Admiral Hahn had to laugh. This was what stopped that welp of a Prince? They were practically half dead already. Their tongue was their worst weapon and he'd have that silenced soon enough.

At this moment of absolute hubris, Admiral Hahn felt himself blinded. A bright light filled the room.

Everyone was taken aback. Even the mercenary stopped his charge. What was that thing?

The glow subsided. At its center, Hahn saw a ghost. Literally. Everyone saw.

A regal looking firebender had taken the place of the boy Avatar. His regal robes were matched by his wise, aged features. His head was crowned by the prince's ornament. Hahn recognized this man from the statutes in the Fire Islands.

"Avatar Roku.", he muttered in awe.

"Great grandfather.", Zuko followed. Azula stood silent.

Ty Lee was more concerned. Her wound was severe and now she was seeing ghosts. "H-have I passed on? Is this what you see before you reincarnate?"

"No, Lee, everyone sees it.", Azula was flat. She didn't know what to make of this development.

Admiral Hahn knew, however. It was a threat.

"Strike now!", he directed his mercenary.

The mountain wasted no time. With a single breath, he fired a missile at the ghostly figure.

Avatar Roku stretched out his palm. When the blast neared him, he spun his body around. The blast curved with the movement of the spectre's body. The ghostly Avatar flew the blast back at its sender.

The mercenary clearly did not know what to make of this development. He had no way to dodge it or stop the blast. It hit him dead center. The mercenary rocketed backwards and went through the temple walls. He plummeted to the ground floor, landing with a thud. Even such a powerful figure couldn't take that blow. It was amazing he survived at all. The mercenary fell into a deep slumber.

Azula and Zuko were in awe. There was nothing they could have done to that man, even at their best. His strange explosive power would make it too difficult to get close. Yet this vision of their great grandfather beat him in a single strike.

This was the power of a fully realized Avatar.

Admiral Hahn felt naked. He had lost his great weapon. He was alone now. He was so confident that he left his men outside. Stammering and shaking, he turned to run.

Avatar Roku moved his arms back. The water sack on the admiral's pouch was yanked back. It took the boy's entire body with it. Avatar Roku outstretched his other hand and caught the flying boy by the throat.

"Never threaten my family again.", the Avatar's voice boomed with power. Avatar Roku threw the young admiral out the window. He landed on top of his contractor and passed out immediately.

Just as easily as it came, the ghost vanished. Roku turned back into Aang in a gust of wind. Aang fell unconscious to the floor.


The group wasn't sure what to say or do. Aang had become their ancestor and effortlessly defeated a combustionbender. What in the world just happened?

"The solstice!", Azula exclaimed. "It must have happened while we were fighting!"

"That was the solstice?", Zuko yelled back. "I thought the Avatar just talked with their past lives, not became them."

"Well, we know better now.", Azula joked. "Or maybe it's just a solstice thing. He didn't do that Umbie."

Ty Lee broke their conversation. "We have to go."

"What? Why?", Zuko questioned, "They're out cold."

"He won't stay that way for long." Ty Lee wasn't her normal chirpier self. She was scared. "He isn't normal."

"Wait, how do you know him?", Zuko asked.

His thought was cut short by another strike at the temple. A blast rocketed the room from outside. Azula recognized it from before. It was that man. He was still alive.

"How is that even possible?", she darted to pick up Ty Lee. Another explosion rocked the temple as she reached her lover. Carefully, Azula lifted the wounded girl, carrying her in her arms.

"Get Aang," she commanded Zuko. He was ahead of her. Aang was already thrown over his back.

The siblings ran down the hall. They needed to get away from their last known position. He couldn't see them from his position. The mercenary would be firing at an empty room if they moved far enough.

"We need an escape plan.", Zuko turned to his sister.

Appa burst through the wall. Bellowing, the beast turned his saddle towards them.

"And there it is.", Azula smirked.

"We have to stop relying on Appa like this.", Zuko scurried onto Appa's back.

"It's not like we've done it before. Unless you've been running into danger without a plan when I was gone.", Azula got on the reins.

Zuko looked away at his sister's words.

Azula chuckled. "Really, Zuzu? You ran in without a plan when you saved Ty Lee?"

"This isn't the time!", Zuko secured Aang and Ty Lee to the saddle with some spare rope. "And I had a plan!" His voice turned to a mumble. "Just not an escape plan."

"What would you do without me?", Azula moved the reigns and got Appa airborne.


The mountain of the man didn't let up. He had brushed his employers unconscious body off of him and gotten up like the last ten minutes didn't happen. Despite his injuries, he kept up his barrage of combustion blasts. The temple rocked with each detonation.

When the skybison appeared, the mercenary turned his gaze. He focused on it. Memorized its pattern. He was about to shoot it down.

A bolt of fire hit the back of his head. The pain took his attention away from his target. He let his breath go on accident. His shot missed.

The silent figure turned around. Behind him stood the Fire Prince himself: Ozai.

"I wondered what that ruckus was. I assumed my whelps were causing more trouble." He cracked his knuckles. "I suppose I was right."

Ozai got into a crescent stance. "I don't really care if you destroyed those traitors and disgraces, but the Avatar holds some value to me at the moment. It would inconvenience me if you ended him here."

The two stared at each other. Ozai lunged at the mercenary.

From afar, the fleeing teens heard an explosion. They thought nothing of it.


Aang felt cold. Like he was swimming in an ocean. His vision was blurred. All he could see was an endless yellow expanse.

"W-where am I?", the dazed monk began to feel his form again. "Am I dead?"

"Not the current version, no.", an old voice spoke, "But you have died many times before."

Aang recognized that voice from before. That was the voice that called to him at the temple. His senses returned. The monk reoriented himself so he was upright with the regal figure speaking to him.

"I remember you from the statue at Umbie. You're Avatar Roku!," Aang pointed to the ghost.

The previous Avatar seemed amused. "Even after all these years, my reputation precedes me."

He turned his attention away. "It seems you had gotten yourself into some trouble, Aang." He chuckled. "Good, it's best to get your feet wet early. It might have made my reign better if my early life wasn't so sheltered."

"Trouble?", Aang pondered. His mind was hazy. Suddenly, it all came rushing back. "The sparky sparky boom man!"

"The combustionbender?", Roku asked. The former Avatar was perplexed by Aang's choice in nicknames. "I knocked him out the window. Along with his obnoxious employer." Roku's eyes narrowed. "I doubt that will keep him down for long."

"You just threw him out of the window?", Aang was shocked.

Roku stroked his beard. "Do not underestimate him, Aang. I took him by surprise by bending back his combustion bolt. He won't be so easily taken down again."

"That seems to be a reoccurring problem.", Aang sulked.

"Don't feel bad about your battle with my granddaughter's husband. Ozai and his brother may be the strongest firebenders in the world right now." Roku grew grim. "Though, they couldn't be more opposite. I'm glad Iroh has the throne. I am afraid what Ozai would do to the art of Firebending and the remnants of my nation, were he to ascend. He is too obsessed on power itself."

Aang looked away. "He's a monster."

"Don't be so quick to throw that word around, Aang." Roku chided. "His actions are atrocious, but writing them off as an irregularity forgives even more heinous sins."

Aang didn't follow.

"My friend, Fire Lord Sozin, did not take well to his kingdom's decline. He became obsessed with power." A figure of a middle aged man appeared behind him. Two young men knelt before him. "He needed his sons to be the best the nation had to offer."

Aang realized the middle aged man must be Sozin. He didn't know who the two young men were.

"Thus, he pitted them against each other. He bred competition. Praised one, scorned the other. One to embody perfection, the other to crave the other's power." The two young men began to fight. They struck at each other with contempt. Finally, one stood victorious. "This sick game produced his prize heir, Azulon."

The men vanished. A similar scene formed from the mist, except the actors had changed. The victory of the prior fight now loomed over two kneeling men. One of the kneeling men was Ozai, but Aang didn't immediately recognize the other. It must have been Fire Lord Iroh, Aang reasoned.

"Thus, there began a twisted cycle in the royal family." The figures fought again. Iroh stood victorious.

"But, shouldn't the competition be between Iroh's kids, not Ozai's children.", Aang questioned.

"Iroh had only one son.", Roku started. "And circumstances have led to the responsibility of leadership falling to Ozai's descendents."

"This doesn't excuse anything he did.", Aang started. "He still hurt people. He still abused them. He still scarred Zuko and tried to kill Azula."

"I never said this excused him, Aang." Roku turned. "However, you have to recognize the cycles of the world if you are to stop them. Otherwise, you will simply perpetuate them."

"Zuko and Azula are lucky for their bond, even if it was Ozai's overly cruel nature that shattered this cycle." Roku mused to himself.

The elder broke from his thoughts. "Aang, I know Azula has been warning you of summer's end. She has kept the reason for her haste a secret from you."

"She says only the Fire Nation Royal Family can know the darkest secret of the Fire Nation.", Aang recited.

"Lucky for you, my granddaughter married in." The sage joked.

The sun appeared behind Roku. "The sun was the original Firebender and is the source of all Firebending, just as the moon was to all waterbenders." A shadow appeared in the sun. "Every hundred years, the moon eclipses the sun in their path across the sky. At this time, Firebenders lose their bending."

"The eclipse lasts only eleven minutes, but it's more than enough time to capture the Alliance's capitals." The sun was completely blocked.

Aang's eyes went wide. "If they knew about this, they could take over the Fire Islands in one attack."

"With the Islands captured, the Confederation will find little difficulties conquering the shattered Earth Kingdoms. The Confederation can grow their ranks with conscripts from the Fire Islands. As well as the Air Nomads the Fire Alliance granted asylum. They'd have the combined power of nearly three nations." Roku grew grim. "The war could end in a year's time."

"We have to stop them.", Aang felt a sense of duty.

Roku took a moment to look at Aang. "You have overcome your doubt from earlier."

Aang had a guilty look. "Earlier, I did doubt whether I should get involved. But, that was just a self-serving lie. I was afraid of getting wrapped up in the war so I made an excuse." Aang got determined. "But this war is hurting people across the Fire Islands. I can only imagine what's happening in the Earth Kingdom. I have to end this war if I ever want to help those people."

A tiny smile sprouted on the weathered face of Roku. "Well said, Aang." The fire Avatar looked nostalgic. "The Avatar's role in the world is to bring balance where they can. They must be a constant force of reason, justice, and idealism to keep the world from falling into disharmony."

"War is an endless source of suffering and discord. The worst affected always end up being those who had nothing to do with the inciting." Roku lectured. "It is a source of disharmony. And also the cure for it."

"I thought you were saying war was bad?", Aang was puzzled.

"It is. However, as you said yourself, sometimes one must fight to bring peace. There is no such thing as a just war, Aang, but there is such a thing as a necessary war. You may find in time that the Avatar's job is not just to preserve the world as it is or make it as it was, but also aid those seeking change."

"This seems like a mixed message.", Aang was beginning to get annoyed.

"The best lessons tend to be.", Roku had a warm smile.

The spectre started to fade. "Our time is almost at an end. It will be harder for me to reach you for now. You will need to practice your meditations if we are to meet again."

"Wait, Roku, what should I do to stop this war?", Aang reached out to the fading spectre.

"Do as you have: find a waterbending teacher and protect those you care for. You may find that someone close to you already knows of one who could teach you."

Roku was almost completely gone. As he vanished, he left one final message.

"Never lose faith in humanity, Aang. Even your greatest enemies may save you one day."

Aang startled awake.


Aang found himself floating. He felt like he was swimming in an ocean. The world felt like a white void. His vision slowly cleared as the white void receded. He could see Ty Lee lying across from him. She still looked bad, but she was fast asleep. Zuko was keeping watch from the rear while Azula piloted.

Aang took a moment to breath and relax.

"You're awake.", Zuko noticed first. He had turned around to face the Avatar. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," Aang sighed. "How did we get here?"

"You took down the confederates in two strikes. It was quite amazing, actually.", Azula mused. "You would need to show me that trick one day."

"Bending combustion or turning into a ghost?", Aang joked. His memory had returned after Azula's words.

"Well, we all become ghosts anyway so bending combustion bolts seems more unique." Azula played along.

"Was that a joke? That wasn't an insult?", Zuko was awed.

"I do have a sense of humour outside of picking on you, Zuko."

Zuko shrugged. "Could have fooled me."

The three laughed a bit. Fighting was stressful. They never knew how things were going to turn out. The three had slowly learned to appreciate these quiet moments.

"What are we laughing about?", Ty Lee stirred.

"Nothing.", Azula spoke sweetly to Zuko's shock. "Get some rest. You need to recover."

"If only Aang knew waterbending," Zuko muttered. "I heard waterbenders can heal their injured."

"That still requires finding a waterbender willing to betray their own people." Aang scratched his chin. "That isn't easy."

Ty Lee seemed to recall something faint. Her captor had mentioned a Waterbending traitor. "The blood witch."

Everyone was confused by her statement. It seemed the result of delirium. Azula was concerned.

"Are you okay? Should we set down somewhere so you can rest on level ground." Azula had turned to the girl. She was outstretching her hands as if she was going to check Ty Lee's temperature.

Ty Lee waived Azula off with a warm smile. "I'm okay, Azuzu."

Azula blushed at hearing that nickname.

Zuko shivered. He'd never seen his sister blush before and it was giving him the oogies.

"Sorry, uh,", Azula seemed lost for words, "Lee...Lee. Leelee." Zuko felt the oogies over power him. He gagged on the sight. Azula shot her brother a deadly glare.

Aang was more curious about what Ty Lee meant. "What's a Blood Witch?"

"I'm not too sure?", Ty Lee looked to the sky in thought. "That Bato-guy who captured me said that she hasn't escaped her cell in decades. She sounded like she was a big threat to the Water Confederation."

"Blood Witch?", Zuko scratched his chin. "She must be a bender. It's rare but some people call benders 'witches' and 'wizards.'"

"She was locked in the colony for the decades. I'm sure she'll want to be set out." Ty Lee continued. "She might even teach Aang waterbending as a gift."

"If not her," Azula picked up, " then maybe someone else in the jail. It sounds like a place for dissidents. Quite a few might be willing to turn on the Confederation."

There was a pause. The group eyed Ty Lee. Azula was the first to say it. "We can't go into the colony with Lee...Lee in this condition."

"Please just call her Ty Lee.", Zuko begged, "You trying to be sweet is terrifying me."

"I'm going to do it out of spite now.", Azula threw away her brother's request.

"Is there any place we know with good doctors?", Aang got back on task.

"Ishigaki is a melting pot of the Earth Kingdoms and Fire Islands. There might be a good doctor in that bunch.", Azula cupped her chin. "Besides, it's safe. We could use 'safe' after our last two destinations."

Zuko couldn't help but remember Ishigaki was where mother was currently residing. Azula never wanted to be around mom. Was it concern for Ty Lee that made her want to go? Did she change her feelings on mom? Or was it both?

Regardless, the group had their destination. Bringing that up now would just complicate things.


The sages walked through their destroyed cafeteria. The walls had craters in them. One set of walls were completely destroyed. Upstairs, there were holes littering the sides of the building. The blasts up there were concentrated around the most sacred parts of the temple.

All the food was eaten to boot and everyone who wasn't a sage had already left the temple.

"Did we ever even confirm he was the Avatar?", one of the sages asked as he examined the destroyed wall.

"No, we just took the Prince's word." Another sage responded.

"And who brought the Avatar here?" Yet another sage questioned while cleaning up debris.

The group turned to Shyu. The sage knew where this was going.

"Next time, when you're sure someone's the Avatar,", the elder sage started, "don't you dare ever bring them to the temple."

Shyu wanted to say something in his defense, but he realized the futility. "I'm going to have to clean this up on my own, aren't I?"

The other sages just quietly nodded.