Chapter 10: New Destination

Azula finished informing her men of the plan regarding her brother and uncle. As they were dismissed, the ship's captain came to speak to her. Azula did not like the look he had. It was obvious he had something disappointing to say.

"Princess, I'm afraid the tides won't let us bring the ship into port before nightfall," the captain said. He at least looked ashamed at the message he delivered.

"Captain," Azula started.

"Your Highness?" he asked back.

"I am not well versed in mariner ways. Perhaps you could answer some questions for me," Azula said while looking out to the sea.

"To the best of my knowledge, I will. Your Highness," he replied.

"Do the tides command the ship?" she asked and looked back to him.

The Captain looked confused.

"You said the tides will not allow us to bring the ship into port. As I was asking, do they command the ship?" she asked sternly.

"No, Princess," the captain answered.

"If you were too… let's say… happen to forcefully fall overboard. Would they think twice before smashing you into the rocky shore or drowning you?" she asked dangerously.

"No, Your Highness," he answered with a nervous gulp.

"Then who should you listen to? The tides who have already made up their mind about your fate? Or me. Who's still mulling it over?" Azula asked as she looked to him pointedly.

"I'll pull us in," the captain said hurriedly as he left.

[-] [-] [-]

"What's wrong, Aang? I heard you wake up," Katara asked. She stepped out on to the deck of the Northern Water Tribe ship.

"I'm fine. It was just a nightmare. I watched myself in the Avatar State. I saw all I've done with it so far. It was scary... I was scary," Aang said.

Katara came over and placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"It makes sense you find it scary," Harry said. He also woke up after Aang.

"Harry?" Aang asked.

"It's a power you don't have control over. If you weren't wary of it, that would be bad," Harry said.

"But my past lives were able to eventually control it," Aang said as he frowned.

"Eventually is the key word," Harry said as Aang looked to him in question. "That means it took time before they could control it."

"Harry has a point, Aang. Maybe since it was later in their lives as Avatars, it is something that happens after you become a fully trained Avatar," Katara said.

"You think so?" Aang asked. Katara nodded.

"Think back to the Winter Solstice," Harry said.

"That was in the dream," Aang said with a sigh.

"Shyu told us it would take a fully actualized Avatar to open those doors instead of the five fire sages. The way I see it, that means they would be able to go into the Avatar state to open them. You are powerful with what you have mastered so far. It is not to such a level you could do that without the Avatar State," Harry said.

"I guess I can see that," Aang said not fully seeming convinced.

"I've heard stories of Kyoshi and Roku," Katara started in thought.

Aang looked to her.

"I think Harry is right. They were able to use the Avatar State as they wished in their later lives. There was also when Roku worked through you at the temple. It was controlled. He intended to destroy it and give us a way out of there," Katara said.

"No doubt Roku hated how it became a corruption filled mockery of what it was supposed to be," Harry said.

"Maybe you guys are right. I still don't like it," Aang said.

"It seems more like a last resort type of thing to me in the first place," Harry said.

"You just need to do like we're already planning. Learn and master all of the elements," Katara said with a smile hoping to cheer him up.

Aang mulled it over. He nodded and seemed to cheer up a little. "Yeah. I get that," he said.

The three stayed out a little longer instead of going back to bed. It was already getting to be daylight. Sokka also had a tendency to snore a little too loudly at times. Tonight, was one of those times and it was close to dawn.

[-] [-] [-]

Once it was time to leave their escort, Aang and the others gathered to say goodbye to Master Pakku and those travelling with him. Master Pakku first approached Katara. "I want you to have this," he said as he handed her a flask. "It contains water from the Spirit Oasis. As I'm sure you know, it has unique healing properties."

She gave him a hug and brightly said, "Thank you, Master Pakku!"

He next came to Aang and one of his students handed him a box. "These scrolls will help you in finishing your quest to master Waterbending. Remember. They will not substitute for a real master," Pakku said to him.

Aang grinned and said, "Then it's good I'm travelling with one."

Pakku nodded to him. "Exactly what I was going to say."

He next came to Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Harry. Savior of Blood Moon," he started.

Harry seemed to stand up a little straighter. He was not a fan of titles and such, but this one had meaning to it, especially coming from Master Pakku. A different student came over and handed a box to Harry.

"Yagoda and Arnook heard of your interest in potion making. These are some of our rarest ingredients. Though there is a substantial amount… Use them sparingly. They also gathered some scrolls for you on our knowledge of Potion Making," he said.

"Thank you for such a meaningful gift, Master Pakku," Harry said bowed to him.

Sokka was the last approached. "Sokka…" Master Pakku started. Sokka grinned in anticipation. Pakku placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Take care, son."

"Awww…" Sokka accidentally let slip.

Master Pakku raised an eyebrow at him. "I have no parting gift for you. Did you not get your run of the armory, as they said you would?" he asked.

"I did. You all had some good stuff, despite everything. Sorry. I was just caught up in the moment," Sokka apologized as he climbed on Appa.

Master Pakku shook his head, but gave them all one last wave in farewell. The group were once again airborne. It actually felt good to be up in the sky again.

[-] [-] [-]

Zuko and Iroh returned to their room with a sack of seashells Iroh collected. Zuko thought it was pointless and more of a problem than anything. They had to carry everything on their own now. This was useless extra weight.

However, the two immediately noticed they weren't alone in their room.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko demanded.

"Nice to see you too, Zuzu," Azula said in an annoyed huff.

"Don't call me that!" Zuko rebutted. Azula rolled her eyes.

"To what do we owe the honor? Princess Azula?" Iroh asked in a less than cheerful voice.

"At least you can act polite, Uncle," Azula said dryly.

She then took on a less abrasive tone with just a hint of concern. "I've come with a message. Father's changed his mind. He now cares very much about family. There have been rumors and talk of plans to overthrow him. Family is all he can trust," she said.

She stood and took a couple of steps closer. She looked into Zuko's eyes. "He regrets your banishment. He wants you home, Zuko," she said to him.

Zuko seemed stunned. Uncle Iroh seemed confused.

Azula frowned. "Surely, you heard me. You aren't deaf. I just gave you great news! Your quest has come to an end. You should be happy. Excited!" she said.

"I think your brother just needs a moment," Iroh said.

Azula seemed to ignore him as she huffed in annoyance. "You could at least say thank you while taking your moment. I'm not a messenger. I didn't have to come and see you myself. Nor did I have to offer you and Uncle a ride back on my ship," she said.

"Father regrets it? He wants me back?" Zuko asked in disbelief.

"You really do need that moment, don't you? I'll return for supper," Azula said as she started to leave.

"Why do you wish to join us for supper?" Iroh asked.

"Despite everything. It has been three years since I last saw my brother. I also need a break from the ship's crew. Perhaps hearing of your time away and your quest will be interesting," Azula said with a dismissive wave.

After the information sunk in, Zuko was excited. It was the happiest Iroh had seen him in a long time. It was why he found it hurtful when they got into an argument about the situation. Iroh was sure something wasn't right about this. Zuko thought Iroh was trying to talk him out of it for petty reasons.

Azula returned for supper and found the two of them upset. "I hadn't thought you two would be in such a sour mood after the news," Azula said with a raised eyebrow.

"We merely had a slight disagreement," Iroh said neutrally.

"If you say so, Uncle," Azula said.

Zuko however seemed to be in better spirits once more. Seeing Azula again meant it wasn't just some crazy daydream he had. They sat down to eat together. "This hasn't happened in a while," Zuko said.

"You were gone for three years," Azula said flatly.

"I know that… I meant even before then," Zuko said.

"Father does have a nation to run in the middle of a war. It is only natural he spends most of his time on such important matters," Azula defended their father.

"So… What's changed?" Zuko asked.

Azula seemed to think how annoyed she should be at him asking questions. "You will see for yourself soon enough. In many ways, things are much the same," Azula said.

"What is everyone up to?" Zuko asked.

"I'm guessing you mean Ty Lee and Mai," Azula prompted. Zuko nodded. "Ty Lee… joined the circus. Odd really… but somehow fitting."

"From a young age, she was always very good with her acrobatics," Uncle Iroh said. He was hoping it would rouse Azula's jealousy and get her to betray her true intentions.

"Indeed… I was at one time foolishly jealous of her talent in that regard. I have long since come to realize I cannot, nor should not, do everything. Others have their own strengths," Azula said.

Iroh wasn't sure what to make of her not getting upset like he thought she would. Azula always hated when someone was better than her at anything.

"What about Mai?" Zuko asked. He didn't want his uncle interrupting further.

"Mai is… Mai. Her family are overseeing a recently acquired new colony. As for if she still has feelings for you," Azula said in a leading manner.

Zuko looked extremely interested in her words. He was waiting with bated breath. Azula found it amusing, even if she didn't understand why he cared so much.

"And?" Zuko asked while trying to remain calm.

"Well… As I said… Mai is still Mai," she finally answered.

Zuko's eye twitched at that non answer.

"Do you think she would find interest in any one else?" Azula asked with a scoff. "No one else has ever gotten her to… emote… as much as she does around you."

"She never really emotes," Zuko said flatly.

"Exactly," Azula answered. Zuko wasn't sure what to make of that. "Now then. My turn for some questions," she said.

"What could you possibly want to know?" Uncle Iroh asked.

"Tell me about your quest to find the Avatar," Azula said.

"Why do you want to know that?" Zuko asked.

"Even though you were unsuccessful in capturing him, you are probably the most knowledgeable. Since you will no longer need to," Azula paused and gave a smirk. "Regain your honor!" she added in a horrible imitation of Zuko's voice.

It was so horribly done Zuko couldn't even find himself to be angry about it.

She frowned at the lack of reaction. "Since you no longer need to worry about that, you won't have to seek him out anymore. Instead, you need only share what you know and provide consultation when needed," Azula said.

Zuko seemed to think over her words. She did say father considered family important and he could only trust them. Father would want them around due to the plots he was hearing about. Zuko running around the world was not staying close.

"Alright, I'll tell you what I know. First… Something possibly just as important. I'm not sure if you heard of it after Zhao's failure up North," Zuko said.

Azula scoffed at the man's name. "Father was not pleased with how he wasted so many of our men and resources on that venture of his," she said heatedly. She then seemed to calm down as she said, "We have heard some things, but mostly it was about the spirit beast."

Zuko nodded. "That makes sense. What I was going to say might be just as important," Zuko said before pausing for a moment to grab a bite to eat.

"Are you trying to get back at me for how I drew out telling you about Mai? Do get on with this important information. You know I'm not a fan of wasted time," Azula said with a frown.

"There's another Airbender. He has wild black hair, green eyes, and most peculiar… a faint scar in the middle of his forehead. It's shaped like a lightning bolt," Zuko said.

"There was a rumor like that after the Winter Solstice. Some prisoners of Zhao's claimed as much. He said they were just rambling and making excuses. More proof of how miserably he failed our great nation," Azula said.

Zuko nodded and told her more. It was a rather odd sensation he felt while talking to her. She actually seemed like a sister... She didn't bite back in her usual manner. He wondered if she too decided family was more important than she previously thought.

[-] [-] [-]

The Gaang were sitting together at a table in the main building of General Fong's Earth Kingdom base. Their reception was nice enough, but Harry was cautious. General Fong used titles to refer to them all, even if Sokka's was just Brave Sokka.

Katara was referred to as Mighty Katara, a title she really liked. Aang was referred to as the Avatar and Harry was called Savior of Blood Moon. It seemed that title was already making the rounds. There was even a grand welcoming fireworks display for them.

Harry was wary because being greeted like war heroes probably meant the general wanted something from them. Harry hoped he was wrong, but he knew most of the time when he felt something was wrong… something was wrong. He could understand it. This war had been going on for a long time, especially for the Earth Kingdoms. Any chance to gain an edge is something the general would look to use.

Towards the end of their feast General Fong hosted, his intentions became clear.

"The tales of what you accomplished, Avatar Aang and you Harry, Savior of Blood Moon, have made it here. We are very impressed. Especially when we heard you defeated the entire Fire Nation Navy single handedly, Avatar Aang," General Fong said.

"I try not to think about it too much," Aang said with a slight grimace after the nightmares he had.

"Why? Such devastating power… It is something we need. It can give us an edge in this war and finally end it!" General Fong said.

Aang looked conflicted and worried. He wondered if he was wrong in fearing the power.

"I think you're ready to face the Fire Lord now," General Fong said.

"What?! No, I'm not," Aang said looking alarmed.

"He still needs to master all four elements," Katara said as she held Aang's hand to reassure him.

"With power enough to defeat hundreds of battleships at once? There is no need to waste any more time," General Fong said.

"Sir. The thing is he can only do such things in the Avatar State," Sokka said with a slight frown.

"You see the Avatar state is when-" Aang started before he was interrupted.

"I am aware of it. Your eyes and your tattoos glow and you summon forth unbelievable power. Without you, we'd be slaughtered before reaching the shore of the Fire Nation," General Fong said with a grimace at the thought. "With you leading the way, as an ultimate weapon… We'd be unstoppable!" he then said.

Aang was about to say something but Harry looked to him briefly before speaking himself. "General Fong," Harry started. The General looked to him. "With all due respect, your information on the Avatar State is incomplete, Sir."

"What do you mean?" General Fong asked. Harry may not be the Avatar, but he was due some respect nevertheless for what he had accomplished in helping the Northern Water Tribe. Additionally, it was best to act with full knowledge.

"The Avatar State is something that happens instinctively. Aang doesn't have control over it yet. The Avatar State is a powerful weapon, but it is just as dangerous, if not more so, to those around him. At Aang's current level, he is unable to distinguish between ally and foe. That is part of the reason why the Avatar must master all of the elements first. Only then, can he control it," Harry said putting forth their working theory.

"Then why is it at the North Pole none of the Northern Water Tribe were injured?" General Fong asked thinking he had won the argument.

"That wasn't Aang. That wasn't the Avatar," Harry said.

"What do you mean?" General Fong asked with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Aang in the Avatar State was merely an outlet for the rage of the Ocean Spirit, La. The Northern Water Tribe people were left uninjured because they praise the spirits daily. The Ocean Spirit wanted revenge for what was done to the Moon Spirit and nothing more," Harry said.

General Fong looked unimpressed, but was thinking on Harry's words.

"It was only a brief moment, but surely even you noticed what lead to the name I was given," Harry said.

"The moon turning red?" General Fong asked. It was noticed by many before the moon turned completely dark. That moment was uneasy for all. The oceans went deathly still. The air seemed off.

"Yes, sir. Unfortunately, unless you can perfectly duplicate those specific conditions. The Avatar State is no better than a loose cannon continuously firing at all those around it, especially allies," Harry said. He was pretty sure the general did not want to lose more men than needed.

General Fong thought those words over.

"As Harry said, once I've mastered all four elements, I can control it. Regrettably, it can't be trained to be harnessed any other way," Aang said. He hated having to say that, but it was true as far as they knew.

The General seemed to be thinking over their words. He was disappointed to hear the Avatar wasn't yet the trump card he hoped he would be. He was still tempted to try and force out the Avatar State anyways, but he did not like the thought of losing more men to their own weapon than the Fire Nation.

General Fong sighed. "It is unfortunate to hear that…" he said as he sat down again. He closed his eyes in thought and tried to picture the possibilities.

"There is also the matter of the Avatar State not lasting for long. Afterwards Aang is pretty much useless until he has rested for a good while," Sokka said. He looked to Aang and added, "No offense."

Aang shook his head. "It's true. Even when La was working through me it didn't last long and I was completely wiped for at least a day," he said.

That had been the last nail in the coffin for using the Avatar State as an ultimate weapon. Desperate for an end to the war he was, but General Fong wasn't a fool.

"It seems the deadlock will have to continue…" General Fong said with a deep frown. It was obvious he was less than enthused by their company. He remained polite though.

"Since it is of the utmost importance you master the elements, we will provide you supplies. In the morning, you may continue your journey to see King Bumi. Regretfully, I cannot in good faith provide you more than directions from here to Omashu," he said.

Aang was about to say something about the sudden change in attitude, but thought better of it. He instead rose to his feet and bowed to the general. "That is more than helpful enough General Fong, Sir. We appreciate it," he said.

General Fong merely nodded to him as the others finished up their meals and headed to their quarters for the night.

[-] [-] [-]

Zuko felt even happier when he was walking down towards Azula's ship to leave. His uncle came running up to him and said he decided to come as well.

"Family sticks together," Iroh said with his usual smile.

"I'm glad you're coming after all, Uncle. Even if last night wasn't just a bizarre fluke, and Azula also cares more for family. There is no way I can stand having just her as company on the way back," Zuko said with a smile.

When they were right before her ship, Zuko was surprised to see the soldiers lined up to greet them properly. "Brother. Uncle. Welcome aboard," Azula said in greeting.

As they made their way to gangplank, the ship's captain spoke. "Are we ready depart, Your Highness?" he asked.

Azula looked to be rather cheerful as she said, "Set our course for home, Captain!"

"Home… At last," Zuko said wistfully. He hadn't been watching his uncle as the man looked over the guards warily. Zuko saw a greeting. Iroh saw potential enemies.

"You heard the Princess! Raise the anchors! Set sail! We are taking the prisoners home," the captain said. He then gulped and realized his mistake.

"You fool!" Azula shouted at him.

Zuko paused and felt anger rise as the guards got into action. "You lied to me!" he roared at Azula.

"I merely omitted part of the truth," Azula said while smirking.

Zuko roared and sent fire blast after fire blast at her. She almost laughed as she easily countered and evaded them all. She hopped back on to the ship as well. This was one way to get him on the ship. She would just have to subdue him now, even if his rage could be fun.

Uncle Iroh was busy dealing with the guards. He was presently winning, but knew what needed to be done. "Zuko! We need to leave!" he called out.

Zuko was too enraged to hear him though. "I should have known! You always lie!" Zuko roared again as he threw attack after attack at Azula. They would have been very impressive and probably won him the fight, but this was Azula. She always made his Firebending look like amateur's work.

"And I told you. I didn't lie! Father does consider family important now. You and Uncle have disgraced it long enough! You have wasted so many resources. Why would father want you back, except to finally lock you up!" she said.

"I am not a disgrace!" Zuko roared. He made two fire daggers and charged Azula. He jumped up and used kicks in the air to send fire blasts at her. Azula jumped back and sent a blue fireball at him as soon as he landed on deck.

He sent out a large blast from his mouth. Azula was actually caught off-guard by that. She still dodged it with ease, but Zuko closed in on her. He sliced with his flame daggers. She jumped to the side and swiped at him with her sharpened fingernails.

Zuko growled as he started attacking again. This time Azula evaded by a hair's width and grabbed his arm. The two stood still for a moment staring each other down. Azula then dropped down and swept his feet out from under him. Next, she tossed him over her shoulder.

Zuko recovered, but was blasted backwards and on to the main deck of the ship. Zuko looked in horror as Azula started to generate electricity. Something only the most powerful Firebenders could accomplish. She had been able to so for years now already.

Just as she was about launch the lighting attack, Iroh came out of seemingly nowhere and redirected it. Azula was so surprised, Iroh was able to break her stance and toss her overboard. As she landed in the water, Zuko and Iroh took the chance to escape.

By the time Azula climbed out of the water and it steamed off of her, they were gone. Her men had failed her. The ship's captain would be reassigned after botching her plan. The only upside, and it didn't really make a difference, was her Uncle didn't count when it came to the whole besting her thing.

[-] [-] [-]

Once they were safe, Iroh turned to Zuko. "We should be good here," he said as he caught his breath.

Zuko looked sullen. He had improved a lot during these three years. It still wasn't enough to beat Azula. He realized he was no longer the Exiled Prince of the Fire Nation. He was a fugitive. A traitor. There was probably no way to regain his honor now.

Zuko took out a small dagger. It had an engraving on it. The words read, "Never give up without a fight." It was actually a gift to him from Uncle Iroh years ago while he sieged Ba Sing Se. Azula was jealous Zuko got a dagger and she was given a doll. She always seemed to take whatever chance she could to get her hands on the small blade.

Zuko made up his mind after reflecting. He placed the dagger to the back of his warrior's knot and cut it off. He handed the dagger to his uncle who did the same. They threw their severed knots into the river where they were carried downstream. They were no longer warriors of the Fire Nation. They were a poor old man and his nephew, wanted by the Fire Nation.

[-] [-] [-]

As the group left General Fong's base, Aang seemed troubled.

"What is it, Aang?" Katara asked.

"In my sleep, I crossed over. Roku wanted to speak to me. He told me about the Avatar State," Aang said seriously.

"Were we right?" Katara asked.

"Yes, but there's more. I'll be able to control it eventually. It is a very powerful ability and when it happens instinctively it is mostly a defense mechanism," he said.

"That doesn't seem too troubling," Sokka said.

"The thing is. I'm at my most powerful in that state, but it has a huge glaring weakness. If I die in the Avatar State… The cycle will be broken," he said.

The others were silent hearing that. Harry spoke after a moment. "Doesn't change anything. We'll get you trained up, Aang. We didn't have all of the details, but it seems we were right about it being a last resort," he said.

"But what if I lose control and go all Avatar again?" Aang asked in worry.

"It's a defensive mechanism. A last resort. Something done out of desperation," Harry said.

"That's not helping…" Aang grumbled.

"I wasn't finished. As you learn more about bending, you will need it less," Harry finished.

Aang thought on his words. He nodded. "I still don't like it, but I think you're right," he said.

"Harry is right, Aang. You're already getting really good at Waterbending. You've mastered Airbending from the start. Soon we'll be at Omashu and you'll start learning Earthbending. That will give you even more options," Katara said.

She then grinned to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You might even get to the point it never happens instinctively again. You'll choose when it happens and do so in a way you won't have to worry about it," she said.

"You mentioned how you didn't like relying on it, or using it. This is just more proof you're right," Sokka said.

"You guys are okay with me never wanting to use it?" Aang asked a little relieved. Hearing the General talk about how impressive it could be, Aang though he was wrong.

"You're the Avatar, Aang. You know what's better about this stuff than we do. You say it isn't something to rely on, then it isn't something to rely on. We're not about to argue too much about what it means being the Avatar," Sokka replied as the others nodded in agreement.

Aang smiled to them. "Thanks, Guys," he said.

He then said to Appa, "Yip yip!" and they took off a little higher into the sky.

[-] [-] [-]

Azula sighed as she sat in her quarters on the ship. Her first plan failed. The second one did as well. She was now on to her third plan, which was adjusted by Lo and Li's advice. They hinted a small elite and more agile team would be best for tracking her Uncle and brother. She knew who she wanted for such a task. Which is partly why she was reading a romance novel.

She got to thinking more about her two friends, Mai and Ty Lee. She really didn't get what it was Mai saw in Zuko. Azula thought maybe some blasted romance novel might help. This one was very fitting of the situation, with some differences. It was about a fallen prince and a noble's daughter who were deeply in love.

The differences were. The book's fallen prince was actually strong and honorable. He was gifted and talented. He wasn't a traitor who couldn't even go toe to toe with his younger sister. The noble's daughter was meek and quiet. Mai was quiet, but she was far from meek. Mai wasn't a bender, but she was more than capable of fighting them.

"Really… She should be falling for someone far better and more interesting than Zuzu," Azula thought with a sigh. She usually respected her friend's choice in so-called romance, but it still irked her. She wasn't even fully sure why she bothered to support it at times, or why she cared about it.

When she was younger, Azula loved teasing Mai and Zuko about their feelings for each other. She interfered whenever she had a chance. Eventually though, her teasing became more a mix of her own amusement and attempts to help Mai and Zuko get over their shyness around each other.

They of course didn't appreciate her help, but she was honestly trying. It was their fault for not taking advantage of the opportunities she went out of her way to give. After that became annoying, Azula decided to leave it be, even if that was far more boring and painful to watch.

She had hoped watching the two would give her some idea why people believed in such things as love. It was something Azula didn't really grasp along with what people said family was like. Her mother called her a monster, even if was mostly deserved. Her father only cared about advancing the nation, respectable since it was his duty as Fire Lord. To Azula, that was family. She wondered why it was Zuko had this different idea about love and family, yet she didn't.

Azula hated to admit it, but she had occasional thoughts about things like that. She sometimes found herself close to what she thought was love, even if it was different from what Zuko and Mai had. She still found it rather foolish. If love was important, wouldn't her father have shown and explained it to her? Or her mother? Maybe even her uncle?

Instead, Uncle Iroh sent Zuko great and impressive gifts which had meaning to them. He gave her patronizing ones. Why else would he give her dolls and dresses? It was preposterous! She may be a princess, but she wasn't one of those vain ones who just sighed all day and wore dresses while waiting to be rescued.

She was very capable of defending herself. She preferred action. Dresses were hard to move in and made Firebending difficult. She rarely wore them even when she had to make social appearances.

Though… she didn't entirely hate wearing them on occasions.

She blamed that traitorous thought on her uncle and his gifts. She didn't mind setting her dolls ablaze after some time. She could never bring herself to do so with the dresses.

[-] [-] [-]

Sokka gave a stretch after waking. He hated to admit it, but he kind of woke himself up with his own snoring. He was surprised to see he wasn't the only one awake. He came over and sat next to Harry by the fire.

"Trouble sleeping?" Sokka asked.

"Bad dream. Haven't been up too long, but couldn't fall back asleep," Harry said.

Sokka gave a nervous laugh. "Sorry… I didn't mean to snore," he said.

Harry shook his head. "That isn't the problem. I actually have a spell I can use to take care of that," he said.

"Sounds handy," Sokka said.

Harry gave a chuckle. "All of the guys in my dorm have already mastered it. Neville and Ron really snore… I mean really badly. Sometimes they wouldn't close their curtains, which block out the sound," he said.

Sokka chuckled to that. The two sat for a moment in silence before Sokka again spoke. "So. How are you doing?" he asked.

"It wasn't that bad of a dream. I'm fine," Harry said.

"That isn't what I meant," Sokka said.

Harry looked to him in question. "I'm alright in general? I'm not really too homesick or anything. If that's what you're talking about," he said.

Sokka shook his head and sighed. "I wasn't out there… I was busy with Princess Yue and Aang. But I know what it means that you were on the frontlines, Harry," he said.

Harry was silent for a moment. He then gave a sigh. "I'm coping. I have killed now, and I'm not happy about it, but I realize it happens on a battlefield. It does help that most were going for just taking people out, and not necessarily killing, so I did the same. I think, given the whole full moon thing, the Fire Nation soldiers were focused on making ground rather than ending lives. I believe Zhao only told a select few his plan about the moon," Harry said.

"That is still a lot to take in… I don't know what I would think in your situation," Sokka said.

"Hopefully, you won't have to anytime soon, but it is something that can happen. We are a huge target. I guess I'm also realizing it will happen again as well. If not here, then when I get back. I'll be going into another war. It will be smaller than this one and won't last a hundred years, but it will be a war," Harry said.

"How do you work through it?" Sokka asked.

"I wasn't aiming to kill. I also think about the lives I saved and the people I helped. I saw others die… I quickly realized it was a kill or be killed situation, especially since it was a big battle. I've heard things about the previous war in my own world," he said and paused for a moment.

"Here, the Fire Nation is efficient. They are a professional military. They have particular goals. In the last war, the enemy took pleasure in killing and torturing and many other equally terrible things. They weren't a professional military. They were people who viewed killing as fun and saw everyone else as less than human," Harry said.

"That's bad…" Sokka said.

"At the same time… The death count was a lot lower than what is going on here," he added.

"Not sure if that is too much better," Sokka said.

"Me neither. You don't think bad of me, do you?" Harry asked carefully.

Sokka shook his head. "I wasn't out there, but I know what war means. You mentioned you didn't take pleasure in it. If you did, that would be worrying. If I thought bad of you… I'd have to think bad of Bato, my dad, and the others who went to help with the war," Sokka said.

"That's a bit of a relief," Harry said. He looked towards Aang and Katara who were still sleeping. "I hope they don't ask about it," he said.

"Katara would understand. She… she knows how war is. How bad the Fire Nation is," Sokka said looking to his sister.

"How?" Harry asked.

Sokka was in thought for a moment. "I don't want you bringing up to her, but she was there when our mother was murdered. Mom didn't die on the battlefield. The Fire Nation has raiding groups."

He sighed. "Those people are more akin to the enemies in the war you mentioned. They would come and strike at our homes wanting to cause terror and destruction. They also had the goal of killing any Waterbenders they came across. Mom shooed Katara out for her own safety, but it wasn't long until the raid leader murdered mom. Katara didn't see it first hand, luckily, but she knew what happened and she heard it," he said darkly.

Harry looked to Katara while she slept. Sometimes it was hard to grasp how both Sokka and Katara had been through a lot. The two of them were usually rather cheery and loved teasing each other playfully. Harry guessed that was how you had to be growing up in a world in war.

"Aang would be the problem," Sokka said.

"Yeah. He'd be disappointed in me, knowing I killed. At the same time, he'd be more disappointed in himself. He would see it as his fault for having me on the frontline. I'm still a little upset about that, but I'm also happy about it. I may have killed, but I helped people as well. I helped a lot of people. There was a stillness when the moon turned red. Many of the Northern Water Tribe discovered they were suddenly helpless. I helped rally them. They supported those who could still fight and I drew the attention of the Firebenders in the area," Harry said.

"Seems they were right to call you Savior of Blood Moon," Sokka said.

Harry nodded. He then chuckled a little. "I might have even ended up rather infamous among the Fire Nation, but then Aang decided to go all Spirit Beast mode and one upped me… a few thousand times," he said.

Sokka chuckled. "Oh, woe is you," he said.

"Truly tragic," Harry said as the two chuckled again. "I would probably try to go to bed again, but it seems daylight is coming," he said.

"I guess we got some sleep at least," Sokka said.

"We did. If nothing else we can take a nap while Appa flies," Harry said.

"Even with the whole rock candy hostage thing. It will be nice to see Old Mad King Bumi again," Sokka said.

"We can watch him throw giant rocks at Aang all day and enjoy popcorn this time," Harry said with a grin.

"Ha! Or maybe Rock Candy. He did say it was delicious," Sokka said grinning as they both chuckled.

"What was that?" Aang asked sleepily just as sun was coming up.

"We're just trying to decide what would be the best snack for watching Bumi train you," Harry said looking to his friend.

"It will be great to see him again! We'll even get to stay a while too," Aang said cheerfully.

"I guess it's time to get breakfast ready. It's my turn to cook," Sokka said as he stood up and stretched again.

"I'll take care of Appa and Momo!" Aang said cheerfully as he zoomed over to the animals.

After Katara woke up, the group got ready to start a new day. Harry was thankful for the conversation with Sokka, even if he was more bothered by things than he let on to his friend. It still helped. Harry was pretty sure this was one of those things that took time. He was glad two of his friends wouldn't hold it against him at least.

A/N: A few people have mentioned Azula being with Harry. I thought I would share some of my thoughts on ATLA girls and Harry, if people wanted to know. I have an idea on the pairing I want, but as I've said it isn't set in stone. If this isn't something you care about, you don't need to bother reading this note.

Azula meets the criteria I listed previously. She would take work, but you have to realize this isn't Canon Azula. I did say I like her as a character in canon, but I'm trying things out and making some changes. Azula here might be an easier fit.

At the same time, Azula isn't the only one who fits. For the purposes of this story, throw out Korra. She isn't a factor in this story and her story isn't important either. The world could be completely different by Aang's next life, so ignore anything from Korra. The same goes for the comics as well to an extent. If I don't mention them in the story, they don't count. This is a crossover and an AU, even if it isn't too drastic of one.

I said Harry would return after the war. I didn't exactly say when after the war. It won't be Aang defeats Ozai and *poof* Harry is instantly back. Harry won't be staying long enough to live a lifetime in the Bending Countries either. He can stay behind a little after the war to enjoy the celebrations and spend some more time with people. He could stay a while to rest and recuperate before he returns.

Just to end any "Why not have him stay a really long time then?!" arguments. I don't want him to in this story. If you want Harry staying behind and living a lifetime in the Bending Countries, I say write it yourself. I started writing fanfics because I wasn't fully happy with how some fics I really liked ended or handled things. I always encourage people to go and write their own stories, if they don't fully like how a story goes.

The way I see it there are two other Avatar girls who work as well, Toph and Ty Lee.

Toph would be fun to bring over, because she is Toph. You could even make her a witch, just need to find a way to deal with her blindness. Magic is a thing in Harry Potter. You could make it so her version of sight is further enhanced or something as a witch. I don't think I would go so far as to fully restore it, but that could happen.

Harry will be 14 when he goes back, even if he will be older than that in Bending Countries. I think Toph is close to being 13 by the end of the war, or you could have her take a little longer to come over from the Bending Countries so she is 14 and in Harry's year. If you had her be 13 and a third year, it could still work. I'm pretty sure the only Hogwarts House she could fit in would be Gryffindor.

Toph doesn't have much keeping her. After her parents find out about her true abilities and decide she needs to be cared for and guarded 24/7, Toph is pretty much done with them. Since Korra doesn't at all matter, this is an ATLA crossover and not a Korra and ATLA crossover, Toph doesn't need to stay and start a metalbending school and police force. With the Gaang being her first friends, it isn't too much work to have her grow more attached to them. She could grow close to Harry in particular, if it went the Toph path and she came over with him.

Ty Lee could work too. She has little reason to stay behind. She's already chosen to be away from her family for a while before Azula recruits her in canon. I felt Ty Lee joining the Kyoshi warriors was more of a "What do I do after the war?" deal. She could instead get to know Harry before he returns, since she is very friendly, and decide to go back with him.

You could make her a witch, but I feel she would best fit in Hufflepuff due to how loyal she is. She only turns on Azula in canon to save Mai. While fear is a factor, it didn't necessarily feel like the only reason she stayed by Azula for so long. Ty Lee would also easily be in Harry's year. You could even have Ty Lee not be a witch and it would work, since I don't see her being much of a regular muggle either.

You would have to come up with a reason for her to be by Harry's side in that case. Harry is the last of his family, so you could make up some wizarding law that allows him a retainer or something like that. This would allow her to be by his side plenty, even if she wasn't a witch.

Non-magical Ty Lee wouldn't be helpless in the wizarding world, in many ways she could be rather OP. She has her speed, flexibility, acrobatics, and chi blocking skills. She could easily get past a witch's or wizard's guard and take them out. Look at how well she does against benders. There's a reason Harry has mentioned a few times how clunky having to use a wand is in battle, where wands aren't used by everyone. Ty Lee could be like a super ninja in the wizarding world.

When it comes to girls at Hogwarts being with Harry, anything goes pretty much. Hell, you could even have Slytherin girls as options when they see how powerful Harry is once he returns. He won't be dumb enough to fall for their tricks. He'll no longer see the world as "Slytherins Bad, Gryffindors Good."