Zuko was the first to recover. "Uncle!"
"It is good to see you, nephew. I only wish it were under better circumstances," Iroh said somberly. He approached them, stepping into the light of the moon. He wore the blue and silver robes of the Order of the White Lotus.
"What are you talking about? What's going on, Uncle?" Zuko demanded to know. His arm unconsciously tightened around Katara protectively.
Iroh looked between the two of them. "We must talk, the three of us, and we must do so quickly. Come with me." Without another word, Iroh walked past them and headed out into the garden again, the white lotus embroidering on the broad collar of his robes shimmering under the light of the moon.
"That doesn't sound good," Katara said quietly.
Zuko nodded in agreement. Together they followed Iroh. The Grandmaster of the White Lotus had stopped beneath the cherry blossom. His eyes were turned up toward the moon. He didn't look at them as they came to a stop at the pond's edge.
"Uncle, what's the matter? What's going on?" Zuko inquired. His arm fell from Katara's shoulders as he stared impatiently at his uncle.
"And why are you wearing your White Lotus robes?" Katara asked. A sinking feeling blossomed in her gut, and she couldn't shake the idea that Iroh's unexpected visit had something to do with her dreams.
"I do not feel like I have adequately explained to you what the Order of the White Lotus truly is, Zuko, and for that I am sorry. I thought I would have more time but...I was wrong." Iroh turned his face from the moon with a heavy sigh. "And for that I'm sorry too. I expected to have more time to prepare you for this moment." He met Katara's prying gaze. "And Katara, Master Pakku is also regretful that he was not able to prepare you for this moment as well."
"Master Pakku? I don't understand." Katara frowned.
"I must be brief, but I will explain as much as I can," Iroh said. He looked at them. "The Order of the White Lotus is more than a bunch of old men who play Pai Sho. We are a very ancient order, with a very clear purpose: we are the watchers of the world. Augurs, to be precise. Just as it is the Avatar's duty to keep the balance, it is our duty to watch over it, to see danger before it is here." He folded his hands into the wide sleeves of his robes. "In the old days, we helped train and prepare the Avatar for their duties. Those days have passed, and regretfully, we didn't resume them once Aang had emerged. But there was no time then with the world so divided from the war.
"Many years ago, before my time as a Grandmaster, a prophecy was foretold by one of the Oracles of Destiny to my predecessors, one that proclaimed the balance of the world would be thrown into chaos," Iroh continued. "The old Grandmasters had believed that time would be one hundred years ago, and while, in a sense they weren't wrong, they also were not right. The prophecy ties Sozin's Comet in with the imbalance. A century ago, the war began. And five years ago, Ozai nearly burned the world to the ground."
"If it wasn't for Aang, he would have," Zuko said darkly.
"That's right, nephew. And we had hoped...well, it doesn't matter what we had hoped. We were wrong. The prophecy, it turns out, speaks of now."
"What's going to happen?" Katara asked. She was frowning deeply, the evening's events forgotten. "What does this prophecy say? And what does it have to do with me and Zuko?"
Iroh sighed heavily. He locked eyes with Zuko. "Do you know how the Avatar came into existence, Zuko?"
"No," the Fire Lord said. "I just know he's been around for a long time."
"That's right, nephew. The Avatar," Iroh began. "was formed when Wan permanently fused with Raava during a Harmonic Convergence thousands of years ago. As you know, the Avatar is supposed to keep the peace in the world. Most people do not know, but there is a counterpart to the Avatar: The Conduit."
"The Conduit?" Katara repeated, intrigued in spite of herself.
Iroh nodded. "Think of the Avatar and the Conduit as Yin and Yang: opposites. The Conduit was allegedly created by two evil spirits, Vaatu and Nianzu, sometime after Wan and Raava became the Avatar. The dark forces of the Spirit World wanted their own powerful weapon against the forces for good."
"So the Conduit is the opposite of the Avatar?" Katara realized.
"Yes. The legend says that the Conduit has the power to bend the wills of the spirits to his whims. He wields the Old Magic, that which has not existed freely in this world since before man lived on the Lion Turtles, similar to how the Avatar is able to go into the Avatar State. He is able to bend all four elements as the Avatar does, too."
Zuko frowned, troubled. "What does this have to do with anything going on right now, Uncle? Things are going well. The world is at peace. The balance has been restored."
"Are you not listening to me, Zuko? The balance is in danger," Iroh said forcefully. "We don't have much time. You must listen to what I say, and listen hard. As we speak this very moment, events are being set in motion that will determine the fate of the world. It is time to act."
"What do you need us to do?" Katara asked, her resolve steady. She straightened up, feeling strengthened. The moon's light embraced her. "Whatever the Order of the White Lotus needs, I'll do it."
"As will I," Zuko said determinedly.
Iroh looked back and forth between the two of them. His face was cast in shadow and it was impossible to gauge his expression. "Good. Because the world needs the two of you now more than it ever has. I'm going to ask you to take on a dangerous task, but you must take it on. I fear the world will perish if you don't."
"We already said we would do it," Zuko said.
Iroh nodded. "The two of you need to go on a journey to find the Conduit," Iroh told them. "You must find them before the Autumn Equinox. By then it will be too late."
"How?" Katara wanted to know. "Where do we start?"
Iroh stroked his beard. "That much, I do not know. No one has seen the Conduit for centuries. They have been gone for so long that their existence has faded from memory. They are revered as more of a legend than truth."
"That's helpful," Zuko muttered. "We've got a little more than three months to find this person, and you have no idea where they are?"
"I would suggest starting at the air temples, nephew," Iroh said thoughtfully. "The monks were dedicated record keepers. If anyone would know where the Conduit might be found, or even their identity, that would be the best place to start."
"But we've been to all the air temples, Uncle. I don't remember finding any records. The Fire Nation probably burned them all," Zuko pointed out. "Even if some of the records survived the attacks against the Air Nomads, that was over a hundred years ago! It would be a miracle if anything was left."
"But when we were there, we weren't looking for records, were we?" Iroh quipped.
"We still have to try, Zuko," Katara stated determinedly. "We were at the Western Air Temple for weeks and we never really explored the place. There's a good possibility we missed something." She looked up at him. "There could be secret rooms that the Fire Nation didn't touch."
Zuko frowned, unconvinced, at Katara. "I hope you're right. I know I didn't find anything either of the times I was there. But we were a little occupied at the time, weren't we?" He turned back to Iroh. "We'll leave first thing in the morning, then."
"No, you must go now," Iroh said urgently. Their eyes widened in shock. "I've arranged passage on a Fire Navy ship for you. It is waiting in the bay. You will go under the cover of night. We don't have time to waste, and I don't want you drawing attention to yourselves if you can help it. It is best that no one knows what you're doing. Do you understand?"
"But Sokka, Aang—they'll be worried about me," Katara argued. She thought of Aang's hurt face and winced. "And we can't very well go like this. We don't have any supplies or anything. This dress isn't exactly practical for a long journey."
"And I can't leave my duties unexpectedly—it will be the perfect opportunity for treachery to come knocking!" Zuko protested.
Iroh held his hands up. "Katara, do not worry about your friends. I will handle them. As for supplies, you will find that I have adequately prepared supplies for the two of you for this." He looked at his nephew. "And Zuko, I have already spoken to your mother. She will assume temporary leadership in your place until you return. We have already had it drafted up. All we need is your seal."
"Then you have it," Zuko said.
"Come with me, then."
Katara peered up at Zuko. "But wouldn't it look...suspicious, if all of a sudden I disappeared at the same time the Fire Lord did? What might people think?"
Zuko looked down at her with a half-smile on his lips and an unreadable expression in his eyes. "It doesn't bother me."
Katara scoffed and rolled her eyes, hitting him lightly in the chest. "Oh, whatever!" They couldn't help but laugh, despite the seriousness of the situation.
Katara and Zuko followed Iroh into the Royal Palace, away from the ball and any lingering servants. Zuko was surprised to find them outside of his study. He unlocked the door with a key he produced from his shirtsleeve and took Iroh and Katara inside. Iroh produced a scroll from his wide sleeve.
He handed it to Zuko. "Sign this," Iroh commanded.
Zuko dipped a brush in ink and held it over the parchment, his eyes frozen on the words. He never would have imagined he would be signing his executive duties over to anyone, ever, even if it was his mother. Uncertainty swelled in his belly, but he forced the feeling away as he signed his name and stamped the document with his seal.
"There. I am officially, temporarily, no longer Fire Lord." He removed the pin on his headpiece and set it on the desk with finality. He felt a little hollow, but mostly he felt...free? His hair fell loosely to his shoulders.
"I know I am asking a lot of both of you, but if it wasn't necessary I wouldn't be here," Iroh said.
"We know," Zuko told him sincerely.
The Grandmaster removed a small, round object from his sleeve and offered it to Zuko. "Do you know how to contact members of the Order, don't you?"
Zuko looked at the object in the palm of his hand. It was a White Lotus tile. "Yes."
"Good. Go now," Iroh said. He bowed to them. "May the spirits watch over you."
"I know a way to get down to the ship without being seen," Zuko said, and without waiting for a response he grabbed Katara by the hand and pulled her into a dim corridor. They had left Iroh in the study and gone down an unfamiliar path.
"Where are we going?"
"There are hidden passages throughout the palace. They're a safeguard in case the palace was ever attacked, so the royal family could be protected," Zuko answered.
"Sort of like your dad's hidden bunker on the Day of Black Sun."
"Exactly like that. There's passages that go to hidden bunkers beneath the palace, and others that lead to escape points, like the bay. It'll spit us out close enough to the Gates of Azulon that no one should see us."
"It sounds like you've done this before, Fire Lord."
He flashed her a mischievous smirk. "Maybe I have, Princess."
Zuko pulled her through empty hallways in the labyrinthian palace. Katara didn't find it necessary for him to hold her hand when she was perfectly capable of following him, but she didn't mind as much as she thought she should have. His hand was large and warm and gloved hers. No, she really didn't mind at all.
Soon he stopped beside a large tapestry with a landscape of a Fire Nation village on it. He pulled it aside and exposed a small notch in the wall. He placed his palm over it and sent a blast of fire through it. A hidden doorway opened up and Zuko gestured Katara into it.
The new passage was only wide enough to fit through it single-file, and the ceiling was low enough that Zuko had to stoop his shoulders. Unlit sconces hung from the wall, and with the flick of his wrist Zuko illuminated the way. The corridor was filled with corners and zig-zags as it wove through the architecture of the Royal Palace. They walked for what might have been forever before Zuko suddenly stopped, his hand having found another notch.
He looked over his shoulder at Katara and held a finger up to his lips. She nodded and he opened the door.
A warm breeze smelling of the sea blew through the corridor. Katara closed her eyes and inhaled a breath of ocean air. It calmed her, as it always did.
Zuko stepped out into the night with Katara on his heels. The secret passage had put them on a narrow ledge between two battlements, hidden by shadow. Down below, a small Fire Navy ship akin to the one Zuko had spent two years on was waiting for them in the bay.
"How do we get down there?" Katara whispered.
"In an emergency event, there are rope ladders there in the battlements," Zuko replied, pointing to them. "But we can't risk being spotted by my guards so we'll have to climb down." Zuko knew there were plenty of notches in the cliff face to use as holds; he had found them all when he had slipped out of the palace, unseen, on numerous occasions. Every now and then, he had just needed to get away. The ocean had always seemed like a good place to go.
Katara looked warily down the sheer cliff face. It was cast into darkness; the moon's gentle glow was not facing it.
"Trust me," Zuko said.
"I do, but this dress wasn't made for climbing." She looked unhappy. "I wish we could have at least changed into something more practical."
Zuko eyed her outfit. Her slippers and stiff skirts were not optimal for the task ahead, but he didn't see an alternative aside from her stripping down to her wrappings. Not that he'd complain if she did, but she might have something to say about that.
"We'll have to make it work. There's no other way." With that, Zuko dropped over the cliff's edge, only his fingertips visible. He peered over the ledge at her. "Come on."
Zuko searched the darkness for holds, relying on his sense of touch alone. He looked up and saw Katara swing her legs over the edge, her toes seeking a place to land. He grabbed her ankle and guided it to one of the holds he had just used. She looked over her shoulder at him and nodded gratefully.
Zuko carefully maneuvered them down the cliffside. He would find purchase and then guide Katara to them. They were moving along at a steady pace, and it wouldn't take long before they were near the ship.
The ship was anchored in the shadow of the cliff. Zuko was confident he would be able to jump directly onto the deck. He hoped Katara wouldn't be afraid; he would catch her if he had to. She won't be afraid, Zuko thought.
They were nearly there: another twenty feet and Zuko would be able to make the jump. He took Katara's slender ankle in his hand and brought it to his last handhold. She applied her weight and came down further. Beneath her hand the hold crumbled and rained chunks of dirt onto Zuko's head.
With a quiet gasp Katara lost her grip on the cliff. Her arms windmilled for a moment before gravity kicked in. Katara fell off to the side, perhaps by chance or perhaps as a last minute decision to avoid falling on him and taking them both down to the bay. Zuko's arm snaked out, catching her around the waist. His fingers felt the sharp edges of the rocky outcrop bite into his flesh as his arm screamed in protest at the sudden added weight. He struggled to maintain his hold on the cliff.
Zuko brought Katara close to him, his arm wrapped securely around her. Her terrified eyes met his in the dark. I can't believe she didn't scream.
"Thank you," she breathed. He nodded in response.
He shifted, guiding her hands to safe holds until she was between him and the rocky cliff. Her hands and feet found secure outcroppings and for a moment she leaned her head against the cliff, breathing deeply.
"Are you good?" he asked.
She was still a little breathless. "Yeah, I'm fine now." She looked back at him. "Maybe don't guide me to a weak spot next time."
He started to descend again, a grin crossing his face at her sarcastic remark. "Where would be the fun in that? Saving damsels in distress is my favorite pass-time," he snickered.
She shot him a look he could barely see. "Ha-ha, Zuko."
"We're almost there," he whispered. "Just a little further until I can jump down to the deck. Then you jump. I'll catch you, okay?"
"I think I've got a better way," Katara replied as she followed him. "You'll just have to hold onto me for a minute."
He arched his eyebrow but didn't question it. They closed the remaining distance. Zuko looked down at the deck to gauge the distance.
"More," Katara told him. "I want to be aligned with the ship."
When they were where she judged they needed to be, Katara maneuvered until she hung from the cliff beside him.
"Hold on to me. I'm going to bend a bridge to the ship."
She leaned closer to him and Zuko secured his arm around her waist, ignoring the protest in his arm again. Once she was sure he wouldn't drop her, Katara let go of the cliff as she twisted her torso, trusting him entirely as she turned to face the sea. Katara brought her arms up. The water obeyed and a wave rose up. She pushed her arms outward, toward the ship, exhaling at the same time. The wave stretched for the deck of the ship, turning into a shelf of ice as it did.
Katara returned her grip to the cliff and glanced at him. "Okay, we're good now," she said.
Zuko jumped down, landing carefully. The ice was slick beneath his boots. He moved back and watched as she gracefully leaped down, hair flying out behind her. Together they crossed over onto the Fire Navy ship. Katara turned back to the ice shelf and brought her arms up once more. The ice melted into water, and she let it fall back to the sea with a gentle plop. She turned back to Zuko, a satisfied grin on her face.
"We made it," she said, a hint of disbelief coloring her tone.
"Fire Lord Zuko, Princess Katara, I'm glad to see you've arrived safely." They turned to see a Fire Navy man bowing to them. When he straightened, Zuko recognized Admiral Jee, the same man who had captained his own vessel during his banishment, whom he had promoted to the rank of admiral four years before after the Yu Dao conflict had settled.
Zuko bowed to him. "Admiral Jee, it's good to see you again. Thank you for agreeing to take Katara and I on our...journey."
"It's my honor, my lord," Jee said. "Your uncle reached out to me personally and asked that I be ready for your arrival." He looked at Katara and bowed again. "It's an honor to meet you, Princess."
"Thank you," Katara murmured.
"We'll be casting off now, if you're ready, Fire Lord," Jee said. "Your uncle's orders were to depart as soon as you and the water tribe princess were safely aboard."
"Then that's what we'll do."
Jee nodded. He turned and gestured to the helmsman above them. Below them the deck shuddered as the engine came to life. "I'll show you to your quarters, then," said the admiral. He turned on his heel and headed into the ship.
Zuko and Katara followed him. A wave of nostalgia had come over him; Zuko had spent two years at sea in a ship almost exactly like this one. The familiar smell of metal, oil, and brine brought memories to the forefront of his mind. Most of them weren't pleasant and he pushed them away. Yet despite the unbidden memories and their mysterious and somber mission, Zuko felt almost buoyant.
How long has it been since I've been away from the palace without a royal procession? Without a political purpose? It's been far too long.
"Princess Katara, these are your quarters," Jee said. He spun the hatch on the metal door and pushed it into the room to show Katara her small, dim room. "It isn't much, but we did our best, miss."
"I'm sure it will be sufficient. Thank you, Admiral Jee," Katara said with a gracious smile, kind as ever.
"Your quarters are here, my Lord," Jee told him as he ventured to the next door down. "I hope they will suffice." He looked at them. "Your uncle gave us supplies for you. You'll find them in each of your rooms."
"Thank you, Admiral," Zuko said sincerely. "If you don't mind, Princess Katara and I have important things to discuss now."
Jee bowed. "Of course, sir. I'll be in the tower if you need anything." He disappeared further into the hallway.
Zuko nodded his head toward his quarters. "Let's go see what my uncle has left for us."
Aang found Toph, Suki, Sokka, and Ty Lee gathered in the apartment he was sharing with his missing girlfriend—ex-girlfriend. He winced inwardly. This is bad. She really broke up with me.
He immediately registered Katara's absence. "You guys didn't find her anywhere?" Aang hesitated. "Or Zuko?"
They all shook their heads. "We looked everywhere," Suki said. "No one has seen either of them in a few hours."
Aang looked away, anger and hurt bubbling up inside of him. He didn't want to think the worst, but how could he not? Katara had run off and then Zuko had disappeared after she had broken up with him. They hadn't been seen in over two hours. He could only believe that they were together. He didn't think he wanted to know what they could possibly be doing.
"I'm sure it's nothing, guys. They're just off somewhere...doing...something," Sokka trailed off awkwardly. Suki backhanded him in the gut. He rubbed the back of his head and coughed nervously. "Sorry."
"Gah!" Aang shouted. He threw his arms in the air in exasperation.
"What were you guys fighting about, anyway?" Sokka inquired. "Katara always storms off when she's mad. She'll come back as soon as she calms down."
"I don't know about that, Sokka." Aang hung his head dejectedly. "She broke up with me."
"What?" Ty Lee exclaimed. "Why would she do that?"
"What happened?" Suki gasped.
"Are you serious?" Sokka was slack-jawed. And yet, he wasn't all that surprised. He and Suki exchanged a nervous look. She...actually did it.
Toph was the only one who said nothing. She shook her head slowly, expression blank.
"Yeah," Aang said quietly. He ran his hand down his face wearily. He wanted to apologize to her, to beg for her forgiveness if that's what it took. Without her, he felt empty. Like part of him was missing.
A knock came at the door.
"I wonder who that could be?" Ty Lee mused. She was twirling her Kyoshi fan nervously in her hands and worrying her lip between her teeth.
"Zuko?" Suki suggested with an uncertain shrug, looking at the Avatar warily. She didn't want to be around if it was. The Fire Lord versus the Avatar? No thank you.
Toph's face lit up in a grin. "No, I know exactly who that is! It's Iroh! Let him in, Twinkle Toes!" But her elation soon fell away. Something wasn't right.
Aang opened the door. The blind bender was right: Zuko's uncle was waiting on the other side. His face was somber and he wore the navy robes of the Order of the White Lotus. He bowed respectfully to Aang.
"We must talk, young Avatar," Iroh said. He looked at everyone in the room. "I have something very important to tell all of you."
"Have you seen Katara or Zuko?" Aang asked without preamble. He stepped back to let him in.
"Yes. That is part of what I must speak with you about."
Aang's stomach dropped and he scowled. I knew it. "Where are they?"
"I have sent them away on a very important mission, and now I must talk to you about the roles each of you must play, Aang," Iroh said.
Aang's eyes widened. He started forward. "What do you mean, you sent them away? Where? Why?"
"Aang, calm down. Let's see what he has to say," Sokka said placatingly. He stood beside Aang and put his hand on his shoulder. Despite his calm demeanor, worry was etched into his features. "What's going on, Grandmaster?"
Iroh's eyes closed. "I'm afraid dark times are upon us once again, my friends, and you are being called upon to defend the world. I only wish I had been able to warn you sooner."
"What does that mean? Warn us about what?" Aang demanded to know. "Where did Zuko and Katara go?"
Iroh met the Avatar's fervent gaze. "If you had been able to be properly trained by the monks, you would already know what I am about to tell you. But fate is cruel, so I will be your new teacher."
Aang swallowed hard. "What are you talking about, Grandmaster?"
Iroh sighed heavily. "As you know, the very first Avatar formed when Wan permanently fused with Raava. Most people do not realize that the dark spirits created their own antithesis to what the Avatar is and what he stands for. This being is called the Conduit."
"What does that have to do with Katara and Zuko?" Aang demanded to know. There was no heat behind his words; the fire was dying out in him. The chill of fear was trickling in.
"I have sent them to find the Conduit together," Iroh said matter-of-factly.
"What?" Aang exploded, whether it was from rage or fear he didn't know. His clothes rippled in a wind the rest of them couldn't feel. He shrugged off Sokka's hand and reached for his staff. "I've got to go after them!"
"Aang, no!" Iroh held his hand out. "You cannot interfere! Their search is crucial, and they must do it on their own. You have your own part to play in this. You cannot shirk your duties to the world, not when it needs you the most."
"Aang, you need to listen to him," Sokka said in a low voice. "We'll worry about Zuko and Katara later, okay?"
Resignedly, Aang's shoulders slumped. He sank to the ground, suddenly feeling very old, and very tired. He hadn't liked where this was going even before Iroh had started to explain it, and it just kept getting worse. "I've already saved the world once," he said sadly. "Now I've got to save it again?"
Iroh knelt down. "Yes, young Avatar. I had hoped I was wrong, but I'm afraid I'm not. The reality is that it must be you, Aang. I'm sorry, but no one else can do what needs to be done"
"And what is that, exactly?" Sokka wanted to know. "You haven't been very clear about what's going on."
"I will explain it all to you," Iroh promised. His gaze was piercing as he turned back to Aang. "The fate of the world once again relies on you and your friends, Aang. You must promise me that you will see this through. Once we begin, there will be no going back."
Aang steeled himself. He forced aside his feelings about Katara, shoving them down and locking them away. The part of him that understood he had responsibilities greater than himself, the part of him that was the Avatar, the part of him that was so inexplicably air nomad told him: detach. His brow furrowed and his jaw set determinedly. "Whatever needs to be done," he said as his hands clenched into fists at his side. "I'll do it."
Katara followed Zuko into his quarters. The room was a square made with metal walls, floors, and ceilings and was identical to hers. One single, narrow porthole was placed across from the door. Oil lamps cast the room in a red glow. There were few furnishings. It wasn't exactly homey, but Katara had expected as much. This wasn't her first time on a Fire Navy Ship.
In the middle of the room was a traveling rucksack. Zuko knelt beside it and opened it. He pulled out a pair of black clothing. Sticking out from them were a familiar set of hilts: his dao swords. Katara's eyes widened. She hadn't seen those in a while.
"Why would he give you those?" Katara asked in wonder.
Zuko removed the twin swords from their sheath. Their sharp blades glittered dangerously in the dim red light. He ran his thumb along their edge. "I don't know," he said thoughtfully. He resheathed them and set the swords and clothes aside. "Let's see what else he gave me."
There wasn't much. There were a few extra changes of dark traveling clothes, a hefty bag of money, and water skins. Zuko ran his hand along the inside of the bag. At the bottom, he felt a tear in the inner seam. Inside of it was a folded-up piece of parchment. Zuko produced it, grinning.
"What does it say?" Katara dropped to her knees beside him, hovering close. Her brow was furrowed, creating a small line between her eyebrows.
Zuko unfolded the paper. Iroh's neat print was marked on the page. "It reads, Nephew, I regret deeply that I did not have more time to prepare you for this journey, but I know you will succeed. Do not let fear get in your way of realizing your destiny." He turned the paper over. "That's it? Really?"
"He's sending us on this mission blind!" Katara growled. She jumped to her feet.
"What is this supposed to even mean!" He let his uncle's note fall to the ground. "I thought I already found my destiny: helping the Avatar defeat Ozai!"
"Maybe he means something else? Something new?" Katara planted her hands on her hips. "I wonder what he put in my bag. Come on."
She led Zuko to her room. An identical rucksack sat in the middle of the floor. Katara hurriedly tore through the items: dark clothing, money, and waterskins just like in Zuko's bag. She searched for a hidden pocket.
"Anything?" Zuko inquired impatiently.
"I'm looking!" Frustrated, she turned the sack inside out, but found nothing. Katara sank back onto her haunches. "I can't believe it...there isn't a note or anything."
"We really are going in this blind," Zuko muttered. He raked his hand through his hair. "How are we supposed to find this Conduit if we don't have any leads? What if the Air Temples are a dead end? We don't have enough time to do this without information."
Katara chewed her lip. "I don't know, Zuko. Maybe...hopefully the Air Temples will have some answers. And if not...maybe they'll point us in the right direction."
"I don't like hinging the fate of the world on hope," the Fire Lord growled.
The Princess of the Southern Water Tribe looked at him determinedly. "We will do this, Zuko. We've saved the world before. We can do it again."
His scowl softened and he offered her a small smile in response. Zuko had forgotten about her inspirational speeches of hope. It was then he realized he could really use that kind of optimism around the palace. That would be nice.
Pink dawn peeked over the horizon. The Dragon of the West stood on a balcony overlooking the Royal Palace and beyond it, the Capital City. All was still and quiet, but Iroh knew that things were not well. Unseen, dark things were being set into motion. He could feel the unrest in the Spirit World. Soft feet padded on the smooth stone behind him.
"How is the Avatar handling the news, my apprentice?" Iroh asked without turning.
"He's brooding—or, as he calls it, meditating," came the coarse reply. "He's not happy that you sent his now ex-girlfriend off with his royal Sparkyness, but he'll get over it."
"I hope so, for his sake as well as the world's."
"He should've listened to the guru when he had the chance," his apprentice said in a low voice. "If he'd let go of his earthly attachments then, he wouldn't be struggling with this right now."
"Perhaps, perhaps not. There is no way to know for sure," Iroh countered with a shrug. "And that is not what is most important. Aang must accept his destiny. That is what we must focus on. And now, you must accept your own."
"And what is that?" There was a mild degree of curiosity there.
"I think you know." Iroh looked down at his apprentice. "You have been disturbed by dreams as well."
"Yes, and I think I'm starting to figure it out, thanks to your teachings," his apprentice remarked thoughtfully. "But there's still some things I'm not clear on. Well, there's a lot of things I'm not clear on."
"It will come clear in time, I assure you. Your training has been progressing well," Iroh said. "Now that things have begun, there is no stopping them. I will warn you though: the dreams will only intensify from here."
"I'm ready for it."
"I know you are. I only hope Aang is, as well."
With that, Iroh turned his face to the sunrise. He could feel the warmth of the day, and felt his strength grow with the powers of the sun. His apprentice faced the sunrise as well, although she couldn't see it.
Toph and Iroh stood in silence, each of them thinking of their destinies and what the future held for them, and for the world.
Things are starting to get interesting, huh? Tell me what you guys think!
And, as always, a special thank you to LadyFaePhillips for being my awesome beta and editor 3