"Look, look! Hinata is wearing girl's clothes!"

"Is he wearing makeup?"

"What a weirdo."

Laughter and mocking words. Tears mixed with the heat spreading on fourteen-year-old Hinata's cheeks, and he ran. He ran and ran and ran, half tripping on the hem of the fine robe as his vision blurred and his chest grew tighter and tighter. He'd been seen, he'd been seen, he'd been seen.

Eventually, the sound of the other kids' jeers faded. He tripped—on a jutting root this time—and crashed to the ground, knees and hands throbbing in protest. Dirt had collected all over the pretty fabric of the robe he'd borrowed from his mother. A little sob escaped and he huddled into himself, his whole body trembling.

Soft footsteps and an even softer voice. "Hinata?"

"Go away, Shen!"

A pause. Then a hand came to rest on his back. "I'm sorry."

Hinata tensed and his nails dug into his grazed palms. "What have you got to be sorry about?"

"The others. They shouldn't have laughed at you."

Fresh tears prickled his eyes. "You're just saying that. I bet you think I'm weird as well."

"No."

Hinata sat up in surprise, scrubbing a hand over his face and no doubt smudging the makeup he'd applied. Shen just held his gaze and smiled nicely, warm and open like he'd always been. There was no judgement in his pale gold eyes, no hint of deception.

"I already knew," Shen admitted.

Embarrassment and panic curdled in Hinata's stomach. "You did?"

"Yeah. I've seen you a few times. I just didn't say anything because, well, you looked happy. More happier than I've seen you in a long time."

Heat crawled up Hinata's cheeks, but there was a deep ache in his chest as well. He looked down, biting his lip.

Shen reached into his tunic and offered his handkerchief. "You don't have to pretend with me, you know. If you feel more comfortable like this, if it makes you happy, then I'll stand by you. I'll support you in whatever way I can."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because you're my friend. I don't abandon my friends."

Hina let out a breath and stared at the man resting on the bed. She moved closer and touched his hand. He didn't even twitch. "Don't worry, Shen," she whispered. "It won't be long now. You'll be free soon."

oOo

Zuko blinked up at the ceiling of his small cabin. There wasn't much else he could do since he was chi blocked—a precaution, he had been told, to make it impossible to communicate with those bonded to him. Shen didn't want to take any chances. No one was allowed to pursue them. Even Ty Lee had been ordered to command the wind to make their boat move faster, taking them far away from Wu Yao's island.

Creases formed on his brow. It was still a struggle to accept that Ty Lee was an airbender. He had so many questions for her, but he hadn't seen her since he'd been shoved into this room. He hadn't seen Shen either. Hina was no help, as she never said a word and left as quickly as she came.

His stomach wriggled and squirmed against the deeper anxiety weighing on him. How many hours had passed now? He hated waiting. He hated not knowing what was happening. Were the others all okay?

Was he going to be okay?

Time passed and then at last the door opened and Ty Lee staggered into the cabin. Her cheeks were drained of all colour and she slumped to her knees, long plait swinging. She looked like a husk of herself.

"Ty Lee!" he exclaimed. "What happened?"

"She's just tired."

His gaze swung back to the door. Hina stood on the threshold, her eyes hard as they fixed on him and her mouth a tight line.

"Tired from what? What have you done to her?"

"I haven't done anything. The girl has simply been bending for too long."

Zuko gritted his teeth. "As if you and Shen aren't to blame for that."

She stared at him in that hard way of hers, so similar to Shizue's own granite-like stare. "Sometimes sacrifices must be made."

Without waiting for a response, she left the cabin and locked the door behind her. He exhaled before turning his attention back to Ty Lee. He couldn't move much so had to resort to calling her name. For a horrible moment he thought she'd passed out, but then she groaned and raised her head. A forced smile curved her lips.

"Zuko. I didn't think they'd put me in here with you."

"You look terrible."

A little laugh escaped her. "You're not supposed to say that to girls."

"Oh, er, sorry. I just—"

"It's okay." A much more natural smile appeared, though her grey eyes had lost that easy brightness he'd always associated with her. "I probably do look a mess. I've been bending so long I can barely feel my arms."

"Shen?"

She bit her lip and lowered her gaze. "I … I couldn't stop. Everything ached and my vision blurred, but I couldn't stop bending. It was like he was holding me chained there and just forcing me to keep going and going and going …"

"Is that what happened back on the island?"

"Yeah. I wanted to help you all, but he wouldn't let me."

The wriggling weights in his stomach seemed to multiply. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"You and Azula only got dragged into this because of me."

She shook her head. "I chose to go with Azula. I caught his attention on my own. Besides, you aren't to blame for what Shen does to people. That's all on him."

His expression softened a fraction, though his gaze grew troubled again a second later. He asked her how Shen had even got her under his control. She said it might have been when he'd helped her unlock her airbending. He'd done something to her energy—removed the seal, as he'd called it—but the whole process had felt wrong. She should have realised it was a trick.

"I'm such an idiot," she said, lowering her head. "I gave him everything he wanted."

"If it helps, you're not the only one."

It was a poor attempt at humour, so he wasn't surprised that she only bit her lip again, eyes downcast. They remained silent for a moment.

"Zuko …"

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared. I don't want to be controlled. What if he makes me kill next? What if he—"

"I won't let him do that to you. I'll find a way to free you. Promise."

Some of the sparkle returned to her eyes. "Wow. Maybe I'll have to be careful around you."

"Huh?"

"Zuko, you're hot. Like really hot. When you say things like that, it makes a girl's heart flutter."

Heat crawled up his cheeks. "Um … okay."

"Hot, brave and adorably awkward." A grin surfaced. "Definitely will have to be careful."

He sighed and grumbled at her to focus.

"I'm just teasing." Her tone sobered. "I know we can't afford to relax. Shen is so powerful and he's always one step ahead. Even Azula was no match for him. I don't know how we can stop him."

"We will."

"How can you be so confident?"

"Because he has to be stopped and that means we have to find a way. It's as simple as that."

She frowned. "But how? Just saying we have to find a way isn't enough."

"Well … do you think you could fix my chi? That would be a start. Hina has been keeping me chi blocked."

She nodded and shuffled closer, wincing a little. No doubt she was on her last reserves of strength. Still, she didn't hesitate as her fingers prodded certain points along his body. "Lucky Shen and Hina don't know I'm a chi blocker, otherwise I doubt they would've let me near you."

He sat up straighter, energy flowing in a rush of liberation. "Thanks."

"No prob—"

He turned just as she swayed and fell against him. Zuko held her back from his chest, a few creases on his brow. "Maybe you should get some rest for now."

"But Shen—"

"Isn't here yet." He scooped her up and placed her on the bed. "Rest. You're going to need your strength."

A sleepy smile. "Will you watch over me like a noble guardian?"

Zuko rolled his eyes, though he also patted her shoulder. "Just get some sleep. I'm going to see if I can get in contact with Azula."

There was a pause. When Ty Lee spoke, her voice was very small. "Azula must hate me now. She probably thinks I betrayed her, and the way she looked at me when I airbended …"

"Azula is smart. I'm sure she'll figure out that you were being controlled."

"But the airbending can't be explained away." Her arms wrapped around her knees, curling her body into foetal position. "I'm scared, Zuko. I don't want this. I just want to go back to how things were."

"I know that feeling …"

He'd been scared of his fire healing as well in the beginning, especially when he'd learnt about the genocide of his kind. But he was glad for his abilities now. His healing had saved lives. It had helped him and his friends and family get this far. Even having Shen hunt him down had not made him regret being born a fire healer.

"I don't know how Shen unsealed your bending," he said softly, "but just because he played a part in this doesn't mean it's a bad thing that you can bend air. I know one person who's probably super happy about it."

"Who?"

"Aang."

She blinked. "The Avatar?"

"Yeah. He thought he was the last airbender. In any other circumstances, he would have been ecstatic and tackling you with hugs."

"I do like hugs, and he seems really nice, but everyone back home …"

"They're wrong. About airbenders, about fire healers, about this war. All that stuff we got taught is wrong. One day I'll prove it as well."

Her eyes widened. "You're serious. You actually think you can change the Fire Nation."

"Not on my own, but with Aang and the others at my side? Yeah. I think we can do it. I think we can bring peace to the world."

Her lips curved. "If we get out of this, maybe I can help as well."

"I'm sure the others would welcome you."

She closed her eyes, a smile still lingering on her lips. Zuko left her to it and settled back on the floor. He needed to focus. It took a lot of concentration to tap into the bond and open a path of communication. Right now, however, he was far from calm for all his bold words. There were so many worries tangling his mind.

He had just got a grasp on Azula's energy when the door to the cabin opened again. This time Shen entered along with Hina. Zuko stiffened, his mouth going dry in an instant. The pale gold eyes that met his were lifeless slabs of stone. No smile, no hint of emotion. It was somehow more unnerving than if Shen had showed triumph.

"Hina, remove the—" Shen's eyebrows rose slightly. "Never mind. The block on his chi has already gone. I guess it wore off."

Hina frowned but said nothing. That was a relief. Zuko didn't think it was a good idea to let them know Ty Lee was a chi blocker. He spared a glance for her but she was asleep. Perhaps that was for the best.

"Well, Prince Zuko, the time has come for you to fulfil your destiny." Shen closed the distance between them. "Be a good boy and don't resist."

Zuko swallowed, though his eyes narrowed in a fierce glare. "Do you hope to control me like you do Ty Lee?"

"Oh no. That would be a waste. You are going to serve a much greater purpose, my little prince."

"And what's that?"

Shen cupped his chin. "I'm going to make you my vessel."

A creeping shiver down the spine. "What?"

"All the others I've taken have been too weak, too easily corrupted, but you are different. You have the potential." His eyes gleamed. "Through you, I can access everything I lost. I will make this world bow before me again and liberate the fire healers as they deserve."

His heart hammered against his ribs and he wrenched his face from Shen's touch. "You're insane."

"Call me whatever you like. Soon my dream will become yours."

Zuko dodged the hands that came for him. He punched out flames, only to have Shen catch his fist, snuffing out the fire at the same time as if it was nothing. A second later Zuko was pressed against the wall with a hand around his throat.

"This body may struggle to use the bonds I have forged to their full potential," Shen said calmly, "but you are still no match for me, child. I have centuries of experience. You cannot win."

Cold fear iced over Zuko's heart. "You … you can't be ..."

Shen's thumb pressed firmly to his forehead and his other hand found Zuko's heart. A rush of energy surged through him from the points of contact, locking his limbs as if he were paralysed. When he looked at the man in front of him, it was like fire melting away an illusion. Gone was the cabin, Ty Lee and Hina. But then Shen also began to fade. The top-knotted black hair streamed out, the bland features became thinner, more feminine, shifting into that of a young woman. Flames glowed all around her, bright and powerful, and from the fire were threads of gold connecting to shadowy figures.

"The Unnamed One," Zuko whispered on a choked breath. "You're her. You're Shūrin."

"You know of me."

Her voice was calm just like Shen's had been and her eyes just as emotionless. Zuko's pulse throbbed painfully in his neck. This was insane. She was meant to be dead. She had killed herself centuries ago. That was what everyone had said.

"How?" he managed to get out. "How is this even possible?"

"Everything is connected. I just dared to push that connection as far as it could go."

His heart thumped faster. This couldn't be happening. There was no way anyone could survive for so long, let alone exist in another's body, but then he remembered what had happened at Lake Laogai when he'd desperately tried to save Aang. The lines had blurred so much it was like the two boys had become one. He'd eventually lost control and his consciousness had got scattered inside Aang, but maybe it had been more than his consciousness. Maybe that had been his soul.

Maybe Shūrin had done something similar, except she hadn't lost control. She had seized control.

His stomach knotted. This was bad. If he didn't do something quick, he was going to end up like his mother: a mindless puppet consumed by a parasite. Just the thought made his skin crawl.

"Don't be afraid, my little prince." Shūrin held his gaze, still with her thumb pressed to his forehead and her other hand on his heart. "Once we are fused, you will understand. You will see that you were born to help me."

"You're kidding yourself if you think I'll let you turn me into your vessel."

"Then go ahead and stop me." A faint smile. "If you can."

Energy surged through him again, invasive and immense. It slammed into his mind, his heart, his very willpower.

Submit!

The command was fire and steel wrapped up in a crushing weight. Zuko cried out. Her will was so strong. He'd never experienced anything so overwhelming. It was like trying to hold back a tidal wave with bare hands. His own will splintered and crumbled, even as her energy slipped everywhere inside him, threatening to swallow him up entirely.

Fear fluttered and thumped in his chest. He was losing to her. He was going to lose.

Would he end up hurting those he loved just like Shen had?

Would he just cease to exist?

"No!" he screamed. "I won't give in!"

He had come too far, struggled too much. So he dug deep, grounding himself in what had always kept him fighting—his family, his friends, the nation he wanted to save from itself. Bit by bit the weight began to lift. He kept pushing until the pressure changed, until it was his energy overwhelming hers.

Until he could sense another presence reaching up through the cracks he had created.

Shūrin's eyes widened and she suddenly broke the connection, pulling her hands away. The curtains of golden flames vanished. Zuko breathed heavily and stared at Shen, or at least the woman who gazed back from Shen's eyes.

"What happened?" Hina demanded, stepping forward. "Did it work? Shen?"

"Prince Zuko's will is strong," Shūrin observed, though she didn't sound pleased. "It seems I will indeed have to do this the hard way."

oOo

Morning came. Katara entered the hold, tray of food and water in hand. Azula lay on her side with her head resting on the cushion she had been provided. Her hands were behind her back—still cuffed?—and her hair was half falling out of its style in strands of greasy black. She didn't look like much of a princess in that moment. Even her eyes were shadowed with bruise-like smudges, though the look she gave Katara was as sharp as ever, if a little weary.

"I brought you breakfast," Katara said, holding up the tray.

Azula's eyes flickered from Katara to the bowl of food. She moistened her lips. There was hunger and frustration pushing at the cracks of her pride, but hunger won out. She shifted awkwardly onto her knees, cuffs jangling. A wince, a tiny hiss of pain bit back too late. Their eyes met.

"You're hurt?"

"Metal cuffs aren't exactly kind on the skin," Azula said coolly.

Little knots formed in Katara's stomach. Azula had caused so much damage and pain, so many deaths. She had even killed Jet. But right now Azula was the one who had been injured and who was at their mercy. To ignore her pain would be cruel. It would be stooping to something that Katara didn't want to be.

The knots seemed to get heavier in her stomach. She swallowed, closing her eyes with the smallest of sighs. "I'll get Toph. She can remove the cuffs."

"Why would you do that? Not even my fat uncle wants these things off me."

"Would you rather I do nothing?"

Azula's eyes narrowed, though it seemed more like she was trying to get a read on Katara than anything else. That was almost sad. How twisted did a person have to be to not understand the simple desire to not leave someone in pain when there was no need?

"I'll be back with Toph soon," Katara said, placing the tray down.

She left without waiting for a response. It didn't take long to track Toph, who had been eating breakfast in the mess hall. Toph had no issue with removing the cuffs, but Mai wasn't so keen on the idea.

"What do you think she's going to do?" Katara demanded. "She's outnumbered and surrounded by the ocean."

Mai placed her cup down. "Azula doesn't need much to be dangerous. This is the same girl who started a revolution in Ba Sing Se just by masquerading as a refugee."

"The cuffs are hurting her."

"And she deserves it! She deserves every bit of pain she feels!"

There was a tense pause as they stared at each other. Mai turned away as if ashamed of her outburst, jaw tight. Only the scarred side of her face could be seen.

"Maybe she does deserve it," Katara said quietly, "but I don't want to be that person. We might be her jailers for now, but that doesn't mean we have to be her torturers as well."

Mai said nothing.

"C'mon, Toph. Let's go."

Toph followed Katara out of the mess hall. "The others might not be happy with this either, you know," Toph said as they headed for the hold. "They would have come to me already if they thought it was okay to remove the cuffs."

"Why'd you agree to do it then?"

A slight pause. "The Dai Li kept me locked up and bound as well."

Katara stopped. "Toph …"

"Let's just hurry. Might as well get the cuffs off before someone else decides they need to convince us otherwise."

It was a clear request to let the conversation drop, so Katara did. She knew Toph still carried scars from her time as a captive to the Dai Li. There was no need to keep pushing.

They found Azula sitting exactly as Katara had left her. Toph marched up to her and tore the cuffs right off, revealing swirls of bruises and raw flesh where the metal had rubbed. Azula flexed the fingers on her right hand, but her left arm fell limply to her side. She didn't bother to say thank you.

"Here." Katara summoned the water from her flask and let it surround her hand. "Give me your arm."

Azula stiffened. "Why?"

"I can heal you."

Azula's eyes narrowed even more, darting between Toph, Katara, and the glowing water.

"You can trust Sweetness," Toph said.

"I don't trust anyone."

"Then don't trust me," Katara said, "but if you want to stop hurting, you need to let me heal you."

Azula's gaze flickered between them again before she grudgingly held out her right arm. Katara kept her movements slow and gentle. It felt like tending to a wild animal—the tension, the knowledge that any moment Azula might lash out, all claws and sharp teeth. Still, soon enough her skin was smooth and whole again.

"Now for the left," Katara said, summoning fresh water.

Azula didn't move.

Katara let out a huff of exasperation. "Do we really have to go through this again? I just healed your—"

"I can't."

"What?"

"I can't," Azula gritted out, looking anywhere but at the two girls. "I can't move my arm."

Katara's eyes widened. "What?"

"Is that all you know how to say? What?" Azula's mouth twisted, but there was a hint of something other than scorn in her expression: a tiny bit of vulnerability that slipped through the harsh retorts and mountain of shields.

Katara's jaw dropped. Azula looked so much like Zuko in that moment, or at least how he'd been before he'd befriended them and opened up more. Maybe that was why she found herself taking Azula's left arm in her grasp. She pulled up the sleeve to expose the big, ugly burn scar, one that dug deep and had clearly damaged nerves. "Shen?"

A clipped nod.

"Zuko said you'd got hurt, but I didn't know it was …"

"Spare me the pity."

Katara bit her lip. More and more was she beginning to see the similarities between the siblings. Back in the North Pole, Zuko had also snapped at Katara for feeling sorry for him. She'd let her pride and anger get the better of her then and refused to help him further. She didn't want to make the same mistake. "I can try to heal it."

Azula raised her eyebrows. "Why? Why go to so much trouble? It's not like we're allies."

"You helped us last night."

"I tried to stop Shen from getting what he wanted. Thanks to my brother being such a self-sacrificing idiot, that failed."

Toph tilted her head. "She's lying."

"What?" Azula glared at Toph. "What are you—"

"Don't mind Toph," Katara cut in hastily. Azula didn't seem the type to respond well to being prodded about her feelings. She was all cold bite and shields; the more they pushed, the more they'd just set up her back. "Anyway, what have you got to lose? If I can't heal it, I can't heal it, but if I can you'll have movement in your arm again."

"Atsuo tried for days. What makes you think you'll do any better?"

Katara did exhale in exasperation then. "Will you just let me try?"

A long pause. "Fine."

Azula sounded so grudging and scornful that Katara was tempted to not bother after all. Still, she adjusted her grip on Azula's arm and began to heal. The glow of the water lit up the small space between them. Azula kept her face averted, trying to act as if she didn't care, but sometimes her gaze would dart downwards to examine the damage.

After some time, Katara pulled away. There was a tense moment as Azula just stared at her arm. Her fingers twitched but the arm itself remained limp.

"It didn't work," Azula said coolly, turning the other way.

"I'm sorry. I really am."

Azula's lips thinned. "It's not like I expected it to work."

Toph did that head tilt again, but this time she didn't call Azula out on her lie. There was no need since it was obvious to all of them.

Katara was about to respond when she felt a sharp tug on her chest. A gasp of surprise escaped her and she staggered. Azula looked just as shaken. Their eyes met in mutual realisation. "Zuko," they said in unison.

Something was happening to Zuko. Something had gone wrong.

Well, well, the full truth is out about Shen and Shūrin. I feel like this might be a "hit or miss" thing for some people because it's not the kind of thing we expect from the AtLA universe, but there have been a lot of hints building up to this. Hopefully, it didn't come as too much of a surprise.

It should also be obvious by now that fire healers in TUF are basically like energybenders. In canon, we see that energybending can take someone's bending away, but here I've really pushed the boundaries of what else you might be able to do if you mastered energy. I'll explain more in future chapters, but basically what the lion turtle says to Aang in canon is going to be very important.