Previously on Fire and Earth…
The guards roughly grabbed Prince Zuko by the arms before sitting him back down. They stood behind him as my father said "So a twelve year old boy bested you and your Firebenders? You're more pathetic than I thought".
"I underestimated him once, but it will not happen again" the young Prince replied with a fire in his eyes that conveyed the all-consuming desire to achieve his goal.
"No it will not", my father agreed, "because you will not have a second chance".
"Commander Zhao, I've been hunting the Avatar for two years, and I…"
"And you've failed!" my father cut him off, casting a light arc of crimson flames with his hand. "Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands. He's mine now".
For a moment, neither of us spoke. I silently waited for his anger to simmer, and finally, after several tense moments, he turned to me and said "Follow him. Take a ship and follow him wherever he goes. If he happens to find the Avatar, then you get to him first! I won't have that miserable little boy stealing my glory. Now go!"
"Takara", he said, firmly but gently as he stroked his bushy, grey beard, "when I allowed you to become a Kyoshi Warrior, I made you promise to train every day and to commit yourself to the path of the warrior".
"I remember" I said, thinking back to that day. It had been over a year now, and I still found myself fumbling and making mistakes almost every other day.
"However", my father said, placing his hands firmly on my shoulders, "that does not mean that you should allow your senses to only focus on one thing, even if you are training; in battle, your senses must be keen at all times, so that you won't be taken by surprise".
He proceeded to shoot another stream of blue fire at another ruined building, and it burned to ash a few moments later. He then burned a second, and finally a third. I couldn't take it anymore; I couldn't just watch as my home burned.
"If I tell you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?"
The Firebender stopped, turning to look at me with surprise. I couldn't bring myself to look at my fellow warriors or my father, but I could feel their eyes boring into me.
"I can tell you where the Avatar went" I said, staring defiantly at the man. "Just promise to leave my village alone".
"If you come with me, and give me the information I need, then I will leave your village alone. I swear this on the honour of my family and my nation".
Tears started to well up in my eyes, and I clenched them shut. "I'll go with you" I said, trying my best to not break down in front of everyone.
I landed on my back with a grunt. I then noticed that Takara's body was on top of mine, and her face was very close to mine. They were so close that they almost touched, and I felt her breath tickling my skin.
Everything around us seemed to slow to a crawl, and we stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. My heart thundered in my chest, and I could also feel her heart beating just as fast against my chest.
I looked back at the portrait, feeling ashamed of my people in that moment. "I'm sorry" I said at last, placing a hand on top of hers. I gazed at the image of my father, at the reflection of my own face. "My father and I were never the same after that. She was his rock; without her, he allowed his lust for power and glory consume him, while I turned to other pursuits".
"Like what?"
"Knowledge and understanding" I replied. "I endeavoured to learn everything I could from the Four Nations, and all the peoples of the world. Just because we live in separate countries doesn't mean that we shouldn't be learning from each other. Ever since my mother passed, and my father allowed his anger to consume him, I swore that I would keep my emotions in check and never give in to anger. My people have allowed themselves to be driven by hate and greed; I won't fall into the same trap".
"Ah, Shan We" my father said, glancing at me. "I wanted you to be here for this". He gazed out at the fleet; even though I had assembled this force, it was still a very impressive sight. "My fleet is ready. Set a course for the Northern Water Tribe".
I nodded before thrusting my arm upwards and sending a blue flame into the air. The flagship's smokestacks came alive, belching black smoke as the rest of the fleet did so.
The Northern Water Tribe would soon fall, and the Avatar would be back in our hands; this time, he would not escape.
"This will truly be one for the history books, General Iroh" my father said as we continued to sail. We had been at sea for some time, and it wouldn't be long before we reached the North Pole. "Just think: centuries from now, people will study the great Admiral Zhao, who destroyed the last of the Water Tribe civilization. You're lucky you're here to see it".
My father and I wore black cloaks around our uniforms, while General Iroh wore a red one with the hood drawn. The further north we reached, the colder it became.
I shuddered involuntarily, and not from the cold. Ever since my mother's death when I had been a boy, my father had slowly become consumed by a lust for power. I had done everything I could in order to move him away from such a path, but he never listened to me; he only seemed to care about his own legend these days.
Still, I held out hope that he might change for the better. With the Northern Water Tribe conquered, and the Great War about to end, maybe my father would have enough power, and he could return to being the man he once was.
"Be careful what you wish for, Admiral" General Iroh replied sagely. "History is not always kind to its subjects".
"I suppose you speak from experience" my father said. "But, rest assured, this will be nothing like your legendary failure at Ba Sing Se".
"I hope not, for your sake". I glanced at the General, and saw that his expression was rather sullen; reminders of what had happened years ago at Ba Sing Se were clearly painful for him, and I was one of the few people in the world who was able to understand that pain.
"Shan We", my father said, turning to me, "tell the captains to prepare for first strike". I bowed, taking a moment to look up at the dark, brooding cloud of smoke that came from the fleet's combined smokestacks before moving to carry out my orders.
After rounding a corner, I saw none other than Takara walking towards me, her two escorts in tow. "What are you doing up here?" I asked. "The assault will be launched soon; I can't have you wandering the ship".
"I know" the Kyoshi Warrior replied, stopping when she was a few feet in front of me. Not trusting her to be safe back at our base, I had brought her onto my father's flagship in order to ensure that she would truly be safe. Here, I could trust Jin and Li to keep an eye on her, and any soldiers that might do her harm would be busy battling the Water Tribe warriors. "I just wanted to say… good luck. Try not to die out there".
I let myself smile slightly; after everything that happened between us, after we had both saved each other's lives on multiple occasions and had countless conversations, I had grown to care for the woman standing before me.
"I won't" I replied. "Like I said: the assault will be commencing soon. You should get back to your quarters".
She and her two escorts started to walk back down the hall, but Takara turned to me and said "I know you love your father, but don't let him dictate your destiny. Choose one for yourself".
The Kyoshi Warrior then rounded the corner, and I stared at where she formerly stood, thinking of how that statement reminded me of my dream.
Shaking my head, I turned to Jin and Li, who looked up at me expectantly. Crouching down so that I was at eye-level with their identical faces, I placed my hands on their shoulders and said "When the battle starts, I need you to stay on the ship".
Their expressions hardened, indicating that they protested the idea.
"There's no room for argument here" I said firmly, trying to maintain my stoic expression. "Out there is only ice and snow. There is no earth for you to bend, and if you can't bend, then you would probably die out there. That is something I CANNOT allow. I love you boys, you know that; I won't let you die out there in the cold. You'll stay on the ship and await my return. Do you understand?"
They both glanced at each other, their serious expressions belying the fact that they understood. Eventually, they both nodded, and I embraced them in a loving hug.
A short time later, I stood with my father and General Iroh on the command platform. Off in the distance, a solid white line could be seen, with a hollowed out portion in the centre.
The Northern Water Tribe.
"Is everything in place?" my father asked me, his hands on the guard rail.
"Yes, father" I replied, clasping my hands behind my back.
"Good. Have the lead ship open fire".
I nodded before motioning to some of the men on the deck of the flagship. One of them took out a horn and gave a single bellow with it.
The ship at the head of the fleet then launched a fireball from one of its catapults. We watched as the flaming projectile arced through the air, eventually slamming into the Northern Water Tribe city's defensive wall.
It then started launching more fireballs towards the city, raining destruction down upon it. Suddenly, one of the fireballs veered off course, crashing into the glacier and well past the defensive wall.
"The Avatar" I said, keeping a weather eye on the horizon. If the Airbender was foolish enough to attack further into the fleet, then he would know the full extent of the power of the Fire Nation. Just then, several small, pointed icebergs emerged through and around the lead ship from the water, most likely the result of Waterbenders.
"Fire!" my father commanded, pointing towards the ice city.
I shot a stream of blue flames high into the air, giving the signal. A moment later, the entirety of the fleet started lobbing fireballs at the Water Tribe.
This continued for a few minutes, until General Iroh said "It's almost twilight, Admiral. As your military consultant, I must advise you to halt your attack. The Waterbenders draw their power from the moon, and it is nearly full tonight. You should wait and resume the attack at daybreak".
"I concur" I added, staring out at our target.
"Oh, I am well aware of the moon problem" my father replied calmly. And I'm working on a solution. But for now, daybreak it is".
General Iroh stroked his beard thoughtfully, and he and I exchanged a glance before I gave the order to weigh anchor. For now, the Water Tribe would have a respite. Come morning, they would fall.
I tossed and turned in my bed, trying desperately to let sleep take me, but it was no good. I sat upright, running a hand through my black hair.
I looked around, examining the room Shan We had provided for me. It was sparse, just like the room I'd had back on his own ship; apparently, the Fire Nation liked its military quarters to be dull and lifeless.
I sighed before pulling the covers off and standing up, stretching my muscles. If sleep wouldn't come, then I might as well exercise a little.
As I worked through the myriad of exercises that Suki had taught me, my thoughts drifted back to the Avatar. Twice now, I'd managed to keep Shan We from capturing him, and yet, here I was, still his prisoner. After everything that we'd been through, I had grown to care for the Firebender. At the same time, I didn't want him to take away the world's last chance for peace and an end to this horrible war.
The conflicting thoughts continued to torture me, and eventually I growled in frustration, giving up on the exercise.
Well, maybe some food will help calm me down, I thought to myself as I headed over to the door. Opening it, I found Qin and my other escort, Chang, standing guard right in front of me.
"Is anything wrong?" Qin asked, turning to look at me.
"No", I replied, "I just wanted to get some food from the galley".
The two men glanced at each other, and eventually, Qin said "I guess that's alright". They then escorted me through the halls, and we passed several Fire Nation soldiers and crewmen as we walked along.
Suddenly, as we rounded a corner, we ran into the twins. "Hello" I said, and they both smiled up at me. "I was just heading to the galley to get some food. Would you care to join?"
They both glanced at each other before nodding.
Suddenly, a squat, older man with grey hair stepped out from a door. His name was… General Iroh, if I remembered correctly. Shan We had told me about him during some of our 'conversations'. Judging by the way he had spoken, the Firebender held the older man in the highest regard.
The older man closed the door, looking rather downcast. He turned, and upon noticing us, his eyes opened wide with surprise. "Uh, yes", he said nervously, "I was just, uh… admiring the view… of the glacier. Good night!"
With that, he hastily bowed before walking away. I glanced at the twins and my two escorts; they were just as confused about the old man's words as I was.
My eyes narrowed in suspicion, and I walked over to the door he had stepped out of. I opened it, revealing a small room with no wall on the far side which showed a view of the frozen North Pole. The twins and I walked over to the edge, leaning over in order to see below us.
There! A short distance away was a small raft which contained a single person. I could see well enough to notice that the person was bald except for a ponytail on the back of his head, and as he turned his head to the left, I could see the scar.
I had been told of the banished Prince Zuko during some of my 'conversations' with Shan We, and about their shared hunt for the Avatar. If I wasn't going to let a man who had saved my life capture the Avatar, then I was not about to let a spoiled brat do the same.
"We have to go after him!" I said, turning to the others.
Qin glanced nervously at Chang. "Commander Shan We's orders…"
"Oh, forget it!" I said, having lost all patience for any delays. Before they could react, I quickly jabbed at their throats. The two men clutched their throats and gurgled before falling unconsciously onto the floor.
Looking down at the twins, I saw the shocked expressions on their faces. "Look, I'm going after him whether you like it or not! If I don't stop him, then there's a chance that he might capture the Avatar for himself, and none of us want that".
The Earthbending boys both sighed before reluctantly nodding at me.
I took a sip of Jasmine tea I had just poured, feeling its comforting warmth running down my throat and filling my belly.
Across the table, my father ate from a serving of fried squid. As we silently ate our dinner, I looked around at his quarters. Unlike my own, which only had sentimental items or antiques owned by my family, my father's quarters were filled to the brim with icons of the Fire Nation, and himself.
On the wall facing his bed was a portrait of himself standing heroically against a rising sun, while the carpet we currently sat on was made from rich crimson silk that likely cost him a fair amount of money.
I set my tea cup down, and after eating a little bit of rice, I asked "Father, what were you talking about when you said you were working on a solution to the Waterbenders drawing strength from the moon?"
He set his bowl down before replying "Do you remember when I was serving near the Si Wong Desert when you were younger?"
I nodded. I had been ten years old at the time, and my father had left me in the care of my grandfather.
"While I was there, I discovered an ancient library. Suffice it to say, I found something that will allow me to crush the Waterbenders and carve my name in the history books".
I looked down at my food as he resumed eating. Eventually, after taking a deep breath, I asked him "Do you know what day it is tomorrow?"
"Of course" he replied jovially. "Tomorrow is the day of our ultimate victory".
"It's the anniversary of mother's death" I said quietly, looking up at my father's face.
He flinched, setting his bowl down. He looked down at the table with a serious expression, and I could see the briefest flicker of happy memories cross his face. "I'd… completely forgotten" he said, sounding mournful.
"It's been twenty years" I added. "You've never spoken about her since she passed".
And just like that, the precious moment with my father was gone. He shook his head and looked at me with a smile. "It doesn't matter" he said, matter-of-factly. "Tomorrow, the name of Zhao will live in infamy, and I will finally attain the glory that I deserve".
I gasped as I broke through the water, drawing in as much air as I could. I then pulled myself up onto the floor of some sort of tunnel, violently shaking from the freezing water as the twins pulled themselves up.
After I had knocked out Qin and Chang, the twins had helped me to retrieve some winter gear and swords from the closest armoury after having restrained the two men.
After that, we'd followed this 'Prince Zuko' on a raft. We found his raft near a watery hole in the ice where some turtle seals were gathered. I had used my singing voice to enchant some of the seals, and the twins and I had ridden them through the absolutely freezing water.
Eventually, we managed to come out the other side in this circular tunnel inside the Northern Water Tribe city.
As I continued to shiver, I marveled at its majesty; it was an entire city made of ice, and its beauty was undeniable. That beauty had been marred by the Fire Nation fleet, and the fireballs from their first salvo left several areas near the defensive wall blackened and in ruins.
My instinctive hatred for the Fire Nation reminded me of why I had come here in the first place. Standing on slightly shaking legs, I motioned for the twins to follow me.
We stealthily made our way through the ice city, avoiding the occasional patrol. Luckily, it seemed as if everyone had retreated further into the city, where they would be safest against the Fire Nation's eventual assault.
After walking for some time, I heard a small explosion coming from nearby. Glancing at the twins, I proceeded to make my way further into the heart of the city.
We eventually found a small wooden door, and as we approached it, we could hear sounds of a battle coming from the other side. We emerged into a calm, tranquil oasis, with a small, grass-covered island in its centre. As the sun started to rise and bathe the land in its light, that tranquility was shattered by the sound of a shout and Firebending coming from the oasis.
I then caught sight of the scarred Prince as he shot a fireball at the Water Tribe girl I recognized from Kyoshi Island. She attempted to defend herself with a wall of water, but she was too late, and the fireball struck her and knocked her into a wooden post.
He then grasped the Avatar by the collar of his robe and said to… Katara "You rise with the moon. I rise with the sun".
I glanced at the twins as they gave each other deep, satisfied smiles. I realized that they were overjoyed at finding some actual earth in the North Pole, and I hoped that their joy would help us against the Firebending Prince.
I drew the two swords sheathed at my waist, ready for battle.
The twins charged forward, leaping onto the small island as I ran across the wooden bridge. One of them, I couldn't tell which, extended his arms to his right, his face tight with concentration. I then saw as a large clump of mud from the base of the island emerged from the water, and I understood why the boy looked so strained; holding that heavy mud together must be very difficult.
As it came to hover in the air, the other twin reached out and gripped it with his Earthbending, proceeding to hurl it at the scarred Prince.
The mud struck him on the back of the head, and he released his hold on the Avatar as he was knocked to the ground. He quickly stood up, growling as he wiped the mud from his face. "You two!" he cried upon seeing the twins.
I then ran up to him while he was distracted, trying to attack him. He noticed me just before my swords would have made contact, and we engaged in a close-quarters duel.
He was good, managing to evade all of my slices and thrusts whilst responding with an attack of his own. Eventually, implementing the training I had received back on Kyoshi Island, I used his own momentum against him, and after evading a few attacks, I tripped him.
He fell onto his back with a grunt, and just as I raised my swords for another attack, he kicked some flames up at me, sending me flipping through the air before I landed on the grass beside a small pool in the centre of the island.
The twins then started to fight him as I stood up. One of them kicked a chunk of rock up in front of him before punching it at the Prince.
The scarred teenager dodged the rock, proceeding to send a wave of crimson flames towards them. The other twin struck the ground with his foot, causing a wall of rock to emerge and shield them from the flame.
I then tried to attack him once more, managing to evade his flames for longer than last time. I focused on only him, drowning everything else from my mind as I concentrated all my efforts on bringing him down. We fought for what seemed like a small eternity, but it was probably only the span of a few heartbeats.
Suddenly, as the banished Prince dodged a sword slice, I noticed a small, fist-sized chunk of rock break off from the wall one of the twins had raised and shoot towards us. From behind the wall, the twins probably didn't know I was right next to the Fire Nation Prince.
I tried to get out of the way, but it was just too fast, and it struck me in the face, throwing me clear across to the other side of the small island. As everything became black, I could hear my father lecturing me on keeping my senses sharp and alert for everything around me. Once again, I'd made a mistake, and I questioned whether or not I would survive this latest one.
I stood with my hands clasped behind my back, gazing out at the Water Tribe city as the sun's light came to shine on the nearby landscape.
"It's daybreak at last" my father said, sounding utterly relieved that the brief respite was now over. "Let's write history".
Our ship, along with all of those in the front, then sailed right into the defensive wall, shattering sections of it with its sharpened bow.
My father turned to me and said "Make me proud".
I bowed my head before leaping over the platform and onto the deck as the ships in the front lowered their bows, creating ramps that we could use. I ran ahead of the soldiers on my father's flagship, and they cheered as I led the charge against the Northern Water Tribe.
Dun dun duuuun!
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