For the third time in less than two days, Zuko was back at the oasis. It was as quiet as his first visit with Yue. Arnook walked in front with Yue. Zhao and Iroh followed after, not speaking but clearly moving with some shared intent. The rest of the group was split into two flanks; Zuko walked with his cousin and Zuri while Sokka and Katara were some feet away.
Looking up, Zuko saw the dry light of the full moon. Moonlight was bright in a more human way; it didn't hurt to look at and it felt more tactile as it lit up the surroundings. Moonlight caressed while sunshine glared.
It made things quiet, though, and more so after such a loud matrimony only a few hours before. The bridge underfoot groaned as Zuko walked across and the sound crawled up the back of his neck.
"Now, Katara, I want to explain what's happening." Arnook said as they all approached the pond. Katara nodded and stepped forward, Sokka staying at her heels.
"Here are Tui and La, the spirits of the moon and ocean." He continued and Katara leaned over to peer into the pond. Zuko remembered the look of them, their scales missing the moonlight from their pool.
"When my daughter was an infant, she fell very ill. We asked for the blessing of the spirits and La answered. Yue's hair turned jet black as a sign of the spirit's favor and, as the moon swells, she is able to Waterbend." He explained.
"That's amazing." Katara said and looked to Yue. The princess didn't seem to register anyone around her.
"Now, Admiral Zhao has found a scroll from an ancient library that talks about an ancient rite to restore our bending power." Arnook added.
"What does that mean?" Sokka questioned.
"After we lost so many Benders, we now know that it's possible for the spirits to replenish the balance. By opening up the oasis, they can bestow their blessing on the whole Water Tribe, giving us back our lost Waterbenders." Arnook said.
"But, what does this have to do with me?" Katara asked.
"The rite requires an opposing force." Iroh interjected. "Princess Yue is from the North Pole and you are from the South. The two of you will be able to harness the push and pull energies of the spirits."
"And we'll have more Waterbenders?" Katara went on. The yearning in her voice was as tangible as the moonlight and became cords in Zuko's hands. He grabbed at them and pulled, wanting to anchor himself to something in this moment.
Everything felt wrong.
Zhao had found out about the spirits in Wan Shi Tong's library and used that information to kill the moon spirit. Zuko looked over at Iroh and found his uncle holding a scroll. Turning, Zuko looked at Lu Ten and Zuri, catching the moment they shared a look.
Lu Ten had received some other correspondence from Zhao. What else had the admiral found?
"Here." Iroh said, holding out the scroll as he walked to Katara. She stepped onto her back foot and Sokka edged up, but Iroh only smiled.
"Princess Yue has already seen the rite. I should think you would need to as well." He said.
Katara looked hesitant but took the scroll, unrolling it carefully. Zuko couldn't see anything but she tilted her head and her eyes roved over the paper. Frowning, she looked back up at Iroh.
"Is it really that simple?" She asked.
"Sometimes it's more about timing." Iroh replied, taking the scroll back. "And that can be a tricky enough thing to achieve."
"Are you ready?" Arnook asked.
He was just as hungry for this and Zuko understood what had happened. Faced with the prospect of more Waterbenders, of more power, Arnook had promised his only child to be married off to Zhao. Zuko could understand why Lu Ten wasn't offered, but his own eligibility was more suited to Yue's position than Zhao's. The North Pole gained nothing but the promise of more Benders.
And a war could be won with more Benders.
Iroh would have to have known that. An army buildup was obvious to a teenager, it couldn't possibly have been overlooked by the Fire Lord himself. Which meant there was something else. Either the rite wouldn't work, or Iroh was going to get something greater from the deal.
Katara and Yue stood opposite of one another and took their stances. Zuko felt his hands tremble from a chill that started inside himself. Clenching his hands into fists, he tried to fan his inner fire.
The moon lit up the oasis to nearly perfect clarity. The sound of the waterfall was lifted by the breeze it created. The soft lapping of the pond water stirred up the scent of wet earth.
And five Firebenders rounded out the elements.
Katara and Yue began to sway, moving their arms in languid circles. For a moment, nothing happened, but soon the water from the pond began to lift. They moved in sync, bringing the column of water up.
Tui and La mimicked their push and pull from within the elevated water.
Sokka hissed as the water glowed and Zuko felt his neck stiffen.
From the roots, Katara's hair started to turn white.
"What's happening?" Sokka demanded.
"Hush, don't break their concentration!" Arnook snapped.
"Your sister is making her connection with Tui. She'll be fine." Iroh explained gently.
The cords in Zuko's hands tightened as he watched Katara's face twist in her focus.
Yue looked calm.
As the column rose to the height of a man, the glow became ethereal. At first it had resembled an iceberg of pure sea ice, but now it held a multi-colored shimmer in a white spray.
Katara's hair was almost completely white.
"Bind them." Iroh ordered.
Both Arnook and Zuko froze as Zhao and Zuri leaped on the pair.
"What are you doing?" Arnook roared as Zhao clasped a ring around Yue's neck. Zuri snapped a matching one around Katara's and she cried out.
Sokka immediately tackled them.
"The Benders must stay bound in this state to keep the portal open." Iroh said dismissively.
"What portal?" Arnook spat. "What did you do to my daughter?"
"She'll be fine." Iroh replied. "Once I find what I'm looking for in the Spirit World, she'll be released."
At the sound of Zuri's yell, Iroh looked over at them.
"Contain him." He said flatly.
Zuri leaped to their feet with fire daggers in their hands. Zuko stepped in front of them.
"No." He stated.
"Get her out of there Zuko!" Sokka yelled.
"You need to move prince." Zuri growled.
"You will not touch him." Yue said. Her voice sounded like a waterfall and Zuko turned.
Her hair rippled as if she were underwater and glowed with that same iceberg blue. Katara's hair, bone white, lifted the same way and shone from the inside.
There was the sound of rushing water, but it was the guards that showed up first. Emerging from the icy moat, Yue's personal guard erupted onto the land on a wave.
"Take care of this! I have to get through the portal." Iroh ordered and started to walk to the column of water.
Lu Ten grabbed his hand, forcing him to stop.
"Father, please, she's going to break the connection." He pleaded. Iroh wrenched his hand free and glowered at his son.
"I can make my own way out once I find what I seek." He snapped.
"You will not find him. He is beyond you." Yue said.
"Your blood that is a stranger to you will find him. He will have the key and know the lock." Katara's voice rippled out of her mouth and as she turned to speak, Zuko saw how her eyes had turned completely white.
"You will be still as those rings have ordered you!" Iroh yelled back.
Fire blasts popped behind him and Zuko jumped. The guards were throwing ice shards and water whips, and Zuri and Zhao were only able to keep on the defensive. Zuko knew if he and Lu Ten were to join, it might turn the tide.
"I am so much more than you can handle." Yue said.
The sound of rushing water manifested in a giant jettison of water, pulled from the waterfall at the back curve of the ice wall. It slammed into Iroh and Lu Ten, knocking them back toward the moat.
More water pulled from all around them, pouring together in the shape of a massive beast. The owl's head split at its beak, opening wide to let out an unearthly screech. Tentacles the size of tree trunks slammed on the ground, sending up a spray of water and chunks of earth.
The portal was still open.
Sokka had gone to Katara and was pulling futilely at the ring around her neck. He must have done something, because the portal wavered for a second.
Zhao shouted to Zuri and they ran to their targets. Zhao grabbed Arnook, holding a fire blade near the man's face. Zuri tore Sokka off of Katara and did the same to him.
Zuko needed a distraction.
Iroh, attempting to get back quickly, rocketed himself over the moat with fire. A water tentacle caught him mid-flight, wrapping around his middle and slamming him into the moat.
"That'll do." Zuko muttered.
Darting past Zuri, he made sure they saw him knock out a guard, spinning her face first on the earth. They turned back to focus on Sokka's struggling while Zuko picked up the guard's club from her belt. Keeping his momentum, he spun and slammed the club onto the back of Zuri's head.
They crumpled and Zuko thrust the club into Sokka's hands.
"Try to break it off!" He said and went running to the other side of the pond.
Zhao, trying to hold onto Arnook, was engaged with three guards, only one of whom was a Waterbender. Hoping that he was distracted, Zuko ran to Yue.
"I'm here Yue." Zuko whispered as he came up behind her.
"I'm sorry Zuko." She replied softly.
"Don't do anything you actually need to apologize for." Zuko said while he examined the ring.
"Zuko," She started but he grunted as he twisted the ring in his hands.
"Please don't kill them." He said. She stayed quiet, but Zuko found what he had been hoping for. A symbol etched into the bone ring. Clasping his hand around it, Zuko took in and released a deep breath, focusing his energy into his hand. Smelling burning bone, he opened it and the ring fell to the ground in two pieces.
"Traitor!" A man bellowed and Zuko was knocked to the ground.
"You should burn for that!" Zhao was on top of Zuko and held his hand to Zuko's face. Blood left him and his stomach flipped, threatening to upset.
Water enclosed around Zhao and he was ripped upward as Zuko gasped.
He could only see the moon.
Then Yue's face came into view as she stood over him.
"I have to leave." She said.
"Are they alive?" Zuko asked. Yue, with her ink black eyes and seaweed waving hair, smiled.
"Only my husband has perished." She answered.
"Oh."
"Goodbye Zuko. I'll remember your friendship."
Zuko blinked and she was gone.
"Follow them!" Iroh shouted, sounding distant.
Yue's face was replaced by Zuri's and Zuko frowned.
"So, still alive?" They asked.
"I think so?" He replied.
"Good, get up, we're taking over the North Pole." They said.