loyalty' to him time and time again. If he didn't tell me, then he might be hiding something so terrible that it would shake anyone's loyalty to him." He swallowed. "It's just a theory, and if the Avatar was indeed present for Azula's death, you need to find out the truth from him."
"We can't find him." The Mask admitted. "When Iroh was with the Avatar, we knew where he was, but we don't know where he is now."
Rezok turned around and put the paper down on a small table. "Well I hope you find him." He turned back around, but The Mask was gone, and the window was open, the red curtains blowing in the mild breeze.
Rezok shook his head. "Showoff."
Earlier That Morning, Alec POV
Ty Lee and I took our turn watching Azula. It was pretty close to dawn. We just sat there, watching her sleep. Ved sat in my lap, and we took turns petting him. He was already growing. He was now about a foot and a half long, instead of the one foot when he hatched. I think Katara had washed off Azula's makeup during her shift. We also removed the earmuffs. I looked at Azula's face. I shook my head.
"What is it?" Ty Lee whispered.
"She looks so young." I replied sadly. "I know she's only fourteen but she acts older, and the makeup made her look older."
Ty Lee nodded. "She did that on purpose to look scarier."
That was sad. My thoughts were interrupted by a voice from outside the tent. "Is anyone awake in there?" I heard Dad ask. "I know you didn't want to be interrupted, but I just thought you should know that the Northern Water Tribe's ship has arrived."
I walked over and opened the flap. "Thanks, Dad." I said. "I'll wake everyone up and let them know."
Ty Lee and I started shaking people awake. "What is it?" Zuko asked groggily.
"The Northern Water Tribe is here." I said with a smirk. "Look alive Fire Lord, it's time to meet your peers."
"Someone needs to stay back with Azula." Sokka said with a yawn.
"I'll do it." Toph volunteered. "I can handle her by myself if I have to."
I looked at her. "Are you sure?" I asked. "It might be safer if two of us stayed."
She nodded. "I got this."
We all quickly ate breakfast, and we left Toph to watch over Azula. We opened the flap and joined everyone else in the camp. The mood was extremely grim in the camp, a stark contrast from the celebratory mood of our last visit. Dad's expression was serious, lines of concern etched on his face. Earth King Kuei stood next to Dad. I could see how nervous he was. He petted Bosco as if the bear was his lifeline.
On the shore was a new ship. It was quite a bit bigger than the ships of the Southern Water Tribe. The blue sails had the symbol of the Water Tribe stitched on them. A wide gangplank dropped down from the starboard side of the ship. A small group of Water Tribe Guards lined the sides of the gangplank. Then, two familiar faces walked down the gangplank, arm in arm. Familiar, but unexpected.
I stepped forward. "Poduk? Yue?" I said, surprised.
Poduk carried himself differently than he had the last time I saw him. In the North Pole, he'd been a little awkward, but still a nice that and could get the job done when needed. Now, he carried himself with more confidence. He wore the amulet that I last saw Chief Arnook wearing. Yue looked just as beautiful as ever.
Poduk's eyes widened briefly, as if remembering something. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Oh, I must have forgotten. I wrote in our response that the Chief and Chieftess would attend, but I forgot to mention our names." He realized. "Sorry about that."
Yue smiled at him. "At least it made for a pleasant surprise for our friends." She reasoned. She turned to us. "Speaking of surprises…" She looked over her shoulder. I saw two people coming down the plank that I never would have expected. I recognized the old, weathered face of Master Pakku, but holding onto his arm was a woman I didn't expect to see. They stepped off the gangplank next to Poduk and Yue.
"Gran Gran?!" Sokka exclaimed.
Yep, it was Gran Gran, all right. She smiled kindly at us. "How are you two here?" Katara asked. "I thought you would be in the South Pole."
"We were." Pakku explained. "Kanna invited me to move permanently to the South Pole. I accepted, and went back to the Northern Water Tribe to gather my possessions."
"And I went with him." Gran Gran added. She smirked. "Just to make sure he wasn't running away."
Pakku shook his head. "You're the one who ran away last time." He pointed out.
"I wasn't running away, I was leading you on a chase." Gran Gran countered. "It's your own fault that you took sixty years to follow." She turned to us and spread her arms wide. "Well, come and give your grandmother a hug. And your new grandfather."
Sokka, Katara, and I ran forward and embraced her. "Congratulations, Gran Gran!" Katara gushed.
Sokka pulled Pakku into the hug. "Welcome to the family, Gramp Gramp!"
Pakku pushed him away. "You can still call me Pakku." He insisted.
Sokka looked thoughtful. "How about…GramPakku?!" He suggested.
Pakku glared at him. "No." He noticed Ved perched on my shoulder. His eyes widened slightly. "Is that a dragon?" He asked.
I nodded and smiled. "His name is Ved." I nodded in Zuko's direction. "Zuko's dragon is named Druk."
Gran Gran broke free of the hug. "That reminds me." She said. She looked over at Zuko. She marched over to Zuko and stopped right in front of him. He had about a foot on her, but she was giving him a glare that almost made him take a step back. Druk even flew off and hid on Mai's shoulder.
Gran Gran grabbed Zuko by his good ear and dragged him down. "I'm looking for the Prince." She said. "He'd be about this age? Avatar Aang's firebending teacher?"
Sokka, Katara, Aang, and I lost it. We collapsed to the ground, laughing hysterically. Once Gran Gran let go of Zuko, he bowed deeply before her. "I'm so sorry and ashamed of that." He apologized sincerely. "I'm a different person than I was back then."
Gran Gran gave him a smile. "I can tell that you are, child." She looked around the rest of the group. "Now, who are these other people?" She wondered.
The rest of The Gaang formed a line. Suki stepped forward. "I'm Suki. I lead the Kyoshi Warriors." She said. She smiled at Sokka and grabbed his hand. "I'm also dating Sokka."
Gran Gran gave her an appraising look. "A proud warrior." She noted. "Did you have to knock some sense into my grandson about women?" She asked with a conspiratorial grin.
Suki returned the grin, and Sokka groaned. "You know it." Suki replied.
Gran Gran turned her attention to Mai. "And you are?" She asked.
"My name is Mai." The knife-thrower stated simply. "I'm a defector from the Fire Nation. I'm with Zuko."
Gran Gran nodded. "You use knives?"
Mai raised an eyebrow. "How could you tell?"
Gran Gran smirked. "Why else would anyone wear long, billowing sleeves in late spring? You need somewhere to hide your weapons." Gran Gran had a point. Even she and Yue were in short-sleeved dresses without winter coats.
Gran Gran moved on to Ty Lee. The acrobat smiled nervously. "I'm Ty Lee." She introduced herself. "Like Mai, I defected from the Fire Nation." She swallowed and grabbed my hand. "I'm also…with Alec."
Gran Gran smiled at her. "You seem like a delightful young lady." She praised gently. She turned to me. "How did you manage that?" She teased lightly.
I rolled my eyes. "I can be charming, Gran Gran." I insisted.
Sometime during the talk, Aang laced his fingers together with Katara. Gran Gran noticed, and looked at them. She smiled. "I knew it."
Katara pinched the bridge of her nose. "You knew, too?" She groaned. "How?"
Gran Gran rolled her eyes. "Please. I saw the way he looked at you." She looked around the rest of the group. "Is this all of your group?" She asked.
I shook my head. "Toph, Aang's earthbending teacher, is keeping watch over a prisoner." I swallowed. "And Iroh was captured last night."
Pakku's eyes widened in shock. "What happened?"
Dad stepped forward. "We need to have the meeting, now." He said. "Some important things have happened that we need to tell you about."
We made our way towards Dad's command tent. Ty Lee and I found ourselves next to Poduk and Yue. "So, when did you become the new Chief?" I asked.
"I'm Chief, and Yue's Chieftess." Poduk corrected. "We got married about three months ago. Chief Arnook wanted to retire. He said it was time for the next generation to take over." He grinned. "Personally, I think he was tired of the paperwork. But he did agree to run things while we were away."
"Congratulations on the wedding." I said with a smile. "How's the Northern Water Tribe doing?"
"We made some changes to our laws and customs." Yue said. "The first thing we did was amend the marriage laws. Now, for arranged marriages, both sets of parents, the intended groom, and the intended bride have to agree."
"How did you manage that?" I asked.
Yue smiled. "I made a lot of friends when I organized the evacuation of the city." She explained. "Mostly the wives of prominent council members. The men act like they're the head of the family, but their wives are crafty, and can manipulate them if they want to."
I remembered a quote from one of my favorite movies, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. "The man is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any way she wants." I said with a smirk. Not that I agreed with the whole idea of the man being the head. I was more of a 'marriage is an equal partnership' kind of guy.
Yue smirked. "Exactly." Her smile fell. "The reason that I wanted that law changed is because I remembered the dread I felt when I was engaged to Hahn." She said quietly. "I didn't want anyone else to feel that way."
She smiled at Ty Lee. "Your boyfriend saved me from that marriage, and helped me reunite with the man I love." She said. "I wish you two all the happiness that we have."
Ty Lee smiled. "Thank you."
"So, any other changes?" I asked.
Poduk nodded. "Yes. Several healers came forward after Yue and I took over and asked for the right to learn combat waterbending. Interestingly enough, quite a few of our fighters asked for the right to learn healing, as well. They saw their friends get wounded right next to them and couldn't do anything about it. It frustrated them. So, we changed the laws to allow all waterbenders to learn all forms of waterbending. I even took a few healing lessons myself."
I raised an eyebrow. "Expecting to be on the front lines?"
Poduk rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. Yue giggled. "A funny thing about the Northern Water Tribe." She said. "Despite the fact that we use vellum instead of paper, being Chief and Chieftess involves a lot of paperwork. We were getting wrist cramps."
I chuckled and looked at Poduk. "You took healing lessons because you got wrist cramps?" I asked.
Poduk nodded. "Sounds kind of lame, doesn't it."
"Actually, it sounds practical." I admitted. "Amusing, but practical."
"Alec?" I heard Zuko ask.
I turned my head towards him. "Yeah?"
"Could you help me during the meeting?" He asked.
"With what?" I inquired. "I'm already going to be there." I pointed out.
"I mean, could you sit next to me, and act as my advisor?" He clarified.
I was surprised by the request. "Sure, but why?"
"You helped me make the list." He said. "I trust your judgement."
I nodded. "Okay."
We made it into Dad's command tent and sat around the map. I sat to Zuko's right. The rest of The Gaang, minus Toph, grouped nearby. Dad sat directly across from Zuko. Gran Gran sat to his left, and Pakku to her right. Earth King Kuei sat to Pakku's right. Poduk and Yue sat to Dad's left. Ved and Druk perched on my and Zuko's shoulders. Bosco settled down on the ground behind Kuei.
Dad spoke first. He looked at Zuko. "We should tell Chief Poduk and Chieftess Yue what happened." He said seriously.
"I'll do it." King Kuei said. He looked at Poduk and Yue. "Last night, we lost Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation." He said sadly.
Shock covered Poduk and Yue's faces, as well as Gran Gran and Pakku. "What happened?" Poduk asked grimly.
"We were betrayed from within." Kuei admitted. "It's a long story. I took the throne when I was four years old. My advisor, Long Feng, practically raised me." He frowned. "Little did I know he was coddling me and keeping me in the dark about the true state of the world while he ran the Earth Kingdom in secret. I never left the palace in my life, and Long Feng controlled who could speak to me and what they could say." He shook his head in shame. "I didn't even know there was a war until Avatar Aang and his friends broke into my palace last week to speak to me."
Poduk and Yue's eyes widened. Kuei continued. "As soon as I learned the truth, I arrested Long Feng. At Zuko's request, I called this meeting. I thought things were finally going right." His eyes flashed with anger. "But then, last night, Long Feng, with the help of the Dai Li, Ba Sing Se's police force, attacked the me and the Avatar, forcing us to flee the city. Long Feng informed us that he made a deal with Fire Lord Ozai. He intended to hand over the city to the Fire Nation, as long as he was allowed to run the city."
"Uncle held them off long enough for the rest of us to escape." Zuko said. "But something else happened. Fire Lord Ozai sent my sister, Princess Azula to help Long Feng capture us, but…" He trailed off.
Pakku raised an eyebrow. "But?" He prompted.
I took over. "Princess Azula has been hunting us almost since we left the North Pole." I said. "She tried numerous times to catch us, but we always managed to escape." I glanced at Mai, then at Ty Lee. "We even managed to convince two of her friends to defect." I shook my head. "Apparently, those failures were too much for Ozai. He ordered Long Feng to kill Azula during the fight and blame us for it. Apparently, he thinks that Azula is more useful as a martyr than a soldier."
Those who didn't know the story already sat in stunned silence. Yue was the first to break it. "What kind of monster would kill his own daughter?"
Zuko pointed at his scar. "The kind of monster that does this to his son for talking out of turn." He said quietly.
Yue gasped, horrified. "Long Feng attacked Azula." I said. "And he managed to hit her with a decent-sized boulder. For a few minutes, we thought she was dead. Right before we escaped, Ty Lee and I noticed that she was still breathing, and we decided to bring her with us. Katara healed her with the Spirit Water Pakku gave her, but she hasn't woken up yet." I said.
"Forgive me for sounding callous." Pakku said with a frown. "But why did you save an enemy?"
"Maybe we can bring her around." I said. "Ozai did just betray her, after all. We have Toph guarding her now."
Poduk's eyes narrowed. "Is the invasion still going to happen?" He asked.
Aang shook his head. "No. Long Feng told Ozai about it. They'll know we're coming."
Zuko took a deep breath. "That actually might be a good thing." He said quietly.
Everyone turned to him. "What do you mean?" Dad asked.
Zuko looked at all of us. "The Fire Nation is obsessed with honor." He said. He frowned. "Or a twisted interpretation of it, at least." He looked at Sokka. "I've been thinking ever since you told me your plan to defeat my father on the day of the eclipse. It would be hard to bring the people of the Fire Nation to our side if we beat him while he was powerless to fight back."
Aang's eyes widened. "Why didn't you say anything?" He asked.
Zuko shook his head. "After everything the world has suffered, I couldn't ask you to take the hard option because it would be better for me." He admitted. "I was planning on dealing with the consequences myself."
I took in a breath. "Zuko, while I appreciate your willingness to sacrifice yourself, if dethroning Ozai like that would potentially lead to a coup against you, the sacrifice would be pointless." I pointed out. "If you go down, whoever takes over might try to start the war again."
Aang looked down into his lap. "I guess we'll just have to find a way to defeat Ozai before the comet comes." He said.
"We need some way to lure him out into the open." Suki said.
Katara looked thoughtful. "Could Aang challenge him to one of those Agni Kai duels?" She asked.
Zuko shook his head. "That's a bad idea. Agni Kai are duels between firebenders. Aang would be restricted to firebending." He said, before he grimaced. "Plus, my father breaks the rules when it suits him."
"Maybe Azula would know a way to draw him out." Sokka reasoned. "Maybe we can talk to her."
I shrugged. "Maybe, but we need to be careful." I warned. "When she wakes up, she'll probably be…"
We heard a scream that made everyone jump. I knew that voice.
"Cranky." I said. I looked at Dad and the other leaders. "Could you give us a second?" I asked. "We need to check on this."
Team Avatar bolted out of the command tent and ran over to our tent. We threw open the flap and took stock of the situation. "Toph, what happened?" Zuko asked seriously.
Toph shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know." She said. "She just woke up, screamed, and started crying."
We looked at the tent's other occupant. Azula was lying on her side, facing away from us, and sobbing softly. Ty Lee took a tentative step towards her. "Azula…" She said in a worried tone.
"Kill me." Azula choked out between sobs, not even turning around.
That shocked everyone into silence. Our most confident, powerful adversary to date reduced to tears and begging for death was heartbreaking to see. Katara spoke up. "Azula, why do you want to die?"
"Because there's no point in living anymore." She sobbed. "My own mother didn't love me. She thought I was a monster, and left me. My only friends betrayed me for the enemy. My own father, the only one I thought loved me, ordered my death. I have no one. I just want the loneliness to end."
I felt so bad for her. I had to say something. "Ursa didn't think you were a monster." I said.
She tensed and turned over, her golden eyes red and wet with tears. "What do you know, Hand Slicer?!" She screamed. "You know nothing about…"
She stopped talking and her eyes went wide. She seemed to be looking back and forth between me and Zuko. What was she looking at? We were just standing there, with Ved and Druk on our shoulders…
Oh…shit. We forgot to hide them before we came in here! Everyone was silent for a long time. Azula's expression slowly changed from rage and pain to something I never thought I'd see on her face:
Childlike wonder.
She slowly sat up, never taking her eyes off the dragons. She tilted her head slightly with curiosity. "Are those…dragons?" She whispered in awe.
"They are." I said cautiously. This was a new side of Azula, and I didn't know how to react to it. I looked around the group. Most of us were on edge. Toph furrowed her brow, probably trying to gauge Azula's heartbeat to see if she was faking it. Mai looked at Azula with a mixture of suspicion and recognition, as if this was familiar to her. Ty Lee looked at Azula with hope.
Azula swallowed. "May I…touch them? Please?" She asked in a small voice. Okay, childlike wonder was one thing, but 'please'? I was fairly certain I'd never hear her say that word without sarcasm. Zuko and I looked at each other, unsure of what to do. "I promise I won't hurt them." Her voice took on a pleading tone.
"Toph?" I asked.
Toph frowned. "I think she's telling the truth, but she could be a good actor." She said. She turned to Azula. "Tell me a lie, and make it as convincing as you can." She demanded.
Azula took a deep breath and her expression turned blank. "I am a four-hundred-foot-tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings." She said.
Toph nodded. "I can tell she's lying. She won't hurt them." I guess Azula's self-control must have slipped.
Azula held up her hands. "Could you take these off?" She asked, indicating the handcuffs. "I need to move my hands to pet them properly."
I looked at Zuko. He shrugged at me. I nodded. "Fine. As long as you agree to behave, and not run away or hurt anyone." I said. Azula nodded.
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Hand Slicer?" Toph asked.
"Almost everybody deserves a second chance." I said.
Sokka noticed my choice of words and raised an eyebrow. "Almost?" He asked.
"Ozai doesn't." I clarified. "Toph, could you take those cuffs off her?"
Toph harrumphed, but held out her hand and the cuffs flew off Azula. She didn't seem to notice the metalbending. Her focus on the dragons was nearly all-consuming. I slowly approached her and held Ved in my arms. I knelt down next to her and placed Ved in her lap. "His name is Ved." I said. I was tense, ready to take action if needed.
Azula reached out and touched the top of his head with her index finger, rubbing in small circles. She also scratched under his chin. Ved melted under her touch. He rolled over on his back, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth. Azula began petting his belly.
I looked at her with shock. "How did you do that?" I asked.
Zuko seemed surprised as well. "I can't get Druk to respond like that."
Azula smirked. "I read a lot of books about dragons, Zuzu." I saw her smile turn into what appeared to be genuine warmth. "I've always wanted to see a dragon."
Druk jumped off Zuko's shoulder and flew into Azula's lap. Azula gave him the same treatment she gave Ved. Everyone stared as Azula petted two dragons like puppies with a warm smile on her face.
I turned to Zuko. "I think we should get back to the meeting." I said, still unsure of what I was seeing. He nodded.
"Can the dragons stay?" Azula asked.
I locked eyes with Zuko. We both nodded after a few seconds. "Okay." Zuko agreed.
We left the tent. As soon as the flap closed behind us, Aang shook his head. "What just happened?" He wondered aloud.
I shook my head in disbelief. "I think we just invented pet therapy."
The mood was confused, but hopeful as we walked back to the command tent. "I can't believe we'd ever see Azula like that." Katara admitted.
"Like what?" Suki asked. "The suicidal part, or the part where she looked like a little kid being given a pet?"
"Both." Katara said.
"I haven't seen her that happy since she was five." Ty Lee said with a wistful smile.
Mai nodded. "Back before she started training all the time." She recalled. "Maybe there is hope for her."
I shrugged. "Maybe, but playing with Ved and Druk is a distraction from her real problems." I said. "She won't truly get better until we find Ursa."
Zuko turned to me. "We need to contact the White Lotus to find her."
I nodded and smirked. "Luckily, one of them just showed up this morning."
"Who?" Aang asked.
"Pakku." I replied.
Katara's eyes widened. "He's with them, too?" She asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. I'll talk to him after the meeting is done."
We entered the tent and sat back down. "Is everything alright?" Dad asked.
I nodded. "Yeah, Azula's petting the dragons."
Dad raised an eyebrow, but just shook his head after a few seconds. "I'm not even going to ask." He said. "Now, where were we?"
"I have a question for Prince Zuko." Poduk said. He looked Zuko in the eye. "Recently, we captured some firebenders who sailed too close to our waters. When we interrogated them, they expressed a…strong belief in the Fire Nation's superiority." He took a breath and looked at Zuko seriously. "My question is, while I believe in your intentions for peace, how can we be certain that the next Fire Lord, or the one after that won't attempt to start the war again?"
Zuko nodded. "I understand your concern." He said. "Alec and I are working on a list of things that need to change in the Fire Nation once I become Fire Lord. One of the first things we'll work on is fixing the school curriculum, especially the history classes."
Yue tilted her head questioningly. "How will that help?"
"Most of the people in the Fire Nation have been lied to their whole lives about the war." I explained.
Ty Lee nodded. "School taught us that the Water Tribes were a bunch of savage cannibals who enslaved women, for example."
Poduk shook his head. "Good thing we changed the marriage law." He muttered.
I continued. "Our plan is to change the curriculum and tell them the truth. One idea Zuko and I had is to invite people from other nations to explain to the students what life in the other nations is really like. We want to show them that the other nations are simply different, not inferior."
Poduk nodded. "I see." He and Yue shared a look, then nodded. "I'm satisfied."
Dad frowned. "I have a question. What do you plan to do about the Fire Nation military? How can they atone for what they've done?"
Zuko and I looked at each other. "We thought about that." He said. "We came up with a system. Regular soldiers and commanders who only attacked military targets won't be punished. Those who attacked civilians, or took civilian prisoners, will. I'll also order the immediate release and return home of all prisoners of war."
"How will you determine guilt or innocence?" Dad asked.
"The Fire Nation keeps meticulous records of military operations." Zuko explained.
"And, we can have Toph and/or Ty Lee present when we interrogate people to determine the truth." I added.
Dad nodded. "You seem to have thought a lot about this. I'll support you."
Zuko nodded gratefully. Finally, it was Earth King Kuei's turn. "How will we take back Ba Sing Se?" He asked.
"Our best opportunity would be Sozin's Comet." I said. "It gives firebenders incredible strength. Zuko, Aang, or myself will be able to blast through the walls by ourselves on that day." I looked Kuei in the eye. "What do you want us to do about Long Feng?"
Kuei took a deep breath. "I tried arresting him, but that didn't work." He said. "Because of the loyalty the Dai Li have for him, he's too dangerous to be kept alive. By my right as Earth King, I sentence him to death for treason."
Everyone nodded. Even Aang, though he looked uncomfortable about it.
Pakku shook his head. "All these plans, of course, rely on the assumption that we can win the war." He noted. "It's a pity that we have to let the eclipse pass with nothing to show for it."
"Maybe not." Mai said thoughtfully.
Everyone turned to her. "Mai, what do you mean?" Zuko asked.
"We can't attack the Fire Lord that day." Mai said. "But we don't have to sit around doing nothing." She smirked. "My uncle is the warden of the Boiling Rock, the highest-security prison in the Fire Nation. I remember something he told me."
"Well?" Sokka asked. "Don't keep us in suspense."
"Every single guard at every single prison in the Fire Nation, including prisoner of war camps, is a firebender." Mai said.
The realization slowly dawned on us. "So, you're thinking we can lead a bunch of prison breaks?" Dad asked.
Mai nodded. "There's a facility here." She pointed at a spot on the map in Fire Nation waters. "It's a central hub of all prison communications in the Fire Nation. They have records of all prisons, including their location, whether or not they're a prisoner of war camp, and how many prisoners they have. Some of Team Avatar could sneak in, steal some of the records, and coordinate prison breaks during the eclipse."
"That's not a bad idea." Poduk admitted.
"I agree." Dad said.
"You're a genius." Zuko praised.
"We'll send some of our waterbenders to aid you with the prison break when the time comes." Poduk said. "Just send us a message telling us when and where."
"We can determine the details of the prison breaks when you get your hands on those records." Dad said. "If anyone doesn't have anything else, I think we can adjourn for the day."
We all stood up to leave. "Pakku." I said. "Can I have a word with you? Alone?"
Pakku nodded.
Pakku and I entered an empty tent. "What do you want to discuss?" Pakku inquired.
I looked him in the eye, reached into my pocket, and pulled out the Pai Sho tile Jeong Jeong gave me. "The Deserter wants to call in his favor." I said.
Pakku's eyes widened briefly. Then he shook his head with a slight smile on his face. "I should have known Jeong Jeong would give you his tile." He said. "Normally, you have to go to a Pai Sho house to call that in."
"Team Avatar can't be seen in public in the Earth Kingdom right now." I countered. "So, I decided to ask one of the members of the White Lotus that I personally know."
"How do you know?" Pakku asked.
"Iroh." I lied.
Pakku rolled his eyes. "I should have known." His expression turned serious. "Very well, what is your request?"
"I need the White Lotus to find Princess Azula's mother, Ursa." I said. "She disappeared five years ago, but we're pretty sure she's alive."
Pakku nodded. "Very well. What should we do if we find her?"
"Tell her that her daughter is alive, and she needs her help now more than ever." I said. "Bring her here."
"I'll contact the rest of the organization and get right on it." Pakku said. "Luckily for you, there's a Pai Sho house in a village not too far from here. I'll get the message out."
I raised an eyebrow. "Have you memorized the location of every single Pai Sho house in the world?" I asked incredulously.
"Yes." Pakku said without blinking.
I shrugged. "Okay." I said. Secret societies were weird. "Thank you."
Third Person POV
Master Pakku wrote a brief message after Alec left the tent. He rolled it up in a scroll and put it in his pocket. He made his way to a small village a few miles away from the Water Tribe camp. Luckily for his old bones, it was close. He might be a master waterbender, but Pakku was still eighty years old.
When he entered the village, he immediately made his way to the Pai Sho house. When he entered, he briefly scanned the room, and found the oldest man sitting at a table with nobody to play against. Pakku walked up to him. "May I have this game?" He asked.
The old man glanced up and gestured for him to sit down. "The guest has the first move."
Pakku sat down, and placed his White Lotus tile in the center of the board. The man locked eyes with him. "I see you favor the White Lotus gambit." He noted. "Not many still cling to the ancient ways."
"Those who do can always find a friend." Pakku replied.
"Then let us play."
Pakku and the man placed their tiles on the board in a specific sequence. When they finished, the tiles formed the shape of a lotus flower. "Welcome, brother." The man said. "The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets. What can I do for you?"
Pakku discreetly handed him the scroll under the table. "I have a message for The Source." He said. "Highest priority. Foul Mouth is calling in The Deserter's favor."
The man nodded. "I see. I'll get this to them immediately."
Pakku nodded. "Thank you." He stood up and left.
The man took the scroll and walked over to a lidded waste basket. He opened up the basket and dropped the scroll inside. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary waste basket. But, this particular basket had no bottom, and the hole led to a chute that carried the scroll to its destination.
The scroll rolled down the chute for a few hours at high speed. It finally came to a stop and landed in a tray on a desk in front of The Mask. He opened the scroll and read it to himself.
"Foul Mouth has Bright Fire alive in Chameleon Bay. He's calling in The Deserter's favor to find her mother, Ursa, who disappeared five years ago. He says Bright Fire needs her mother now more than ever.
-Old Fish"
The Mask did a double-take. He read the letter again to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. He stood up and ran over to The Source's desk. "You need to see this." He said urgently.
The Source grabbed it and read it quickly. "Go to Chameleon Bay. Bring me Aang, Zuko, and Alec." They ordered.
The Mask was surprised by this. "Are you certain?"
The Source nodded. "It's time. And I need to know the truth."
Alec POV
Dinner that night was awkward. Team Avatar ate in the tent, but we were all still wary of Azula. She still hadn't changed her behavior from earlier that day. She was eating the stew we gave her, and looked to be…content…ish, and still petting the dragons every chance she got. It was weird to see her like that.
The tent flap opened and Pakku walked in. "There's someone here to see Aang, Alec, and Zuko." He said. "Alone."
I was surprised. I knew the White Lotus was everywhere, but could they really find Ursa that quickly? I stood up. "Who is it?" I asked.
"An associate of mine whom I trust." Pakku said. I looked around the group and nodded. They seemed to relax. Azula was still in her own little world.
Aang, Zuko, and I left the tent and followed after Pakku. He led us outside of camp and into the woods. He motioned for us to stop. Someone walked out from behind a tree. He was about six feet tall, and in decent shape. The thing that stuck out the most was the mask on his face. It was very plain wood with no paint or decorations, other than the two holes for his eyes and the slit over his mouth.
"The Mask." I said in realization.
Zuko and Aang looked at me with confusion. "Who?" Aang asked.
"He's with the White Lotus." I explained. "Iroh told me about him."
The Mask nodded. "The Source wants to meet with you three." He said. I couldn't recognize his voice as anyone I knew from the story. "Please, come with me."
Zuko looked at me, silently asking for an explanation. "The Source is the White Lotus's chief information broker." I explained. I looked at The Mask. "But I was under the impression that The Source always worked anonymously."
The Mask nodded. "They mostly did. Up until now only myself and two others have met them in person. But they want to discuss something with you three."
"How long will this take?" I asked.
"We can be there and back in a few hours." The Mask replied.
I shared looks with Zuko and Aang. We all silently agreed, and nodded. "Pakku, could you tell the others it'll be a few hours?" I asked. Pakku nodded.
The Mask led us into a village. Probably the same one that Pakku went to earlier that day. Thankfully, the late night meant that the streets were empty. He led us behind a Pai Sho house to a door that looked like a storm cellar. He opened it and led us down inside. He muttered a curse. "I forgot to bring a candle." He said.
Zuko, Aang, and I each conjured a small flame in our hand to provide light. "Thanks." The Mask said.
We were in a cellar. Shelves full of dry goods lined the walls. The Mask walked over to a particular shelf and pulled a wooden box off of it. The entire shelf and the wall behind it swung open to reveal a cave. Green crystals on the wall lit the small cave, and I saw something else interesting. There were two cart chutes, like in Omashu. One led up, and didn't have a cart, and the other led down, and had an empty cart on it.
"This is just like Omashu." Aang noticed.
I put the pieces together in my head. "Did King Bumi build this for you?"
The Mask nodded. "You are well-informed. He built this one, and all the others. I can use them to travel to any Pai Sho house in the Earth Kingdom in a matter of hours."
Aang's eyes widened. "Bumi's part of the White Lotus?"
The Mask nodded again. "He's one of the other two that have personally met the Source."
Zuko turned to me. "Alec, who is this guy?" He asked.
I shook my head. "I don't know." I admitted. "But I think we should trust him."
The Mask pointed at the cart. "Get in, and hold on tight."
He sat down in the front. Aang piled in behind him, followed by me and Zuko. I frowned and thought of something. "Wait a minute." I said.
"What is it?" Zuko asked behind me.
"If these things can get you anywhere in the Earth Kingdom in a few hours…" I said.
"Yeah?" Aang prompted.
"And it took us most of a week to cross it on Appa…" I blanched. "Hold on to your dinner." I warned.
The Mask chuckled. "Just aim over the side if you have to." He said.
He leaned his weight forward, and the cart began sliding down the ramp. The drop was almost straight down, and we picked up an absurd amount of speed. Then the ramp leveled out, still at a downward angle. We rode for what felt like over an hour. The roller-coaster nerd in me loved it at first, but even I had my limits of how fast I could go for how long. Eventually, the speed petered out, and we came to a stop at another cavern.
We all tumbled out of the cart. The Mask landed gracefully on his feet. Aang, Zuko, and I weren't so lucky. We had to take a minute to catch our breath and regain our balance.
The Mask shook his head. "Sorry about that." He said. "It takes some getting used to." He stretched and pointed to an archway with a small, flickering light coming through it. "The Source is just through there. And now that we're here, I can finally take this thing off."
He pulled off his hood, revealing shoulder-length brown hair, with part of it in a ponytail. He reached up and pulled off his mask. My eyes widened. It was a man who appeared to be in his mid to late thirties, with golden eyes, and skin only slightly darker than Zuko's. His face had a few wrinkles from age, but I recognized it from The Search.
"Ikem." I gasped.
Zuko and Aang looked at him with shock. His eyes widened. "How do you know me?" He asked.
I shook my head. "Long story." I said. "Can we meet The Source now?"
He nodded. He led us down the tunnel and through the archway. We found ourselves in a room with papers everywhere, and two wooden desks on opposite sides of the room. One desk was empty, but the other had someone sitting at it, rifling through papers. The person noticed our presence and stood up, facing away from us. I could tell by the body shape that it was a slender woman, who was only a few inches taller than Zuko. Like Ikem, she wore a black hooded cloak. She turned around and faced us, and slowly removed the hood.
Zuko and I gasped. The woman had his fair skin, black hair, and golden eyes. She was beautiful, and only had a few wrinkles on her face, despite being in her mid thirties. I knew her from the story, but Zuko had known her his whole life.
"Mom?" He whispered, almost not believing what he was seeing.
Ursa smiled kindly at him. "Zuko." She ran forward and embraced him in a hug. She gave me a fierce glare over his shoulder.
"What. Happened. To. My. Daughter?" She demanded slowly.
AN: Yes, I did a cliffhanger. No, I will not apologize.
