"The Earth Kingdom has fallen…"
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The morning sun crept up on the horizon, looming over the crescent-shaped beach where the Southern Water Tribe men were scurrying about to break camp. Standing on the shoreline, Chief Hakoda put a hand to his brow and looked up. Something had caught his eye - something large, casting a shadow on the clouds as it passed over them.
"Hakoda, look!" Bato shouted, pointing skyward.
"I see it!" Hakoda called. He watched as the Avatar's bison came roaring through the dawn-reddened billows and touched down on the sand.
"Dad!" his son's voice cried.
Hakoda's face burst into a smile. "Sokka!" The heaviness of worry on his heart palpably lightened as the blue-clad young warrior with the wolf's tail slid down Appa's back and rushed towards him.
Just behind the reunited father and son, the Earth King held onto his hat and slipped down uncertainly. His legs bowed out under his robe as he hit the ground like a thin, gangly green frog. His pet bear seemed to have the intention of climbing out of his perched position, but his claws in Appa's back were an unwelcome irritation. One loud rumble from the bison was all it took for Bosco to tumble hastily down behind his master.
Toph leapt down easily, her little feet landing solidly in her element. She held out her hands and waited to help catch Aang as Katara carefully scooted off of Appa's neck with the wounded Avatar still in her arms. Appa gave a low rumble, then moved so Katara could slide down his fur more easily. Once on the ground, Aang's limp body dropped forward into Toph's secure grip. Katara helped her friend steady him, then they laid him down on the beach. The boy's eyelids fluttered a little, but he didn't stir.
Katara couldn't help feeling anxious. The Spirit Oasis water had miraculously brought Aang back over the threshold from death into life, but his recovery had ended there. Despite several attempts during the night to heal him with her bending water, the Avatar's gaping black wound had refused to mend. Beside her, Toph was frowning. Apparently, the blind earthbender could sense the faintness of Aang's vital signs even through the shifting sand.
"I don't know what else to try," the waterbender murmured helplessly.
"Don't worry about it, Sweetness," Toph replied. "He'll be all right. He's made it this far, hasn't he? Anyway, you should go talk to your dad. I'll stay over here with Twinkletoes."
"Thanks, Toph." Katara put a grateful hand on the little earthbender's shoulder. With one last backward glance at the flagging Avatar on the ground, she moved to catch up with her brother, who was already locked in Hakoda's arms.
The leader of the Southern Water Tribe marveled at the sight of his daughter coming across the beach towards him. When he'd sailed away with his men to fight in the war, she'd been a little girl, clinging fearfully to her brother. Now, she was almost a woman, moving with the confidence and poise of a master bender. The transformation was astonishing.
"Katara?" Still holding Sokka on one side, he reached out a hand towards her.
"Dad." Tears of joy streamed down her cheeks as Katara started running. She leapt into her father's arms and hugged him tight, snuggling against him and Sokka. It had been too long since they'd been together like this, as a family. "I've missed you so much!"
"I've missed you too." Hakoda held his children close, enjoying their nearness and thanking the spirits that they were safe. When he finally let go, he gave them a bittersweet smile. "I'm sorry there isn't time for a proper reunion. You almost missed us. A convoy of Fire Nation ships is headed this way, and unfortunately, we don't have enough tangle mines to repel them. We have to retreat."
"I know," Sokka replied, his face falling. "The Fire Nation has taken over Ba Sing Se. Dad, we failed."
Hakoda was taken aback. "What? But… the Avatar…"
"Aang needs our help right now more than we need his," Katara sadly confirmed. "Princess Azula almost killed him. She staged a coup and won control of the city. Some of the earthbenders sided with her. We couldn't stop them; there were too many."
Hakoda's countenance turned grim. "That's it, then. If the Earth Kingdom has fallen, the Fire Nation won't hesitate to strike the Water Tribe next. We have to get to the South Pole and prepare to defend our home."
Sokka nodded. "Walk with us, Dad. We have a lot to talk about."
As they made their way back to Appa with their father in tow, Sokka and Katara related a brief version of the events that had occurred over the last few weeks. Hakoda's eyes bulged with amazement as they recounted their persuasion of the Earth King, Azula's rise to power in Ba Sing Se, and their narrow escape from her clutches in the caverns of the old city.
When they reached the others at the opposite end of the sand bar, Sokka outstretched a hand. "Dad, let me introduce our friends. This is Toph Bei Fong, and this is the Earth King."
"Hi," Toph nodded uncomfortably. She knew that Sokka and Katara's relationship with their father was a good one, but due to her own unresolved issues on the home front, she was still unnerved by the presence of parental figures. Hakoda greeted the earthbender with a friendly hello and a nod, then turned to the tall, thin man beside her.
"It's a great honor to meet you, Your Highness," Hakoda said, bowing his head slightly.
The Earth King drew his chin to his chest. His eyes closed to mere slits behind his glasses. "My great kingdom has fallen. I should have prevented it, but I was too blind to see what was happening until it was too late. I am not one whom you should honor."
"I'm sure you judge yourself too harshly," Hakoda assured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. The Earth King looked up with wide eyes; no one had dared touch him before without his permission. It was a strange feeling - not unwelcome, but something he'd definitely have to get accustomed to. "Don't lose heart. The war's not over yet."
The Earth King recognized Hakoda's kindness and nodded softly, feeling even more ashamed. It seemed odd to him that he had always considered himself a clever scholar and diplomat, a man who knew the right turn of phrase for any occasion, yet now, he couldn't find a single word to say.
"Dad, we were hoping you'd take the Earth King with you," Sokka said then. "Aang, too. They'll be safe with you."
"Master Pakku took some benders with him to the South Pole," Katara added. "I've done all I can for Aang. I just hope that an experienced healer from the Northern Tribe can do more."
The chief's eyebrows shot up in alarm. "What about you? Surely you don't mean to stay here now that the Fire Nation controls the Earth Kingdom."
Sokka shook his head. "We're going to Kyoshi. There's something I have to do there. After that, we'll come and find you."
Hakoda heard the tightness in Sokka's voice. There was a weary look of defeat on the young man's face, matched by the tired faces of his young companions. He could only imagine the horrors they had confronted in Ba Sing Se. Still, as bad as things had just become, worse times were ahead.
The Water Tribe leader glanced back at his daughter. She had matured not only physically, but in her eyes as well. They held a burden and a wisdom far greater than her years. Only a few days ago, he had waved farewell as the Avatar and his son had flown off to rescue her. Now, the world's only hope was the one in danger of losing his life, and she was the one who had saved him. He wasn't surprised. She'd grown strong, like her mother, and her grandmother before her.
Hakoda reached for her, sharing one more tender embrace. "You look so much like Kaya. If only she could see the young woman you've become, I know she'd be so proud."
Katara's heart twinged. Guiltily, she blushed, thinking of how she'd talked so openly to Zuko about the loss of her mother. Zuko, who understood her pain in the same way Jet had, because he'd known that pain himself. Zuko, who had comforted her more gently than her own best friend.
I'm sorry. That's something we have in common.
Squeezing her eyes shut, Katara tried to put the scarred prince out of her mind. She was finally reunited with her father; he was here, alive and real and warm. For one sweet moment she relished the innocence of being cradled in Hakoda's strong arms, able to be a child again and not the strength that was holding everyone together. "I wish I could go with you, Dad."
"So do I. But we'll be together soon," he promised, kissing her brow. "I know it."
"I hate to say this, but we have to leave now," Toph broke in, her solid voice tinged with worry. "Someone's coming towards us really fast, and it feels like there are a lot of them."
"We're not safe here," Sokka affirmed with a frown. "Get everyone out of here, Dad. We'll try to catch up with you before you get to the South Pole."
"Be careful." Hakoda embraced his children once more, hoping it would not be the last time he ever held them.
Katara nodded. "You too."
Momo screeched a warning, flapping above Sokka's head and landing on Toph's shoulder. Sokka whirled round, a shadow of dread on his face as he cried, "There they are!"
Spreading across the beach like a plague of insects, the Dai Li advanced over the dunes, black and green robes visible behind a cloud of dust as they slid down the embankment. In the lead were two figures on ostrich horses that could only be Azula and Zuko.
Katara gasped, then turned to her father. "Go, now!"
"To the ships!" Hakoda shouted. "Hurry!"
The men of the Water Tribe scuttled back onto the ships, taking what they could of their provisions in hand and leaving the rest behind. In the commotion, Hakoda lifted Aang's frail little body and carried him up the nearest gangplank. Momo flew behind them. The Earth King and Bosco bounded after.
Toph, Katara and Sokka scrambled onto Appa's back, hastily taking off. Once they were airborne, Katara peered fretfully down at the Water Tribe ships slicing through the water.
The Dai Li were spreading out along the shore in an attack formation. Massive projectile rocks soared in a long arc toward the ships, and the waterbender caught her breath in alarm. Fortunately, the Water Tribe vessels were just out of range. The small fleet glided briskly out into the ocean, and the boulders meant to sink them splashed harmlessly into the bay.
"They made it!" Sokka cheered. "They're all right!"
"Yes!" Toph exclaimed boldly, forgetting her fear of flying long enough to plunge a victorious fist into the air.
Katara smiled, thankful her father and the others had made it away safely. As they made their escape, though, she couldn't help but look back over her shoulder. Far below, she could just make out the forlorn figure of Prince Zuko, staring upwards from his ostrich horse.
Zuko. Her fingers twisted harder into Appa's mane as she forced herself to turn away. Tears that went unseen by Toph and unnoticed by Sokka pricked her eyes, blurring away the sun as they rose into the clouds.
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Azula watched the retreating Water Tribe ships with a dark expression, then glanced sharply upwards, where the Avatar and his friends were getting away. Her thin eyebrows furrowed with ire.
Beside her, Prince Zuko followed her gaze up to the escaping sky bison. For a moment he could have sworn he saw her, looking back at him, but she turned away as they soared out of sight. He knew why. His face had been the face of the enemy to her. Now, it always would be.
I'm so sorry, Katara. The dull ache of regret twinged in his chest as he remembered her face, twisted with anguish as they lashed twin whips of fire and water against one another. She couldn't have known how much it hurt him to have to fight her. We couldn't have won, not against Azula and the Dai Li. It was the only way I could save Uncle, and you. Even if you both hate me, at least you're still alive. And you're going to stay that way. I promise. Zuko knew that with his honor restored, the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation could protect anyone he pleased. A dead banished prince couldn't save anyone.
"Shall we pursue the Water Tribe ships?" a Dai Li agent asked Princess Azula, breaking Zuko's train of thought.
"No need," Azula replied, raising a long-nailed hand in dismissal, "they are no longer of concern to me. Return to the city, all of you. My brother and I will be just behind you."
"Yes, Princess." The Dai Li headed back up the slope away from the beach, leaving Zuko to stare at the evil perfection of Azula's face, its pale complexion torn into clawed shadows by the rising sun.
For several moments she didn't speak. Only when the clandestine cabal of earthbenders had vanished from sight did she turn to look purposefully at Zuko. "I have a job for you."
"You don't order me around, Azula," he told her firmly, his fists clenching on his ostrich horse's reins.
"Of course not," she amended hastily. "I just think it would be to your advantage to take care of this particular task yourself."
The Fire Nation prince cocked his head to one side in suspicion. He knew better than to believe Azula when she tried to flatter him. "What is it you want?"
"The same thing you do, brother. Now that the Earth Kingdom is ours, there is only one real threat left to the ultimate rule of the Fire Nation, small though it is."
Zuko gave her a bland look. "The Water Tribe?"
Azula scoffed. "The Water Tribe is no threat. If it hadn't been for Uncle's treachery at the North Pole, Zhao's fleet would have annihilated the Northern Water Tribe. Even so, they've been seriously weakened, and the Southern Water Tribe has no defenses at all. No, Zuko. I meant the Avatar."
"What are you talking about? You shot lightning into his spine. Even if the waterbender heals him enough to keep him alive, she can't undo the damage. You have your victory, Azula."
"Our victory," she was quick to remind him, searching his expression warily, "and we don't have it yet. We'll only have it for certain when you find the Avatar and finish him."
Zuko rolled his eyes. "Don't you know anything about the Avatar? If you kill him, he'll just reincarnate somewhere else."
"Even if he does, it won't matter. He'll be reborn into a world ruled entirely by the Fire Nation, one in which he will have absolutely no say, no power, and no one to stand behind him. He'll have to be born again, grow up again… and just think. How can he learn all the elements this time? There will be no one left to teach him airbending." Azula's smile was twisted and cruel. "Victory is already ours, Zuko. In every way but death, the Avatar is already defeated."
His death. Zuko looked away, reliving that moment in his mind. When the Avatar fell, the waterbender had summoned a giant wave and caught him, cradling his wounded body as a mother would her child. Her eyes had begged Zuko for mercy, but he'd pretended not to notice. To show any weakness in front of Azula would have sealed both their fates as well as Uncle's, so he'd stared down the wounded Avatar instead, blaming him for all the pain and shame of his banishment. Despising him was all too easy, especially now. Exile was no longer Zuko's only reason for resentment where the Avatar was concerned.
Azula took his silence as an insult. "Well? Aren't you excited? If the Avatar is wounded, he won't get far. Capturing him will be no problem, and this way, Father will have no choice but to restore your honor. All that you've wanted for so long is finally within your grasp." She paused, narrowing her yellow eyes. "What I can't understand is why you're hesitating. Can it be that you've stopped hating the Avatar?"
"I will never stop hating him," Zuko growled in her direction, effectively erasing her doubts. "But that doesn't mean I trust you. We both know that Father's going to reward whoever brings him the Avatar. Why would you just stand aside and let me have the credit?"
"A deal is a deal," Azula shrugged. "You helped me get what I wanted and now I'm returning the favor. I suppose I could go along and try to steal your glory, but to be perfectly frank, I don't need it. I'll get honor enough from Father for subduing Ba Sing Se. The Avatar is your prize, Zuko. You've earned the right to claim him. I promise, have no intention of interfering."
"You really expect me to believe that?" he countered skeptically. "How do I know you won't just attack me once I have him and take him back to the Fire Nation yourself?"
"Is my word not good enough for you?"
"As many times as you've lied to me? No, it isn't."
Instead of being offended, his sister actually laughed. Her laugh was even more frightening than her anger. It was cold and deadly, like her fire. "You really have changed, haven't you? You've finally stopped trusting everything you're told and developed a killer instinct. Good. I respect that." Azula thought for a moment. "You're right. You can't trust me, and I won't ask you to. However, we can both trust Mai."
"Mai?" The name conjured the memory of a sharp-faced, melancholy little girl, blushing as they fell awkwardly into a pond. He was vaguely aware that she and Ty Lee had been helping Azula, but he failed to see the connection now. "What does she have to do with this?"
"Mai is my right hand. I have no doubts that she is loyal to the Fire Nation and to me. However, I also know that Mai would never let me hurt you. As a show of good faith, I'll send her with you to apprehend the Avatar. That way, you can be sure I won't attack because you'll have her as leverage, and I can be sure that you won't turn traitor like Uncle because she won't let you."
The banished prince tried to take all this in, but one point still confused him. "You said Mai would never let you hurt me. What did you mean by that?"
The princess rolled her eyes. "Are you really that dense? Have you forgotten the crush she had on you all those years?"
"We were kids then," Zuko reminded her, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
"True, but her feelings haven't changed." When he still looked doubtful, Azula met his eye with conviction. "If you don't believe me, ask Ty Lee. We both know she isn't clever enough to tell a convincing lie."
For once, he felt certain Azula was telling the truth. He almost wished she wasn't, for Mai's sake as well as his own. "I believe you. But if you don't trust me, then why aren't you going?"
"I do trust you, Zuko. You made the right decision and you've earned my respect for it. Mai is just insurance in case, Agni forbid, you change your mind. Besides," she sighed with annoyance, "someone has to make sure that weasel-rat Long Feng doesn't try to seize control of the Dai Li again. If I'm not here to keep him in line, who knows what he might do?"
"All right," Zuko said at last. "Get me a ship and a crew, and I'll track the Avatar's bison. I can leave as soon as you have them ready."
"Excellent," Azula said with a smile. "I'll tell Mai."