They found themselves back on Appa early the next morning, flying away from the Northern Air Temple over open waters, and went back to the routine they'd established since leaving the Earth Kingdom continent, hopping from island to island to camp.
Eventually, though, the islands stopped, and nothing but ocean stretched all around them. Then, finally, after days:
"There it is!" Aang cried. "The Northern Water Tribe."
As one, Sokka, Katara, and Zuko all looked at each other from their various tasks, then they ran towards the front of Appa, where Aang was currently sitting, holding onto Appa's reins in one hand. With his other, he was pointing to something on the horizon, still pretty far off, but definitely visible.
It was a landmass made of pure white, similar to the South Pole, and even the water around here was starting to become more and more icy.
It seemed like it had been forever since they'd last seen anything resembling land. They'd been forced to make camp on tiny, precarious icebergs for the past several days.
So, needless to say, a real patch of land was a welcome sight for all of them.
"We're still a ways away," Aang said. "But I imagine that if we keep a good pace, we'll get there in a few hours, maybe?"
"So soon?" Katara asked, and Zuko glanced over at her.
She wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were locked on that distant landmass, transfixed. Because of that, she was oblivious to his attention, and the usual walls she put up to conceal her emotions from him weren't there.
In her face, Zuko saw mirrored some of his own emotions. Excitement, at finally getting to the place they'd been working toward for so long. But also a not small amount of apprehension.
Zuko, of course, had no idea why she might be anxious about their imminent arrival, but for his part, there were several reasons.
First, and probably most terrifyingly, their arrival here would mean that Zuko would be forced to drop the ruse they'd been keeping up this whole time, that Aang was the Avatar. He was getting more and more comfortable with the idea of being the Avatar after his breakthrough at the Northern Air Temple, but that didn't mean he was ready to go public yet. Even at the temple, he hadn't told anyone who didn't figure it out on their own.
But here, at the Northern Water Tribe, was where all pretense would fall away, whether he felt ready or not. The ruse had been nice and comfortable. It had helped him hold onto the last of his denial, even though there really shouldn't have been any denial left at all. Every day, he saw proof that he wasn't just a firebender, as he trained with Aang. But there was a tiny part of him that still rebelled, even now.
And second, Zuko worried about their purpose here: to find a waterbending teacher. He was only passable (at best) as a firebender, regardless of what his uncle said, and though he had picked up the basics of airbending rather quickly, he only recently began to come out of his airbending block thanks to the revelations at the Northern Air Temple.
Based on everything he knew about Avatars (which was a fair amount—he'd made it his mission to learn everything he could as soon as he'd been banished), they generally struggled the most with learning the element that was opposite their native element. For Zuko, that was, of course, water.
He'd already struggled so much learning firebending and airbending, he hated to think how hard it would be for him to learn water.
And to make things worse, he knew he needed to learn fast. It wasn't like with firebending, where he had been learning his whole life. Sozin's comet was fast approaching, and though Zuko had no idea what his father was planning on doing when it arrived, he didn't need to be a genius to guess that it probably wasn't good.
All of these fears bubbled to the surface as he stared at the distant speck of white.
The others were still talking.
"You'll be a master in no time, sis," Sokka was saying as he playfully smacked Katara's arm. "Then maybe Zuko won't even need one of their waterbending masters to learn from. He can learn from Master Katara instead."
Zuko didn't know how to feel about that idea. He looked at Katara, only to find her looking back at him with an expression he couldn't decipher.
"I think Zuko will be much better off learning from someone who's had years of practice. I'm sure it'll take me a while before I'm any good."
Sokka opened his mouth to refute her, but Zuko found himself speaking up, shocking himself. "I think you'll pick it up quickly once you've got a real master. Look at how much you've already taught yourself, and all you had was some old scrolls. That's so much harder than learning from a teacher."
Not that Zuko knew that from personal experience, of course. He may not have gotten as much attention as Azula when it came to firebending training (or most other things, for that matter), but he'd had access to the (second) best firebending teachers the Fire Nation could offer ever since he was old enough to walk, and even after his banishment, he'd had Iroh, who was certainly better even than Azula's teachers. He'd never needed to teach himself.
Still, considering how he'd struggled to learn with a teacher, he could only imagine how much worse he would be if he hadn't had one.
Katara stared at him. "Thanks, Zuko," she said, her words a bit stilted.
Zuko simply nodded.
"See, what did I say?" Sokka said. "Master Katara, here we come."
A hint of a smile crept back onto Katara's face, and Zuko was glad to see it, even if it hadn't been caused by him. They turned back to face the white speck of the approaching Water Tribe as Aang pushed Appa onward.
The Northern Water Tribe was even more amazing than Zuko had imagined. Its icy walls rose hundreds of feet above the ocean, imposing even from where they were, a few thousand feet away.
Aang had lowered Appa so far down that his paws almost skimmed the ocean's surface, and they approached those walls cautiously, uncertain what the proper protocol was.
Luckily, they didn't have to question the protocol for long, because once they were within a few hundred feet, the wall of the city in front of them opened—not with a door, but with bending, as people that Zuko could barely see standing atop the wall melted the snow and ice to create an opening through which a small group of four canoes exited.
The riders of these canoes carried no oars. Instead, a man stood or sat at the back of each one, moving their arms in flowing motions as they waterbent the ocean behind the canoes, propelling them toward Appa.
Aang tugged on Appa's reins, making him slow and then stop as the canoes approached.
"I don't know why," he said under his breath to the others as the boats came closer, "but I suddenly got a bad feeling. Maybe we should make sure they can see we're not armed."
Zuko understood. As he watched those boats draw closer, a strange foreboding rose up in his stomach. It felt more intense than the nerves he'd been feeling up to this point, but he did his best to shrug it off.
He and the others shared a glance, then followed Aang's lead as he set down his staff, stood up, and held up his hands in a nonthreatening way.
The canoes formed a rough half-circle about twenty feet away from Appa, and now Zuko could see the people in them more clearly.
They all looked to be average Water Tribe soldiers, dressed in furs and robes dyed blue and white. None of them looked like captains or leaders, but then, Zuko supposed it would've been silly to expect the leaders to meet them when they weren't sure who exactly was approaching.
All of them wore helmets that hid most of their faces, so Zuko couldn't pick out expressions or features, but one of the men in the canoe closest to them on the left spoke up.
"Who approaches? State your business."
Aang glanced briefly at Zuko, then took a breath and looked back at the man. They had agreed that it would be better to keep up the Avatar facade until they were inside the Northern Water Tribe and in conversation with the leaders there.
"The Avatar traveling to begin his training in waterbending," Aang said. "And some friends, too."
The group of soldiers all looked at each other. Again, Zuko could not see enough of their faces to gauge their reaction, but there weren't any audible gasps, so he figured their arrival must not be too much of a surprise.
"We have heard of your arrival, Avatar," the lead soldier said again, giving a slight bow in Aang's direction. "Please, follow us, and welcome to the Northern Water Tribe."
Several minutes later, they had been led into the city. Zuko had seen paintings of the place, and crude depictions on maps, but nothing could have prepared him for the grandeur he saw before him now.
The entire town was made of solid ice, the paths upon which they walked, the buildings they passed, even bridges and some of the small barge-like boats that passed through the canals of the city.
Just as the Northern Air Temple had been a haven for airbenders, this city was clearly built by and for waterbenders.
And they saw many, even on the relatively short walk to the palace. Men raised and lowered walls of ice to allow them passage to different parts of the city. Men stood at the backs of boats, directing them through the city's narrow water channels. At one point, Zuko saw some children practicing minor feats of waterbending outside of one of the houses and workers freezing blocks of ice and loading them onto a sled.
All of the people who were openly bending, Zuko noted, were male.
Their walk brought them to the palace, which was constructed of ice, just like the rest of the city.
The palace was far less lively than the rest of the city had been. In fact, when they arrived, their guards did not enter. Instead, they left them at the gates and told them someone would be there to escort them further momentarily.
"Why can't you just let us in?" Sokka asked.
"Due to the increasing tensions of the war, the chief and his daughter have kept the palace off-limits for the past few weeks. Only authorized people are allowed inside."
"Wow," Aang said, "and even the city guard isn't allowed in?"
The soldier shifted from foot to foot, as if uncomfortable, but did not say anything else. He and the others who had brought them this far retreated, leaving their little group alone.
"Does anyone else feel like that's a little…strange?" Katara asked after a moment.
Yes, Zuko thought.
"What?" Sokka asked.
"They're tightening security. Why? We haven't heard anything about the war threatening the Northern Water Tribe, have we?"
"Well, they did say they knew we were coming," Aang said, though he didn't sound confident. "Maybe they wanted to increase security for us, or they thought our arrival might turn the Fire Nation's attention here?"
Katara frowned. "I don't know…."
"It might be a trap," Zuko said, expecting Katara to glower at him for speaking. But she just continued to frown at the gates. "We should be ready for it to be one."
"If it's a trap, shouldn't we, I don't know, leave?" Sokka asked.
"After we came this far?" Aang said. "We should at least see. Maybe it'll be fine."
Sokka grimaced. The group lapsed into silence, but all of them were a little more on edge now, hands creeping toward weapons.
They stood there in the freezing cold outside the gate for what felt like forever but was probably only fifteen or twenty minutes, before a voice from atop the palace wall called out to them.
"We have word from the city guard that you claim to be traveling with the Avatar. Is this true?"
All four of them looked up, but whoever was speaking wasn't visible atop the wall. The voice seemed male, though.
"Uh… yes, sir," Katara said after a moment where no one spoke up. "We seek an audience with the chief. The Avatar needs a waterbending master, and some of us wish to learn as well."
There was a long pause, during which Zuko heard faint shuffling and whispers. Then two people appeared at the top of the wall.
One was a man with gray hair and beard, dressed in similar attire to the soldiers who had brought them here, but more polished and refined. Clearly, this is what designated him as a palace guard.
The person with him was much smaller and slighter. Zuko couldn't see either of their faces very well due to the distance, but while the man held his helmet under his arm, the other figure was fully helmeted and stood farther from the edge, so Zuko couldn't make out their features at all.
It seemed that the man was subordinate to this other figure, however, because Zuko saw him glance at them and wait for a nod before proceeding.
"We would be happy to welcome you to the palace, Avatar and friends. Please enter."
He waved his hand and the ice gates slid open just enough for them to walk through single-file.
After sharing a nervous glance, they entered. The man met them just inside, waving his hands to close the doors, and then bowed deeply. The smaller person who had been with him on the wall was nowhere to be seen.
"Hello, travelers," he said as he rose, giving a magnanimous smile. "I am Sorru, and I am so excited to welcome the Avatar to visit. Before I bring you to see the chief, may I ask your names?"
They gave them, if a bit reluctantly, and Sorru's smile widened even more.
"Wonderful! Follow me, the chief has been anxiously awaiting you."
As they walked, Zuko couldn't help but notice the stark contrast, yet again. While the streets of the city had been bustling with life, the palace was beautiful, but seemingly abandoned. Zuko saw no guards, no servants, no noblemen or counselors or courtiers. No one but their small group, whose footsteps echoed ominously as they entered the palace proper.
A few minutes later, they entered a courtyard-like area surrounded by sparkling ice pillars. At one end of it sat three thrones on a raised dais.
Only one of them was occupied, however. And the person who was in it made Zuko freeze in his tracks.
"Zuko, what's wrong?" Aang asked, but Zuko could only stare.
There, on the throne, was someone Zuko hadn't seen in more than three years, since he was shoved onto a ship and sent out to search for the Avatar.
Even though it had been years, even though she was dressed in the blues and whites of the Water Tribe, he recognized her immediately. She looked older, of course. Her hair was longer, though she wore it up in the traditional topknot. She was at least half a foot taller than he remembered, and her face had lost most of the softness of childhood. But that softness had never suited her anyway.
The person on the throne was, of course, Azula. His sister.
Without thinking, Zuko reached for the dual blades he had sheathed at his side. But then Azula spoke.
"Now, Zuzu, is that the way you greet a family member? Have you forgotten your manners so quickly? I thought you would be happy to see me after so long."
Zuko's hand froze on the hilt of the swords. He felt, rather than saw, his friends all turn to stare at him.
"What are you doing here, Azula?" he demanded, taking several steps toward her.
"You didn't think your little charade with Uncle would actually work, did you?" Azula asked. She was reclining on the throne, looking carefree as could be, but Zuko knew her better than that. Her eyes flicked over him and all of his friends, sizing up each of them, looking for weaknesses to exploit.
When he didn't answer, she continued with a grin. "Don't get me wrong, it worked for a bit. Uncle came home after three long years, grief-stricken and teary-eyed. There had been an accident, he claimed, that caused your ship to explode. After recovering from his own injuries, he'd searched for you, but hadn't been able to find even a single finger to bring home and bury.
"Father was suspicious, of course, and had the royal scribes vet his story. At first it seemed to check out. Your ship had exploded, seemingly for no reason, while docked at a port near the southern tip of the Earth Kingdom. Curiously, however, the crew had all survived—in fact, none of them had been on the ship at all. They claimed that Uncle had given them all leave to spend the night in town that day."
Azula tapped her chin and stood up from her chair to begin stepping slowly toward Zuko and the others. "At first I thought Uncle had killed you himself, but that made no sense. Nothing seemed to be adding up, so I took it upon myself to dig a little deeper—and do you know what I found when I searched Uncle's room? Letters. Cleverly hidden, to be sure, but not clever enough to elude me. I don't suppose I need to tell you what those letters said, do I, Avatar?" Her gaze finally met his, and in it was the same cold, mocking expression she'd always given him.
"I found out the rumors about the Avatar's identity were wrong, and I found out where you were headed to find your next teacher. So I got Father's permission to take a little trip up to the North Pole. I've been waiting for you here for a few weeks now, occasionally feeding you letters from 'Uncle' so you wouldn't think something was wrong. I think it's time that you came home, don't you?"
Zuko couldn't breathe. His mind was reeling. All of his worst nightmares were coming true. Azula knew the truth. His father knew the truth.
But strangely, hilariously, the thought he kept coming back to was Uncle Iroh. He had risked everything going back there. What if…?
"What did you do to Uncle?" he asked, his voice croaking.
Azula laughed in her mirthless way. "Don't worry, he's not dead. Father could have had him killed, of course, for his horrible treachery in keeping your secret, but he decided to show mercy, since he is family, after all. And family is the most precious bond there is, isn't that right, Zuko?"
"Uh, Zuko, what's going on?" Aang's voice jolted Zuko back into his body, and he remembered that he and Azula were not alone.
He half-turned toward his friends, unwilling to take his eyes off his sister. They all looked varying amounts of confused and horrified.
"Oh, Zuzu, you really have forgotten yourself, haven't you? You didn't even introduce me to your friends." Azula stepped around to stand next to Zuko. Then she gave him an expectant look.
Zuko was still a little dazed, but he heard himself say, "This is Azula. She's my sister."
