If there was one word that Zuko could use to describe the South Pole it was boredom. Sheer and utter boredom. Sure there was the occasional animal like the penguin or seal that made for some entertainment but after a month and a half of the same blue sky, a sea full of literal obstacles, and buffeting chilly winds it had become torture. How could anyone live here? he thought.

"Any news?" Zuko asked.

"No Prince Zuko," the officer coughed. "Nothing so far."

"No other villages were spotted?" Zuko asked slightly flinching from the pain of the direct sunlight hitting his scar. It had been three years since he had received the second degree burn that ran across his left eye. The scar had completely healed by this point but whenever he was in direct sunlight there was this odd tingling sensation that felt like needles lightly dancing on face.

"No Prince Zuko," he replied. "Are you alright sire?"

"Yes I'm fine," Zuko said covering his left eye with his hand. "Keep me updated Wu Li," He sighed making his way from the stern to the bow.

"Good afternoon Prince Zuko. How goes your studying?" Iroh asked taking a sip from a teacup. "Come join me for some soothing jasmine tea."

"It's going well Uncle," Zuko said taking a seat next to him, glad his uncle had decided to sit under the shade of the mast. It helped that the smoke rising from the stack extended the range of the shade. "Didn't you drink some tea this morning?"

"Ah Zuko. One can never have enough tea," Iroh took another sip. "After all it's nourishment not just for the body but for the soul. Have some," Iroh said pouring some tea for Zuko before he could protest.

"Uncle, the Avatar could be anywhere. Even over there," Zuko said pointing to a far-off icecap. "What if we miss the Avatar just because we were drinking jasmine tea?"

"Zuko," Iroh laughed. "I thought you spent all morning studying."

"I did—"

"Then you really need to brush up on your past rationality lessons," Iroh smiled. "I know how boring they can be. When I was your age I often used them to put myself to sleep at night. But," Iroh smile faded a little, "it's important that you learn them when you can. One day your life will depend on these lessons. Trust them and they will never betray you."

"Uncle, you don't understand," Zuko said slightly annoyed by the undeserved lecture. "The Avatar is probably here in the South Pole. There's no other explanation."

"Really? Do explain," Iroh smiled.

"Our family has scoured the world for a hundred years searching for the Avatar. We have sent countless spies to the Earth Kingdom and even some to the Northern Water Tribe only to return with nothing. We even searched our own nation..Not even a shadow to chase. The Southern Water Tribe is the only place left to search."

"But your grandfather had already searched through the Southern Water Tribe."

"The Avatar could have moved around. Maybe he was in the Earth Kingdom while Grandfather was searching here. Whatever the case it's high time we searched the South Pole."

"Well while your argument does make sense the original point still stands. It wouldn't hurt to sit down and drink tea. The chances of the Avatar appearing right now are pretty small."

"But what if he's hiding and we miss the tiniest detail?"

"You already spent two minutes arguing with me," Iroh gave a deep laugh. "You could have missed your chance right then." Zuko didn't reply but just gave deep growl of annoyance and a stern glare.

"Don't worry," Iroh said putting his arm around his nephew. "If the Avatar were to appear there would be a great big sign and everyone in the world would know."

"Really? How do you know?"

"There are certain legends," Iroh shrugged.

Now it was Zuko's turn to give a laugh but laced with a little scorn. "Legends? We can't put all our stock in old tales. I thought you were supposed to be the master rationalist."

"Zuko when you get to be my age you'll see the world in a different light," Iroh said in contemplation, his smile replaced with a solemn look. "There are hidden forces that move about the world."

"Hidden forces?"

"Never you mind," Iroh said his smile returning. "Finish your tea before it gets too cold."

"Right," Zuko sighed before taking a sip. Huh… It really is delicious he thought. "What do you think happened to him?"

"Who?"

"The Avatar?"

"We—" Iroh said before he was too shocked to continue, his jaw dropping to the floor.

"Uncle?" Zuko asked raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong?" He turned toward the direction where Iroh was looking and noticed a bright silver-white light twinkling in the distant horizon. What is that?

Suddenly a silver-white beam rushed toward the sky exponentially growing brighter and brighter threatening to outshine the sun. "Look away!" Iroh yelled shielding his eyes and Zuko followed suit. Everyone on board the ship ran for cover as a second sun had now appeared in the sky.

That's so weird, Zuko thought. There was definitely a dangerous tension in the light like a feral dog on a leash just waiting to be set free. But paradoxically there was also this sensation of warmth and peace, a reassurance that everything would be alright. A full minute passed before the silver-white light started to weaken and peter off into the atmosphere.

"What was that?" Zuko asked. He tried looking toward the source of the light but found that everything had gone back to normal. Other soldiers had also ran to the port side trying to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon. "Uncle? Are you alright?" he asked, but there was no response. Iroh had become a statue, too gobsmacked to move. Did that just happen?

"Uncle?"

"Yes Zuko?" Iroh replied falling into a sitting position.

"What was that?"

Iron slowly turned around to face his nephew and for the first time in his life Zuko saw apprehension and nervousness in his uncle. "A great big sign."

"You don't mean…" Zuko said his eyes wide with shock. But Iroh simply nodded his head as he looked toward the horizon.

"Helmsman! We have no time to lose. Set a course for the light beam!" The gray steel steamship bellowed as its billowing smoke slowly changed direction. "Get ready for the Avatar," Zuko yelled and the crew immediately started to run about making preparations.

Iroh, however, was too deep in thought to pay attention to the commotion. His palm tightened around a white lotus Pai Sho piece between has hands. So the hands of fate have finally started to move.

"You go talk to him," Sokka said.

"I don't want to talk to him. Why don't you do it?" Katara asked.

"He's just sitting there, talking to himself. It's kind of creepy."

"Oh look at the famous Sokka, Defender of the Southern Water Tribe, too afraid to talk to a boy."

"Fine," Sokka said in surrender. "If it'll shut you up for five minutes." He climbed across Appa to where Aang was sitting only to find him sitting in a meditative trance. "I think he's sleep talking," Sokka whispered when he got back to where Katara was.

"Sleep talking?"

"Or meditating and talking to himself," Sokka said. "His eyes are closed and he's holding his fists together."

"Really?"

"Yeah like how we found him in the ice."

"Interesting," Katara said staring at the boy.

All right it's time to think, Aang thought. Understand, Plan, Execute, and Review. The four steps to solving any problem. It was George Polya, a Hungarian mathematician, who had formulated this procedure in his wonderful book How To Solve It. And from the moment Aang had discovered this book he had fallen in love again. For the next seventy years he had always kept a small copy on his person, a reminder to follow the heuristic method whenever possible.

"The first step: Understand. What exactly is the problem? What is the unknown?" Simplicio asked.

"Where to begin? There is so much that we don't know. I have way too many questions," Salviati said.

"Well if we want to get our bearings then let's start from first principles. The first question: Who am I?"

"I am Arthur Shepherd... or am I Aang? Or am I both Arthur and Aang? Or was I Arthur and now Aang?" Salviati said.

"Be more specific."

"I was in the hospital suffering from a heart attack. That was my last memory of Arthur Shepherd. At the time I was a hundred years old. Now I am a twelve-year-old bald boy in the middle of the South Pole."

"Do you have memories of Arthur and Aang?" Simplicio asked.

"I definitely remember my old life as Arthur…and there are flashes of Aang's life." Salviati replied. "There doesn't seem to be enough information to answer the question."

"Nonsense!" Simplicio said. "We just haven't explored enough. Perhaps we should start from a less metaphysical, more concrete question."

"Like what?"

"How the hell did we get here? In the South Pole?"

"Maybe we're not even really here Salviati said. "Maybe we're dreaming."

"Dreaming?" Simplicio said in disbelief. If he could he would smack Salviati in frustration. "How could a dream be this vivid? This…real?"

"Or it could be the result of something biochemical?" Salviati offered sheepishly. "Are we hallucinating?"

"There is no way there is a drug that can make hallucinations this real."Simplicio said as Aang shivered as proof.

"How do you know? You saw what that white woman could do. If her organization can invent time travel, then inventing a simulation this vivid seems within the realm of possibility. Besides people often delude themselves that they see heaven when they are close to death. Perhaps these hallucinations are the result of serotonin or some other drug being released as we slowly die," Salviati retorted.

"I have no way in proving a negative. In fact, this could all be a dream in which case this is the most realistic dream we've ever had. But whether this is a hallucination or dream there is no way to falsify such a hypothesis."

"Fine let's assume that all of this is real. Then what are possible hypothesis for how we ended up being twelve years old?" Salviati asked

"I've got a list:

1. We're in a dream/hallucination.

2. We were transported to the South Pole, had our consciousness placed into the mind of a twelve-year-old boy who we've been having visions of (To what end?).

3. After I died, I was reincarnated (there might be an afterlife?) into this boy with memories of my previous self.

4. I am stuck in some sort of alien or government simulation. I am a brain in a vat.

5. Perhaps Last Thursdayism is true. The world could have been built by a God-like figure last Thursday and all my memories, including everyone else's, are built into our minds."

"One and five are unfalsifiable. Three seems improbable," Salviati said.

"But not impossible."

"Yes well, I suspect it would be very difficult to prove. I'll put it aside for now."

"Fine, what about four?" Simplicio asked.

"Well that's an easy one. We build a supercomputer that calculates to more and more accurate decimal places of pi. If we ever run into a limitation, then that means we have reached the physical limitations of the simulation."

"There are two problems with that suggestion," Simplicio replied. "The first being that experiment only works if this world is a simulation. If not then we'll never know. Second if we are in a simulation then that means we can always be tricked into thinking when we haven't reached the limits of pi."

"But we can always check the numbers for accuracy. We can always prove this to ourselves," Salviati said.

"Until the beings running the simulation trick our checking method, convince us our proof is right, and so on... If we are indeed in a simulation, we are at their mercy."

"Guess we got another unfalsifiable. That leaves us with choice two," Salviati said.

"But why? Why would someone even do something that intricately absurd?"

"Because Angelia Versewy is a bitch. That's why."

"Hey no swearing!" Simplicio said.

"They're my thoughts. I can think whatever I want."

"Look let's table these existential questions for the moment. Two does seem the most reasonable... which really isn't saying a lot. If we accept it, what do we know?

"Apparently, we're an airbender, which I believe gives us the ability to bend air... or at least that's what the girl told us," Salviati said.

"Maybe the girl is crazy?" Simplicio pondered. "Then again I did survive a thirty-foot fall… What else do we know?"

"We're in the South Pole, there are two bickering children behind me, and we're riding on a giant bison with six legs that can fly."

"Right... how do we know this again?" Simplicio asked.

"We're riding on top of it right now!" And indeed below Aang's legs Appa was currently blowing bubbles into the ice water. Aww… so cute.

"Focus!" Simplicio said. "There's no time to be mesmerized by Appa… Even though he is pretty cute."

"Right?" Salviati said as Aang started to scratch Appa's head unconsciously. "So what's the plan for now?"

"Ah yes the second step," Simplicio said. "We quickly get back to London, transfer all our money to a foreign account, and immediately go into hiding. Perhaps move to the States or, more likely, some South American country."

"Right but how are we going to get out of here?"

"We could just hitch a ride on a cruise ship."

"I don't think we can just get on a cruise in the middle of it," Simplicio said. "Besides how are we going to sneak Appa through?"

"Oh shit! That's right," Salviati realized. "There's no way we can go into hiding with a multi-ton animal that can fly. Maybe we can get out of here at night."

"And you don't think any government would detect us?" Simplicio asked.

"We'd stick to the ground and move slow. RADAR won't pick us up."

"One picture from a fisherman's smartphone or satellite and we're SOL. Every country would hunt us for Appa. Not to mention that apparently some humans can bend air. My plan is that we go to a remote island under the cover of night and hide there for now." Salviati sighed.

"Sounds like a plan. Also I just realized how hungry we are," Simplicio said. At that Aang's stomach growled in anger of being denied food. "Maybe they have sandwiches or something to eat."

"What was the girl's name again?"

"It started with a K. Kat, Karen, Katelyn, or something."

"It was Katara," Katara said with her arms crossed. She had a bemused expression that was a mixture of anger and curiosity. "I can't believe you forgot my name. It hasn't even been an hour yet."

"What?" Aang said slowly opening his eyes to see Katara standing before him.

"My name's Katara."

"How… How did you know what I was thinking?"

"You were talking to yourself out loud!"

"I was?" Aang said in even more confusion.

"Yeah. Were you sleep talking?"

"No I was thinking," Aang said.

"More like thinking out loud," Katara said.

"Umm… How much did you hear?" Aang asked guiltily.

"Why should I tell you? Apparently, you think I'm crazy."

Oh good she only heard the last bit. Meanwhile Sokka started laughing. It was strange seeing his sister interrogating someone else for a change. "I'm really sorry. I didn't really mean that you were crazy; it's just what you were saying sounded crazy." I should not have said that.

"Oh ok," Katara said, a little smile on the edge of her face. I wonder how far I can carry this. "This coming from the boy who talks to himself."

"No, no," Aang said nervously, "I meant that I couldn't understand what you were saying at the time. I got out of the iceberg and you started talking about water bending and such and I was really confused.

Katara judged in silence for a few more seconds before she asked, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you talk to yourself?"

"Oh that," Aang said, "I thought I was thinking. I guess I didn't pay attention and started talking to myself." Note to self: Check before talking to self… And try not to insult people when thinking.

Katara proceeded to sit down beside Aang as she rummaged through a bag. "Here's some blubbered seal jerky," Katara said.

"Wait don't give him that," Sokka said.

"Why not? Did it go bad?"

"No. But I didn't get to eat anything the whole day. You know," Sokka said, "on account of you making me lose the fish."

"That was your fault, not min I told you we should have gone fishing somewhere else!" Katara yelled. "Besides can't you hear how hungry he is."

"Hear?" As if it were listening in on the conversation, Aang's stomach gave out a loud growl in response pleading for food. "Fine Aang you can have the jerky."

"Are you sure?" Aang asked. "I really don't want to impose."

"No, no. It's no big deal," Sokka said. "We have plenty at home and we're almost there anyway."

"Thanks," Aang said as he gobbled down the jerky as quickly as he could. Usually he would have objected considering he didn't want to know what blubbered seal tasted like, but he was too hungry to care. It's actually really good he thought.

"Aang?" Katara asked staring at him in curiosity.

"Yeah Katara?"

"What's a cruise ship?"

Aang almost choked on the jerky in shock. But after ten seconds of struggle he managed to stomach it down. "It's one of those giant ships that visit the South Pole every so often. It has a lot of people on it." He had hoped that his explanation would be enough, but the girl became even more confused. Maybe she's never seen one before…

"You mean a Fire Nation ship?"

"What's a Fire Nation ship?" Aang asked turning his attention to the elder sibling.

"A ship from the Fire Nation…" Sokka said in disbelief. "I thought airbenders were supposed to be smart."

"Wait so is Fire Nation the name of a cruise line?" Aang asked filing the second statement away for future discussion.

"Depends," Katara said, "Is a cruise line another name for a country?"

"No see," Aang replied, "A cruise ship is just a group of people who get on a ship and travel the world while vacationing. I was hoping I could sneak aboard one and make my way towards a warmer climate."

"Well a Fire Nation ship is just a group of people who get on a ship, travel the world, and kill, pillage, and destroy everything in their path," Sokka said with disgust.

"Oh… Sorry, I didn't know."

"Ignore my brother," Katara said shooting Sokka a piercing glance while he simply crossed his arms. "He just hates the Fire Nation."

"No I understand," Aang said. So the Fire Nation are pirates? But that thought was overshadowed by a startling new one that popped into his mind.

If this is the South Pole, then why are there a pair of siblings here? Shouldn't there just be scientists? Simplicio said. Something isn't right here.

Well they're part of a tribe, Water Tribe or something. Salviati replied.

But that's the thing. The only tribes that live or have lived in icy regions are in the North. No civilization or tribe ever lived in the Antarctic.

Maybe they just recently moved here…

Or I think we just made some really huge assumptions, Simplicio said.

What are you… oh shit, Salviati said before he too understood.

"Aang? Are you there?" Katara asked waving her hand before his eyes.

"What? What happened?" Aang asked.

"You zoned out there for a couple of seconds. You ok?"

"No time for that now," Aang said nervously as he got up. "I have a few questions for you two that might sound a little strange."

"Too late," Sokka sighed.

"How many countries are there?" Aang asked ignoring Sokka's comment.

"Four…" Katara said. "Why do you want to know?"

"Four?" Aang said, his voice rising higher. "There are only four countries in the entire world?"

"Yeah. The Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes, and the Air Nomads."

"So you never heard of the United States or United Kingdom?"

"No," Katara crocked an eyebrow. Sokka meanwhile tried to ignore them but found himself eavesdropping. "Are those supposed to be countries?"

"Yes," Aang said. This can't be happening. This can't be real. He had almost started to panic but his curiosity overwhelmed his fears of the truth. What the hell's going on? "What year is it?"

"What?" Sokka and Katara both said in unison.

"What's the current year?"

"Three thousand seven hundred sixteen," Katara said.

"Holy hell I'm in the future," Aang said as he started to talk to himself. "No wait, I'm still making too many assumptions. If this is the future, why are they speaking perfect English? Seventeen hundred years would be more than enough time for a language to evolve and yet they're speaking English."

"What in the world are you talking about?" Sokka said.

"So it's not the future then," Aang said, too involved in his thinking to hear Sokka. "Or… maybe it can be. What if their calendar is shorter because they live in the South Pole? It still could be the future just not as far as I thought. I have to get more fundamental. What is the simplest question I can ask?"

"Hello? You there?" Sokka said but the boy kept ignoring him as he paced back and forth.

"Just give me a little leeway here," Aang said putting a finger over his mouth at Sokka. "Katara, how many hours are there in a day?"

"Twenty-four. Why?"

"Because I don't know where I am. Now quick, how many days are there in a year?"

"Three hundred sixty-five and what do you mean you don't know where you are? You're in the South Pole!"

"Exactly what it sounds like Katara," Aang said stopping for a moment from his restless pacing. "Though if I'm correct it sounds like I'm on Earth, right?"

"Sokka is he having a meltdown?" Katara whispered to her brother. Maybe being trapped in the ice had indeed caused brain damage.

"Looks like it or maybe he's hallucinating. It could be the bends," Sokka replied.

"Guys seriously are we on Earth?" Aang asked again, growing anxious at their whispering.

"Yes Aang you're on Earth," Sokka sighed. "Now will you stop acting crazy. I think you're annoying Appa." At that Appa bellowed loudly to sound his irritation.

"Oh sorry buddy," Aang replied scratching Appa where he had walked to which Appa hummed in relief. "I'm sorry guys I just had somewhat of an existential nightmare. I thought I was on an alien planet or something."

"Buy why would you think that?" Katara asked.

"No don't get him started again!" Sokka said.

"Well," Aang said, "There used to be more than one-hundred ninety countries."

"A hundred and ninety? But there's always been four nations."

"Yes well it seems I have time traveled," Aang said. He didn't know if it was the shock of too many revelations or because he was too tired to care but time travel seemed mundane by comparison. He knew it was inevitable, he just didn't know he would actually undergo it himself.

"Time travel?" Sokka asked, too incredulous to obey his own rule of not asking questions. "You went through time?"

"Seems like it Sokka," Aang grinned. "Honestly it's not so bad considering you two speak English."

Sokka immediately tried to stop his sister but she simply pushed him aside and sat down next to Aang. "What's English?"

It was almost evening and there was nothing but ice for miles. In the distance there a trail of smoke lining the sky coming from a mid-class iron clad cruiser. If you looked carefully you would be able to see strange orange glows on the vessel fluttering on and off.

"Remember you must breathe from within," Iroh said as he watched his nephew fight against two firebenders.

"That's how everyone breathes!" he yelled dodging a fire ball from his attacker. He responded in kind to the fire ball by launching his own at the firebender who simply dispelled the attack.

"Focus Zuko," Iroh yelled as the second firebender swept his leg underneath him in an attempt to gain control but Zuko had jumped while simultaneously launching two fire blasts, one from each leg. The two benders tried to dodge but the blasts were too sudden and the two flew back in opposite directions.

"Good but you can do better," Iroh said sitting down as he fanned himself with a small paper fan. The air around a firebending fight would always become heated, especially with three benders fighting at once.

"I understand Uncle," Zuko said before turning toward the two benders, who were already up on their feet. The two had been wearing the standard fireproof armor that all soldiers, including Zuko, wore. "You two are dismissed. Thank you for taking the time to help."

"Thank you Prince Zuko!" The two bowed and made their way into the resting quarters.

"Uncle I need to learn the advanced set. I've already mastered the basics," Zuko said sitting next to Iroh.

"A strong foundation is necessary before you continue," Iroh said as he slurped from some of his duck soup. "You have almost mastered the basics, but you aren't quite there yet."

"But Uncle we're going to be facing against an Avatar who's had a hundred years to perfect his craft. I need something more than the basics to face him!"

"You think learning the advanced set will help against a hundred-year-old Avatar?" Iroh crocked an eyebrow.

"It will help even the odds."

"Zuko, you are only sixteen. It is a wonder you've already come as far as you have with just the basics," Iroh said as he gazed at the dusk sky. The sunset today covered the sky in a brilliant fiery orange. The years really do fly by when you get older Iroh thought. "Be careful not to rush too fast or you will set yourself on fire."

"Uncle, as much as I enjoy your sayings, I don't have time for them. I need to learn the advanced set."

"No, no," Iroh cracked a small smile. Perhaps he did wax a bit poetic one too many times. "I literally mean you will set yourself on fire if you try to rush through learning the advanced set."

"Really?" Zuko gawked. A firebender could easily burn another, that he knew from experience but somehow it never came to him that a firebender could accidentally set himself on fire.

"Of course. After all what's the first rule of firebending?" Iroh asked.

"Fire is alive."

"Exactly. Fire. Is. Alive. It is a living creature ready to betray you if you don't give it the proper respect. I remember when I was your age I learned that the hard way."

"What happened?" Zuko asked, his curiosity peaked. For some reason, his uncle was quite secretive about the past so of course Zuko took every opportunity he could to explore it.

"Well I too wanted to learn the advanced set. Instead of listening to my teacher I rushed ahead and started practicing inside the palace. One thing led to another and I set the whole room on fire," Iroh laughed.

"I can't picture you setting a room on fire," Zuko said trying hard not to snicker.

"That wasn't the worst part. After the guards and I put out the fire your grandmother almost started it again when she found out what I tried to do!"

"Really?" Zuko asked as he pictured the portrait of his grandmother. He couldn't even imagine that sweet old woman running much less firebending.

"Of course! Despite what you might think your grandmother was a dragon or at the very least had the temperament of one. I still remember how she chased me around the palace throwing fireballs left and right! The guards ran right after her putting out every fire she started."

"That can't be right," Zuko laughed. "All that over trying to learn firebending?"

"No Zuko, that's what you must understand. My mother was right to be angry."

"Why? Wasn't she also firebending uncontrollably?"

"No I'm pretty sure she intentionally missed each time," Iroh smiled. "I said she had the temperament of a dragon not the rashness. She just wanted to scare me. I… just didn't know at the time."

"Well all's well that ends well," Zuko commented.

"No you have to understand Zuko," Iroh said, his tone now grim. "That day I was very close to erupting my chi lines. If I made just a little mistake: a little spark falling unnoticed, a breath drawn too quickly, a fuel too rich, then I would have immediately exploded. Fire is alive." Iroh took out his hand and summoned a small ball of fire. "And will do anything to live and grow. Even burn its master." At that the small bulb exponentially grew into a three-foot sphere levitating above Iroh's head. Zuko could even see the line of chi emanating from his hand and fueling the fireball. "All it takes is a single misstep." Iroh moved swiftly as he danced through the fireball startling his nephew and in an instant the fire had vanished without a trace.

"How did you do that?" Zuko gaped. Not even the fire performers at the circuses he went to as a kid could do that.

"By mastering the basics," Iroh grinned as Zuko's jaw fell to the floor.

"I see," Zuko sighed. "Would you be able to face the Avatar?"

"What do you exactly mean face the Avatar?"

"I mean," Zuko said looking at his uncle, "would you be able to capture him?"

"Hmm… Probably not."

"Really? He's still that powerful after a hundred years?"

"Avatar Kyoshi was still in her prime when she was two hundred years old," Iroh laughed. "But no. It's not his power I fear, but his cunning."

"His cunning?" Zuko asked flabbergasted. "Isn't he the master of all four elements?"

"Zuko," Iroh said, this time taking his turn to sigh. "If he were just a bender who could control all four elements then I might be able to capture him. After all, a layman with power is still just a layman. But an Avatar's most dangerous weapon is their cunning."

"But with your experience, I'm pretty sure you could match him. Couldn't you?"

"There's no chance," Iroh gave a sad smile. He slurped his duck soup, finishing off the broth. "What took me a lifetime to study comes as natural as breathing to them. They're intuitively rational and that's what makes them so formidable."

"Really?" Zuko asked in wonder. He tried to imagine someone actually trying to act out his training regimen in the morning every day in and day out and Zuko shuddered. It felt so unnatural to always be on your toes and taking notice of everything. "Is there any evidence?"

"Evidence? What? You don't believe me?"

"First rule of rationalism," Zuko smiled, "Evidence before authority."

"Well," Iroh grinned, "have you ever read The Tales of the Avatar?"

"Isn't that book banned?" Zuko asked.

"Right, of course it is," Iroh said stroking his beard. "So when you read it how did the stories end?"

"Well," Zuko said trying to remember the anthology series, "Each tale would end with the Avatar winning."

"Yes but how did they win?"

"Oh," Zuko said realizing Iroh's point. "They usually outsmarted their enemies."

"Exactly. In each of the twelve stories the Avatar would always win using their wit. The stories always portrayed them as the trickster hero. And trust me when I say you should always be wary of the trickster."

"But those stories were written for children," Zuko countered. "You can hardly consider them evidence. They even have the word Tales in the title."

"That is true," Iroh said. "But it's a good starting point. There are memoirs that corroborate the tales."

"But that still—" Zuko said before he noticed a soldier rushing toward him.

"Sorry to interrupt Prince Zuko," the soldier said. "The helmsmen and navigator have confirmed that we have reached the source of the light we saw."

"Good," Zuko said looking toward the horizon and indeed in the distance he saw a large iceberg floating by itself. "It will be night soon tell the helmsman to get use there as quickly as possible Also make sure to send the two my regards."

"Yes sir," the soldier said saluting before leaving.

"Uncle I have to get the soldiers ready," Zuko said. "It's very unlikely but the Avatar could still be on that iceberg."

"Do as you must. I'll come along," Iroh said.

"Thank you," Zuko said before leaving.

The ship sailed its way toward the iceberg for another ten minutes before stopping directly before the massive floe. Zuko, Iroh, and six other firebenders made their way down the long stage stairs but, from their height, could already tell no one was there.

After five minutes of inspection of the glacier Zuko found his clue. "There are footprints here," Zuko said. "Three sets of them."

"Footprints?" Iroh asked. "That can't be possible. The ice should be too hard to leave anything like that."

"And yet here they are," Zuko smirked. "I'm guessing the snowfall last night covered the iceberg and then were fresh enough to leave footprints in."

"But the snow would have already hardened, especially through the night," Iroh said staring at the boy. He had already figured it out and was just wondering if Zuko could as well.

"Hmm," Zuko said trying to think. What other information could I be missing? he thought. A minute passed in silence and just as Iroh was about to offer a suggestion Zuko figured it out. "The light beam. Considering how bright it was the heat here must have been intense," Zuko said snapping his fingers. "Intense enough to melt the snow so that they could leave footprints."

"Makes sense," Iroh smiled. "So what's the story here?"

"Maybe two people found the Avatar here," Zuko said. "They came, took him, and left."

"How did they find him?"

"They were probably nearby, attracted by the light."

"Maybe. Maybe not," Iroh remarked. "We must never assume too much. Not without evidence anyway."

"But the evidence is right here. What did I even assume?"

"You assumed why they were here," Iroh said. "They could have been fishing."

"Fishing?" Zuko asked. " There are barely any fish here. This place is too icy and the current is moving way too fast to fish anyway. You would have to be an idiot to fish here."

"True," Iroh said. "But you mustn't make too many assumptions. You never know when there's a clue ready to throw your entire theory out."

"Prince Zuko," Lieutenant Jee said running towards the two. "We found something… strange."

"Strange?" Zuko asked as they both followed Jee toward a group of soldiers. The men were all staring in shock and awe at what seemed to be impossible. "Make way for the prince," Jee said as he separated the group.

"What in the world?" Zuko said as he stared at least half a dozen footprints, each twice the size of a human head. "Uncle have you ever seen this before?"

"No," Iroh said equally in awe. "Though to be fair I haven't really spent much time in the South Pole."

"I have sir," Wu Li interjected. "I've been stationed here at the South Pole for five years but have never seen any animal leaving those footprints."

"It might belong to the Avatar," Zuko said. "These footprints lead to the edge of the iceberg. So the animal is most likely amphibious."

"Considering the size of the footprints," Iroh said as he walked close to examine the ice, "and the distance between them it has to be a massive animal. Perhaps one large enough to ride on…"

"Whatever it was, boat or beast, they had to go somewhere. Did anyone here bring a map?" Zuko asked and immediately one of the soldiers handed him the map for the local area. "We seem to be here," he said to himself. "There are only three villages nearby that one could get to with the beast or primitive boats they have. He must be hiding in one of them."

"Really now?" Iroh asked taking the map. He saw that Zuko was indeed correct considering the nearest village besides those three was a half a day with their steamship. "He's isolated to those villages there. If we hurry now we can capture him."

"You heard him!" Zuko yelled. "Everyone back to the ship. Tell the helmsman and the navigator to set course for the first village down the route."

"Yes sir!" The soldiers exclaimed running back to the ship as Zuko and Iroh followed closely behind.

"Uncle?"

"Yes?" Iroh said.

"I know why I want to capture the Avatar but why do you?"

"What do you mean?" Iroh furrowed his brows.

"Well you have been discouraging me from capturing him. Telling me about how he's really dangerous. What's your stake in all this?"

"My responsibility is to protect you. If I didn't let you chase the Avatar I know you would somehow run away and chase him all on your own."

"I wouldn't just—" Zuko started before Iroh put up his hand.

"We both know your determination. You wouldn't be able to resist if there were a credible lead," Iroh smiled. "Besides it's been a hundred years since anyone has seen an airbender much less the Avatar. Don't you want to see the man who could single-handedly turn the tide of war against the Fire Nation?"

"Yes," Zuko said grimly, "I too would like to meet such a man."