Author's Notes: Well, here we are. It's been about ten whole years since my last proper update. I said back then it'd probably stay dead, but part of me always struggled with letting this all go. But with Avatar returning to Netflix in the US and quarantine giving me a lot of time on my hands that I've never had before, I figured now would be the perfect time to go back and write again! I hope everyone's been safe and healthy through everything!
Some of you may have noticed updates over the past few days. That was just me making minor edits here and there and removing the chapter where I summarized the ending of the story. The only significant change I made was completely rewriting the story's prologue, so I'd suggest you check that out too! Also I'd suggest rereading the first Interlude chapter to refresh your memory of what happened through Book 1. As for the summary of the ending I had previously posted, I'm keeping some of those plot elements but for the most part I'm going to try to keep it different.
So it has been ten years but I can't promise my writing has improved that much! Haven't focused on writing too often, unfortunately. But anyway, I'll stop talking your ear off.
Book 2: Earth
Chapter 12: City of Strife
We'd been to many towns and cities in our time, but Ba Sing Se was the worst of them.
Divided into three rings, the people were kept separated on the basis of wealth and status. Peasants and refugees and criminals and nobodies were kept in the Lower Ring, as far away from the nobility and royalty of the Upper Ring as can be. Walls divided them but bureaucracy and secrets kept them further apart. Toph, you - the other you, I suppose, but she isn't much different - hated it most of all.
Outside the city walls weren't much better in the wake of Sozin's Comet. The Fire Nation had burned the Earth Kingdom down to nothing but dust and ash. Katara once admitted to me privately that she envied Toph's inability to see it, the Ash Kingdom. I didn't have the heart to tell her that Toph and I could see that and more, the bones buried beneath the war and the extermination. The Dust Kingdom, the Bone Kingdom, we called it.
Anyway, it was in Ba Sing Se where we lost a friend for the second time. But it was where our defeats truly began. Princess Azula conquered the city for the Fire Nation and set everything in motion for my failure to defeat Fire Lord Ozai by the day of the Comet.
We tried only once to retake it in the years following. If Azula was able to do it with just two people at her side, we reasoned, why couldn't we? We thought we didn't have much more to lose.
There was always more to lose.
I haven't been back since.
The Impenetrable City.
Its walls still stood as solidly as ever, a bastion of civilization in an otherwise unforgiving and barren landscape, as if the Si Wong Desert expanded and conquered the land itself. As they flew over the arid Earth Kingdom lands, sucked dry by a hundred years of fighting with waterbenders, Aang felt a pit of dread in his stomach that only got heavier as they neared the city's walls. It had been so long since his return. He wondered if this was how Iroh felt coming back to Ba Sing Se for the first time since his six hundred day siege.
As if sensing his discomfort, Sabishi the lemur curled up to Aang's neck and chittered in his ear. He scratched her head and smiled, her ringed tail flicking back and forth in pleasure. "Thanks, Sabi." Appa let out a low groan and Aang patted him on the head, too.
Things would be different this time. He had Appa.
They flew over the wall without incident, passing by the numerous confused Earth Kingdom soldiers standing atop it. All at once, the dead landscape changed to verdant green fields behind the wall, farmland stretching beyond the eye could see.
Azula hung off of the saddle, peering down at the ground below. "Aren't we going to stop and say hello?"
"No," Aang said. "The further we get into the city before we stop, the better. If we go to the Lower or Middle Ring we'll never get through to the city's leaders. They'll make us wait months."
Though Aang didn't know what would await them at the Upper Ring. Kanna and Piandao told them that King Bumi journeyed to Ba Sing Se five years ago, after the fall of Omashu, and spoke with King Kuei. Kuei had proceeded to abdicate the throne and neither of the two kings were seen since, though according to Kanna this was a secret kept from the general public. That gave Aang hope that his oldest friend was alive, but it also made an unknown variable. Who was in control of the city now? It couldn't be Long Feng, either - he led the nation of refugees, Jie Duan, back in the Fire Nation. More secrets, more confusion.
The farmlands of the Outer Ring passed beneath them and the flying bison entered the city proper. Zuko and Azula both gasped, but then promptly held their noses.
"What a huge city…" said Zuko.
Azula scowled. "And a filthy one."
"It's the result of too many people trying to cram behind the safety of the walls," Aang explained, arms crossed. "Kept in squalor and separated from the more fortunate behind even more walls. It's the same in my world."
"So then remind me again why you'd bring us here?" Toph asked, lounging with her hands behind her head. She held a stick of grass in her mouth that kept reminding Aang of Jet. He supposed she picked up the habit from him.
"That lunar eclipse," he reminded her. "The one that might be able to help us defeat the Water Nation before Seiryu's Moon comes." Though the more he thought about it, it seemed awfully convenient that both astral events would happen in this world in perfect parallel to his own… "The Astronomer told us one was coming, but hopefully we can pinpoint its exact date with the Earth Kingdom and come up with an invasion plan."
"Are we even sure that lady knew what she was talking about?" Azula asked, rolling her eyes. "She could have made the whole thing up or completely deluded herself."
Aang pictured the Astronomer in his mind again, the woman with too-large glasses and a wiry frame. Teo's mother, who somehow lived in this world when the Mechanist did not. "I think we can be sure," Aang said. "There was a solar eclipse in my world. Everything hinged on that."
None of them had a response to that, but there wasn't much time for one, anyway - the Upper Ring passed by beneath them, and shortly after that, the palace walls.
The Earth Palace was exactly how he remembered it - an enormous, fortified compound that was perhaps the biggest in the whole world. The insignia of the Earth Kingdom proudly sat on several walls of dull red plaster, guard towers dotting many of the walls and protecting the numerous ministries and council chambers and gardens enclosed within. Aang half expected to see stone blocks launched at them from the guard towers, but no such attack came. Even so, he still readied himself for an attack.
Appa landed in the palace pavilion without any fanfare and Aang leapt off of his head, staff in his hand and meteorite sword on his belt. Members of the royal guard were the first to show themselves but he was quick to note the Dai Li agents keeping to the shadows of the palace walls. Neither the royal guard nor the Dai Li held weapons or readied earthbending stances, but all were tense regardless. He remembered that Long Feng, back in the Fire Nation, had brought Dai Li with him when he became king of Jie Duan. Shame he didn't bring all of them.
"Is this the kind of reception the Avatar gets?" Azula called, leaping off of Appa to stand at Aang's side. "You should be welcoming him with honor and respect." Toph and Zuko followed suit.
One soldier pushed ahead of the crowd, a big, bearded man in armor with feet bare. "No one gets to see the Earth King without a prior appointment, even the Avatar. You can't just barge into the Upper Ring without going through the proper procedures -"
"There is no Earth King," Aang said, interrupting before he could finish. He was not pleased to hear about the layers of obstructive bureaucracy again. "I know the truth. But I would still like to speak with whoever is in charge."
The man crossed his arms and stroked his long brown beard. With a start, Aang recognized him as the general from his world who tried to force Aang into the Avatar State and begin a premature campaign against the Fire Nation with Aang at the forefront. That felt like so long ago. "You must be mistaken, Avatar, but I apologize. We will speak in private, within the palace. I am General Fong of the Council of Five."
Fong turned on his heel and strutted back to the palace, gesturing for them to follow. The sea of guards parted for them and Aang walked forward with a hint of unease. "Toph, was he telling the truth?" he whispered to her as they walked.
She hesitated. "How did you…? Oh, nevermind. And no, not really. There was a lie somewhere in there but I'm not sure which part."
As they walked through the palace halls, past grand pillars and murals and priceless works of art and antiques, Aang remembered more of his previous visit, like a different life. He had to keep reminding himself that the Dai Li had no reason to attack them (yet) and the palace was safe (for now). Back home they could trust the Council of Five, at least until Princess Azula conquered the city and imprisoned them. The Fong in his world was an idiot but at least he was on their side.
Besides, Aang could understand his reasons now. There was a time where he, too, wished he could unleash all of the power and rage of the Avatar State upon the Fire Nation.
The Water Tribe royals and their entourage proceeded across the last stretch of beaten earth toward the city's massive walls, the Serpent's Pass already a distant memory behind them. They advanced on foot, boots and sandals thudding against the dusty road. Sokka's feet hurt.
"It's like a desert," Suki said. "Isn't that Si Wong Desert supposed to be kind of far from here?"
"It is, officially," said Sokka. "But the land is all dried out now. It may as well have expanded."
"I do not know why anyone would want to live here," said Yue, her white hair covered by a tattered brown shawl so that only the streak of black poked out of it. "It's so miserable."
Katara coughed. Sokka, too, felt like dust got in his throat every time he opened his mouth. "Our people did this," she said. "Well, the earthbenders too, in retaliation. But it's the only way we are able to fight further inland."
"It doesn't even feel like there's any moisture in the air for waterbenders to draw on," said Suki, holding her hand out as if to feel it.
Sokka cleared his throat. "Not at the moment. There's a pretty serious drought in the Earth Kingdom right now." He wondered if a hundred years of draining water from the air had something to do with it. "We can never forget the price of our conquest." He thought back to his time with the Avatar and their distaste for what his people did, and the way they treasured the rare occasions that they found a lush forest or field, untouched by the war. Sokka brushed his hair out of his eye as he looked ahead to the wall, shielding his face from the sun to get a better look at it. This was the first time he had ever been this close to Ba Sing Se.
"You know, your hair looks pretty good out of your wolf tail," Suki said, smirking at him. "I like it."
He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling heat there that had nothing to do with the sun beating down on them. "Well, we have to blend in with refugees."
"I like it, too," said Yue with a gentle smile, on his other side. "You seem so at ease."
Katara rolled her eyes but stopped on the path, staring off to the west. "Do you guys see that?"
Sokka followed her gaze, spotting a distant brown cloud on the horizon. Even from this distance, Sokka could see the winds churning around it. "Dust storm," he said. "C'mon, we need to find shelter. Fast!"
"But it's so far away!" said Yue. "We could perhaps make it to the city before it comes."
"No way," he said, grabbing her by the hand. "They move quickly. Let's go!"
Katara, thankfully, didn't hesitate or question him. She fled off the path to their right, toward the mountains, headed for a crevice in the stone. Sokka, Suki, and Yue sprinted after her, ducking behind a crevice with a rocky overhang just in time for the dust storm to reach them. All four covered their eyes and mouths, pressing against the stone as dust and dirt and sand flooded their vision.
Yue had covered her face and hair so that all Sokka could see were her bright blue eyes as she stared at him through the darkness in fear. "What sort of spirit causes this?"
"No spirits," he said. "These are frequent all throughout the Earth Kingdom. But we're safe for now." He had come across quite a few during his time in self-imposed exile.
"Earthbenders must have made these shelters for exactly this situation," Suki pointed out, the roar of the wind becoming less deafening as they proceeded deeper into the crevice. "You can tell by the way the mountain was carved out. Guess it's pretty handy." She glanced down at Sokka and Yue's hands, which were still twined together. Sokka promptly separated them. Suki continued without a reaction crossing her face, bare of any makeup that she usually wore like a mask. "So, Katara… Does that dust storm put a damper on finding that guy we're supposed to be meeting?"
Sokka looked toward his sister as they reached the deepest part of the crevice. He had to bend low to avoid hitting his head. "What guy?"
Katara crossed her arms and leaned against the stone wall, smirking. "Our contact. Coincidentally, someone who lives in the desert. A sandbender."
"A sandbender? Are you crazy? Why're you…" he waved his hands through the air as he struggled to find the word. "Consorting with them?"
"He's key to the operation, Sokka," she told him. "He wants to help us, and he needs us, in turn."
"What reason could he have to help the Water Nation?"
"I have my reasons." A voice came from the mouth of their little cave and Sokka turned to face him, spotting a man with a scarf wrapped around all of his face and head except for his eyes, which hid behind dark goggles. Bandages wrapped around his arms and legs in cloth the color of sand and dark hair peeked out from under his head wrapping. To Sokka, he looked like one of the dead creatures he sometimes heard about in stories, a mummified corpse that rose from the sands.
"Ghashiun, you made it through the storm," said Katara. "It's good to see you."
Sokka crossed his arms. "Of course he did, he's a sandbender. Katara, you can't trust him."
Ghashiun pulled off his goggles, revealing dark brown eyes that regarded Sokka with just as much distrust as Sokka gave back. He seemed roughly around Sokka's age. "Hate me if you want but I've got info you need. And unless I'm mistaken your raid on Ba Sing Se is already preparing just offshore. Can't turn back now, can you?"
"If you can't trust him, trust your sister," Suki told him. "Katara knows what she's doing. Ba Sing Se is gonna fall."
General Fong had called a meeting with the other generals and remarkably Aang only had to wait an hour before they had assembled and the meeting began. They convened in the war council chambers, a dark room with high pillars and an enormous rectangular table in the center. Sconces on the walls lit the room as night fell and servants drew the ocher-red curtains shut before bowing out. Aang only spotted Fong and two others seated at the table as they entered, men he vaguely remembered by face if not by name. He noted, curiously, the lack of Dai Li agents in here, but a dozen royal guards lined the perimeter of the room.
"Aren't you the Council of Five?" Azula asked as they seated. "I only count three."
"Apologies, but two are currently stationed at the Outer Wall with a contingent of soldiers bolstering our defenses," said Fong. Toph tapped her finger on the table once. Truth. Aang felt some tension leave his shoulders. At least he wouldn't have to fight to convince anyone of the war's existence this time around.
"So you really don't know what happened to the Earth King after he stepped down?" Zuko asked.
"We don't," said one of the other generals, a man with a fierce gaze and an iron-plated headband that made him look even sterner. "Unfortunately." Toph again tapped once. "But we must ask, how did you come across this information?"
"Bumi is my friend," Aang said. The words came to him easily. "He told us what happened before he went into hiding again. We have no idea where he is anymore, either." The lie came easily, too.
"I see," said General Fong, stroking his beard. "Have you come here to help in the war effort, Avatar?" Something like greed glinted in his eyes. In this world, Aang had not unleashed his rage on a fleet of enemy ships, so Fong had no reason to covet the power of the Avatar State yet. It wasn't as overt, it seemed, but his desire for Aang's power was still there. That was just fine by Aang. It meant they'd want to keep him around.
"Yes," he replied, nodding. He wove his fingers together as he considered his words. "But first…" He had to make sure he could trust them with his information. To the day he left his world, Aang and his friends still didn't know how Azula found out about the solar eclipse. They assumed she had learned from the Dai Li, and he wasn't about to let that happen again. "Who is involved in the leadership of this city now that the king is gone?"
One of the other generals answered, rubbing his long mustache between his fingers. "The Council of Five oversees the military and the ministry handles all other matters of state. There's a Minister of Coin, Minister of Infrastructure, Minister of Civic Affairs, and the Grand Secretariat that oversees them all and the Dai Li." Toph tapped once.
"And why aren't they here?" Aang asked. He wanted to see this Grand Secretariat for himself. If they were anything like Long Feng he planned to leave Ba Sing Se behind and never look back.
"The Grand Secretariat is too busy with other matters to involve herself with a war meeting," Fong replied. Toph drummed her fingers on the table twice.
A lie.
"I see," said Aang. He decided then that he best not mention the lunar eclipse yet. He lay his palms flat against the table. "Well then. I have reason to assume that the Water Nation is planning an assault on the city as we speak." He took a gamble here and he knew it - his only evidence for this was that Azula did the same in his world with the drill, and then a quiet infiltration after that.
He wondered if Princess Katara would do the same. His heart hurt just from thinking about the possibility of it - he both yearned for and reviled the idea of crossing paths with her again. Did she have it in her to invade Ba Sing Se? He hated to admit it to himself, but he didn't know her in this world. Didn't know what she was capable of.
But now that Sokka was back with her there was a strong possibility he would be the one coming up with the strategy for it. Even in this world, Sokka was capable of that sort of thing. He pushed both of them from his mind.
"Impossible," said one of the other generals, scoffing. "We patrol the coasts of Ba Sing Se daily. The bulk of our navy keeps all of West Lake safe from here to Full Moon Bay. We haven't seen any movement from the Water Navy in recent days to suggest an impending assault."
"Can you tell us anything about this attack?" Fong asked. His tone was so inviting it almost seemed condescending, like talking to a child. "Where it's coming from, when they plan to invade? I assume by nightfall, but they have been known to attack during the day if it suited them."
Aang looked away, clenching his teeth. "No."
Fong let out a short breath. "I see. Well, we'll continue to patrol the Outer Wall, as we always do."
Zuko spoke up next, arms crossed. "What about the people outside of your walls? In all our time in the Earth Kingdom we've barely seen outposts of soldiers anywhere. It's as if you abandoned the war effort and just holed yourselves up in here waiting for the Water Nation to invade." His voice was hard, his tone accusing. Aang thought he saw a bit of his Zuko in there; he could easily imagine the scar over his left eye.
"You presume too much," said the general with the long mustache, scowling. "With Omashu and Gaoling fallen years ago our forces are spread only to strategic points throughout the Earth Kingdom and away from its shores. Ba Sing Se is our capital, and its proximity to the sea requires the bulk of our defense to stay here."
The general in the headband slammed his fist against the table. "Why are you defending yourself to a child? He doesn't know what he's talking about."
"Muku, these children are the Avatar and his companions," said Fong. "They deserve our respect."
Toph grinned. "You said it."
"Even so, the fighting is fiercest in the Fire Nation," Zuko continued, offering the mustachioed general a scowl equal in intensity. "King Long Feng of Jie Duan is contributing more to the war effort even if he's a jerk who's just trying to increase his own power in the Fire Nation. And now he's working with the Golden City. And there's even more sea they need to defend from there. I don't think I need to remind you that it's an island nation."
Aang thought it best not to mention that this world's Long Feng also tried to get them to assassinate King Kuei, but Zuko's words impressed him all the same.
Azula smirked. "Well said, brother."
General Muku seemed sufficiently cowed, crossing his arms just like Zuko and averting his surly gaze.
The other general twirled his mustache around his finger, deep in thought, but mumbled something to himself before speaking up. "You suggest we mount an offensive, then? With what forces? What resources? It is a foolish endeavor that will end in failure. Do you think, these past hundred years, all of our predecessors haven't tried? We cannot even make it to the shores of the North or South Poles before a fleet of Water Navy ships wipes out our own. Not to mention their icy landscape that puts our earthbenders at a severe disadvantage."
Azula scoffed. "So, what? Like my brother said, you're going to sit here behind your walls like cowards? You might as well just surrender and save yourself the trouble."
Muku slammed his fist against the table again. "You speak out of line!"
"I speak the truth," said Azula, unflinching. Aang sat and listened, wondering if he should intervene or not. "Have you considered other avenues of invasion? The sky, perhaps?"
"You may not have been paying attention but we are earthbenders," Muku responded, glowering. "We cannot fly."
"Then overcome that limitation," Azula shot back. "Surely your people can put their minds to work and invent something. A flying ship, perhaps."
Fong laughed, a deep bellowing guffaw that made the table rumble. "You speak as if something like that is easy. I've never heard of such a thing."
"This is a war room, not a place for childish fancies," Muku grumbled.
Aang cleared his throat. He wondered where Azula came up with the idea but decided he would press her for the details later. "It doesn't seem like we're getting anywhere," he said, pushing his chair back and standing. "But if possible, I'd like to stay here in Ba Sing Se for a while. Maybe it'll give us time to come up with more ideas." He also wanted to find out more about this Grand Secretariat, or see if he could learn anything about Bumi or Kuei.
"Of course, we'd be honored to continue hosting the Avatar," said Fong, also standing. He gave a significant look to the other generals. "General Fa Lan, General Muku, don't you agree?"
Fa Lan stood and bowed respectfully while Muku just grumbled and they both departed.
"Finally," Toph mumbled so Fong couldn't hear her. "This was boring and those blockheads were getting on my nerves."
Fong gestured for them to walk out the door first. "I've even taken the liberty of preparing your living quarters as a guest of honor in the Upper Ring. One of the guards will escort you there."
"Thank you, Fong," Aang said, bowing. As they left and started walking down the halls to exit the palace, a soldier rushed up to Fong and bowed quickly before speaking.
"General, sir! A fleet of Water Navy ships have been spotted approaching from East Lake! They're headed to Sanctuary Gate!"
"Sanctuary Gate? But how?" Fong stared at Aang, eyes wide and mouth gaping, but promptly composed himself and administered orders to the soldier. "Uh, prepare the battlements! Focus all of our defenses on the city port!" He turned back to Aang, his hands folded behind his back. "Avatar Aang, might I…"
"We'll help," Aang said before he could finish. He wasn't sure whether he should grin in accomplishment for successfully predicting the attack or not. "I'll fly there on Appa and start fighting." Likely, he assumed, against Sokka and Katara.
"Not alone, you're not," Azula said. "I'm coming with you. You're going to need me if you freeze up against the princess again."
"We're all coming," Toph said, clenching her fist. "I want another chance to knock their heads in."
"Good luck, Avatar," said Fong. "Our forces will be right behind you."
"I don't like this," Sokka said, arms crossed as they waited under the massive outer walls of the city. A tiny settlement sat right outside the walls on rocky crags, a hidden cave with a dingy port and ferry ships in various states of disrepair. Supposedly, a sister port called Full Moon Bay (oh, the irony, he thought) nestled on the other side of the Serpent's Pass to ferry refugees to Ba Sing Se. They called this place Sanctuary Gate, the final stop for refugees before they were allowed access to the city; it was something of a customs office, but over time ramshackle homes built up around the gate due to the amount of time it took for some people to be allowed entry. "How are we supposed to get inside without the right paperwork?"
"Be patient, brother," said Katara. Her eyes passed over the men and women in black clothing that patrolled the Sanctuary Gate, but then turned back to Sokka. "We won't need paperwork. Ghashiun has us covered."
Sokka lowered his voice again as he eyed the sandbender standing in line with Suki and Yue some distance away, waiting to see the customs officers. "I still don't see why you trust him."
"He's willing to do whatever it takes to be reunited with his sister," she said. "I can relate." She let those words sink into his head for a moment before continuing. "I mentioned earlier that his sister lives in the city. She's a member of the Dai Li, which is something like a police force. When she was still in training, they used to meet in secret beneath the city." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "There's a huge network of catacombs deep underground, accessible even from here. That's how our people will get in - underwater tunnels that lead into the catacombs. And Ghashiun is the only one who can navigate them for us."
"But how…" He cut himself off as one of the black clothed guards patrolled near, then continued when she was safely away from them. "How are our people supposed to get to those tunnels? The city's full of earthbenders, they'll just collapse them as soon as they find out we're in there."
"They won't know," Katara whispered back. "While our fleet attacks from above the water, a hidden force of submarines will get into the tunnels from under it." She grinned and grabbed his wrists. "Don't you see, Sokka? Your inventions and my connections, together. It's perfect. While they infiltrate the city that way the five of us will go in like any other refugee, coordinating above and below."
He stared at Ghashiun again, whose arms crossed in silence while Suki and Yue chattered around him about something Sokka couldn't hear. "How do you know him, anyway?" Katara let go of him and took a step back.
"We met two years ago," she answered. "In my travels when I left to study healing at the North Pole." She put a hand on her chest and smiled, a picture of innocence that only Sokka knew as an act. "Suki and I, uh, took a bit of a detour from my route and went into the Earth Kingdom in secret. We met Ghashiun at a desert oasis and became friends and stayed in touch. It was right around that time where he lost contact with his sister, too. He hasn't heard from her since."
Sokka scoffed. Of course she would leave her royal procession behind to go off exploring. Father would have been furious if he knew. "Friends, huh?"
"Oh, please," she snapped at him. "Don't get any funny ideas. I just saw the value in having someone like him around."
"But he's still a…" Sokka got cut off by bells ringing in alarm at the top of the Sanctuary Gates. Refugees gathered their families close as soldiers and guards rushed to their stations.
"Water Tribe!" a soldier announced. "Just off shore!"
One of the guards, a woman with raven colored hair to match her clothes, started to organize the crowds, but Sokka thought she didn't show much enthusiasm about it. "All right, people. Don't panic. Move along…"
Suki, Yue, and Ghashiun rushed over to them and Katara put on the facade of a frightened refugee. "Okay, stay together, everyone! We'll get through this!"
They looked out over the water, spotting distant sails emblazoned with the emblem of the Water Nation. The invasion had begun.
Aang sat at the back of Appa's saddle, his shoulders tense as he prepared himself for the possibility of seeing Katara again. Azula sat with him, one arm draped over her knee while Toph clutched the other side of the saddle and Zuko sat at Appa's reins. The poor bison needed a rest - going back and forth between the palace and the outer walls was a long trip that took its toll.
"How'd you come up with the idea for an airship?" Aang asked her. He absentmindedly pet Sabi's head as he thought back to the last time they spoke together. "Was it… that spirit that's inside of you, like the ones in Zuko and Toph?" The Guru in the mountains, Shen, told them the one inside Azula was a malevolent force, but Aang knew nothing about how to get rid of it. He had never heard of such a thing - as far as he knew, spirits had never bonded with humans before.
"I don't know," she admitted. "It came to me in a dream, I suppose. Silly, right? I saw these enormous balloons and giant, floating black metal ships. There's no way metal monstrosities like those could fly."
Aang frowned. "You dreamt about my world." But how? "What kinds of spirits are inside you guys?" And why isn't there something in me? Is it because I'm the Avatar? "I have to figure out how to get them out before you all get hurt."
Though a small part inside of him stirred, wondering if he did, indeed, have something he carried with him, too.
Toph shrugged. "I dunno. I've been okay with mine so far, it's stayed pretty quiet."
"Unfortunately we don't have time to deliberate this further," Azula said, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. "I'll be fine for now."
Aang sighed. If they weren't concerned yet, then he figured it wasn't something worth worrying over at this point. Hopefully there'd be time to help them later, especially if whatever spirits ailing them were the cause of Zuko and Azula's strange behavior over the past several days.
"Get ready, guys," Zuko called to them, peering over the map they'd been given. "We're almost to the outer wall. And Sanctuary Gate should be here."
Sounds of battle rang in the distance even before they crested the wall, but as soon as they reached the other side Aang shrugged Sabi off his shoulders and leapt off the saddle, glider in hand.
The Water Navy had frozen over the whole bay, and even from the sky he saw spots in the ice stained red with blood.
Author's Notes: Well, if you're still there after all these years, welcome back! I hope to hear from you again in reviews. If you're discovering the story for the first time, welcome!
I promise the update gap won't be as long for the next one. The next chapter is already complete.
