Author's Note: I'm really, really sorry for that long update gap. There was a period when my computer completely died and I was waiting to get a new one. Then, when I got my new one, I got pulled into my online game again, which JUST came out with all new stuff that wouldn't let me go. Once I did, I got caught in the middle of a lot of stressful things. But if it was any other chapter, this would have been out earlier despite that, but I got stuck on this one for quite a long time. Sorry.

On the plus side, the next chapter is one you've all been looking forward to. Also, this chapter is a good setup of things to come.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender and I am in no way associated with the creators of the show.

Book 2: Earth

Chapter 4: The Trials

It was just a few days after their failed mission at Ba Sing Se, and the group, now reduced to six, took refuge far away from the city, hidden deep within a forest to regain their strength and will.

Aang was separated from the rest of his friends, thinking and brooding to himself as he traversed the worn path. He heard the steady roar of a waterfall nearby. Aang, Sokka, and Katara had been here before, back when they were first traveling together… Now, waterfalls made good camping spots – they covered any sort of noise made. But their actual campsite was far away from the falls, deep within the forest. They knew how to disappear well.

Zuko and Katara had wandered off together a little earlier. As the unofficial dad and mom of the group, they often made decisions regarding the next destination, discussion over the latest things that had happened, keeping each other updated on the current physical, mental, and emotional states of the kids… They kept everyone going by providing support and encouragement when they could. Who knew Zuko had paternal instincts?

Just because Zuko and Katara were the 'parents,' it didn't mean there was any romantic attachment between them. There'd be hell to pay if Zuko laid as much as a finger on Katara…

Rather than searching aimlessly for the two, Aang allowed his seismic sense to extend in every direction, hoping to find their exact positions. Once the vibrations came back to him, he nodded. His assumption that they'd be at the waterfall was correct.

Zuko and Katara were sitting together on a rather large boulder, their shoulders slumped, faces downcast. After their ordeal in prison, and torture, they were thinner, paler, and more haggard than ever. Aang guessed that they were conversing about the recent happenings in Ba Sing Se, the loss of Haru, trying to find the resolve to persist before they preached about never giving up to everyone else… He wanted to be with the two, trying to plan what to do next.

Never give up, not without a fight. Keep going. Don't stop. Don't die.

The moment Aang stepped into the glade, Zuko pressed his lips against Katara's. They didn't even notice the younger boy's presence.

Shock (What is he doing?), rage (I'm going to kill him), confusion (How did this happen?), sadness (Why isn't she pulling away…?) and helplessness (Why can't I move?) all overwhelmed him at once, seeing them locked together for eternity, unable to yell, unable to stop them. He felt everything, and yet, he felt nothing at all.

Suddenly, Katara's half-lidded eyes opened wildly, realizing a little belatedly what was happening. She pulled fiercely away from Zuko, glaring at him. "What did you do that for?" she demanded of him heatedly. It was then that she noticed Aang and his expression, and a shaken hand flew to her mouth. "Oh!"

It took Zuko a little longer to notice Aang, but he was still frozen from the rejection. He seemed at a loss as to what he did. Then he followed Katara's gaze, locking eyes with Aang.

Aang felt that if the Avatar State worked, it would have activated now. But it wasn't the time to run away. Zuko touched his Katara, and now he was going to be rewarded with a very angry Avatar.

"What did you do that for?" Aang snarled, repeating Katara's question. Katara moved from the boulder, away from Zuko, but not exactly near Aang, either. "You can't touch her. She's mine."

Katara, previously glaring at Zuko, rounded on Aang with an equal amount of anger in her eyes. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"Whatever made you think that you could touch her?" Aang raged, completely ignoring the waterbender.

"I don't need permission from anybody," Zuko responded, narrowing his eyes at Aang. The boy let out another snarl, nearly throwing himself at Zuko, forgetting bending, forgetting his staff, forgetting any sense or reason, thinking only with his fists. Overwhelming amounts of tension and grief stockpiled and collapsed, spilling over everything.

Aang was interrupted from his attack by the sound of moving rocks, and suddenly, Toph appeared in the clearing, pulling along Sokka and Suki after her. "What the hell's goin' on here, Twinkletoes? Your vibrations are dancing like nuts."

"They're about to kill each other over a stupid kiss." Katara said, not taking her eyes off the two of them.

"Guys, wait! Stop fighting! We've lost too much to fight over something stupid like that. We can't fall apart now!" Sokka shouted. Suki worriedly shifted her eyes between the two of them.

"Toph, we should go…" she edged quietly, gripping the earthbender by the collar of her shirt.

"No, I wanna see this…"

"Just because you love her, Aang, doesn't mean nobody else can!" Zuko continued his note, ignoring their audience. Katara's blue eyes widened (once luminous and innocent, but now hurt, angry, and even a little cold) – everyone knew Aang loved her, but this was the first time it was ever said out in the open.

Aang narrowed his eyes dangerously. "What did you just say?"

"Uh-oh…" Suki weakly groaned.

"I… I love her, and there's nothing you can do about it," the firebender said resolutely.

"You're wrong," said Aang. "You don't love her. You just think you do."

Zuko clenched his fists, closing his eyes in an attempt to contain his rage. "What makes you say that? You're just a kid. What do you know about love?"

"The loss of Mai is fresh in your mind. You're lost and angry and confused, and Katara is the only one you can turn to. You're just doing this because Mai is dead!"

Zuko's eyes flicked open, glaring dangerously. This was Aang's only warning to an attack. Fire pumped from the ex-Prince's fists, large and all-consuming. Aang flipped backwards, retaliating with a fissure opening up beneath Zuko's feet. The firebender leapt out of the way, but before he could attack again, a flood of water erupted between them, smacking both of the benders in their chests and throwing them away from the other. Katara created an ice wall to separate them further.

"That's enough! You're both being immature and stupid!"

Aang and Zuko glowered fiercely at each other through the crystal-clear ice, as if seeing the other truly for the first time.

"Zuko, I'm sorry, but I don't take well to being kissed out of the blue," she said to the firebender on her right. Aang smirked triumphantly, but she rounded on him immediately. "That doesn't mean that you can, either!" To both of them, she closed her eyes and tried to calm herself, speaking through grit teeth. "No one in this group will attack anyone else. We've done too much to fall apart now. Things are getting more difficult than ever, but we won't fall. We can't. The whole world depends on just us now.

"Zuko, you started the attack, and even though Aang's comment was completely uncalled for, you should have showed restraint." During that, she glared at Aang. "And I'm not owned by anyone."

With that, the angry waterbender stalked off, not looking at either of them again.


The relationship between Aang and Zuko was never the same again.

Aang sighed despondently, staring up at the sky that was in the early hours of the morning. He opted not to leave his bedroll since everyone else was asleep and would not wake for at least an hour.

The two remained friends, and Zuko never advanced on Katara again, but after that day, everything was strained. Many things were said that both later regretted, but they were in the past and could not be changed. He hoped to view things as a second chance with this world's Zuko, but after his last stunt in the ruins of Omashu, things didn't seem to be any better…

Zuko still didn't trust him.

Zuko was still madder at him than ever. Sokka was, too, but he was always like that. Just when Aang thought he was making progress with the waterbender…

For now, the only company he had was that of Azula, Sabishi, and Appa.

There was a horrible irony in the fact that Azula was the only one to trust him.

The firebender was lounging against Appa's leg, twirling a miniscule ball of flame between her fingers like that of a gambler and his coin. "That blank face makes you look like a complete idiot," she said, drawing him out of his reverie.

"Thanks, Azula," he responded deadpan.

"So where are we going next?" she drawled, bored. "Omashu wasn't that big of a hit."

"Gaoling," said Aang. "I've heard that there are lots of good earthbenders there." Like Toph, he added inwardly.

"Hello? Earth to Aang?" said Azula, sitting up and snapping her fingers in his face. "Stop staring off into space. It makes you seem creepy."

"You're so full of compliments today."

She smiled. "I know. It's part of my irresistible charm." She tried getting a reaction out of him, but there was none. She frowned. "So what are you thinking about, anyway?"

"Some old friends," he replied mysteriously. Her frown deepened.

"What friends? Tell me about them." It was almost a demand, but she settled down to listen. Aang sighed.

"It was actually just about Zuko and Sokka," he replied.

"Ugh, you're still brooding over that? You're such a baby," she said, rolling her eyes. "Just ignore them, and Zuzu will come crawling back to you. He's a big wimp."

"Yeah, I guess, but Sokka…"

Her amber eyes shot into his direction. "Why do you care about what Sokka thinks of you?" she asked quickly, as if trying to catch him off guard and scare the answer out of him. She clenched the wisp of flame into her fist.

"He's with us now – "

"Unwillingly," Azula cut in.

"Yes, but – "

"And he hates it," she interrupted again.

"But he will be on our side in time," Aang said clearly, enunciating every word. "I promise you that."

"Again, I'm going to ask why."

"Maybe… He can teach me waterbending someday."

"You really think he can redeem himself?" she asked, peering at him curiously.

"I know he can. He has it in him. We did make some progress," he confirmed aloud.

Azula sighed. "Don't you read any fiction, Aang?"

"Never had the time," he responded, resting his hands behind his head. "Why?"

"Well, you should know that in most stories, whenever some idiotic villain tries sappily redeeming themselves, they die. And they usually die good."

An image of Jet flashed into Aang's head.

"That's not going to happen to Sokka," Aang said resolutely.


"I say we stay low, go between the mountains instead of over them," Sokka argued.

"Why? It's quicker and more efficient to go right over them," Azula retorted. "We can put mountains beneath us. We've done it before."

"We'll be seen if we go over!"

"I thought you wanted to be found," said Azula, crossing her arms.

"Not by Earth Kingdom troops," he responded, glaring. "We won't be seen if we go through the valleys."

"No, it creates a wind tunnel down there," Azula said.

"It's equally as windy if we go above the mountain," Aang threw in. Azula glared. "We're about to pass by the tallest mountain in the world. If we go over it, we'll be so high."

"On top of the world!" Azula said triumphantly.

Aang glanced at Zuko, who was sitting at the saddle and preferred to stay out of the argument. "What do you think, Zuko? You've got control of the reins."

"Since when do you value my opinion enough? You usually do your own thing," he answered coldly.

Appa let out a low moan as the bison soared higher into the sky.

"What's Zuzu's problem?" Azula asked, frowning. Aang sighed.

"It's not a good feeling to be betrayed," said Sokka, crossing his arms and avoiding their glances. "I would know."

"Well, then. Why don't you both have a pity party together?" Azula asked with mock-sweetness.

"I'm over it now!" Sokka shot back. He glared hatefully at Aang, causing the smaller boy to wince. Aang ran his fingers along his sword sheath.

It will all be worth it soon.

His gaze ran over his headband, discarded for a moment, his eyes being drawn to the white lotus symbol. In Omashu, Kanna mentioned something about a white lotus bringing her and Sokka shelter… what was that? Something figurative? Was she speaking in riddles and proverbs?

The Avatar was brought out of his musings as he felt the sudden shift in elevation as Appa ascended even higher into the sky. Now, they were so high that the air was much thinner, and Aang knew that for any non-airbenders, it might be getting difficult to breathe. The tallest mountain in the world was right in front of them, but the peaks were so high up that the clouds obscured them, wrapping around the mountaintops and shielding them from view.

As the bison neared the clouds, Aang stood on the saddle, calmly inhaling and exhaling, slowly beginning to rotate into a spinning motion. As he turned full circle, he sped up and released the wind he had been gathering in his hands, which sped up into the clouds and cleared a tunnel through the cold vapor, bathing them in a shaft of sunlight and a view of clear, blue sky.

It appeared that Zuko had made his decision – fly over the mountain.

As Aang peered through the tunnel he had created, his eyes narrowed. Why did the sun seem so bright and so close? He tried staring at the glowing ball of molten gold, but it burned his eyes. What was going on? Did they go so high that they left the very planet itself? How high was this mountain?

And then they soared through the clouds, revealing the majesty of the mountain's full size to their eyes. For a moment, Aang thought that the sun rested on its peak. Then, as they neared, he realized it was a monolithic golden temple of the likes they had never seen. The sheer size and width of the mountain was dwarfed by this ancient civilization they had discovered and the pure, holy temples they had created.

Azula yawned. "Oh, look at that. A pitstop."

"I didn't know any people lived up here!" Aang exclaimed, relishing in a bit of his old, childish enthusiasm from discovering something new. "In all of my travels, I've never heard of a place like this." A wellspring of emotion erupted within him – who could live in a temple on a mountaintop besides the Air Nomads, especially one so high and much more secluded than the cardinal Air Temples?

Surprisingly, Sokka was the first to voice his thoughts, glancing at Aang with his single eye. "Do you think there could be Air Nomads?"

Azula scoffed. "Are you kidding me?" she said to Sokka. "Look at the tops of the temple. It's all a gold alloy, if you didn't notice. I didn't know you were blind in that one eye. Obviously, firebenders live here."

"Why, though?" Zuko asked. "They have no reason to live up here in seclusion, when they could be just as safe in the Golden City," he said, speaking for the first time on the subject. "The Fire Nation isn't the only one to use gold, you know."

"Let's just get there and see," said Aang. Nobody said anything else. As the bison neared ever closer, they were able to observe that the walls of the temple seemed pure white, almost like it was its own fantasy world among the sea of clouds. Almost immediately, Aang's pessimism returned when he couldn't spot a single sky bison or people on gliders.

Azula, the one with the best eyesight, spoke up. "Look! Murals of firebenders! I was right, you were wrong, ha ha!" she taunted them all.

"Hold on," said Sokka. "Slow down the bison. These people might not take too well to intruders. There are catapults on the temple walls."

"If there are people still living here anymore," said Zuko, but he pulled on the reins slightly.

Sokka shot up, pointing with both his fists, as his wrists were still tied together. "They're loading a catapult!"

"Ugh," said Azula, not at all fazed. "Why did you have to be right?"

Aang sprang into action as a ball of rock and fire was launched into the air, hefting his glider and swinging it at the projectile with all his strength, diverting its path to the side. Just like the good old days. A trail of pitch black smoke lingered in its wake, opening another hole into the sea of white clouds.

Another projectile immediately followed, but Aang was forced to open his glider and swoop below it, trusting his friends to dodge it. Behind him, Zuko pulled Appa into a fierce dive.

"Still determined to get there?" Azula asked Aang casually, her arms crossed, as Appa flew alongside the airbender.

"Yeah, I wanna see what their problem is," Aang said, readying to dodge any other missiles they were planning to launch. As they neared the mountainside, firebenders lined the walls and launched combined orbs of orange fire. Aang soared above them, set on getting to the walls and trying to stop further conflicts, leaving the missiles to Azula. The master firebender stood at Appa's head, tucked her arms in, and pulled out a wide arc of burning red which sliced through each of the fireballs.

Aang tried landing among the firebenders – Sun Warriors, he realized – but streams of flame interrupted each of his attempts. So instead of trying to fly in between them, he confronted the militaristic firebenders head-on. Grinning to himself, he flipped his glider around and stood on the top of it, literally surfing through the air as he saw Gyatso do in his younger days. Following this, he unleashed a rippling wall of fire with both hands that almost completely blocked the views and attacks of each of the other firebenders, revealing himself as the Avatar and simultaneously halting all of their strikes.

Now within their ranks, Aang stepped among the temple hall, open to the sky beyond. He neatly shut his glider and waited for the Sun Warriors' shocked silence to end so they could greet him and apologize. Once his wall of fire burned away, their shock seemed to go with it. Instead of a greeting, however, he nearly received a fist of flame to the face. Aang smirked.

He was an expert at fighting firebenders.

Aang ducked underneath the attack and used his palms to swat away the ensuing attacks from the other benders. He was forced to drop by a particularly large wave, but he stopped his fall with his hand and kicked out a counterattack with his foot.

"Stop!"

At these words, the Sun Warriors immediately halted their attack and stood stiffly, but remained wary. The speaker came into Aang's view, panting and breathless. "This is the Avatar!" said the man, whom Aang recognized as the Sun Warrior Chief that he met with Zuko, once upon a time. Aang held his stance, not knowing what to expect.

"Why did you attack me and my friends?" he asked. Appa came to float alongside the walkway, Zuko with his swords drawn and Azula standing at ease, as if she orchestrated this herself and knew what was going to happen. Sokka seemed the most tense, as he was defenseless with his bound hands.

"Why have you come here?" asked the Chief, as another man stepped up next to him, their gazes harsh.

"We have a natural curiosity," Sokka answered nonchalantly, hopping off of Appa's back. He seemed as if he didn't recognize a threat anymore, but Aang knew Sokka well – Prince Sokka included. He seemed calm and collected on the outside, but his lean muscles were tense and ready to spring into action at any moment. "Just passing through, you know." Cleverly, Sokka was trying to put the enemy's guard down by pretending to seem idiotically harmless.

"Why did you attack us?" Aang questioned again.

"The Sun Warriors have protected their secrets for several thousand years, and after learning what happened to the Air Nomads, we have kept any and all intruders out. The same fate will not befall this temple of the sun," said the Chief, muscular arms crossed as he stood regally. At his words, Azula stepped down from the bison saddle.

"Sun Warrior secrets?" she asked interestedly. Zuko, still seated at Appa's head, rolled his eyes at his sister.

"Our ancient firebending techniques," said the man at the Chief's side. Azula's eyes glinted.

"Be quiet, Ham Ghao!" said the Chief.

"Yes," Ham Ghao continued, his voice taking on the same tone Azula's usually did, "One would have to complete a trial to practice them."

"Oh?" asked Azula.

"Ham Ghao, be silent!" the Chief demanded, his ornate headdress bristling. "When someone chooses to begin a trial, they cannot leave until they are completed."

"All the better to properly learn the techniques," said Azula. "I'm in!"

Aang, Zuko, and Sokka all groaned.


Avatar Kuruk's temple stood at the top of one of the southern islands, surrounded by snowstorms and fierce winds, one of the last truly sacred areas of the Water Tribes. Not only was the temple protected by the terrain, it was also protected by a sisterhood of Priestesses, one that Avatar Aang had fought before.

Princess Katara and Suki walked on the mountain path leading up to the temple. Katara was donned in her thick Water Tribe parka and her hood, while Suki wore her regular heavy armor. Katara was able to prevent the two from getting wet, though the wind continued to bite them. She was eager to get to the temple and retrieve what she wanted and depart on her journey for the Avatar as soon as possible. Suki was silent, but mostly so she wouldn't stir her Princess' ire. She weathered the storm with all her usual toughness.

Despite her eagerness to leave, the Princess particularly liked Avatar Kuruk's temple. It was one of the few places in the Water Nation where women were free from many ancient taboos. Water Sages, all old women, were here to protect the temple because most of the men were off at war. As a child, Katara once wanted to come and train here before getting secret training from her grandmother. Aside from Katara, Kanna, and the Sages, only three other women in all of the Water Nation were fighters, and Suki was one of them. Hama was another.

The pair finally finished trudging up the slippery mountain path where they came upon the temple, a glittering ice and stone structure that was predominantly blue with icy steps leading up to it. A door of solid ice barred their way, but with a wave of her hand, Katara melted an opening and stepped in, followed quickly by Suki.

The Kyoshi Warrior flexed her fingers and shook out her auburn hair, announcing their presence. "Jeez, that's quite a storm outside."

"Princess Katara! Lady Suki!" said an old Water Sage, hobbling up to them. "What an unexpected visit!"

"Sorry, Ogoka. I can't stay long," said Katara, unfolding her arms. "I'm here to see my friend."

The woman nodded. "Very well. I will retrieve her."

"There's no need," said a soft voice from behind the woman. Katara looked around Ogoka, and her face turned into a smile. "Hello, Princess," she said, prostrating herself on the floor.

"There's no need to be that respectful. We're old friends, remember?" said Katara, walking to stand above her friend. The priestess on the floor looked up and smiled, standing and hugging her. "It's good to see you."

"Yeah," the girl agreed.

"Yue!" Suki grinned, hugging her. Yue hugged her back, giggling.

Scarcely older than Katara, Yue's luminous blue eyes shone with a gentle kindness that was only outshone by her snow white hair. Her only imperfection was a streak of black at the front of her head, slanting down the side of her face. She stood with the regality of a princess, for that was what she was. The moment she turned sixteen, she left her home at the North Pole, where her father led, to come and train at the temple, where she could learn to fight and avoid marrying someone against her will.

Though they were both princesses, Katara far outranked Yue, since the ruling family of the South Pole had all of the Water Nation under their control. Chief Arnook of the North Pole answered to Emperor Hakoda, Katara's father.

"All right, girls," Katara said to her friends, "I'm going to need your help. We're going after the Avatar, who has my brother captive. That boy will rue the day he kidnapped my brother!"

"So that means we'll get to see Sokka again, right?" Suki asked, smiling coyly.

"Yeah… Sokka," Yue said dreamily.


A cold wind swept in front of four adjacent tunnels carved into the side of the mountain, each heavily decorated in Sun Warrior murals. Tall arches framed the man-made tunnels, indicating the importance of them. Aang, Azula, Zuko, and Sokka each stood in front of one.

"How come I have to go through one of the trials?" Sokka complained. "I'm not even a firebender!"

Zuko crossed his arms. "I'm not, either," he said, glancing at Aang, as if it was his fault he was forced to do this. "And if the secrets are so closely guarded, why are you letting us go through the trials so easily?"

"Silence!" said the Sun Warrior Chief, behind them all. Ham Ghao, as always, was at his side, smirking as he rubbed his chin. More warriors were behind the two. "Our firebending secrets aren't the only reward for taking the trials." He glanced at Zuko. "And our trials aren't exactly easy, either. There is a reason why they're called 'trials.' Few have succeeded without losing their minds."

Apparently, Sokka and Zuko still had more complaints.

"Why are we being forced to take this?"

The Chief glared. "Once someone intrudes in our temple and requests a trial, they can never leave until the trials are completed. Because of her," he pointed at Azula, who rolled her eyes and yawned, "You are forbidden from leaving. A request to take the trials cannot be refused."

Aang, like Azula, had no complaints, but he wasn't about to go in unprepared. "What's in there? What can we expect?"

"You will have to navigate a maze," said Ham Ghao.

"It is not only a physical journey, but a spiritual one, too," added the Chief.

"Can we go yet? I want to be a better firebender," said Azula impatiently.

"Very well." Two warriors stepped up at Zuko and Sokka's sides, giving them torches. One of them also burned away Sokka's bonds, freeing his hands. He grinned and flexed his wrists. Four women stepped up behind each of the children, offering a plain, undecorated cup of clear liquid. "Drink that," said the Chief. "For it may be your last."

"I can't bend it," said Sokka, waving his hands futilely. "What's going on?"

Aang, Azula, and Zuko drank. It burned going down their throats. Aang stared into the bottom of the empty cup. That wasn't water…

"Drink it," said Ham Ghao to Sokka. When he saw that the other three were still standing after drinking the unknown liquid, he gulped it all down, blanching.

"Now go. You have Agni's blessing," said the Chief, as drumbeats began behind him. Zuko lit his torch, the first to enter.


Zuko's feet beat softly against the solid stone, his eyes peering at his surroundings to the edge of the firelight. Inside the tunnel, nothing was decorated. It was plain stone going in a straight line, as far as he could see. When would the paths branch, and the maze begin?

When he came upon the first junction several minutes later, he found his eyes fixing on the torch's flame. It seemed to be getting darker around him, though the flame got brighter and brighter. His vision was blurring. His eyes glazed over. The fire grew and grew, leaving the waxy torch, and floated to the center of the junction, where the fire spread and dissipated. The form of a man appeared.

Zuko blacked out as a scarlet boot stepped into his line of vision.


Aang jogged down the dark passageway, a bright, orange flame lit in the palm of his hand. The darkness seemed to stretch on for miles and miles with no end. He was eager to leave the maze, learn the firebending secrets (lightning, perhaps?) and go on his way to find Toph in Gaoling. Azula had to open her mouth and demand to take the trials, but this was an acceptable side trip. Anything to make them stronger. Anything to defeat the Water Emperor. Anything to get back home to Katara.

Aang suddenly stopped, tilting his head.

Was that just a trick of the light, or did he just see the hem of a blue dress ahead of him? Was it because he was just thinking of her? He felt a buzzing in the back of his mind, making him feel disoriented. Shaking it off, he ran towards the figure.

He was startled when he came to a four-way crossing. Where did she go?

There. A foot, turning down the right passage, accompanied by a flash of blue and white. A tinkling laugh followed after the figure. Aang's heart raced, his eyes widening, recognizing the noise.

It's Katara. It has to be.


Azula's quick feet pattered down the stone passage, burning red flames cupped in both of her hands. She strode with purpose, her amber eyes set, eager to gain more power. It would be hers. She would surpass even Jeong Jeong, her master.

A sudden weariness seemed to be trying to overcome her, but she pushed herself forward, reasoning that it was probably the effects of that strange drink. Why didn't she just pretend to drink it, or at least some of it? She didn't want it interfering with her task. She suddenly felt very hot, which was beginning to unnerve her. Firebenders never felt uncomfortably hot. Not like this. She feared becoming sick.

And then she stepped into a two-way fork in the path. She paused only for a moment, ready to spring down a path at random… And then the dual flames in her palms turned an electric blue. Startled, she tried to quench them, but they seemed to leave her control, casting a blue light around the area, leaping into the air, spinning around her. Azula immediately suspected spiritual interference. What had she stepped into? She lowered into a fighting stance as the bluebell flames became too quick to follow with her eyes, molding together as one fierce ring that circled her endlessly. She revolved constantly, waiting for an unseen enemy to jump out at her from any side. Sweat gathered on her brow.

The ring expanded, leaping to twin sconces on the walls, where the blue flames became strangely still and calm. They elicited a cold glow throughout the small chamber, haunting her, gripping her, injecting ice into her veins. Jeong Jeong's words of blue flames signifying killing intent jolted into her head. She could feel it, all around her… a malevolent presence was with her.

"Oh, did I scare you?"

Azula spun around.


"This is stupid," Sokka muttered to himself. "Stupid firebenders and their stupid rituals. Jerks."

He was glad to have his hands free, though. For the past few days, the rope had been rubbing them raw, and now he took the opportunity to fully flex them. It felt so nice to have his hands unbound, itching to make something, itching to waterbend. However, the tunnel quenched all thoughts of freedom. Maybe, once they got out of this, he'd act a lot better around the Avatar's group so they'd leave his hands free…

At some point along the path, he fell unconscious. And Sokka dreamt.


"Wait!" Aang called after the figure, running after her, his hand outstretched. He saw her sliding around another curve in the tunnel, laughing merrily, teasing the boy to follow. "I want to see you!" They kept twisting and turning down many different pathways that seemed to branch off into eternity. How deep was this mountain? Would he ever get out?

Her voice sounded distant, far off, but she kept laughing, telling him that she was still there. She was with him. She always would be.

"Katara!"

His own voice echoed down the long, empty tunnels, accompanied by the sound of his own feet running (but curiously, not hers). He saw her long, brown braid smacking against her back, the loops of her hair flapping as she moved. But her back was to him constantly. He wanted to see her face. He had no doubt about who she was. She would lead him out of here. She was his guide. He had an unshaken faith in her purity and goodness.

And then Katara escaped the edge of his firelight. He willed the flame brighter, not wanting to lose sight of her, and suddenly found himself in a wide chamber.

And he wasn't alone.

They were there. They were all there.

Katara was at the forefront, hovering just a few feet out of his reach, her hands clasped behind her back, smiling down at him endearingly, looking just as he remembered her best. Sokka was right next to her, arm hanging on his sister's shoulders, sporting a grin with both eyes perfectly intact. Toph appeared on Katara's other side, wearing a genuine smile, and even though she couldn't see, he knew she was looking at him. Momo draped himself on Toph's head, and Appa, scarred but happy, rested behind them.

And behind them, all around, floating many feet above him, all wearing smiles just for Aang, was everyone else. Hakoda was there, his smile reaching his tired eyes that Aang hadn't seen in ages; Bumi, next to Iroh, both of them grinning; Suki, the nearest, a hand on her hip, her smile one of approval; Haru, next to Suki; the Mechanist, Teo, even Pakku and Jeong Jeong. They were all here.

Aang's face split into the happiest smile he had ever bore. He felt so joyous, so free of burdens, so relieved to see them all again. Tears fell from his stormy eyes, now clearing to the lighter color they used to be.

And best of all, they had all of their color. They weren't spirits, yet they weren't physically with him. But that was more than he could have asked for.

He didn't feel alone anymore as he fell to his knees and wept.

Later, he realized that the only person missing was Zuko.


Zuko gripped his head, groaning and shaking away the thick fog that appeared over his vision. His first feeling was the cold stone beneath him, but there was also gentle warmth permeating through the small chamber. He rubbed his eyes and stood.

Only to fall back down again in shock, because he saw himself standing in the center of the chamber.

"You're awake," said the other him. Zuko was gaping, unable to move his mouth to utter the right words. "Don't be afraid. You're safe for the moment."

As he spoke, Zuko got a good look at the man in front of him, easily picking out several strange differences between the older man and himself. Most obvious was a terrible scar over his left eye, a burn suffered years before. The burned Zuko seemed older, and from what he could tell of his eyes, they were also scarred, but on the inside. This Zuko had seen much and experienced more. His face was gaunt, almost sunken, his skin a sickly pale. His jet black hair was unruly and long, but his red clothes, tattered and worn, clung tightly to a muscular frame.

"What are you, my brother?" Zuko asked the older man with strange similarities.

"Not quite," said the burned Zuko. "Think of me as a spirit guide of sorts."

"Why do you look so much like me, but also so much different?" asked the younger Zuko. "What are you?"

"I'm… sort of a part of you, like you're sort of a part of me," said the scarred man. He groaned, running his fingers through his hair. "I don't know, it's hard to explain."

"Well… you said you're here to guide me, so shoot," said Zuko, spreading out his arms. "I'm lost."

"Well… what do you need?" the spirit guide asked awkwardly. They both ran their fingers through their hair, at a loss, not realizing that they shared the same nervous habit. "You can start by telling me how you were brought partially into the Spirit World."

"What?!" asked the unscarred Zuko. "How can I be partially in the Spirit World?"

"Well… you're still in the same place, but you can see me. I'm not really a spirit, but it sort of works the same way. I think."

"You're just as lost as I am, aren't you?" Zuko deadpanned. The older man hung his head. "Well… I think the Sun Warriors gave us some sort of drug. I remember feeling sort of dizzy before I passed out… And that was you that came out of my torch fire, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," scarred Zuko confirmed.

"Ugh. Then this is Azula and Aang's fault," Zuko muttered. "Those two are bad influences on each other. All they care about is learning how to firebend, when there are so many more important things they should be doing…"

"Let's hope Azula isn't too much of a bad influence on Aang," the gaunt man mumbled into his hand.

"What?"

"Nothing," said the worn spirit. "But you can't really blame them. All benders want to master their art."

"But they're sort of obsessive about it. We've been fighting so much lately, about their firebending and everything else. I don't trust Aang anymore, and I think that my sister is going down the same path…"

"You don't want your sister as an enemy. Trust me," scarred Zuko said clearly, his face hard. And then his features softened, along with the glow of the fire. "But Aang… You should trust him. I'm sure he's doing everything in your best interests. He wants to help. He's trying so hard – you would never understand."

"And you would?"

"Yes," said the older Zuko, his eyes unchallenging. "I know Aang. And despite our differences, I consider him my best friend. You should too."

Zuko peered at his other self. "What are you talking about? How could you be friends with him? You're a spirit!"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" asked the other Zuko, losing his patience. "I'm no spirit!"

Zuko sighed. "It's probably just some Avatar thing."

"Fine. Leave it at that."

"You know, I never thought I'd be arguing with my spirit guide. You must be pretty bad at the job."

"Shut up! Just think about what I said." The scarred man took a step away from his counterpart, and held out his palm toward him. "Aang's going to need all the help he can get. He needs you. And, to help him, I'm going to give you a gift."

"A gift?"

"A gift," the scarred man repeated. "Use it well." And, to Zuko's great shock, the scarred man sprouted twin balls of fire that circled around his palm, meeting in the center. They propelled from his palm, striking Zuko in the chest, knocking him to the ground with great force.

He knew no more.


The voice sent chills of fear down her spine. She didn't know why, but the presence frightened her.

Partially because it felt so, so familiar.

But when she turned, she saw someone she didn't expect at all.

Her mother.

The voice she heard did not belong to Ursa, who seemed small and sad, wearing dark red, heavy robes – something Azula had never seen before. "Mom…?" Azula asked, forgetting the eviler presence for a moment.

"Azula… You always had such beautiful hair," said Ursa. Even her voice sounded mournful.

"You always used to like it, didn't you?" Azula asked, allowing a smile to show itself on her face. She knew it couldn't be real. Her mother was just a vision. And she accepted that for now. "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't want to miss my own daughter's coronation," Ursa cooed softly.

"What?" Azula asked, perplexed. "What are you talking about?"

"I know you're not a monster," Ursa said sadly. "I think you're confused. All your life you used fear to control people. Like your friends Mai and Ty Lee."

"What do they have to do with this? How do you know them?"

"You're just scared… But I love you, Azula. I do."

Azula bit her lip, angry. She had had enough of this hallucination, brought on by consumption of those drugs. Summoning flames in her hands, she banished the image of her mother.

And then, the cold returned.

"What's wrong? You don't love your own mother?"

Azula regarded the figure in front of her, feeling as if she was staring into some twisted perversion of herself. The girl – no, woman – in front of her had the same hair, the same body, the same face… but her amber eyes contained something else. Something malevolent. Something… unnatural. She held the same smirk, but like everything else with this woman, it was twisted. Some strands of inky black hair escaped her tight topknot. Heavy bags, indicating many sleepless nights, hung under her eyelids, which were half-lidded, regarding Azula coolly.

"That wasn't my mother," said Azula resolutely.

"How strange," said the equally strange woman, eyeing Azula. "To stand in front of you." The azure firelight flickered across her porcelain skin.

"Who are you?" asked Azula, a slight bit of fear edging its way into her voice. She cursed herself, attempting to quench it. The woman's smirk became wider, knowing she was feared.

"I am Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, and heir to the throne," she announced proudly. "And you're the same."

"I'm not a Princess," said Azula firmly. "And you don't exist."

"You're not accepting your birthright, your divine right to rule? That is true power, and what you should be seeking."

"I'm seeking true mastery of firebending," said Azula. "That's power of the mightiest kind."

Princess Azula laughed to herself. "You are so unlike me after all. You're not thinking of the big picture. Yes, you'll be strong now, but what about when you grow old and decrepit? You would be royalty your whole life. Think of the conquests you could make in that time…"

"I have no desire to be a tyrannical ruler," said the younger Azula, her eyes narrowed. "Aang wouldn't like that."

And the Princess laughed louder, this time clenching her gut, losing all composure. Azula eyed her warily as she howled like a lunatic. "Aang? The Avatar? You really have a desire for him?"

"What's so funny about that?" Azula demanded, clenching her fists, losing a bit of her own composure. Why couldn't she firebend right now? "What are you, anyway? What do you know?"

Princess Azula pinched her bangs, propping her arm up on her elbow, her sharp nails sliding along her hair. "Think of me as your inner demon. Literally," she said, punctuating her last word with ferociousness. She stepped closer to Azula, another smirk growing on her thick lips, each predatory step frightening her even more. What was she, that she could cause so much fear in Azula? She had never felt like this… "If mastery of firebending is what you seek, then fine. But you won't become truly powerful traveling with that preachy airbender. The art of firebending holds many dark – and murderous – secrets. He wouldn't approve."

Princess Azula stepped even closer to Azula with every word, circling around her, running a finger or two across her shoulder. Azula didn't move… each touch was sending more and more chills down her spine. From behind, the dark Princess moved her head closer to Azula's ear, causing her to feel her breaths on her neck. She whispered, almost seductively. "Leave the Avatar behind. You won't learn anything if you travel with your friends. They'll betray you one day. They'll hold you back. Trust me."

Azula wrenched herself free from the demon's grip, glaring. "You're wrong. Aang would never betray me."

The Princess laughed, but Azula ran.


Sokka awoke to absolute darkness. Cursing, and fumbling around for his torch, he wasn't prepared when a shaft of light shone down on someone, some distance away. He squinted his good eye, trying to get a good look at the person. It was a woman, and she seemed strangely familiar… But her back was to him.

"Katara…?" he asked unsurely. He stood up and stepped closer, and with a start, he realized who it was. "Mom."

He started to walk toward her, but she sank into the darkness, lost forever. Again.

"Mom!" he called, running after her. But there was no one there.

There was a flash of light, and the next thing he knew, he was on a dock in a fishing village. He looked all around him, confused.

"Yeah, now, but without her they wouldn't be able to fend for themselves. If she really wanted to help, she would use her spirit magic to blow up that factory." Sokka spun to the source of the voice, recognizing it as a more lighthearted version of his own. His intact eye opened in shock, spotting a happier, more whole version of himself, standing next to people who looked unnervingly like Aang and Katara. The strange image made gestures to indicate explosive spirit magic. "Oooo… pow."

And then the Avatar spoke. "Spirit magic doesn't work that way, Sokka. It's more like…" And he did a stupidly elaborate dance on the spot, as if to one-up the buffoon-Sokka. "Woooo…"

The two were arm-in-arm a moment later, making fools of themselves with more noises and arm movements, causing the Katara lookalike to stalk off.

Prince Sokka was perplexed. What was that about?

His vision flashed again, and he was now greeted by the inside of some Earth Kingdom home. The Avatar was still there, as well as the two people who looked eerily like himself (still with two eyes) and his sister. A small girl was also there… And was she picking her nose? They didn't seem to notice him.

The Avatar had what looked like a window curtain draped around his shoulders, his nose upturned in a mockery of the high class. He spoke in what he apparently thought was a very sophisticated manner. "Good evening, Mr. Sokka Water Tribe," Aang said to Sokka's lookalike, confirming his identity. "Ms. Katara Water Tribe." His sister. "Lord Momo of the Momo Dynasty, your Momo-ness." To… the lemur? Wasn't its name Sabishi or something?

Prince Sokka was thoroughly confused.

The Sokka buffoon imitated the young boy. "Avatar Aang, how you do go on…"

Aang bowed to Sokka, who bowed back, but deeper. Aang returned that bow with an even deeper one, instigating the buffoon to reply with one that nearly banged his head against his knees. And they both pulled their heads back to bow again, when…

Crack.

Their heads smacked together painfully and they both fell to the floor.

Could some possible, alternate, idiotic version of himself exist somewhere like that? He hoped not… He hadn't acted that way since he was a child, and now he was embarrassed and somewhat ashamed.

The dark tunnel appeared again, and he kept walking. Somewhere, he found his torch in his hand again. As he walked, the walls began to contort, opening up as if they were windows, showing him more scenes of the buffoon-Sokka's alternate life.

"Yeah, and who keeps us laughing with sarcastic comments all the time?"

"You're the idea guy."

"Don't worry, Sokka. Where we're going, you won't need any pants!"

"You know, you're pretty wise for a kid."

Sokka was running now, running down the length of the tunnel and away from all of these false memories.

"Hey, Aang? Do you miss… everyone?"

"Of course. I always do. I think about every single one of them."

"…I failed to protect them all."

"You just sneezed… and flew ten feet in the air."

"ALRIGHT!" Prince Sokka bellowed. "I get it! Somehow, somewhere, we were friends! Now leave me alone!"

And then there was darkness.


Aang emerged back into the sunlight, shielding his eyes for a moment to let the blindness pass. When he was able to see again, he saw that Azula, Zuko, and Sokka had already completed their trials. Aang wondered what theirs were like.

Azula seemed haunted. For some reason, she was on high alert, nervous, and afraid. Something seemed to be at the back of her mind – something heavy and burdensome. What had she encountered? Worry for his friend gnawed at him. Then again, a firebending lesson would cheer her up.

Zuko seemed almost curious and contemplative – not as angry at the world as he was before, willing to let his guard down around Aang again. The Avatar smiled. Apparently, he had gotten over his distrust of Aang. For some reason, he was clutching his chest.

Sokka, like Azula, seemed almost disturbed, but perplexed. He was openly staring at Aang, a question in his blue eye. Aang broke the gaze and looked at the Sun Warriors, who were all assembled in front of them, waiting for the four to finish their trials. The Chief was at their head.

"You have all successfully completed your trials," said the Chief. "Each of you has had a different experience, one that has hopefully done better for you. For many ages, these trials have judged the worth of anyone seeking true mastery of firebending."

"But we're not firebenders!" Zuko yelled again, indicating him and Sokka. "There's no reason we had to go through that. What were you going to do, hold us here and kill us if we didn't do it?"

The Chief chuckled, surprising them. "I know. We were never going to kill anyone." Both Zuko and Sokka fell to the ground, face first. "But it's a valuable experience that most would die for."

"It wasn't that amazing," said Sokka gruffly.

"It varies for some people," said the Chief with a shrug.

"It was just a straight line through the tunnel all along, wasn't it?" said Aang. "The maze was all in our minds." He, for one, had an amazing experience.

"Can we get to the firebending now?" Azula quipped. "We've been dragging it on and on. Let's get to the point."

"Very well," said the Chief. "We'll show you right here and right now." Azula and Aang listened with rapt attention (the former with more enthusiasm) while Zuko and Sokka tried not to seem interested. "Have either of the two of you witnessed the performance of blue firebending?"

"Yes," said Aang, Azula, and Sokka at once. Aang looked at Azula and Sokka, surprised. They were looking at him the same way. When did this happen?"

"Please elaborate," said the Chief.

"I used it unintentionally in a fight against Sokka at the Dragon Altar in the Golden City," said Azula promptly. "I asked my master about it, but he warned me about never using it again." Not that she listened. She tried several times after their conversation, but no trace of blue ever showed its way into her flames again… until she met Princess Azula.

"Avatar?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," said Aang, thinking of, coincidentally, the same person Azula was.

"Very well." The Chief turned to look at the two firebenders again. "As you may know, blue fire is born out of killing intent, one of the harshest and most dangerous forms of firebending. Some think it leads to self-destruction, but often, it is necessary. In most cases, it is more powerful and hotter than typical red and orange firebending."

"So… You just want us to summon killing intent at will?" asked Aang. He wasn't sure if he could do that all the time. On the other hand, it explained a lot about the Azula from his world…

Azula held out her palm, and almost immediately, a spark of blue flame erupted into life. She smirked. "Excellent."

"In order to use that ability without leading to your own destruction, however, you need balance," the Chief continued, holding out both of his hands. In his left, a blue fireball rested. "With destruction, there is also life." And to Aang's great surprise, a ball of pure white fire formed in the Chief's right palm, flickering serenely. "White fire is born out of the desire to protect, and it is equally as strong as blue, if not stronger. Use both with caution, and sparingly. Too much of an unbalance can destroy your inner spirit."

Azula held out her other hand, willing white fire to form. She wrinkled her brow as she stared into her empty palm. "It's not working."

"You haven't found anything worth protecting yet," the Chief informed. "You will, in time."

"Let me try," said Aang. Concentrating, he held out both palms, face up. Thinking of all that he cherished – his friends, this world, and his own – and his desire to protect it all, he summoned white fire into his right hand. It was warm, pleasantly so, and the life in it thrived. Looking at his left hand, Aang dredged up memories of destruction wrought by Princess Azula and Fire Lord Ozai, of the wasteland Earth Kingdom, and of the deaths of his friends. For the first time in his life, Aang bent blue fire. It was just as malevolent as he remembered from Azula. "I can feel the balance," he said. "Neither force is greater than the other."

"I can't do it," Azula said through clenched teeth, anger seeping into her voice. "I can't make white fire." The blue fire remained in her other hand.

"That's because you're pure evil," Ham Ghao cut in annoyingly.

"You'll do it one day," said Aang reassuringly. "You're strong. I know you can."

"Whatever. All I need is blue fire, anyway," she said, taking one of her firebending stances. The fire in her hand was shot forward in a pulse of blue, releasing heat that washed over everyone nearby – especially Ham Ghao, who looked as if he got burned. Aang frowned.

"That's all you needed to learn," said the Chief, ushering them away. "You can go now."

"We'll be sure not to let the door hit us on the way out, thanks," said Sokka sarcastically. Aang clenched the blue and white fire in both of his hands, putting one on his hip and shaking his head disdainfully at Sokka.

"Come on, we'll go now, guys," he said to the others.

"And don't come back," said the Chief, his face hard. Aang raised an eyebrow, and the Chief's face lightened. "Just kidding! You're welcome any time."

"No, you're not," said Ham Ghao sourly, nursing his burn.

Mere minutes later, the four were on Appa's back, flying back down to Earth. "That wasn't so bad," Zuko said to them all.

"No, it wasn't," said Aang. "I actually enjoyed myself." He waited to see if he'd get the cold shoulder from Zuko again. When Zuko grinned back, Aang smiled. "So what did you experience?" he asked.

"I don't really know," said Zuko. "The person I spoke to wasn't very clear."

"You're telling me," said Sokka.

"You spoke to someone?" Aang asked, surprised.

"A spirit," Zuko amended. He could almost feel the annoyance of the scarred man as he said it.

"So did I," said Azula mysteriously. She didn't elaborate.

"Hey, you're not putting the rope back on my wrists," Sokka pointed out to them, giving Aang a sidelong glance.

"You've been good lately," said Aang, grinning. "I'll give you another chance."

Aang, feeling happier than he did in a long time, looked ahead with optimism. I'm coming, Toph.


"Your team is assembled," said the old woman, her grey eyes passing over the three younger women in front of her.

"Yes, and our mission realized," said Princess Katara. "Hama, set a course for the southern Earth Kingdom. We're going Avatar hunting."

Behind her, boarding the Royal Water ship, were Suki and Yue, both ready and willing to serve their Princess and friend.

"I'm coming, brother."


"Good work, guys. You two did your job."

"Sokka didn't."

"Hey, I didn't directly appear to him. I wanted to be different."

"What do you mean? What did you do, Sokka?"

"I showed him some of my memories. My happier ones."

"Yo, Sweetness. Azula was up to something. I could feel her there."

"Azula? What's she doing?"

"She appeared to her own counterpart. Probably told her things."

"What things?"

"How am I supposed to know? She was there, that's all that matters."

"How? Isn't everyone else from our world… you know… stuck?"

"But not us."

"Why? Why were we spared from that?"

"It was probably Twinkletoes. I bet he had something to do with it."

"It's impossible to know. We can't exactly talk to him."

"…Ugh! I'm so mad! I feel like we're useless, stuck in this little corner of the Spirit World. We need to do more."

"We can't. Not until the worlds start merging more. For now, we have to appear to our counterparts and make them help Aang. We're sort of like spirits now, and with that, we can do more. Observe more."

"We're not spirits!"

Toph smirked, punching her palm. "I gotta start appearing to the other me in a bit. She'll get to kick butt. Just a little while longer and I'll be able to help. No more sitting in boredom for me!"


Author's Notes: Four guesses as to who those mystery people are. Two were revealed, but the others are probably sort of obvious. I'm ready to hear some theories.

Once again, sorry this took so long. It was really quite a hard chapter to write, but it was jam-packed with some important stuff, don't you think?

Please review! And don't forget to check out new art and polls!