A / N: Sorry that it's taken me like two weeks to get an update out. Everything's getting a bit hectic with exams coming up and especially now that the final 10 episodes of SU Future and the final series of The Clone Wars are out, I'm a little preoccupied. There'll probably be a bit more of a 'hiatus' after this chapter as I need a bit of time to try and plan out where Aang and co. go from here. As always, leave a review and I hope you enjoy!

Notes: Similar to Zuko's earlier situation, I've decided not to include Aang's trip into the Spirit World into my story because it would've stayed pretty much exactly the same to as it was in the show.

Ren opened his eyes to an unfamiliar sight. Gone were the vibrant greens of the Spirit Oasis and the serene bodies of water, replaced with an endless expanse of ocean that disappeared over the horizons. The water was murky and inky and the sky was a deep black, like a night sky with the uneasy absence of celestial bodies shining. He stood on a lone iceberg, waves sloshing against its sides, with a large tower of ice located centrally.

"You didn't save me." A familiar voice resounded in the eerie silence from behind Ren and he whipped around to find none other than Aang who looked as normal par a pair of completely empty eyes. No longer did he sport the grey irises that held so much wisdom and knowledge, no longer did the gleam of deviousness and childish joy appear. Instead they were devoid of colour, each eye looking like an endless void of nothingness. The rest of his body was just as dishevelled. Burn marks riddled his airbending garb and his skin, normally pale and smooth, was equally as scarred and bruised.

"You let Zuko take me," he continued, speaking with the same monotonous voice. "Now my spirit is lost, and the Northern Water Tribe will fall. You failed, Ren. Why?"

Before he could answer, another voice came from behind him. "You left me alone." He recognised the voice and hesitated to turn around, fearing those blackened eyes would reappear once more upon another familiar face. But his curiosity bested him and he saw the figure of Yue, those same black eyes appearing in her sockets just like Aang's and with the same malformed appearance.

"You left me to that wretched firebender's mercy. I could die, Ren. You've let my tribe down, Ren. You failed, Ren. Why?"

A harsh wind began to pick up, causing Ren's thick coat to bellow in the gust. Aang and Yue, however, seemed completely untouched by this sudden outburst of the atmosphere. The waves lapping against the ice began to increase in size, sea spray beginning to fling up and whip Ren's cheeks. He tugged the jacket closer to his body, trying to preserve any and all body heat to guard himself against the elements increasing in severity.

Now, it was Pakku's turn to appear. "You left me to die against the Fire Nation. You should've been fighting with me. You didn't teach the Avatar waterbending. You didn't protect the Spirit Oasis. You failed, Ren. Why?" He once again had the same black eyes, and so did Arnook who appeared just after.

"You betrayed my trust. I took you in as a son when your father left, and despite everything I've done for you, you've let me down. You've failed to guard my precious daughter."You've let our tribe's sole hope of survival fall into the hands of the Fire Nation. You're no better than your father. You failed, Ren. Why?"

More and more people kept appearing around Ren, all chanting their grievances at once and all with the same devoid eyes. Childhood friends appeared, asking why Ren abandoned them over time. Old girlfriends appeared, asking why Ren was so shut off from them. Fellow tribesmen, political advisors, warriors, all expressing their distaste of Ren and his personality and actions. Even a pair of young Water Tribe siblings who he had never seen before appeared, telling him that he could never replace them.

The chanting continued, the incessant sound of hundreds of tumultuous voices saying "Why?" filling his head. All the while, the inky waves continued to bash against the sides with more force, and the howling wind forever grew. Ren's face was scrunched, holding his hands over his ears. I can't handle this. Why do I always have to fail someone? He tried desperately to shut out his surroundings, squeezing his eyelids shut.

"I was the first person you ever failed, Ren. And I'll never forgive you for what you did to me."

Suddenly, everything stopped. The waves subsided to a gentle rock and the wind fell to a gentle breeze. The people standing around Ren had stopped their yelling and parted to form a large opening between Ren and the tower of ice, where a new man stood, his back to Ren. He wore the archetypal garb of the Northern Water Tribe, fur boots, a blue parka, and a club slung over his back. But what gave him away to Ren was the hair growing on his head. It was very short and was a light brown, unlike the other members of the tribe who all bore jet black locks. He turned, facing Ren, revealing a chiselled jaw and a misshapen nose, evidence of multiple past fractures. But what was most prominent on the man's face were the eyes.

They weren't like everyone else's. They weren't the same black, lifeless orbs. Instead they were a deep azure blue, exactly the way he remembered them when he last saw them twelve years ago.

"You let me down, Ren. You could never understand why I was doing what I was. I was always just trying to keep you safe. Yet when I needed you the most, you threw me out to rot. It pains me, it sickens me to call you my son." His eyes were shooting daggers at Ren, as if the past twelve years of anger and contempt were suddenly bustling out of his system in one, concentrated glare.

Ren rarely cried, but he could feel the unshed tears pooling in his eyelids. "Father, you left me no choice! I never wanted to turn on you!" he pleaded, sinking to his knees and clasping his hands in front of him.

The man just looked at Ren with disdain, before letting out a small laugh, before replying. "Don't justify your actions. You had every choice. You could have stayed with me, and we could have lived in safety for the rest of our lives. But you chose wrong. You chose Arnook over me. And now, you will forever pay the price. You will lose this invasion, you will lose the Avatar, and you will die, knowing I never forgave you for your actions."

Ren gritted his teeth and placed his fingers on his crown. "This isn't real," he was desperately muttering to himself. "This is just a dream, this isn't my father, I'm just imagining this."

The man jumped off the pillar and strode menacingly toward the kneeling Ren. He bundled the front of Ren's parka into his fist and pulled him off the ground and into the air with ease. His strength was abnormal, like three muscular men bundled into one, and Ren could not fight back against the vice-like grip. "I see you for what you really are now," his father spat. "You are only a shell of me. You are a weak, selfish, pathetic boy that I never wanted. Your mother died for your life, and this is how you repay her? By showing yourself to be useless and small?" he spat, his words digging into Ren's body harder than any blade could ever dream of doing. He walked, still holding Ren, to the edge of the iceberg and held Ren above the waves twenty feet below. They had begun to crash once more, as if eager to come up and swallow Ren whole.

His father finally looked Ren in the eyes for the first time, and in them he could see the lack of remorse, the pure, singly-minded hatred he held towards Ren. Ren had never been more terrified in his life. "The world would be better off without you," his father spat, the contempt in his words overwhelming. And with a final twisted smile, he let go of Ren, causing him to plummet into the murky depths of the all-black world. Ren tried his best to swim, to stay afloat, but he was pulled under by some invisible force and could only watch his last few precious bubbles of air escape his throat as he was pulled further downwards, further, further…

The half-day journey had been long and tedious, and only then did Katara, Sokka and Bato realise how much they preferred travelling with the ostrich horses. The midday sun bore down on them incessantly as they squandered along the dirt trail, marked on the map they were given. Despite their profuse sweating, Katara had denied both Bato and Sokka for some of her water, claiming it was her only way of defending themselves and that they should have brought their own.

An uneasy tension still sat between the three. Not due to the awkwardness of an adult travelling with children that were not his own, not due to the resolved prejudices of Katara and Sokka feeling as if Bato had replaced Aang. No, the atmosphere was tense due to their realisation of the levity of their situation. They were faced with an opportunity to not only resurrect the Southern style of waterbending, but to revive their own festering tribe that had been sitting on the brink of poverty ever since the Fire Nation raids. Bato felt immense pride at the opportunity to help restore his people's honour as well as the siblings, but to a lesser extent.

Their main concern was not of the Water Tribe, but of the Fire Nation. Their conversation the night earlier still left both siblings with an unresolved idea of what was to be expected of them and both made it clear to the other that they were not ready to kill yet. They could at least try to preserve their innocence a bit longer.

That 'bit longer' was likely not to be as long as they thought, as Sokka soon exclaimed, "There's the encampment!"

About five hundred metres down the road Sokka had pointed out a handful of red tents within a light forest, lying to the side of the road amongst some bushland. There were three large tents surrounding a central campfire, and they could see a figure standing next to a large wooden pole.

As the group edged closer though, they could see that this person was not just standing; rather, they had been chained to the wooden pole. They had black hair and tanned skin, instantaneously identifying them as a member of the Water Tribe, but they couldn't notice any other features.

Bato however, instantly recognised the person. He muttered under his breath, "Kirima," not realising that Katara and Sokka heard him.

"You know that person?" Sokka asked.

Bato replied with an edge of satisfaction in his voice. "Yes, I knew Kirima when I was younger. She was… special to me when I was younger." His eyes glanced wistfully into the distance towards the outpost, before snapping back to Katara and Sokka. "She was taken by the Fire Nation when you two were around three and four years old. You probably wouldn't remember her."

Now it was Katara's turn to get excited. "So you mean she's a waterbender?"

Bato nodded. "The best we had. She could fight like nobody else, and she even knew how to heal. She was incredible."

"I can't wait to meet her; she sounds amazing!"

"Well I can," Sokka said, purposefully interrupting the Katara-Bato daydreaming session. "We need to be stealthy about this, remember? We can't just boldly run in and save her just because you used to be lovey-dovey with her and because she can teach you bending." This earned Sokka a punch on the arm by Katara, but she nodded.

"You're right. Bato, do you think you can put personal attachments to the side for tonight?" she asked.

"Of course. I've waited eleven years to see her again, I think I can wait a bit longer."

Sokka pointed out towards a thicket of trees on the outskirts of the campsite. "I say we head there to do our reconnaissance. We should be within earshot and if we're quiet, we won't be found." Katara and Bato both nodded in agreement.

They decided not to walk the rest of the way down the road in case they were seen, so they took a large loop around and through the forest to get there. Along the walk, Katara conveniently noticed a stream flowing which would surely come in handy later. After about half an hour of quiet and slow hiking, they reached their vantage point and settled in the grass, their earthen hues blending well with the tall grasses.

Sokka climbed high into the trees, his body masked by the dense foilage. From his height, he could see two figures bent over the extinguished firepit holding a kettle. They called for someone, and a third person emerged from one of the tents and emitted a small fireball to ignite the wood. This was big news. From this, Sokka had figured out that there was likely only three Fire Nation troops down there and that only one of them was a firebender. He quickly scaled down the bark to where Sokka and Bato anxiously waited from their lying positions on the ground.

In a hushed tone, Sokka recounted his info from his scouting expedition. "As far as I can tell, there's three of them and only one of them is a firebender."

Bato grimaced. "Katara, do you think you'll be able to take care of the firebender? Bato and I probably wouldn't stand as much of a chance."

She sighed. 'I'll try my best, but I'll need some help as soon as you're done with your fights. My waterbending still isn't that great."

"That's no problem, Katara." Bato paused. "I suggest you two make yourselves comfortable, because we're probably going to be here for a while."

"Ren, can you hear me?"

"Ren you've got to wake up!"

"Ren, he took Aang!"

"Ren!"

He awoke with a start, frazzling Yue. She had been trying to wake Ren up ever since Zuko had left with Aang, fearing for the young airbender, and had been at his side for the last two hours trying to shake him out of his sleep.

"Wha-what's going on?" Ren mumbled, feeling unsure of himself. "What was that dream?"

"How would I know? You've been muttering 'I'm sorry' for the last twenty minutes now."

Ren gasped. Had he? No, surely not… "Yue, do you think it's possible I was in the Spirit World?"

"I guess it's possible. I mean after all, we're in the most spiritual place in the whole Northern Water Tribe, this is the easiest place to travel there. But we don't have time to think about that right now! There's a blizzard going on outside the city and that Zuko guy went into it with Aang over two hours ago! I'm worried that he might freeze to death out there!"

If Ren wasn't awake before, he sure was now. He jumped to his feet and ran to the circular wooden door, Yue hurrying in tail. "We need to find him, now. If the people in my dream were telling the truth, then there's a good chance the tribe will fall if we don't find him." He pushed open the door to reveal Appa and Momo, who had been dozing until the door slammed open with a loud bang, jolting them awake. Ren bent a small icy staircase up to Appa's saddle, and offered Yue a hand up the stairs. He then followed suit onto the saddle, and went forward to the reins.

"How do you start this thing?" Ren inquired, receiving only a grunt from Appa. Momo, realising what it was that Ren wanted to do and recognising him as a friendly face, scuttled over to Appa's ear and squeaked out something vaguely resembling, a 'yip yip.' Within seconds, the bison heaved into the air and began gliding into the skies, causing Ren and Yue to gasp at the sight of the tribe.

During their time in the oasis, the fighting had well and truly broken out. The massive armada had approached the main wall which now lay in ruins, with Fire Nation ground troops now meeting head on with the people of the Water Tribe. The firebenders were vicious, especially during the middle of the day when they were at their most powerful, but his comrades were staunchly defending the city. Just a few more hours, guys, Ren thought, just hold out until the full moon. Then, we can take all of these people out easily.

Turning back to Yue, who had also been taking in the sight, he asked, "Did you see what direction Zuko took Aang?"

Yue snapped out of looking at the battlefield and turned her attention to Ren and the task at hand. "I think he went to the east, but I don't know how much luck we're going to have finding him. The snowfall is covering up any tracks they could have made!"

Realisation kicked in for both of them. Out here was an abandoned Fire Prince and the spiritless body of the Avatar. There was no chance either of them would ever survive this cold, and Ren was already questioning if they were too late.

"How long do you think it has been since Zuko left with Aang?" he asked Yue.

"I'd say at most three hours. The sun rose late today and it's midday now, so…" Yue paused. "Do you think that's not enough time to find him?"

"No. We can find him. We just need to be smart with our searching. You look to the right, I'll look to the left. Tell me if you find anything."

They continued like this for at least an hour and a half, desperately looking out over the frozen tundra until a blinding white light arced across the afternoon skies, going down into a small cave just below Appa.

"That must be Aang!" Yue exclaimed.

"Could be," Ren commented. "Appa, yip yip!" He guided the bison down towards the ground towards the cavern and just as they reached the ground, they saw Aang being held up by the scruff of his neck by Zuko, who was growling at him.

Aang could see Appa, descending gracefully towards him. He'd been saved! "Appa!" he exclaimed, before being tossed aside by Zuko. He yelped in surprise when hitting the cold snow.

Appa landed onto the ground with a thud, with Ren quick to jump off and face Zuko. Momo also jumped off and beelined for Aang, as he gnawed away at Aang's bindings trying to free his friend. Meanwhile, Zuko launched a few fireballs that were tempered by the wild snowstorm towards Ren who dodged them with absolute ease.

"Here for a rematch?" Zuko sneered, too prideful to admit the fact that he stood little to no chance of winning out there.

Ren merely grunted, and used his waterbending to send Zuko flying into the sky, before gravity inevitably took hold and Zuko fell to the ground, knocking him unconscious. Ren walked over to the body of the firebender and stood triumphantly, exclaiming "I'm NOT a failure!" to the empty expanse of the arctic.

Aang, free of his bindings, cocked his head to the side and looked at Ren with curiosity. "Why did you say that?"

"…nothing."

Yue, still on top of Appa and watching the events unfold, was anxious to head back. "We need to hurry!" she cried, urging Aang and Ren to hop back aboard.

Aang, suddenly remembering his visions from the Spirit World, gasped. "The spirits are in danger! We need to hurry!" He bolted up to Appa's side and was about to climb up, before hesitating and looking back at Zuko. "We can't just leave him here, though."

Ren shook his head. "We don't have time, Aang. We need to go now."

Aang stood his ground. "If we leave him here he'll die." He quickly airbent himself over to Zuko and scooped him up in his arms, collecting the rope discarded by Momo as he did so. He then jumped gracefully onto Appa and, with help from Ren, began to tie Zuko's hands and ankles together.

Ren grumbled. "Fine. But as soon as this invasion is over, I'm throwing in him jail. He's too much of a nuisance to be left free."

Aang shrugged, finishing tying the last of the bindings. "Fine by me. Hopefully then I can learn the elements in peace."

Over an hour had passed since the trio had reunited and were travelling back to the Northern Water Tribe when Aang felt it. A disturbance, something terrible. Something, he knew, was happening to the spirits, and his fears were confirmed when the moon suddenly and inexplicably turned red.

It seems Aang wasn't the only one who felt the shift in balance either however, as Yue suddenly grabbed her head in pain as if she was severely wounded. Aang inquired if she was okay to which she replied, "I feel faint."

Aang nodded. "I feel it too." Looking backwards at the eerily scarlet moon, he worried not just for the moon spirit Tui, but for the waterbenders opposing this firebender invasion. Indeed, they were reliant on the moon spirit as the source of their bending, just as firebenders relied on the existence of the sun. He couldn't fathom what could be happening down on the battlefields and suddenly the thought of his Master Pakku flashed into his mind. Yes, he was most likely the finest waterbender in the world right now but without it? He could pass off as a skinny old man. He had no physical prowess for fighting hand-to-hand as far as he knew, and against the wrath of firebenders that had yet to be stripped of their power, he stood little to no realistic chance.

His thoughts drifted further, and Katara flashed to mind. How would she fare, in the absence of waterbending? His hand reached up under his collar to the jewellery hanging around his neck, an item that had gradually been becoming familiar to Aang over his journeys. The smooth stone with intricate carvings still reminded him so much of Katara, and he yearned to know that she and Sokka would be alright.

He sighed, glancing back at the blood moon as they approached the outer city cliffs. "The Moon Spirit must be in serious trouble," he murmured, to no one in particular.

Yue replied unexpectedly, causing him to turn his head. "I owe the moon spirit my life."

Aang cocked his head. "How come?" he enquired.

"When I was born, I was very sick and weak. Most babies cry when they're born but I was born as if I was asleep, my eyes closed. Our healers did the best they could, but they told my mother and father I was going to die soon nonetheless. My father pleaded with the spirits to save me so that night, he brought me to the Spirit Oasis and placed me in the pond where Tui and La swim. My dark hair turned white and I began to cry just like a healthy baby would, and they knew I was going to live. That's why my mum named me Yue. For the moon."

Ren, listening in to the conversation between Yue and Aang, interrupted. "Sorry to break your talk, guys, but we're just about at the oasis. Any idea what's going on or what we should do?"

Yue paused. "I'm not sure what we should be expecting, but something or someone has endangered the Moon Spirit. My guess would be some stupid Fire Nation troop that snuck behind our lines."

Aang nodded. Looking out over Appa's saddle, the oasis was now coming into focus below Appa. Indeed, Yue was right, as he could spot five men wearing red and black uniforms standing amidst the grassy grounds, one of them holding a squirming sack. Appa went to ground with a gentle landing, and from the groung Aang let out a gasp. No, Aang thought, shuddering. There's no way. Zhao?!

The hours had ticked away yet the three of them had remained patient in their positions. Sparse rays of moonlight illuminating the forest through the dense leafage above was the only form of light they had to see by par the blazing bonfire within the Fire Nation campsite. They lay on their stomachs about twenty metres from the closest tent and from their vantage point, they could hear everything the soldiers were saying.

It seemed they were in a jovial mood, as hinted at by their immense celebrating with mugs filled with alcohol and large scores of food splayed out around the campfire, surely stolen from nearby villages. The three soldiers were already well past tipsy, as they spoke with heavy slurs and trudged around the campfire with a clumsy attitude.

One of them walked up to Kirima, who still stood with her limbs bound with chains against the wooden pole, and poured his liquor over her head. Kirima didn't respond, and simply remained still and silent, ignoring the taunts and laughs from the firebenders. "Stewpid waterbender," he jeered, waving his empty glass at her. "You made me spill all of mah beer! You'll pay fer this!" He raised the glass over his head and smacked her in the jaw, causing her to emit a loud yelp of pain.

In the grass, Bato had been watching this whole display and was gritting his teeth. By the time Kirima had been hit however, Bato couldn't stand it anymore and was about to charge them right then and there is Katara hadn't put a hand on his forearm, signalling him to calm down.

In a hushed tone, Bato furiously complained, "I can't just lie here and do nothing! She's getting bullied right before my eyes!"

Katara replied, trying to keep both her and Bato cool under the circumstances. "We're not doing nothing, Bato, we're gathering intel and waiting for the right time. We won't be helping her if we get killed, remember. These guys might be drunk but that only makes them more dangerous. I promise, if it looks like Kirima is about to get seriously hurt we'll jump into action."

"Katara's right. We've just gotta wait for the right moment," chimed Sokka. "Besides, these guys are totally out of control of their mouths. We could really learn some important stuff about the Fire Nation army by waiting."

Almost as if on cue, Sokka's theory proved correct. One troop, who was seated on a small log, took a large swig from his mug before talking. "How d'you reckon that invasion up north is going?"

"No way we lose it. Did you hear how many ships Zhao took to the Northern Water Tribe? Must've been at least half the ships the Fire Nation owns. He must be really serious about this."

Sokka and Katara both stifled gasps, remembering that Aang was up in the North Pole. They hoped he was okay, and both felt a pang of guilt about leaving him alone without help again.

"This is bad," Sokka muttered. Katara nodded in agreement.

"Don't get ahead of yourself boys," the captain of the trio said, reinstating Katara and Sokka's interest in the conversation. "Don't forget, we still need to take down the Earth Kingdom."

"Yeah, but that's gonna be a cinch with those new war balloons that mechanist guy invented. How can earthbenders attack us when we're in the sky?"

"Praise to that. Looks like this war might just be over soon. And even if those flying whatchamacallits don't do the trick, we still got Sozin's Comet in not too long. That'll win us the war, easy."

"Things are finally turning up Fire."

Sokka's mind was in chaos. War balloons? How in the world would they ever be able to fight flying machines? As far as Sokka knew, the only way to fly in the world was either on Appa or with Aang's glider, and both of those resided currently in the Northern Water Tribe which was conveniently under siege. Life is great. Great!

For the next half hour, nothing good had come out of the warriors. They spent a good while on a tangent talking about their favourite foods, then got into an argument about whether or not the walls of Ba Sing Se actually held secrets. Bato rolled his eyes. Despite being the clear enemy, these Fire Nation people were actually quite funny drunks.

"I'm telling you, the walls have ears! You whisper your secret to them and it locks it away in the bricks! At least that's what those travelling singer people said."

"Oh shut up, you lightweight."

It took another twenty minutes or so, but the moon had now fully risen just as the soldiers began to feel drowsy. One of them had receded to their tent, another was pouring Kirima a cruelly small amount of water to drink, and the other was simply gazing into the fire, entranced by its dancing flames. It was time to strike.

Quickly, the trio converged in the bushes. "What's the plan?" Katara asked, making sure that her voice volume was at an absolute minimum and keeping one eye on the encampment.

"I just saw the firebending one go into the tent, so that just leaves the two non-benders. Bato and I should be able to take care of those non-benders pretty easily, so that leaves Katara with the firebender." He glanced to the side to his sister. "You up for it?"

Katara ground her fist into the earth and stared determinedly into the encampment, the fire of her will burning in her eyes. "Let's do it."

As a unit, they slowly but surely snaked their way up through the grass towards the campsite, where the flora was beginning to thin out, leaving less coverage for a stealthy crawl. The tall grass abruptly stopped about five metres shy of the closest tent, where the three now lay in wait, poised to strike. Sokka raised his right hand and, with his legs folded ready for a swift start, whispered "Three, two, one!" ever so quietly.

But it seemed as if he had forgotten all about their stealth operation, because as soon as Katara, Sokka and Bato had jumped out of the grass and began running to the camp, Sokka yelled at the top of his lungs, "SNEAK ATTACK!"

The two non-benders, who had been falling asleep on the logs surrounding the open flame, stood up with a sudden shock and whipped around, their hindered senses resulting in poor reaction times. They had barely turned around by the time Sokka and Bato had pulled out their clubs and had begun swinging, forcing the two Fire Nation men to stumble backwards into the dirt. Realising their position, the two awkwardly raised their hands in surrender, causing Sokka and Bato to give great big smiles.

Katara, however, was now poised to the side of the tent with the firebender, water whip at the ready. Her anxiety was besting her, after watching Sokka and Bato heroically restraining their captives, and fearing they wouldn't be able to match their feat. After all, they were ambushing the Fire Nation, and Katara had never really fought a firebender hand-to-hand.

"Rather than a whip, try freezing his hands together instead."

Kirima, who was silent as ever during the raid, now opened her eyes to the welcoming sight of her salvation. She eyed the young waterbender with curiosity, unconsciously critiquing the girl's stance and strength over her element. She's gifted, she thought. Poor thing, she probably never got to learn properly. "Concentrate on the water molecules within your grasp and solidify the water by compressing them. Think of it kind of like a defensive manoeuvre."

Katara stood, slightly slack-jawed, but nodded. Soon after, the firebender exited his tent, rubbing his eyes when seeing the scene displayed in front of him. His eyes were bloodshot as if he had just woken up from a mild sleep and could only manage to sound out a "Wha…?" before his wrists were forced together by chilling ice. After only a moment, his ankles were frozen together as well, causing him to lose balance and fall to the ground with a yelp. He was fuming. He had been bested by some stupid waterbender! Payback would be sweet.

Katara took no notice however, and it took her a moment to figure out what she had actually just done before jumping with glee. "I did it! Sokka! Bato! I did it! Did you see that-"

She never got to finish. The next moments passed by her like a blur.

All too soon, the sky, the plants, her own hands, the moon, everything turned red.

The temporary frozen restraints shackling the firebender to himself spontaneously melted.

"Filthy water peasant!" he snarled, flames leaping out of his bunched fists. He roared and sent a fireblast careening towards Katara, which she only just managed to avoid.

And she ran, ran deep into the forest, chased by a drunken, bloodthirsty firebender and cries from Sokka and Bato.

"Zhao, don't!"

Aang's plea for restraint fell upon deaf ears, Zhao's ego making himself unresponsive to logical thought. "It's my destiny, Avatar, to destroy the moon and the Northern Water Tribe," he sneered, hoisting Tui further up within the gunny sack. The spirit was thrashing about within the bag, and both Aang and Yue could feel the mortal danger it was in.

Aang tried to appeal to reason. "Destroying the moon won't just hurt the Water Tribe. It will hurt everyone, including you. Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world!"

"He is right, Zhao," said a shadowy figure standing by the edge of the oasis in a similar spot to Zuko hours earlier. His voice was hoarse and dry, and he spoke with a hidden anger and determination.

"General Iroh, why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?" Zhao said coolly, unflinching in the face of his new adversary.

Aang gasped. Iroh! But I thought he was bad? His eyes drifted warily over to the figure, who had removed his hood to reveal the familiar features of the old general. The sideburns, the forehead wrinkles and the plump belly all seemed to add to Aang's growing confusion. Why would Iroh be on his side? Wasn't he always helping Zuko to try and capture him?

Iroh continued. "I'm no traitor, Zhao. The Fire Nation needs the moon to; we all depend on the balance." He shifted his body into a fighting stance, bending his knees and raising his fists in front of him. "Whatever you do to that spirit, I'll unleash on you tenfold! Let it go, now!" The old man demanded with such ferocity, causing Zhao to recoil ever-so-slightly.

Zhao hesitantly reopened the bag containing the physical spirit and dropped it back into the pond. Almost instantly, the infinite shades of red defining their reality subsided and returned to the normal palette. Reunited with each other, Tui and La began to encircle each other once more in their endless dance, to the anger of Zhao. Why should the Moon Spirit survive? Without it, all the waterbenders will be useless! They'll call me Zhao the Moon-Slayer, Zhao the Conqueror of the North, Zhao the Invincible! I'll become a legend, enshrined within our military history, worshipped as a deity, jjust by killing this stupid fish. But… Is Iroh right? The hesitation flashed on his face, clearly at odds whether or not slaying this ancient being was the right course of action.

But his composure could only last so long without Zhao's lack of self-control rising to control his actions, as he was wont to do. He yelled, a guttural, primitive sound, and sliced the air with his outstretched hand. A sharp slice of fire bore down onto the lake towards Tui, flames leaping up from the water and recoiling towards the shocked face of Iroh. Any sliver of hope that the Moon Spirit survived the fatal attack could be considered futile, as the moon faded from the night time sky and the world was swallowed into endless shades of grey. The Moon Spirit was dead.

I've done it! Zhao thought triumphantly. I've done it – oh, no.

Iroh's reaction time was unnaturally fast for a man of his stature and age. With a swift leap he jumped towards the four firebenders defending the cowering Zhao and bending fireballs towards him, but was quickly surrounded by his opponents. Zhao saw this as his opportunity to escape, hurrying towards the solace of the shadows of the pond and through the circular entrance of the Spirit Oasis, without so much as a glance back at his Fire Nation entourage. They were sprawled around Iroh on the ground, unconscious, selfishly left behind by their superior. Their fate was now in the hands of the rag-tag group congregated around the koi fish pond.

But Iroh and the others had more pressing matters to attend to, mainly that regarding the newly deceased Moon Spirit. La was weakly circling its counterpart's body within the lake, swimming without intent or purpose. Iroh knelt on the grassy bank and lifted the fish's body out of the water, deeply saddened as he hoisted it into the air.

Yue walked closer to the pond, unable to believe herself what had just occurred. Tears wallowed in her eyelids, and she sunk to her knees on the waterbank, raising her hands to cover her face to sob. "There's no hope now," she wailed between muffled sniffs. "It's over."

As if a switch had been flicked, Aang's tattoos glowed active with a blinding blue light, a source of colour in the now devoid world. His eyes, normally peaceful and filled with the joy and youth of a twelve-year-old boy, now glowed with the might of the sun, staring directly into the pond where La now paused, staring back at the Avatar with the same intensity.

"NO," the voice of a thousand Avatars boomed. "IT'S NOT OVER."

He walked barefoot into the pond, normally considered an act of sacrilege against the spirits. But Aang paid those customs no heed as he stood directly above La with his fists pressed tightly together. Slowly, but surely, the eyes of the koi began to glow with the same luminosity, as if some mutual agreement had been formed. And then, just like that,

He dropped. And with nothing but the smallest splash, the Avatar had submerged completely into the waist-deep water, his body disappearing without a trace.

But he wasn't the only one to have escaped. If Ren had been more careful, he would have seen his dangerous Fire Prince prisoner burn himself free of his rope restraints. He would have seen the firebender slink out of the Spirit Oasis moments after Zhao.

But most importantly, he would never had known that Zuko had been awake that entire time, and that he had seen what the Fire Nation had done to the Moon Spirit. And despite Zuko's inherent patriotism for his homeland, after witnessing the atrocities of war, the first seed of doubt as to the righteousness of this war had been sown into his mind.

Don't stop, Katara.

Don't look back.

Keep on running, run from the danger.

Focus…

A fireball whizzing past her left ear reverted Katara's consciousness to the physical, sickeningly red, world around her. Her legs had been on autopilot, blindly running around the forest trying to escape this drunken bender who had the sole intent of killing her.

She scurried around a thick oak tree, hand at her chest, panting heavily. She quickly cast a glance furtively around the tree trunk to try and find her pursuant. She could see him in the distance now, his burning fists lighting up the forest with their devilish glow. He was walking slowly, the clumsiness of his alcoholic system causing him to lean lopsidedly to the right.

"Oooooooh water girlllll," the drunken man slurred, punching a fireball towards a nearby tree, satting it alight, "I'm gonna git 'cha! Just come on and peek yer head out!'

Another fireball was sent flying towards a tree close to Katara's right. The hefty force of the fire blast caused the tree to crack and splinter as it fell to the ground, its bark still engulfed in writhing flames and swirling strains of smoke. All that was left of the tree was a burnt stump, jagged at the edges due the tree's forceful felling.

More fireballs were shot from the firebender, each setting their target alight instantly with flame. Small mammals and birds were scared from their branches, each trying to scuttle out to a safer and secure location.

Thick smoke was beginning to suffocate the woods. The flames were beginning to leap from the trees to the dry grass underfoot, setting the kindling alight and spreading the inferno out to other trees. Leaves crackled alight and the firebender, once cocky with desire to slaughter the poor girl, now found himself entrapped within the blaze, fearing for his life.

"Hey, water girl? D'you reckon youse could put out this fire real quick?" he stuttered, trying to back away from the clearing. Dumbly, he fired blasts towards the oncoming flames which only served to increase the ferocity of the bush fire.

Katara could not hear him. She was too busy darting her way from tree to tree, trying to escape the forest before it was completely engulfed. Flames were beginning to lap at her ankles, and large trees were beginning to catch alight. Faintly, she could hear the yells of Sokka, Bato and Kirima through the roar of the flames and the thudding of trees hitting the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the three of them through the thick blanket of smoke, skidding to a halt near a flaming oak and looking on in horror, trying to find Katara.

"Over here!" she yelled, waving her arms about her head, trying desperately to be noticed. Thankfully, she caught Sokka's eye and he frantically pulled on Bato's sleeve, pointing to his trapped sister. The two men began running around the circumference of the spreading fire, trying to get as close as possible to Katara, evading falling branches and weaving about the licking flames.

As much as Katara wanted to reach them however, she couldn't help but look back at the man who had started the fire. It was hard to truly see what was happening to him, but he looked like a lost cause from her vantage point. His legs had become trapped under a thick log and he was screaming for help, for anyone, for some form of salvation. His clothes were alight and his skin was raw and bubbling from the heat. She grimaced. Despite her grudge against this sick firebender for holding Kirima as a captive, for trying to kill her, for setting this beautiful forest alight, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for not being able to help the dying man. No one should suffer like he was now, trapped within his own fire with no means of escape. But unless she wanted to die with him, there was nothing Katara could do.

So she ran. Not to him, but to Sokka, Bato and Kirima, for her salvation and to escape the man she was leaving to die.

But it wasn't long until she collapsed, clutching at her chest, feeling as if part of her soul had been ripped out. She fell to her knees, the shouts of Sokka and Bato sounding more distant than ever, and looked up to the night sky. No longer was the sky an ugly shade of scarlet, but now it was devoid not only of colour, but of the moon. Somewhere, somehow, the Moon Spirit had been destroyed and part of her soul as a waterbender was destroyed with it.

She fell onto her back, eyes struggling to stay open, as flames and smoke obscured her vision of the night sky. She wanted to run, wanted to escape this hellhole but she felt weak and useless, and her muscles were devoid of energy.

Hoarsely, she whispered Aang's name. He must have something to do with this but from her position there wasn't anything she could do to help, and she hated herself for it. He was probably fighting for his life and here she was, lying on the ground in a burning forest, too weak to be able to do anything. It felt pathetic that the most support she could offer was merely whispering his name, and even then it ironically probably brought her more comfort than it did. His name was the last thing she said before she finally drifted into unconsciousness, inept to the sound of Bato and Sokka running through the fires to save her.

Avatar, you must help me.

La, Spirit of the Ocean. Together we can save this tribe from invasion.

Yes. Let us purge the world of these filthy people. Humans are the reason why my love Tui is now dead. Let them all suffer!

NO. La, Zhao is the reason Tui was destroyed. No good will come of killing everyone. Let us defend the waterbenders. They have been honourable to you both and have worshipped you and your teachings.

You are right. The Northern Water Tribe has always been loyal and faithful to us. Very well. We will spare them. But the others will pay for what they have done. Through their foolish actions they will incur my wrath.

As the bridge between the physical and spirit world, La, I request that we do not kill.. We will merely scare them away with force.

Fine.

Very well. Let us begin.

Aang was gone, whisked away within the body of the giant koi monster that dominated the dark skies with its glowing form. Even from within the Spirit Oasis, it appeared to be over fifty metres tall, a towering force over the northern lands. Yet Yue could not care less. All she could think about was the dead koi fish, the one that had so valiantly saved her life so long ago, that had placed some of its own lifeforce within her…

Iroh, noticing the pondering expression upon the princess's face, placed the koi fish back within the water. "Princess, if I may be so bold as to ask, how exactly did you get your white hair?"

"I almost died during childbirth. But my father brought me to Tui and the spirit gave me part of its own life so that I could live. That caused my hair to turn white."

Iroh gasped. "You have been touched by the Moon Spirit, then! Some of its life lives within you!"

And now, it all made sense. Yue always knew that her role was to reunite the warring factions within her tribe. Ever since the outbreak of war, different families had expressed conflicting opinions about the correct course of action for the war. Some wanted to combine with the South for increased strength, others wanted to negotiate an alliance with the Fire Nation, others wanted to send forces to the Earth Kingdom, and others were simply prepared to do nothing. They had caused her father's court to be in a constant state of disarray, constant arguing over even the smallest decisions. Therefore, in order to instigate a peace within the courtroom, he requested that Hahn, the eldest son of one of the largest, most influential families within the tribe, marry his daughter. Initially, she had been publicly against the marriage but after consideration of what the wedding would mean for her homeland, she begrudgingly obliged.

Now, she could see that her destiny was to unite her tribe, but not by marrying some twerp who clearly only saw her for her body and her political power. She could reunite the tribe against their common enemy, but only through sacrificing her life to save the Moon Spirit.

She stood up from her kneeling position and brushed off her overcoat. "Yes, you're right. It gave me life, maybe I can give it back."

She began to walk towards the pond, where the limp form of Tui floated, until a firm hand grasped her wrist, She swivelled around to see Ren standing there, bearing a saddened expression.

"Yue," he began, "You don't have to do this. It shouldn't be your responsibility to give your life for the Moon Spirit. Besides, I promised Arnook that I would protect you!"

Yue paused, then laughed sweetly, masking the waves of emotion rolling over her. "Ren, this is my duty. I realise that now. You have to let me do this."

Ren shook his head. "Please, Yue. I can't fail him again. Not after everything he's done for me. Not after everything that's happened. And I can't fail you, either. Not after how you helped me after my own father left."

Yue stared deeply into the pleading depths of Ren's eyes. Within them, she could see the person she had grown up with ever since she was four years old. The boy who had been unceremoniously dumped into their family, yet was immediately embraced by everyone, the adoptive brother who had always been there to guide and protect her.

She pulled Ren into a tight embrace, her eyes squeezed together to prevent herself from crying. "Ren, I have to do this. I know you just want to protect me but please… please, let me protect you for once." She sensed his hesitation, before he wrapped his own arms around her in a tense embrace.

After a minute, they broke apart, Yue sniffing with tears and Ren with a downcast expression. Without another word, she walked over to Iroh and knelt beside the water again, lifting Tui out of the water placing her hands upon the dead fish's body. Magically, the koi fish began to glow and she could feel the faint pulsing of a heartbeat, as her own rapidly receded. Within mere moments, the koi had returned to swimming fervently in a circle, awaiting for the return of its counterpart.

Iroh, having felt like a third wheel to the emotional conversation between Ren and Yue, now placed his index and middle fingers on Yue's neck, confirming what he already suspected. "She's gone," he bluntly stated, before acknowledging Ren's saddened mood. "You should be very proud of her," he reassured him, "What she did was very noble and selfless."

Ren nodded, still looking down at Yue's body as it began to fade from existence. And then, strangely, she reappeared. Like rays of sunshine through overcast clouds, an ethereal figure of Yue drifted towards the surface of the pond. Indeed it was her, but at the same time, she looked bizarre. Her appearance was ever-so-slightly translucent, and she had shed her Water Tribe clothing for a pale white dress that flowed elegantly behind her. She smiled.

"Goodbye Ren," she said, her ghostly voice reverberating throughout the oasis. "I'll always be with you and Father."

Iroh returned the now-writhing koi fish back to the water, instantly returning the moon to the unnaturally empty night time sky and bringing forth the colour that was left lacking by the absence of the moonlight. As he did so, Yue's form vanished from the pond and Ren was left there, a mixed rush of emotions overwhelming him. As for Iroh, he recognised what to do.

"Well, I think I am about to overstay my welcome," the old man chuckled, rising to his feet to acknowledge Ren in the eye. "You are a brave and strong young man and the Avatar is lucky to have friends such as you. But the Fire Nation has caused much damage to your tribe and if I am found, despite my inactivity within battle, I will surely be persecuted." With a small and courteous bow, Iroh excorted himself towards the main entrance of the Spirit Oasis as the gears began to turn for Ren.

Iroh. Iroh. Why did that name sound so strangely familiar? There had never been an Iroh in the Northern Water Tribe, and he didn't know any firebenders. Master Pakku mentioned something about an Iroh, though, didn't he? Once? Yes, only two days ago, when he told me about the Order…

It finally clicked. "Iroh!"

The old man warily turned his body to face the young waterbender, noticibly entering a slightly defensive stance. "Yes?"

"My… my master Pakku told me I had to find you!"

Iroh narrowed his eyes. "I do not know a Master Pakku."

"But he said that you were part of a group, or something?"

"Young waterbender, I would recommend that you do not waste my time. My nephew may be in danger and in a few hours, if I am still here, I will be dead. What do you want?"

An idea came to Ren. He fished into his pocket for the familiar cylindrical Pai Sho piece emblazoned with an image of a flower. "He gave me this," Ren said, displaying the chip into the air for him to see.

At this, Iroh's attitude changed, and immediately dropped his stance, a smile growing on his face. "Ah, so Pakku has finally found himself a candidate?"

"What? No… wait, I thought you said you didn't know Pakku!"

"Of course I didn't tell you! If I said I did I would have given away my secret, no?" Iroh winked.

"Ok, that doesn't matter right now," Ren dismissed, with a wave of his hand. "Look what I wanted to ask you was… can you teach the Avatar firebending?"

Iroh pondered, heavily considering the gravity behind Ren's request. As a Grand Lotus, he was almost obliged to help in the maintenance of balance within the world, a balance that had been seriously misconstrued ever since Sozin's Air Nomad Genocide just under a hundred years ago. Yet, he knew his loyalties lay elsewhere, primarily with the young, scarred Fire Prince that was beginning to feel like his son.

He sighed. "If it were possible for me to do so right now, I would. But unfortunately my responsibilities lie with my nephew first and foremost and I can imagine he would not be too pleased to have to travel with the Avatar. Besides, Aang has not learned earthbending yet, has he not?"

"I don't believe so."

"It is important that he learns the elements in the correct order in order to understand the discipline required for each element. The Order of the White Lotus supposedly faced similar issues when training past incarnations. Now if you excuse me, I must be heading off." With that, Iroh spun on his heel and began to walk back towards the door, before pausing and turning his neck back to Ren. "Find me once the Avatar is ready. Only then will I consider training him."

Avatar! Look up! La has returned to us!

And excellent timing it is. The Fire Navy appears to be abandoning their attack.

I must return to the Spirit Oasis and ensure that my love is, indeed, safe.

Of course, La. I thank you for your cooperation within disbanding this attack.

And I thank you, Avatar. May we meet again, in your lifetime or another.

Sokka held his sister in his arms as they walked back to the Fire Nation camp. He could feel the faint rises and falls of her chest from her breath, and yearned for her eyes to open. Sokka felt guilty for his sister's condition; he should have been able to protect her. If she died tonight he felt it would be on his conscience, his fault, and that thought scared him. He couldn't lose his sister. Despite their petty squabbles and arguments, he would be genuinely lost without her. She had taken over in Sokka's life as a maternal figure like Gran Gran, and he didn't know if he could ever cope without her. And what would Dad think…

No. Now wasn;t the time to think about what Hakoda would or wouldn't like. Sokka didn't care if his father would think he was a disappointment for failing to protect Katara. Right now, his only concern was bringing her to a safe place for healing. Hakoda could come second.

They reached the camp, where the two remaining soldiers lay face-up against the ground. They had been knocked unconscious by Sokka and Bato before running after Katara, to make sure they wouldn't try to escape.

Sokka laid Katara's body on the ground by the dead fire, and Kirima knelt down to more closely examine her arm. Indeed, more than just her arm had gotten burnt but that was where it was worst and where it could most likely get infected.

"It's pretty bad, but she'll live," Kirima said matter-of-factly, not looking up at Sokka or Bato. "I can heal it, but I'll need some water. You," she pointed to Sokka, "find all the water you can, and you," she turned her gaze to Bato and faltered. Bato had been gazing down upon her with a strong sense of admiration and only just noticing this, Kirima blushed slightly.

Wow, how similar he looked from eleven years ago. Still with that same long face, but she could see how the years had added wrinkles to his already-wizened expression. His body was more muscular and toned, but was burdened with the aftermath of a brutal battle, bearing a hideous burn mark all along his arm. He had been through it all, clearly a changed man from the one she was forced to leave behind so long ago. And yet, those eyes of him still remained untouched, still filled with the same courage and love she had fallen for all those years before.

Realising that she had stopped all of a sudden, she stuttered quickly, "B-Bato, can you get a blanket or something for Katara? She'll need to get out of these clothes." Bato and Sokka nodded and ran off to their respective chores while Kirima examined the rest of Katara's body.

Within moments, Bato returned with his arms full of fur pelts and thin sheets and Sokka with two large vases filled with water. Kirima set them all down beside her and bent two small streams of water out of the vessels into each of her hands. The water began to glow under her control, much to Sokka's surprise, and placed them on Katara's right arm, healing her worst burn first.

"It's a shame we had to meet again under such dire circumstances, Bato," she said, looking up and smiling at Bato without taking her concentration away from her patient.

Bato grinned broadly. "Agreed. But what better way to chat than over an injured body, just like old times?" Bato was so uncharacteristically awkward around Kirima, it made Sokka want to cringe. But what he saw as strange in Bato, Kirima clearly found endearing.

She giggled. "Just like old times. Still have the same awful sense of humour I see?"

"Well I made you laugh, didn't I?"

"I suppose you are right." She then turned her gaze over to Sokka, and began sizing him up. Sokka, feeling pressured under Kirima's spotlight, unconsciously placed his hands over his chest and groin as if he were butt naked. "Who's your friend here?"

Bato beckoned towards Sokka. "This is Sokka. Hakoda's boy, you remember?"

Kirima looked genuinely shocked. "Kya's son? My, you've grown. The last time I saw you you'd have been no older than four. How is your sister doing?"

"Well, you're kind of healing her right now, so…"

"Oh, my. This is Katara? She's become such a beautiful young woman. She takes after her mother quite a lot, you know. I can really see the resemblance."

This made Sokka feel self-conscious. He had long ago forgotten what his mother had actually looked like, and had since replaced that image with Katara's. It hadn't really been anything he'd thought about too much, but he felt sad that he had no recollection of the woman who had impacted his life so much. He was also annoyed that Kirima, not even a part of her family, could remember someone who had died six years ago so vividly.

"Can we stop mentioning Mom right now? Right now I don't want to focus on a family member I've already lost when I'm about to lose another."

Kirima's eyes widened. "Oh yes! Sorry, I – I forgot that she died. Sorry." She turned her conversation away from Sokka and back to Bato, where they began to bond again over the body of his comatose sister, who seemed to be resting so peacefully. But Sokka wasn't peaceful. Something wasn't right.

Kya had died six years ago, when the Fire Nation attacked his village. They were looking for the last waterbender, his sister, and his mother had bravely given her life to spare Katara. So how could Kirima have ever known that Kya had died, when Kirima had supposedly been captured eleven years ago? Something wasn't right. Kirima was hiding something.

Still, he didn't press the issue. He sat back quietly, holding Katara's left hand for what felt like hours, zoning in and out of Bato and Kirima's conversation. He had a million thoughts going through his head at once, yet none of them were where they should've been, with Katara.

Finally, Kirima stopped. She took her hands away and placed what little water was left into one of the vases. Sokka was dumbfounded by how much healthier Katara already looked. Her skin was looking more natural already, her cuts and bruises were relatively faded and her breaths were becoming deeper. He helped strip Katara down to her wrappings and bundled her up in the blankets.

Once, Katara was safe in Sokka's arms again, Bato decided it would be best to head back to the village while the two Fire Nation troops were still unconscious. And as Bato and Kirima lagged behind to gradually redevelop their bond, Sokka was left holding both the physical baggage of Katara and the mental baggage of Kirima's twisted truth.

Zuko was shocked. Right before his eyes, Zhao had just been snatched by some crazy glowing water fist and was dragged down to the depths of the canals of the Norther Water Tribe, presumably drowned. But what shocked him the most was that he felt sorry.

Sorry, for the man who had tricked him so many times. Sorry, for the man that caused him to become a public enemy of the Fire Nation. Sorry, for the man who hired a band of pirates to assassinate him by blowing up his ship. But he quickly tried to stamp those thoughts out of his mind. His father said that feelings of empathy meant weakness.

He gazed down at the still-rippling water where Zhao had vanished through, then turned his attention to Iroh, who was walking down the bank of the canal towards him.

Iroh stopped just below the bridge Zuko stood on, looking up at him with adoring and worried eyes. "Zuko, are you hurt?" Zuko just grunted in response.

"What happened to Zhao?"

"… he's gone."

"Did you kill him?"

"No. The Ocean Spirit took him. I tried to save him."

"Hmmmm." Iroh stood ther stroking his beard, curious as to the whereabouts of the admiral's body. Surely, if drowned, he would have floated back to the surface by now. But his thoughts were silenced when Zuko spoke.

"What he did, with the Moon Spirit… that was wrong, right?"

Iroh hadn't known Zuko had seen what Zhao did to Tui. But nonetheless, he responded. After all, he always sought to draw out Zuko's inquisitive and benevolent nature and now seemed like an opportune moment to help his nephew. "Yes. Slaying the Moon Spirit was depraved and wrong. We all require the balance of the moon, not just the Water Tribes."

Zuko did not reply. He simply paused, before turning to briskly walk towards the main wall, with Iroh in tow. They understood the necessity of leaving soon in order to elude capture from the Northern Water Tribe.

They managed to reach a floating hunk of ship on the outskirts of the city just before dawn, and crafted a makeshift sail from a piece of tarp. Before long, the two family members began to navigate their way out of the water strewn with bodied warships and the occasional corpse of a Fire Nation soldier that had floated to the surface. Zuko shivered. This was the part of war he hated the most.

"I am surprised Prince Zuko," his uncle said, fixing the sail to a plumbing pipe they were using for a mast. "Surprised that you are not at this moment trying to capture the Avatar."

"I'm tired."

"Then you should rest. A man needs his rest."

And they drifted, off into the vast expanse of the northern seas, watching the billowing smoke clouds from the retreating Fire Navy gradually subside and the walls of the Northern Water Tribe fade into the horizon.

The Northern Water Tribe had been decimated from the Fire Nation's attack. Houses were demolished, the great wall that had safeguarded them for so long now bore giant holes, and many people, warriors and innocent citizens alike, had been injured in the harsh few Fire Nation soldiers that were left at the tribe were rounded up and herded into a makeshift prison, with their hands and feet bound together in chains to prevent escape by firebending.

But what hurt the tribe more than anything was the revelation of Yue's death. Aang had been the one to break the news to the people, and it broke his heart to tell Arnook his only daughter had died.

"I'm sorry about your daughter."

"It's okay. The spirits gave me a vision when Yue was born. I saw a beautiful, brave young woman become the Moon Spirit." He sighed, wistfully gazing into the rising sun. "I knew this day would come. And I'm so proud of Yue… but so sad too."

Ren had been quiet the whole time throughout Aang's delivery of the news to everyone. His jaw was clenched shut, his arms folded over his chest, and his eyes wrenched shut to keep out his hidden tears. He couldn't get rid of the images from his spirit-induced dream, of all the people around him telling him he was a failure. And they were right. He'd failed to keep the tribe in balance, he'd failed to keep Yue from death, and he'd failed to get Aang a firebending teacher.

The hours passed, and still Ren didn't say a word. Only when Aang began to pack up to leave the tribe (after a recommendation from Pakku to find an earthbending teacher) did he work up the courage to finally speak to Arnook. He walked up to the tribal chief with his head hung and hands clenched by his sides.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save her. I'm sorry for failing you."

Arnook pulled him into a fierce hug. "It's okay. You did everything you could and that's more than I can ask."

"But she was your daughter? How could you not be angry?"

"Because as I considered her my daughter, I consider you a son just as much. I always knew this day would come, and I know you did everything you could to try and save her."

Ren sniffed. It was out of character for him to get so emotional. He stepped back and unfurled his arms form around Arnook and wiped his eyes with his parka sleeve. "I won't fail you again, I promise. I'll go with the Avatar and I'll make this tribe proud."

Arnook smiled. "Spoken like a future chief."

Meanwhile, Aang and Pakku were also exchanging their goodbyes, albeit highly less emotional.

"What do you mean, you're not coming?!"

"I'm sorry, did I not make myself clear?"

"I need someone to train me to waterbend or else I'm done for!"

Ren interrupted the conversation having said his goodbyes to Arnook. "I'll be travelling with you in Pakku's place."

Aang swivelled round with a childish grin on his face. "Really? You're coming?"

Ren nodded, his face as serious as ever. "Indeed. I'm ready to set off whenever you are, Avatar."

Aang cocked his head. "You know, you can just call me Aang." Ren nodded, not wanting to say more.

Within the hour, Aang, Momo and Ren were on Appa's back, flying away from the icy wasteland of the North Pole. Ren had been given time to pack but brought precious little with him; just some gold pieces, food supplies, a few maps given to him by Pakku and a collection of scrolls to help tutor Aang. Ren sat on the saddle casually, looking over his shoulder at the gradually disappearing scene of his home. He felt bad, abandoning his people during a crisis, but if the Avatar was not taught the elements and did not end the war then the annihilation of the Northern Water Tribe would be inevitable. But just as he felt bad about leaving his home, he felt a desire. He needed to prove himself again, not just in the eyes of this young Avatar or Arnook, but to himself. He wanted the emotional security to know that he wasn't a failure and a disappointment, and he needed that personal acceptance before others could begin to convince him he wasn't a failure.

But as one rider faced negative problems of coping away from home and with mentality issues, the other was surprisingly happy. For the first time in ages, Aang would no longer be alone on his travels. Sure, Ren was no Katara and Sokka, and he was still so emotionally isolated from Aang, but at least he would have company on the long, tedious journey. It felt good.

It was past midday by the time Katara had woken up back in the Earth Kingdom village. She arose from her pillow, rubbing her eyes, to find herself lying in her bed in a fresh pair of clothes. Her old Earth Kingdom ones, burnt and tattered from the night's terrors, were draped over the back of a wooden chair nearby. Katara tried to pull herself up and out of bed, but flinched when she put weight on her right arm. She lifted it out of the covers and quickly placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a yell.

Her left arm was covered completely in bandages, and underneath the wraps she could feel a slight stinging sensation.

"Hey sis."

The sound of Sokka's voice shocked Katara. Indeed, there he was, sitting at the foot of his bed with his hands clasped between his knees. His facial expression was muddled; he appeared happy to see Katara yet she could see there was some underlying stress masked by his smile. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged. "I'm not really sure, to be honest. What happened to my arm? When did we get back from the camp? Is… is the moon okay?"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, one thing at a time. We left the campsite a few hours after you passed out in the bushfire, because we were waiting for Kirima to heal your arm with her waterbending magic." He beckoned towards her arm. "You burnt it pretty badly last night. Kirima spent ages trying to help it get better with some of her waterbending magic." He wiggled his fingers towards Katara, eliciting a small giggle from her. "And yeah, the moon's okay. Do you know what happened? I wanted to ask Kirima but she and Bato have been giving me the oogies for ages."

Katara giggled. "Sokka, grow up. And I'm not really sure what happened with the moon but it probably had something to do with Aang. I think something bad happened to the Moon Spirit."

"Like what?"

"I dunno, but I think that's why I collapsed. The part of me that's a waterbender was hurt somehow when I saw that the moon had gone. I just couldn't move anymore."

"Do you feel better now?"

She shrugged again. "Yeah, I guess. If the moon is back now then I haven't got anything to worry about, do I?"

"Yeah you're right." Sokka paused, and a look of hesitation flashed across his face.

"Sokka, what's wrong?"

Sokka took in a big breath of air and said in a surprisingly timid tone, "Apparently Kirima has something she needs to tell all three of us. And judging by the way she said it, it doesn't sound too good. She wanted to tell us as soon as you woke up."

Almost as if on cue, the door to the cabin swung open and the two adults strode in, arms linked. Bato bore a genuine smile, something Katara hadn't seen in a long time, and she finally saw what Kirima really looked like. When her face wasn't masked by her long, frayed hair, she seemed actually quite good-looking. She had dark skin like anyone from their tribe, a small nose and light-blue eyes, that locked onto Katara as soon as they entered.

Bato was the first to react, running from Kirima's side to kneel beside the bed frame and place a hand on Katara's shoulder. "Katara! You're awake!"

"Now that you're awake, I have some information for all of you. You may want to take a seat." Katara shuffled up more to the ehad of her bed to make room for Sokka, who sat down between the siblings. The three of them looked onwards to Kirima, who stood confidently.

"As Bato may or may not have told you, back when I lived in the Southern Water Tribe I was not only a waterbender, but an astronomer. I would chart the night skies and the phases of the moon, to help our hunters navigate while on expeditions and to provide security as to when our benders would be weaker if we were attacked.

When I escaped the Fire Nation prison that the other waterbenders were contained in, I noticed something along my travels at night. I noticed how the Moon and Earth were moving around the Sun, and I was able to deduce that there will be a solar eclipse within the next few months."

Unsure as to what this meant, Sokka spoke up. "What does that mean, though? Why is that news?"

Kirima smiled. "Because firebenders lose their fire during a solar eclipse. The Fire Nation will be completely vulnerable."

"…oh," was Sokka's only response, his jaw hanging limply open. This was big, he thought. Especially if they wanted to invade soon, if the Fire Nation doesn't know about this then we have a chance to end the war completely.

"There's more." Kirima paused.

"When I was taken from the Southern Water Tribe, they sent me to a prison within the colonies in the Earth Kingdom where they keep all the other waterbenders. But strangely enough, three years ago, we got a prisoner that wasn't a bender. It was unheard of, even amongst the inmates that had been there for thirty or more years."

"But so what? If they're so important then why haven't you told us who they are yet?" Sokka yelled, clearly infuriated. "You've been acting weird ever since you said Katara looked like Mom last night. What aren't you telling us?"

"I'm not quite sure how to say it is why…"

Now it was Katara's turn to get angry. "Kirima, what the hell is going on?"

Kirima swallowed, looking at Bato before returning a fierce, strong stare towards Katara. Nothing could prepare them for the gravity of her next words.

"… it's your mother, Katara. She's still alive."

A / N: thisstoryisAUthisstoryisAUIcandowhatIwantscrewitKyaisbackbaby

Also, I know it would make more sense for the Fire Nation to hold their prison within their own borders as that makes logical sense, considering Hama broke out of the prison and lives in the Fire Nation, but I don't want to have to wait until the very end to find the prison.

Sorry about the ending, the last bits were probably a bit scrappy. I just wanted to get this chapter out, I feel like I've been sitting on it for ages and I want to start writing my next chapter. I'm really excited for where I can take this story now. And as always, please remember to leave a review if you want!