Zuko raised his cup to take a drink and froze when he spotted Aang walk inside the house. The cup slipped from his hand, spilling everywhere. He didn't notice. Tears prickled his eyes and he ran and gathered Aang into his arms.

"You little idiot," he murmured. "Do you know how worried I've been? How could you have jumped like that? I thought you had died! I had no idea what had happened to you when the bond vanished …"

Aang's feet were dangling and he was squished against Zuko's chest, but he didn't seem to mind. He clung back like a monkeykoala and made a contented little sigh. "I missed you too."

Zuko hugged him tighter. "You're not allowed to jump into death holes again, okay?"

"Okay."

"And you're not allowed to leave without telling us."

"Okay."

"And—"

"Zuko, I know." Aang snuggled into him like the baby monkeykoala he resembled. "I know."

The door to the house opened. Katara and Azula entered and paused as if zapped with paralysis.

"Aang?" Katara said, breaking into a tearful smile. She crashed into the boys in a hug, squishing Aang even more against Zuko. "I knew it," she breathed. "I knew you were okay."

"Hey, Katara."

She laugh-cried. "Is that all you can say?"

"Sorry. I'm just … I'm kind of tired."

She hugged him tighter, which only put more weight on Zuko. Not that he minded. He managed to get one arm free so he could wrap it around her as well. Then he closed his eyes, leaned into the hug, and just breathed. Aang was back. They were all together again. Everything was going to be okay.

"How long do you three plan to stand there like that?"

Azula's dry tone broke through the bubble of relief. Zuko and Katara shot her a frown, but Aang wriggled his way free and approached her.

"If you're feeling left out, all you had to do was say so," he said.

"Don't flatter yourse—"

Her words were cut short as Aang pulled her into a hug. She blinked. She stood there frozen for a whole second. Then her lips pursed, her nose scrunched, and she pushed at his shoulder with her good arm. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Hugging you."

"Well, stop. I have no interest in your clinging, excess displays of emotion."

Zuko bit his cheek to stop from smiling. Aang was always so liberal with his hugs, whether the recipient wanted them or not. He was a bit surprised at how mildly Azula reacted, though. Once, she would have done more than shove Aang into letting go. There was also the fact she looked a bit pink and rigid.

Azula smoothed her hair, quickly regaining her composure. "Anyway, now that the bald brat is back, we can leave, right?" Her eyes narrowed on Aang. "You did succeed, didn't you?"

He nodded. "I reconnected with my past lives and can go into the Avatar State."

"That's great!" Katara said with a smile.

"Yeah, but there's still something I have to do."

Zuko's brow creased. "What do you mean?"

Aang explained how the guardian spirit of the Ito Islands had told him to come find it. He had been planning to start searching straight away, but he'd wanted to let them all know he was back and check on everyone first. Katara hugged him again and suggested he should probably get some rest before he did anything else.

"You've been gone for days and look half dead on your feet," she observed.

"Days?"

They all nodded.

His shoulders slumped. "I had no idea."

"And that's why you should get some rest," Katara said, nudging the small of his back towards his bedroom. "It's okay. The guardian spirit isn't going anywhere."

He shook his head. "No. I don't want to muck around. The others are all waiting for us and the eclipse is getting closer. We can't keep them waiting."

Zuko's eyes widened. There was a deeper sense of conviction in Aang's bearing now. His tone, the way he stood straighter, the way he looked them in the eye with no hesitation. This wasn't a kid trying to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders; this was an Avatar who had no doubt that he could.

An ache passed through Zuko, as it only could when innocence was shed before him. But he was proud as well. He gripped Aang's shoulder and smiled. "Alright. I'll help you look for the spirit."

Aang beamed with all his usual cheer. "Thanks! Though I do wanna see Momo and Appa first. I bet they've been so worried …"

Well, perhaps he hadn't changed too much.

oOo

It rained heavily that night. Katara bent the water away from everyone while Zuko and Azula conjured flames for light. Aang was on spirit-sensing duty with Momo perched on his shoulder. Zuko ended up walking at Aang's side across the sweeping fields.

"I miss it," Aang murmured.

"Huh?"

"Our bond. I know why I had to let it go, but …" He shrugged and offered a sad smile. "I still miss it, you know?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

Aang had told him why and how the bond had been cut. Zuko had accepted the situation, though he was still conscious of a sense of loss. They'd always been connected before.

"Perhaps it's for the best, though," Zuko mused. "If it ever gets out that fire healers are capable of controlling others through energy bonds, I don't think the world would react well if they knew we were bonded."

"But you'd never have done that to me! You'd never do that anyone!"

"Of course not." Zuko almost smiled at how vehement and defensive Aang was getting. That was kind of touching. "But people would still be suspicious, especially given who I am."

"I don't see why."

"That's because you're you."

Aang tilted his head in confusion.

"I mean you haven't had a hundred years of war and prejudice engrained into you. Other people aren't so quick to trust, you know. They don't remember what it's like to live in a world at peace."

Aang got a thoughtful look on his face. "I guess that means we have to work extra hard then."

"Hrm?"

"Our friendship is proof that the nations can come together again, and it's not just us either. Think of your old crew and the warriors, think of the White Lotus. There's people all around the world trying to overcome those barriers. They want this war to end just as much as we do."

"I'm not saying you're wrong. Many are definitely sick of this war, but I still think you'll have an easier time being the Avatar if people aren't worried I'm somehow controlling you."

Aang shrugged. "Maybe, but that's just 'cause they don't know you like I do."

Zuko patted his head, half pushing him forward. "Yeah, alright. Let's just focus on finding that spirit."

"Someone's getting embarrassed," Katara murmured in Zuko's ear.

He gave her a look, which only earned a smile out of her.

They kept walking until Aang signalled for them to stop. Ahead was a cliff that overlooked the beach and the smaller island covered in forest.

"I think this is it," Aang said.

"A cliff?" Azula did not look impressed. "Do you expect us to jump off?"

"I think we do need to go down, actually."

She sighed. "You think, you think, you think. That's all I've been hearing."

"Well, I'm sorry following spirit summons isn't an exact art. It's not like the guardian spirit is talking to me now. All I've got to go on is a slight tug of energy." Aang peered over the edge. "Anyway, the drop isn't too bad."

"For an airbender," Katara said, still with one arm raised as she bent the rain away from them. "If I jump that, I'm going to break a leg or worse."

"Don't worry. I can get us all down."

Aang asked them to hold onto him before they jumped on the count of three, Momo fluttering beside them. The sand zoomed closer, but he created a cushion of air to slow their fall, allowing them to touch down with their feet on the sand. Azula was the first to break away.

"Where to next?" she demanded.

Aang closed his eyes and slowly turned left and right, then a whole circle. It was like watching a human compass at work. "Wait a minute," he murmured, pausing when he was facing the forested island. "Could it be?"

Zuko frowned. "What?"

"I think … I think this is the spirit."

Katara blanched. "You mean the island itself? It's not going to be another Wu Yao, is it?"

"I don't think so. This spirit has seemed pretty helpful so far."

Azula pursed her lips. "Well, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and talk to it."

"Right." Aang stepped forward so that his feet were in the water. "Okay, Guardian Spirit! I'm here!"

Silence.

"Uh, I mean it's me! The Avatar! You called me here, remember?"

More silence.

Zuko scuffed his boot against the sand. "Maybe it's asleep?"

"Or maybe this has all been a waste of time," Azula muttered. "I knew I should have stayed at the house."

Aang frowned. "No, this is definitely the spirit. Hang on, maybe I need to be in the Avatar State. That's when I have full access to my spiritual powers."

An exasperated look was all he got from Azula. Aang ignored this and pressed his fists together in meditation pose. His eyes flashed white and every tattoo glowed. The sand and water whipped this way and that as ripples of energy surged from him like gusts of air.

"I almost forgot how powerful he is," Katara murmured.

The other two said nothing and simply watched as Aang parted the sea with a sweep of his arms. Zuko's eyes widened. The island wasn't an island at all. The creature was huge—huger than any living thing he'd seen. It had four clawed feet, all bigger than houses. It had a mane and massive tusk-like teeth, and it looked just like the creature he had seen all over the Ito Tribe's carvings and on their warrior masks.

That was when it clicked where he had seen the face before. Back in Wan Shi Tong's library, he'd unfurled a scroll and seen this creature depicted in ink.

"Lion turtle," he breathed. "This is a lion turtle."

Aang's tattoos and eyes glowed brighter as he stood with his arms thrust out, keeping the water at bay. "Wake!"

So, it really had been asleep.

The lion turtle shifted and shook its great mane before golden eyes slid open. They were like two suns, warm and brimming with energy. "Avatar Aang," it said in a deep, rumbling voice—deep as if the very depths of the earth were speaking. "So, you finally found me."

The spirit walked closer to shore until there was no need to hold off the sea. Aang lowered his hands, letting water crash everywhere around the giant creature. Not that it seemed to care.

"Thank you," Aang said, bowing as his eyes returned to their normal grey and his tattoos ceased to glow. "Because of your guidance, I was able to regain my abilities."

"The cries of the planet disturbed my dreams. I simply knew it was time to act."

"Well, I'm grateful anyway."

The massive face loomed closer, sea water dripping from its mane. "There is no need to be so polite. Ask me your question."

Aang shifted on his feet, losing some of his confident stance. "You … you said there was another way. What did you mean?"

Katara brushed against Zuko. "More like what does he mean? Do you know what they're talking about?"

"No idea. I guess it has something to do with what happened in the Spirit World."

The lion turtle raised one of its clawed hands. "In the era before the Avatar, we bent not the elements but the energy within ourselves." The tip of a claw pointed at Zuko. "This one, as you know, is a remnant of the humans who mastered that skill."

Zuko swallowed. "Aang, what's the spirit talking about?"

"Right." Aang rubbed the base of his neck. "I forgot to explain that bit."

He quickly told them about energybenders and how they'd used their abilities to fight against spirits and humans before the two worlds had been separated.

"Energybending," Zuko murmured, staring at his palm and thinking of all the bonds he had forged and strange things he had done. "I guess it makes sense."

The lion turtle shifted its attention to Aang. "As the Avatar, you are expected to be the master of the four elements, but you can also bend energy itself. There lies your answer."

Aang's brow furrowed. "I … I don't understand. How is bending energy supposed to help me? And how am I even supposed to do it? I've never been able to make bonds or anything like that."

"The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can touch the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginningless time, darkness thrives in the void but always yields to purifying light."

Zuko's heart thudded like a drum against his ribs. For some reason those words resonated with him. The true heart, the true mind …

Azula grabbed his arm. "We have company." She jerked her chin towards the cliff where warriors had gathered, flickers of flames illuminating their masks.

He frowned but also wasn't surprised. All of them had known they were being watched. "They're not trying to hide, so it seems they want us to know they're there."

"I suggest we keep an eye on them for now," she said. "If they don't do anything, we won't either."

He nodded. It was sound advice. No need to start a fight.

The spirit touched its claw to Aang's forehead and an eerie glow emanated from the point of contact. "I have opened your mind to the power sleeping within you," it said, pulling its claw away, "but if you wish to choose this path, Avatar, know that it does not come without great risk."

Katara glanced between them with a worried expression. "Aang, what's going on? What's the spirit talking about?"

Aang ignored this interjection. "But it will work, right? If I do this, it will stop the Fire Lord from putting the world into further imbalance?"

"There are no guarantees, only choices and consequences."

He bit his lip. "I understand."

"Well, I don't!" Katara stepped forward. "What's going on?"

Zuko met Aang's eyes, suspicion curdling within him. "Aang?"

Aang averted his face.

"Young fire healer," the spirit said, drawing Zuko's attention. "I sense your heart is also burdened. What question would you ask of me?"

He swallowed and looked into those timeless eyes. He had a lot of questions, but there was one that clawed the tip of his tongue. "Why did you do it?"

The spirit raised a gnarled eyebrow.

"If you really did guide the fire healers to the Ito Islands, you must have known that Shūrin was one of them. You must have known she'd already taken over another's body."

"Yes."

"Then why? Why did you help her?"

"It is not my place to judge humans," the lion turtle said in its deep, rumbling way. "She wanted to protect her kind and begged me to save them. Would you rather I'd allowed fire healers to be wiped out?"

"No, but …" His hands balled into fists. He didn't know how to express his feelings without coming across as rude. Shūrin was a parasite. She did evil, awful things. How could anyone condone that?

"Shūrin was not always the way she is now," the spirit said. "Yes, she was embittered with thoughts of revenge, yet her goal was to create a better, safe world for fire healers. She genuinely thought she was doing the right thing." He shook his head. "But humans have limits, and that is something she has never understood."

Zuko frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Time, knowledge and power have all changed her. What you see now is more wraith than human, an entity of fierce will that refuses to die."

Zuko lowered his gaze. "But she will die if I kill Shen, right?"

"Yes."

"And … is there a way to stop her without killing Shen?"

"You already know the answer to that."

Zuko exhaled a small breath. So, his inkling had been correct. All that stuff about true hearts and purifying light meant there was a way to bend Shūrin out of Shen.

"The choice is before you both," the lion turtle said, looking at each boy. "But do not forget that to bend another's energy, your own spirit must be unbendable or you will be corrupted and destroyed. This is not the easy path. This will never be the easy path. You must ask yourself if the risk is worth it."

oOo

The warriors were blocking the way when Zuko and the others reached the top of the cliff. Rain still fell heavily and made the flames that glowed amid the armoured bodies hiss and flicker. Oddly, Taiyo and the female sage with grey-steaked hair, Eun, were there as well. Their robes were drenched to the colour of blood.

"Are you planning to attack us?" Aang asked warily.

Taiyo and Eun exchanged a glance.

"Our orders were to observe," Taiyo said in an unreadable voice.

"And that is all we shall do," Eun responded, shooting him a sharp look before she turned a smile on Aang. "Avatar Aang, you have done what you set out to do here, yes?"

He nodded.

She gestured for the warriors to move aside. "Then by all means don't let us get in your way."

Zuko's brow creased. Something weird was going on. He remembered that this woman had not displayed any goodwill towards them during their trial; it was Taiyo who had been the one more willing to hear them out and who had led Katara and Aang to the spirit portal. So why was she all smiles now while he seemed tense?

"Er, thanks," Aang murmured. "We'll be on our way then."

They headed for the grassy fields. Taiyo's gaze caught Zuko's but he said nothing and his expression remained unreadable. No one stopped the group.

oOo

It was decided they would leave that night. The encounter with Eun and Taiyo had left everyone unsettled, though Katara was still troubled by what the lion turtle had said to Zuko and Aang. She had demanded answers from both and had only been appeased when they'd promised they'd discuss it later. Right now, they needed to break Ursa and Shizue out of prison, collect Yuzo and Atsuo, and get off the islands.

Zuko and Aang ended up taking the prisons since Zuko knew how to avoid the guards, and Aang could bend earth. That left Katara and Azula to collect Yuzo and Atsuo.

Fortunately, it wasn't difficult to get to the cells. Unfortunately, Taiyo and a few warriors were waiting for them.

"I knew you would come here," Taiyo said in a grim voice.

Zuko's heart thudded faster and he cast a quick glance at his mum and Shizue. "Are you okay?"

"We're okay," Ursa assured him. "They haven't done anything. In fact—"

"We just got here ourselves," Taiyo said, "and we want your help."

Aang's eyes widened. "You want our help?"

"There have been … troubling things happening of late," Taiyo said with a faint scrunch of his nose. "Strange orders, stranger conversations. A few of us decided to do a bit of digging and let's just say we didn't like what we found."

Zuko's brow creased. "What did you find?"

"The Unnamed One."

He sucked in a breath. "What?"

"You know her. You've met her. Ursa and Shizue told me as much."

"Yeah, but are—"

"I did warn it would be this way," Shizue said bluntly. "Shūrin has been creating her web all through the tribe. Taiyo believes she controls at least half the sages and who knows how many others."

"I meant is she here?" Zuko ground out before anyone could interrupt again.

Taiyo shook his head. "No. It seems she is using her bonds to direct her puppets from afar."

Zuko and Aang exchanged a worried glance.

"If she's not here," Aang said slowly, "then where has she gone?"

One of the bigger warriors removed his mask to reveal a square-jawed face, complete with a crooked nose that looked as if it had been broken more than once. Zuko recognised him as Shota. "We don't know," Shota said with a shake of his head. "All we know is that she is the one pulling the strings in our tribe. It seems she has always been pulling the strings."

"The puppeteer behind the curtain indeed," Taiyo muttered. "Forbidden name, forbidden techniques. She worked hard to cover her tracks, and all the while she's been living amongst us and harvesting fire healers in search of the perfect vessel."

Zuko's gut twisted. "But then why did the sages allow us to go free? Why let Aang get more powerful when she must know we'll try to stop her?" His eyes narrowed on Taiyo. "You were especially helpful."

"I did that of my own volition." He held his hands up in an appeasing gesture. "I knew it would annoy Cam, and I was curious to see the guardian spirit. It's just a coincidence my actions fell in line with what the Unnamed One wanted."

Zuko looked to his mum and Shizue. They knew Taiyo and the warriors better than he did. "What do you think?"

"I think Taiyo would not ask for our help unless he had a good reason," Ursa responded. "We should at least hear him and the warriors out."

Shizue agreed.

That was good enough for Zuko and Aang, though Zuko refused to discuss anything until his mum and Shizue were released from their cells. Luckily, Shota had nabbed the keys so they didn't have to use bending. Aang's earthbending tended to be on the noisy side.

"How are your wounds?" Zuko murmured, catching his mum's wrist and letting heat emanate from his touch to warm her chilled skin. "Do you want me to heal them?"

"Not yet." She smiled and touched his cheek. "We should get somewhere safer first."

"Alright."

Taiyo shot them a frown but made no comment. "This way," he said. "I know a place where we won't be overheard."

"Wait," Zuko said, pausing. "Kana and Ruolan have gone to get Yuzo and Atsuo. They'll be expecting us to meet them."

"I'll get them," a female warrior offered. That voice had to be Min. Sure enough, when she removed her mask there was the familiar smile. "We'll catch you up at base."

With that decided, Zuko and the others were ushered into following Taiyo while Min dashed off on her own. Zuko glanced over his shoulder to see her figure disappear around a tunnel. So much for the quick escape. He hoped this would all be worth it.

oOo

"No," Shizue said bluntly.

Taiyo's eyes widened in outrage. "You can't just say no."

"I just did."

"We helped you get out of prison!"

"The Avatar was going to do that for us anyway."

Taiyo opened and closed his mouth a few times before he turned to Ursa. "Surely you see why this is necessary? We can't let the Unnamed One stay in control."

"True," she said, "but I'm afraid we cannot help you either, at least not in the way you want."

"Why not?" Min demanded, sitting on a barrel with her legs spread in an unladylike manner.

"Because there isn't time. The Avatar has his own destiny to fulfil. He cannot stay here and help you remove Shūrin's puppets."

"It's true," Aang piped up from where he was sitting with the younger crowd. He rubbed the base of his neck. "Sorry. I'm kind of on a deadline."

Taiyo and his followers were not satisfied. A new circle of arguing started again.

"This is going to take a while, isn't it?" Katara muttered.

Zuko sighed and leaned forward, elbows propped on his knees and his forehead resting against his hands. "I get why they're worried, but there really isn't time to sort this all out. The eclipse is too soon."

Azula said nothing. She never did when the eclipse or returning to the Fire Nation was mentioned.

"Enough of this!" Yuzo stood up. "You think trying to show the tribe the truth is going to make a difference? You think anyone will listen? All An Dung and the others have to say is that you're lying and that will be the end of it! The tribe will think you sided with outsiders and deal with you as they've done every person who's dared to challenge the status quo!"

"That's why we need the Avatar's power," Shota explained. "If we—"

"It won't change anything!" Yuzo balled his hands into fists. "You don't know who she's bonded with, let alone who is following her willingly or who is being controlled. Fact is, if you want to stop Shūrin, you have to stop her at the source. Right now she's out there using my brother as her vessel. We already know this. So instead of talking about all these time-wasting plans, why don't you do something useful like help us get our hands on An Dung so we can find out through him where she is! Then we can go there and stop her!"

Azula leaned her chin on her palm. "That is a better plan."

Atsuo nodded and gave his boyfriend thumbs up.

There were a few grumbles, but most people accepted that the idea had merit. It was, at the very least, better than the alternative since Aang couldn't stay to be their defence. Taiyo and the others all knew the tribe wasn't friendly to challenges of authority. Going up against the big shots without backup would be suicide.

"Do you really think you can stop the Unnamed One?" Shota asked once everyone had settled down again. "She's survived for centuries. How is anyone supposed to stop that?"

"Of course I can't," Yuzo said, and then pointed at Zuko. "But he can. He's the one she chose to be her next vessel. He has the same aptitude as her, or at least she seems to think so, and that means he stands a chance."

Zuko swallowed as he found everyone's eyes resting on him.

"So, that's how it is," Taiyo said, casting a glance at Ursa. "No wonder …"

She narrowed her eyes but didn't push him for an explanation. Perhaps that was for the best. It seemed like Taiyo had picked up on their closer relationship.

"What if she ends up making the boy her vessel?" someone called out. "What then? We'll still be stuck here with all her puppets running the show. At least if the Avatar helps us now we can—"

Zuko stood up. "No. You don't have to worry. I won't let her do that."

"Confident, eh?"

"Yeah," he said, meeting the warrior's eyes. "Because she's already tried to make me her vessel once and failed."

That shut a lot of people up. Katara gave him a proud look before assuring everyone that they really didn't need to worry. It wasn't like "Lee" was going to face Shūrin on his own.

"Trust us," she said. "Trust him, and I promise your tribe will be freed from her influence."

Taiyo unfolded his arms. "Well, I guess we have a Head Sage to go interrogate then."

Yeah, the lion turtle still pulled The Matrix "upload energybending 101" trick. I'll admit I always found that kind of dumb, but eh. I'm rolling with it for this, at least in the sense that it opened up Aang's ability to energybend. He still has to figure out stuff himself.