His friends cowered in fear, as the wind picked up around them. His eyes were glowing, a bright, unnatural blue. He screamed at himself to stop, but he didn't. The Avatar, because that's who this was, turned towards Aang, and fire sprouted out from his mouth. And then Aang was falling, and falling, and falling-
"Aang?"
Aang whipped his head around towards Katara. She gave him a look, one that assured Aang she knew something bothered him. She must've noticed him leave his room, and come up here to think. She was smart like that.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Aang shook his head. "Nah, it was just a nightmare. I was in the Avatar State, but I was outside my body, watching myself. It was scary," He paused. "I was scary."
Aang closed his eyes, and bowed his head. He felt Katara pat his shoulder. While she didn't understand his exact feelings, she understood enough. Her empathy was nice, and refreshing. Heh, Katara herself was super nice.
"Take care son…" Sokka frowned, his dismay evident. Pakku just gave him a measly pat on the back, when Katara and Aang both got some special stuff. Honestly, Sokka was used to this kind of stuff. The tribe was his home, and always would be, but sometimes, they treated Katara differently. It's okay, though. Sokka understood. She's the last southern waterbender; practically a chosen one, up there with Aang, in terms of foretold greatness, or something like that.
Sokka wasn't bitter. Not at all.
The attack on the North had blindsided everyone. No one thought the Fire Nation would, or could be so bold. Iroh had chased them across the globe, but everyone knew he didn't take it seriously. He was treating it almost like a vacation, of sorts. Sokka might've been offended had Zhao not lost his mind. That General? Lieutenant? Captain? Was utterly insane.
Good riddance, honestly. Zhao was….not a fun person to deal with. He sucked, big time. He killed and hurt so many people, like Yue.
Tui and La, it hurt to think about Yue. She didn't even need to die, not really. If only Zhao hadn't been so slippery, she'd still be here. The man just didn't know when to give up. Iroh had clearly beaten him, Aang had clearly beaten him, but he still managed to harm the moon spirit.
Yue, way too good for this world, sacrificed herself. It wasn't fair, she had so much to live for!
Sokka's brow drew together. He could mourn later, after the war. The Fire Nation wouldn't give him time to wait around. He needed to be at his best if he wanted to be of any use to Katara and Aang.
The Fire Nation was full of bloodthirsty wackos. Iroh didn't count. Even when he'd been chasing them, he never really tried. Zhao, on the other hand, embodied the Fire Nation perfectly, with his murderous, psychopathic tendencies.
"...There, you will be safe to begin your earthbending training with King Bumi."
Sokka whipped his head back towards the waterbending master. He must've checked out. To be fair, to him, Pakku liked to ignore Sokka. Call it even.
"Appa, yip yip." Aang called.
Katara yelled at Pakku, as they flew off, "Say hi to Gran-Gran for me!"
Wait-
Oh, no. Was Pakku gonna be their Gramp-Gramp now?
After three weeks adrift on the ocean, with sea vultures looking to eat his corpse, Iroh thought he deserved a little relaxation. Knowing his brother, there were already troops out to arrest him for treason. Iroh couldn't rely on his father's mercy, not when his brother wanted vengeance. His father would never label him a traitor; that must've been Ozai's doing. How his brother did that, Iroh had no clue.
Ah, his young brother always was a tad bit dramatic. Iroh wouldn't be surprised if he sent Azula after him. His niece was a miniature Ozai, both horrifying and intelligent. Honestly, Iroh was not looking forward to that confrontation. He may not be close with his niece, but he still cared for the Princess. Perhaps, it wasn't too late yet, and he could save her from his brother's influence, however unlikely that seemed.
Iroh didn't want to fail another family member, not like he failed Lu Ten, and Zuko.
However, that didn't mean he couldn't relax a little, before everything went to Hell.
The ship rocked on the waves. Azula, already sitting in her carriage, frowned. She didn't have time for laziness. The ship should already be in the port.
Of course, some of her men were skittish. After all, most were taught about the superiority of the royal family. Hunting down her beloved Uncle might seem treasonous, even if it was far from it. Uncle was the traitor.
She stepped out of the carriage, and walked down the row of soldiers. "My uncle has disgraced the Fire Lord, and brought shame on us all. You might have mixed feelings on attacking a member of the Royal Family. I understand. But I assure you, if you hesitate, I will not hesitate to bring you down. Dismissed."
Azula thought she got the message across quite well. The soldiers left, leaving only the captain behind.
"Princess," He said, cautiously. "I'm afraid the tides will not allow us to bring the ship in before nightfall."
Unacceptable. "I'm sorry, captain, but I do not know much about the tides. Could you explain something to me?"
"Of course, Your Highness."
"Do the tides control the ship?" This was her ship, her mission. She would not accept any mistakes.
"I'm afraid I don't understand." What a fool.
"You said the tides would not allow us to bring the ship in. Do the tides command this ship?" Her voice was sharp, like any proper blade. She cut deep into the captain, enjoying every squirm.
"No, Princess."
Azula smiled. "And if I were to have you thrown overboard, would the tides think twice about smashing you against the rocky shore?"
The captain's calm demeanor wavered. "No, Princess."
Azula ran her fingers through her bangs, her smile sharp. "Well then, maybe you should worry less about the tides who have already made up their mind about killing you, and worry more about me, who's still mulling it over."
Her anger was slipping through her carefully crafted mask. The captain, the fool he was, gulped. "I'll pull us in."
Azula narrowed her eyes. This kind of incompetence allows error, and error is unacceptable.
General Fong's discussion room was pretty spacious. No one bumped into each other, which was nice. Katara could appreciate that.
"Avatar Aang, we were all amazed at the stories of how you single handedly wiped out an entire Fire Navy fleet at the North Pole. I can't imagine what it feels like to wield such devastating power. It's an awesome responsibility."
"I try not to think about it too much." Even if Aang sounded casual, Katara knew the wording bothered him. To be honest, she was a little put off by the devastating power part.
Calm, as ever, the general responded. "Avatar, you're ready to face the Fire Lord now."
Katara froze. The general couldn't seriously believe that? Aang was only twelve, and he'd only mastered one element. That couldn't be enough to defeat, let alone survive, a confrontation with the ruler of the Fire Nation. Fire Lord Azulon has had decades to master his power. Aang's barely started waterbending.
Aang agreed with Katara. "What? No, I'm not!"
"Aang needs to master all four elements," Katara held her hand out, as she tried to sound reasonable.
"Why? With the kind of power he possesses, power enough to destroy hundreds of battleships in a matter of minutes, he could defeat the Fire Lord now!"
Katara fought the urge to sigh. This was going to be a long meeting.
Azula rotated her hands in the familiar circular motion, allowing the energy to flow through her. Lightning flew from her hands, and she pointed towards the sky, and released.
"Almost perfect." Lo crooned.
Almost perfect is not good enough, her father always said. He was right, almost perfect wasn't perfect, therefore it was unacceptable .
"One hair out of place." Li added.
Were they mocking her? They should know not to mock her.
Azula pushed the singular hair out of her face. "Almost isn't good enough."
Azula retried, and succeeded, not a single hair out of place.
"Aang no! This isn't the right way!" Katara sat up, as she gave Aang a look.
Sokka, resting on a bed, arms thrown behind his back, disagreed. "Why not? Remember when he took out the Fire Navy? He was incredible."
Katara shook her head. "There's a right way to do this, study, practice and discipline. When we were being chased by Iroh, we were pretty relaxed, but you saw Zhao. We weren't ready then, and we aren't ready now."
"I like your suggestion, Katara," Sokka said. "But...he could just glow it up and stop that Fire Lord!"
Katara threw her hands up, exasperated. "If you two meatheads want to throw away everything we've worked for, fine, go ahead and glow it up!"
Katara didn't bother sticking around. She couldn't condone something that could get Aang hurt, really badly.
Iroh picked up a shell, and soaked in the beauty. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the conch shell. They were always lovely. These shells would be great keepsakes, for years to come.
Out of the corner of his eye, Iroh caught a movement. He wasn't alone.
"Hello, Uncle." Azula. Iroh cursed, inwardly. He'd really hoped Ozai wouldn't send his only child out to find him, but he'd have to make do.
"To what do I owe this honour, dear niece?" Iroh asked, keeping his voice calm. Pleasant, even. "I know you aren't here for tea."
"So quick to get to the point, uncle."
"It's a matter of surival, Princess Azula. When surrounded by snakes, every word is poisoned. Direct is something I need to be."
"Ouch, how hurtful, uncle. Don't you trust me? After all, who can you trust if not your own family?"
"How true, Princess Azula," Iroh hummed. "Since we trust each other so much, you wouldn't mind telling me why you're here, would you?"
Azula smiled, a cruel picture. "Of course not, Uncle Iroh. You see, when someone betrays the crown, they're a traitor."
"I'm aware." Iroh had a suspicion of where this was going. He took a deep breath. "I know all about the ins and outs of the crown, Azula."
"Then you know what comes next."
Iroh sighed, "I have some theories, dear niece."
"Father blames you for the loss of the North Pole." Azula sneered, "Grandfather as well. Reports say you fought against Zhao. A loyal Fire Nation soldier who was only executing the Fire Lord's will."
"Zhao was insane, Princess Azula. The death of the Moon Spirit would not have benefitted the Fire Nation in the slightest."
"Although this is fun, let's cut to the chase, uncle. Did you try and stop him?"
"Yes."
Azula's smirk sharpened. "So, you openly admit to being a traitor? I never thought the day would come."
Iroh sighed. "My only crime is caring about the wellbeing of the people."
"Father doesn't see it that way, uncle. I don't see it that way. Most importantly, Grandfather doesn't see it that way. No matter what your," She paused. "Intentions were, you betrayed your country. Shameful."
"I don't take any pleasure in doing this, dear niece." Iroh sighed, setting down the shells.
"Oh?" The Princess tilted her head, ever so slightly. A dangerous motion that spoke more than a thousand words. "I do."
Iroh wasn't called the Dragon of the West for nothing. Taking in one deep breath, he blew fire at his niece. She wasn't dazed. She widened her stance, and threw a blast at him. The blue flames curled around her fist. He blocked each attack. Her fire was hot, that much was true. Iroh wouldn't have a problem beating her, if it came to it, but she was talented, and he didn't know what she'd be like if she were desperate.
"We need not fight, niece." Iroh stated, dodging another blow of flames.
Azula's mouth pressed into a firm line. "Giving up already, you old fool?"
Guards burst through the door. One made the move to apprehend Iroh. Iroh, in a stroke of genius, grabbed the guard's wrist, and pushed him backwards into Azula, and the other guards. Seizing the opportunity, he went for the door, and ran. He heard his niece barking orders in the background. No doubt, she would burn the house down just to further her own goals. Iroh had no time to waste.
Determined, he ran through the woods, and didn't stop. He needed to lose his niece.
At the closest stream, he grabbed his top knot, and sawed it off. He watched, idly, as it floated down the river. His history, his life, could be tied to that top knot. He was free from the past.
It was time for Iroh to start again.
Fong was a nightmare, or insane. Maybe both. Benders in general were absolutely nuts, but this was another level. He wanted to trigger the Avatar State so badly he captured Katara.
That was not cool.
At all.
Sokka's heart stopped when she started sinking. The terror on her face made him sick. He was practically useless, as his sister slowly sank through the ground.
Useless, talentless, powerless.
The general's wish was fulfilled, however. He successfully triggered the Avatar State, and Aang absolutely destroyed him.
Katara was right, the Avatar State wasn't the way to do this. Aang wasn't ready to face the Fire Lord! If Aang fought that monster now, he'd die. Which would suck, a lot, because a) Aang's the avatar, and they didn't have years to train the next one, b) Aang was kind of Sokka's friend, and it would suck if he died. He'd lost his mom, and Yue. His dad wasn't even there for a good few years, not that Sokka blamed him. A warrior went where he was needed.
Today, it felt like he'd lose his sister, too. Not even to the Fire Nation, but to the Earth Kingdom, their allies.
It felt so good to strike the general on his head. The soldiers didn't argue, probably fazed by their general's clear lunacy. They still offered the escort, which Katara turned down for them.
Now, they were on their way to Omashu, to talk to more crazy Earthbenders. Fun.
Zuko's face was set, almost in a permanent grimace. This town was like the last one, nearly abandoned. The Fire Nation came and went as they pleased, leaving only destruction in its shadow.
Nobody from the Fire Nation was looking for him. Well, nobody was looking for Prince Zuko.
Everybody was looking for the Blue Spirit. He'd seen the bounty on his head. If it came to it, he might try turning himself in, just for the reward.
Zuko frowned. He had some money left over from his last, successful robbery, but it wasn't a lot. He tried to avoid stealing from other struggling people, but if it came to it, he wouldn't hesitate.
He'd travelled through towns and cities over the past few years. The longest he'd stayed in one place was for about a year, in Gaoling. He enjoyed the Earth Rumbles. His personal favourite fighter was the Boulder.
Eventually, he tried to rob the top family there, the Beifongs. It did not go well for him.
(Zuko, dressed as the Blue Spirit, entered the Beifong residence, walking along the path. He kept his movements light.
"What are you doing here? Who are you?" Zuko's heart stopped. He turned around, to see a small girl dressed in a silky dress. She wasn't looking at him directly, but her face was turned towards him. He couldn't make her out very well, in the dark. "No answer? Hmm, okay, I guess we're going all incognito. That's cool, I guess."
No answer.
The girl sighed. "If you aren't going to give me a name, No Name it is. What are you doing on my property?"
Zuko stayed silent, not a peep escaping. He'd been so careful, plotting out this heist. How...how did this little girl see him?
"Your heart rate is going insanely fast….you're doing something you aren't supposed to, and you know it. Hah, are you trying to rob me? Kidnap me for a ransom? Let me tell you, that's a terrible idea."
Zuko felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead. He hadn't known the Beifongs had a daughter. He'd been watching the house for a week, and thought he'd had a good idea of what the layout looked like. He waited until the couple left, and then he made his move. There...there shouldn't be a girl here.
The girl tsked, and stomped. The next thing Zuko knew, he was flying through the air, after being hit by a giant rock, from underneath his feet.
"Ow.")
His ribs hurt for weeks afterwards. He couldn't risk being found by the girl or local law enforcement, so he bailed. Found a new town, started over.
If he wanted to truly start over, and stop running, he needed to head to the safest place in the world.
Ba Sing Se.