Zuko felt the heat of his breath against the fabric he had placed over his face to shield himself from the cold wind. The blizzard was raging across the snow-covered landscape, which made the temperature drop even lower than it already was. His legs felt heavy and his muscles started to ache when he plodded through the thick layer of fresh snow. The Avatar, who he had slung across his back, was silent and he only occasionally felt his breath against his ear.
It had been an enormous advantage that the Avatar seemed to be in trance. It made it far easier for him to capture the boy. Of course, the Water Tribe girl had tried to stop him and proved to be quite the adversary. She had learned a few new tricks, now that she had found a master. He had to admit that he was impressed with how much she had advanced in such a short period.
Luckily, he managed to gain the upper hand when the sun rose at last. Her power comes from the moon, mine comes from the sun, he thought when he saw the sky darken again. The night would soon fall in again. During the winter, days on the North Pole tend to be shorter than average. With less than a few hours of sunlight, he needed to make a quick escape.
He knew he could not just walk out of the Oasis with the unconscious Avatar on his back. That would have been too obvious. Neither could he drag the boy back under the ice, the way he had come in. He knew he had not enough breath. And if the boy drowned, his whole quest would have been in vain. So he saw no other option than to climb out of the Oasis and make his way back over the frozen wasteland of the North Pole.
The snow blinded him and he felt his limbs growing heavier by the minute. The firebreathing technique of his Uncle helped a little, but it drained much of his energy. More than he had, in fact. Pure on his will, he managed to get through the snowstorm. He needed to reach the shore, where he could leave the North Pole with the Avatar. But he had no idea how to get there from here. All he had to do, was go forward. A plan would come eventually, now that he had the Avatar.
As he tramped on through the snow, a loud cracking noise drew his attention. Zuko's eyes widened when he saw the ice starting to crack under his feet. He did not dare to move. Then, the ground started to cave in around him.
Zuko reacted on instinct and started to run away from the cracking noise. With one arm holding onto the Avatar, he ran as fast as he could. The cracking sounds of ice were now everywhere and his footsteps left marks in the thin ice. Breathing heavy, he managed to keep ahead of the yawning hole that he caused.
But the ground in front of him started caving in as well. In his hurry, he tripped and lost his balance. In a reflex, he threw the Avatar over his back when he fell on the hard ground. Landing face down, he braced himself when a loud crash surrounded him.
He waited for the fall, but nothing happened. Still panting, he pushed himself back up. Frantically, he looked around for the Avatar. Then, he saw a small orange-yellow figure lying a few feet away from him. He was still in trance with his tattoo aglow.
Zuko felt the firm softness of snow under his palms and let out a sigh of relief. At least they were safe. When he pushed himself up on his elbows, he saw that the ice had fallen down and created a canyon. As he regained his breath, his eye fell on a small pile of snow. He tried to focus and saw that it was not a pile of snow: it was a rock ledge overhanging a small cave.
"Shelter." he murmured relieved when he stood up. Grabbing the boy by his collar, he dragged him inside the sheltered spot.
As soon as he stepped inside, he felt his inner fire regaining the upper hand. Out of the icy wind, the temperature was considerably less cold. He walked to the back of the cave and dumped the unconscious body of the Avatar on the ground. With ropes he brought along, he started to tie his hands behind his back.
"Can't risk losing you in a blizzard." Zuko muttered. When he was finished, he sat down exhausted against the cold stones of the cave. Blowing fire into his hands, he tried to keep himself warm.
"I finally have you," he said, looking over at the Avatar, "But I can't get you home because of this blizzard."
He stood back up and walked over to the entrance of the cave, looking out of the falling snow.
"There's always something." Zuko spat. Not for the first time, he cursed his continuous stroke of bad luck. For some reason, it made him irrationally angry with the Avatar. Everything seemed to come easy to this boy: he had friends, he had help and he was a master bender. He had everything Zuko wanted.
"Not that you would understand," he said to the unconscious boy, "You're like my sister: everything always came easy to her."
His sister. Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. A firebending prodigy, a master strategist and a perfect princess.
"She's a firebending prodigy and everyone adores her."
"During training today, Master Kunyo said I was holding my arms too far apart for one of my forms." the eight year old Azula said while motioning her arms to show it to her father, "I told him that's how you het the biggest fire blast!" Her large eyes looked at her father, who smiled fondly at his young daughter. She sat on his left side while they were eating dinner.
"He didn't care," she continued, "He wanted me to do the form the way he does it. The dumb way." Azula let out a small chuckle. "So when he had his back turned, I set his pant's on fire." she ended with a smug smile.
"Hm," The Fire Lord said pensively as he stroked his beard, "Your teacher sounds like a fool. I'll have him sent to the colonies." Ozai looked at his youngest child, who's smiled back at him in pure delight. "Serves him right!" she exclaimed happily, "What a dummy!"
"He's not a dummy!" Zuko exclaimed, looking over at his sister, "He just thinks that proper firebending has to start-,"
"Zuko!" his fathers voice roared while he slammed his fist on the table. The plates started to jingle due to the vibrations. "How dare you lecture your sister on firebending?!" The soft voice he had used to speak to his daughter had disappeared. Instead, his voice sounded like a raging blast of fire, aimed at Zuko himself. Zuko felt his throat constrict at the sight of his father's rage.
"Despite being a year younger, how many more forms has she mastered than you?" Ozai asked in a cold tone while looking at his nine-year old son.
"Fourteen." Zuko answered in a small voice with his eyes fixed on his plate. He did not dare to look at his father.
"When you were born, we weren't sure if you were a bender at all." His father continued in a cruel tone, "You didn't have that spark in your eyes."
His yellow eyes narrowed when he felt the shame rise again. The thought that he should have a non-bender as a son was unbearable. "I planned to cast you from the palace. How embarrassing for a Prince of the Fire Nation to have a non-bender as his firstborn!"
He looked at his wife, whose eyes were large with indignation. Her beautiful features were twisted in anger but before she could say anything, he continued: "Lucky for you, your mother and the Fire Sages pleaded with me to give you a chance." Zuko felt all the colour drain from his face as his father's words kept hitting him, as if they were physical punches. "Azula on the other hand never needed that kind of luck. She was born lucky, you were lucky to be born."
"Ozai!" Ursa exclaimed as she slammed her small hands on the table and rose from her seat, "What a terrible thing to say." Zuko didn't say anything. He only tried to hold back his tears.
"My father says she was born lucky. He says I was lucky to be born." Zuko said in a dejected voice when he remembered his fathers words from all those years ago. The years had done nothing to lessen the pain.
"I don't need luck though, I don't want it." he said to himself. It was a sentence he had repeated over and over again to comfort himself over the years. "I've always had to struggle and fight and that's made me strong. It's made me who I am."
But who was he really? He thought about it when he looked away from the snowstorm outside of the cave. He truly had no idea who he was. He only knew that he wanted to show his father that he was not worthless, that he had worked hard to become worthy to him. He wanted to sit at his father's side, like a true Crown Prince of the Fire Nation should do. He wanted what he had lost; he wanted his father's love.
He sat down with a sigh against the wall and looked at the blizzard raging outside.
"Guess we'll be here awhile."
"Don't worry!" Yue said as she put her hand reassuringly on Katara's arm, "Prince Zuko can't be getting too far in this weather."
"I'm not worried they'll get away in the blizzard," Katara answered cheerlessly, "I'm worried that they won't." Her blue eyes were still rimmed with tears, but Elyrie couldn't see if it was out of worry for her friend or because of the icy wind.
Sitting on top of Appa, Aang's flying bison, Elyrie held on to the side of saddle until her knuckles turned white. She had never travelled in this manner and it was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Any other day, she would have been thrilled with this experience. But now, her sapphire eyes searched the frozen grounds for any sign of Zuko and Aang. She mentally thanked Uncle for his firebreathing lessons, but even now she felt the tops of her fingers grow colder by the minute.
Katara had worded her thoughts perfectly, as she felt her worry grew and grew when she saw how the storm pulled at her coat and hair.
"They're not gonna die in this blizzard," Sokka said with his hands on the reins, steering Appa through the snowstorm. His voice was determined "If we know anything, it's that Zuko never gives up. They'll survive and we'll find them!"
At least he got that right, Elyrie mused as she let go of the saddle and rubbed her hands together, breathing a small flame between them.
Sokka's voice had an annoyed undertone, which made Elyrie wonder how often Zuko had crossed them. Sokka's comment and Katara's determination made her think that they had met Zuko on far more occasions than she realised. He probably hunted them down, all the way from Kyoshi Island.
And I helped, she shuddered again as she looked at the Water Tribe siblings. They had been so kind to her and she felt so guilty. But, she reminded herself, I am trying to turn things around. It was a small step, but a step in the right direction nonetheless.
Yue saw the sadness in the sapphire eyes of her cousin, as she continued to rub her hands together.
"Elyrie, what is wrong?" she asked in her beautiful voice.
"I am so worried about them." Elyrie answered in a small voice. She inhaled deeply and let her innerfire warm her from the inside. As she did this, small sparks escaped her red lips.
"You knew Prince Zuko, didn't you?" Yue asked, as she remembered the fervent reaction of her cousin when she heard he had attacked Katara and Aang.
"Yes," Elyrie nodded softly, "We grew up together." Katara and Yue looked over her in surprise.
"I just started to like you!" cried Sokka from the front, "And now you say you were friends with that angry jerk with a ponytail?"
"Sokka!" his sister said in a reprimanding tone when she saw the eyes of the auburn-haired girl.
Elyrie did not respond, but she thought about everything that had happened to Zuko. The loss of his mother, the bullying from his sister, the banishment by his father. The true reason why he needed to capture Aang. How could she possibly begin to explain this to people who never saw anything other than a vengeful Fire Nation Prince? And even more important, she knew Zuko did not like to talk about what happened to him. That had become painfully clear in the conversations she had with him.
"It's complicated." was all she managed to say. She sighed at the cliché answer, but there was simply no other way to summarize the whole situation.
"I'm sure it is." Sokka mumbled as he turned around to steer Appa further into the frozen tundra. At least it had stopped snowing, which made it easier to see.
Elyrie's eyes fixed on the horizon, where she saw the darkness descending over the North Pole. The vague outline of the Moon became visible at the dark sky. They had been searching for hours and now the night was setting in.
"Look!" Katara suddenly cried out, startling Elyrie. She pointed at an ball of blue light arcing over the frozen landscape. It looked like a blue comet that was flying over them. "That's gotta be Aang!"
Sokka immediately flipped Appa's reins to follow the spirit comet.
The cave was briefly illuminated from the inside. Zuko had to shield his eyes from the bright light coming from the unconscious boy. Once his tattoo's stopped glowing, the Avatar woke up. Struggling briefly against his bonds, he looked around with a confused look.
He sat up and saw Zuko standing next to him in the cave. "Welcome back." Zuko said coolly. He was glad that he tied the boy up, so he could not escape as easily.
"Good to be back" Aang answered in a threatening voice before he inhaled deeply. With a mighty breath, he blew Zuko against the wall of the cave while simultaneously propelling himself out in the snow. Grunting, he moved forward like a caterpillar trying to escape from a predator. Which - ironically - was exactly what was happening at the moment.
Zuko walked through the snow and grabbed him by the collar to lift him up. "That won't be enough to escape." he growled as he levelled the boy to look him in his grey eyes.
"Appa!" Aang exclaimed as he saw the silhouette of his friends appearing over Zuko's head. Zuko saw it too and let go of Aang as soon as the bison had landed in the snow. "Hey!" Aang yelped when Zuko tossed him aside.
"Here for a rematch?" Zuko asked when he aimed a fireblast at the brunette waterbender who dismounted the bison to face him.
"Trust me, Zuko," Katara replied calmly as she took her stance, blocking his attack with a waterbending move "It is not going to be much of a match."
Then, she bended the snow around Zuko to send a shock wave of ice to him. Zuko growled as she encased him in a pillar of ice, raising up hight of the ground. With a flick of her wrists Katara dropped the pillar to the ground, effectively knocking out the Fire Prince.
"I'm sorry Elyrie, I-," the waterbender began in an apologizing voice, but Elyrie cut her off by raising her hand from the saddle.
"Don't worry," She answered as she watched Sokka cut Aang free. She hated to see this, but she understood the hesitance of the group. Heck, he had kidnapped Aang into this blizzard for crying out loud. "It was probably the best method to convince him to come along anyway." She said dryly.
The proud, headstrong and hot-headed prince would probably refuse to come along. Even if it had been her who had requested it. Not in this company.
"Hey, this is some quality rope." Sokka exclaimed while looking at the pieces of rope he cut off of Aang.
"We need to go!" Aang said as he rubbed his wrists, "The koi fish are in danger! They are the mortal forms of the Moon and Ocean Spirits".
"Of course!" Yue exclaimed.
Aang used his airbending to lift Zuko into the saddle on Appa's back. Elyrie extended her arms to him, so she could let Zuko's unconscious body rest in her lap. When he gently laid down Zuko close to Elyrie, Sokka let out an indignant sigh.
"Yeah, that is a great idea!" Sokka said sarcastically, "Let's bring along the guy who's constantly trying to kill us."
"He never tried to kill you" Elyrie replied, her tone slightly sharper then she had intended.
"Much better, yet I feel much more comfortable if we tie him up." Sokka said as he climbed onto the saddle with the ropes.
Elyrie bit her lip, but understood why he felt that way. "Fine." she said with a sigh, "But please, be careful."
"Yip yip!" Aang said when he was ensured Zuko was tied down. He flicked the reins and Appa set off into the night sky, where the full moon was now shining brightly.
Elyrie let her long fingers caress Zuko's face. Now that she held him in her arms, alive, she tried to overcome her shock at the state of his face. His alabaster skin was bruised and beaten up, as if he had been in a fight. His lips were cut. His good eye was bruised, with a reddish-blue spot around his lid. His jaw had a dark blue spot on the left side as well.
What have they done to you?
He had been in the exploding ship and sustained the injuries. But like a miracle, he survived it. And she thanked all the Gods, Agni, Tui and La and all the others who listened, for that miracle.
Still unconscious, she placed his head in her lap and softly caressed him. She was glad she wore the blue and white fur coats of the Water Tribe, which were incredibly soft to the touch.
You're an idiot, she mused as she watched him with his eyes closed, almost as if he were asleep. But you are my idiot and I am so glad you are alive. Laying down in her lap, he looked younger. His features were relaxed, almost serene. She lovingly caressed the bruises with a light touch.
With Zuko's head resting against her, she placed her own hands on his chest. Using the breath of fire, she generated the heath to her hands and moved the warmth to his heart so the cold wouldn't bother him. She knew that the breath of fire used up a lot of energy, which his body obviously had.
Zuko felt numbed with his limbs restrained, but he felt the warm presence of someone who was cradling him. Through his hazy mind, he felt soft hands caress his face. The icy winds of the North Pole hurt his cheeks, but he was surprised at the warmth that spread from his chest through his body. His head rested against something soft. Not a pillow, but something firmer. A familiar scent reached his nostrils and he felt himself relax. He was not conscious enough to register what was happening or where he was, but he felt safe.
Unbeknownst to both of them, Katara was observing the girl as she cradled Zuko in her lap. The blue-eyed waterbender said nothing, but watched as the girl carefully stroked Zuko's face. To her, it was the face of the enemy. The man who had knocked her out in the Spirit Oasis, not for the first time. Zuko had crossed their paths so many times; he had attacked her village, set fire to Kyoshi Island, paralyzed her and Sokka, tied her to a tree and used her mother's necklace as a bargaining tool. Subconsciously, she touched the choker around het neck. Playing with the smooth stone, she observed her enemy now.
He looked so peaceful, so vulnerable. She could almost see his lips form a smile, which is something she had never seen. First, she thought he looked frightening. His scar was distinctive, but the bruises he had gotten only seemed to exaggerate his status as the enemy.
But then, the girl was Fire Nation as well. And from what Katara had seen, and she knew she was a good person. She believed with her whole heart that everybody had something good in them. She just never thought about Zuko's good sides. She never had the chance to. And maybe this girl had. She must have seen his good sides, otherwise she would not have been so concerned. After all, she left Zhao without a second thought. She must have seen the good in Zuko.
Katare was brought out of her pensive thoughts when she saw Yue holding her head, as if she was in pain. Elyrie looked up as well, alarmed.
"Are you okay?" Sokka asked the white-haired princess.
"I feel faint." she answered in a thin voice.
"I feel it too." Aang said with his hand on his head while looking up at the Moon, "The Moon Spirit is in trouble."
"I owe the Moon Spirit my life." Yue said while looking at her hands.
"What do you mean?" Sokka asked while placing his hand over hers.
"When I was born," Yue explained, "I was very sick and very weak. Most babies cry when they're born, but I was born as if I were asleep; my eyes closed."
She looked at Elyrie, who listened while she continued to hold onto the unconscious Fire Prince. She has the Water Tribe eyes, Yue thought absentmindedly while looking at her cousin. Elyrie gave Yue an encouraging smile, urging her to continue her story.
"Our healers did everything they could. They told my mother and father I was going to die." Yue continued while she turned to Sokka and Katara, "My father pleaded with the spirits to save me."
"That night, beneath the full moon, he brought me to the Oasis and placed me in the pond. My dark hair turned white, I opened my eyes and began to cry – and they knew I would live."
She sighed as she looked down again, still thankful for the gift the Moon Spirit had bestowed on her. "That is why my mother named me Yue, for the moon." She finished as her blue eyes were rimmed with tears. She could not bear the thought of harm coming over the Moon Spirit, who had given so much to her Tribe.
Underneath Appa, Elyrie saw the form of the Oasis. Softly lifting Zuko out of her lap and placing him on his side next to her, she bowed to look over Appa's back. She felt goosebumps going all over her body when she heard Zhao's voice echoeing across the walls.
"I am a legend now!" she heard him say while raising his fists to the heavens, "The Fire Nation will for generations tell stories about the great Zhao who darkened the moon! "They will call me Zhao the Conqueror! Zhao the Moon Slayer! Zhao the Invincible!"
Elyrie just wanted to propel herself out of the saddle to silence him when a small cry came from Zhao in the middle of his speech. Momo, the small flying lemur that belonged to Aang, had jumped onto Zhao's face.
She took her chance and before Appa had even landed, she had jumped out of the saddle and landed on the soft grass on the other side of the pond. Aang and Katara followed her example.
"Get it off!" Zhao yelled when Momo started to pull on his sideburns with an impressive force.
How often have I wanted to do that, Elyrie thought as she felt her blood beginning boil. Her innerfire was set ablaze when she saw Zhao holding a dripping bag. He had captured the Moon Spirit, the white koi fish. Behind him, his four most trusted soldiers had accompanied him on this quest. In the pond, she saw the black fish franctically swimming and searching for his other half.
Momo had finally decided to let go of Zhao's sideburns and flew to his masters outstretched arm. He landed on Aang's shoulder while his Master locked eyes with the Admiral.
When Zhao looked at the group before him, he felt his arrogance grew. These five children cannot stop me, he thought smugly. He let his eyes go over the familiar figure of the Avatar, the two Water Tribe siblings and a women with white hair.
But he halted when his eyes rested on the fifth person. In the dark, it was difficult to see her face under her hood. When she lowered her hood, he recognized her instantly. Pale face, auburn hair and dark blue eyes which were filled with fire.
When their eyes locked, none of them spoke. She simply raised an eyebrow, but took a fighting stance along with Aang, Katara and Sokka.
Just as she wanted to lit up her palms, Zhao raised his hand. "Don't bother." he said arrogantly when he held a small knife next to the bag with the Moon Spirit in it.
He enjoyed the look of fear that crossed her face when he raised the bag where he kept the koi fish. Still squirming inside the bag, the fish tried it's hardest to escape its prison. Zhao raised the knife in his fist on the level of the moving bag. All he had to do was stab and the Moon would cease to be. Forever.
It was the Avatar who spoke. "Zhao!" he said while raising his hands in a soothing motion, "Don't."
"It is my destiny." Zhao replied, not breaking eye contact with the young airbender, "To destroy the Moon and the Water Tribe."
"Destroying the Moon won't just hurt the Water Tribe," Aang said while trying to keep his voice from trembling, "It will hurt everyone, including you." He had to convince the Admiral to stop this foolish mission. "Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world."
"He's right, Zhao." a familiar voice said. On the small wooden bridge, a cloaked figure had appeared. Elyrie had instantly recognized the voice, but so had Zhao.
"General Iroh.", Zhao said in an almost bored tone, "Why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?"
"I am no traitor, Zhao." Iroh answered calmly as he lowered his hood, "The Fire Nation needs the Moon too. We all depend on the balance." He points his finger at Zhao and thundered "Whatever you do to that spirit, I'll unleash on you ten-fold!" Iroh took his fighting stance with his kind features twisted in anger, "Let it go, now!"
Elyrie had never heard him speak like this. The kind and soft voice of the Uncle she knew was gone. This was the feared General, who singlehandedly could take out an entire army.
Zhao locked eyes for a moment with the old General. His courage faltered, for he knew he could not take on this master firebender. He slowly lowered the bag and knelt down to released the koi fish back into the pond. Resting on his knees, he placed the knife in his waistband and saw the Moon regaining his natural blue glow again. The koi fish returned to their circular pattern, swimming around each other.
For a moment, Elyrie felt a wave of relief coming over her. Is he really doing it? she thought as she saw Zhao kneeling down by the pond, his face unreadable. Maybe he isn't as cruel and blind as I thought he would be. Surely he sees the importance of the balance? For a few peaceful seconds, she felt as if everything would turn out all right.
But her heart stopped when she saw his face twisting into a look of madness and desperation. Before anyone could react, he stood up with a cry of rage and aimed a blast of fire into the pond.
Elyrie felt the heat on her face as she watched in horror. When they all looked up, the moon was winked out of existence. Darkness had ascended over the world.
Iroh instantly moved to attack the Admiral. Firing blast after blast, he crossed the bridge with a single jump. Elyrie followed his example, aiming her fire at the group of men standing at the pond. In the time she knocked over one guard, Iroh had taken care of the others. On his own, he knocked out the three guards with effortless ease and precision. In the corner of her eye, Elyrie saw Zhao backing away and running out of the Oasis.
"Coward!" she yelled at him while she sprinted to follow him. Iroh grabbed her wrist to stop her, but she pulled herself free. "Come back!" Iroh yelled, but she was too furious to listen. She felt her blood race. He wouldn't get away with destroying lives. Not again. Not if she could do something about it.
Zhao had barely gotten through the wooden door before she blocked his way with a fireblast.
When he turned around, he saw the small figure of his fiancée standing behind him. Her eyes were filled with hatred and her face was twisted in anger.
"You traitor." he said to her, "I could have given you everything you ever wanted." He aimed a fireblast at her with a raging fury.
"You could never have given me what I wanted." she answered when she blocked his attack.
"You'll see no mercy from me now!" he growled as he retook his stance.
"You don't know what mercy is!" she replied in a biting tone. She blocked his attacks with ease, moving faster than he could aim.
But Zhao had not become an Admiral by mere luck. He knew how to handle an enemy. She might be faster than he was, but she was also smaller. She was less experienced in hand-to-hand combat. He had at least 60 pounds on her, which made her vulnerable to his physical strength. He continued to step forward to physically attack her. All she could do, was block his attacks as best she could.
She managed to hold him off by igniting her fists to block his attacks. He aimed his fists at her face, but she continued to dodge every blow. But when she tried to propel herself over him, he spun her around and placed his arm around her neck.
Elyrie gasped as his grip tightend. Feeling her windpipe being crushed, she tried to remain calm as she struggled to get herself free. With one hand, she tried to pull his arm away from her neck. With the other, she tried to crack up a fire whip, but her breathing was too restricted to conjure any fire.
"I told you, you'll see no mercy from me." Zhao whispered next to her ear. Elyrie didn't answer - she couldn't - as her vision became blurry. She felt her strength flow away, but she kept trying to lessen his grip on her throath.
Zhao made the mistake of overestimating his power, because he wanted to end her swiftly by slashing her throath. Elyrie felt the grip around her neck lessen when Zhao reached for the knife which was stashed on his waistband. Taking the opportunity, she took a breath and her palms ignited. Her whip circled around his upper leg, which made him hiss in pain and let go of her in a reflex. The smell of burnt flesh reached her nostrils and she turned away in disgust.
She needed to get him away from her, but the attack had slowed down her own defence. She felt something warm gush over her left arm when she pulled herself away from his grip. Still inhaling the much needed air, she looked down. The sharp edge of his knife had cut deep in her left arm. Her whip immediately extinguished. It was a deep cut, when she saw blood gushing out of the wound.
Strangely enough, it did not hurt. The adrenaline that was pumping through her body had prevented her from crying out. Instead, she straightened her back and retook her stance. Her blood dripped on the white fur, staining it.
Zhao lay down on the ice, clutching his upper leg. Her firewhip had burned through the fabric of his armour and left him with a severe burn. Leaning on his good leg, he tried to stand back up. Their eyes met, both filled with hatred.
"You were never fit to be my wife." He growled when he slumped down again.
"I completely agree." she answered without hesitation with as much disgust as she could bring up. He looked helpless, lying down on the ground.
She felt her conscience taking over her anger. As much as she wanted him to pay, she did not want him dead. Seeing him down on the ground, she realised that there was no honour in this. She had nothing to gain by attacking him now. She would be no better than he was.
Then, everything was illuminated by a blue light. Elyrie looked up at the sky in surprise and felt a twinge of hope. But all she saw was the dark night sky without the bright light of the moon.
But the blue light had to come from somewhere. She turned around and saw an enormous figure making his way down the city through the canals. His glow illuminated the entire citadel.
She stood to close, but it seemed to be a koi fish. An enormous koi fish, made of glowing water with blue veins in his enormous body. Then she realised it must be La, the Ocean Spirit.
In the middle of its body was a white orb in which a silhouette was standing. She recognized Aang in the middle, aiding the fish. The enormous koi fish made its way to the Armada, which was still attacking the Northern Water Tribe.
She was too distracted by the otherworldly sight that she completely forgot Zhao for a moment. Zhao seized this opportunity to make his way back to the ship. He shot a fireblast at her, aiming for her head.
She ducked in a reflex, but lost her balance and fell down on the ice. To break her fall, she automatically extended her hands, but she landed on her left arm. Now she cried out in pain. She looked back at Zhao, but he had managed to get away. She put her teeth on each other to prevent herself from crying out again.
She cursed under her breath now that she had lost him. She stumbled back on her feet, clutching her arm. The cut was worse than she initially thought and she noticed blood dripping onto the ice, leaving a small puddle.
The adrenaline started to fade away now that she started to calm down. She tried to sit back up to go after Zhao, but a hand on her shoulder startled her. In reflex she pulled away, but the touch was soft and reassuring.
Golden eyes locked with sapphire eyes. Without saying a word, Zuko took off his scarf and tied it around her wounded arm to stop the bleeding. He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before he helped her stand back up.
"They need you back there," he said in a soft voice, "I'll go after Zhao."
Before she could say anything, he jumped off the parapet in pursuit of the Admiral.
"He got away." Elyrie said in a defeated voice when she returned to the pond in the Spirit Oasis. Iroh looked at her with sad eyes as he was holding the scarred white fish. The limp body was a horrific sight to see and Elyrie sat down next to the old man, feeling defeated.
Katara extended her hand once she saw Elyrie's arm. "You're hurt." The scarf was stained with blood and Katara cursed the fact that she could not heal her. She had no waterbending powers without the moon
Yue looked at her cousin, her eyes large with worry. She grabbed her hand to support her, while Sokka had is hands on her shoulders.
"Yue, your eyes?" Elyrie said as she looked at her cousin.
The darkness that now had engrossed the North Poe made everything look grey and gloom. Yet Yue's eyes seemed to shine with a light from deep within her in an unnatural shade of blue. Her eyes were like two moons, shining bright in the night sky.
"You have been touched by the Moon Spirit," Iroh said, realizing the connection "Some of his life is in you!"
"You're right." Yue answered while looking up at the old General, "It gave me life. Maybe I can give it back."
She got up, but Sokka grabbed her hand. "No!" Sokka reached for her hand, holding on tightly, "You don't have to do that!"
Yue gave his hand a small squeeze behind her, but she did not turn around to look at him. "It is my duty, Sokka." she said determinedly.
"I won't let you!" Sokka cried out, "Your father told me to protect you!"
Yue still did not turn around, but looked up and inhaled before she said "I have to do this." Letting her hand slip out of Sokka's grip, she walked to the Fire Nation General. Iroh held up the dead fish in his hands.
"Take care of our people." Yue said to Elyrie, who was standing next to Iroh. Elyrie was on the verge of tears. She felt her chest constrict at the sight of the Water Tribe Princess.
So much courage and determination to save her people, Elyrie thought as she nodded. "I promise." she whispered.
Yue gave her a small smile before she placed her palms over the Moon Spirit. As soon as her hands touched the wet scales, the fish started to glow.
Closing her eyes for the last time, Yue exhaled. Then, her entire body fell back into Sokka's outstretched arms.
"No!" Sokka cried out in despair. He placed his hands on her cheek and held his ear next to her mouth, but looked away in defeat. "She's gone." he said sofly, while he hugged her lifeless body tighter, "She's gone."
Elyrie let her tears fall down her cheeks without even trying to wipe them away. The sight of Sokka cradling Yue's body was too much to bear. But then, Yue's body glowed briefly before it disappeared.
At the same time, the fish in Iroh's hands started to glow and squirm. Swiftly putting the Spirit back into the water, the pond started to glow white. From the water, the misty form of Yue rose. She looked the same, but she floated above the pond in an unearthly form. Her face was as white as the mist of which she now seemed to be made of.
"Goodbye Sokka." she said, her voice now sounding otherworldly and echoing "I'll always be with you."
She lowered her face to level his and placed her hand on his face. Then she kissed him for a moment before fading away in the night.
For a moment, everything was quiet. Then a beautiful full moon appeared amidst the shining stars.
Zhao jumped down the parapet, trying to get his weight off of his injured leg. He cursed the little wench, but he had to get away before anyone could catch up with him. Clutching his burned leg, he only got one story down before a fireblast halted him in his flight.
He turned around, expecting the small form of Elyrie behind him. Instead, it was a man in grey clothing. The unmistakable scar across his left eye left no room for confusion.
"You're alive?" Zhao asked incredulously.
"You tried to have me killed!" Zuko roared as he aimed another fireblast at the Admiral, now aiming for his body.
The darkness of the moonless sky was briefly illuminated by the orange light of Zuko's flames. But Zhao had dodged his attack by rolling away on the ice, hissing out in pain when his injured leg touched the cold ground.
"Yes, I did." The Admiral answered with venom in his voice as he saw Zuko approach him, "You are the Blue Spirit. The enemy of the Fire Nation. You freed the Avatar."
"I had no choice." Zuko simply said as he continued to attack firing volley after volley at Zhao, who had gotten back on his feet. Zhao blocked his attack by extending his arms to break the flames apart in a wedge in front of him.
"You should have chosen to accept your failure, your disgrace!" he spat as he took his fighting stance, "Then, at least, you could have lived! Now you die, just like that little wench will once I get my hands on her."
With a roar, he ignited his fists to finish the Fire Prince once and for all.
But he was wounded and Zuko's fury had reached the highest point. His firebending was insignificant compared to the Prince's inner inferno.
Smoke came out of his nostrils when Zuko thought of Elyrie and the puddle of blood around her. That bastard tried to have him killed, tried to capture the Avatar and he had hurt Elyrie.
He saw that Zhao left his chest unguarded, so he blasted him right in his chest. With a cry, Zhao fell backward off the parapet wall onto the bridge below. A blue light illuminated the bridge and the canal beneath it, but neither Zuko or Zhao noticed it at first.
But when Zhao tried to get up, he saw the Moon shining over Zuko's shoulder.
"It can't be!" Zhao cried out in horror. Beneath them, the water started to glow with a blue light. Blue veins shaped the water into an enormous hand, which reached out to grab Zhao.
Dodging the hand, Zuko flipped forward to escape the grip. When he looked up, he saw Elyrie standing on the parapet.
Elyrie looked with wide eyes at the hand of the Ocean Spirit, which had Zhao in its clutches. Still panting, she had ran as fast as she could to search for Zuko. They had not come far, but she had not expected this sight. She saw Zhao's desperation and was torn. He did not deserve to die, not like this.
Zuko saw her face and looked back at the struggling Admiral. "Take my hand!" Zuko yelled when he got up and extended his hand.
For a moment, it seemed like Zhao tried to reach for it, but he drew his hand back at the last moment. The Ocean Spirit dragged him under the water and disappeared.
Standing on the bridge, Zuko stared at the water which had submerged Zhao. Somehow he knew Zhao was not drowned. He was taken to the Spirit World. He repressed a shudder as he stepped down.
Elyrie had jumped from the parapet onto the bridge and looked at him with a half smile on her lips. Zuko wanted to say something, but he couldn't find the words.
She walked towards him, slightly stumbling until she was a mere centimetres away. Zuko noticed that her arm was healed, as if Zhao never touched her.
She extended her hand, her slender fingers caressing his face. He closed his eyes as he felt her cool fingers softly touch his split lip and his cuts. The results from Zhao's attempt on his life. When he opened his golden eyes, he saw her piercing sapphire eyes gazing back.
And then, as if she finally let herself belief he was truly there, she fell against his chest. He placed his arms around her, feeling by her motions that she was crying. Her fingers grasped his tunic, digging into it as if she held on for dear life. He placed his hand against the back of her head, while the other hand soothingly caressed her back. He held her as if she was a little girl. With his face buried in her hair, he felt the adrenaline leave his body.
"You're alive. You're alive." she whispered again and again, her voice breaking with every breath she took.
Guilt hit him again like a wave crashing into the rocks.
"I'm so sorry." was all he managed to say.
"Don't be." she answered, her face still in his shirt, "You are alive."
He pulled her even closer to feel her warmth. Oh Agni, how long he had been waiting to hold her this close. His heart started to pound faster when he buried his face in her curls again.
"Prince Zuko?" they heard a voice say. Looking up, but both not letting go of each other, they turned to the figure approaching them.
"Uncle." Zuko said as he reached out for the older man. Iroh took his hand with a smile before turning to Elyrie, who was still holding on to Zuko's tunic.
"I am so sorry for deceiving you like this," Iroh said, "But we had to protect him from Zhao's wrath."
Elyrie smiled so brightly that it seemed like the sun had come out at last, ending this long night.
"If both of you ever deceive me like this again, I promise you I will personally kill you myself." She said with the teasing look, but with a serious undertone.
Iroh chuckled. "I don't doubt it." He turned to his nephew, who had his arm still around the shoulders of the young girl, "Prince Zuko, the Armada is retreating. We need to go now."
Zuko nodded and looked back at the girl he was holding in his arms. She had nowhere to go now, he realised. "Come with us?" Zuko asked, his eyes pleading.
Elyrie looked at him. He look wounded and torn and for a moment, she wanted to leave with them. But she knew she could not leave. Not now she had found her mother's family. Not now that their Princess had passed. Not after she what she had promised her.
"I can't," she whispered, "My family is here. I need to stay."
Zuko looked at her with a surprised look. "Your family?" he asked in disbelief. "Yes, and I'll explain it someday, but for now Uncle is right," Elyrie said in a decisive tone, "You need to leave."
Not letting go of her hand, Zuko followed her small figure to the docks. There, they found a very primitive raft, which was just enough to fit two grown men.
"Are you sure you will be alright here?" Zuko asked for the last time as his Uncle was untying the ropes. Elyrie nodded with a smile.
"Trust me," she said half jokingly, "They'll treat me like royalty."
The sun started to rise and her auburn coloured curls glittered in the sunlight.
"Prince Zuko," he heard his Uncle say, "It is time to go."
For a moment, the golden eyes looked into the sapphire eyes. His eyes drank in her face, trying to remember every detail. He lifted his hand to rest it on her cheek. She placed her own hand over his with a courageous smile on her red lips. Zuko looked at her full lips for a moment, whishing things would be different. His heart splintered into a million pieces when he uttered the painful familiar goodbye.
"Goodbye Lily."
End of Book 1
Thank you to everyone who made it this far!
I hope you enjoyed my story so far! I tried to leave in the big character moments, like Zuko's last fight with Zhao, but worked around the situation by fitting in Elyrie.
Please leave a review if you liked it!
Lots of Love!
P.S. I have a lot of ideas for Book 2: Earth, so stay tuned!