Again, Wavebreeze and A711owner were the only reviewers of last chapter. I'm not exactly burning it up with the number of reviews, but I guess I'll just soldier on. But if you readers out there don't mind, please just drop a review on me. It really helps me with this fic, as I want to know if I'm doing this new style of writing (at least to me) correctly.

Here's our third character, and one that's probably a tiny bit more popular than my last two. Princess Yue of the Northen Water Tribe will be my target this time, and I have to juggle between her duties to the people, her feelings for Sokka, and later her role as the new spiritual form of the Moon Spirit. Let's see how this turned out for you guys.

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own Avatar.

Large drums sounded off into the night, the low-pitched bangs echoing off the snow-covered walls of our banquet area. Above, only the moon illuminated the dark night sky, signifying a sense of mystery, but also harmony as people clad in blue sat around a large fountain. Behind it, walls of water and several stone pillars stood on guard as a variety of food was brought to the centre for everyone to see.

Finally, a man wearing a large blue parka stood up to address our people. There was a necklace made of various stones and animal teeth around his neck, emphasizing his authority at the chief of the Northern Water Tribe. In a wise but husky voice, Arnook announced, "Tonight, we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sister from the southern tribe," he gesture to his left. At the end of the front table were two teenage figures, one male and one female, also wearing the traditional blue parkas of the Water Tribes. They smiled nervously at the guests, somewhat hesitant in meeting their fellow water benders from the other side of the world. Given that water benders either lived in the North Pole or the South Pole, the two tribes rarely interacted thanks to the sheer distance between us.

Arnook beamed as he turned to the people again. "And they have brought with them someone very special, someone whom many of us believed disappeared from the world until now: the Avatar." He gestured to the young boy sitting directly to his left. He was bald, had a blue arrow tattooed up his skull, and had a childish grin. Despite his great duty to the world, I could tell that his was still very much a fun-loving boy.

Arnook signalled for the crowd to simmer as they erupted into cheers for Avatar Aang. As the noise died down, he made one final declaration. "We also celebrate my daughter's sixteenth birthday." With that, he stepped slightly to the side as the two ladies-in-waiting escorted me into the foreground. "Princess Yue is now of marrying age!"

"Thank you, father," I nodded, smiling at the man who helped raise me all these years. Facing the audience, I proclaimed, "May the great Ocean and Moon spirits watch over us during these troubled times." Those two spirits were of utmost importance to our tribe, and rarely did we begin any celebration without giving thanks to them.

As my father brought the crowd's attention to a performance giving by Master Pakku, the lead water bending instructor in our tribe, I took a seat to the far left of the front table. My mind wasn't on the performance as Pakku and two of his students took the water from three containers and did all sorts of amazing and beautiful tricks with them. There were still some issues on my mind regarding this coming of age ritual, and I was intent on thinking a few things through after this quiet dinner with the Avatar.

However, my peace and quiet was interrupted by the teenage male Southern Water Tribe member, who was swallowing when I seated myself next to him. Glancing sideways at me, he immediately took a nonchalant pose. "Hi there, Sokka, Southern Water Tribe," he greeted, forced calmness and informality covering his anxious interior.

I accepted his greeting, telling him that it was a pleasure to meet him. He paused for a minute, his eyes wandering a bit, almost like he was fumbling with his thoughts. Maybe it was because he had never seen someone resembling my appearance before. Not every Water Tribe teenager had snow white hair and light-coloured eyes, so did my face surprise him? "So, uh, you're a princess, huh?" he stuttered, gesturing melodramatically at his every word, "You know, back in my tribe, I'm kind of like a prince myself."

Immediately, his sister jumped on him, challenging his prince-like authority. Sokka immediately shot her down, trying to stay on topic with me. As Katara bowed to him sarcastically, I could imagine the fun times they must have had when they were younger. The Southern Water Tribe, on first impression, seemed to be looser in their people's everyday relations with each other. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case here, as being the princess meant formality every day. Not to mention with a certain condition that I had and I simply did not have the luxury to enjoy myself like this. Part of me told me to stay on course, remain formal and behave well before my people like any good princess should, but another part of me envied my counterparts' informal ways, and urged me to drop the formalities and join in on the fun with them.

Turning back to me, Sokka glanced at me with a slightly mischievous look in his eye. "It looks like I'm going to be in town for a while. I'm thinking maybe we could, do an activity together?" he asked, both anticipating and fretting my response.

That actually got a laugh out of me, as Sokka's nervous insides spilled out into the open. "Do an activity?" I parroted, cocking an eyebrow at him. That got him noticing the awkwardness of his phrase, as he turned back to the table and gobbled up more food. He no longer looked at me, hoping to avoid further embarrassment while Katara took another side-swipe at him. Chuckling and shaking my head, I turned to begin my meal as well. It might only be a few minutes, but I felt I was truly going to enjoy Sokka's presence.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you," I could hear Pakku say in a somewhat sarcastic voice as he manipulated water from nearby. His arms flowed gracefully through the air, almost like the waves flowed with his movement as he created a large vortex of water surrounding himself and his opponent. Knowing how seriously Pakku took water bending, we knew that it was a battle where his world-class skills would be showcased.

But to my surprise, the battle wasn't against an enemy fighter, nor was he trying to discipline a disobedient student. In fact, I could not believe my ears when Sokka told me who was fighting. "Katara is with him inside that thing," he mumbled.

By now, a number of people had gathered on the stairway leading to Pakku's training grounds. Along with Aang and Sokka, there were a few elderly men curious to see who was challenging the master. There were also some ladies who paused their chores to get a look, and some young ones eager for action trotted up as well. "Master Pakku ticked off my sister when he refused to teach water bending to her, and because Aang tried to teach it behind his back, the master now banished Aang from his lessons as well," Sokka explained, hugging Katara's parka tightly against his chest. Small beads of sweat formed from his temple, his body slightly shivering not so much out of cold but of nervousness as he continued, "And now Katara insists on showing her skill with a duel."

Katara shot one arm sideways, flinging the circling water to the side. I dodged just in time to avoid the hit, but Sokka the clueless one got it in the face as the cool liquid splashed into him. The force of the impact was so great that he was sent a few steps up the stairs. Sensing the danger, I quickly ushered the people away while the water froze, allowing Katara to slide up and balance herself onto a pillar on the bottom of the stairs.

Master Pakku would not let up as he sent another wave at Katara, who retaliated by freezing her feet onto the pillar and holding her ground. "I guess I should apologize for not telling you earlier," I told Sokka as we took a few steps higher, "we have rather strict guidelines for who can learn what types of water bending. Fighting styles were for the men only, while women did water healing arts. And because of my situation, I have no training in water bending, so my knowledge on these techniques is very limited."

A quick squeezing motion from Katara's arms caused the water around her to stop and drop to the snowy ground. Just as Katara defiantly told Pakku that she would not be knocked down, Sokka turned back to me. I could feel his sturdy gaze observe me, all the cheers for Katara from the people around us becoming slurs as he asked, "It's about last night, isn't it? Are you still uncomfortable with that?"

I turned away from Sokka, refusing to look at him as Katara was dumped head-first into a large water pool. I still had regrets about the way I handled the issue when Sokka insisted that we got to know each other better. Last night, Sokka met me on one of the bridges overlooking our canals, as I requested him to. He even brought a wooden carving of a fish, which I thought resembled a bear more. But while I knew he meant well, I realized the meeting was no longer appropriate, and I left him immediately. I knew I caused him a lot of embarrassment and frustration, but there was no way I could explain to him without hurting him even more. Sighing, I lifted my head back up, just in time for Katara to form an ice pillar. The crowd's chants were deafening as she made thin slices, their edges sharper than any blade as she flung them at Pakku with alarming accuracy.

Despite putting Pakku on edge for a while, the experience factor soon reared its head as the old master regained the upper hand. Twice Katara tried to advance on Pakku, and twice the older man blew her back. The first was with a vicious wave, and the next time with a sliding snowdrift that cut Katara's legs from under her. I winced each time this teenager, similar to me in age and position, got thrown about like a lone canoe in a winter storm. Given that she was Chief Hakoda's daughter, it would mean she was like a princess of sorts, and Sokka a prince. So Sokka wasn't exactly lying when we first met, I thought, he is an heir since he will become a chief should his father pass away.

But Princess Katara was not in the best of shape, as the collision was so great that her body was flipped into the air before landing hard onto the snow. The landing was so violent that her hair became undone, and a small blue necklace fell from her neck. I could only gasp as Katara struggled to her feet with great difficulty. We might be similar in so many ways, but we were also very different. Here in the north, the very thought of having a female learn to battle with, let alone use water bending in a war was taboo. There were strict roles in our society, and nobody dared to challenge these customs. But to see our two southern counterparts be so defiant, not only rebelling against the traditions, but were intent on using them to save the world? It was something completely new to me. Even as princess, my expectations were nothing more than to help my future husband, and likely new chief, with running our tribe. But now, seeing Katara show us that she was intent on actively making a difference in this war, it really made me rethink what I could offer.

The battle finally ended when Pakku created several icicles and hurled them in Katara's direction, trapping her body completely and not allowing her to move. As water was dynamic, the crux of water bending was based on movement. Without it, Katara was no longer a threat. As Pakku strolled off, his eyes fell on the necklace Katara dropped. "I made this sixty years ago," he said, his tone becoming softer, "for the love of my life."

The only sounds from the training grounds were the gentle splashes of the nearby waters as Katara identified her grandmother Kanna as the original owner, and that Katara inherited it from her. "I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged. I thought we would have a long, happy life together. I loved her." Pakku reminisced.

"But she didn't love you, did she?" Katara responded, no longer trapped in icicles and no longer showing animosity towards Pakku, "it was an arranged marriage. Gran Gran wouldn't let your tribe's stupid customs run her life, that's why she left."

I could feel warm tears ready to burst through my eyes upon hearing this. It truly showed the courage Katara and Sokka had to face the world like this, but it also showed my own cowardice. Arranged marriage was a common thing at the Northern Water Tribe and almost all young adults married this way. It didn't matter that one loved another, for as long as both families agreed to have their children married off, then the children would not get a say. How could I, a princess, claimed to help lead my tribe when I couldn't even match Katara? Sobbing hard, I hurried off, hoping no one could catch up.

I ran as quickly as I could, our snowy town nothing but a blur to me as my heart pounded on my ribs. I didn't stop until I reached the bridge that Sokka and I met the night before. Gripping the railing, I took deep breaths, the cold air entering me and presented a soothing feeling which calmed me down. I had a flurry of thoughts go through my mind, and it only crossed my boundaries even more as I weighed my personal feelings against the duties I had to my tribe. Of all the times to be mixed up, why must it be now? I could feel some tears edging down my cheeks, the moisture cooling upon contact and mixing into the two white hair braids dangling from either side of my face.

I soon lost track of the time as nightfall dawned on our town. Darkness soon crept around me as the streets and canal became quieter. The silence allowed me to hear the shuffling of snow boots coming up to me, and immediately I recognized it was Sokka. "What do you want from me?" I demanded, my emotions threatening to shoot through.

Sokka assured me that he meant no harm, and that he understood the situation. "You're a princess, and I'm just a southern peasant," he stated, his tone neither angry nor eager, "It's okay, you don't have to say anything. I'll see you around, okay?"

But before he could leave, I grabbed him and spun him around. Getting a good look at those beautiful blue eyes of his, I locked my lips onto his, drinking in his warm breath as we savoured the kiss under the nearly full moon. By the time I released him, I could see the confused but slightly happy expression on his face. "I do like you a lot, but we can't be together, and not for the reason you think," I clarified for him.

Sokka cocked an eyebrow, still unsure of what happened. That was when I decided to show the secret to him, the one that had caused me all this guilt. "It's because I'm engaged." I pulled down my collar to show him my own betrothal necklace. It was the symbol between two individuals marrying each other, as identical necklaces would be made for the couple to wear. "I'm sorry." I hiccupped one last time before racing off.

"You hanging on tight?" Sokka asked me in a mischievous tone. Like the last few mornings, I had been seeing my friend from the south. We talked about the experiences we had while growing up in our different tribes, and it was through this that I found out about the huge differences in culture. While the Northern Water Tribe was filled with rich history and culture, the Southern Water Tribe was very different. Its establishments were very scattered, and thanks to constant attacks from the Fire Nation, its buildings were not exactly in the best of shape. Given that they were in constant need of help, there was a part of my mind telling me to request my father to send over some of our people.

But that's where my positive thoughts of the day ended, as I kept thinking how wrong it was for me to see Sokka even though I was engaged. He was such a gentleman, only caring if I was happy or had a good time. It was like the fiancé wasn't even a factor to him. And to further prove to me that he cared, he invited me to ride on Aang's large Sky Bison. He glanced at me with that half-grin and that distinctive twinkle in his eye as he grabbed the reins, waiting anxiously for my answer.

Taking a deep breath, I finally nodded. Turning to face the front again, Sokka commanded Appa in a suspenseful voice, "Yip…yip!"

With a low groan, the bison took to the skies, speeding away from the palace as we gained altitude in a hurry. My stomach churned in nervousness, but also in excitement as I experienced flight for the first time in my entire life. The view was magnificent as our snow-covered buildings glistened against the sun, white walls and houses whipping past as nothing but ocean lied before us. In the sky, it was like Sokka and I were truly free from all the troublesome expectations of our lives. "Wow, I can't believe you do this everyday," I marvelled, looking down to see our hunters and fishermen navigate around the icebergs in the water, "is it always this cold in the sky?" I asked, leaning into Sokka.

Sokka didn't reply, but I could see from the side of his face that he was just as confused as me. I felt deep down that Sokka realized the consequences of our current situation, but he was trying hard to keep his emotions bottled in too. There was no sound, not even from the wind as he slowly tilted his head back towards me. "Not when you're with someone," he replied, leaning closer and letting me see those beautiful blue eyes.

Suddenly, I couldn't feel the cold anymore. Heck, I couldn't even observe my surroundings as Sokka was the only thing in my vision. It was beautiful up here, and it wasn't just due to the sights. It was like the spirits took over as we feel ourselves drift closer to each other, our lips slightly parting as that déjà vu moment returned again.

But we snapped away from each other's eyes just in time to notice the scenario. Pulling away, Sokka quickly changed the subject, avoiding what would have been a total disaster had anyone found out. "Good times, good times," he muttered, grabbing onto the reins again to control Appa's movements. Beside him, I could only sigh. Were we going to be a couple that could never be together due to our different customs?

The thought was quickly erased from my mind as Appa flew into a cloud of dark particulates. The entire air reeked of a burnt smell as we looked around to see if there was a fire. "Oh no," Sokka mumbled, pointing to the front, "we have to warn everybody."

Immediately he yanked on the reins, turning Appa around and going full speed ahead for the palace again. I kept glancing over my shoulder as ominous black shapes had begun to make their way past the horizon and into view. I stayed silent as I looked at Sokka, who had a determined expression on his face as he steered Appa back onto the land.

Dismounting quickly, he picked up a nearby clump of snow, now contaminated with the dark materials. "I've seen it before, right before my village was attacked. It is soot mixed with snow," he explained, his voice monotonous and serious, "it's the Fire Nation. They've closed in on the North Pole, and from the looks of this stuff, I'd say there's a lot of them." He gestured to the sky, which was now pitch-black.

We quickly flew Appa back into the animal pens and raced to the central palace. The war drums had already sounded, signalling that my father Arnook demanded for an emergency meeting with the most capable warriors and war planners to deal with the incoming threat. Sokka and I were halfway up the stairs when I had to break it to him. "I can't see you anymore," I told him, halting our ascending, "not at all."

"What? We're just friends!" Sokka exclaimed, waving his arms in frustration. As he did that, it only made me feel guiltier, as I realized that my feelings were not like the way he described: friends. No, somewhere, deep inside, I felt something more.

I turned my head to the side, trying to avoid those blue orbs, which now zeroed in on me. From my lower position on the staircase, it was almost like I shrunk to the size of a rodent. "I wish we could just be friends, but I like you too much, and it's too confusing to be around you," I revealed the truth to him. The past few days, I had truly enjoyed his company, as he treated me not for my status as princess but for who I really was. Turning around completely, I reiterated to him, "I'm marrying someone else!"

But even without facing Sokka, I could imagine the look on his face when he retorted in a disappointed tone, "You don't love him, do you?"

"But I do love my people," I responded, lifting my head. The incoming black cloud now covered the entire horizon, and the Fire Nation navy wouldn't be far away. "I have duties to my father and tribe," I finally faced him, tilting up to see his face entirely. The glum look pained me so much, but I must push on. "I have to do this. Goodbye!" With that, I raced off, charging up the rest of the stairs and leaving Sokka in his wake.

"The legends say the moon was the first water bender. Our ancestors saw how it pushed and pulled the tides and learned how to do it themselves," I explained as we gazed over the ocean from the safety of the water palace. The Fire Nation, as expected, launched their initial attack on us, sending several flaming boulders through our walls and damaging various parts of our town. Thanks to the Avatar, who managed to disable some of their ships, it bought us some time to regroup and re-strategize.

Right now, the Fire Nation navy, led by Admiral Zhao, laid siege to our tribe, and although the attacks paused for the night, it was bound to continue as the sun rose again. "Our strength comes from the spirit of the moon, while our life comes from the spirit of the ocean. They work together to keep balance." I told Aang and Katara, who watched the temporarily tranquil scene before me. Even with the Avatar, it was of no use, as the Fire Nation ships were too strong, and there were too many of them. We knew that unless there was some assistance from somewhere, the Fire Nation would launch their assault again in the morning. While water benders received strength from the moon, fire benders relied on the sun, and by morning, we could expect the ferocity of their attack to increase.

But right now, the main thing that we needed was to get Aang some guidance, hopefully to restore his lost confidence and allowed him to fight against the Fire Nation again. I leaned on the railing, mulling through the possibilities when the bald boy shot up suddenly. "Maybe I can find them and get their help?" he suggested.

Katara stepped up, explaining that the Avatar was the bridge between the real world and the spirit world. "The only problem is, last time you got to the spirit world by accident. How are you going to get there this time?" she asked.

Immediately, I had an idea. Leading Aang and Katara out the back of the palace, I took them to a small garden. There, a small wooden door, hidden away from the central area, awaited them. I told them it was the most spiritual place in the North Pole, and that it might help Aang reach the spirit world. Unlocking the gate, I pulled it open with a creak. I let Aang and Katara enter first before I entered, closing the door behind me.

Aang charged forward excitedly as the sound of a waterfall greeted us. It flowed right behind a small gazebo, which was surrounded by green grass and shrubs. And right in front of the small structure, a pond with unfrozen water beckoned us, the climate there resembling spring more than the frozen ice fields we were used to. As Aang rolled happily in the grass, Katara commented how warm it was there.

"It is the centre of all spiritual energy in our land," I replied as Katara removed her parka, leaving her in her usual blue tunic. I was about to say more when I saw Momo, the lemur that traveled with Aang and his friends, dipping a paw into the pond and stirred the water. Immediately, I charged up and glared at it, not impressed by that move. I never revealed it to the Avatar and his friends yet, but the spiritual energy of the Northern Water Tribe came from this very pond. And given my personal history, it had particular importance to me as well, so the last thing we needed was Momo disturbing the peace.

By the time we got the lemur away, Aang already sat himself before the pond. Closing his eyes, he formed fists and pressed his knuckles together, forming a perfect meditation pose before the pond. We gently tread around the pond, my eyes glancing into the tranquil water, just in time to see two shadows arriving to the centre and circling each other. This was the symbol of balance, as the white fish, the mortal form of the Moon Spirit, would follow the black fish, the mortal form of the Ocean Spirit, and vice versa. Hopefully, with this spirituality, the Avatar could get the help he sought.

But nothing seemed to be happening as Aang sat there, unmoving and silent. I glanced around nervously, trying to listen to any strange sounds from around us as Aang continued his attempt to enter the spirit world. We wanted Aang to have as much time as he needed, but also had to watch out for any disturbances, just to keep him safe. "He's meditating, trying to cross over into the spirit world," Katara described as we positioned ourselves behind him, trying to stay as quiet as possible. "It takes all his concentration."

From the moonlight, I could see the Avatar twitch a little. Sensing his great difficulty, I turned to Katara and ask, "Is there any way we can help?"

That only got Aang even more frustrated as he erupted on us, demanding that we remained silent. "Come on, guys! I can hear every word you're saying!" he shouted, whipping his head around as his grey eyes flashed with anger.

By the times things calmed down again, Aang's head tilted towards the centre of the pool. The two fish circling around suddenly got the Avatar's attention, and within minutes the blue arrow tattoos glowed brilliantly. That was when Katara told me that it was working, and that we did not move his body during this time. "That's his way back to the physical world," she told me, adding that she would protect him until he returned.

But not another word was uttered when we got interrupted, by the one person Katara had no intention of seeing again. Dressed in a light red runic and sporting a large scar over one eye, it was Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. "Hand him over, and I won't have to hurt you," he threatened, both his normal and scarred eyes narrowing to darts.

Katara signalled me to go seek help while she fended Zuko off. In my mind, I could only think of reaching our warriors, maybe even Sokka, as sounds of battle raged behind me. I forced the outside cold air into my lungs, causing some pain in my chest as I went from warm paradise to icy battleground. My heart pounded like the war drums that sounded off this morning as I could hear Katara doing everything she could to prevent Aang from being taken. Fire lit up the night sky, only to be smothered by water, creating a huge smokescreen that hovered above the holy site. Forcing my legs to move faster, I churned to the village, with thoughts of uncertainty swirling in my mind. Using the moon as my guide, I could only hope that the Fire Nation did not disturb our spirits in that pond, as I shuddered to think what might happen should Tui and La be harmed.

"We have to get to the oasis. The spirits are in trouble!" Aang declared as we freed him from the binds on his body. By the time I returned to Katara with Sokka on Appa after Zuko attacked, we found out that the Fire Prince kidnapped Aang from the pond while he was still in meditation. Katara told us that the rising sun empowered the fire bending techniques, which overwhelmed her and left Aang unattended.

But thanks to a freak blizzard, we believed that Zuko couldn't have gotten far, and Sokka decided to use Appa on an aerial search for Aang. The location was revealed to us when Aang, on his return from the spirit world, shot his spirit through the dark sky and back into his body, pinpointing his exact location. When we landed, Aang had already been awoken, and Katara made quick work of Zuko thanks to the moon's presence and the abundance of snow. But despite untying Aang, the young Avatar refused to leave with Zuko. "If we leave him, he'll die," Aang insisted, pulling the Fire Prince onto Appa.

We could only look on as Aang steered Appa back to the village, all the while we kept our eyes on Zuko. I truly wondered what the Avatar was thinking with this move. Why would he so willingly rescue the very person who tried to kill him? My eyes did not leave the bald boy sitting in the front as I tried to make sense of it all. He had a duty to the world, and that meant caring for everyone, even those from the Fire Nation. "It's kind of like my duty to my people, I guess," I murmured, hoping nobody heard me.

But my personal thoughts soon became interrupted as my mind was overtaken by dizziness. The skies around me were a blur, but I could make out the colour of the moon. Instead of being bright and clear, an ominous red hue glazed over it. "I feel faint," I told Sokka, gripping my head as he checked on me. The dimming moonlight probably prevented Sokka from seeing at least a dozen creases spread across my usually smooth face as my inside energy churned maliciously, threatening to sap my consciousness away.

The Avatar agreed, stating that he believed the Moon spirit was in trouble. "I owe the Moon Spirit my life," I explained, finally revealing to the one I loved my personal history, "when I was born, I was very sick, and very weak. Most babies cry when they were born, but I was born as if I were asleep. My eyes were closed."

There was complete silence on the Sky Bison as several pairs of eyes descended on me. Taking a deep breath, I continued, "Our healers did everything they could. They told my mother and my father I was going to die. My father pleaded with the spirits to save me," I paused, moistening my lips as I reached the most important part: the oasis' significance to me. "That night, underneath the full moon, they brought me to the oasis and placed me in the pond. My dark hair turned white, I opened my eyes and began to cry, and they knew I would live. That's why my mother named my Yue, for the moon."

I could feel the stares of curiosity turn into sombreness as they understood my past. Given that I was the princess of the Northern Water Tribe, and that I received my first breath of life from the spirits, they understood why my duties were so important to me, to the point where I was willing to sacrifice my personal wants for them. Sensing the importance of the battle, they assured me they would do all they could to help me.

But by the time we landed back at the oasis, it was surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers. And in the centre of the group was the commander Sokka identified: Admiral Zhao. There was a dark bag in one hand, the objects it contained tossing and writhing as Zhao gloated of his achievement as being the first man ever to blacken the moon. When he heard us land behind him, each person (except for the unconscious Zuko) charging out ready to attack, he grimaced. "Don't bother," he snarled, holding a fist to the bag.

Immediately, we eased up, with Aang pleading to Zhao. But it was to no avail, as the fiery and arrogant man refused to back down. "It's my destiny to destroy the moon and the water tribe," he uttered, venom dripping from his every word.

Aang, realizing the precarious situation, tried to reason with him some more. "Destroying the moon won't just hurt the water tribe. It will hurt everyone, including you," he explained calmly, "Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world."

Just then, an older man, also of the Fire Nation, stepped out from the background. Zhao identified him as General Iroh, and accused him of being a traitor. But in a sagely voice, Iroh agreed with Aang, stating that the moon was important to the Fire Nation too. "Whatever you do to that spirit, I'll unleash on you tenfold. Let it go now!" Iroh roared.

After what seemed like an eternity, Zhao finally relented and released the two fish Tui and La back into the pond. Those few minutes were the most intense of my entire life as my heart nearly shattered my sternum and shot out of my chest. Zhao crouched before the pond as the two fish swam back into position, but his body shook involuntarily, like something had taken over him. Suddenly, his arm glowed with fire as Zhao's infamous anger took over. In one swift motion, his flame blade sliced across the pond and into the water. I tried to call out, reaching forward in whatever futile attempt to stop him, but it was to no avail. Everything slowed down as we could see the white-coloured fish, Tui, taking the brunt of the hit. As the fire dissipated, that one fish was no longer moving.

Instantly, General Iroh unleashed his own barrage of fire, fighting off the Fire Nation soldiers blocking his way as Zhao sneaked out of the oasis. Amidst the confusion, we charged to the pond, our eyes never leaving the floating body of Tui. My lips quivered non-stop as we hoped every second that it wasn't as bad as it seemed, and that the fish would pop back to normal and start swimming in a circle with La again. The Fire Nation soldiers were already on the retreat, after facing that ferocious attack from the old man.

Iroh finally approached us and plucked the fish out of the water. Holding it in both his hands, he showed us the grim picture. There wasn't a single bit of life left in the spirit as it laid motionless in the Fire Nation general's palms. Choking with emotion, I could only stutter, "There's no hope now. It's over!" With that, I collapsed into Sokka's arms, letting my tears flow freely as Sokka held me in a supportive embrace.

Suddenly, Aang's tattoos glowed again. In a strange voice that sounded like many people were speaking at once, he insisted that it was not over. We froze in horror as Aang stepped into the pond, standing directly before La and posing in meditation again. Katara tried to flag him down, only to be stopped by General Iroh. Because Tui, who represented the moon, was killed, there was no longer any moonlight. But the area was anything but pitch-black as Aang's Avatar State illuminated the entire pond, lighting up the water and the fish in it. It was truly the most unusual thing I had ever seen.

Then, it happened. In one swift motion, Aang was sucked into the water, making the liquid glow brighter than ever as the lights reflected off every wall and pillar of our palace below. It was nearly as bright as day as the strange coloured water flowed from the oasis and into our canals, leading straight into our ocean. Our mouths dropped and our eyes widened in fascination, not even blinking once as a large figure was formed from the water. It had the face of a koi, but the body of a human; and in the centre of this was Aang, possessed by La. Then, it hit me: it was the true from of the Ocean Spirit, and after seeing the death of its companion, it was intent on driving out the Fire Nation.

Even as the sounds of battle raged on, there was relative silence at the oasis. We knew that La's true form, now in control of the Avatar, was battling the Fire Nation outside. Splashes and rumbles of violent waves echoed through the tribe as the spirit tore through the Fire Nation navy, but to us, no matter how great our victory over the Fire Nation would be, it was meaningless. Nobody spoke as Iroh placed the lifeless body of Tui back into the water. "It's too late," Katara stated, "it's dead."

Iron pursed his lips, almost like guilt was overwhelming him as he pondered what his own countrymen did. But Iroh's thoughts were the least on my concern, as I weighed my options in my mind. While it was true that the Moon Spirit had died, but it wasn't the case that there was no life left in the moon. Part of the moon's life force was in me, when it granted me my first breath. So maybe it was only right that I took action here. It was the least I could do, as a princess, to serve my people, and to an extent, save the world.

This fact was not unnoticed by the observant and wise former Fire Nation general. "You have been touched by the Moon Spirit," Iroh commented, "Some of its life is in you." And as he said this, three pairs of eyes descended onto me, each with different emotion. Iroh's steady gaze remained thoughtful and curious, Katara's eyes anxiously flickered a bit, while Sokka seemed almost fearful of what was about to transpire.

"Yes, you're right. It gave me life," I nodded, agreeing with Iroh. Swallowing hard, I made the most difficult decision for the world, "maybe I could give it back." I concluded, my eyelids closing as tears threatened to spill out. Not a sound was heard as I made my announcement, as everyone realized one person would not survive this war.

Sokka's eye increased to the size of the darkened moon. "No, you don't have to do that!" he exclaimed, grabbing my arm just as I reached for the fish. The tense tug on my sleeve was enough to halt my progress as I could feel Sokka's gaze bore into me. He truly cared for me, even as we neared the end. Part of me did wish to stay, and return the kind gestures he did for me. After all that he did, how could I hurt him like this?

But I could not just stand by idly and watch the Fire Nation destroy the balance of the world, and let La continue its destructive path. "It's my duty, Sokka," I replied, my head turned away from him as the tears threatened to explode out the same way water in our canals did when the Fire Nation destroyed our dykes, "I have to do this."

Amid Sokka's cries that he had an obligation to my father that he would protect me, I asked General Iroh to pull Tui out of the water again. I could feel Sokka's gloved hand ease out of mine as I reached for the Moon Spirit. Every memory of my life, from my sickness-plagued infancy, to my childhood as a princess, now to my maturing years as a nearly-grown woman, shot through my mind. My father, being a tribal chief, always told me the responsibilities I had to serve my people, and sometimes it meant making a few sacrifices. But for the sake of the Water Tribes, and the entire world, I was about to sacrifice the most important thing. I was about to give them my life.

The raging sounds of battle were slurs, the scenery around me a blur, and the smells of nature in this oasis irrelevant as I placed my hands on the white koi. My eyes were peeled for any signs of life as a bright glow transmitted from my hands onto the wet, scaly skin. As this occurred, I felt fainter and weaker, every muscle in my body about to give way. But I pressed on nonetheless, my mind only on reviving the dead fish.

Without minutes, the deed was done, as Tui's muscles twitched under my fingers. With a soft sigh, my legs finally collapsed and my eyes closed, the world becoming pitch black. But light re-emerged into my vision again as I could feel General Iroh place Tui back into the pond. The fish swam in a lively way as my spirit ascended from the water, my body now becoming part of the moon spirit. Instead of the usual flesh and blood, I was now glowing white, my body floating like feathers as I faced the one person other than my parents who cared for me the most. Sokka was on one knee, his lips quivering involuntarily as he tried to make sense of the scene. I could tell that he was shocked by my departure from the physical world, too hurt to speak even as the world was saved.

Sensing his sadness, I had to reassure him one last time before I took on my new duties. "Goodbye, Sokka," I told him, leaning my body into him, "I will always be with you." With that, I gripped him by the cheeks and pressed my lips onto his.

There was no hesitation as Sokka returned the gesture, knowing that it was the last time we would ever meet in these circumstances. I could feel myself floating higher and higher, straight into the sky as I disappeared from Sokka's life for good. I could see him still kneeling there, staring longingly as I amalgamated with the moon and restoring its brightness. As the balance was restored, I could see La and Aang separate from each other, with the young Avatar being placed on a safe ledge while the Ocean Spirit returned to the pond. The battle was won, and the Fire Nation was on the retreat.

When I was younger, my father had always told everyone how he was very proud of me, no matter what small achievement I did. He said part of the reason was that I was destined to become the Moon Spirit, and one day I must leave him for good. He always told me to cherish whatever time I had left on this world, as we were never sure when I would finally depart. While I left the physical world, away from my tribe, my family, and my friends, I realized that I was part of a bigger world now. My journey with the water tribes was over, and now, a new journey must begin. I would continue to guide the Avatar on his quest to end the war and hopefully restore that sorely-needed balance to the world. I stared over the oceans from my position on the moon, reminding me of the time Sokka took me flying on Appa. It was such a joyous moment, and I was so happy I got to spend it with him. As I thought back to all the wonderful things that my family and friends had done for me, only one thought crossed my mind.

My name is Yue. That was my story. Those were my rites of passage.

Again, please, I couldn't emphasize enough. If you feel you saw something you like, or something you found interesting, or even something you felt that needs improvement on, write a review and tell me about it. It takes only a few minutes but it'll help me that much more. So in the names of all things sacred, just take some time to write something, and I guarantee you won't regret it.

And as usual, many thanks to my editors Legend of Zelda 4 Life and Wavebreeze who did the work. Now, here's a question for you guys (but more Wave than LOZ4L, as the latter already told me what she felt about this): if Yue is a princess because she's the daughter of Chief Arnook, does that mean Sokka and Katara are prince and princess due to their relation to Chief Hakoda? I look forward to hearing your answers, and PLEASE DO NOT spread any more rumours about me being a ninja!