Chapter 5: Just give it a shot

"Thanks for the help, Azula."

But he didn't get a response.

Of course he didn't, she seemed absolutely furious at him. But somehow, he was okay with it.

Even now, the image of her bathed in the blue glow of her flames was seared into his mind, and he's sure he won't be forgetting it for as long as he lived.

Knowing Azula worried for his safety made him happy enough to let everything go. He'll have to thank her again once she's not angry anymore.

"Alright! Whoever you are you will reveal yourself now, or I'll burn down this entire forest down to the last blade of grass!" She shouted into the air, daring whoever had attacked them to step out.

"Azula, you can't just—" Zuko began to say, but the sudden appearance of two people dressed in blue water tribe coats caught everyone's attention. "Who are you?!"

Their clothes looked worn, and their hair matted and unkept. The woman looked older and tired, but for some reason, the man was wearing a wooden mask on his face…

"We're sorry for attacking you… but we couldn't allow any of the four pools to be disturbed no matter what." Said the woman. "My name is Misu, and this is my brother Rafa."

"What are a bunch of water peasants doing in the Fire Nation, anyway?!" Azula seemed seconds away from attacking them.

But the woman wasn't intimidated. Her expression remained unaffected as she sighed tiredly. "My brother and I have lived here for a few years now… All in hopes of encountering a spirit capable of healing his face…"

What could have possibly have happened to him if they needed the help of a spirit…

"May I ask what exactly happened to his face?" For some reason, something was screaming at the back of his head. Something he had only felt once before…

Misu lowered her gaze. "When we were young, my brother often stole items from powerful people just to prove to everyone how skilled he was… He had been doing it for years, and he never once got in trouble for it… Until one day his luck ran out. I found him alone on the ice, while his face was horribly disfigured… It changed his life—our lives—forever."

When they were young… how long ago could that have been?

"None of the healers in our tribe were able to heal him… so I researched for years for something, anything that could help him… And it eventually led us here. It took a long time and too many failed attempts, but we eventually made it to forgetful valley…"

"So, you've been trying to help your brother all this time…" Zuko's voice was laced with guilt and regret. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. If Rafa needs my help, then I will always help him no matter what. I'm his sister, after all." She said with a smile.

But something was off. Rafa hadn't said anything or moved at all for that matter. His arms were limp on his sides and his posture was slouched.

And he wasn't reacting to anything. He almost didn't look… alive.

What could this mean? The feeling was… familiar. There was a voice in his head firing all sorts of alarms, telling him to not dare show any sort of expression, else…

Wait… Wasn't that…? He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but it would make perfect sense.

He needed to find out more.

"This spirit you're looking for… What does it look like?" He asked.

"It is a she." She responded. "I don't know what she looks like, but when she approaches, the forest tells us."

She nodded her head to one of the many leaves surrounding them. "As you probably have noticed, many facelike patterns begin to manifest throughout the entire forest. It is then that a giant wolf bearing the markings of a face travels from far away to drink from one of the forest's four pools."

"Wait, isn't that the spirit we encountered the other day?" Suki asked.

"Oh wow, how observant." Azula answered sarcastically to which Suki simply glared at her.

"Yes, and from whichever pool he drinks, the spirit appears… Although I suspect that we chose the wrong pool once more…" Misu said dejectedly. "I'm sorry, brother. We'll keep trying…"

Seriously, how long have they been trying to find this spirit…

He couldn't leave them like this. He had to help them.

"No! There's gotta be something I can do to help!" He stood up with resolve. "I'm the Avatar, after all!"

"Wait!" He heard Azula stand up as well. "Are you seriously going to waste our time helping out a couple of dirty vagrants?! What about our mother?!"

"I have to help them! It's my duty!" He answered with equal fervor "I'm going to cross over to the spirit world and try to get that giant wolf spirit to come here."

He sat down in a lotus position.

"Don't worry! I'll be right back!" He smiled at her one last time, before closing his eyes and concentrating.

Soon enough, he entered the spirit world. Now all that he had to do, was find the wolf as fast as he could.

What is he thinking?! How could he just leave me here alone with mother's conspirators.

He was supposed to be on my side!

"Azula!" Her brother spoke up. "He's the Avatar. Helping people is what he does. And if we're a team, we have to help with him too."

"Oh, Zuzu! No wonder you don't want to be Fire Lord anymore!" She gathered all her snark in her voice. "You would rather gallivant around the world with your little friends, saving poor people—"

Wait a second. The Avatar was going to help anyone as long as their little sob story struck him hard enough. In other words—

She gasped in realization.

Her mother had orchestrated all of this! She purposely sent those water peasants in order to separate her from the Avatar!

She couldn't let her win—!

She won't let them slow her down! She had to get rid of them, and quickly!

She turned around, eyes quickly locking into the distracted figures of those savages.

She couldn't hesitate anymore. Her mother had to be close, and she wasn't going to stop!

She separated the energies within her body just as she's done thousands of times before and let her lightning concentrate in her fingertips. And just like all those times, she was perfect.

"Wait! Azula!" Zuko ran in front of her path, but he was too late. His only hope was that little trick our uncle had taught him.

And just like she thought, he redirected her lightning into the sky, leaving him with a trail of smoke coming from his body.

"Misu and Rafa have nothing to do with our mother! How could you even think—"

"That's exactly what she wants you to believe! I'm just not stupid enough to fall for it!" She said as she shot a second strike of lightning.

"Azula, stop!" And of course, he redirected it again.

"You can't keep this up forever, Zuzu! You might be naïve enough to trust mother but I'm not!" She shot once more.

"Zuko!" She heard Suki scream as she continued her assault. "We need to take her down before she destroys this entire place!"

Zuko looked conflicted but eventually came to a decision. "You're right. Let's do this." He said as he started counterattacking.

Dodging Zuzu's fire was easy enough. The problem was dealing with the peasant's sword strikes.

"Wait! Please stop fighting! You mustn't cause such a disturbance!" Misu shouted but it fell on deaf ears.

Azula dodged precise strike after precise strike all the while she kept her offense against Zuko. She couldn't keep this up for much longer.

Why is the Avatar taking so long?!

At this rate she's going to need to find any opening as soon as possible.

And right on cue, she saw Zuko hesitate slightly when his eyes met hers. It was brief but it was enough.

She dodged a sword strike and kicked the girl right at Zuko, making him stumble. She then shot lightning to his feet as he was standing near those water savages. The blast from it managed to send all four of them flying, leaving her two targets wide open.

This was her chance. She had a clear shot against both of them and she had to take it before either Suki or Zuzu recovered.

She charged her lightning in a split second, keeping her eyes cold, and her mind clear. Her mother had somehow caught wind of her little deal with the Avatar, and she wasn't going to let her take him from her.

She narrowed her eyes, not allowing her aim to be anything from perfect. And then she shot it—

But a hand grabbed her arm before she could fire.

"Azula, please stop." A calm voice reached her ears.

She looked up to meet the voice she had already committed to memory. And her eyes met with two stormy grey orbs, rendering her previous rage almost nonexistent.

And so, she stopped.

Aang let out a breath.

That was too close.

A second later and he was sure Misu and Rafa would've been goners.

"Aang!" He heard both Zuko and Suki shout in unison as they rushed to where they were. It seems that whatever happened while he was gone had set off a fight between them and Azula. And they still seemed completely on edge.

"It's okay! There's no need to fight anymore!" He said as firmly as possible, he couldn't afford the visitor he brought to be offended by anything.

"What do you mean?" Asked Suki.

"I managed to find the wolf, and the spirit said she's coming!" He then turned to the water siblings who were only now making their way towards them. "Apparently she grants one request every season, so please make use of it."

And right on cue, masks started appearing from the water behind him, until the massive figure of the spirit rose imposingly over everyone present.

"I am the Mother of Faces. Through me, separateness came into the world. Through me, came identity. The one became the many." Her echoed voice was as imposing as her presence. "I walk through my forest once a season, but never have I strayed from the path my wolf chooses for me. I do so now in deference to the Avatar, the great bridge between the spirits and the humans."

"So now, show me the one you were talking about, Avatar."

Okay, this was it. If his hunch was right, then this might just work out for everybody.

"Right away, your Face-iness!" He turned to Misu. "Could you please remove Rafa's mask?"

"W-What? Is it necessary?" Her face turned panicked… clearly whatever was under that mask must be nothing short of horrifying. Especially if whoever did it is who he thinks he is.

"Yes, please trust me." He smiled reassuringly.

She still seemed hesitant but ultimately relented. "Very well…"

She reached forward to her brother's face and slowly pulled down the mask. It was late in the night, so it was hard to notice from the beginning, but once the mask was fully off, they were greeted by a face completely lacking any discernible features. A blank canvas of flesh.

Meaning his hunch was right.

He let out a breath. It seems he gets to keep his face for now.

A few minutes earlier

Trying to ride the spirit wolf might have not been the best idea. Even in his spirit form, he could still feel his head somewhat spinning.

He tried regaining his bearings until a loud echoed voice flooded his ears.

"Who dares ride my wolf as if she were some common beast of burden?!"

He looked at the source, although his vision was still groggy enough that he couldn't tell what he was supposed to be seeing.

"My name is Aang… I'm the Avatar. And you are?" He asked as the image in front of him became clearer.

"I am the Mother of Faces!"

He stumbled back at the sight.

The spirit was massive, with a body made of intertangled branches and vines, while sporting six different faces all covered all the way until the eyes by her incredibly large horns.

And she exuded so much spiritual energy, he almost felt his own spirit waver at her presence.

This was no ordinary spirit. He needed to be careful.

"What business could the Avatar possibly have with me?"

He took a deep breath.

"I require your aid! There is a pair of siblings in another one of your ponds who have been waiting for years seeking your um… face giving abilities!"

"I do not do special favors, Avatar. I already extend a great kindness by even considering granting favors to humans."

"Please, you don't understand!"

"Do not test my patience, Avatar. My rules are sacred, and they shall be followed! Any human that would beg of me for a new identity can only do so on the pool of my wolf's choosing!"

Dammit, why were all spirits this stubborn!

"But this isn't about a simple change of identity. I believe that the person who needs your help was a victim of a face-stealing spirit. He was robbed of his identity and left an empty shell of who he once was! You're his only hope of escaping whatever hell he was forced into…"

He expected another rebuttal, but to his surprise, the Mother of Faces simply remained quiet for a few moments, considering his words.

"Who is this spirit you are referring to?"

"He was a spirit who looks kinda like a big ugly sow-bug with big ugly legs and a bunch of big ugly faces and—"

"What was his name, Avatar."

"Oh! Right—His name was Koh the face stealer."

The Mother of Faces once again remained quiet for a while.

"Although that was not the name I gave him… He is my son."

Her what?!

"I'm sorry, your son?!"

"Yes, he's been estranged from me since time began. The legends say that he misses me so much, he's spent all of history stealing faces…" Her voice had lost some of its earlier power and instead held a hint of guilt and sadness. "How do you know him, Avatar?"

"Well, we've met before… He attempted to steal my face when I sought out his help one time."

And even now, he still had trouble falling asleep sometimes because of him.

"And you believe this person that requests of my aid has been a victim of him then…"

"Yes, your uh… Face-iness."

"And if you're wrong?"

Was he wrong? He had doubts at the beginning but he was pretty sure of it now.

For a person to sustain some sort of face disfigurement that not only required the help of a spirit but it also rendered you completely unresponsive, he was sure it must've been him.

"On the case that I'm wrong, then I'll accept any punishment you deign to give me." He bowed in respect.

"Will a change of face be acceptable to you then? To one much less beautiful than your own?"

Huh, that doesn't sound so…

Wait… Beautiful? Seriously?

"Um… Yes! That would be fine."

The Mother of Faces regarded him for some time until she eventually nodded.

"Very well. Lead the way then, Avatar."

"Thank you, your Face-iness!"

"It seems your gamble paid off, young Avatar. I definitely sense my son's handiwork in this man… Alright, I shall restore his original face."

The Mother of Faces reached out and cover the man's face with her hand, as a brilliant glow shined from it. All four of their team stared in amazement.

"Hey!" Azula pinched his arm with her sharp nails. "What's going on!?"

"It's a long story but… I'll tell you later, okay? For now, there's one more thing we should do once she finishes."

She looked at him confused.

"And that is?"

"We should try asking her about your mother."

Her eyes narrowed at him. "And why would she know anything about her?"

"Spirits know a lot of things." He said with a shrug. "She might just give us our biggest clue yet."

And judging by the amount of power he felt from her, he was sure that she was probably aware of most things that happen around in the forest.

"Just give it a shot."

Azula still looked skeptical but eventually stepped forward.

"You! Spiri—"

Uh oh.

"Wait!" He rushed to cover her mouth before she could finish, which she angrily ripped off almost immediately.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"We can't afford to offend her! She's the only that can help us." He pleaded. "Remember, be respectful."

She glared daggers at him but eventually huffed in resignation. "Fine."

"Excuse me!" She said through gritted teeth.

The Mother of Faces turned to face them at her voice.

"What is it?"

"We are seeking a princess of the Fire Nation named Ursa! Tell me where to find her!" She demanded with what he noticed to be a less… intimidating tone of voice.

Well, it was better than nothing.

"I do not usually grant more than one favor to you humans… But I suppose I do owe your group for my son's wrongdoings."

She extended her arm once more, but this time, she showed a floating image of a woman's face.

There was no mistaking it. That was definitely Azula's mother.

"Ursa. I remember her. I could not understand why a human of such beauty would ask for a new face." She explained as the image then morphed into a different face.

"To test her sincerity, I offered her one as plain as can be. And she accepted."

They froze at the sight.

"That's Noriko!" Zuko spoke up after a few seconds.

"Azula, our mother—"

But by the time they realized, Azula was gone.

"She's gone!" Suki said in a panic.

"She must be heading back to Noren's, we need to catch her—"

But his eyes widened once more.

Azula wasn't the only one that wasn't there…

"Wait—Where's Aang?"

They looked around once more, but they couldn't find him…

Where could he have possibly—

"Zuko!" Suki snapped him out of his shock. "He must've gone after Azula! We need to go help him!"

Right, he must've went after Azula. It makes sense. He ran after Azula.

Which meant he noticed exactly when she ran off. And didn't bother telling them.

He noticed right when she ran off, when not even her own brother could…

What… does that mean?