"So….. You like….. darts? That's neat…."

Mai stared at Napstablook. She didn't know how to respond to that.

"Why do… you like darts? Is it ok if I ask that?"

Mai continued to stare. Napstablook looked uncomfortable.

"Did I…. say something wrong?"

"No. It's just that you kidnapped me and now you're expecting me to chat like we're old friends. No biggie."

"Huh….. When you say it like that, it does sound pretty bad…."

"Hey, come on Nap," said Alphys. "We couldn't just leave her there. We did the right thing bringing her along. At least… I think we did. We did the right thing. Right Avatar?"

Everyone turned to Aang. He kept his eyes forward. He fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Avatar?"

He nodded quickly. Still afraid to turn around. Mai snickered.

"So this is what remains of the Air Nation? Gosh, we really screwed you up bad huh?"

At this, Aang did turn around. His eyes flashed blue.

"Watch it."

She bit her lip and his eyes went back to normal. He turned around. Alphys finally broke the silence.

"So, we head for Ba Sing Se then? Or perhaps we should return to the Northern Air temple? Make sure- "

"No," said Aang. "We have our mission. Head for the capitol as we should have done before."

"The Northern Air temple," asked Mai. "Wait. You were supposed to go from the Northern Air Temple to Ba Sing Se. But you came all the way down south. And now you have to fly all the way back up?" She actually chuckled. "Not the best plan, I gotta say."

"I was hoping my old friend, the king of Omashu could teach me how to Earthbend. But he can't, thanks to you."

"An old friend? You're not wrong about the old."

"Hey," said Alphys. "I just realized something. You said you haven't mastered water. Since you're an airbender, don't you have to learn water next? I thought there was some kind of order. Or am I wrong? I'm wrong, aren't I? I'm so sorry."

Aang smiled.

"You're not wrong. Technically the order states that yes. I should learn water next. But seeing how I've already been taught fire; I say to hell with order."

Mai raised her eyebrow.

"You've learned how to firebend? How?"

Aang paused. Wondering if he should tell her.

"I had a good….. teacher. Harsh. But good. A true Firebender. Or at least one in the making."

"Oh really? What Firebender would be willing to teach the avatar?"

Aang paused again. Should he tell her?

Oh, what the hell?

"Princess Azula."

Mai's mouth dropped. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. She struggled to speak. Sadly, she didn't get the chance.

"Uh…. Mr. Avatar…" Napstablook pointed east.

A massive tornado came at them as if from nowhere. It was too big to dodge.

Everyone stared at each other.

Mai couldn't help it. She laughed.

Her life had become a lot more interesting recently.

….

"There it is," Papyrus pointed. "Get us closer brother! I'm going to give them the blessing of my greeting!"

"eh, i dunno bro," said Sans. "maybe you should- and there he goes. shocker."

Papyrus leaped off the bison and fell towards the oceanside base below. When he was close to the ground, he raised his arms to his side to slow his descent. Touching down in the middle of the courtyard, he gave a salute.

"Greetings, one and all! I Papyrus, future captain of the Air temple guard, welcome you all to general Fong's base! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

The men stared. No one had any clue what to say. Sans landed the bison and patted his brother's back to bring him back to reality.

"sorry folks. he's just a little…. dehydrated. long flight. hasn't had anyone but me to talk to. surely, you understand."

"I don't. But if you're the airbenders, that's all that matters."

A barefooted man with a very impressive beard strode forward.

"General Fong. I admit I had a hard time believing the letter. But it's true. Real airbenders! I thought only the Avatar was left!

"Hardly, general! We've simply been biding our time! Waiting for the moment when we were most needed!"

The general stared.

"And you decided that time was…. A century later?"

Papyrus bit his tongue.

"Well…"

"understand mate," Sans interrupted. "there's only a handful of us and we didn't want those numbers to- "

"So instead, you let us use our numbers? Let us sacrifice ourselves in your place while you hide in your holes?"

No one could say anything. A soldier leaned in and whispered in the general's ear. He paused for a minute. Then nodded and turned back to the airbenders.

"My apologies. I'm sure you had your reasons to stay hidden. Come please. We have a lot to discuss."

The brothers strode after the general. He might have apologized, but the complaint was out. The soldiers were throwing glares their way.

Papyrus wisely remained silent.

….

"Where am I? What's going on? Alphys! Napstablook!... Mai!"

He looked all around. Trees stretched far into the sky. Humid air surrounded him. He heard rustling in the trees.

"Is anyone there? Nothing to fear. My name is Aang. I mean you no harm."

"Why do you lie my son?"

His eyes widened. That voice.

"No way."

"There's no need to lie to me. Dead men can't tell lies."

The figure wandered out from the shade. Even hidden from the light, he could recognize the outline.

"No. No. You're dead. I- "

"You what? Learned how to be a man? Did it feel good to finally do it? I told you it took strength to be one. Strength you don't appear to have. Pity."

Aang took a step back from the shambling ghost. That's what it was right? It had to be. There's no way this was real!"

"Come son. I'm an understanding man. It's been over a century. I'm willing to give you a second chance."

Keep running. Keep running.

"The stars await. Don't you want to see them? The stars?"

….

"Hey losers! Where'd you go? Trying to ditch me already?"

Mai huffed. She shook her shoes to get the slime off them.

"I'm not that boring! Right? Am I boring? Oh spirits. I'm not boring right?"

It was one thing for her to be bored. It was quite another for her to be the cause of that boredom!

"Maybe if you behaved more like a proper lady, you'd attract a few more- "

She gripped her head and shook it. Even without her mother at her side, she could still hear her in her head.

"Don't think about that right now. You'll have plenty of it when you're back in Omashu. Not without the Avatar of course. And once I've got him I just…."

She paused. What indeed? Find his bison and get it to fly on her own? No. of course not. She'd get the Avatar to do it and fly them back to Omashu. Back to her family. And possibly Azula.

Who had knowingly fired upon her with lightning.

She was going back to that?

No. Don't think like that. She had no choice. It was for the Fire Nation.

"Be a good girl. Just like dear old dad would want."

She began walking. Not at all sure where she was going. She was stunned she managed to survive. If she hadn't been so quick, she'd have missed that branch and plummeted to her death.

"Guess all that training with Ty did work out. Huh. Come to think of it, I didn't see her with Azula. Wonder if she's still back in- "

A giggle interrupted her thoughts. She looked all around.

"What the hell? That sounded like- Ty lee?"

Indeed. She saw the circus girl somersaulting away.

"Ty! What the hell are you- Wait!"

She gave pursuit. Not an easy thing to do. She could outrun the best soldier in the army. But Ty could outrun even that.

"Ty lee! Damn it! Pay attention for once! Ty lee!"

"That's a good girl."

The hairs on her back raised up. Another voice she was not expecting to hear.

"Azula! I'm over here!"

Mai ran. She didn't look back. She just ran.

"There you are!"

She heard Azula's voice again. Even closer. How?

"Come on then! Let's go find Mai! I'm just dying to show her my new technique!"

Keep running! Keep running!

….

"Uh…. Ms. Alphys… Should we like… you know….. look for the others?"

"Why here? Why would you come here of all places?"

"Ms. Alphys? I came here because we're traveling together….."

"Not you! Yang! Don't you see him?"

"Who?"

"He's right there! How do you not know who I'm talking about?"

"Because…. There's nothing there. Nothing I see. But what do I know?"

"Maybe you do know…. Maybe- Oh god! Am I crazy? What if I'm crazy?

"Well…. You can't be as crazy as me, right? I mean it's just not possible…."

"Oh what do I care? Brother! Come back, please! I beg you!"

"Hey maybe you should….. Not do that?"

Napstablook glided along behind her. He didn't run very well. He used air to help propel him along.

"Yang! Oh dear sweet Yang! Please don't leave me again! We can start over! Come back, please!"

"Ms. Alphys, maybe we shouldn't go so close to the river…. No telling what's in- "

"Howdy partners!"

Napstablook looked up to find a boat on the river, carrying…. He wasn't actually sure what they were. Only that they were wearing weird green hats made out of leaves and….. something around their waist. Alphys didn't appear to notice,

"Yang! Stay out of the water! You can't swim!"

"Woo wee! She's having a bad case of it! Seems painful! How about you mate? You don't look too bad!"

"I…. Well… See…. I… Huh… Maybe I should have stayed in the underground….."

….

Aang had been running for some time. Anything he could do to get away from his father's voice.

"How is he here? He's dead! Right? Isn't he dead? I mean. He can't be alive! Right?"

He kept on running. Better to keep distance between them.

When he thought he'd gotten enough distance, he hid behind a tree and leaned against it within the shade.

He paused and listened. No sound at the moment.

"I knew it. He's gone. No. He was never there. Never could be. Right?"

He remained there for a few more moments. Just to be sure. Then just as he was sure he was in the clear, he heard more laughter.

"A girl? Is it Mai? Alphys? No. Doesn't sound like either of them. Sounds too nice."

He took a look out from behind the tree. His heart froze.

"Hello again, dear brother. Love the setting. Great place to catch up. So, how are we today?"

Aang didn't respond and immediately took off at full speed. A hard thing to do while he had to dodge trees. But his sister's laughter kept him going.

He paused in a more open area and expanded his hearing more. More movement. A girl's laughter.

"Again? Leave me alone!"

That's when the girl revealed herself. She was at a distance so he couldn't quite make her out. But he could tell it wasn't Chara.

She was even shorter than him. Her hair was done up into a bun. And she was laughing and skipping away from him.

"Hey! Where are you going? Wait!"

Apparently forgetting the hostility of his previous hallucinations, he chased after her. He didn't recognize this one.

"Who are you? What is this place? Hello? Answer me!"

Fast as he ran, he couldn't catch up to her for some reason.

He kept following her to the edge of a small lake. At which point, she seemingly disappeared.

"Hey! Where'd you go? Come back! I just wanna talk!"

Nothing. No sign of her. Just gone.

"More hallucinations. Great."

He flopped on the ground.

"So, here I am. Back at square one. With no clue how to get out of here. Hello? Anyone willing to lend me a hand?"

As if in respond to his question, he saw movement under the water.

"Come on! Don't be shy! I won't hurt you!"

He immediately had to rescind that promise.

….

Mai herself was also looking from behind a tree, while trying to hide. Azula and Ty Lee's voices no longer registered to her. Another pair did instead. She thought that frankly she was losing her mind.

"Zuko? Zuko! What are you doing here?"

Zuko didn't appear to hear her. He was listening to his uncle.

"Nephew, really. It's not so bad. Have you tried these pies? Who knew the air nomads were such good bakers!"

Mai shook her head. Air nomads?

"Are you seriously fine with being a prisoner? Father was right. You are crazy."

"I may be crazy. But I've also lived a long time. And part of that involves enjoying yourself when you can. There's nothing else to do right now. We're stuck here until they say otherwise. So, care for some pie?"

Mai stood in front of them and waved her hands. Nothing. No response.

"I'm not that boring, am I?"

Still nothing. She eventually decided that she was staring at some kind of hallucination. A very good hallucination to be sure.

"Zuko, where the hell are you," she wondered out loud. Of course he didn't respond. She reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. It felt warm. Real in fact.

He turned around. She backed off shocked. He looked all around. Even looked right at her. Yet gave no indication he saw her.

"What was that? It felt like…. I don't know…"

"Prince Zuko. Perhaps you're feeling the effects of dehydration? Guard! Might we get some tea?"

Mai heard another sound off in the distance. The Avatar. The enemy.

"I'll find you Zuko. Whatever it takes. I promise."

It proved difficult, but she turned away from her former love and toward the direction the sound had come from.

"And I'll bring you the Avatar too."

….

The Avatar in question was currently in battle with a…. massive creature composed of vines. It wore an expressionless mask made of wood for a face.

Aang fired fireballs at the monster but it ducked under the water. It submerged beneath the water with surprising speed. Another tentacle rose up from beneath him to take hold.

He launched himself out of the way with air and launched more fire at the tentacle. Another submergence quickly put that out.

The other tentacle came from above to knock him down. A volley of darts embedded the tentacle in the nearby log.

Both Aang and the monster turned to see Mai readying another volley of darts. The monster struck at her, but she dodged.

In that split second, Aang launched a stream of fire that finally hit the main body. Before it submerged again, he took off its head with another blast of wind.

As the beast fell to the ground, he turned with widened eyes to Mai readying to throw another volley at him.

"Mai. Wait."

"Wait? Wait? For you? Are you mad? For the Avatar?"

"Avatar?"

Both turned to the pile of vines. A man rose from the remnants. An old naked man.

"Oh spirits!" Mai turned away. "Cover that up!"

"You are the Avatar, aren't you? I can't believe I didn't notice! Two elements! Air and fire! Of course! How could I not see it?"

"Is that why you attacked? Are we friends now, just because of that," Aang snarked.

"Sure! To be fair, you did strike first. Why don't we go somewhere we can talk and get some food?"

Aang stared but shook his shoulders and followed.

"Hey, wait! Where do you think you're going," shouted Mai.

"I don't know. Anywhere's better than standing here."

"And… What about me? Am I still your captive?"

Aang bit his lips in contemplation. Finally he shrugged again.

"No. Go. Do whatever you want."

And there she stood, wondering what exactly that was.

….

"Well, howdy ho! Welcome bald man! Care for a fly?"

Aang stared with disgust. Not at the almost naked man with the strange accent, but rather at the massive fly on a stick said man was offering him.

"Uh….. No. Sorry. Vegetarian."

"Vegetarian? Oh! I know what you need!"

The man rummaged through a nearby bin and pulled out a huge piece of…. Something.

"Moss! Hard to chew and gets stuck in your teeth but loaded with nutrients. Is that how you pronounce it Due? Nutrients?"

"Heck if I know Tho," another similarly dressed man said as he chewed on a fly.

Aang looked about for some kind of excuse to get away from the hillbillies and almost jumped with glee at the sight of his airbending accomplices and Appa.

"Guys! Are you ok? Uh… Guys?"

"Jazzing and whizzing…" Muttered Napstablook. "Just jazzing and whizzing…"

"Uh…. OK…. Dr. Alphys?"

"Yang. My baby. My poor baby. Come back to mommy. She's so sorry. So sorry."

Aang stared while Appa licked his face. He couldn't respond though. So confused was he by his allies' behavior.

"Hot diggity," Tho whistled. "I promised them just a little taste of the good stuff. Next thing you know, they're guzzling the whole thing down!"

"Thought airbenders were all about peace and all that," smiled Due. "Guess not."

The naked man sighed.

"I thought we had an agreement about giving people that."

"We wanted to make a good first impression Huu! And they wanted more! Who are we to deny that?"

Huu, the naked man, turned to Aang with an apologetic smile.

"Your friends should be fine."

"Should?"

"Will. Will be fine. Once they've gotten over the initial buzz. In the meantime, I bet you're hungry right?"

"Well, as long as it's not a fly. Or meat. Or that moss."

"A defender of animal rights, eh? All about conservation and reusable sources? I respect that."

"Uh… Sure."

"We can gather some nice juicy mushrooms for you. Grill them nice and hard. Then throw in crispy nuts. It'll be worth it. I promise!"

Aang looked Appa over while the man wandered off. His eyes narrowed when he saw one of his legs wrapped up.

"You're injured?"

"Yeah," said Tho. "Took a beating from that fall. Give it a day or two and he should be ready to go."

"A tornado," Aang remembered. "We were knocked down by a tornado."

"A tornado huh? Sounds like the swamp chose you! Congrats!"

"What do you mean?"

"The swamp made that tornado! It wanted you here! Wanted you to see this place! Learn its mysteries for yourself!"

"Right…. So the swamp caused a tornado to…. What exactly? Make me hallucinate?"

"Can't say for sure! Better as Huu when he gets back. He knows way more about this stuff than me! It'll blow your mind!"

Aang blinked.

"You haven't taken what they're on, have you?"

"Oh all the time!"

….

"So. You're airbenders?"

Papyrus and Sans turned to the guard staring who asked the question. He stood and stared back with a mix of awe and tranquil fury.

"Why yes! Yes we are! I'm Papyrus! Future- "

"I know your names."

"Oh. Then why ask if we're airbenders," Papyrus asked.

"I still find it hard to believe. Considering, we haven't seen any for a century."

"Yeah. No kidding. Must be quiet the shock for you, eh?"

"Very much a shock. I never would have guessed airbenders were such cowards."

Everyone stared in silence for a moment. Papyrus of course broke it.

"Cowards? Us? But we're here to aid you in your time of need! Isn't that the very opposite of cowardly?"

"Oh sure. Usually it is. When they aren't a hundred years late."

"Late? Why- "

"I mean it's not like we haven't been fighting for decades and lost countless of our own. It isn't like we couldn't have used the help from the start."

"We didn't exactly have the numbers to- "

"Numbers? Oh. I understand. Better to conserve your own and let us take the majority of the damage, right?"

"he didn't mean it like that pal," said Sans.

"Oh. And how did he mean it kind sir?"

"he meant it wouldn't have made a difference. our people were all nearly slaughtered. we needed time to recover from that. regrow. if we attacked as we were, it would truly be the end of our culture. our nation."

The soldier laughed humorlessly.

"I get not attacking right away. But you couldn't have even let us know? Let us know you weren't all butchered? Let us know, we could rely on some help when we needed it?"

"couldn't take that risk. couldn't let sozin know. too likely he'd catch wind. weren't enough of us too do anything anyway."

"And what about when you did have enough to make a difference? Why did you still not get involved?"

"had enough? they could only afford to send two. we've never had enough since that day. if we got involved as you say, there wouldn't' be anything left of what pitiful remnants there are of the air nation."

The guard paused and bit his lip in contemplation.

"So why now? If you still don't have the numbers to mount a major offensive, why even bother revealing yourself."

"hey, if the avatar's finally decided to come out of hiding, then that means we ain't throwing our lives away for nothing. there's less of us than there are poor saps rotting in ba sing se. if we're gonna risk our people's survival, we need to know we ain't wasting it in vain."

The soldier scoffed then turned to walk away.

"Say whatever you want. The fearful always make excuses. We've waited a whole century for you. You'd better have been worth the wait."

When he finally disappeared around the corner, Sans turned to his brother. He saw his hands shaking.

"Pap? You ok?"

"Oh, I'm fine brother. More than fine. I'm great. I can't wait for the moment we show him- Show all of them that we were worth the wait. They'll see. We'll show them all. I'll show them all."

….

She wandered onwards. She heard many voices. Azula. Ty lee. Now her parents.

"Where is that girl," asked her father. "How could she let herself be captured by the Avatar? I thought we trained her better than this."

Like you could have done better, thought Mai angrily.

"Do you think….. Do you think she'll be all right," asked her mother. "That they're taking care of her?"

"All right? Taken care of? By those savages? Do you hear yourself?"

"Well, they are airbenders, right? Pacifists and all that? If anyone spared prisoners- "

"They're savages," her father insisted. "Pure and simple. That's why we waged war on them to begin with. More likely than not, they've already feasted on her."

Her mother went pale.

"Feasted on her? No. No, they wouldn't- "

"They absolutely would. It's not like they know anything else."

"But… she's just a girl."

"It doesn't matter. They'll either have her for dinner or convert her to their ways. Either ways, she's lost to us. Better to give up on her."

Mai's mother sank to the ground. Her head in her hand. Her father walked over.

"Now now, my dear. Fear not. We have Tom Tom. We can start over. All the mistakes we made with Mai; we can correct with him."

Mai stared wide eyed with mouth open. She heard more movement behind her. Azula, talking to herself.

"Was it wrong to attack? Should I have made more of an attempt to save her? Maybe if I…. No. No it was necessary. For father's sake. For the Fire Nation. Everything else comes second."

She continued staring at her parents and her "friend" as they walked out of sight.

Her mind raced with conflicting thoughts. Memories. Pain. Decisions.

….

"So, you feeling better now," asked Aang.

"I…. I think so," replied Napstablook. He didn't look fine. In fact, he looked more uncertain than ever.

"That was some…. Weird….. stuff…."

"Sure seemed to like it thought, didn't you," mused Tho. "One whiff and you were snarfing it down like rice!"

"What's porridge, Tho? Some kind of salamander?"

While Napstablook looked all around to avoid eye contact, Alphys was staring at her feet whispering to herself.

"Yang…. Why…. Why did you leave…"

"They got some pretty hard visions, didn't they," mused Huu while eating a fly.

Aang put down his bowl of nuts and shrooms. It was as Huu promised, quite good.

"Thank you for the food. Now do you mind telling me what they saw? What we saw? Ghosts? Dead people?"

"Not all of them. No. At least to the best of my knowledge. I don't know who you saw out there, but it's people you know, knew, or are destined to meet."

"Right. Destined. And how does that work exactly?"

"This is more than a swamp. It's a focal point of immense spiritual energy. A testing ground for the soul. For us all. A test with one purpose. One goal."

"And that goal would be?"

"That everything is connected. Time. Space. Death. These things are illusions. Everything is connected. Those we've met and those we're destined to meet are just a little bit closer. This place removes those barriers of illusion. And shows the truth."

"So when I saw my father and sister, who were dead last I checked- "

"You saw them. Not hallucinations."

"But not in the physical body."

They turned to Mai limping in. She looked like hell. Covered in mud and bugs.

"No. Not in the physical body."

"Good. I guess. Got any meat?"

"Fly?"

She held the stick in her hand. Almost like she was trying to decide if it was real or not. Eventually, she sat down next to Aang.

He stared at her. She herself had trouble looking at him. She just ate in silence, until he finally broke it.

"Why didn't you leave? I gave you the chance to go."

"Where? Where was I going to go? I don't know where to go."

Aang rubbed the back of his head embarrassed.

"Right. I guess that was rude of me. I was just thinking…. Well…."

"Wow…" Muttered Napstablook. "Snails….. I want me some… Snails….."

"I just thought….. You know, you seem to be more or less innocent in all this and- "

"Me? Innocent? Nothing's further from the truth."

Aang bit his lip.

"Well, anyway you haven't done anything to me. We just needed you to keep them from attacking. But now that that's done, I figured you could go home."

Mai finally stared at him.

"The thing is, I don't know where that is."

Aang felt that old annoying twinge of sympathy again.

"I think we have that in common."

They stared in silence for a time. This time, Mai broke it.

"We need to talk. About a lot. First things first. Where's Zuko?"

….

"This is it," said Huu spreading his arms out. "The center of the swamp."

They stood on the top of a great tree. One whose height could rival most mountains. The view from the top was spectacular.

"The roots of this beauty spread throughout the whole swamp. Connecting all the trees down there together. It's a symbol for this world. For all life. United. One."

He kneeled down and patted the ground.

"Touch it. Reach out. Extend your senses. Feel everything."

Aang complied, placing his hand on the bark, and closing his eyes.

He saw his people. Those he had failed to save. He saw no anger in those eyes, however. Only sadness. Sadness for the task that lay before him. Beside them he saw the previous four avatars. Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, and Yangchen.

Behind them…. His family. His sister. Her strange sad smile. And behind her his father's frightening face. Eyes wide. Grinning.

He grew uncomfortable amongst the dead and turned his attention to the land of the living.

On a ship far to the north, a man and his son sat on the deck talking to one another. His daughter sat far away. Scowling. Difficult emotions swam through her head. A boy with long hair offered her tea. A band of girls with painted faces practiced moves.

He headed south to the temple. Zuko and his uncle sat within their cells. Unhappy. But fed and alive. Undyne pondered the future. King Asgore mourned. But for whom Aang couldn't say.

He extended further south. He saw Sans and Papyrus readying themselves to fly out on a bison. Papyrus offered a handful of soldiers a seat on the great creature. They smiled and said yes.

Closer to him. Traveling within a metal machine. Her yellow eyes. Rage. Despair. Such a complex mix of emotions.

He turned west to the Fire Nation. The Fire Lord sat upon his throne. On the outside he seemed at peace. Inside, the rage and despair that filled his daughter.

Southwest. Another ship. A ragtag group of wild children, Fire Nation deserters, and two airbenders.

"Frisk!" Aang's eyes snapped open. "Frisk is alive!"

"Who?"

"Frisk! The airbender who found me! Both her and her guardian Toriel, another airbender! They stayed behind to help us escape! I…. I thought they were dead…."

The two airbenders stared.

"Toriel," asked Alphys. "Are you…. You're sure that's one of their names?"

"Yes. Absolutely."

"That's….. That's the king's wife."

Aang blanched.

"Uh…. What?"

"She left. Many years ago. When their son died."

"Their son? How- "

"You should ask him yourself. It's….. It's not for me to say."

"I…. Ok. That's….. Well I'm just glad they're alive. And it looks like they got loose. That's a load off my shoulder." He turned to Mai.

"I saw Zuko too. He's still alive. In prison, but it looks like they're doing ok."

Mai laughed.

"As good as you can be while in prison I guess."

"Right. Sure." He looked out over the horizon.

"I think… I think I understand why the swamp wanted us here. To give us hope. To remind us we're not alone. That we're all in this together."

It wasn't by chance he happened to be looking at Mai when he said that. She sighed under his hopeful gaze.

"So. Zuko's alive."

"Yes."

"Do you know why he's not in the Fire Nation right now? Because he was banished. Never allowed to return home until he found you."

"Right. I kind of caught that bit."

"And here you are. His ticket home. His one chance to come back."

Alphys and Huu readied themselves. This line of dialogue wasn't going the way they wanted it to.

"True. A difficult choice for you. You could potentially save your love. And all you'd have to do is capture me."

Mai blushed at the word love. She didn't deny it though.

"But then you'd have to drag me across the entire Earth Kingdom and break him out of a heavily fortified fortress alone. Unless you mean to do it with the princess? One who hates her brother, has tried to claim me for herself and….." He trailed off.

"Attacked me."

"Well. Yes."

She looked out over the horizon. Hard to argue the facts.

"And to be honest…. Mai. Even if you did manage to get him home, I'm not sure it's what's best for him. Or Azula. I didn't spend long over there with his family. But I was there long enough to know…. It's not good."

"Not good? That's a bit vague- "

"None of it's good! Their family! This war! The Fire Nation's plot for the future! None of it's good! They're wrong! And on the wrong side of history!"

She opened her mouth to retort but Aang beat her to it.

"Look what they did to the world. No scratch that. That never changes minds. Look what they did to Zuko. Look what they did to Ty lee. Look what they did to Azula!"

Everyone raised their eyebrows at his sudden intensity.

"She's hurt. In pain. So much pain. It's sick. It's sick! It makes me sick! All that time. All that time there in her presence, I saw it. I felt it! I know that pain. The pain that there's no one there for you. No one to care for you. No one who would care if you died. And look what it did to her. She… She tried to kill you. A friend. Someone who means everything to her. Don't give me that look. You do. Even if she can't say it. You've always been there for her. And that place. That hate. It made her attack you. It broke her. And I think in some way, it's broken you too. You and Ty lee."

No one dared speak now. This was the Avatar's moment.

"So I'm going to stop them. To save them. All of you. Save her. Because that's what I've learned here. We're all connected. And when someone suffers, we all suffer. The only question is, what will you do? We could drop you off at the edge of the swamp and- "

"I'll come."

"Wait, what?"

"I'll come. Azula's shown that I'm expendable like the rest. And even if I returned, she'd probably just punish me. And since Zuko's with your people…. But if I'm going with you, I want to be unbound and with some dignity."

"You'll have to fight your own kind."

She shrugged.

"Who are my own kind? I still haven't found that out. Besides, what's waiting for me? Imprisonment in some boring old city?"

"Hey! Omashu is not boring! Did you forget the slide?"

"Oh right. Well, it's not like they'd let me try that. Maybe if I go with you, I might get the chance again."

The airbenders talked amongst themselves in silence. Well not so much Napstablook.

"We'll give you a chance. Please don't make us regret it." Aang extended his hand.

"Welcome to the team, lady Mai."

"Quit with that lady crap." She extended her hand regardless.

"Well, I'm glad I could help," said Huu. "I was lost too until I found this place. It gave me a path. Just like it gave you one."

"What path did it give you," asked Mai. "To forfeit your pants?"

Aang stared at Alphys with her hand on the bark. Her eyes opened and she got back up.

"I couldn't find him. Why couldn't I find him? Am I not strong enough?"

"Who couldn't you find?"

"My son."