Chapter One: Northward Bound
Water.
The coursing rapids of the river churned like a boiling pot. The fish native to the waterway had long abandoned their homes amongst the rocks and mud. The commotion nearby was simply too much.
Earth.
The ground thundered with a million steps. Insects and vermin scurried away, horrified by the oncoming overland earthquake.
Fire.
The grassy fields were ablaze. An inferno danced above the meadow, turning the greenery black and disintegrating the shrubbery.
Air.
The wind howled like a wolf, ruffling clothing, billowing branches, and buffeting the birds circling the battlefield. It was powerful; overwhelming, even. And it wasn't natural.
Aang bent the atmosphere to his will. The vortex he had created sucked in the flames and rocks that flew across the ranks as firebenders and earthbenders volleyed their deadly debris from either side of the front lines. "I can't keep this up forever, guys!" he yelled.
Toph slammed her foot into the ground. A large cube of stone erupted from the dirt, which she kicked hard into a row of firebenders. Some wore old, complete Fire Nation uniforms, but most were clad in an odd mixture of rags and armor. "I thought the Avatar was supposed to be all-powerful."
"Clearly, I'm not!" Aang grunted, finally relinquishing his control of the makeshift tornado and letting the earth and fire bowl over the front row of firebenders.
"Katara, where did you go?" Sokka screamed, his toothed sword clashing with an enemy nonbender's blade. Next to him, Suki gracefully outmaneuvered every jab, slice, and fireball thrown at her. Sokka was a sweaty mess, but her face paint wasn't even smudged.
Suddenly, the entire river jumped to attention. It stopped its peaceful flow downstream and leapt into the air, leaving the riverbed bone dry, before swirling up into a massive waterspout and crashing down upon the firebenders. An instant later, the liquid froze, trapping them in a solid block of ice. Katara fell to her knees on the other side of the riverbed, clearly exhausted from the effort of moving so much water at once.
"That's where she went," Suki remarked.
"I can see that," Sokka said flatly, trying to yank his foot out of the ice it had been trapped in.
Aang strolled over, put his hand to the small glacier, and warmed it to slush, freeing Sokka and causing him to stumble over backward into the dirt.
"Your precision needs work, Katara!" Sokka exclaimed.
"I wasn't going for precision," she replied, breathing hard as she walked over to the gang. "I was trying to stop an army."
"How is it that it's been five years since the war ended and we still have pro-Ozai rebellions popping up around the world every other week?" Aang wondered aloud.
"He was a popular guy," reasoned Sokka.
"Ozai wasn't popular, the idea of Ozai was popular," clarified Suki. "His cult of personality ran deep in the Fire Nation and the colonies."
"True. Zuko was telling me how hard it's been to de-Ozai-ify everything," admitted Aang. "Speaking of him, we should probably get back to the capital and tell him these guys are dealt with."
"We can't just leave them like this," Katara said, gesturing to the frozen rebels. "What if the ice melts?"
"We can stop over at that town we saw when we were flying in. They had a garrison there, I think."
The five of them piled onto Appa and zoomed off. They made it to the small town, which, thankfully, was flying the new, postwar banners and markings of the Fire Nation. Zuko had decided to update the threatening trident-like spiked blaze of the old regime with a softer, more friendly flame. Before it had seemed the insignia of the Fire Nation was a deadly weapon, but now it looked like a warm, cozy campfire—truly emblematic of what Fire Lord Zuko was attempting to do with his country. Practically the entire village spilled out of their homes and shops to greet the Avatar and his friends, and the officer in charge of military defense was eager to hear of their exploits in taking down the northern rebels.
"They've been plaguing our town for a while now," he sighed, nodding along as Aang recounted the adventure. "I can't thank you enough for ridding us of those fools. They loot our shipments every other week for supplies."
The young Avatar grinned. "It was our pleasure. Fire Lord Zuko sends his regards."
Content that the rebels would be cleaned up, the adventurers all climbed back onto the great sky bison and took off into the sky. By the time they reached the Fire Nation Capital, the midmorning sun had already dipped below the horizon. Appa spiraled down, landing in the courtyard outside of the Royal Palace. Aang nuzzled his head as everyone streamed off and up the staircase into the building, past the rows of guardsmen and into its labyrinthian guts. They found their way to the throne room, where some familiar faces were waiting for them.
Fire Lord Zuko leaned on his throne, chatting animatedly with the person sitting in it, his pregnant wife, Mai. As always, the long fire pit immediately before them was unlit, showing Zuko would not be separated from his people in the same way his ancestors had been. Two Kyoshi Warriors stood rigidly in front of a pair of pillars, constantly scanning every nook and cranny of the room. Zuko had already escaped seven assassination attempts in his five years on the throne, and he wasn't eager for another one. The Fire Lord stopped midsentence when he saw Aang and the gang walking through his front doors, his golden eyes lighting up like a wildfire. "Team Avatar returns!"
"It's catching on!" Sokka yelped, punching the air.
"In your dreams," Katara muttered.
Aang knelt briefly, then rose to relay his information. "Fire Lord Zuko, we have defeated the northern rebellion. The culprits have been taken into custody by a local military garrison."
The man with the scarred face nodded. "Thank you, Aang. I'll send a force up there to collect them. How was the trip? I'm sorry I couldn't join you five up there this time."
Mai frowned. "Going bounty hunting with your friends isn't exactly the behavior one expects of the Fire Lord. Especially when the Fire Lord's wife is seven months along."
Zuko placed a hand on her shoulder. "Err… right. That, too."
"It was just another adventure," Aang said, shrugging. "You didn't miss out on much."
"We knocked a couple of heads together is all," Toph added.
"Katara picked up a river," stated Sokka.
"Aang made a cyclone," Katara threw in.
"Didn't miss out on much, huh?" chuckled Zuko. "It's alright, really. Why don't you all go find your rooms and rest up? We'll discuss further strategy tomorrow morning, before Aang and I leave for Yu Dao."
"Sounds good to me," agreed the airbender.
Team Avatar filed out of the throne room, on their way to their usual sleeping quarters at the Royal Palace. Suki and Sokka slunk off, practically glued at the hip. From their hushed whispers and Suki's intermittent case of the giggles, Aang presumed just one of their guest bedrooms would be being used that night. They were engaged, after all. Toph… well, Toph disappeared, as usual. Aang had no idea where she went during nights in the Fire Nation. Maybe she'd found a particularly nice cave to sleep in? Practiced her earthbending? Made pottery? He didn't know, and frankly didn't care. What she did on her own time was her business.
Aang and Katara walked together through the halls, eventually climbing a set of marble staircases to the second floor, where their rooms waited. Instead of immediately going in, however, Katara tugged her boyfriend away and led him out onto a balcony. The last whisps of the fading sun turned the sky pink and purple as the moon awoke.
"I forgot you were going to Yu Dao tomorrow," she whispered, just loud enough for Aang to hear.
He slid his arm around her shoulders. "I've been lamenting going there all day. I'm not sure how I'm gonna survive without you."
"I could go with you, you know," Katara offered. "Appa has plenty of room for both of us and Zuko."
"Zuko's taking his own ship."
"More room for me, then."
"Hmm… I'm not sure it's the best idea. Weren't you supposed to go to the South Pole with Sokka and Suki and check up on your grandmother?"
"The South Pole isn't going anywhere," she breathed, pulling him into a kiss. "But you are."
"Well… maybe we can—" Out of the corner of his eye, in the doorway, Aang noticed movement. Instantly, he bent the air and sent a tidal wave of wind towards his perceived attacker.
"Ow!" exclaimed a surprised, windblown Zuko, flat on his butt in the doorway. "I can't even walk around my own palace in peace?"
Aang cringed, extricating himself from a chuckling Katara's arms. "Sorry about that, Zuko. Did you want to talk to me?"
The Fire Lord picked himself up and scratched the back of his head, saying, "No, actually, I wanted to talk to Katara… but you should probably hear this too." From his robes he produced a tightly bound scroll that he opened with a flourish and held out to the couple.
The waterbender's eyes widened as she skimmed the contents of the scroll. "The Northern Water Tribe has been attacked?"
"What?" Aang yelled.
"It's true, I'm afraid. I just received this scroll as you all were leaving. It seems the Southern Raiders have moved north," Zuko said. "I don't think Katara and I made a great impression on them when we were searching for her mother's… well, you know."
Aang frowned, rereading the letter. "They're still around? So, what, they've evaded us for years, and then they just attackthe Northern Water Tribe with no provocation? They have to want something out of it."
Zuko scowled. "We don't know what they want, but the Water Tribe has put out a call for all waterbenders available to come north to help defend in case the Raiders return. Master Pakku specifically requested Katara's help."
"I'll go," she said firmly. "They're my people, too."
"I should go too," Aang announced. "I'm sure the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation won't start another century-long war if I don't show up as a liaison tomorrow."
Katara shook her head. "No, Aang. They need you in Yu Dao. I have to do this myself."
The airbender sighed but nodded in agreement. "If you really feel that way… alright. Just promise me you'll stay safe."
She smiled. "I will."
"What about Sokka?" Zuko pressed.
"What about him? He's not a waterbender, and besides, I don't think him going to the North Pole will stir up any desirable memories," mused Katara.
The Fire Lord bit his lip. "Right, uh… the whole 'my girlfriend turned into the moon' thing."
"I mostly meant you trying to kill us, but yeah, reminding him of Yue when he's set to marry Suki seems cruel."
"Okay, well, I've already apologized enough for trying to kill all of my current friends, so I'm just going to pretend you didn't bring that up. The ship leaves tomorrow morning at dawn, Katara, and the Northern Water Tribe is set to pick you up at the Northern Outpost by the Northern Air Temple. Be there on time, please. Goodnight and good luck," Zuko said, waving goodbye. He rubbed his eyes, exhausted from a long day, and disappeared into the palace.
Aang leaned against the railing, hands dangling over the edge, trying to absorb all the information that had just been thrust upon him. Finally, he just groaned loudly and announced, "I'm going to go fly for a bit. Clear my head."
As he reached for his glider, Katara placed a hand on his arm. "Can I come too? Keep you company?"
The Avatar smiled. "Definitely."
He grabbed his staff and popped open the wings. He grabbed the front rung with his left hand, and wrapped his right around Katara's waist, while she did the opposite. Once their feet were situated in the back, the airbender sent a huge gust of wind below them and rocketed straight into the darkening sky. The pair of them had done this before, and it had, over the years, become Aang's favorite way to just… exist. He was in his element, joined with the person he loved most in the world, and they could just watch all the earth beneath them. The glider soared higher, pausing at the apex of its climb, then nosedived down, angled straight at the capital city. Katara let out a shriek, but Aang laughed with glee, feeling the wind whip at his face.
"Don't you just love flying?" the teen yelled.
"Not as much as I like liviiiiiing!" she screamed, clutching him tighter as they pulled out of the dive and into a loop.
Aang decided to stop with the fancy tricks and instead just glide lazily over the metropolis below, which was turning in for the night. Firebenders methodically patrolled the streets, lighting lamps and kindly informing people that curfew was coming in just a short while. Children playing in the streets were ushered inside to bed. Only the plazas at the center of town, full of fancy restaurants and expensive markets selling luxury goods, were still full of people. Aang's eyes wandered from the city and up to the jagged walls of the crater it was built in, inevitably stopping on the stars above. The sun finally slumbering, the moon and its friends had moved in to illuminate the sky.
"It's beautiful," Katara gasped, drinking everything in.
Aang replied, "Want to get a bit closer?"
"Depends on what you want us to get closer to. Because even though I know you would catch me if I fell, I still don't want to go up too high."
"The city, I mean."
"Oh. Yes, that sounds nice."
The young couple spiraled low, close enough that if Katara had reached out her fingertips would have grazed the rooftops. Aang decided he didn't want to disturb any of the residential buildings after dark, however, and he soon pulled up, jetting over to a very private, but very welcoming structure: the new temple dedicated to Avatar Roku in the center of the city. Zuko had had it constructed as a central point of reinventing modern Fire Nation culture, simultaneously honoring theheritage the country (and Zuko) could be proud of and also sweeping the more problematic days of Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai out of the spotlight.
"Hopefully, Roku won't mind," said the waterbenders as they touched down on the gently sloping roof.
"Well, I don't mind, and technically I am him, so I think we'll be fine," Aang responded, closing his glider, and taking a seat next to her at the ledge.
"How does that work, anyway?" she wondered. "Your past lives."
Aang shrugged. "Eh… it's complicated. Calling the lives of Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, and the others my past lives is a bit of a misnomer. Like, I'm the Avatar, and they were the Avatar, but we aren't the same."
"That's only made me more confused."
The airbender leaned back onto his elbows, watching the square below. "Think of it this way: your dad is the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, right? And there were chiefs before him. But while they held the same role, they faced different problems and were different people from different eras. The Avatar is something like that. I'm the Avatar, and Roku was the Avatar, but we're different people."
Katara nodded slowly. "So… you're just Aang, really."
"Just Aang," he agreed. "Or at least, that's the best I can figure out. I suppose I won't really know until I wind up in that weird cloud dimension the other Avatar incarnations hang out in."
"Well, that won't be for a long time yet," Katara sighed, slinging her arm around his shoulders. "Avatar Kyoshi lived to be 230, after all."
"Yeah. But let's just focus on the here and now," Aang offered, kissing her softly.
/ / | \ \
The docks were filled with the hustle and bustle of a lively seaside port. Sailors, navy men, traders, and shopkeepers milled about, buying and selling, walking and talking. Carts of fish and other aquatic life sat adjacent to Fire Navy ammunition and crates of coal. Momo, being the hyperactive little lemur that he was, flew through the stands selling freshly cooked salmon and juicy moon peaches, trying his best to snag something to eat. "Hey, you little rat! Give that back!" yelled a shopkeeper, swatting at Momo, who had made off with a hunk of banana.
The lemur chittered indignantly in reply, as if he were laughing, dodged another slap, and flew up and away. He soon circled back down, landing on Aang's shoulder, and dug into his hard-won fruit.
The Avatar rubbed his eyes, still drowsy from waking up so early. "You're sure you're fine doing this alone? I really can come help you if you think the North will need it."
Katara shook her head. "Aang, I'll be fine. They need you in Yu Dao, and they need me up there. And I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
"I never said you weren't."
"I know."
"Everyone aboard, the ship is leaving for the Northern Outpost!" roared the voice of the captain from up on deck.
"That's my call," Katara said.
Aang took her hand and stared into her big blue eyes. "I love you, Katara. I want you to know that."
She smiled wide. "I love you too, Aang. I'll love you forever."
"Until the end?" he asked.
Katara nodded. "Until the end."
He kissed her on the forehead. She smiled as she turned to walk up the gangplank, shouldering her rucksack. Momo suddenly realized what was going on. He looked at Aang, then looked at Katara. "Go with her, Momo," Aang suggested, scratching the lemur's floppy ears. "She could use a friend."
Momo chattered again, then soared up to the deck of the Fire Navy ship. He found Katara at the edge, waving down to the last airbender as the engine groaned and sputtered to life. The ship lurched forward, dragging through the water. Soon the docks, and the bald, tattooed boy on them, were but a memory.