Chapter Three
The Winter Solstice
Sokka sat against the back of Appa's saddle. They had been flying all morning, and now the sun had reached its zenith. Katara sat across from him hugging her knees. Aang was on the bison's head urging him onward. While Sokka had been in Koh's lair, Aang had been having an adventure of his own - having met Roku's dragon and being brought to a temple in the Fire Nation. In their haste to make it to the Fire Nation before sunset at the solstice, Sokka hadn't yet told them of his escapades in the spirit world, and he wasn't sure he wanted to.
He trusted them; they'd saved each other's lives a dozen times by now. Well, maybe they did more saving than he did. But still, he thought grimly, that he had taken that spirit at his word. That he simply drank the poison the spirit had offered him, so ready to take whatever dark power he had been offered…
She will die. Those words were all it took for the spirit to take him. He looked at his sister. He could still see the light that shined within her, swirling and crashing against itself like the sea in a storm. He knew, but he didn't know how, that it meant she was a powerful waterbender. More powerful than even she knew really. Despite this, Sokka knew that he would do anything to keep her safe. He would kill, or even die if he had to.
The purpose of this power he had now, this new sight, was to find those that were tainted with the same corruption that took Firelord Sozin. Or maybe he was the one that corrupted the spirits of his people, Sokka didn't know. He wondered how many people it had taken already. Zuko, probably. Maybe his uncle, but he wasn't so sure. He hadn't gotten the sense that the old man was interested in fighting them.
There were other changes too, not quite as noticeable as his ability to see the chi of those around him. But they were there all the same. Before they had flown this high and so quickly he had worn his parka, but now he didn't feel cold at all. His reflexes felt sharp, his body stronger. He could hear the sea far below them. He could smell things he couldn't before, and that was something he could do without. He liked Appa and all but his musk was another thing entirely. More than those things, sounds were more clear, his vision sharper.
But more than that, when he closed his eyes he knew what was around him. Even while sleeping he was completely aware of his surroundings. He tilted his head back and looked at the sky.
He thought back to what Koh had said in that cave. Three times he would go to him, and three times he would give him power. "Yeah right.."
"What did you say?" Katara said, looking at him.
"Nothing important," he said, smiling at her.
"Well, that's surprising." She said, giving him a sarcastic smirk. He blew a raspberry at her.
"I never asked you," She said, crawling to sit beside him. "What was it like in the spirit world?"
Well, he knew how nosey his sister was. She had gotten their mothers curiosity too. It wasn't surprising that she would ask, though he had hoped it wouldn't be so soon.
"It was.. Hot. And cold. At the same time." He said, "I met one of our ancestors, Avatar Kuruk."
"You're descended from the Avatar?!" Aang exclaimed, twisting around to look at them in surprise.
"I never knew that.." Said Katara, looking at Aang.
"Well, not directly. He said it was through his nephew. That's who he made the boomerang for. 'Said he was the first child born in the Southern Water Tribe after we split from the north, and that 'First Son of the South' was his nickname or something. Before it was the office of the heir."
Aang was looking at them, his eyes narrowed. He scratched his chin, "Have you ever met the heir? Or the High Chief?"
Katara looked at him again, surprised. "Well, yeah. Our dad's the High Chief."
"Your Dad's the High Chief?" the Avatar exclaimed, "Then you must be.." He trailed off looking at Sokka.
"Yes," Said Katara, annoyed, "It is his lordship, the First Son of The South."
"Would you stop teasing me about it? It's not a big deal." Sokka said, rolling his eyes.
"Oh yes it is!" said Aang, standing up and jumping over to them.
"What? Why?" said Katara, confused. Sokka shared his sister's confusion.
"Because you're traveling with me! I'm The Avatar!"
"What does that have to do with it?" Sokka and Katara said simultaneously.
"Well, I don't know, the monks wouldn't tell me but they were pretty serious about it. So it must be something big."
"Did they tell you anything about it?" Asked Katara.
"The Avatar and the First Son will unite with the heir to the Dragon Throne, and face a great evil."
"Well," Sokka said, "all we have to do is not team up with Zuko and we'll be in the clear."
"Oh yeah," Said Aang, "I hadn't thought of that."
"That's pretty vague… and we're already facing great evil." Katara said, frowning.
"Monk Gyatso said he would tell me when my training was complete." Said Aang, his eyes growing distant.
There was silence for a moment, and Aang returned to his place on Appa's head. Katara turned to Sokka and asked, "What else happened? You were there for a long time and you must've done more."
Sokka looked away. "Kuruk took me to meet a spirit."
"Who?"
"Koh."
"I've never heard of him. Is he nice?" Asked Aang, looking back again, smiling cheerfully.
"No. He's not." Sokka spoke quietly, resting his chin on his knees. "He asked Kuruk to bring someone, told him they would appear where Hei Bai dropped me"
"What did he want?" Katara asked, apprehension in her eyes.
"He-" Sokka cut himself off when he smelled something. Ash, or smoke. He got up and whirled around, looking behind them to the sea. Far below them sailed a single fire navy ship. Sokka focused and could just make out the outline of prince Zuko on its deck.
"It's Zuko! Can Appa go any faster?" he cried, pointing in the direction of the ship. Odd, he thought, for the scent of just one ship to be so strong.
"He can but there's a problem!" Aang said, pulling the bison into a curving dive as a wave of flaming boulders were shot in front of them. "It's a blockade!"
Sokka felt his feet leave the saddle as the bison dove. Everything seemed to slow. Katara reached out to him but was too far to reach. Sokka pulled out his machete as he fell from the saddle, and hooked the side with it, pulling himself in as they leveled out.
As he settled himself into a safer position he glanced over to the others. Katara's mouth hung open in astonishment, and Aang gaped at him, evidently unaware of the flaming projectile right in front of them.
"Aang!" Shouted Sokka, pointing at the boulder. The Avatar looked ahead and saw their oncoming doom. He dropped the reins and leapt at it, unleashing a powerful kick and a gust stronger than a hurricane. The flaming projectile shattered, and then crumbled into dust. They plunged towards the sea, dodging and twisting to avoid the coming onslaught of the Fire Navy's barrage. And then, as quickly as it had begun, it was over.
Sokka turned and looked over the bison's tail, and saw that a single ship was charging towards the blockade. It had not escaped the onslaught unscathed, and Sokka could see that the Dragon Prince's vessel billowed smoke from a rent torn into the side of the bridge.
"... He's not going to make it." he said softly, only to be proven wrong as the ships forming the defensive line slowed, and then stopped. Zuko would live after all. Sokka was surprised to find that he felt relief. Why, he wondered, did he want their enemy to live? Did he want to kill the man himself? Perhaps it was simply that he didn't wish for any man, even an enemy, to drown. Better to die on the battlefield, than to be pulled beneath the waves, never again to see the moon or stars. Or maybe he didn't want to see him perish at all… The warrior didn't know. But, all the same, Zuko lived and he was glad. If his enemy should fall, he deserved a fine end.
Their journey continued on in silence, their discussion of Sokka's trip into Koh's lair forgotten. For this too, Sokka was glad. He felt in the bottom of his heart a deep shame. He had taken up the power of that foul being too readily. His resolve to leave untainted had waverd, crumbled, and fell. Fell at three words that for all he knew could be a lie. He felt now sorrow, regret filling his mind as he thought back. Back to his foray into the spirit world, into that cave. Koh had offered him power, and had offered to aid him.
Sokka had been tempted, and very nearly taken the offer even before the spirit had said those three words. He had long feared that when he was tested, when the time came he wouldn't be strong enough, not fast enough, not smart enough. And when he was tested he found that he was right. First, Zuko had attacked his village and defeated Sokka with ease. Then he failed again on Kyoshi Island, bested by Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors. In Omashu he had been trapped by King Bumi and was powerless. When Hei Bai attacked he was powerless once more. Again and again, over and over he had been a burden. Help the avatar? All he had done was get in the way.
When Koh had offered him power, he had barely restrained himself. And the spirit saw right through him, and knew exactly where to prod and send him over the edge.
Now, he was faster, stronger. His senses sharper and his reflexes quicker. He could see people now, look inside of them. It would come at a cost, he realized. Nothing was free, not when dealing with spirits. He wondered why he hadn't thought to ask. What was the price?
As they continued westward, the sun passed its highest point and the sky began to burn with the red hue of sunset. Sokka knew they were close, he could hear the faint lapping of waves on the shore. "There! It's the temple that Roku's dragon showed me." Aang cried out, pointing to a volcanic island, lava flowing down the mountainside and into the sea. And upon it stood a brilliant red temple.
Aang, Katara and Sokka entered the temple as stealthily as they could, taking care to make no noise. Evidently, they had forgotten to loop in Momo that stealth was the goal, and he chittered loudly on Aang's shoulder.
Katara held a finger to her lips, shushing the lemur. Oddly, he seemed to understand and looked embarrassed. He quieted, although it was too late. A door crashed open and four men in red robes entered the hall. Sokka concentrated, and was able to look into them. To see their chi, their light.
The light which shone inside them was a dark, poisoned red. It guttered and spat, the edges of the flame tinged black as burning oil. Sokka's eyes widened slightly when he saw it. This was Sozin's light, he was sure of it. It looked nothing like the golden flame that kindled within the Avatar, the part he was sure was his firebending.
"We are the Fire Sages that guard the temple of the Avatar." Said the lead man.
"Really? Great! I am the Avatar." Said Aang, surprised.
"We Know." Said the fire sage, and then the sages blasted them with flame.
Wasting no time, Sokka stepped in front of Katara to shield her from the flame, his boomerang in hand. His effort was unnecessary though, as Aang blew the flames away with a spin of his staff.
"Run, I'll hold them off!" Aang shouted. Sokka grabbed Katara by the hand and they sprinted around a corner and out of sight.
They had not been running long when Aang caught up with them. "Follow me!" He shouted, passing them by. "Do you know where you're going?!" Shouted Sokka, slowing his pace to stay beside his sister. He had never had never had to do this before; as children she had always been faster than him.
"Nope!" Aang shouted rounding a corner, then he shouted again. "Wrong way!" Running past them again the way they had come. Katara turned on her heel instantly to follow him, but as Sokka turned to follow he caught sight of the new pursuer.
He was a fire sage, that much was obvious, but he was different from the others. The light within him was brighter. Kinder. Instead of the dark red of corrupted blood that was within the others, this man was filled with the golden light of the sun.
"Aang, wait!" Sokka called out, "He isn't like the others."
The fire sage stopped and looked at Sokka, a look of slight confusion on his face. "How.. no matter," He said, turning to the Avatar as he approached wearily. The man got on his knees, and prostrated himself. "I am Fire Sage Shiyu. It has long been our duty to serve the avatar, not the fire lord. Some still remember the purpose of our order."
Aang looked at the man and nodded. "I came to speak with Avatar Roku."
"Then I shall take you to him." Said Shiyu, rising and leading them down a hallway. They turned, once, twice, a third time and came to a dead end. Shiyu moved a lamp to one side revealing a hole in the wall. He firebent into it and a door opened in the wall. "This way" He said, leading them into a secret passageway.
Aang and Shiyu walked in front, conversing quietly. Sokka and Katara followed behind.
"How did you know we could trust him?" Katara said, "That he was different?"
Sokka walked in silence for a moment. "I could see it." He said finally, looking Katara in her eyes. He noticed then that he could see inside those eyes the light that crashed within her more clearly than he could from outside. Like through a porthole on a ship, The sea within roiled and crashed against itself, never ceasing, always flowing. It was her strength, he realized. Not just her bending, no, this was the depth of her heart. It was deep, and unyielding.
Katara's eyebrows furrowed. "What does that even mean?"
"Can we talk about this later?" Sokka asked, as they exited the passageway, and ascended a staircase. Katara looked at him, her eyes narrowed, but she let the matter drop. This wasn't the time and she knew it.
They came out to a large semi-circular room with a closed door on the far wall. There were five dragons on it, their mouths open in silent roars.
"No!" Shiyu said softly. "They've sealed the sanctuary."
"Can't you open it?" Asked Sokka.
"I cannot. This a special lock, five simultaneous fire blasts can open it and nothing else. Only a fully realized avatar can open it alone.." The sage said, bowing his head.
"Five fire blasts huh?" Said Sokaa, "I think I have an idea."
He pulled out animal skin bags from his satchel and filled them with oil from the lamps on the wall. "This is a trick Dad taught me. Fill these animal skin bags with some kind of explosive and BOOM! Fake firebending." He began placing them in the serpent's mouths. When he was finished Shiyu got into position on the side of the door.
"You must run inside as soon as the doors open, Avatar Aang. The other sages will hear the explosion and come running. You will only have a minute, two or three at best when the light of the sun reaches his eyes." The sage said as sokka and Katara hid behind a pillar. Sokka stood behind Katara, kneeling and plugging his ear. He saw Katara not doing the same and gestured for her to copy him, which she did.
Shiyu lit the bags, and they exploded. Aang charged into the smoke and stopped short when he saw the door was unopened. "It didn't work.." He said, trailing off. Sokka unplugged his ears and walked to the door, whipping some soot with his finger. "It looks real though," he said.
"Sokka, you're a genius!" Said Katara.
"But his plan didn't work! Did the definition of genius change in the last hundred years?"
"Oh come on, Aang, let her dream!" Said Sokka, leaning against the wall and smiling.
"No, but it looks like it did." Katara said, and she told them her plan.
The fire sages ran up the stairs and into the antichamber. Shiyu pointed to the door and shouted to them, " The Avatar has entered the sanctuary! See the scorch marks?"
"Look, you can see somebody inside!' Said one of the sages.
There was a shadow moving under the door. "We must get inside before he contacts Avatar Roku."
Shiyu joined the other sages in a line, and they released an impressive synchronized barge of firebending at the door. When the flames entered the lock the dragons began to move, sliding in towards one another and down. The door moved back and opened, revealing… Momo.
"It's just a lemur!" Said the lead sage, "He must have crawled through the pip-"
Suddenly the lemur let out what he must have thought was a fearsome battle cry and lept on the man's face. Suddenly there was mass confusion, one sage moved to help remove the lemur, only to be stopped by Shiyu who twisted his arm behind his back. Out of seemingly nowhere, Sokka and Katara were upon the two others, Katara jumping on one man's back and placing him in an ill-effective sleeperhold. She was a girl still, and old as he may be, her enemy was a man grown, and the difference in their stature left her at a disadvantage. The sage stood tall and her feet left the ground. The man began clawing at her arms and Katara thrashed her body wildly, throwing him off balance. He staggered and she kicked into the back of his knees forcing him to fall.
Meanwhile Sokka charged his opponent loosing an ululating battle cry. The man turned and punched a blast of fire at Sokka. He ducked beneath it, rolling to his feet again while the firebender extended his arm in a fighting stance. As his enemy Raised his foot to begin the next strike, Sokka moved. He moved faster than he had ever moved before as if he were a viper, coiled and waiting for its prey. He grabbed the man's wrist and twisted, moving in a half circle as he did so, pulling the man's arm behind his back. "Now Aang!" He yelled, as he forced the man to the ground. He heard a popping noise and the man screamed in anguish, Sokka released him in shock.
"Agh!" Moaned the sage, cradling his wrist. His shoulder seemed to push out at an unnatural angle, his arm limp as he cradled it.
Sokka stared at the man, shocked at what he had done. He hadn't meant to hurt him, not really. He just wanted to waylay him so that Aang could get into the sanctuary. And yet here the man was, writhing in evident pain, his shoulder dislocated and his wrist broken.
There was a noise coming from the other side of the room. Sokka looked up and saw that Zuko had appeared as if from smoke, holding Aang's arms behind his back. "Zuko!" He snarled. He heard a thud and a cry as Katara was thrown into a wall and she slumped on the floor, dazed but otherwise unharmed. He wheeled around and saw that Shiyu was on the ground with a trickle of blood running down his forehead. The head fire sage had dislodged Momo, stuffing him into his hat and tying the end. He rounded on Sokka with the remaining sages.
As they approached Sokka took up his boomerang from its place on his back. His other hand reached for the handle of his machete. The sanctuary door began to close. There was a gust of wind and a grunt from Zuko as the Avatar freed himself. Sokka saw as Aang began to take up a fighting stance to help face the sages, and he yelled to him. "We'll be fine! You're the one they want so get inside! Remember why we came here!"
Aang hesitated a moment, and Sokka feared he wouldn't follow the mission, but then he nodded and ran to the door, leaping into the air and flying over the sages with his glider.
The door slammed shut just as the Avatar made it through. Sokka felt rough hands grab him from behind as Zuko threw him from his feet. He dropped his boomerang as two sages tied him, Shiyu, and Katara to a pillar as the lead fire sage knelt beside his wounded compatriot. "Are you alright, Brother Lee? How bad is it?"
The wounded man, brother Lee apparently, sat up and said "Shoulder's dislocated. Wrist might be broken, I'm not sure."
"Let me see it." Said Zuko, crouching down and gently feeling the wrist. "It's a sprain. Be careful with that arm for a few weeks and you'll be okay." The prince helped the man to his feet. "I can relocate your shoulder, if you're ready."
Lee nodded and gritted his teeth as Zuko began to count down from three and popped the arm back in place on two. The man exhaled slowly and bowed to him. "Thank you for your help Prince Zuko."
Sokka stared at Zuko as Katara asked Shiyu if he was alright. He looked at Prince Zuko and saw something he hadn't expected. The man who had been so savage to them and their allies was kind and soft spoken to this fire sage. Everytime he had heard the prince speak to his men he had been brusk and rude. He had assumed, perhaps rashley, that Zuko was cruel. Heartless even.
Sokka looked at Zuko, searching for the light that burned inside. His eyes widened as he saw, not just the corrupted light of the fire sages, Sozin's flame, but a fire that burned like the sun as well. As he starred he saw that the two flames were fighting, warring for dominance within Zuko.
He watched as they lined up to open the lock, but it was to no avail. "The door is sealed from within. We can't reach him now."
A slow clapping filled the room. Sokka looked to the source and saw a man in a fire navy uniform with enormous sideburns. The man spoke. "Would you look at that? A traitor, a banished prince and two water tribe peasants, friends of the Avatar no doubt."
Sokk's breath caught in his chest. This man wasn't like any he had seen before. Inside him was a fire that burned a red so deep it was almost black.
"You're too late Zhao!" snarled the prince. "The Avatar is inside and the doors are sealed."
"He has to come out eventually, and when he does, I'll take him and you to the firelord. Tie him up." This new man, Zhao, turned and walked a step as his soldiers lashed zuko to another pillar with chains. He stopped when his boot brushed against something metal. He looked down and bent to pick up Sokka's boomerang. He lifted it and read the inscription.
He looked at Sokka and smiled a viscous grin. "No, not peasants it seems."
"What are you talking about?!" Zuko said angrily. Zhao walked to the prince and held the boomerang up to him. "Read the inscription." He said, still looking at Sokka.
"Made in water tribe." Zuko read, raising an eyebrow, confused.
Zhao whipped his head to the prince and realized he had held up the wrong side for him to read.
"Not that one." He said, turning it around quickly. Zuko read again, turning his head to look at Sokka. "You're the prince of the Southern Water tribe?!"
Sokka said nothing, glaring at the two Fire Nation.
"The Firelord will be most pleased when I bring him the children of that bastard Hakoda. They will be good leverage to negotiate his surrender. And without his fleet guarding the rivers east of Ba Sing Se, the Fire Nation will finally conquer that impregnable city."
As Zhao spoke he caressed the boomerang, running his fingers along its edges. When he got to the blade, it bit deep into his finger and he dropped it. The weapon fell to the ground and rang cold and clear as a winter morning.
Zuko's eyes widened at the sound. This, more than anything else, proved the veracity of Zhao's claim.
There was a noise from inside the sanctuary. Zhao and his soldiers got moved into position, the boomerang forgotten on the floor. They waited at the door, silent as the grave. Beads of sweat dripped on Sokka's forehead and into his eyes. "Come on Aang", he thought, blinking the sting away as best he could, scrunching his eyes for a moment. "I know you made it in time, you must've talked with him by now." When he opened them again he saw the sanctuary door start to move again. Shiyu had said that Aang would only have a few minutes with him at best, and that window had come and gone. He had been inside for less than ten minutes and now the odds were against them more than they had been when he went inside. Sokka hoped that he had gotten something from his former self.
The firebenders waited for the doors to open wide before punching flame to the darkness within. The fire surged forth and into the chamber beyond where it swirled and coalesced into a great sphere, then dispersed. Two bright points of blue light appeared in the darkness, and a tall figure walked through the doorway.
"No, Aang!" Katara shouted, fear and worry for their friend in her voice.
The man, Sokka realized, was not Aang. No, this was a different man whose likeness he had seen once before. Out of the smoke and darkness stepped Avatar Roku. He moved his arms vertically in a circle in front of him, then punched out. Zhao, his soldiers, and the sages were knocked to the ground and blasted into the stairwell. Zuko's head was rocked back into the pillar he was bound to and he slumped forwards, unconscious.
The floor split open and the wall blasted out, revealing the island and sea beyond. Lava spewed out from the volcanic island and the temple shook.
"He's going to destroy the temple!' Shouted Shiyu, as the Avatar bent a wave of fire across the room, disintegrating the chains that bound both them and Zuko alike. The Fire Prince slid to the ground, still unconscious. Aang had appeared again, Roku was gone. The airbender ran to Katara asking if she was okay. Sokka bit back a sarcastic comment at being ignored as Appa flew up to the opening in the wall. He picked up his weapons and the still restrained lemur, then helped his sister onto the bison when Aang asked, "Where's Shiyu?"
Sokka turned to look for the sage but he had vanished. He saw only Zuko lying where had fallen on the floor. Aang saw the prince too, and looked at Sokka. "We can't leave him, he'll die!"
Sokka groaned and rolled his eyes. He didn't want to leave him to burn or be crushed under rubble when the temple collapsed either. He ran to Zuko and hauled him over his shoulders, carrying him to safety, dumping him unceremoniously in Appa's saddle. "You just love making our lives more difficult, don't you?" He asked the dazed prince. Appa took off and Sokka tied Zuko with rope from his bag. The whole ordeal from the time Roku had emerged to their escape had taken less than a minute, yet Sokka felt as if he had been running for hours. Adventure was exhausting.
"What are we going to do with him?" Katara aked, looking at Zuko.
"We can drop him off at an island?" Aang said, rubbing his head with his hand.
"We're in Fre Nation territory," Sokka replied, "We can't make any more stops, it's too risky."
"Well, we can't keep him with us." Katara said, still looking at Zuko. "That's even more risky."
The sky grew darker as they conversed, and the first stars began to appear overhead. The moon was visible and the sun fell behind the horizon. Night fell around them.
"So we can't drop him anywhere, and we can't keep him with us." Said Sokka, staring at Zuko. Zuko stirred and opened his eyes.
"Well, well, well, look who decided to wake up." He said to the firebender. "You tried to captcher the Avatar, and now you're captured by the Avatar!" He said with an obnoxious grin.
Katara laughed at the indignant expression on Zuko's face. "Remember how you invaded our village? And burned Kyoshi Island?"
"Or about how you destroyed my watchtower? I bet you think those were all great ideas now that we've captured you!" Sokka said, grinning.
"We didn't capture him, Sokka, we rescued him." Said Aang from his seat on Appa's head.
"Lies!" Spat Zuko, glaring at Aang. Sokka realized that he was blocking the view of the burning and collapsed temple with his body. "See for yourself." He said, moving aside.
Zuko's eyes widened as he saw the burning ruin shrinking into the distance behind them. Aang spoke again. "Like I said, we rescued you, we didnt take you prisoner."
"If not to keep me prisoner then why?!"
They were silent for a moment. Sokka saw a ship to the northeast and pointed Aang in that direction. The Avatar looked puzzled but followed Sokka's direction regardless. Eventually Katara answered Zuko's question.
"Even if you are our enemy, we won't leave someone defenseless behind to die." Zuko blinked at that, his mouth slightly open.
"I'm not defenseless!" Zuko said indignantly.
"Yeah, okay buddy. I'm sure that you were pretending to be knocked out on the floor of a collapsing building. That was also on fire." Sokka said, his voice thick with sarcasm. He pulled the prince up by the ponytail and facing him out towards the ship. "Real clever of you. Now, is that your ship?"
"What ship? I can't see anything out there, it's completely dar-" Zuko cut off mid sentence. He hadn't seen a ship, but he could faintly make out the sound of his uncle singing. His shoulders sagged, "Why does it have to be music night? Yes, that's my ship."
Team Avatar ghosted silently beside the ship and tossed Zuko, gagged with one of Sokka's socks, onto the deck where he slid on his face until he lost momentum, falling on his belly.
"Prince Zuko!?" Iroh said, rushining to help his nephew. He untied him, and looked at the silhouette of a sky bison flit across the moon. "I take it that your mission did not go as planned."
