Chapter Six

Jeong Jeong

The soldier sat in a chair in the center of the room. He had been there waiting for he knew not how long. He was beginning to wonder if he had violated some code or statute he was unaware of when the door opened and three girls walked in.

He blinked in surprise for a second before he recognized the leading lady. He bowed his head deeply to her, before speaking. "Princess, I am honored to be in your presence."

Azula smiled. "Of course you are," She said, meeting the soldier's eyes as he raised his head.

She didn't say anything, she just watched the man for a minute. As she stared he began to sweat, and his eyes darted from person to person, nervous.

When Azula deemed a sufficient time had passed she spoke again. "Tell me, what did you see at the fire temple?"


Azula idly tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair, waiting for Admiral Zhao to join them. Her friends Mai and Ty Lee were sitting at a table at one side of the room discussing the soldiers Azula had questioned. She had brought the two of them with her from the Fire Nation, and they had been present during the interrogation of the eleven witnesses.

All of the men and women had said roughly the same thing; Zuko had escaped the collapsing temple with the Avatar. Mai was reluctant to believe that to be true, and she had said that there must be more to it than had appeared. Azula was inclined to agree.

During her interviews she had watched the eyes of the soldiers carefully, and known that they spoke the truth. Or at least that they believed what they were saying was the truth. Everyone gave something away when she looked into their eyes. Often she saw their fear or admiration, at times hope flickered and dimmed when she watched them. No matter who she faced, they all bent eventually. Except for her father. He was the only one who never gave, never faltered.

Even Mai and Ty Lee, her two companions and only real friends, couldn't withstand her gaze for long without looking away. They had been together for almost their entire lives, and even they feared her at times.

She looked at the pair of them, chatting idly. Mai was stating she was skeptical of the accounts from the soldiers, in her dry way. Which, coming from her, might as well have been a stirring speech on the nature of love and loyalty. She was apathetic towards nearly everyone and everything. She held the world in an unfailing indifference except for one person: Zuko. She wasn't indifferent towards him.

No, Azula's brother held a special place in Mai's heart. Why that was Azula herself couldn't begin to fathom. Her brother had been banished for nigh on three years and it seemed that Mai's affection for the boy had only grown.

Azula rose from her chair and paced the length of the room, rain and lightning pelting the ground outside of the naval compound they were visiting. Her friends stopped chatting and watched her walk, back and forth across the room. Moving. Thinking.

Her father had sent her to find the truth. The witness testimony was compelling, but it wasn't everything. No, she would have to see for herself to find if there was truth in her brother's alleged treachery. It was the task given by her father and she could not, would not, fail him.

She had learned something else while questioning the witnesses, a little piece of information that hadn't made its way into Zhao's missive to the Fire Lord. The companions of the Avatar were none other than the First Son of the South and his sister, the princess. Perhaps he had deemed it unimportant, or perhaps he merely delayed the information to put into the official report.

Still, it was odd that those two were with the Avatar. The last reports had placed the Southern Fox sailing north, not far from the northern air temple, several weeks ago. Most of the generals thought he was going to skirt around the northern coast of the Earth Kingdom and rejoin his fleet guarding the rivers to the east of Ba Sing Se. But Azula wasn't sure. Perhaps that was his plan, or perhaps not.

The door to the chamber opened and the newly minted admiral entered, disrupting Azula's thoughts. The man walked towards her and bowed. "You wished to speak with me Princess?"

Azula nodded. "I interviewed the witnesses, they all corroborated your story. It would seem that my brother has joined forces with the Avatar, betraying the Fire Nation and the Fire Lord both. But I'm not so sure. I think I'll have to see it for myself before I confirm it to my father, so we will be traveling with you a while longer."

Zhao blinked, and then bowed his head. "Of course, Princess."

"And I found something else, Admiral. You neglected to mention in your message to the Fire Lord that the Avatar travels with the First Son and princess of the southern Water Tribe. I find that curious, I find that very curious in fact, given your own personal history with the southern Water Tribe. Your father was killed during the raids of the south pole after all. I should hope that you weren't planning to keep the information to yourself, so that you may get your revenge on their line."

Zhao stiffened, and Azula took note of it. His next words would tell her if that was an act of fear or guilt.

The admiral spoke. "Not at all your highness, I simply thought the news of the prince was most important. I included the information about the Avatar's companions in the official report, and the Fire Lord should have received it by now. In fact, I have even taken the liberty of drafting wanted posters and posting bounties for the pair of them."

It was fear then. The man was likely worried that his omission of the fact might have been taken for treachery. Had his actions regarding the report been less thorough, or had he not taken steps to advance the capture of the Avatar's companions Azula would have determined treachery, or at the very least hubris.

"Very well, Admiral." Azula said, turning away from him and returning to her seat. "See that they are posted in every town and village under the Fire Nation's control."

"It will be done." Zhao said, bowing once more, before departing the room.


Zuko glared from the prow of his ship as they sailed northward. The storm had broken late that morning and the ship had left later still. His men had returned to the ship on time, but after their day of shore leave they were in no shape to do anything but crawl into their racks and sleep off their revelry.

Zuko found it both surprising and typical that the Avatar had been there as well. Surprising that the Avatar would show up at the exact place and time that he himself had, and completely typical that it had been on the first occasion in months that he had given his crew shore leave. Of course the Avatar would appear when he was alone, and when his men were incapable of aiding him. Even that the boy had appeared mere moments after he had sent his uncle away was just another entry in the long line of misfortune that had befallen Zuko.

When he had chased the Water Tribe buffoon- he could still hardly believe that the boy was more than he had appeared- he had encountered something he had never expected. The light from the lanterns had just stopped somehow. They didn't go out, not quite, but their reach had wavered, and then receded. In the dark he had lost his quarry, It must have been a trick, some plan somehow.

Uncle Iroh had said not to underestimate the First Son, and somehow Zuko had. That mad dash through the village, had it been a ruse all along? But that didn't make any sense. They hadn't known he was there, they couldn't have. But if not how could they have planted the faltering lanterns?

Zuko huffed. It was over now, he thought, and dwelling on the past wouldn't help.

They had seen the Avatar flying north after the storm had broken, and they would follow. Now that they had his trail again he wouldn't stand idly by and let him slip away.

"Prince Zuko!"

Zuko turned to see his uncle hurrying towards him, a scroll in his upraised hand.

"What is it, Uncle?" He asked wearily. Based solely off of Iroh's hurry he guessed it wasn't good. His uncle didn't hurry often.

"Princess Azula is traveling with Admiral Zhao. Apparently she arrived yesterday with two companions, and is now sailing with him." His uncle said, before placing the scroll in Zuko's outstretched hand.

Zuko read the scroll and his eyes narrowed. Azula was sailing with Zhao? Why? Had his father decided to send her after the Avatar as well?

Zuko was uneasy at this revelation. Azula was out of the capital. She had delighted in tormenting him when they were younger, and took even greater joy in beating him in anything she could.

Her two companions. Mai and Ty Lee, he assumed. It would be good to see Mai again, even Ty Lee would be good to see. Zuko hadn't been overly fond of her, but after nearly three years it would be good to see a familiar face that wasn't part of his crew or his uncle. To his surprise he found that he had even missed Azula, although only slightly.

But the fact that they were sailing with Zhao… It did not promise a happy reunion. The opposite if anything, and that was something he wasn't looking forward to. He turned his attention back to his uncle. "I don't know why she's here. I don't like it."

"Nor do I, Prince Zuko." His uncle said, a foreboding expression on his face. "I think it's time we resume your training."


Sokka reached again for the void as he sat in Appa's saddle. He was closer this time, he could feel it. He hadn't managed to find the state of clarity he had found when facing Zuko the previous day but he could feel.. Something.

Katara was watching him from the front of the saddle, near where Aang steered the bison. She watched as he sat, eyes closed breathing evenly. There was a line of worry forming on her forehead, but she said nothing. She sat silently, watching her brother. All day he had been sitting quietly, hardly moving. More strange than this, he had not eaten since they left the barn after the storm had broken.

She supposed that him sitting quietly wasn't so odd, he had been doing so for weeks now as he learned to control his third eye. But Sokka not rummaging through their food supply for a whole day? Unheard off. Perhaps he was sick?

"Are you feeling okay?" She asked. "You were out in that storm for a while, I'm worried you might have caught something."

Sokka opened his eyes and looked at her for a moment then said, "I'm fine." Before closing his eyes once more.

She rolled her eyes and went over to him, placing a hand on his forehead. She blinked. It was cold to the touch.

"You're freezing!" She said and started looking for his parka. She had no idea how someone could be as cold as that and still be conscious.

"What's going on?" Aang asked, looking back when he noticed the commotion in the saddle.

"Sokka's freezing! We have to land and make a fire!" Katara said as she unroled her brother's parka.

"I feel fine." Sokka said, touching his face and neck methodically. He hadn't noticed anything, and even now he didn't feel particularly cold. Katara pushed his coat toward him and he considered refusing to wear it, but decided to wear it. Maybe he had hypothermia or something?

Aang jumped into the saddle and floated down beside the two of them. He put his hand on Sokka's forehead and frowned. "Wow, you are cold! Really cold."

The Avatar returned to the head of the bison and steered him toward the ground. He could make out a small camp in the woods near a river, and pointed it out to his friends. They flew towards it and in minutes they had landed next to it. The camp was filled with tents and small buildings with metal roofs. They lined the path leading up to a slightly larger hut with a tree sticking out of its top.

"Hello?" Aang called out as he jumped down from Appa. "Is anybody home? My friend is sick, he needs to get warm."

A man with a mane of shaggy gray hair appeared from within the largest hut. As he approached Aang saw that he had a thin mustache and beard, along with two long scars that ran up the right side of his face.

Katara and Sokka climbed down Appa's tail and stood beside Aang. For his part, Sokka had an expression of mild indignation on his face and stood there with his arms folded in front of his chest. Katara Looked around the camp with curiosity.

"Is he on the bison?" The man asked, looking up at the animal.

"No, he's right here." Katara said, pointing a thumb at her brother.

"He doesn't look sick." The man observed.

"I don't feel sick either!" Sokka huffed. Katara rolled her eyes at her brother's stubbornness.

"Well, healthy people don't feel that cold when you touch them!" She said loudly, glaring at him.

The man walked forwards and touched Sokka's face, at which point the young Water Tribe man jumped back, and said "The next person who touches my face without asking is getting their hand bitten!"

Really, he thought, this was getting ridiculous. First Katara, then Aang, and now random strangers with creepy mustaches! "Who even are you?!"

The man narrowed his eyes. "One should not presume to come to a man's home uninvited, ask for help, and then demand names without giving introductions of their own."

Sokka blushed at that, and Katara kicked at the ground, slightly embarrassed. Aang rubbed the back of his head and spoke. "My name is Aang, I'm the Avatar. These are my friends Katara and Sokka."

The man's eyes widened, and then he spoke. "It is an honor to meet the Avatar. I am Jeong Jeong."


Sokka reached for the void, and this time he found it. He held onto it for a moment and then it slipped away.

"Gah!" He said as he lost the trance. Well, he thought, that was better than he'd managed all day. He sat near the campfire, still clad in his parka. His protestations that he was fine went completely ignored, and Katara insisted that he remain bundled up.

The three of them had been quite shocked when Jeong Jeong lit the fire with a single breath, and it had taken some cajoling from the firebender to convince them that he wasn't with the Fire Nation. Once they had accepted that, Aang had pleaded with the man to train him in firebending, to which Jeong Jeong had refused.

According to Jeong Jeong, the Avatar had to master the other elements in the cycle before he would teach him firebending.

Now the three of them sat around a campfire within Jeong Jeong's camp. When the sun began to set, the other men with him had come back one by one until there were a few dozen people there.

"So what do you think we should do Aang?" Katara Said, "Should we keep going to the north pole and then find Jeong Jeong again once you've mastered earth and water?"

Aang didn't respond right away, so Sokka cut in. "Well, I think we should get to the north pole as quickly as possible. Once the two of you learn waterbending, then we can worry about earth and fire. Plus, when Katara masters waterbending we'll be able to worry about the Fire Nation less. We're pretty much defenseless without Aang, so having two benders on our team will help me sleep easier at night."

"Is that even possible? You already sleep like a hibernating polar bear-dog." Katara said, looking at Sokka with a mocking expression. Sokka just shrugged and looked at Aang. Katara's face fell at that, but she looked at Aang too.

"You guys have a point," He said at last. "We should reach the north pole quickly. But I think I should at least try and ask Jeong Jeong one more time. We might not be able to find him again, so this might be my only chance. Where else are we going to find a firebender who isn't part of the Fire Nation?"

With that the Avatar stood and left the fire, heading into the night in the direction of Jeong Jeong's hut. Sokka watched him as he left the fire light. He could make out his outline as he made his way towards the hut, and disappeared inside.

The brother and sister sat in silence for a while as they waited for Aang to return. As the minute's dragged on Katara decided to break the silence.

"So what's it like in the spirit world?" She asked, eyeing Sokka from across the fire. She sat huddled together, her arms hugging her knees. Sokka looked at her, and then leaned back against the stump of a tree he sat in front of. He placed his hands behind his head as he reclined and looked at the crescent moon.

"Not too different from this one really. I've only been to three places, but they weren't that special. First it was a swamp where Hei Bai dropped me, and then it was in a forest. I walked onto a plain that turned into tundra. There were lights in the sky like back home during summer. After that I was on a mountain top where I met Guru Laghima."

Katara looked thoughtful for a moment then spoke again. "Aang said that this guru died thousands of years ago."

Sokka nodded and turned his attention to her once again. "Yeah?"

"I was thinking… if the guru is there, and Avatar Kuruk… do you think Mom is there? That you could see her again?"

Sokka blinked. Their mother. He hadn't even considered… she had been gone so long and he didn't think that he would see her again until he… But hadn't he traveled to the spirit world twice already? Laghima and Kuruk were there so why wouldn't she be there too?

"Katara you're a genius! I can't believe I didn't think of that!" He smiled broadly and ran to her, picking her up in a bear hug. He spun her around laughing, in what he didn't realize had been the first time in weeks.

"The next time I go there, I won't leave until I find her!" He said, putting his sister down again. He stopped laughing when he saw her face. She was frowning and tears had formed in the corners of her eyes. She grabbed her elbow, and looked away.

"Oh, yeah. You probably want to see her too." Sokka said lamely. He hadn't thought about that, caught up in his elation over the chance to see his mother again. Katara nodded and wiped her eyes.

"It's okay." She said, "At least one of us will get to see her again."

Sokka thought for a moment, and then found an idea. "I know what will make you feel better. When I first met Kuruk he was holding my boomerang!" he said smiling again

"How is that going to make me feel better?" Katara said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"If Kuruk could hold something of mine then it stands to reason that Mom could too."

"And why would Mom holding a boomerang help?"

Sokka sagged for a second, realizing he hadn't explained fully. "No, that's not what I meant. If she can hold things from the physical world then you can write her a letter! I'll give it to her and she can read it! Maybe she can even write one back, I don't know what the rules are."

Katara's face lit up at his words. She might not be able to see their mom again, but even the possibility of talking to her, be it by using Sokka as a mailman, was enough to make her happier than she had been in a long time.

"That's a great idea! I need a brush and some paper, do you think Jeong Jeong will let me borrow some?" She said, turning to look out towards the deserter's hut.

"Probably. When you finish it, give it to me. I'll have to keep it on me because I don't know when I'll be in the spirit world again."

"Don't read it." Katara said with a glare.

"I would never!" Sokka said, feigning offense. If she hadn't asked him not to he probably would have.

"You should try to go to the spirit world on purpose. If you've become bound to this Koh person then it makes sense that you'd be able to cross over."

Sokka rubbed his chin at that. He hadn't thought of trying to go to the spirit world on purpose.

"Yeah, maybe I should."


Aang pushed aside the curtain and entered Jeong Jeong's hut. The man himself was sitting lotus style beside the tree that grew through the roof of the structure. Candles encircled him and the flames flared and dimmed in time with his breathing.

"Why are you here, young Avatar?" He asked, without looking up to see who had come.

"I've come to ask you to teach me firebending again." Aang said, sitting down in front of the firebender, placing his staff across his knees. Jeong Jeong shook his head as he did so, grumbling.

"No." He said before turning away and facing the opposite direction. "You must master water and earth first, you are not ready."

"Please!" Aang said, "It's my destiny to master all the bending disciplines! I have to-"

"Destiny?! What does a child know about destiny? A fish can swim all its life in this river and not know water, it can swim to the river's end and it will not know the world, it cannot imagine the ocean. You have no interest in discipline, and so I have no interest in you. Get out."

"This could be my only chance! I have to learn. I need to defeat the Fire Lord before the comet comes!" Aang pleaded. Jeong Jeong only shook his head.

"How can I teach you if you will not listen? I told you to leave, now go!" They were both shouting now, neither giving ground.

"But I-"

"You are impatient!" Jiong Jeong cut him off. "Fire is not like the other elements! Water will not drown a man unless he cannot swim! Without the bender, a rock doesn't throw itself into the air!" He turned again to face the Avatar.

"Fire alone is alive, it breathes! It grows! If you do not have the will to control it then the fire will destroy all that it touches if left to its own devices! You are impatient! You are not ready! You are too weak!" Jeong Jeong said with a snarl.

A gong sounded and the candles flared and went out, save one. Mist filled the room of the hut, and the walls seemed to fade away. Jeong Jeong looked around, blinking in surprise when a voice alien to him spoke.

"You think I am weak?"

Jeong Jeong looked back to where Aang sat moments before, finding not the young airbender but instead a tall figure with an ornate hair piece.

"Avatar Roku? No, no I didn't mean that." He bowed his head before the old man.

"I have mastered the element a thousand times in a thousand lifetimes. And now, I must do it once again. Aang must defeat the Fire Lord before summer's end, and afterwards he will face an even greater threat. You will teach the Avatar firebending."

As he finished speaking, Roku waved a hand and the tree beside them ignited, illuminating the space in an eerie light.

"Yes, I will teach you." Jeong Jeong said, closing his eyes. But the voice that responded to him ws not Avatar Roku. He opened his eyes once more to see the smiling face of Avatar Aang.

"Really? Great!"


The captain Kano of the unit assigned to protect Ilah Firenation colony started at the two scouts. They had rushed into his office making claims about seeing the Avatar.

"You saw the Avatar?" He said, incredulous. Why here of all places?

They nodded vehemently and The taller of the two spoke. "We saw his bison descend a few dozen miles up river. We think they made landfall at that camp by the shore."

The captain exhaled through his nose. The fire festival was a few weeks away and he had spent much of his time preoccupied with the planning of the festivities. If the Avatar had come at another time he wouldn't have been so distracted. He looked at the two men and then nodded.

"Send a report to Admiral Zhao at once. Black ribbon."

The two scout's bowed to him and left quickly, rushing to the rookery where the messenger hawks were kept.

The captain sat behind his desk and slumped back in his seat. He had a bad feeling about this.