TLF - The Last Firebender

by Carrotine Clara

When all hope is lost, Aang is ripped from a dystopian world, only to find himself in a sick, distorted reality, forced to fight his friends alongside his foe. But can he really trust them? Trust people that destroyed his life? Trust those that don't even exist in his world? Against his own instincts, he may need to put his trust in one person above all: Azula, the last firebender.

34. Episode 14: The Dying Swamp

Fire. Earth. Water. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Water Tribes attacked...

Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished.

A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. And although his bending skills are great, he is haunted by the memories of his world...

But I believe Aang can save this one.

---

Avatar: The Last Firebender

Based on Distorted Reality by Ogro

Written by Carrotine Clara

---

Book 2: Earth

Episode 14

The Dying Swamp

---

Act I. – The worst is over

---

Whenever Zuko was faced with a terrible period in his life he could hear the sound of the tsungi horn in his head. His uncle didn't exclusively play it on bad occasions, he did however play it during his mother's funeral. That kind of stuff sticks with you.

The hilly landscape the Earth Kingdom army set camp upon offered many little ledges to sit on, allowing certain people, like Zuko, to stare into the distance with a heavy heart. A thick fog had covered everything, and, in spite of much of the nice weather they had had, today no sun is visible, the celestial ruler hiding behind a grey cover of clouds, which engulfs the entirety of the zenith. A massive field of trees is very close to them. It used to be the Great Swamp. What it is now... the boy can't say. All he knows is that trees aren't supposed to be purple, especially not this many.

TY LEE (soft): Hey.

He immediately closes his book as he hears her voice. He tries not to be overbearing, but he obviously can't stop himself from showing nothing but sympathy for her.

The new eye patch doesn't match her outfit exactly, though at least it's a kind of beige. Close enough. She hasn't quite gotten used to it yet, hesitating as she intends to sit down, forcing herself to get back up again to sit on Zuko's right instead of his left. Ty Lee leans her head on his shoulder, accepting Zuko's offer to hold hands.

TY LEE (quietly): What are you reading?

ZUKO: Oh, just some stuff about the swamp. Can't make heads or tails of it. All I can really gather is that it went... bad. There's some stuff about spirits there but...

Ty Lee strokes his hand with her thumb. They both look at the location in the distance, an ominous shiver tingling down their spines.

TY LEE: Maybe we should ask Aang. He probably went there in his world.

ZUKO: Yeah, I mean, it's The Swamp. We only went to a swamp once.

Ty Lee giggles very quietly.

TY LEE: Shame we never went to the Mystic Gardens there.

He smiles down at the girl. Her expression remains rather bleak.

ZUKO: I'll take you there when this is all over. Okay?

A hint of a smirk. She nods, Zuko following it up via kissing her forehead. They both go quiet as they spot something else - Jet. Out of everyone, he had consistently looked the worse since Gaoling. Aang told them what went down with Domo. Zuko can't imagine what must be going through the boy's head after what he did. For now, he wanders off and the two lovers try to enjoy a moment of peace.

TY LEE: What if it's haunted?

Zuko frowns in surprise.

ZUKO: The swamp?

TY LEE: Yeah. What if... a bunch of spirits came to it one day and made it this way. Maybe they were trying to protect it from the Water Tribe by scaring away humans.

Zuko ponders if this might be true. He seems a bit uneasy, though he has made a great amount of progress when it comes to his phobia of all things supernatural.

ZUKO: I think all of us have seen enough scary things for a lifetime.

She lies down, head on his thigh. Her aura radar, which she... is slowly starting to get used to again, is picking up all kinds of stuff from that wretched swamp. It's unfocused though, much like seeing the world through one eye only. The one thing Ty Lee can focus clearly on, the one aura she can feel intensely, is the boy right next to her and his love.

---

Gloves. Not a huge fan of that idea, but oh well. Kenora sighs. She admires her hand, the burn mostly treated by Kanna. Mostly. She can move it normally, but it's also wrinkly and... doesn't quite match the rest of her skin color. Maybe it was a bad idea. It... was a bad idea, since the message Kenora burned was never about her father. And it made Azula grow even more distrustful of her. But hey, at least she could talk to her. She... listened. At least... Kenora thinks so.

AKARI: Hey, you done yet?

No worse punishment could've been inflicted on her than to be sent to a random bunker for a few days to keep an eye on the Earth Kingdom army. Katara had justified it multiple ways - that it's not a combat mission, that she's actually looking out for Akari, who is not quite healed yet herself. Which is a lie, Akari is perfectly fine, minus her gashes and some bandages. Kenora didn't resist. She didn't feel like talking back and just accepted her fate.

KENORA: Hold on.

She finally puts the black glove on her right, walking over to the static telescope pointed towards a swamp and just close enough to see a few tiny tents in the distance. Akari takes a breather from looking, leaning against the wooden wall of this cold, low building hidden under foliage. Once again Akari is wearing the Princess Squad uniform while Kenora wears generic blue shirts and pants. Her famed pirate coat was finally ruined in that last encounter with Azula. A bigger loss than her hand, in her eyes.

AKARI: Are you just going to wear one glove? Not both?

Kenora looks away from the scope.

KENORA: Yeah. I only burned one hand.

AKARI: Yeah but... now it looks asymmetrical and... odd.

The waterbender thinks about a comeback but... doesn't. Akari is literally keeping her distance, though in this tiny one-room shack, it's rather difficult to do that.

AKARI: How'd you burn it?

KENORA: Hm?

AKARI: How did you burn your hand?

Kenora scoffs. Akari can feel an odd shift within the girl, like something loosening up.

KENORA: I ran into the firebender. Burned the intel so she wouldn't get it.

Her arms crossed and sat in a corner, Akari grimaces.

AKARI: What, you lost the fight?

Kenora frowns, responding with a kind of honest nonchalant energy that is very unlike what Akari knows from her.

KENORA: No? I didn't fight her.

It takes the athlete a moment to swallow the weirdness of this back-and-forth. At this point no one is looking through the telescope. Kenora sits down on an old stool.

AKARI: But you said you ran into her.

KENORA: I did.

AKARI: And... you didn't fight?

Kenora shakes her head.

AKARI: But you fight her all the time.

KENORA (defensive): No, I don't. I've had... peaceful moments with her.

She looks aside, a tiny bit of color giving it away, alongside Kenora's changing aura. At least that's what Akari thinks she can feel.

AKARI: And that's why you burned yourself?

KENORA: And my coat.

Akari scratches her head. That's probably about as much as she likes to talk about it. Kenora, in complete contrast, feels weirdly inclined to have a conversation.

KENORA: What did you do in Gaoling?

A very loaded question asked with very little tactfulness. Akari clearly doesn't like hearing it.

AKARI: I fought Ty Lee. Suki cut her eye out, then got knocked into a coma or something.

Kenora frowns in horror.

KENORA: Oh. I'm... so sorry, I shouldn't've asked so casually. Are you okay?

That's a series of words the airbender never expected Kenora to say in a million years.

AKARI: Yeah. I'm fine.

She gets up.

AKARI: I'm gonna go for a walk.

Kenora briefly looked through the telescope again before redirecting her attention.

KENORA: Where to?

The athlete shrugs.

AKARI: Nowhere. Just... clearing my head.

She does not like how friendly Kenora appears with her nod.

KENORA: Okidoki.

Akari shakes her head before heading to the door. She pauses right before it.

AKARI: You know... I felt something was different about you when you came back from Goldmouth.

Kenora tries giving off a neutral smirk.

AKARI: I thought maybe you changed. But then you chocked Katara in front of everyone.

She could respond with "because she lied to me" or such. Instead, she shrugs while tilting her head to the side.

KENORA: You're right. I should've punched her.

Not the answer that Akari wanted to hear, clearly. Kenora doesn't care though. If she's lucky, she won't have to see her or the others for much longer. Obviously her plans would be delayed if the athlete told Katara about this conversation.

---

They're all fools...

Incompetent - ALL OF THEM!

You should be in charge, Azula...

AANG: Azula?

Her inner monologue with the Blue Dragon gets interrupted by a very polite Aang, drawing the entire room's (or tent's) attention towards them.

How DARE he speak to you in that PATRONIZING tone?

AZULA (cold): I'm fine.

The boy looks away again. Bumi and Vaas stare at the thing in awe, the latter annoyed that two teenagers are interrupting their military strategizing.

BUMI (to Vaas): Please, continue.

It takes a moment for the leader of the Liberation Forces to get back on track. He seems rather dissatisfied about the attendance of children.

What a hypocrite. That Haru is nothing but a boy too.

Azula shushes the serpent in her head. His input on situations had... increased recently, greatly affecting the girl's mood.

VAAS: Roigh'. As oi was sayin', the worst is over now with Gaoling been captured by us. We'll have a joint presence there as no' to go against the terms of our agreement.

Bumi nods with a hint of skepticism.

Bumi is a fool to trust this man. Clearly he will stab him in the back at the first sign of weakness.

AZULA (in her head): Shut up. I'm trying to listen.

Aang eyes her with concern.

VAAS: With the ci'y now under our control, we'll be marchin' straight north, around the swamp and towards Omashu.

He points the path on a spread-out map.

BUMI: There's a military outpost near the coast that we intend to capture first. From there it's only a short path there.

AANG: We'll finally be able to slide down the post system again, Bumi.

BUMI: Ah-ha-ha - SNORT! You are correct. Unless the Water Tribe destroyed the slides.

VAAS: Sounds like ano'er cakewalk if you're asking me.

IDIOT! Shut him off!

AZULA (harsh): To assume that a massive stronghold like Omashu can easily be captured without some kind of siege is ridiculously naive. Maybe if you treated this war a bit more seriously my friends wouldn't have gotten hurt.

To her dislike, Vaas approaches her very slowly, towering over the girl as everyone else keeps watching from a distance.

VAAS (cold): You have no blo'y idea how serious I'm taykin' this war. You be'er show some respect.

You're the one who should demand his respect - GO!

Azula thinks about talking back but... doesn't, allowing Vaas to return to the table.

Weakling.

BUMI: We should all calm down a bit. I know you kids were... hit hard in Gaoling. We should've looked out for you more.

Aang thinks back to the haunting image of a bleeding Major Domo dying in an agonizing fashion.

VAAS: Oi'm surprised even my Vultu'es are going through somethin'. I 'aven't seen Jet loike this, ever.

Jet is a weakling as well. But at least he took out his target when he had the chance...

VAAS: Oi'll be headin' north of Si Wong la'er today. Haru has the command in moi place now.

He pats the boy on the shoulder, the earthbender seeming quite shocked by the news.

He's a weakling too.

AZULA (in her head): He's not.

BUMI: Will you be joining us in Omashu, then?

VAAS: We'll see. Oim hopin' to ga'er some more Liberation Fo'ces cells spread throughout the north to ge' 'em to help us with the siege.

Oh, big words coming from the weakling in charge. Remind me again what happened when you saw Kenora? That's right - nothing! You just stood there like some pathetic schoolgirl with your rose-colored googly eyes...

As Vaas and Bumi shake hands and smile, Azula storms out of the tent into the fog.

VAAS: That's one fiery doll, innit?

---

You think you can run away from this conversation? Run away from me?

AZULA (quietly): Leave me alone. You embarrassed me enough in there.

You're the one who is embarrassing herself by your inaction! It is what has been truly holding you back, child...

Azula stops, making a t-sign with her hands, the agreed signal to pause their discussions.

AZULA (quietly): Time-out. I need a moment to think.

You think too much...

AANG: Azula!

She freezes up before putting on a more hardened facade again.

AZULA: Yeah?

His voice reeks of clear concern, a fact that Aang is well aware of.

AANG: What happened in there? Why did you snap at Vaas like that?

She crosses her arms, finally turning around. Though the serpent is silent, she can still feel his energy giving her strength.

AZULA: I won't apologize. Ty Lee lost her eye because of him.

AANG: I mean... sort of. Not really.

AZULA: Oh, you're on his side now?

It's been long but... for the first time since... he can't remember, Azula's demeanor reminds Aang of the Fire Lord again - truly reminds him of her.

AANG: What's going on with you? You're acting totally hurt and defensive.

AZULA: Yeah, well, maybe I'm still angry at you for the Golden Ball.

Clouded by the serpent's influence, she can't really tell whether this holds true or not. Aang reacts with a mix of shock and anger, giving him hard whiplash back to their early days of poor communication.

AANG: I thought you said that it's fine, and that you don't want to talk about it.

AZULA: Maybe I'm not fine. Maybe I didn't want to have yet another fight with you. Those always end in your favor.

Finally... some of that fiery spirit I've been waiting for...

Aang frowns, the image he has of her between the luminous bugs fading slightly.

AANG: Something must've happened in Gaoling.

Her coldness melts ever so slightly.

AANG: I'm not gonna make you talk about it, but... stop letting it out on me.

She snorts.

Don't let him get away with that.

AZULA: You know, why don't you just-

SMELLERBEE: HELP! WE NEED HELP!

A pin is put in that convo as the screams for help draw their attention.

---

Bandit lies quietly in her bed as she hears it.

SMELLERBEE (from outside): HELP! WE NEED HELP!

Recognizing Smellerbee's voice, she jolts up in a flash, running outside and after the cries. A small crowd has gathered at the edge of camp, the smaller girl needing to push herself through the larger soldiers before stumbling into Smellerbee and Longshot.

SMELLERBEE: Please! Jet needs help!

Bandit halts, her heart beating out of her chest almost as much as when she saw a dying Domo.

Jet is twitching around uncontrollably, his muscle spasms almost causing him to slap someone. Without thinking about it too much, she rushes over to Smellerbee, the former girl losing some tears in distress. Azula and Aang stumble into the crowd next, then Sokka, then Zuko and Ty Lee.

ZUKO: What happened?

The boy falls to his knees as well, his sister finding the whole show more than laughable.

SMELLERBEE (teary): I don't know! He just-

LONGSHOT: He went for a walk near the swamp. Something attacked him.

Bandit's features loosen at the jarring sound of Longshot's voice, which she has never heard before.

AZULA: "Something"? What's that supposed to mean?

Her harsh tone goes unnoticed as Zuko starts inspecting Jet's arm, more specifically his lymphatic system. Smellerbee tries getting it together.

SMELLERBEE: I couldn't see. It was like a... cloud. Or a shadow.

Azula scoffs quietly, Aang glaring at her. Zuko finally has the bright idea to touch Jet's eyelids and force them to open.

A dark, purple color radiates from where his eyes are supposed to be. Zuko shudders slightly, turning around to the crowd of friends, Vultures, and soldiers.

ZUKO: I think... I think Jet has been infected by a spirit.

A collective flurry tiptoes down from everyone's shoulder to the lowest point of their stomach. Aang looks to his friends, a headshake being enough to communicate that he hasn't encountered anything like this. Azula is the only one who averts her eyes. She is not the only one with an odd reaction, though.

SOKKA: I really hate to say this but there's only one thing to do...

His finger comically shoots upwards while holding a container of frankincense.

SOKKA (comical): WE NEED TO PERFORM AN EXORCISM!

The second he finishes his sentence a stone pillar rises from the ground and knocks the boy out clean. Bandit glares as she bends the stone back into the grass.

ZUKO: Or... we'll ask Bumi.

---

The crusty fingers of the old man wander across the teenage boy's body, the intense twitching having gone away somewhat. He wiggles his hands as a small film of sand is dragged alongside his movements.

BUMI: Hmm...

BANDIT: What is it?

Her voice trembles with fear.

What a waste of time. Let the boy get over it. Maybe he'll just perish. Either way, not our concern...

Azula pinches her arm way too hard in order to shut the voice up at least a bit.

BUMI: Well...

He wipes the sand away. Smellerbee lifts his head, allowing Bandit to place a pillow under it. The rest of the Vultures, including Teo, The Duke, and Sneers, have in the meantime caught up, the Dream Team and them waiting patiently in Bumi's dimly lit tent.

BUMI: The good news is, he only has... something akin to a cold.

BANDIT: The bad news?

His eyebrows get pulled down on the sides.

BUMI: I'm afraid Zuko is correct. It is a spirit that is causing this. I have no idea how to treat it.

TY LEE: How long is it gonna last?

The old man sighs.

BUMI: I can't tell. All I know is that, if it stays too long, it may be fatal for Jet.

As if the scenario wasn't bad enough already, the gang looks at the boy lying on a bench a second time, with even worse reactions.

Too bad. How does this affect us though?

Deciding to appease the voice a little, Azula speaks up again, a little less cold this time.

AZULA: And what are we going to do about it? I mean, can we even do something?

BANDIT: Of course we can! We have to try!

What a brat. Punish her for talking back like this.

AZULA (in her head): No, she's right.

Hrngh! You're unbearably IRRITATING!

Her pinch becomes a little stronger.

While this goes down, Zuko has started visibly pondering, his chin resting on his thumb and index finger.

AANG: Zuko? Do you have any idea?

The boy sighs, telling the truth that he so doesn't like.

ZUKO: I think I do. I think... we need to go into the swamp.

They all shudder at the thought.

What a stupid idea...

AZULA: Is that a good idea? Won't we all get infected?

ZUKO: Maybe. But the spirit came from there. The answer has to be there too.

In that moment, he remembers that about half the people present in this tent are not in on the Other World Thing.

ZUKO: Um... can... Team Avatar follow me outside for a second?

Four out of five people nod and walk outside. Zuko still waits for...

BANDIT: I'll stay here with Jet and the Vultures. You guys go and try to find something.

He nods with an optimistic smile, though her face continues to express uneasiness.

---

Outside the tent...

AZULA: Alright, what is it, Zu-Zu?

He frowns real quick at the mention of his hated nickname. Why Azula has to bring it up now is something to consider another time.

ZUKO: Alright, Aang - swamp in your world - go!

AANG: Wasn't infected. We crashed. Had visions. Found Swamp Benders. I touched the giant tree in the middle. Found Appa. The others ate bugs.

SOKKA: Concise.

ZUKO: So... if we were to go into the swamp and you were, say, to touch the giant tree in the middle again...

AANG: I... could do some Avatar stuff to maybe help. You know, me being the bridge and all.

They all seem to be on board. All except...

AZULA: Am I the only one who is going to mention just how insane this is? We're doing this on a whim, we'll be just as vulnerable as Jet. And all just because Zu-Zu thinks-

Maybe it's his fear of the incoming spirit adventure, but hearing it twice makes him snap.

ZUKO (angry): Stop wasting our time, Azula! If you want to stay here and let Jet die, go ahead! If you actually want to help us, please just stop with whatever this is. And STOP calling me Zu-Zu!

She shivers with rage for a moment.

He needs to pay for this. Give him a taste of that scar the other Zuko has...

The suggestion too vile, she walks away from the conversation, though not the mission.

AZULA (angry): Fine. I'll go along for your amusement.

Sabachi, who had been quietly sitting on her shoulder until now, hovers over to Ty Lee's, her purr sounding scared.

---

Bored to death by the assignment, Kenora starts fiddling around with the telescope, rotating it on the spot back and forth until it smacks against the wooden window walls. Every time she does this, the rusty object creates a mildly interesting squeaking sound.

Left - squeak!

Right - squak!

Left - squeak!

Right - squak!

Left - squeak!

Right but slowly - squaaaaak!

Back and forth real fast - squeak-squak-squeak-squak-squeak-squak-

AKARI (angry): Can you stop that, please?

Kenora flinches on her stool.

KENORA: Sorry...

She actually takes another peak through it.

AKARI: Anything?

The waterbender snorts like a steed.

KENORA: Let's see... trees... more trees... some fog...

Akari grunts in frustration.

AKARI: I hate it here! Why on Earth would Katara even send us here in the first place?!

KENORA (looking through the telescope): Beats me. But I totally agree. This mission is a total waste of...

Her words fizzle out as she spots a certain bison and, thanks to the advanced technology of glass lenses, she can even identify a certain passenger sitting among the other four. She turns around and folds her hands in a praying motion, looking towards a baffled Akari.

KENORA: On second thought - you're gonna stay here and keep watching while I'll head into the swamp because I just saw the Avatar's bison - no backsies!

The girl jolts up, rushing towards the door.

AKARI: You're not gonna go into the swamp, neither of us is. It's too dangerous.

Expecting harsh pushback, Kenora instead reacts like a small child who really, really wants you to buy that Lego for them.

KENORA: Come on, Akari! It's the Avatar - it's like our whole thing! Let's go!

The overly joyous girl rushes outside...

AKARI: You don't want to catch the Avatar. You wanna see the firebender.

...before coming to a screeching halt. Akari has her arms crossed and looks outside the hut.

AKARI: I saw your face - you're terrible at hiding your emotions. And you're a bad liar.

KENORA (unconvincing): Uh... no?

The airbender turns back inside the building. She can only barely stand upright in there.

AKARI: We're gonna stay here and wait till the Avatar leaves the swamp again. Now, I don't know what... that is all about but I won't let you-

As soon as she turns around, Kenora is already gone. She rushes outside, seeing the waterbender down the hill and heading to the purple trees already.

AKARI: Shit. KENORA!

KENORA (in the distance): You'll never catch me!

Akari has an actual comedic reaction, shocked at just how absurdly audacious Kenora has become. She runs back inside to grab her staff, pausing just for a second as a wound around her ribs acts up again.

AKARI: Dammit Kenora - whatever happened with you and her must be one darn good story.

With that, the athlete chases after her and towards the thicket.

---

What a joke. What a big JOKE! Why did you go along with these fools?!

AZULA (in her head): Shut up. I had to. Would've looked weird if I didn't. Plus...

Oh, don't tell me you have sympathy for that dork just because he kissed you once.

AZULA (in her head): Don't reduce me to that. He's a valuable ally. And... you know. Can't let someone die like that.

Oh... I see. Of course that pathetic jumble of nonsense came out of YOUR mouth. You spent to much time with your uncle.

AZULA (in her head): Shut up...

And it suits you perfectly to defend someone just because you pressed your lips against them. Tell me, was he a better kisser than Kenora?

AZULA: I said shut up!

The entire saddle crew turns towards her, including Aang for a second, before he looks straight ahead, as he is steering Appa.

SOKKA: What was that?

ZUKO: Who are talking to, Azula?

Red flushes to her face, the girl crossing her arms in an almost convulsive fashion.

AZULA: No one. Maybe you in the future.

Ty Lee offers her a worried expression, which finally calms the firebender down. Aang meanwhile silently ponders in the front just what exactly is going on with Azula. This is when Sokka's eyes grow to comical size.

SOKKA: Uh... Aang?

AANG: Yes?

SOKKA: How... exactly did you guys crash in the other world?

The memory buried slightly, the image of the strange twister pulling them down reappears. He never did find out where that came from, perhaps that's why he forgot about it. Although, now with Sokka asking...

AANG: Please don't tell me there's a giant tornado chasing us.

SOKKA: There's... a giant tornado chasing us.

They all look back at... the giant tornado that has started chasing them, from where, no one can tell.

AZULA: Uh... it's coming closer.

The whirlwind scratches through the woodwork below like a harrow scraping soil.

ZUKO: Ty Lee? Can you try bending it away?

Aang is briefly annoyed that he didn't come up with that back home.

TY LEE: I'll try!

She takes on a bending stance, focusing on the spinning winds as she...

The image blurs in her head, becoming unfocused, then sharp, then unfocused again. The airbender tries concentrating very hard, yet... with one eye...

She creates a counter tornado spinning in the opposite direction, though it misses their pursuer by a lot. The acrobat looks distraught at this.

ZUKO: It's okay, you tried.

They smile at each other.

SOKKA: I like the optimism folks but IT'S GETTING TO US!

The thing catching up to them, Aang does the same thing he did last time, jumping in the back and creating an air shield to keep them relatively safe. Although, he suspects that it is perhaps futile, and that the tornado will surround them just as long as it needs to until-

His shield break, as he forced to protect even more people than last time. The twister flings around the bison. Various members of the gang fall off at various moments, giving Aang a very nauseating flashback to the wobbly bridges, a prior adventure where, despite his best efforts, it still fruited the same outcome for him.

He dreads as he falls down, thinking of the possibility of this trend continuing until the invasion of the South Pole.

---

Act II. - Fungi and fallacies

---

Akari enters the swamp and feels like she's transported onto a different planet. Wherever the ground isn't submerged in muddy water it's squishy from dead organic material, what exactly the athlete can't tell. A purple shimmer shines everywhere, with light blue fungi growing from the ground in various shapes and forms, from phallic to candy cane to spiky ball at the end. Trees look nothing like trees she's ever seen, all of them covered in weird bumps, a violet fuzz, almost like the fur of animal, or they're straight up scaly and alien. She quickly starts to regret her decision to race after the waterbender, not having found a trace of her.

AKARI: Kenora! Ke-NORA!

The last syllable echoes through these woods. Akari nervously points her staff at everything, every inch of the swamp appearing like it's alive and moving.

AKARI: Calm down, Akari. It's all just... nature. No need to be paranoid.

She steps on a log, removing her foot in a hectic motion as it begins to move, revealing itself not to be a log but rather an 8-foot-long woodlouse centipede, crawling away in distress after getting stomped on. Akari's heart races way too fast to be healthy.

AKARI (quietly): Good grief...

Rustling behind her. She turns, staff pointed directly between two trees, the girl waiting with horrid anticipation for what foul creature might emerge from this place.

The creature in question turns out to be a very dizzy Zuko.

ZUKO: Ty Lee? Aang-

He freezes on the spot upon seeing the athlete. A short period passes where neither is sure what to do. His hand reaches for the hilt of his sword.

...

His hand ends up going back down again.

ZUKO: Let's... not. I'm pretty sure we're both lost in here. At least you look like it.

Her weapon is lowered as well, though her skeptic frown persists.

AKARI: I have no reason to trust you.

Zuko answers very politely, despite the contents of his words.

ZUKO: Oh, no-no - I'm not trying to make friends with you. I don't trust you one bit. But... look around.

She does, her hair standing up at the buzzing sounds and other animal noises. The girl crosses her arms accordingly.

AKARI: Fine. Truce. I'm glad we're on the same page, though.

To her surprise, Zuko gives her an odd smile.

AKARI: Why are you here?

ZUKO: Why are you here?

AKARI: You first.

Zuko sighs, deciding he probably has nothing to lose by being honest here.

ZUKO: Our friend got sick. Some spirit infected him.

She shudders at the thought.

AKARI: Spirit?

ZUKO: Yes. I'm trying to get to the big tree in the middle of this place to get some answers. Well, we all are, but I got separated from the others.

A calculated nod from the athlete.

AKARI: Right. So if I were to go with you...

ZUKO: We might give you a lift and drop you off at the edge of the swamp.

She remains suspicious but... due to his aura appearing... pretty honest, Akari decides to go with it.

AKARI: Fine. You better have my back if any more giant bugs appear.

He scratches the back of his head nervously.

ZUKO: Sure...

The two start traversing the swamp, a weird up and down over dead logs and dodging giant fungus.

ZUKO: So... why are you here then?

Akari gives him a sigh that encompasses a lot of frustrations.

AKARI: Kenora ran in here. I ran after her and got lost.

He frowns at the revelation.

ZUKO: Kenora is here?

AKARI: Yeah, somewhere but...

Another sigh.

AKARI: Probably shouldn't tell you this but... I'm pretty sure she has the hots for your sister.

He briefly halts, half his boots submerged in gross swamp water.

ZUKO: Huh.

She halts too.

AKARI: What?

ZUKO: Well... I probably shouldn't be telling you this either but... I have a suspicion Azula might have something for Kenora.

Akari's jaw drops just slightly.

AKARI: Really?

ZUKO: Yeah. I... didn't think it would be this mutual.

Dumbfounded at first, Akari is quick to scoff the thought away.

AKARI: I might be lying. You don't know.

She starts walking ahead again. Zuko isn't convinced though.

ZUKO (mumbling): Guess we'll see...

---

Sokka groans as he gets up, a very noisy lemur making his headache worse with its chatter.

SOKKA: It's okay... you can leave now...

He waves her away, though Sabachi holds firm. He finally stands upright, looking around in distress as he finds himself in this hostile environment straight out of a different time. He looks to his left hand, a gross, giant bug-creature attached to it. He shakes it off hysterically, the thing flying across the swamp and against a tree, before crawling away into the woodwork.

SOKKA: EW! Gross!

Sabachi redirects his attention as she flies off to his right, landing on a very sad-looking airbender.

SOKKA: Ty Lee!

He rushes towards her, his immediate assumption that the girl was hurt in the crash. Yet, as he stumbles, churning up mud and dirt as he does, he finds her just sitting on a log, hugging her legs and staring into nothing.

SOKKA: What's going on? Are you hurt?

Pained and ashamed, she squeezes her eye, holding back her tears because of it.

TY LEE: I screwed up. It's my fault.

He decides to place himself down next to her, Sabachi still on her shoulder, trying to comfort the girl.

SOKKA: You didn't screw up. That tornado was probably gonna snatch up us regardless. I mean... it's how these Avatar things work, right?

TY LEE: I didn't even hit it, Sokka! My counter tornado went nowhere. How am I supposed to help you guys if I can't even-

On the verge of tears, she stops herself.

SOKKA: Don't do this to yourself. In the Tribe, many warriors lost an eye. And yeah sure, it was hard first, but... eventually, they became just as skilled as before - in some cases even better!

He pats her back.

SOKKA: Right now your brain is still... confused. It needs to relearn how to see everything with just one eye, which is gonna be a problem for your depth perception. But after that, you're gonna be just as fearsome an airbender as before! Trust me.

An optimistic smile and the girl feels that inkling of hope inside her, like a small heartbeat.

TY LEE: It's gonna take so long though.

SOKKA: And we will be there for you the whole way through. Trust me, none of us are gonna push you, or demand that you'll get better right away.

She thanks him with a hug that is very much Ty Lee.

SOKKA: Don't be scared. There's not going to be anyone standing in your way.

A sudden jolt and the lemur escapes Ty Lee, only to fly across the little swamp puddle and onto another person's shoulder.

KENORA: Oh hey, Sabachi.

In an instant, the prince and the airbender get up, their guard immediately raised as they spot the waterbender. Kenora is, in total contrast, very much frozen on the spot.

KENORA: Oh. Uh... I'm just...

She gestures her fingers in a circle and then the other direction, Sabachi flying away again.

KENORA: ...gonna go somewhere else. You guys have a good time.

Intending to leave, an air current pulls her towards the two and plunges her into the muddy water. Sokka draws his sword and Ty Lee prepares to attack with her bare hands, her staff still at camp.

To their confusion, Kenora only comically spits out sump, her hands wiping the grime off her face, one of them appearing to be hidden beneath a black glove.

KENORA: Gross. I got some in my mouth...

This is the first weird aura impulse Ty Lee perceives. Sokka holds his sword a couple of inches away from her, as if expecting a counter any minute. In spite of this assumption, she remains seated.

SOKKA: What are you doing in this swamp?

KENORA: What are you doing in this swamp?

SOKKA: I'm the one asking questions!

She rolls her eyes at the very circular conversation.

KENORA: Going for a walk? I don't know, what am I supposed to say?

Ty Lee eyes the girl with an odd expression, as if seeing an alien object for the very first time.

SOKKA: Oh... I know what you're doing. You're pretending to be all nice and casual so we let our guard down. You're planning to trick us - just like you did Azula!

The second, strange shift in Kenora's aura occurs. She stares at him with something akin to disbelief.

KENORA: Wha... tricked her?

SOKKA: Yeah! She told us what happened in Goldmouth - the whole thing!

Her eyes shiver with fear, rapidly moving back and forth between random spots.

KENORA: So... she told you? And... she said I tricked her?

The airbender frowns as... Kenora is the one on the verge of tears now.

SOKKA: That's right. You tricked her, then attacked her, then cut her hair off which, even for you, is pretty mean.

Kenora's unsettling dread morphs into insult.

KENORA: Wait a minute - "attacked" her? She told you I attacked her?

SOKKA: Don't try to talk yourself out of this one, captain. There's no way we're gonna let you off the hook now!

KENORA (defensive): But I didn't attack her! That's not what happened!

SOKKA: Oh yeah, then what did happen?

As he crosses his arms Kenora looks down at the swamp with a mortified expression. This is the third aura spike. Ty Lee has all the pieces together now.

SOKKA: No snappy answer? That's what I thou-

TY LEE: Sokka...

She holds up her hand, signaling politely for him to shut up for a second. Kenora looks with disbelief at the airbender girl weirdly glaring as she walks closer. She also tries her best not to stare at the eyepatch.

KENORA: What is she-

Ty Lee makes the same gesture towards her, this time in a more aggressive manner. The acrobat is finall close enough, kneeling down as she focuses all of her attention on how the confused waterbender is going to react.

TY LEE: What... happened... with you and Azula?

A citrus yellow takes on a sharp crimson tone, giving Ty Lee her answer. If that wasn't enough, the blush is probably also sufficient here.

The airbender gasps dramatically as she steps back again.

SOKKA: What?

She looks at Kenora with a horrified expression.

TY LEE: She's... in love with Azula!

Kenora's pupils dilate as her heart drops to her stomach. Sokka's reaction seems a lot more comical.

SOKKA: WHAT?!

He faints for a few seconds to convey a proper comedic tone. Kenora attempts some damage control.

KENORA: Well... no... I am... not. How would you even - oh right the aura thing. Yeah, no, I'm totally screwed...

TY LEE: How COULD YOU?!

KENORA: Okay - I can explain...

Before she can... explain, a strong but unfocused gust of air lifts her from her feet and flicks her against a furred tree pretty hard.

TY LEE (furious): You... arrogant... selfish... crude NARCISSIST! Do you seriously think you can just waltz into our lives after EVERYTHING you did and expect us to go along with this?! "Sure, go ahead and try to date my best friend after you hunted her down like an ANIMAL!" You are... the worst!

Kenora slowly tries getting back up on her feet, not finding the strength to do so, instead crossing her legs as she averts her eyes. Sokka and Sabachi observe all of this quietly.

KENORA (sad): No, you're... you're right. I don't know what I was thinking.

She wipes off her forehead, a few tears go with it, though mostly from the pain of getting smacked against a tree.

KENORA (sad): I... I don't deserve you guys to just go along. I don't deserve you to forgive me like that. Just... move along and leave me here. Please.

Surprisingly, Ty Lee seems unsure about doing exactly that. Sokka eyes the airbender with a concerned expression. She nods, giving him her blessing to go ahead.

SOKKA: Um... so... what did happen? If... you didn't attack her.

Kenora scoffs ever so slightly.

KENORA: Does it matter? You guys won't believe me either way...

Sokka, not trying to come across as too sympathetic, still crosses his arms as he moves closer.

SOKKA: We may not. But... I wanna hear this. I wanna know why you went out into the swamp, on your own, just because of Azula.

She taps the swamp water for a moment, shaking her head from side to side while pondering how to respond. The waterbender finally turns around.

KENORA: Can I do the short version?

SOKKA: Sure.

KENORA: Sh...e and I kissed.

This time around, Sokka's and Ty Lee's reactions are much more reserved and serious, though no less shocked to hear those words.

TY LEE: You... kissed?

KENORA: She followed me to the place where I worked as a waitress.

Now it's a comedic reaction.

KENORA: Right. Well... we spent the whole day together... we came closer and...

As if hearing the actual story wasn't confusing enough for Ty Lee, the way Kenora's aura pulsates so vibrantly and... with genuine care. The airbender has no idea what to make of it.

SOKKA: And?!

KENORA: She kissed me.

Ty Lee gets hooked on a detail.

TY LEE: She kissed you?

KENORA: Yes, ma'am.

SOKKA: And you let her?

KENORA (blushing): Yes, sir.

The two Team Avatar folks share a concerned look as Ty Lee nods him to the side. They walk away a few feet before stopping next to a tree satiated with weird toadstool.

SOKKA (quietly): Can we talk about this?

TY LEE (quietly): How does this change anything? She's still Kenora!

KENORA: Uh... I can still hear you guys!

A quick flick from Ty Lee's wrist and Kenora is covered in sludge again, forcing the girl to wipe it all off in the background.

SOKKA (quietly): Um... this changes... kind of everything?

Ty Lee sighs, her inner doubts bubbling up once again.

TY (quietly): But then... if she's telling the truth... why did Azula lie to us?

Sokka blows off some steam of his own.

SOKKA (quietly): Honestly? If I was in Azula's position... I wouldn't know how to admit to this either. I mean... It's Kenora.

SOKKA (to Kenora): No offense.

KENORA: None taken.

TY LEE (to Kenora): No. He meant it. Take offense to it.

KENORA: O... kay.

The airbender exhales loudly for a second time.

TY LEE (quietly): I need to hear the whole story first. It just... doesn't make sense to me. She has to be lying. But then why is her aura matching her story?

Sokka is befuddled to hear this, to say the least.

SOKKA (quietly): Wait, you read her aura? I thought you don't do that anymore?

TY LEE (quietly): I don't! It just... happens sometimes. And why does it matter? Her father can read auras too, maybe he taught her how to fake it.

KENORA: Huh. That would've been smart.

Sokka's body convulses, as the information received bounces off every surface beneath his skin.

SOKKA (not really quietly): "Why does it matter?" - this completely changes everything, Ty Lee! This turns everything we know upside down - about both of them! And you're telling me her aura matches her story? That means she's telling the truth!

KENORA: You guys are not very good at whispering.

With a glare, they turn to her.

TY LEE: Alright, here's the deal - you can come with us. You will tell us the whole story, not just the short version. If I believe you after that, we can talk about it. If not...

SOKKA: You're in trouble.

With a content pout, the waterbender nods.

KENORA: Sounds like I don't have much of a choice. Let's do it!

She gets up a little too jolly for their liking.

SOKKA: Woah-woah-woah - hold it right there! You're not gonna be walking around us freely.

KENORA: Oh... right. You guys wanna tie me up? Oh - we could fake a fight before it!

Kenora comically splashes water at his legs, like a little kid in a bathtub would.

KENORA (weird, high-pitched voice): Oh no! Kenora's attacking us!

She looks up only to find neither of them amused. Even the lemur looks unhappy.

KENORA: Right. Sorry.

Sokka unceremoniously walks behind the girl and ties her hands behind her back, Ty Lee walking ahead.

SOKKA: Why are you wearing a glove?

KENORA: Different Azula story. Man, she really doesn't talk a lot about me, huh?

SOKKA: Can you blame her?

No answer. As Ty Lee is out of ear shot, the boy leans in a little closer.

SOKKA (whispering): She kissed you?

KENORA (whispering): It was mutual!

SOKKA (whispering): Yeah, but, she instigated it?

Kenora blushes profusely.

KENORA (whispering): It was magic.

Sokka's eyes sparkle as he gasps for air.

SOKKA (whispering in ahigh-pitched voice): That is so cu-

He clears his throat and tries to appear as normal again.

SOKKA: Alright. Let's go.

Kenora can't help but smile at that. Hopefully this will have been worth it.

---

Aang wakes up with one half of his face submerged in filthy swamp water. He rotates 90 degrees to sit upright again, his sense of equilibrium taking a few seconds before going back to normal. The sensation of a tongue licking across his bald head is enough to get Aang fully conscious again.

AANG: Are you alright?

He lovingly pets his bison as it softly growls at him, snorting from his nose as it looks into the tree tops above.

AANG: I guess there's no point in trying to fly out of here when the vines are this thick.

AZULA: He tried it twice already. Had to cut him out both times.

He turns to the sharp voice, the firebender attached to it seated on a log with both sets of limbs crossed. He is momentarily frightened at her cold stare.

AANG: Are you alright too?

AZULA: I'm fine. Guessing this is another repetitive duplication of an adventure you had, huh?

He finds her intrusively cold tone irritating and annoying, getting up as he frowns in discomfort.

AANG: Do you remember when we went to the Western Air Temple and you didn't trust me one bit?

AZULA: Why?

His demeanor becomes more stern.

AANG: Because you're acting the exact same way recently. And I don't know why. I... I thought we two got along. That we're friends again.

What a fool. Thinking we would trust him after everything he did to us! After everything we did for him that went unnoticed...

The girl is briefly conflicted about listening to the serpent.

AZULA: I want to be friends. Maybe there's still some leftover stuff that we haven't worked out.

He nods. While their quest was supposed to be about helping Jet, he now places himself on a moldy rock near the spot of water. Appa grunts as he rests for a moment in a field of blue grass, a whole plethora of insects crawling away as he does so.

AANG: Alright. Let's do it.

Don't engage with his pathetic nonsense. Let him simmer in his own guilt...

She purposefully ignores the advice.

AZULA: When you first told me about the other world, was it convenience, or because you trusted me?

He sighs, having asked himself that question quite a few times already.

AANG: I'm not sure. I think... it was convenience at first but... I realized, as I told you, that you needed to hear it.

What a gross little worm! How can he-

AZULA: Explain.

The Blue Dragon growls at her for interrupting.

Aang sighs.

AANG: I think I... treated you a bit unfairly because you're... well, you're Azula. I was scared that telling you too much would give you an advantage over me. But after what we went through, and after... I attacked you, I... started seeing you in a different light.

The words truly touch her.

Yuck. I'm gonna throw up...

AZULA: Do you still think about it?

AANG: About what?

AZULA: About me being the other Azula.

As he figures out the answer, it unsettles him more than he likes to admit.

AANG: Sometimes. When you act like this. Cold, distant, calculating. It... scares me.

An open admission that seems to upset her.

Good. He needs to fear you.

AZULA: Okay. I'll take it for now. I'm also still mad for how you told me off at the Golden Ball. You accepted my dance, you didn't mind how I was gazing at you...

He rubs his face in shame as he hears all of that.

AANG: I know. I'm so sorry. I probably let you on a bunch of times before that, I should've been more careful...

He WHAT?!

AZULA: Wait - you knew?! How long did you know I had feelings for you?!

Aang deeply regrets phrasing it this poorly.

AANG: I... had a suspicion ever since Ba Sing Se.

IS HE SERIOUS?!

AZULA: Since BA SING SE?!

AANG: I'm sorry, okay? I didn't want to talk about it! You know that I-

AZULA: Right, because you "can't fall in love here"! Unless I'm Katara, right?

He frowns with shame and temper. She finally gets up in a dramatic way.

AZULA: Oh wait, but I am Katara, right? And Zuko is Sokka and Sokka is Zuko and Bandit is some blind girl and Kenora is me - do you know what your problem is, Aang? Your real problem?

Don't let him know your real feelings. Keep him in the dark until he-

AZULA (emotional): It's not what you went through, or that you have to go through all of this again - it's that you went into a world that is different from yours, and you immediately judge everything and everyone! It is so MESSED UP that you try to keep me down because of some other person I have never met who happens to share my name! You... demand from all of us that we fit this... image of how your friends are - well, guess what - WE'RE NOT THEM! I wasn't born as a cold-blooded princess, Zuko was never a banished prince - we're all PEOPLE, Aang! How can you expect us to be someone we're not?!

She crosses her arms as her rant subsides, having completely ignored the input of the Blue Spirit. Aang hangs his head down in disgrace as he lets her words sink in. He had been doing exactly all of what she accuses him of - countless small and big moments were he put his own desire of getting his life back above the well-being of... people. New friends of his. For the first time in a very long time, even after the stuff he went through here, he truly feels alone.

AANG: I... I don't even know what to say. You're right. About everything.

You have failed me...

She ignores the comment as the Blue Spirit disappears into a brief hiatus.

AZULA: What about Bandit, huh? The girl is clearly more happy with her Vultures, but we just... had to go in there and snatch her up because Toph - different person - is some kind of blind earthbending master - two things Bandit is not. And then you keep doing this thing where you put Kenora into a box of irredeemable evil, simply because it eases your conscience. No guilt in assuming some random girl who doesn't exist in your world is a monster who you can dispose of in an instant! I kind of wish this other Azula didn't exist but... maybe you would treat me worse if I was someone new to you.

He wonders why Kenora is brought up in this, but totally understands regardless. He has been dismissive of "new people" before, trying to keep his distance from Adythia or Shahar, simply because... he wouldn't see them ever again.

Azula finally sighs, her internal unrest feeling a lot lighter now. She only now realizes just how long she had been carrying all of this with her.

AZULA: Alright. What about Jet, huh? Any point in saving him or is he going to be a bad guy later?

AANG: No. He died in my world.

A shiver runs down her spine.

AZULA: Cool. Let's avoid that here then, shall we?

Her boots cross the muddy waters past by him, over to Appa who joins her march. As all of this dawns on the boy, he finds himself questioning his mission in this world, his purpose - a grand destiny imposed on him as he saw Roku vanish and found himself in the arms of the enemy. Maybe there was no bigger reason.

Maybe this is all... pointless.

---

A bright moon can almost puncture the cloudy sky below it. Not quite a full moon, but close. Jet has, in the meantime, been transported to the slightly bigger tent he shares with the other Vultures. Bandit had joined them as she watches over Jet. She puts a wet cloth on his forehead, a fever plaguing the boy, his pained expressions and sweat showcasing it more than enough. For some reason the other Vultures seem slightly... weirded out by her presence.

SMELLERBEE: Hey Bandit, it's getting pretty late. Don't you want to rest?

She shakes her head, a soft yawn standing in contrast to it.

BANDIT: No bedtimes, remember?

A bittersweet smile is shared by her former family. The collective liability of speaking up seems to have been put on Smellerbee.

SMELLERBEE: You still remember the rules, huh?

The earthbender frowns slightly.

BANDIT: Of course I do. I invented them.

Smellerbee shares a glance with the rest. Bandit picks up on it pretty quickly.

BANDIT: I told you already before Gaoling. I don't want to talk about it.

SMELLERBEE: We know you don't. But... that was when you were still hanging out with your Avatar friends. Now you've let them go into the swamp on their own. You stayed here with Jet and... and us. There's no way we're not gonna ask-

THE DUKE: Why did you leave us, Bandit?

Her muscles tense up as she leans over a resting Jet.

BANDIT: Because the other two rules are no lying, no killing. Jet is a liar and a killer.

The Vultures have a hard time swallowing that one.

SMELLERBEE: Jet has made mistakes, yes. But... you also left all of us, Bandit. Jet isn't your only family - we are!

The guilt trip is passed right back at Bandit, who is unable to answer.

PIPSQUEAK: Jet needed to impress the Liberation Forces before we would be allowed to join. He didn't want to announce anything until it was official.

Bandit scoffs.

SNEERS: He did admit afterwards that he went about it the wrong way.

BANDIT: Well, it's nice for Jet that he realized he was wrong after I left. Real good timing...

The Vultures share another round of looks.

PIPSQUEAK: Actually... that's kind of why.

Bandit looks at them, her frowned expression loosening up.

SMELLERBEE: We looked for you for two weeks, Bandit. After we abandoned our search, Jet told the entire hideout what happened. He apologized and... promised to be more open. Because of you.

The earthbender looks back down at the unconscious boy being talked about.

TEO: In all fairness Bandit, I'm older than you and he didn't tell me either.

Bandit pouts.

BANDIT: Yeah, right. But you're not a fighter like me.

SMELLERBEE: But you're more important to him. You're like a little sister to Jet - he wanted to protect you!

BANDIT: Big brothers don't force their little sister's to watch someone dying.

She jolts up, leaving the tent after stomping the ground in anger. Smellerbee looks for reassurance to the others. Longshot stares after the girl the longest.

---

As Zuko collects firewood for the night, Akari is nervously looking side to side, overwhelmed with the noisy darkness that festers her imagination.

AKARI: Do you have anything to actually ignite them?

He drops them on the dry, but squishy, spot of land they erected their night camp upon. He flicks his eyebrows with a hint of embarrassment, proceeding to ignite the stack of wood with a flame produced by his fist. His bending has improved greatly thanks to Azula, even if their last real lesson was a while ago now. Akari's eyes sparkle at the orange light.

AKARI: Woah. I always thought you're a non-bender.

He sits down on a log besides her as he scratches the back of his head. She meanwhile warms her hands against the fire.

ZUKO: I uh... I actually was. I got my bending recently and... I haven't been using it that long.

Akari looks befuddled.

AKARI: Wait, so... when we fought in Ba Sing Se...

ZUKO: I was... technically a bender then, yes. Though no one knew except Ty Lee.

Their conversation not really explaining the mechanics of that, the airbender decides to switch topics appropriately.

AKARI: Right. So... you and Ty Lee... did that work out?

She nudges him a little in the side, though she is clearly not very comfortable expression herself in a friendly manner yet.

ZUKO: Yeah, it did. It's been... pretty long now at this point. I'm very happy with her.

A blushed smile makes her happy on a deeper level she thought she had buried.

ZUKO: Why do you ask?

Akari scratches the back of her head too now.

AKARI: Well, back when I did this... spy mission, where I needed to befriend Ty Lee.

The way she phrases it makes her feel deeply miserable.

ZUKO: She told me about that.

AKARI: Yeah. I... actually started to like her, as a friend. I felt really bad afterwards...

Zuko can tell that there is clearly more beneath the surface of the athlete sitting besides him.

AKARI: Anyways, she told me about you. Told me that she really, really likes you and that she was too scared to tell ya. I'm glad you guys worked it out.

Zuko nods, the thought of Ty Lee filling him with more warmth than his firebending ever has.

ZUKO: It's... kind of odd to hear all of this from you. It sounded like you didn't want to work for the Water Tribe. But now you're...

He points to her Princess Squad uniform and she crosses her arms in shame.

AKARI: Right. Life is a bit more complicated than that, I guess...

He rests his head on his knees, pondering how to respond.

ZUKO: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

She reacts with an amused scoff.

AKARI: It doesn't work like that, Zuko. Not everyone has the privilege to choose to go wherever they want. Some of us are stuck in the lives they have.

He massages one side of his face, feeling guilty to have asked.

ZUKO: You're right. Without meeting Aang, I would probably never have left the island I was born on. Probably would still be stuck doing boring chores...

Akari reacts intrigued.

AKARI: Didn't know you came from such humble beginnings.

He smiles at the wording.

AKARI: Alright, if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

His lips form a pout as he scratches his chin.

ZUKO: I don't know. I'd like to go back for a while, actually. See how Uncle and the rest have been holding up. But... honestly? I like travelling. I got to see so many new places, so many new people. I think I'd go wherever the others go. Especially Ty Lee.

She nods.

AKARI: Life of a nomad, then?

He falls silent as he realizes.

ZUKO: You're right. Guess I am.

Feeling a bit too open after this, Akari picks up her staff again.

AKARI: You should go to sleep. I'll take the first shift.

ZUKO: Really? You scared something is going to attack us?

He lies down on the log, igniting the fire a little more.

AKARI: I'm not sure. Kind of a... gut feeling.

She stares into the black abyss in front of her, unsure if anything is moving or not.

AKARI: Who knows what's out there.

---

KENORA: So yeah. That's pretty much what happened.

Sitting around a much smaller campfire, Kenora nods obnoxiously. Neither Ty Lee nor Sokka know what to say.

SOKKA: Wow, I... I didn't expect to hear any of that. I thought that you were maybe kind of a stalker, but... this seems pretty mutual.

KENORA: Uh... thanks?

Ty Lee gets up and turns around. Kenora sighs.

KENORA: I don't know. Maybe I'm way in over my head. I mean, let's not ignore the fact that she ran away after the kiss. That's an important detail.

Sokka looks up at Ty Lee.

SOKKA: Everything alright?

It takes her a few seconds to swallow everything.

TY LEE: I'll have to think about it. You should go to sleep, Kenora.

The waterbender nods once more.

KENORA: Message received. I'll get some rest and let you two talk.

She lies down, exhaling loudly as Sokka and Ty Lee share a look of uncertainty.

---

As Kenora is finally asleep, Sabachi decides to curl up in a ball next to the girl. Sokka climbs up a gross tree, reaching an elevated branch and a sad-looking Ty Lee.

SOKKA: Pretty high up here.

He almost falls over as he sits down next to her, their boots dangling over the fireplace. The girl doesn't respond.

SOKKA: So uh... this whole story is kind of crazy, right?

TY LEE: It's not just a little crazy. It's... borderline unbelievable.

He sighs.

SOKKA: I gotta be honest with you here. I know Kenora a little bit more than you, and she was never really the lying type. She's more the directly-in-your-face-type. And... everything she told us... sounded pretty convincing.

TY LEE: That's what scares me.

SOKKA: Why?

She pauses.

TY LEE: Because I feel like I should've seen it coming? I should've known Azula was lying about it. I feel... I feel like such an idiot.

Now the airbender also sighs.

TY LEE: Kenora saved me in the desert. I felt her aura and I knew she was a friend. But... I just couldn't trust her. It felt too insane. It made me question my aura abilities in general...

Sokka's expression carries a lot of shock and sympathy.

SOKKA: So that's why you stopped doing it.

She shakes her head quietly.

TY LEE: Not just that.

The girl is forced to take a deep breath to carry on.

TY LEE: Growing up I... never really an identity. I knew I was different, but until I met Zuko, and Azula, and Aang... I didn't even realize I was an airbender. Then we travelled, I learned all these techniques, and about monks and temples. I got to hang out with some airbenders in Dibuang.

Her jolly tone dies rather suddenly.

TY LEE: Then I saw the Northern Air Temple.

A shiver creeps across Sokka's system.

TY LEE: And then there's all the Air Nomads forced to live in crowded parts of Earth Kingdom cities. They had to change so much in order to survive and...

SOKKA: You're not sure what kind of airbender you are now.

She meets his eyes with a sorrowful frown.

TY LEE: They were killed because they were too peaceful. I got my friends endangered because I was too naive. I thought... I needed to be someone else...

Tears run down her face.

TY LEE (teary): And now I lost my eye, and I'm even more of a burden...

SOKKA: First of all, you are no burden. Second of all, the Air Nomads weren't almost wiped out because they were "too nice". They were killed because the Water Tribe was cruel and evil. Third...

He grabs her right hand with both of his.

SOKKA: You do not need to be anyone. You just need to be Ty Lee. And whoever that Ty Lee is, a nomad, a warrior - she is still an amazing person, an amazing girlfriend, and the best friend you could ask for.

Her tears transform from grief to hope, another way too aggressive hug making Sokka feel uneasy this high up. She backs off again, wiping her face.

TY LEE: Thank you. I'm glad you became our friend.

A humble smile quickly turns to an impish nod down to camp.

SOKKA: Well...

Ty Lee sighs for a second time as she thinks about it.

TY LEE: I don't trust her - correct aura or not.

Sokka crosses his arms.

SOKKA: Me neither, even though my instincts tell me it's the smart option. Guess we just need more time.

The airbender nods.

SOKKA: But - let's think about - if thinks work out? New friend, new member of the Dream Team, potential waterbending teacher for Aang? I'm pretty optimistic here.

Some of his positive energy swashes over to her.

SOKKA: Alright, I'm gonna climb down this thing real quick. Let's see how-

With elegant motions, Ty Lee creates a pretty precise flow of wind, carefully carrying Sokka down to camp, before subsiding into a soft breeze. He looks up and makes her smile via a thumbs-up.

The boy goes to sleep on a log while Ty Lee remains on the branch. Kenora peeks for a second, checking if the others are asleep by now. Not that she has anything planned, she just likes being the last one to go to bed. She also has a hard time trying to find the necessary peace to fall asleep. She is only planning on leaving the Tribe, her plan wasn't to join the Avatar or anything like that. The girl didn't even consider it.

Is that an option?

---

Azula's fireplace is the largest one by far, the girl nervously igniting it as she wonders why the Blue Dragon has stayed quiet so long now. Appa takes her mind off of things by emitting a loud burp.

AZULA: I do not need to know what you ate in this place.

With a lowered head, a sad airbender boy appears with a pile of wood, adding it to the fire. He sits down on a log across from her, clearly something on his mind.

AANG: Can I even say sorry anymore?

She scoffs with intrigue, her arms crossed.

AZULA: Interesting way to start this off...

He sighs with guilt.

AANG: I screwed up so much and... pretended that a "sorry" was enough. Then I ended up hurting you again.

AZULA: You as in plural, or-

AANG: You. Azula. And not "This Azula" or "New Azula", just... Azula. As you are.

This is enough to get her to uncross her arms.

AZULA: You probably shouldn't stop apologizing to people, but I also will admit that I flew off the handle a bit there earlier.

AANG: No-no, you had every right to finally tell me this stuff.

A nod from her.

AZULA: Tell you what - we'll sleep on this. Tomorrow, we'll go find the others and help Jet. Then, in the days coming after, we'll just... try to be normal. No grudges from me, no weird biases from you. How does that sound?

He smiles as he stares into the flames ahead of him.

AANG: Sounds great.

Satisfied, she lies down on her log.

AANG: You know, I don't think I ever told you how great of a friend you are. How much you accomplish and... help me out. Without you, none of this would ever have worked. I never told you how truly... lucky I am to have you.

A satisfied smirk as she rolls to the other side, obscuring her face. Appa announces his snoozefest with a droning growl.

AZULA: Goodnight, Aang.

Unsure if this was a good thing to say or not, he ultimately figures that he will accept whatever she decides on. He lies down as well, his face still turned towards the fire.

AANG: Can I ask you something?

Her eyes are shut, though she is nowhere near asleep.

AZULA: Mhm.

AANG: Why did you mention Kenora before? You could've named Shahar or someone else

Her eyes open once more as she ponders. Without the serpent's input, her thoughts seem clearer now.

AZULA: Not sure, it just... came up. But... I don't know. I don't think she's irredeemably evil or something.

AANG: You don't? Even after she attacked you so many times?

Azula quietly sighs.

AZULA: I think she's just confused. Probably going through some stuff she doesn't know how to handle. Maybe she just needs some time to deal with it.

Unsure of her feelings on... she closes her eyes again, trying to think of something else.

Aang meanwhile recapitulates his own experiences with the strange waterbender girl who once tried to fool them into thinking she was a boy. Perhaps he misjudged her too many times. Maybe there is some greater purpose to Kenora of the South.

Then he remembers a very specific memory that he figures would cheer Azula up.

AANG: Hey, do you wanna hear something crazy?

AZULA: Sure.

AANG: Well, that one time, when she had me captured on her boat...

---

KENORA: You're even more annoying than the firebender...

Aang, as he has been for the entirety of their talk, tries to look back at Kenora once again.

AANG: What's up with you and Azula?

She doesn't answer. Instead, Aang catches something he really didn't expect in this situation - a blush.

AANG: Di- did you just blush?

His sheepish smirk mixed with the fact that he's right, really doesn't help with Kenora's temper.

KENORA: M- ... no.

AANG: Yes you did! I saw you!

She slaps the steering wheel.

KENORA (under her breath): Dammit!

---

AANG: I... think she had a crush on you back then.

Overwhelmed by the story Azula... starts blushing herself. Profusely, actually, her eyes wide open again.

AZULA: What?

AANG: Yeah, it was wild. It probably doesn't hold up anymore, seeing how she was chasing you across the world...

Okay, well, if you put it like this, Aang, it sounds like the most goddamn romantic thing ever. And Azula surely agrees.

AZULA: Yeah...

AANG: But it's funny, right? That was so long ago.

He finally closes his eyes with a smile. Azula... smiles too. A lot more than him, her face practially all red at this point.

AZULA (softly): Right. That was so long ago...

---

The first peak of the sun illuminates the camp ever so slightly. Bandit sits at the edge of it, the swamp far enough away to not feel endangered. Her thoughts drift endlessly through various points in her life, mostly the past few months though. For the first time she admits to herself...

...she kind of regrets leaving the Vultures.

It had been on her mind from the start, for the whole duration of her departure. Yet it was always sufficiently overshadowed by her new purpose, her new friends.

That had started to dwindle.

A silent figure appears to her right, the girl keeping her head dug into her knees. He waits for her sign.

BANDIT: You can sit down if you want.

Longshot crosses his legs as he places himself down next to her. Half his face is hidden beneath a conical hat. Despite this, Bandit can still clearly tell what he is trying to say.

BANDIT: I heard you talking for the first time yesterday. I wasn't even sure if you could.

He says nothing.

BANDIT: If you're here to convince me to come back to the Vultures, then you can forget about it!

He says nothing, once again. She decides to change the topic on her own.

BANDIT: After... Jet killed that man, I ran back to my old home. Some new family lived in there and fled before the battle. My old room looks completely different. I think a boy lives there now.

Longshot looks over to her with a stern but kind look.

BANDIT: That's not why I'm telling you.

She recollects Puwati's face, both from a few days ago as well as the fragments she remembers from when she escaped as a small child.

BANDIT: When the Tribe attacked and I ran away... there was this man. A soldier. He should've captured me, but instead, he let me go. He was a Water Tribe soldier and he let me go.

A strong exhale escapes her mouth. Longshot listens closely.

BANDIT: A part of me wants to thank him. Can you believe that? The guy probably killed a whole bunch of innocent people but I want to thank him just because he saved me. How can I be so stupid? How can I forgive someone who did terrible things, just because he saved my live?

A lack of a verbal expression is enough for Bandit.

BANDIT: You're right, I'm not really talking about that guy.

She wallows in the many beautiful memories she had with Jet. He gave her a home when she had nothing.

BANDIT: The truth is... as much as he hurts me... he... he is my brother.

The boy reacts with a reserved but still pretty open display of surprise.

BANDIT: I know he's not really. I never had a brother. But... he is. He was there for me for most of my life. I... I feel like I abandoned him...

She weeps slightly, Longshot putting his arm around her.

BANDIT (teary): I don't want to have to choose. I want to keep doing this. Helping the Avatar feels like I'm finally doing something important. But... I feel like... something is missing. And that it's gone forever.

He turns to her, looking up all the way and showing his full face.

LONGSHOT: You will always have a place with the Vultures. We are your family, Bandit.

He leaves her with that shred of satisfaction as he gets up and leaves again. The girl remains for a little while longer, staring into the swamp, pondering what she would want Jet to say when he gets better again. And also what she would tell him.

---

Akari's eyes snap open rapidly as the first sunbeams barely penetrate the thicket above. She fell asleep, not changing shifts with Zuko like she was planning. The girl jolts up, staff in her hand. It's there again. That... sensation. The weird energy she felt when she entered this disgusting labyrinth. So it had been following them.

ZUKO (sleepy): Something wrong?

He stretches himself next to the dying embers as he gets up. Seeing Akari's expression, he straps on his swords.

ZUKO: What's going on?

TY LEE: There's something following us. I can feel it.

ZUKO: W- What is it? And how can you be sure?

AKARI: I don't know! I'm not totally sure but I think I can feel its... energy, or aura maybe.

He snaps at the comment.

ZUKO: You can read auras?!

AKARI: I think?

ZUKO: That's so awesome! I gotta tell Ty Lee about this!

Frustrated, she lowers her guard.

AKARI: Is this really important right now?

Before he is able to answer, a nasty vine snatches up her leg and pulls her away through fungi and bush.

ZUKO: AKARI!

The creature these appendages are attached to reveals itself from the darkness not made visible by sunlight yet. A massive spirit creature made entirely from purple tendrils, forming a bulky humanoid shape with a wooden mask for a face. He readies himself as Akari struggles to break free.

---

Act III. - Prey

---

AKARI: Come on, Zuko! Take out your swords! Shot fire at him! Do SOMETHING!

The boy's hand slowly reaches for the hilt of his broadswords, the creature awaiting his next move as Akari is unable to wrangle herself free. Then...

Zuko takes off his sword holster and gets on his knees.

ZUKO: Please, oh great spirit of the swamp, we mean you no harm!

Akari reacts comically frustrated.

ZUKO: I know humans have probably entered upon your domain and hurt it. And I know you and other spirits must be upset because of this. But we are not here to do the same. We came here to safe an innocent boy and the spirit inside him. Can you help us with that?

He extends his arm. The airbender fully expects a bundle of vines to just slap him and shove him into a tree. Yet, to her surprise, the creature quiets down, letting Akari go and allowing her to land safely, Zuko running up next to her.

AKARI: I did not think that was going to work.

He shrugs as he puts his swords back on.

ZUKO: I'm full of surprises.

She smiles.

Meanwhile, the strange spirit convulses and wiggles, its tendrils moving around like a bundle of snakes trying to separate from each other. Eventually, that is precisely what they do, revealing the inside of the creature to be hollow. And something even more surprising.

HUU: Hello there, fellas. Didn't think I'd stumble across two folks like you out in these parts.

A chubby old man dressed with nothing but some leaves around his privates and a frog-like smile rocks the two kids to their very core. His grey beard and flat hair give him the appearance of wearing a helmet.

AKARI: That's... not a spirit, is it?

HUU: That would be correct. I just occasionally like to dress up and scare unwelcome visitors.

He stops from the pile of vines and addresses Zuko.

HUU: Now this young man right here seems to understand a thang or two about the serenity of spirits. I'd like to help him out very much.

Zuko bows via a Fire Nation gesture.

AKARI: Aha. Just one... little nitpick - how did you control all these vines?

ZUKO: Easy. He's a swampbender, or, just waterbender. We met some of those north of Yu Dao a few months ago.

Akari nods, reminded of her time in that city once again.

HUU: I see you've met my folk then. Yeah, them fellas figured it was best to move before the swamp got too bad. I couldn't leave though, not for the world.

Zuko looks around the place, now not looking so gross anymore thanks to the sunlight.

ZUKO: It is kind of beautiful.. even if it's not in the best shape.

HUU: You said it. Now come on, follow me.

---

What was once the Great Banyan, the massive amalgamation of hundreds of roots coming together to form one giant tree is now nothing but a shadow of its former self. The lush crown that grew on its top has shrunken down to half its size, most of the leaves having turned purple or died off entirely. A sense of dread and shame overcomes Akari as the step upon its roots.

AKARI: I'm guessing that's the center of the swamp then.

HUU: Not just that, oh no. The entire swamp is technically one big tree, this one to be exact.

She stare in awe, this tree easily one of the tallest things she's ever seen, even more impressive than the walls of Ba Sing Se.

ZUKO: Are we going up there?

HUU: Nope. We're going inside.

The two teens exchange quick looks of skepticism. They end up following Huu up to a small gap in between two massive roots the size of elephant koi. Apparently, much like the creature made entirely of vines, the inside of the Banyan is similarly hollow.

---

The two enter a cave with clear water down below, a faint shimmer of purple light above it. Zuko and Akari take a peak above, identifying all these little dots as... moving fires.

HUU: You can come down here, fellas! I brought friends!

With the humming of something akin to mice, all the little light start hovering downwards, illuminating the cavern much more as they reveal themselves. They all carry two sets of white eyes, all emoting differently at the arrival of two new guests. Zuko is in awe, while Akari seems entirely uneasy.

HUU: You are looking at Onibi. These little critters used to be all around here in the swamp. Though now most of the time they just like to be in here, where it's quiet.

The question finally burns on Akari's lips too much not to be uttered.

AKARI: What... happened to the swamp? Why is it like this now?

Though Zuko doesn't admit it, he was hoping for Akari to come forth and ask. He smirks slightly as he hears her question.

HUU: Whell, this here swamp used to be a lot more greener and... swampier many years ago. The Water Tribe didn't like how it blocked their path, and how the swampbenders didn't want nothin' to do with that darn war. So, they set out a dangerous fungus, hisokusari. That darn thang spread all over this place like a wildfire. Upset the Onibi and all the other spirits with it.

Akari can feel pulled down by the weight of her guilt once again. She too has been irreversibly changed by the Water Tribe.

AKARI: That's terrible. I'm... sorry to hear.

HUU: I mean, it's not the end of the world. It's the circle of life. The swamp might die soon but it's already been replaced by somethin' new. It may be different, but it has all these new critters and beautiful new things growing in it. Eventually, all things pass away and leave room for somethin' new. Just like with people.

The two teens both think on those words on their own.

HUU: It's just too bad cause 'em spirits are not too fond of change.

The old man turns to Zuko.

HUU: It's probably why it infected your friend.

ZUKO: Right, let's get to it.

HUU: Just a quick question - does your friend have glowing, purple eyes and a fever?

Zuko nods.

HUU: Good.

Akari frowns.

AKARI: Good? How is that good!?

HUU: Whell, purple eyes means it was only one of 'em Onibi causing a little trouble. It could've been something worse like an Onryō. Now, those buggers can get real nasty. You might need to cut 'em out if they're too big, which is pretty painful.

Akari shudders at the thought.

ZUKO: And Onibi?

HUU: It's a light spirit. You remove it by applying pressure and heat to the part of the body it's residing in. Ideally a small flame.

Zuko gets a grandiose idea, forming a tiny bit of fire in his palm, turning it around.

ZUKO: Like this?

Immediately, all the Onibi start screeching in high-pitched tones, displaying their joy as the swirl around Zuko and his little fire. The boy finds himself completely surrounded by spirits, enjoying their company just as much as they do his.

Akari finds all of this more than a little cute, opening up herself as this unfolds. She flinches slightly, as a rogue Onibi hovers over to her, keen on landing on her hand, like a fiery butterfly.

HUU: Don't be scared of it. It may look like it'll burn ya, but it seems to like you. Trust it.

She tries relaxing via a deep breath, brushing away the little spirit's top like you would a candle. The athlete offers up her palm finally, allowing the Onibi to land as its eyes display a vehement smile. Akari also smiles, with the kind of vigor and joy she hasn't felt in a while. Her eyes sparkle at the purple light sitting in front of her.

---

Sokka aggressively hacks his way through purple vines on their way through the jungle.

TY LEE: Sokka, I don't think it's a good idea to hurt the swamp like that. You might upset a spirit.

He turns back to her.

SOKKA: Is that a real thing?

Kenora, lemur on her shoulder, shrugs supportively.

KENORA: She ran all the way into the desert that one time, I'd trust her spirit opinions.

Sokka puts his weapon away, instead sneaking his way through the plant life.

SOKKA: This way is... much... more... difficult... AH!

He falls flat on his face as he attempts to traverse a collection of tendrils. As he gets back up and the girls follow him, his pupils dilate in shock.

In front of them, at the edge of the swamp, shiny, green grass invitingly calling for them.

TY LEE: Oh no, we went the wrong way.

Kenora steps forth, her hands still tied together.

KENORA: Oh, shucks! Oh well, that's too bad. Guess we'll have to turn around and go back in...

Ty Lee and Sokka share a look that more than disappoints her. Even Sabachi departs from her shoulder to get back to Sokka.

KENORA: Oh. I guess you guys will wanna do this without me.

The boy steps forth to untie her.

SOKKA: Looks like it.

Ty Lee is already turned around when the question blurts out of the waterbender.

KENORA: What about your verdict? I guess you don't trust me?

Her cry reeks of hopelessness and sorrow, getting the airbender to turn around and approach her.

TY LEE: Give me your hands.

Kenora reluctantly complies. Ty Lee firmly grabs them with hers.

TY LEE: Close your eyes.

She does this too with hesitation.

KENORA: Okay?

TY LEE: Now picture Azula.

The acrobat feels a clear shift in the girl's body, not just her aura.

TY LEE: But not just the nice stuff from recently. I want you to think of everything. The good stuff, the bad stuff, the really bad stuff.

Her memories of Azula flash in front of her inner eye, spinning and increasing in quantity, like a carousel of emotion. Kenora's heart starts beating faster accordingly.

The airbender finally lets go as the waterbender snaps her eyes open again, almost on the verge of tears.

TY LEE: I can tell that your feelings for her are real. They are kind and warm and come from a place of genuine care.

Kenora smiles earnestly at that. The expression fades away as Ty Lee steps back to Sokka again.

TY LEE: But I also know that you can get pretty irrational pretty fast. She rejected you once and it made you angry enough that your aura turned to a much darker shade for a long time.

---

KENORA: You know, if there's any other injuries, perhaps I can heal them now. I'm still figuring it out of course, but maybe I can help with Aang.

Azula stops. Kenora stops. The waterbender wonders why.

KENORA: What's going on? Did something happen?

A blast of fire almost turns her face into a crisp, forcing her to fall down on her back. A second blast of fire creates a wall of flames, clearly separating her from Azula. She could've extinguished it, walked around it even, and yet Kenora doesn't do either. She simply stares with regret as the firebender runs into the distance, away from her.

---

SOKKA: I made some rice for the crew. Do you want some-

KENORA: STAY AWAY FROM ME!

Her sudden burst of anger leaves him stunted, as she opens and subsequently slams the door behind her.

---

TY LEE: Your hunt for us became more brutal, just because she told you off. I don't want that to happen again.

Kenora's head hangs down in shame. She eyes her gloved hand, wondering for a second if she is capable of doing something like that ever again.

KENORA: So... that means...

TY LEE: You can't see her.

Her heart skips a beat.

TY LEE: Not yet, at least.

Now her heart does the same thing again, though for different reasons.

TY LEE: Until all of us can trust you, you're gonna have to wait.

Kenora exhales, a mix of fear and hope in her voice.

KENORA: What can I do? How can I prove to you that I've changed?

Ty Lee gives her a tiny hint of a smile.

TY LEE: You'll think of something.

With that, the acrobat turns back around and into the swamp. Sokka walks up to a defeated-looking Kenora.

SOKKA: We'll stay in touch, okay?

His words don't cheer her up significantly, only gaining him a quiet nod.

SOKKA: Hey - think fast!

KENORA: What?

To her surprise, he launches for a hug, one that feels pretty sweet, actually. After a few seconds of delay, she hugs him back, the two separating right after.

SOKKA: It was nice to see you like this. I hope we get to see more of the new Kenora.

Sabachi chirps joyfully at her. Mixed with his words, Kenora now smiles with a significant amount of optimism inside her.

---

After leaving the Banyan, the two teens must've taken a wrong turn or something. They find themselves in a completely darkened part of the swamp, absolutely no hint of sunlight despite being the middle of the day now. The entire ground is covered in clear water, every one of their steps illuminating the area as they stomp on it.

ZUKO: Hey, check this out!

He touches one of the translucent trees. As he does, an area around his palm lights up in different shades of blue and purple.

ZUKO: Bioluminescence. I read about it in a book once-

He turns to Akari.

The girl looks around the swamp frantically, her breath firing rapidly as she clings onto her staff harder and harder.

ZUKO: Everything alright-

AKARI: I've only been able to read aura's for a short time. I'm not good at it.

Being able to tell that something is clearly off, he draws his broadswords.

AKARI: That... that aura that was following us... I thought it was that old dude.

ZUKO: Get behind me.

He too starts to pierce the darkness as she follows his suggestion, the two now standing back to back.

AKARI: It wasn't. I can feel it much stronger now. It's... it's here.

The boy waits for the right moment, the correct direction. With a spasm of his arms, he ignites both swords. The orange light reveals a blue mask staring at them from the edge of darkness.

The Blue Spirit leaps at the boy first and with the full force of a rhinoceros, Zuko blocking the incoming attack with both swords as Akari swings her staff as hard as possible above his head. The thing dodges, hopping from tree to tree, illuminating spots of the swamp in neon color at random intervals. The two teens decide to switch to blasting it with air and fire from a distance, the Blue Spirit easily able to dodge their attacks. To their surprise, it suddenly casts a wave of clear water, bending Akari a bit away from the action before targeting Zuko. The boy gets ready as the heat of his flames increases.

An exchange of swings and chops so fast that it's almost impossible to make out from a distance. Shockingly, the boy is more than capable of holding his own against a blade that tries to directly pierce through his body at multiple points. The attacker finally has the smart idea to bend a second wave, flinging him against a tree trunk and extinguishing his hot swords. As it launches another attack, a powerful gust of wind flings it away from Zuko.

As the Blue Spirit looks up again, it finds Akari in an airbending pose much like it saw Ty Lee before, the girl keeping her staff behind her back as she waits for it too attack. Despite its haunting speed, Akari is more than capable of dodging its attacks with quick spins, her footwork on a different level than it ever has been before. Occasionally she blocks some meaner swings with her staff, retaliating appropriately with small wind blasts that fling the attacker against trees, creating subsequent pulses of light. It finally gets the upper hand in close combat, yet its finishing strike is abruptly halted as it uses the blade to block a massive wall of fire hurling towards it. Zuko has switched to firebending now, kicking and bombarding her with some of the most explosive bending he has ever performed, Akari supporting him appropriately as she tries distracting it with her staff now split into two batons again.

The attacker finally kicks her away, opting to take flight. As it leaps, a harsh current smacks it right into the water again. Zuko roars as he blasts the biggest stream of fire he has ever produced, the Blue Spirit protecting itself inside a shield of water.

As the flames turn to smoke, the thing is gone.

AKARI: Come on, let's GO!

She hastily grabs his arm and runs into just... the opposite direction they last saw it. They stumble a few feet before reappearing in a regular part of the forest, stumbling over an 8-foot-long woodlouse centipede and tumbling down a small hill. As they come to a hold, a giant bison growls at the both of them in a pile.

AZULA: Oh hey, look who it is.

No time for silly rebuttals - the two get up quickly.

ZUKO: We need to get out of here!

The other two spot a certain athlete next to him. Azula briefly wonders what this means.

AANG: What is she doing here?

AKARI: We don't have time - there's some... thing chasing us!

ZUKO: It's the Blue Spirit! It's here!

Aang and Azula skip a beat.

AZULA: Okay, calling it a truce then. Anyone seen the other two yet?

With perfect comedic timing, Ty Lee and Sokka appear from a patch of purple vines. Sabachi immediately flies over to her favorite human.

AZULA: Hey, girl.

ZUKO: Guys, we need to-

Before he can finish, Ty Lee is already around his neck, giving him a kiss on the lips right after. Akari smirks quietly.

TY LEE: What's going on?

ZUKO: I know how to help Jet. Blue Spirit. We need to GO!

AZULA: Also Akari is here.

The two girl airbenders exchange quick looks of shame.

AKARI: Sorry... about your eye.

The acrobat sighs.

TY LEE: It's fine. Now come on, we know how to get out of here.

She, Zuko, and Sokka lead the way, Azula, Aang, Akari, and Appa following after. Man, all those names that start with "A"...

As they hurry through the mushy woodwork, Azula casually walks up next to Akari.

AZULA: So... you're in the swamp here...

Akari frowns.

AKARI: Yeah?

AZULA: Does that mean the other girls are here too?

Sokka shares a saucy look with Ty Lee, who rolls her eyes at him.

AKARI: Uh... Kenora is actually in the swamp.

AZULA: Oh. Uh... should we go back and look for her then?

A more apparent stare from Sokka that the acrobat tries to ignore.

TY LEE: We actually saw her leave the swamp earlier.

Azula nods.

AZULA: Right. Good.

Akari and Aang give her weird looks.

AZULA: What? I don't want anyone to be hacked to death by that psycho. Glad she's save.

Third gaze and Ty Lee only sighs at him. Azula's aura wasn't strong enough yet to make any calls but... she certainly started reading something.

---

They reach the edge of the swamp and give their neutral goodbyes to Akari, Zuko giving her a pretty honest smile as she nods back at him.

The Dream Team reaches camp pretty soon after, the five rushing down the bison and towards the Vulture tent.

AZULA: Uh... did we actually find something to help Jet?

ZUKO: I did. Trust me.

She gives Aang a quick glance as they haste towards the tent.

AZULA: Worst Avatar ever.

Aang snorts, being humored by her.

AANG: Yup.

---

The tent is now illuminated by sunlight, Jet's spasms having returned as the Vultures closely look after him. A few seconds later, Bandit also reappears in the tent.

BANDIT: Did you find something?

Azula nonchalantly points over to Zuko, the boy taking a deep breath.

He fells the boy's arm once again, going up all the way to his shoulder, when he stops.

ZUKO: His pulse feels weird in his spot. Ty Lee, can you try reading something?

She complies, putting her hand on his shoulder with hesitation, though quickly being of use already.

TY LEE: There's a weird knot there in his chi. I'm not sure what it is.

Zuko nods like a doctor, his nurse taking her hand off again.

ZUKO: Right. Can uh... can you guys take off his shirt please?

Weird looks from the Vultures, though they ultimately comply. Smellerbee also very unsuccessfully tries to hide her blush as they do so. With Jet finally(?) shirtless, Zuko takes another breath, rubbing his hands together like a charlatan healer, before a small film of fire appears on both. Azula is more than impressed by his bending prowess. He gently applies his hot palms to his shoulder, slowly turning on the heat, though never to the point of danger. As he does this, Jet's movements slow down bit after bit. Finally, he coughs profusely, violet smoke escaping his mouth and nostrils, as if someone pulled at it. The Onibi is finally out of Jet completely, buzzing and squeaking for a bit before it turns to a simple light and flies back towards the swamp.

JET (weak): Uh... what happened?

Immediately, all the Vultures cheer and gather around the boy, Smellerbee and Bandit at the helm, the former even crying, which... none of the other Dream Team folks have ever seen on her.

JET (weak): Bandit...

BADNIT (teary): Jet... I was so scared you wouldn't make it.

Jet shows some tears as well.

JET (teary): I wanted to say sorry. I... did some things to you that you didn't deserve. You're... you're my sister. I should've been better to you.

An overt sense of joy overcomes her as she hugs him from behind, rubbing his head like a bully.

BANDIT (teary): You can apologize a whole bunch more to me, you know that?

Jet laughs.

JET (emotional): Of course.

The other five all smile. Azula can feel the guilt racking in, the Blue Dragon still not having returned. She turns quietly towards the other four.

AZULA: Uh... I wanna say sorry for being a little harsh yesterday. And before that. I uh... was going through some stuff.

Zuko puts his hand around her shoulder lovingly.

AANG: It's okay. We all have our bad days.

He and Azula share a very friendly smile.

SOKKA: Yeah, I was half-expecting you to punch one of us in the face eventually.

She snorts at his suggestion, gently freeing herself from Zuko's arm.

AZULA: Punch you? What do I look like? Kenora?

With that she leaves the tent, allowing Sokka to give Ty Lee his most impish smirk yet. Her only response is to lightly smack him in the arm.

---

Azula takes off her crimson overlay as she enters her tent, her pink shirt beneath muddy and smelly. Sabachi flies off her shoulder and on to her bed.

AZULA: Ah-ah-ah! Get off there. You need to be washed first too.

The lemur complies with a grudge. It hates baths.

AZULA: So how was it with Ty Lee and the Dorkmeister? Was it any fun?

As she takes off her boots and the animals begins to chatter, Azula freezes for a moment. She turns to it slowly.

AZULA: They ran into who?

Sabachi chirps again and the girl's pupils dilate.

AZULA: Aha. And what did she say?

As the lemur responds with more incomprehensible noises, Azula's blush returns to her face pretty quickly.

SOKKA: Hey, can I borrow Sabachi?

Thankfully her back is turned to him. She does not turn around.

AZULA: Sure.

She waves the lemur to go with him.

SOKKA: Great! Thanks!

He quickly leaves the tent again. As he is gone, she finally exhales for a very long period of time, the heat in her body greater than that of her blue flames.

---

It's already night when Akari returns, forced to walk quite a while to return to their hideout. Kenora only arrived there a few minutes earlier, staring out the window into the clear night sky, yesterday's foggy clouds dispersed entirely.

AKARI: Hi.

Her cold tone freaks the waterbender out a bit.

KENORA: Oh hi. Uh... guess you went after me into the swamp then.

Akari's crossed arms are almost an answer by themselves.

AKARI: Not a word to Katara.

KENORA: Not one.

The airbender lies down in the top bunk, completely exhausted from all the walking.

KENORA: Did you... have fun?

Stupid question but, regardless, Akari engages.

AKARI: A little bit. How about you? Did you find what you were looking for?

Kenora sighs, looking out the window again.

KENORA: Not sure. I'll have to wait and see.

Akari feels an inch of sympathy for her, though she drops the discussion ultimately.

That's when Kenora spots something strange flying towards her, a white shape in the moonlight, almost looking like...

Sabachi quietly lands on the windowsill. Either Akari doesn't notice or doesn't care. Either way, Kenora quickly finds the note attached to the lemur's leg, removing it as it soars away again. George Michael's "Faith" begins to play, the organ opening making her opening of the message all the more exciting.

---

她今天谈到了你—两次！

She talked about you today - twice!

睡个好觉！ -索卡

Sleep tight! -Sokka

---

An unbelievable amount of joy overcomes her as the song continues. She starts dreaming about having met Azula in the swamp today instead.

---

Verse 1. In her dream vision, everything has the look and feel of a 1930s Universal monster movie, down to it being black and white. A suit-wearing Kenora attempts to approach a dress-wearing Azula with a nice hat on. Suddenly, this Kenora turns into a scary werewolf-esc monster, scaring the living daylights out of the firebending dame.

---

In someone else's vision, everything has the vibrant colors of a 1960s musical, Azula standing under a spotlight in her dashing red dress, her hair styled like a greaser. Kenora approaches the stage-like swamp wearing a yellow tail suit, both looking rather serious at each other.

---

Meanwhile, in Ty Lee's in Zuko's tent, the boy rests his head on her lap. She snickers as she thinks back to Azula's comments.

TY LEE: We ran into Kenora today.

ZUKO: Really?

TY LEE: Yeah. Apparently she likes Azula. Like... romantically.

His aura gives it away, making her frown in shock.

TY LEE: What? You knew?

Zuko scoffs humbly.

ZUKO: Well... I had a suspicion that Azula likes her. But... it seems like it's actually mutual.

Hearing these words from her beloved makes her reconsider just about everything.

---

First chorus. On the same hill Zuko sat on yesterday, Azula looks out into the stars, continuing to imagine her encounter with Kenora.

---

In her vision, the two get ready for a performance, their eyes closely occupied with looking with gazing at each other. Their hands meet and they begin their dance.

---

Verse 2. Monster Kenora tries calling after Dame Azula, though she runs away into the swamp in terror. The hideous girl sits down on a log with a sad expression, until the aformentioned firebender does finally show back up again, a look of mild trust gifted to the sad creature.

---

Akari has meanwhile caught on to Kenora's daydreaming, being able to feel the girl's aura more vibrantly than ever before. She smiles, somewhat optimistic about the future for a change. She scoffs, thinking back to Zuko's words. Maybe she can go wherever she wants.

---

Pre-chorus 2. Azula's vision has escalated into an extremely intricate dance, combining the moves she performed at the Golden Ball with some more complex forms. Their hands extended all the way, Azula spinning her way closer to Kenora, until the two are entangled closely together.

---

Ty Lee and Zuko meanwhile quietly exit their tent, peaking up to Azula on the hill who is so overtly blushing that Ty Lee kind of regrets being this cold to Kenora in the swamp. They leave her her privacy as they stumble back, Ty Lee filled with so much joy from seeing Azula like this that she almost tears up.

---

During the second chorus, Azula and Kenora both stare dreamily into the stars. Kenora's image briefly fades into the night sky with Azula on the hill. The firebender fiddles her fingers as Kenora plays around with her necklace.

---

While the instrumental bridge plays, we cut back and forth between the 30s pair doing a make-over sequence, Dame Azula attempting to cut Monster Kenora's horns and fur as best as she can, all the while the 60s version only increases in speed and complexity of their choreography, Kenora easily lifting up the firebender at one point, before doing more spins and slides.

---

The third pre-chorus shows Monster Kenora, now looking like regular Kenora again, as she sparkles and flushes with color (in this case a different shade of grey). Dame Azula only eyeing her with that same expression. The two decide to walk closer to each other.

---

The dance sequence meanwhile meets its crescendo, Azula doing a whole serious of subsequent spins as her dress floats gracefully, Kenora forced to chase after her. The waterbender eventually catches up to her, holding her as she dangles over the water...

---

...while Dame Azula is doing the exact same thing with her Kenora.

---

For a few seconds, both pairs are inches away from each other, both breathing heavily.

---

For the final chorus, it cuts back and forth again between the final few dance moves, while Dame Azula lifts up Kenora again, both laughing. As the song comes to an end, one Azula's hat obstructs the kiss while in the 60s version it puts a nice bow to their performance, the two girls kissing with her hands entangled.

---

Oh, delightful, truly. I'm on the edge of my seat...

Her blush quickly dissapates as she hers the voice again.

AZULA (quietly): Oh, you're back.

I never left. Beautiful performance by the way. Do you plan on sleeping with all of your enemies, by the way?

Azula gets up in embarrassment.

AZULA (quietly): Okay, we're done.

---

She (literally) moves the conversation into her tent, both Bandit and Sabachi thankfully nowhere to be seen.

Don't quit on me now. We've been doing so well...

AZULA: Alright, listen - you helped me to confront Aang and tell him some stuff he need to hear - that's good. Other than that your advice has been complete shit and only made me look like an asshole.

Oh... but you don't understand, Azula. You are an asshole. You're a monster, didn't you hear Aang?

Her blood boiling, it freezes for a second.

AZULA (quietly): That's not true.

Agree to disagree. I'm only here to protect you from yourself. Without me your a lost little freak with no power who likes girls - not to mention girls of the enemy variety.

Azula crosses her arms dismissively, a strange pain starting to appear in her abdominal region.

AZULA: What of it? I'm just... thinking about it. Nothing to it.

"Nothing to it"? You're a pathetic liar. I can see all your thoughts, you spoiled brat. I know exactly that you want her to-

AZULA: STOP IT! We're DONE! The deal is off!

Oh, that's not really how it works.

A sudden, massive spike in her stomach pain forces her to her knees as she winces in pain.

AZULA (in pain): What... are you?

I'm here to help you.

She rolls around in agony, the sensation in her stomach feeling like fire.

Wait... fire.

Just hold still and let me do. It's over in a minute. You'll feel better with me at the helm. Trust me.

She has the strength to get up again, pulling up her shirt as she forms a tiny patch of blue fire in her palm, much like Zuko did.

Wait! STOP THAT!

With hesitation, Azula applies the fire to her stomach, howling briefly as the pain races through her entire system.

AAARRRGGGHHH!

Her breathing intensifies, the girl deciding to increase the heat as she powers through it. The painful shouting inside her decreases in volume as...

Immense nausea overcomes her. With nowhere to go in time, she simply pukes it up on the grass, it leaving her system through mouth and noise. After it is done, she coughs a few more times to get some leftover stuff out there. She stares in horror at the ground, falling on her behind as she eyes it with horror.

A black goop of something that looks like tar sits in front of her dresser. It's not too big, about half a stomach full of content, but still enough to shoot her system up with adrenaline.

Yet, now that it is gone, she can also feel a... clarity. Like something had been lifted from her mind that she carried around with her for a long time. She-

Azula flinches as the blob starts moving, an immediate fire blast igniting it and setting it ablaze. She keeps her fingers up for the entire duration of the burning, as if expecting the goop to start hurling at her. It does not, instead being reduced to ash. Her feeling of nausea has not yet passed, a part of her wanting to throw up again just to make sure.

AZULA: What... was that?

Thankfully, no other type of voice responds but her own.

---

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another spoopy chapter for October with ghosts and gross things. As you can maybe tell, my output has turned pretty insane recently, this is like almost the third week in a row where a new chapter drops. I'm planning on doing at least 3 more in 2023, but I am gonna take a tiny break from churning these out so quickly.

Next time we're focusing on the Princess Squad again, and we'll look at what's been happening in Ba Sing Se. Get ready for Full Moon sometime in November! (probably)

Until then: Happy Halloween!