Book 2: Earth

The morning came at last.

The sky was grey without a hint of blue to brighten it. It was if the sun did not dare to shine his radiant light over a place that had endured so much tragedy. Veils of clouds passed through the sky when the soft breeze pulled them along. And yet, despite all the sadness the sky expressed, a silver coloured moon was still visible.

Yue. Moon.

"The spirits gave me a vision when Yue was born."

Chief Arnook looked up at the moon. His blue eyes, almost the same colour as Yue's had been, were rimmed with tears. His face was engraved with deep lines, as if he had aged a hundred years in the last moment.

Sokka looked up to the Moon as well. He had taken it upon himself to tell the Chief what had happened to his daughter. This is something no one should have to tell a father, he thought.

"I saw a beautiful, brave young woman," Chief Arnook continued without looking away from the Moon, "become the Moon Spirit."

He finally lowered his eyes and sighed deeply. "I knew this day would come." he said without a tremble in his voice.

"You must be proud." Sokka said as he turned his head to look at the Chief, wording the same thoughts he felt when Yue made her brave decision. He was heartbroken, sad and proud beyond words.

"So proud." Arnook answered as he looked back up to the Moon again. It almost seemed like he wanted to say it one last time to his daughter. "And sad." he added quietly when his voice broke at last.

A few feet behind the two men, a young woman had quietly listened to their conversation. She had put her arms around herself in a soothing way to comfort herself. Her pale skin, even paler due to the lack of sleep, was almost the same colour as the snow which covered the North Pole.

Her heart went out to the two men that were standing there, looking up at the Moon. The Chief's voice had broken at the last word, but at that moment Elyrie admired him more than she had ever admired anyone before. His suffering - too terrible to name - had not broken his spirit. He accepted the sacrifice his daughter made with pride and continued to cherish her memory. She had not even heard him speak ill of the Fire Nation or the attack on their city.

Along with the two men, she looked at the beautiful Moon. It almost looked as if Yue was watching over them.

Please Yue, forgive me, she silently thought.

Elyrie quickly learned that the people from the Water Tribe were as flexible as their element. Within a week, the citizens had rolled up their sleeves to rebuild their city. Every male waterbender was put to work to repair the damages the Fire Nation attack had caused, while every female waterbender was required to help in the improvised hospital for the wounded.

Master Pakku - the stern man who had looked at her with suspicion - turned out to be a man of action despite his advanced age. He made sure every waterbender knew how to fix the damage and how to rebuild the destroyed walls. Katara, never far away to offer her help for reparations or healing, explained to Elyrie that Master Pakku had almost singlehandedly beaten the invading soldiers during the last battle. Elyrie had grinned when she looked at the older man and did not doubt for a second that he was a great master, albeit a bit of a grumpy one.

The good news was that Elyrie could contribute a little bit in rebuilding the city as well. With firebending, she and Kun melted the steel and weapons which were left behind by the Fire Nation soldiers. With the steel, stronger ships were made instead of wooden canoes. Kun, who had fought alongside the warriors of the Water Tribe, was accepted into the community as a hero. When the two Fire Nation citizens walked over the icy streets of the North Pole, people nodded to him with respect. He had become a hero among the citizens because of his bravery during the Siege of the North.

Elyrie had heard the story afterwards: when the Moon had disappeared that fateful night, Kun had taken it upon himself to defend the children and weaker citizens, who had taken refuge in the cellars of the Royal Palace. This had made him a particular favourite among the children of the Northern Water Tribe, who followed him everywhere like turtle-ducklings following their mother. And to her surprise, the quiet soldier seemed to be a natural when it came to entertaining children. Elyrie was glad he seemed to enjoy his stay so much. It seems like a vacation for him, she mused when she saw him play with the children, And if anyone deserved some time off, it was him.

As for her, she tried to keep as busy as possible. Not that there was much time left in a day. Outwardly, her life seemed to be better than it had been in a long time. She was finally liberated from the yoke of her engagement. She had found a loving family who had accepted her as one of their own. Even the citizens of the Water Tribe had welcomed their new princess with more warmth than she could ever have dreamed of. She was amazed at the strong sense of community of the Water Tribe, even if she was from the Fire Nation.

And thus, she tried to adapt as best she could. Kun was her rock during the first weeks. He never left her side unless it was absolutely necessary. She was touched by his concern. She enjoyed his company and calming presence, even though he was still not a talker. Despite this, Kun seemed to have found his place in the Water Tribe rather quickly. It did not surprise her that Sokka and Kun got along well. They spend hours in the library, bending over maps of the Earth Kingdom and discussing the strategies. Elyrie joined them on several occasions and explained the way the Navy operated during their attacks.

Sokka was surprised at the intelligence of the young woman, who discussed the battle strategies as good as any warrior he had known. They discussed the war and politics, often in the large chairs of the library. Both were enthusiastic about the topics, which they so seldom could discuss with anyone. Her intelligence, dry wit and calm demeanour impressed Sokka. Likewise, Elyrie was glad for a kindred soul, especially since he seemed to share her sense of humour. They became good friends in the weeks after the Siege of the North.

Katara, who had observed their interaction, was amused that her sarcastic, rather sexist brother seemed to get on so well with a freethinking young woman. Maybe Suki did learn him some valuable lessons, she thought amused as she watched Sokka listen eagerly to Elyrie's tales of the history of the Fire Nation.

Like her brother, Katara found a friend in the young firebender. Both women bonded over the fact that they had not been able to develop their bending abilities earlier in life, but tried to make up for it as best they could. Friendly sparring matches were not uncommon between the two. Katara was glad she could practice against a real firebender, which could help her in the future.

Elyrie also accompanied Aang and Katara to their waterbending training whenever she could. She found it fascinating to see Katara and Aang bend the flexible element as it twirled through the air. How different from her own fire, which had a life of its own if left uncontrolled. Then again, the giant sea and crashing waves also followed their own path, so maybe the elements were more similar than she thought. While observing Katara's more defensive style of bending - so different from the aggressive form Elyrie was used to - she tried to mimic the movements. Even though she was by no means a master bender, she saw that her bending improved.

As for her newfound family, there was much to be done for her. With Yue gone, the whole family was gathered together in their grief. But with the grief came also hope for new beginnings. The Royal Family seemed eager to honour the brave woman who had saved them all. With that, they also wanted to include Thyra again in the official line-up. Elyrie's locket was given to the painter, so he could paint a picture of her mother to hang at the Royal gallery. Chief Arnook and Panuk had insisted that the portrait of their sister should hang in the gallery, where all members of the Royal Family belonged. Elyrie had gladly accepted the kind gesture and handed over her locket to the painter, so he could copy the picture. She carefully examined his work, helping with the smallest details whenever she could.

Her grandmother had taken it upon herself to teach her granddaughter the ways of life at the Royal Palace of the Water Tribe. She made new clothes for her, which were more suited to the freezing temperatures. Elyrie was dressed in the blue colours of the Water Tribe. Dresses and robes were needed to keep her warm, since she was still adjusting to the cold climate. Her grandmother learned her how to braid her hair according to the customs of the Water Tribe as well. Nana - as she wished Elyrie to call her - was a loving, motherly figure who tried her best to help her granddaughter adjust to her new life as Princess of the Northern Water Tribe.

Elyrie smiled so much that the muscles in her face hurt. But the forced smiles hid the loneliness she felt deep within.

More and more she realised that this was her family, but not her world. Every night at dinner, they laughed and they spoke about customs and ancient traditions. It was so familiar to them, so safe. It was their entire world. But not hers. She was a blood relative, but she was not one of them. Her appearance, though so similar to mother's, was different. Her pale skin and auburn hair were unnatural in these surroundings.

She was not naive. She knew their were still people in the city who mistrusted her. And she couldn't blame them. She was from the same country as the man who had attacked their city, less than a month ago. But she also saw the looks of discomfort whenever she displayed her firebending.

She felt like a spoiled child. These people wanted to take her in as one of their own. Which, in fact, she was. But it was so far from the world she had grown up in. Every night in bed, she reprimanded herself for her feelings. She recounted how horrible the situation in the Stronghold had been, how underappreciated she was there. But at least she knew how to handle herself in those situations. Here, she was an outsider. She had never cared much about being on her own. But it was so different now. She felt guilty, when her grandmother tried to do anything she could to make her granddaughter feel at home. And it worked: Elyrie did feel loved and she did feel safe.

But the longing feeling for her home across the sea still smouldered within her. Like embers which glowed after the fire had gone out. Every night, she worried about the fates of Zuko and Uncle. It had been weeks since she had last seen them. Since then, she had not received a word. She was surprised to learn that even the Northern Water Tribe used a service similar to the mail system they used in the Fire Nation. Instead of using hawks, they used kittiwakes to deliver messages to the Earth Kingdom. The seabrids were tamed and trained specifically for the purpose of connecting the icy North Pole with their allies on the mainland. Their nesting place was on a high cliff, close to the edge of the city. Elyrie had visited it a couple of times, but every time she decided against sending a message. Zuko and Uncle could be anywhere in the Earth Kingdom by now. And more importantly, her intuition told her that it was unwise to send a message. So there was nothing to do except to wait for a sign.

Zuko, where are you?

That was how Elyrie got to know loneliness. How to feel 'half'.

She felt new sympathy for the halfbloods born in the colonies. To her Water Tribe family, she was Fire Nation. And now that it had become known what she was, her Fire Nation family would undoubtedly see her as Water Tribe. Even though she grew up in the Fire Nation, some things were fundamental to belonging in a country which was so prone to blood purity. This meant she would remain an outsider in two countries.

But she damned herself if anyone would notice it. Thus, she smiled and laughed and listened to everything her family told her.

She could learn to fit in here in time. And as best she could, she tried to silence the voice in her head who asked her if this is what she wanted for the rest of her life.

After a particular long day of repairments, Elyrie let herself fall down in the giant chair in the library. The sun began to set so she knew she had some time to spare before she was expected at dinner. The library had become her favourite place of refuge during these weeks. She could always count on some quiet time there. The table next to the chair was filled with maps of the Earth Kingdom. It was for Aang and his friends for their journey to Omashu, one of the two cities which were still under Earth Kingdom rule. She knew that the next element in the cyclus would be Earth, so Aang needed an earthbending teacher. Aang told her about his friend Bumi, one of the greatest earthbenders in the world despite his age. She chuckled to herself when she imagined the hundred year old man teaching the 19 year old Avatar. Kun was about to leave with them back to the mainland. From there, he would travel back to his family in the Fire Nation. They all would depart in a few days.

Elyrie picked up a book about the history of the Northern Water Tribe, which her Nana advised her to read. She sat down again in the chair and let her fingers trail the sides of the pages of the atlas, but she did not attempt to open it. With a sigh, she stood back up and walked around the library.

Outside, she saw the setting sun shining his last golden rays over the frozen city. As he let her elbows rest on the windowsill, she let her chin rest in the palm of her hand. It was a beautiful sight. The sea glittered in the orange light and the wall was mostly repaired, as were the houses that were damaged during the attack.

When her eyes went over the icy roofs, he felt a sense of melancholy coming over her. Kun was about to return to their home country. But she was not going with him. She belonged here now. Softly humming to herself, she leaned forward and inhaled the crisp air. How she longed for the dry heat. As always, singing helped calm her mind.

Let me have a moment
Let me say goodbye
To bridge and river, forest and waterfall
Orchard, sea and sky

Harsh and sweet
And bitter to leave it all
I'll bless my homeland till I die

A smile tugged on the edges of her mouth as she saw the beauty of the Fire Nation in her minds eye. The firelillies, the volcanos, the beaches on Ember Island, her home in the capital, the scorching heat.

But as the sun almost disappeared, she saw the vague shape of the Moon taking its place. A shudder went through her. When she was alone with her thoughts, she kept reliving the moments in that long night when the Moon darkened.

She walked away from the window and fell down in one of the chairs. She was sad. Sadder than she had ever felt because so much had happened in so little time. But she refused to complain to anyone. They all had suffered enough. The last thing they needed was a whining girl from the Fire Nation, because it was her country that launched the attack. It was her fiancé that had initiated the attack.

Every time she thought of Zhao and her former connection with him, she wanted to ran into the frozen tundra and scream on the top of her lungs. The guilt came crashing back as if a wave of emotions had hit her with full force.

"Hey!" a voice said, bringing her out of her thoughts. It was Sokka who had entered the library. She smiled at him, but he frowned his brow.

"What are you reading?" he asked as he rolled up a map that was laid out over the table. He saw that the book laid unopened next to her. Elyrie sat up while she exhaled. "Oh, nothing much." she answered while stretching her arms over her head.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked with his blue eyes focused on her. She seemed so down, so sad.

"No, no!" she said while quickly plastering a smile on her face. But it did not reach her eyes.

She rubbed her empty left ring finger where the ruby engagement ring once resided. Now, she had the sapphire ring of her mother on her right hand. She tried to repress the urge to blurt out her worries and frantically turned the sapphire ring around and around.

"Elyrie?" Sokka asked again, "Are you sure?"

But it was useless. Sometimes it was just enough to have someone ask you what was wrong.

"I saw Zhao once lock up women and children in a wooden Temple, only to burn it down." she began bluntly. Sokka raised his eyebrows at this sudden change. Her face seemed to harden and her voice was constricted.

Elyrie stared at her hands. The screaming of the villagers kept ringing in her ears, even now. "Lucky, they got out in time for anyone to get seriously hurt, but that was not because of him. Then, after everyone had escaped, he burned the entire town down."

Sokka looked at the sad blue eyes in the pale face. He knew what had happened. He heard it from Kun when he had asked him why he turned against his former Admiral. Kun had told him how Elyrie had fought against the tyranny.

But Sokka did not tell her that. He felt that she needed someone to talk to. And even though his sister kept saying he was clueless to this sort of thing, he instinctively felt Elyrie needed a listening ear, a word of compassion, a soothing motion.

"I once knew a man who wanted to drown an entire city just because they were Fire Nation." Sokka said, "Old people, women and children. All innocent lives found guilty based on their heritage."

Elyrie did not dare to answer. She knew how black and white some people could think about being Fire Nation and being the enemy.

"Did he succeed?" she asked carefully.

"No," Sokka answered while clenching his jaw, "We prevented the loss of lives, but the town was destroyed."

"That was very brave of you." she answered with a smile.

Sokka nodded and thought about their earlier conversation. He had known there were not only good people and Fire Nation, like she said. He had acted on it even before he had realized it.

"So, what is it that is truly bothering you?" he asked as he turned his chair to face her. Her dark blue eyes continued to look at her folded hands in her lap.

"You know, when Zhao lowered Tui back into the water?" she asked Sokka, even though it was obvious he would remember that. "For a moment there," she said, "I was convinced everything would work out. That he would give up his delusional quest."

"But then," she continued, "He attacked Tui even so." She inhaled deeply to calm her racing heart. "He killed the Moon Spirit!" she said, her voice slightly trembling as she remembered that horrible moment. Sokka nodded slowly, not wanting to interrupt her.

"I should have seen it coming." Elyrie said in a small voice, "I have seen him do unspeakable things to innocent people, but at that moment I was convinced he would do the right thing."

"But he didn't and Yue paid the price." she said while chewing on her bottom lip. Her eyes were rimmed with tears. "And I feel guilty." she finally said out loud, "I feel so incredibly guilty. I could have prevented it if I had just used my better judgement and then none of this would have happened."

Because of her, the Water Tribe had lost their beloved princess. She could never feel at home here. Not when she was responsible for the grief that had taken over the city. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and tried to prevent them from falling down. Why was she chosen to live and had Yue been forced to sacrifice herself? That question had been crossing through her mind over and over again.

"Elyrie, it is not your fault," Sokka said while bending towards her, "You have done everything you could to help the Water Tribe." She looked up and he saw the tears glittering in her eyes.

"You risked your own life to come warn us about Zhao's plan, even before you knew you had family here." he continued, "That takes a lot of courage."

"That is kind of you to say." Elyrie answered in a small voice.

"Hey!" Sokka added with a smile, "I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true."

"Thank you, Sokka." she smiled at him.

"We all miss Yue," he said as he patted her hand, "But the best thing we can do now is honour her memory."

"You are right." Elyrie said as she wiped the edges of her sapphire eyes with her sleeve.

"Don't you know by now?" Sokka asked in a serious voice, "I am always right."

Then, she laughed out loud. And she laughed even harder when she saw his indignant face. Shaking his head, Sokka repressed a smile when he saw the light return in the sapphire eyes.

"Ahh" yawned Iroh with a content smile, "This is what I've been missing."

The soft petals of the cherry blossom twirled down as the older General laid on a massage table. Two young men were working on the knots in his strained back and shoulders.

"Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?" he said happily, his cheerfulness in stark contrast with the seriousness of the hardships he and his nephew had endured the past weeks.

Only a few days ago did their raft reach the lavish resort on the Su Oku River. Hungry and tired, the staff had welcomed the banished prince and the Dragon of the West graciously. They were recognized as royalty and given the full respect of the spa staff, despite the little money they had to pay. Iroh had wasted no time and spoiled himself with all the luxuries the spa had to offer. Relaxing massages, delicious food and the company of kind people. Even the beach was a welcome addition; the warm weather suited him better anyway.

Zuko sat against the wall, his face partially covered by a large straw-hat. He did not share his Uncle's contentment. The past three weeks had been torture. He had no Avatar, no hopes of capturing him in the near future and he had left Elyrie in that frozen hell. It seemed everything worked against him. And to make matters even worse, it was almost that time of year again. The universe seemed to work even harder to make him feel more worthless than ever.

His Uncle, who had noticed his silence, came to sit next to him.

"I see," Iroh said in a soft voice, "It is almost the anniversary, isn't it?"

"Next week," Zuko said in a raspy voice, "It will be five years since I was banished."

"I lost it all. I want it back." he added as his eyes darkened, "I want the Avatar. I want my honour, my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless." His voice slightly faltered at the last word.

"I'm sure he doesn't," Iroh said in a cheerful voice, "Why would he banish you if he didn't care?"

Zuko did not look at his Uncle, but stood up and walked away without saying another word.

"That came out wrong, didn't it?" Iroh asked the massagers sheepishly. He rubbed his neck and looked at the retreating figure of his nephew. There had to be something he could do to cheer up his nephew in this difficult time of year.

But I might need some help with that, he chuckled to himself.

Happy holidays! :)

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Book 2: Earth.

I had a question: what do you prefer when reading a fanfic?

Smaller chapters (which are posted more regularly) or long chapters, which might take longer but will cover the span of an entire episode?

Let me know!