Author's Note: While writing this, I realized I made an error in a couple of the earlier chapters regarding what year Zuko was banished. It's been fixed on ao3 but not ffn. If any mistakes remain, feel free to let me know.
Also, there's some zalgo text in this chapter, which is intentionally hard to read. It's more for the effect so what it says doesn't matter all that much but if you still want to know, there's a link on the version of this story on ao3 that has an unzalgoed version.
It was the year 83 AG, not that the spirits cared, when Zuko was born and the Blue Spirit became enamored. He couldn't explain it. He'd never been interested in the lives of humans before but he'd never seen one so weak either. He didn't understand it. Zuko was a son of Agni and came from a line of powerful firebenders. They could all sense the spark inside him. It was strong, stronger than others, yet it was so weak.
Tui asked for help and Blue agreed. With the Wolf's help, Blue's spirit merged with Zuko's, nestling down beside it to fill in all the missing bits. It'd been a long time since he walked among humans. A human life was but a moment in the life of a spirit as mighty as the Blue Spirit but it was still longer than he'd normally visit. Maybe he'd learn something about them. Zuko, even for all his weakness, inspired empathy from all of them. Maybe watching over Zuko would teach Blue what exactly was so special about humans.
Blue lost that hope pretty quickly. Zuko, being the newborn he was, was unaware of the happenings around him but Blue could follow them pretty clearly. Zuko's mother had not wanted to marry his father but she loved her son. She made the mistake of voicing it to her husband and that invoked his wrath. He wouldn't lay a hand on a baby but it strengthened Blue's resolve to protect the child nonetheless.
On the night of the full moon, Zuko's first full moon, Blue felt some new power bubbling up inside Zuko and reached for it. Zuko cried when he did but Blue didn't stop. There was something familiar about this and soon there was a baby dragon in the crib. Blue could feel Zuko's curiosity prodding him and Blue swatted it away, encouraging Zuko to explore what this new body could do. The barrier separating them was thin. Blue could seize control anytime he wished, he could sense it, but he didn't want to do that. This was Zuko's life. He needed to focus on his new power, not the one that laid within.
Being able to transform didn't help Zuko as Blue had hoped. His mother hid it from the Fire Lord for reasons that Blue couldn't understand. But, even if she'd made the mistake of revealing her true feelings to Ozai and jeopardizing her son, she knew the Fire Lord better than Blue did. He trusted her judgment on this one.
It was the year 85 AG, not that the spirits cared, when Azula was born. Blue knew none of his friends from the heavens would be joining him with her. She was strong in a way that Zuko hadn't been when he was born but her fire lacked that quality that had drawn Blue to Zuko. She was a baby though and Blue doubted he could learn much from trying to observe her so Blue let himself lie dormant. It was becoming harder and harder to remain active lately. He'd save his energy for more important things.
Zuko's mother had done something to appease Ozai since Zuko's birth though, it seemed. The Fire Lord seemed much more favorable toward his daughter. Blue found that satisfactory. Zuko deserved his father's love but at least he had Blue to protect him. Azula had no one. Even if she hadn't charmed him like Zuko had, Blue didn't wish ill upon her.
It was the year 89 AG, not that the spirits cared, when Azula began firebending. Zuko still hadn't. Blue had the sneaking suspicion that Zuko's shortcomings would've invoked Ozai's wrath if not for Azula's success. Not for the first time, Blue was thankful for her presence. At least he was until she started burning Zuko's beloved turtle ducks. Then Blue started to understand why Ursa seemed to hold more affection for her son than her daughter.
That was unfair, Blue knew. He still didn't understand human family dynamics but he knew Agni loved all his children equally. Well, that wasn't true. Blue knew Agni favored Blue over the Kemurikage. He was Agni's best friend, afterall, and the Kemurikage were a collection of spirits. It was pretty hard to bond with them individually. Blue would be pretty insulted if Agni favored the Kemurikage over him, actually. He knew Agni loved all the Kemurikage equally though. His other creations too. The Lion Turtles, dragons, and humans all held a special place in Agni's figurative heart. He'd never choose one over the other.
Azula began taking more and more after Ozai. Blue didn't see much of it, having a hard time staying awake as of late and all, but the handful of times he did get to watch Zuko and Azula spend time together, Blue was all the more grateful Zuko had him to watch over him. Dragons and spirits didn't burn or bruise as easily as humans did.
It was the year 90 AG, not that the spirits cared, when Zuko finally began firebending. He'd been so excited, so excited to show his father. Blue had too, though later he'd scold himself for how naive he was. Of course Ozai wouldn't be impressed. Of course he'd criticize the boy. Of course he'd compare him to Azula.
When the moon was full the next day, Blue shoved his way to the front of Zuko's mind, forcing him to take the backseat for the first time, and snarled when Ursa tried to calm him down. He didn't swipe at her. He wanted to though. She always made Zuko hide himself on these nights he transformed. It wasn't fair to Zuko. Dragons were meant to fly! They were meant to chase after birds and snatch fish out of the sea. They were supposed to roar at the sun and spit fire worthy of Agni's praise.
Blue wanted to show Zuko what it meant to be a dragon. If he could show him the flames he could make with just a breath, he'd understand it didn't matter that Azula could throw fireballs hot enough to make Ozai smile and he could barely muster up embers. If firebending was how worth was measured, Zuko was the best of them. Blue just had to make sure he saw that.
He didn't though. He could feel Zuko's alarm at his behavior so Blue let it die, handing control back to Zuko and remaining silent for the rest of the night as Zuko cried for forgiveness in his mother's arms.
Lu Ten, noticing how upset his little cousin was, spent the rest of the week helping Zuko bend a decent fireball and a deep friendship was born. Blue, as proud as he was of Zuko, stayed away for a long while after that. Lu Ten would protect Zuko now. He understood the ways of humans better. He'd do a better job anyway.
It was the year 94 AG, not that the spirits cared, when Lu Ten went off to war. His father was planning a siege on Ba Sing Se and he wanted Lu Ten to join him. Blue, having been dormant for so long, was a bit too groggy to figure out exactly what was happening until it was too late.
Blue thought now was a good time for Zuko to start enjoying the freedom of flight that came with being a dragon but Lu Ten going off to war just made Ursa worry all that much more for Zuko. Blue couldn't blame her and didn't throw a tantrum again when Ursa kept telling Zuko he had to remain hidden in the room that was starting to become a bit too small to hold a dragon.
It was the year 95 AG, not the spirits cared, when Zuko finally flew for the first time. It was just as wonderful as Blue had imagined it would be. The circumstances that allowed for it were far from happy though.
Lu Ten had died and Iroh ended his campaign but he wasn't coming home. Azulon died and Ursa disappeared. Zuko was crowned the Heir to the throne of the Fire Nation and that, combined with the loss of Ursa's protection, made Ozai put that much more pressure on his son. Blue didn't like any of it. The nights of the full moon were a small comfort in a sea of Zuko's pain, even if the only reason he had these nights was the loss of his mother and her worry.
It was the year 97 AG, not that the spirits cared, when the pot began to over boil. Blue knew it before Zuko reached the Agni Kai chamber but then he sensed Agni himself watching the scene and that really cemented it. Zuko may not walk away from this one.
The Blue Spirit thrashed inside Zuko. He called out for Agni, begging him to spare the boy. Agni didn't pick favorites and Blue didn't think he did either but the thought of Zuko's life ending so soon was unbearable. He'd do whatever he could to make sure Zuko survived this. He'd let Zuko draw on every last ounce of his life force if it meant creating a flame big enough to save his life.
Zuko didn't fight though. Instead, he bowed and Blue was forced to fight a very different kind of battle than any kind he'd ever fought before. Infection wasn't something he understood very well and it terrified him. The Blue Spirit was a warrior, not a healer. He had no idea what was happening to Zuko's body and he had no idea how to stop it from happening. He wasn't even certain what had happened to it. There was a burn, he knew, one that he'd been unable to prevent, but Zuko's body was still hotter than a human his size could survive and it was losing water for reasons the Blue Spirit couldn't understand. He knew he was strong and he knew his power could help the boy but he just didn't know how.
Then, it was cold. Blue, in his panic, had missed it but suddenly Zuko's body was freezing and some type of energy was reaching into him. Blue reached right back for it, begging whatever it was to help the human he'd grown to love. Later, he'd learn it was a waterbender using her bending to heal away the fever and infection keeping Zuko unconscious but in the moment, Blue swore it was a spirit-blessed miracle.
It was the year 97 AG, not that the spirits cared, when things finally seemed to be going Zuko's way. Pakku wasn't the kindest father-figure but he was infinitely better than Ozai ever was and Blue loved him for that. Yue, similarly, was a far better friend to Zuko than Azula ever could be but that wasn't even the most important thing. Blue, still exhausted from his fight to keep Zuko alive, snapped awake the moment they met her. Zuko had a friend in her but Blue had something more.
Tienhai inhabited Yue, just as the Blue Spirit inhabited Zuko. She was nestled into the cavity that held the girl's spirit, settled right there beside the essence that made up Yue. Yue was like Zuko and Tienhai was like Blue. He hadn't realized how lonely he'd felt until he wasn't alone anymore.
They couldn't speak to each other, not when they sat just below Yue and Zuko's own spirits. When the full moon came, when Tui's power changed the humans' bodies and allowed the spirits' presence to surface, they were reunited. Dragon and serpent danced in the moonlight, spirits finally together again. Zuko would be happy here. Blue knew it.
It was the year 97 AG, not that the spirits cared, when a threat came to that happiness. Blue was tired of it at this point. Hadn't Zuko already gone through enough this year? Blue had a very weak grasp on the concept of a year but he knew it was too short of a time period for Zuko to face another threat to his life.
The people on the poles went through long periods cut off from Agni's light. Blue hadn't known that. He felt like he should've known that. No wonder none of Agni's children ventured this far. They couldn't survive. Zuko couldn't survive. He couldn't survive in the Fire Nation either. Ozai would kill him. Blue had no evidence but it was something he knew deep inside. No where was safe for his boy. At least here Blue had a little more time to fight. He just had to warm Zuko up. He could do that. And if he couldn't, Zuko would die among friends.
It was hard to tell what was going on around Zuko's body but he knew when the Kemurikage came. Blue was happy to see his friends. He'd missed them. Yue and Tienhai didn't seem to feel the same way though. In his daze, Blue couldn't quite understand why but Yue had managed to get Zuko to transform without the full moon, allowing Blue to shift close enough to the surface to use his power to properly ward Zuko from the cold, so he wasn't complaining.
It was the year 98 AG, not that the spirits cared, that Yue was engaged. Blue didn't understand what that meant but Zuko didn't like it so Blue didn't either. When had their feelings become one? It was getting hard to tell where Blue ended and Zuko began. It was hard to tell much these days. Everything was so hazy. Zuko was happy though and he was getting stronger so Blue didn't mind. Anything for Zuko.
It was the year 100 AG, not that the spirits cared, when Blue realized all the hardship in Zuko's life had been preparing him for this moment. Preparing both of them.
Tui was dead. Beautiful, kind Tui. Agni's beloved sister. One of the great spirits. She'd been around longer than Blue had. He'd known her his whole existence. And now she was gone. It felt like someone had ripped him open and pulled out the deepest, darkest, rawest, ugliest parts of him and held them up for all the heavens to see. It hurt unlike anything Blue had ever felt before.
The Blue Spirit had only shoved away Zuko consciousness and seized control of his body twice: once when he wanted to go out and Ursa hadn't met him and once so he could fly with Tienhai swimming below. Neither time had been as forceful as this though. Tonight, under the bleeding moon, it was all Blue and no Zuko. He would make the humans pay for what they did.
Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Later, Blue couldn't remember and it didn't matter because Zuko was feeling pain just as deep as his. Yue was replacing Tui. She was giving her life to save the humans Blue wanted to destroy. She wasn't truly gone, not like Tui, but Zuko didn't understand these things and so he hurt. Blue hated that he hurt. He let go of his rage and enveloped him, hoping Zuko would be able to feel just how much he cared.
It was the year 100 AG, not that the spirits cared, and Blue knew Zuko would bounce back. It was just like before. Zuko had lost everything and left his home but there was still hope in his future. Last time, his solace had been Yue. This time, it came in the form of Toph.
She didn't have a spirit in her, not like Yue and Zuko, but she was more spirit than the other humans. An earth spirit, Blue knew but he couldn't tell who had touched her. He felt some of the Wolf's influence though and that was a comfort.
Toph was like a wildfire. She was unstoppable and not even Zuko's grief could keep him from noticing. They were friends in a way totally different from the way Zuko and Yue were friends. She treated him the same, firebending or not, and she was exactly what he needed.
It was the year 100 AG, not that the spirits cared, when Blue and Zuko saw the last dragons and learned the meaning of fire. Blue already knew it, of course. He stood at Agni's side in the heavens. He was reminded of fire's brilliance every moment. Seeing it as the dragons saw it, as Zuko and the other mortals saw it, was really something though. Fire, life, and honor meant something totally different to them and it was beautiful.
Plus, Yue and La were there. Zuko learned something about letting go and Yue learned something about responsibility. Blue was a bit distracted by all the fire to soak it all in as much as he should've but both came out stronger because of it and he was proud of them. It hadn't been long and already they were moving on. Humans were strong like that, he supposed. They bounced back. Spirits, for all their pride and arrogance, did not.
It was the year 100 AG, not that the spirits cared, when the Avatar led an attack on the Fire Nation. The Blue Spirit offered Zuko his power generously. Agni disapproved of the current Fire Lord greatly and had been displeased with the Fire Nation's behavior for quite some time. Today would be the day things changed and it would be Blue's honor to assist in whatever way he could. It'd been a long time since the Fire Nation had seen dragons and even longer since any humans had seen a creature like the one Toph turned into. They were a terrifying pair. They would crush these corrupt humans and the scales of balance would tip back in Agni and Raava's favor.
Only, something was wrong. Blue only sensed a dark spirit's presence for a moment before something was grabbing Zuko. No, not just Zuko. Something was grabbing both of them. It felt almost like the times other spirits had tugged on him to try to get his attention or get Zuko to transform but Shu and Wan Shi Tong were friendly. They had Zuko and Blue's best interests at heart. Whatever this was did not.
It hurt.
O̴h͘ A҉gn̕i,́ i͏t͟ hur̡t. Ag̸ni̡,̶ hel̡p. H̨e͝ was̨ ŗįgh̵t̶ ̶there̛,̷ ri͡ght u̵p t̸he͠r̴e̴ i̛n҉ t͞he sky̵.̀ Why͠ didn̨'t ͡he̸ ͡h̡e͟lp ̴h̕im͞? ̶Blue͝ se̶rv̷ed̵ A̕g͜n͠i f̷or̛ ͜so ̛lon͟g a̴n̶d he ͟n̶eve҉r a͟s͞ked͟ f̕o̸r͠ a͘ny͏th̸i̸n͜g i҉n̕ ̢exch͢a͝ng͘e̕ ̷f͠o͏r̶ ͏h̸i̢s ̡l҉oy͜a̷ļt͝y͠.̷ ̶P̸leas̸e̶,̴ Ag͜n҉i. ͘Wh͜at́e̷v̧er̀ ͢for͜ce͜ t͢h͜i͝s wa҉s, i͠t͞ wa͢s͜ ͠a҉g̷a̛ins̸t̨ ̕natur̴e͞. ̶N҉o͠th̀ing shou̴l̡d b͝e͠ ̵a͞bl̢e to ҉h͘urt́ a҉ s̸piŗi̷t̢ ͞l̶ike thi̶s an͜d͘ Zuk͘o dídn'͠t ̧d̀e͏s͏erv̛e to͢ b̶e h͟urt l͜i̸kę this.̷ ̡A͜gni͜, if̧ no͏t ̨for̸ B͏l͠ue̸,͝ ͡d̡o i͏t f̨o͝r͘ Zuk̸o̡.
Zuko was forced out of his dragon form. He shrank down to his quadrupedal body, then to his bipedal one, and it didn't go smoothly. Blue fought whatever force this was the whole way. It hurt but humans were fleshy and weak. As horrendous as this was, Blue could bear it for Zuko. And it was horrendous. Spirits weren't all that used to physical sensations but Blue knew he wasn't overreacting. This was truly the worst thing he'd ever felt. Worse than Zuko getting burned. Worse than feeling Tui die.
It felt like he was being torn apart inside, only Zuko was being torn apart right there next to him. Blue felt their spirits bleed together, Blue's spirit trying to fix the holes torn in Zuko and Zuko's spirit trying to fill the gaps ripped in Blue. Their spirits had been intertwined for so long but never like this. It wasn't supposed to be like this. They were Zuko and Blue. Separate.
The sensation stopped before it got worse. As bad as it was, Blue knew it could and would get a lot worse. It was only a matter of time. They were Fire Nation prisoners now. Vaatu was there, slinking around just beyond the tangible plane, and Ozai was still the most terrifying thing in the room. Or, he was until the Dai Li and the Fire Sages began their work.
Ą̶͡g̨n̴i͘͡ ̵͡c̷̡͘oul̢d̷̛͞n͟'͢͠t̷͡ ͏҉s͟͝҉è̡è͜ ̴̡̧h̢i̕͢͝m͘͝ ̸̸͟here ̧̢͜a̧ń͠d́ B̢̀l̛ue̶̸͡ ̡did͢͟ņ̶͢'̡̕t̸̢̢ ̵҉̸wa͝͏n͟͏ţ h͟i̸͡m̵̡ ̵͜͞to̵͢.҉̶ ̶̢A̕͢s̵̕ ̕a̸̡͝w͟f̢ù̢̢l ̕͝ą̷́s͘͟ ̶i͢t̸̕͞ ͏w͜͠a͏̡s̷͢,̵ ̵͜as ͏͡d͞e̢̛s̵p̶ér̛͟á̀t̸e͜l͜͢y̶̴ ͏as̀̕ ́̕͞h́è ̧w̢a̡͟͜nted̷̢ ̶̧̧t̷o̧͞ ̡̧be͟҉ ̴s̷̷a̕v͘e̴̢d͢͡, ̨͡Á͡g͘n̴͘͠į̴ ̸͜c̀o̶u͏ld̵͜n̛'̷̴t͞ ̶͜͜s̸̛e̶͢͟e͜ ̷̨̡B҉l͠͏̧ư̸e͜͡ ĺi̶͏ķ͟͞e ̡͟t̛h͞i͡ş̶͞.̛ He͢͞ ̶̧͢w̶͡a҉s̡̨͞n̨'t ̀ę̵́ve̶͏̸n͜ ̷su̕͡ŗ̧͘e͡ ͢i̵͡f̧͝͏ ̷͞he̢͏ ̶͟wa̡ś̛ ̡̛B̧̡lų͠e ҉an̡͡ym̧̕҉o͢r͏e̕͢.̨͟ ̴̕H̷͢é̶̡ ̷̷̛w̵̨a͏͞s҉̧̀ Z̡҉u̶k͢͠͞o̸͞,̸͢͞ ̸̧͝a͏̵nd ̨͘h́e̶ w̡à̴s̸̵͝ ͝͝Bl̸̷ú͟e͜,̶̵̶ a̢n̶d̛̕͢ ̶͝h̡̀e͟ ͢͜w̡̡̕áś̶̡ ̛th͠e̸͏͞ ̴͞dr̷̡͟ąg̴͟on̸̷,͞ ͠a̢͝n̛͡d̕͞͞ h͟͏e͠ w҉͝a̕҉s̢̛͘ ̡fìr͟è,́ ̨̡á͜͡n̴̢d̸͢ ́ţ̸̡h̢e͘ŕ̴̴e̴̴ w͞a̷͘s҉͝ n̴͜o͠th̨i̷̛n̵g̛̛͢ ̶̶̧i̷n̶ ̵̷̕be̵͠t̷҉́w̛͢͞e͏̨̢e̶n̡̛.̀ ̡́̕T҉͢he̡͠y̵͢͡ ̢w̛e̢̧͘ŗ̵͜ę̀ o̧҉n͜e͝ ͏̨b̶͢͠uţ͡ ̨́t̕h̢͡e̴͟҉y̧̛͟ ̨͘͢w̸͢e̡re͏͡n̢'̴̵t͘͠ ́͡m̴ea̢̡nt́ ̴ţ́ǫ̶ ̴̀́be̕͢.͏ ̷͡The͝ir̸̕ ͟͢͡sp̧̛͡irits̢̡ w̴ér̶e ̧͜͠s̕͝h̶́͜r̡ed̶̡d̵̷̛ed͠͞ ̨̀͝a̡̛nd̨̡ ţ̷̕h̷͘͡ey͠ ͟͡f͘l̸̀o͢͡o̧ded ̕͏͠e͢a҉c͞h҉̕͡ o̷th͏er҉̷̧, ̡͞tr̶͟y̶̡i͞n҉͟͞g͠ ̨͡d̶͘e̷͢s̕per͡a͟t̀͞e͏̶l̷y ̷͏̵t́͡o̧͞ ̵f̡͝i̧͘͜l̷̡ļ̀ ̴in̕ ̕͠th̴e̶ ͘b̀l̵ą̴̸n̨ķ ͏̡sp̵ơ͝t͠ş ̢͘j̧́ù̡s͘͜͠t͠ ̸̛ļ́͟į̛̕ķ͘͠e ̛͞B̸l̶̡͟ú̕͝e͝ ḩ̴a̴d ̢fill̸̢ed ͞i̡̛n̛ ͝Z͜͝u͏k̀o ́҉̛al̵ļ̴ t̵h̡͡͝o͏̢s͞e͜ ͘͏͞y̢é͜ar̴̕҉s͏̶̨ ͏a͡g̶o͏̵͜.͞҉͏ ͢O͝n̡̕l̢̛͡ý,͝ ̢̛į̷t̢̕ ̶̶͞f̷͠e͡l͏͟t͞ ̢̛w̶̷r̶oņg͞.̷̕ ̨͡W̶̷̨r̶͠o̧͝ņ̷͞ģ,҉̡ w̷҉͡r͟͠o̡n̛g̛,̨͜ ͘wr̡ó͠n̛͡ģ̴̕.͜
I̤͖̘̟͕̱͓̠̬͖̥͎͚̤͓̘͉͗ͤ͌͒ͩ̓̊͑ͯͥ̓̃́͟͡ͅt̸̴̫͙̠̑̐͒͌̾̒͒̂̓͆͋͟ ̴̭̺̗̳ͣ́̿̋̂͑̽̽͒̏̔̏ͣ̽͐ͣ́̒̌͘͘͟͢w̞̞̠̲̹̉͛ͣ̀̇̔̽͆ͯ͛̉ͦͭ̓̿̐ͪ̚͘͢ǎ̵̡̖̗̭͔̾ͥ̇̒͑ͮ͡ş̓̔̋ͤ̄͌̈̂̂ͨ̈҉̨̢̡̗̤̮̲̰̼͔̬̹̺̯̬̯͈̪͈ ͌̄ͧ̍̽ͭͬ̔҉̶̱̫̩͔͞W̢̛͆̓̇͆́̐ͣͪͦͮ̐͛ͦ̂́͟҉͕͍ͅR̵̛̘̻͚̝̞͍̠̻̼̮͕̗̯̳̝̗̤̀͛͂ͫ͂ͮ̎̔͐ͪͤ̍̍̆̾͑̒͋ͤ̀͢͡O̶͔̭̼͕̺̪̥̤̖͍͔͇͍̊̃̓ͬͪͫ̆ͤ͐̐̓̒ͤ͂̉ͭ͠Ņ̷͓̺͍̹̯͕̦͚̻͕̺̄ͤ̿ͧ̏͂̈ͬ̎ͩ̏̾͂͆̽ͣͩ̀Ģ̥̼̤̻͓̮̺͓̙̖̭͚̼̐̾̈́̓͒̏ͥ̕.̡̧͈̟͓͙̭̬̦̲̻̰͚͚̮ͪ̋ͮ̏̈́͑ͦ͋̒͂̀͟͡ ̡̰̘̤͖̪͕͔͈̜̫̝̰͕̟̹͈̜̤̲̆̋ͬͬ̐̋͊ͧ̓ͮ͊̃̊̈̅͌͟͡I̷̧̩̰̥̪̦͈͓̗̹̣̼͈̘ͤͩͩ̋̀̕ͅt̩̹̠̪̻̝̜̙̺͎̞̞̃͋̃̓̿ͭ͊̔͠͞ ͈̗̲͇͚͉͎͚͓̟̱͉̈́̉͗ͨ̑ͣͮ̋͆͆̋ͥͩͣ̽͒͜n̸̢̯͔̻͔͇̣ͦ͑ͥ̈̑̓ͣͬ̓ͫ͗̚͘͡ͅȩ̩̞̜͕̹̖̦̤͎̞̮͙̜̯̫̳͈̈́̅ͧ̽̀́͟e̴̗̖̳̭̅̅̉ͧ̆̔͡d̻̫̱ͩ͐ͨͦ̀́͠e͊ͮ̓ͨ̑ͤ̓ͨͬͪ҉͘͜͞͏͈̹̘̥̰̠̹̭̫̗̟͙̮͉̳̪̱͇d̵̾̍̓̆̿̇̿̍ͫ͠͡͝͏̫̮͇͙̮ ̶̧̛̥̺͓̾̃̀ͫ̾̆͆̿͆̿̍̏̀̓̾̌͝ͅt̴̛̹̲̠͖̫͔̲̝̘̹͍̣͚̣̤͈̑ͥͮ̉ͫͪͭ͂̒͝o͂̐̍͐̉̍̇͊̊̊ͧ͟͏͏̻͎̫͖̣̺̹͖̩̼̯̩͜͡ͅͅ ̼̟̙͉̥̖͔̞̑̀̿̃̓ͤͫ̒͒̍̃͠S̸̵̢̖̖̪͍͕͖͈͓̯̮̓ͥ͋̉̔ͫ̂̈́̍̿̃̈ͯ̕T̸̵̻̳̯̝̝̪͔͕͋̌̀̉̋ͮ́̎͛͜͞Oͫ̈ͤͣ͏̵̼̖̗͞P̶̛̛͇͍̲̫̬͔̗̩̪͇̫̯͖̪͓̟̗͍̼̀ͤ̉͡.̴͉̦͚̭̙̥̹͙̖̻̥ͣ̇͊̊ͧͬ ͛̃́̆̀̐͊ͨ͟͏̩̯̩̟̯̥Iͨͯͨ̍͐͆̏͑̾ͤͭͥ͝͏̷̺̹̙͎̞̠̻t̡͓͉̻̟͓̲̜̠̺̣̳͖͉̘̱̣̋̔ͨ̆͛̅̑ͣ̍̆̽ͮ̐̒̉͡ͅ ̛͇̠̭̦̲̺̝͎̗̟̮ͤ̈́ͪ̅̎͋̀ͮͬ̂̄̓̅n̨̢̦̪͔̻̳͙̰̰̹̲̙͒̀̇̀ͥͪ̏ͭ̓͌̇̈́͆ͫ́͞͞ȩ̶̷̳̞̰̯̠̩̠̪͍̭̟͍͓̤̬̭͙ͩ̽̎̍̋̀̈̽͡ę̞͓̺̮̙̞͙̱͎͖̟͖̆̄̊́̽̎d̵̪̪͎̰̱̳̲̫͕̥̖̙̥̰͚̈́͂͂̄ͣ̾̇ͣ͊͜͠͠e̡ͫ̓͂ͬ̂҉̴̵̡̫̤̣͎̦̠͉̫͍̰͙̻̫̥̰͙d̉ͮ̓̑ͩ̆͗͛ͪͭ͑͋͂̃̃̈͏̷̨̥̭̱̭̘̫̹̱̪̤́̀ ͉̞͉̹̏͒ͬ͆̃͋̊̆̎ͥ͊ͭͦ͜t̳̲̫̤̠̝̲͍͓̖͈͎̩̫̆̆ͯ̍͑ͩ̽͑̒́̓͒̄̏̿̾̕͜͟o̺͙͈̫͓̖̺̤̭̓̎̈́́͟͢͡͝ ̵̶̨̦̦̞̠̦͍̜̥̤͚͎̜͙̆ͭͣͥ̓͐̾̈́͗͒ͥ̋̔ͨ͝ͅs̲̻͖͙̖̫̞͍̹̠̞̻͈̾̓ͩ̓ͦ̿̑̿ͨͧ̌̄͝t̴̢͚̦̪͇̼̥̻̬̰͎̥͍̟̣̠͓̫ͬ͆ͯ͆̊̋ͮ̑ͫͥ̇͐̚̚̕͠o̷̗͔̲̪͉̤͕̻͚̻͓̫̫͎̦̾͑̀͂ͩ̓̌̓̑̈̋̕͟ͅp̾̃ͤͮ̊ͯ͟͞͡͏͈̺̳̱̝͈̖͚̮͠ͅͅ ̢̢̳̲̤͇̤̞͚͙͔̟̮̮͍̉̂̔̍ͯ̊ͭ̔̑͒ͥ̔̈̌̀̍̍͂̕͝R̷̥̘͔̪͇̮̹̳̥̹̖͉̺͍̯̉̑̽̒̑̈́͆̊͌̾̚͜͠ͅĬ̛ͯ̇̃̌̂ͭͩ͌̿ͫ́͡҉̲̹̜̩̠͚̭͕̙̞̬̲̰͖̖G̸̪̮̭̬̼̼̙̜̥̮̟̳̼͍̞̭͋̌̐ͨ̈̚H͐̽͌̑̐̿ͦ̓̈͒̇̿҉̵̵̧̻͔̘̻̫̯͓̯͕̙͞T̸̴͈͙̝͚͎͍͈̫̻̳͇͈͕̝̬̬̈͆̓͌ͤ̈̾̾ͤ͜ ̝̹͔̜̹͍̠͖̯̫̹ͤ̎͊̀̋́̏ͯ͡Ņ̛̪̞̺̦̜̟͉͒͆̄̔̕O̵̸ͤ̔͗̊͊̿͋ͪ̇͗ͨ̐̊̃͒̏̚҉̴̴͙̫̖̬̖̤̮̖̘͚̗͕̺͉̫͚̲W̴̶̢̫̗̘̘͓̩̯̙̋̒ͮ̈ͯͥ͗̓ͤ̈̋̈́͒̐͘
T͢h͏ey ̶c̀ou̧ldn'͠t ͏t̢a͠k̶e ͜it anym̴o̕r̢e a̧ńd͝ th͟ey didn͘'́t.̴ T̷here̵ w̕as͞ n͠ò ̀f́i͢re. Th͡er͝e̸ w͘a͞s n͡o ͢d͝r͢a̡go͟ņ.̶ ͡Th̛ere w͟as ̨no ͠Zu͟k͏o͘. ̧T͟herȩ ̨w̕as ̷n͝o̧ ̶Bl͡ue̸.̧ ͟T͜h̀ey͝ w̴e̛rę o̸n͠e ̷an̴d ͘th̡e̡re͝ ͜w͡a̵s n̕one̢.̨ A͏ll that r̕e͞ma͝i҉ned̨ wa̶s͠ a͜ h̴usk f̵or the Fire ̢L͏o͟r̡d̶ to̴ còm̀maņd̸.̢
The Blue Spirit was gone. Zuko was too. They didn't know what remained.