Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Last Airbender.
Bodyguard of Azula
Chapter 43: Reflections and Masters
"Talking"
"Thinking"
"Bijū/spirit talking"
"Bijū/spirit thinking"
(Location: Earth Kingdom)
They watched as June kicked a seat away from a table and sit in it. It was clear she reigned supreme in the tavern. "So, she helped you attack them?" Azula asked her brother for clarification.
"Yep," he answered. "Back in the good old days."
The whole group went over to June's table. "Oh great, it's Prince Pouty," she said with a frown. "Where's your creepy grandpa?"
"He's my uncle," he replied quickly. "And he's not here."
Her eyes drifted over to Katara. "I see you work things out with your girlfriend."
That got two blushes in response. "I'm/she's not his/my girlfriend!" the two of them shouted.
"Okay, okay, sheesh. I was only teasing." She took a drink. "So,what do you want?"
"I need your help finding the Avatar."
"Hm. Doesn't sound like fun."
Zuko growled in frustration at the uninterested bounty hunter. "Does the end of the Bending Countries as you know it sound more fun to you?!" That got her attention.
Appa and the shirshu were growling at each other before the sky bison gave it a big lick. Akela and Fǎn Yìng just watched the two with blank expressions. Naruto and Jiraiya, however, were watching with amusement. "That has got to be one of the oddest things I've ever seen," Jiraiya commented. "And considering how old I am, that's saying something."
"I'm sure it is, considering how many toads you've live with," Naruto told him.
"And what's wrong with toads?"
"Nothing, I'm just pointing out the fact."
"Of courseyou are." He turned his attention to the tavern. "They're coming out." And it looked like they found their intended target.
Naruto fixed his gaze onto June. "I see you're still hanging out with this ugly thing," he called out, pointing at the shirshu.
"And I see you're still an idiot who doesn't know when to shut his mouth," she replied, narrowing her eyes.
"I'm not the one who fell asleep in an inn and somehow woke up out at sea," he retorted, his face morphing into a glare.
"No, you're just the one who walked right into an enemy's trap without even knowing it."
"You wanna go right now, bitch?" he asked in a growl.
"Try me, pretty boy," she replied. They walked towards each other with the intent to kill, or at least maim.
But as they stood in front of each other, they did something no one expected. They slapped their hands together and began to arm wrestle. At first, it looked like it was a draw, but then Naruto began to push hers down.
"You've gotten better," she noted.
"Or you've gotten sloppy," he replied. Finally, he pushed her hand all the way down. "I win," he declared with a grin.
"Yes, you have," she said, before breaking out a grin as well. "How've you been, Naruto?"
"I've been doing well, how about you, June?"
"Fine. I've been hitting a good streak lately."
"Good to hear."
"Hold on, you two know each other?" Zuko asked, surprised. But now that he thought about it, he really shouldn't be so surprised. The blonde could make friends with anyone.
"We've worked together on a few things," Naruto told him.
"How did you guys meet?" Sokka asked.
"I was tracking a bounty who also happened to be a deserter from the Fire Nation army," June answered. "We ran into each other and agreed to work together. Since then, we stayed on good terms and helped out the other whenever we met up again."
"Speaking of helping, weren't we doing something?" the blonde asked her pointedly.
She turned to the shirshu. "Nyla," she called lovingly, holding a piece of meat. She tossedand he caught it with a single bite. "Who's my little, hmm, Snuffly-Wuffly?" she cooed, petting his head.
"Snuffly-Wuffly?" repeated Naruto. "That's a new one." The shirshu heard him and shot his tongue out at him. He quickly ducked and rolled out of the way.
"Whoa! Careful there," she told the creature before turning to the human. "What did you say to him this time?"
"All I said was 'Hello ugly,'" he protested.
"Why would go you keep making him mad?"
"It's not my fault he takes offense at being called that. He's the one who looks like he was spawned out from under a half-rotten log." Nyla snarled at those words.
"I take it the two of you don't get along?" Katara asked, looking at the two of them.
"Let me put it this way: I don't know anything that is as unnerving and disturbing then waking and seeing a creature without any eyes giving you the hairy eyeball," Tthe blonde told her.
"He can do that?" Suki asked, surprised.
"He can do it very well."
"Why would he be giving you the hairy eyeball?" Sokka asked. There just had to be a story behind something like that.
"Well, there was that one time where June and I had to share a tent for the night," he began.
"What?" Azula asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Don't worry. Nothing happened on my part." He looked pointedly at June.
"Hey, I didn't do anything," she protested.
"I'm sorry, who was the one who rolled over in the middle of the night in a cramped tent?" he asked the rhetorical question.
She quickly decided to change the conversation. "Okay, who's got something with the Avatar's scent on it?"
"I have Aang's staff," Katara said, climbing atop Appa, grabbing the glider staff, and handing it to her.
She offered it to Nyla, who took in the scent. He started to sniff the air and pace the area, sorting out the scents. When he was done, he came back over her, lay down on the ground and covered his nose.
"Well, what does that mean?" Zuko asked her.
"Means your friend's gone," she answered as she petted Nyla's head.
"We know he's gone. That's why we're trying to find him," Toph said.
"No, I mean he's gone gone," she replied as she stood up. "He doesn't exist."
"Of course, he isn't," Naruto remarked sarcastically. "Why in the name of Kami would he try to make this easy?"
(Location: Aang)
"Where are we, Momo?" Aang asked as he walked through the forest while Momo chased furry things. "Maybe I'm in the Spirit World? But wait. You can see me," he told the lemur as he walked under a fallen tree. "We could both be in the Spirit World." He took a stance and bent the air. "No, my Bending works. Maybe if we climb to the top of the island, we can figure out where we are."
(Location: Earth Kingdom)
"What do you mean Aang doesn't exist?" Sokka asked the bounty hunter. "Are you saying he's dead?"
"Nope, we could find him if he were dead," June told him. "Wow. It's a real head-scratcher. See ya." She climbed aboard Nyla, ready to leave.
"Helpful, real helpful," Toph said sarcastically.
"She's a businesswoman, Toph," Naruto told her.
"Wait. I have another idea," Zuko said. "There's one another person on this side of the planet who can help us face the Fire Lord. I'll be right back with a smell sample," he told June before running over to Appa. He came back holding a sandal that smelled and had flies buzzing around it.
"You saved your uncle's sweaty sandal?" Sokka asked as he covered his nose to protect his sense of smell.
"I've seen weirder mementos," Jiraiya said, not batting an eye at the smell.
"Like what?" Naruto asked him.
"Well, there was this one mission where I met a woman who had this shrine to a vibrator and—"
"Stop right there before I get nightmares. Forget I even asked."
"I think it's kinda sweet," Toph said.
Nyla lurched forward and smelled the sandal. "Let's do this." June said, yanking Nyla off the sandal. The shirshu ran down the road, away from the tavern.
"Hey, wait up!" Zuko yelled as they got on Appa and Fǎn Yìng and went after her. They raced through the night and then through the day. Even though there were able to keep up, they were still surprised to see Nyla run that much without resting.
As the sun disappeared and evening began, they finally stopped. "So, Iroh is in Ba Sing Se?" Azula asked as they landed outside the hole in the Outer Wall.
"Your uncle's somewhere beyond the wall," June told them. "Nyla's getting twitchy, so he can't be far." She turned Nyla around. "Good luck. See you around, Naruto."
"Bye, June. Remember, you still owe me that forty," he replied.
"I'll pay you back next time." She and Nyla ran back the way they came.
"You always say that!" he shouted at her retreating form.
"Alright, everyone set up camp," Jiraiya told them, taking command. "We'll start the search in the morning."
(Location: Aang)
He walked up the slope with Momo around his neck. As they went up, they found a peculiar shape in the ground that was looked like it dug to the rock. "It's a hexagon," he said as he walked down onto it. "It doesn't seem like normal rock." He told the lemur as he knelt to look at it closer (Momo had jumped down from his neck).
He took an Earthbending stance and tried to bend it. Nothing happened. "It's not made of earth. This is so strange. I wish I had help right now. I wish I had Roku," he said as he sat down. He then realized something important. "I do have Roku."
He took a meditative position and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. Momo scurried off as blue mist began to surround Aang's body. The mist broke off and moved in front of him, where it took the image of the pervious Avatar, Roku.
"You're right, Aang," the spirit told him. "All the Avatars, all their experience and wisdom, are available to you if you look deep inside yourself."
"So, where am I, Roku? What is this place?"
"I…don't know, Aang," he admitted. "But I see you are lost in more ways than one right now."
"I am. I need to figure out what to do once I face the Fire Lord."
(Location: Ba Sing Se)
Everyone was sleeping. Since they were too tried to set up the tents, they slept on either Appa's legs, or in the saddle. The only ones who weren't sleeping there were Jiraiya, who was sleeping lightly with his back to rock, and Toph, who was sleeping underneath an earth tent.
Feeling vibrations in the earth, she woke up and bent the earth tent into the ground. Jiraiya was five seconds ahead of her. "Everyone, wake up!" he ordered as he stood up. The others did, but it was too late.
A fire spread from the hole and encircled them. The only way out was through the hole. As they looked at the hole, they saw four people standing on top of the rubble, looking down at them. But the confusion on some of their faces melted away and excitement was replaced when they saw who the four were.
"Well, look who's here!" Bumi declared as he laughed and snorted.
(Location: Aang)
"Everyone expects me to take the Fire Lord's life, but I just don't know if I can do that," Aang told Roku. He was an Air Nomad. How could he expect to kill someone?
"In my life, I tried to be disciplined and show restraint," Roku said. "But it backfired when Fire Lord Sozin took advantage of my restraint and mercy. If I had been more decisive and acted sooner, I could have stopped Sozin and stopped the war before it started. I offer you this wisdom, Aang: You must be decisive." His image faded away and disappeared, leaving evaporating blue mist.
(Location: Outer Wall)
"What's going on?" Toph asked everyone. "We're surrounded by old people." And she didn't know any of them.
"Not just any old people," Katara told her. "These are great masters and friends of ours." She walked up and bowed to the first one. "Pakku," she greeted her former Waterbending master. Sokka mimicked her actions.
"It is respectful to bow to an old master," he replied as he returned the bow. "But how about a hug for your new grandfather?"
Both Sokka and Katara were surprised by that. "That's so exciting!" she cheered, giving him a hug. "You and Gran-Gran must be so happy to have found each other again."
"I made her a new betrothal necklace and everything."
"Welcome to the family, Gramps-Gramps!" Sokka declared as he gave his former master a hug.
"You can still just call me Pakku," he said as he pushed the Water Paragon away.
"How about just Gramps?"
"…Fine."
"And this was Aang's first Firebending teacher," Katara told Zuko and Azula as they before the second person and bowed to him.
"Jeong Jeong," he introduced himself.
"The Deserter?" asked Azula.
"Yes."
"And we'll keep it at that," Zuko told her. The men before them were friends of Aang. They didn't need to make anything worse.
"Master Piandao," Sokka greeted the third man with a bow.
"Hello, Sokka," he greeted back with a bow of his head.
"So, you're Piandao, huh?" Jiraiya asked the swordsman, walking to him.
"Yes, and you are?"
"My name is Jiraiya. It's an honor to meet the student of Kenji Uzumaki." He bowed to him. "I would also like to thank you for holding on to the scroll he gave you, it was a priceless treasure."
"So, wait. How do you all know each other?" Suki asked.
"All old people know each other; don't you know that?" Bumi asked her before laughing.
"We are all part of the same ancient secret society. A group that transcends the divisions of the four nations," Piandao told them.
Zuko realized who they were. "The Order of the White Lotus."
"That's the one," Bumi said.
"The White Lotus has always been about philosophy and beauty and truth," Jeong Jeong explained. "But about a month ago, a call went out that we were needed for something important."
"It came from a Grand Lotus: your uncle, Iroh of the Fire Nation," Pakku told Zuko and Azula. "In addition, there's rumors of a rebellion within the Fire Nation colonies."
Azula's eyebrows rose slightly as she and Zuko turned to the Waterbending master. "A rebellion? By who?"
Jeong-Jeong responded, "You'd be surprised to know that it was General Shinu who gave a coded message to the White Lotus. Apparently, he realized the insanity of the Fire Lord's ambition to expand his war into the continent where Lord Naruto came from."
"I'd agree with this General Shinu if he thinks expanding the war into another continent is the definition of insanity," Jiraiya muttered darkly. "Anyways, where is this Grand Master Iroh whom we were looking for?"
"We're about to take you all to him," Piandao replied.
"Wait!" Bumi interrupted. "Someone's missing from your group. Someone very important." He got up in Sokka's face. "Where's Momo?"
"He's gone…and so is Aang," the Tribesman answered.
"Oh well. So long as they have each other, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. Let's go!" He bent the earth underneath him to send him flying back over the wall.
They all watched as he flew through the air. "Has he ever thought about cutting down on the rock candy?" Naruto asked aloud. No one answered.
(Location: Aang)
"Avatar Kyoshi, I need your wisdom," he said aloud as he stayed in his meditation position. The blue mist appeared again, taking the form of the pervious Earth Kingdom Avatar.
"In my day, Chin the Conqueror threatened to throw the Bending Countries out of balance," Kyoshi told him. "I stopped him. And the world entered a great era of peace."
"But you really didn't kill Chin," he protested. "Technically, he fell to his own doom because he was too stubborn to get out of the way." She didn't kill him herself.
"Personally, I don't see the difference. But I assure you, I would have done whatever it took to stop Chin. I offer you this wisdom, Aang: only justice will bring peace," The image shrunk and disappeared.
"I knew I shouldn't have asked Kyoshi." He stated with a scowl. Why did he even call on her in the first place?
(Location: Team Avatar)
"So, Bumi, how did you end escaping your imprisonment in Omashu?" Sokka asked as they walked along a stone trail through the Agrarian Zone. They were all walking in a single file as the trail was rather tight.
"Escape?" repeated Bumi. "I didn't escape. Everyone else escaped. There I was back in Omashu, waiting for just the right moment. I didn't know what or when, but I'd knew I'd know it when I knew it."
(Flashback)
He hung in his iron cage, swinging in the air. He looked up and saw the moon blocking the sun.
"An eclipse," he said. "That should do it."
He bent the roofs beneath him to break up into rocks and flew up. They struck the sides of the cage door and cracked it open, letting him jump down to the ground.
As he landed, nearby guards ran up to him. "What do you think you're doing?" the lead guard demanded. He tried to bend fire but got nothing. He and the other guards tried again, but still got nothing.
"Taking back my city!" declared Bumi with a grin. "You've got no firepower. And it's payback time!"
He leapt into the city and used his Earthbending to push houses that had pieces of Fire Nation factories out of Omashu. He had removed a good chunk of the city and then he turned his attention to the giant metal statute of Ozai standing at the top. He threw several chunks of rock into the statue and then used those to bring the statue down. The hard part was pulling out from the ground but once he had tipped it, gravity took effect. The statue fell onto one of the mail chutes and slid down the mountain, eventually destroying the front gate and the bridge that connected the city to the rest of the land.
As he watched this all happen, he laughed and ate a piece of rock candy.
(End Flashback)
"Wow! You took back your whole city all by yourself!" Suki said, impressed by what the old king had done.
"I'm glad you kept your promise, Bumi," Naruto told him.
"I do try to keep them," he replied. "So, what about you guys? Did you do anything interesting on the day of the eclipse?"
Both Zuko and Sokka shared a look. "Nah," Zuko said.
"No, not really," Sokka said.
(Location: Aang)
He held his head. "I need to look deep inside myself," he said quietly. He closed his eyes again. The blue mist took the form of a man in Water Tribe clothing. Although it wasn't knowledge, he was actively aware of, he knew this was the pervious Avatar of the Water Tribe.
"I am Avatar Kuruk." He introduced himself. "When I was young, I was always a go-with-the-flow kind of Avatar. People seemed to work out their own problems, and there was peace and good times in this part of the world. But then, I lost the woman I love to Koh, the Face-Stealer. It was my fault. If I had been more attentive and more active, I could've saved her. Aang, you must actually shape your own destiny and the destiny of these countries," He disappeared like a ripple in the water.
(Location: Team Avatar)
"Well, here we are," Bumi said as they walked into the camp. "Welcome to Old People Camp."
"Bumi, please stop calling it that," Pakku told him.
"Where…where is he?" Zuko asked as he looked around. But he didn't see the person he was looking for.
"Your uncle's in there, Prince Zuko," Piandao said, pointing at a tent.
He walked over to the tent and stared at it. He took a step towards the entrance but stopped and sat down. "Are you okay?" Katara asked as she walked over.
"No, I'm not okay," he answered. "My uncle hates me, I know it. He loved and supported me in every way he could, and I still turned my back on him. How can I even face him?"
She knelt beside him. "Zuko, you're sorry for what you did, right?"
"Sorrier than I've been about anything in my life," he told her.
"Then he'll forgive you. He will."
He looked at her and then stood up. "Azula, are you going to come in as well?" he asked without turning around.
His sister was still standing with the rest of the team. "No, you can go first." He needed it more than she did right now.
He took a deep breath and walk into the tent. "Uncle?" he called out quietly as he walked in. He found Iroh sleeping in the bed and snoring loudly. He smiled to himself and sat down in front of him.
(Location: Aang)
"All these past Avatars," Aang said to himself and Momo. "They keep telling me I'm gonna have to do it. They don't get it." Momo chittered at him. "You're right. Maybe an Air Nomad Avatar will understand where I'm coming from." The lemur just stared at him. "I know you can't really talk. Pretending you can just helps me think." He was chittered at again. "I'm going to pretend I didn't pretend to hear that." He began to concentrate again as Momo scurried off.
The blue mist took the form of a young woman in Air Nomad clothing. Just by that simple fact he knew that she was the pervious Avatar of the Air Nomads. "I am Avatar Yangchen, young Airbender," she introduced herself.
"Avatar Yangchen, the monks always taught me that all life is scared," he told her. "Even the life of the tiniest spider-fly caught in its own web."
"Yes. All life is scared," she agreed.
Finally, some who was agreeing with what he believed in. "I know, I'm even a vegetarian. I've always tried to solve my problems by being quick or clever. And I've only had to use violence for necessary defense. And I've certainly never used it to take a life."
"Avatar Aang, I know that you're a gentle spirit, and the monks have taught you well. But this is not about you. This is about the Bending Countries," she told him with firm, but gentle voice.
"But the monks taught me that I had to detach myself from the world so my spirit could be free," he protested.
"Many great and wise Air Nomads have detached themselves and achieved spiritual enlightenment. But the Avatar can never do it because your sole duty is to these countries. Here is my wisdom for you: selfless duty calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs and do whatever it takes to protect the world." She disappeared as the blue mist disappeared from a small gust of wind.
"So that's it, huh?" he asked aloud. "Even an Air Nomad, one of my own people, is telling me to kill the Fire Lord. Is there anyone else I can ask for help?" An idea came to him. "No. There's one more person I can try. The first Avatar! He or she must've gone through something similar; she or he can help me." He closed his for the fifth time.
The blue mist rolled off his body and moved in front of him again. At first, it took the form of Roku, then it changed into Kyoshi, then Kuruk, then Yangchen, until the images of past Avatars began to blur together. One face would change into the next as he concentrated. Finally, the mist stopped moving and took on a form. He opened his eye and was surprised. Sitting in front of him was a boy a few years older than he was. He wore an old suit of armor and had a good amount of hair on his head.
But there was no mistaking the arrow tattoo on his forehead or the face he wore. "You're…me," he said in surprise.
"It seems that you are not just my spiritual successor, but my physical one as well," the first Avatar noted, looking at him and taking in every detail.
"What is your name?" This was becoming a little surreal, but he had to ask.
"I do not have one. It was taken from me." He looked Aang straight in the eye. "What is it you need?"
"I need your advice. Everyone expects me to kill the Fire Lord and I don't know if I can do it. I've asked my predecessors and they have all told me that I must kill him. I thought that since you were the first Avatar, you could help me."
"If the Avatar is now the title of the person who carries the powers, then I am not the first," he said curtly. "I am simply the last host of the Tyrant. Whatever destiny I had was taken from me when he took control of my life. He used me as his vessel as he ruled a vast empire that was terrifying and ruthless. When the four leaders of the rebellion attacked me and by extension him, the one who struck the killing blow was my older sister."
"What? How could she do that? You were her brother!"
"And it was for that fact that she hesitated before striking me down and shed tears afterwards. If I had not told her to do it, all they did would've been for naught. It was her duty to kill me, whether I was her brother or not did not matter. I was the host of the Tyrant and so I had to die. If you wish for my advice, I will tell you this: if killing this Fire Lord will ensure the safety of the Bending Countries, then do your duty." His shape faded away, as did the mist.
He sat in silence as the lemur came back to him. "I guess I don't have a choice, Momo," he told the creature. "I have to kill the Fire Lord."
(Location: Iroh's tent)
Morning had come and Zuko hadn't moved from his spot. When Iroh awoke, he stretched and yawned, but he didn't turn his head to look at his nephew.
"Uncle," Zuko began. "I know you must have mixed feelings about seeing me." The Dragon of the West stayed silent. "But I want you to know," he began to cry. "I'm so, so, sorry, Uncle. I'm so sorry and ashamed for what I did. I don't know how I can ever make it up to you. But I—"
He didn't finish, because Iroh turned around and pulled him into a tight hug, crying as well. "How can you forgive me so easily? I thought you would've been furious with me."
"I was never angry with you," Iroh told him. "I was sad because I was afraid that you had lost your way."
"I did lose my way," he admitted.
"But you found it again." He released him from the hug. "And you did it by yourself. And I am so happy you found your way here." He hugged him again.
"It wasn't that hard, Uncle. You have a pretty strong scent."
(Location: Aang)
He had fallen asleep on the strange rock alongside Momo. The world was blurry as he awoke. But then the details became clearer, and he noticed something. "Wait. Is it just me, or are those mountains getting bigger?" he asked as he saw mountains on a nearby shore. They certainly looked bigger.
After sharing a look with Momo, he used his Airbending to jump to the tallest tree on the island to get a better look. Both he and Momo looked at the mountains and behind them, seeing a wake left in the water.
"They're not getting larger, they're getting closer!" He leapt down form the tree and ran down the slope. "The whole island is moving!" he declared.
Reaching the edge, he leapt off the island and sailed into the water. He swam down to investigate the bottom of the island. As he looked, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look at it, only to swim backwards to avoid a large paw moving through the water.
He swam back up to the surface, breathing in the air. "It's amazing Momo!" he told the lemur, who had landed nearby. "It's the biggest animal in the world! I've gotta swim around and find its face." He started swimming and Momo flew after him.
(Location: White Lotus Camp)
Everyone sat in a group for breakfast. "Uncle, you're the only person other than the Avatar who can possibly defeat the Father Lord," Zuko told him.
"You mean the Fire Lord," Toph corrected him.
"That's what I just said!"
Azula smirked. "No, you definitely said Father Lord." She was going to have to hold onto that one.
"Save the teasing for later, Azula," Naruto told her.
As Iroh stared at his breakfast in silence, Zuko continued. "We need you to come with us!" he urged.
"No, Zuko, it won't turn out well," he finally answered.
"You can beat him! And we'll be there to help."
"Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don't know if I could, it would be the wrong way to end the war. History would see it as more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother to grab power."
"Iroh, I'm going to sound a bit blunt, but fuck history," Naruto told him. "Let historians haggle and debate about us later. We need to focus on now."
"I am focused, Naruto," he replied. "The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord."
The blonde gave an annoyed sigh at his words. "It was that kind of attitude that made the war last for a century."
"He's still right, gaki," Jiraiya said. "If we want to end this war with minimal bloodshed, Aang has to be the one to beat Ozai."
"If he did that, would…would you come back and take your rightful place on the throne?" Zuko asked Iroh.
"No," he answered. "Someone new must take the throne, an idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor. It has to be you, Prince Zuko."
"You're not going to complain about how it should be you?" Sokka asked Azula.
"During the invasion, I told Ozai I was no longer his daughter," she told him. "I had effectively casted myself out of the Royal Line."
"Unquestionable honor?" repeated Zuko. "But I've made so many mistakes."
"Yes, you have," Iroh agreed. "You've struggled, you've suffered, but you have always followed your own path. You've restored your own honor, and only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation."
"…I'll try, Uncle."
"Well, what if Aang doesn't come back?" Toph asked.
"Sozin's Comet is arriving and our destines are upon us. Aang will have to face the Fire Lord." He fell silent for a minute. "When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it back from the Fire Nation, so the Earth Kingdom can be free again."
"That's why you gathered the members of the White Lotus," Suki said in realization. He would need help if he was going to succeed in his mission.
"Yes." He turned his attention to his nephew. "Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation, so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. But Yāo Jing will be there, waiting for you."
"I can handle Yāo Jing," he replied. If he was being honest, that was a fight he was looking forward to.
"Not alone, you'll need help."
"Don't worry about that, Uncle," Azula told him. "I'll be going too."
Zuko nodded his thanks and turned his attention to Katara. "Katara, how would you like to help us put Yāo Jing in her place?" he asked her.
"It would be my pleasure," she answered.
"What about us?" Sokka asked. "What is our destiny today?"
"What do you think it is?" Iroh asked back.
"I think that, even though we don't know where Aang is, we need to do everything we can to stop the airship fleet and that second army."
"And that means when Aang does face the Fire Lord, we'll be right there if he needs us," Toph declared.
"Then you, Sokka, and Suki take care of the airships. Jiraiya and I will deal with the army," Naruto stated. "We may have to borrow Appa to get there."
"Why's that?" the blind Earthbender asked him.
"How else are we going to get to them? Zuko's group can take Fǎn Yìng to get to the Fire Nation."
"What about us?" Suki asked.
"I can answer that," Piandao told as he came over. "Finish your food and come see me when you're done."
Once they were done,they packed the things they needed and rejoined the sword master. Naruto and Jiraiya climbed aboard Appa and surprisingly, Akela joined them. "I guess we have an extra member," Jiraiya commented.
Meanwhile, both Toph and Suki had got on an eel hound. "Nothing runs faster over land or swims quicker than giant eel hound," Piandao told Sokka, who wore his armor. "The airship base is on a small island just off the Earth Kingdom shore," he told the Tribesman as he handed him a map. "You should be able to intercept the fleet within a day's journey."
He opened the map and quickly looked over it. "Thank you, Master," he said. They bowed to each other and then he gave his teacher a hug.
Off to the side, Zuko and his group had already climbed aboard Fǎn Yìng. "So, if I'm going to be the Fire Lord after the war is over, what are you going to do?" Zuko asked Iroh.
"After I re-conquer Ba Sing Se, I'm going to re-conquer my tea shop, and I'm going to play Pai Sho every day!" he declared as he flipped a Pai Sho piece in the air and caught it.
"If that the case, I want to play the first match," Jiraiya told him from atop of Appa.
Everyone shared a look and nodded in agreement. They were ready. "Goodbye, General Iroh," Katara said,
"Goodbye, everyone," he replied. "Today, destiny is our friend. I know it." The eel hound took off and the dragon followed it. The sky bison however, went in a different direction. But all three left the White Lotus camp behind.
(Location: Aang)
As the island moved closer to the shore, Aang swam forward to the front. Once he was certain he was close enough, he took a deep breath and dived underneath the water. He swam downward and then stopped. As he held himself in the water, he noticed that an eye open up right in front of him, making swim back in surprise. One of the giant paws caught him and forced up to the surface.
As both he and the paw emerged from the water, so did the face of the creature. He knew that he had been on the back of a creature, but he didn't know what kind of creature it was. Now he did. "A lion turtle," he said with awe in his voice as he looked upon the oldest creature in the world before bowing to it. "Maybe you can help me. Everyone, even my own past lives, are expecting me to end someone's life. But I don't know if I can do it."
"The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can tough the poison of hatred without being harmed," the lion turtle told him as it raised its other paw out of the water. "Since beginning-less time, darkness thrives in the void but always yields to purifying light." He placed a claw on Aang's head and on his heart. Bright light shone from the contact as Aang reveled in the information given to him.
Once they were done, the lion turtle took him to the shore and held out a claw at a cliff. Aang walked onto the cliff without turning his back, looking directly at it as Momo landed on his shoulder. "Wait for him," the ancient creature told him. "He will come." He bowed once more as the lion turtle sank into the water and swam away.
He shared a single look with Momo as he made his way from the shore.
(Location: Airship fleet)
On a small island, Ozai stood over his fleet and looked out at the sea. "It's time for these countries to end in fire and for a new empire to be born from the ashes," he declared.
As both he and the Avatar watched and waited, the sun slowly began to rise, and Sozin's Comet entered the planet's atmosphere.
End
Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you have sent me.
Okay, why any of you would think I'd bring Team Kakashi right now is beyond me. I told you, that is a required solo act.
I put in the so-called "first Avatar" because that is the beginning of my interpretation of the history of the Avatar. I don't know if The Legend of Korra will explain that (I think I read somewhere that that was going to be the main thing of season 2), and if they do, I will be sure to pay attention to it. Until then, I'm going with mine.
I know I'm using the deus ex machina that the writers created. But let's face it, if I don't use it, then how will I be able to write a sequel? Plus, it gives me an opportunity to have a conversation between Aang and Naruto later.
I'll see you all next chapter!