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.

16. Episode 16: The Northern Passage

Avatar: The Last Firebender

Based on Distorted Reality by Ogro

Written by Carrotine Clara

Proofread by CowTrain

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Book 1: Fire

Episode 16

The Northern Passage

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Act I. – Settling a score

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Part 1: The Prince and the Swordfighter

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The waves have thankfully been gentle to the boys, their canoe, and their common endeavor to catch up to the ironclad. Sabachi, despite having known Zuko for a long while now, has chosen to rest mostly at Sokka's side, occasionally pretending to ignore the disarmed swordfighter. Zuko shakes his head at the little lemur, continuing to paddle forward.

SOKKA: A little to the left!

Zuko reluctantly follows the command.

ZUKO: We'd be a lot faster if you could help me.

SOKKA (staring at a map): No we wouldn't. This is a two-person canoe.

Zuko grunts.

ZUKO: Oh yeah? Then how come I'm doing all the work?

Sokka sighs.

SOKKA: Because I am in charge of the map!

The prince flips open his compass again.

ZUKO: Well... I'll have you know I was always in charge of the map when we traveled with Aang!

SOKKA: How did that work out for ya?

Zuko remembers some of the detours and shuts up.

SOKKA (focusing on the map): Alright...

Sabachi chirps curiously.

SOKKA: We're going to head east, through the Northern Passage.

Zuko's eyebrow shoots up.

ZUKO: The what?

Sokka sighs.

SOKKA: Come here.

Zuko briefly puts down the paddle and looks at the route Sokka's showing him.

SOKKA: I assume they're heading to the North Pole, which is here.

He points at the North Pole. Zuko frowns.

ZUKO: I know where the North Pole is.

SOKKA: Sure. But this...

He points at a series of spike symbols stretching all across the most northern parts of the Earth Kingdom's ocean.

SOKKA: This is the Northern Passage. It's a series of rock spikes and volcanic death traps. No ship ever passes through it. Which is why I assume...

He points slightly north of the spike field, which appears to be a detour leading to the North Pole.

SOKKA: ...that Bato is taking his ship this way.

Zuko nods.

ZUKO: So... what are we going to do? It's going to take a miracle to catch up with him.

SOKKA: Exactly. Which is why we're going through the Northern Passage.

Zuko's jaw drops and Sabachi chirps again.

ZUKO: What?! Are you crazy?!

SOKKA: Ah, don't worry. The Northern Passage is only dangerous for larger ships. It should be fine for a small canoe like ours.

Zuko is only halfway convinced, though continues to paddle nonetheless. The boys share a nicely awkward moment of quiet together.

SOKKA: So uh... you were the map guy, huh?

ZUKO: Yes?

Sabachi makes a high-pitched chirp, which sounds oddly intrusive.

SOKKA: Yeah, I was just curious. You don't seem like the... smart guy.

Zuko reacts appropriately comically.

ZUKO: What's that supposed to mean?

Sokka scratches the back of his head.

SOKKA: Well, it's just... in the Water Tribe being the brave warrior is seen as the norm. Most guys who spend their time looking at maps are... not that popular.

Zuko scoffs.

ZUKO: How would anyone find anything ever then?

Sokka shrugs.

SOKKA: Yeah, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Most things don't.

Zuko finds his description rather strange.

SOKKA: Back at home I wasn't really good at...

ZUKO: Being brave?

While his ego is hurt, Sokka ultimately nods.

SOKKA: Yes. I spent a lot of time in the Whale Cage Library. I thought if I wasn't going to defeat a lot of enemies, at least I could help like this.

As Sokka continues to study the map's path, carefully calculating their course with a marine circle, the raven-haired boy gains some perspective on the prince's psyche.

ZUKO: I was always the weirdo who'd read books at home.

Sokka listens closely.

ZUKO: Dad hated it. Said a "real" warrior needs to earn their place in the world. He...

Zuko pauses his thought for a moment.

ZUKO: I guess he never really respected me. No wonder he left us.

He says it rather nonchalantly, surprised himself at how little he gets worked up about it. Sokka feels profound empathy, because of course...

SOKKA: My father and I don't really get along either. He... kind of banished me.

Zuko's brow shoots up comically and a funny triangle sound underlines the humor in his reaction.

ZUKO: He did what?!

SOKKA: I mean, I don't think it was ever "official"... official. But... yeah. Why do you think I'm... cruising through the world instead of living it out on some tropical Fire Nation island?

Zuko frowns at his comments trivializing colonialism. Sokka gulps in response.

SOKKA: Um... as a guest of course.

Zuko looks back forward. Tensions on deck are still a bit weird.

SOKKA: So how are you faring with the boomerang?

Zuko thinks for a moment.

ZUKO: Uh... fine, I guess. I never use it that much anymore since I got the throwing weapons from Mai.

He quickly demonstrates his knife skills which, based on how impressively he flips the weapon around, seem to have improved a whole lot. Definitely enough to impress the prince.

SOKKA: Wow. Did you get those from Crescent Island?

Zuko smiles for a moment when thinking about Mai.

ZUKO: Yeah...

...but his smile disappears, concerned for Ty Lee.

ZUKO: But that's a while ago. Can I ask you something?

SOKKA: Sure.

ZUKO: I wondered since we... "met" you...

Sokka feels guilty once again.

ZUKO: Why do you use a boomerang? You're rich. Doesn't really go with the fancy sword.

Sokka's pain about the loss of Bone Crusher, his beloved, resurfaces. He tries keeping a straight face.

SOKKA (comically saddened): Sure...

He clears his throat.

SOKKA: There's actually a more interesting story behind the boomerang.

ZUKO: Oh yeah?

SOKKA: Yeah...

Sokka recounts a few of his happier childhood memories.

SOKKA: When we went out for hunts I was trained to use multiple weapons. Club, spear, machete... but the first weapon I ever really mastered was the good old boomerang.

The prince smirks.

SOKKA: I don't know, I guess I grew sentimental.

Zuko takes a paddle break to take out the boomerang from his belt, gifting it to Sokka, who initially refuses.

SOKKA: I... I can't accept it. You earned it in a fight.

Zuko shrugs.

ZUKO: So what? I lost enough fights to give it up. It has always been yours.

Hesitating at first, Sokka finally accepts it. He stares into his own reflection, which is oddly sharp and almost works as a mirror.

Suddenly, the prince spots something else in the reflection, a strange dot in the distance. As he turns around he finds the shape in the sky behind them. A quick peek through his spyglass reveals the shape to be a flying bison.

SOKKA: Is that your bison?

Zuko turns, almost dropping the paddle in surprise.

ZUKO: THAT'S APPA!

Zuko starts waving and screaming like a mad man.

ZUKO: HEY! HEEEYYY! AAAPPAAA!

SOKKA: How would that possibly work?

The deep growl of the animal leaves Sokka speechless. The skeptical Water Tribe royal reacts scared, as the giant bison approaches closer and closer, eventually splashing into the ocean and almost knocking the canoe over. Zuko is filled to the brim with joy. As Appa swims up to their boat, the raven-haired boy jumps up his head and starts lovingly tousling the bison's fur. Based on its calmed moans it seems to enjoy this. Even Sabachi has climbed back on to the soft furry beast. Sokka feels a bit left out.

ZUKO: Where did you come from? Is Aang-

Taking a peek at his saddle, he is shocked to find it empty. Zuko's smile disappears at it dawns on him.

ZUKO: Oh no...

SOKKA: Great. The Avatar is just who I need...

ZUKO: He isn't here!

Sokka's arms uncross.

SOKKA: What?

Appa initially growls angrily at the prince.

ZUKO (to Appa): Hey... it's okay. He's a friend.

Yet another moment of silence as the boys exchange glances.

ZUKO: I think at least.

Sokka scoffs in relief.

SOKKA: Well, let's load our stuff on the big guy.

ZUKO: I guess we can skip the whole Northern Passage thing then, huh?

SOKKA: Oh yeah, thank Sedni. That thing I said about how it's safe for smaller ships? Total lie, I made that up.

Zuko is left speechless too, for a moment.

SOKKA: Alright! Let's go!

---

SOKKA: So where did Aang go?

With the bison soaring over the mostly windless blue, Zuko ponders if he should answer the question honestly.

ZUKO: Well... I have my own theories.

SOKKA: You do?

Sokka decides to finally tie his hair back together, mostly because the iconic wolf tail doesn't constantly blow in his face. Zuko sighs.

ZUKO: He might be... gone. For good.

Appa growls in protest but neither of the boys know what the beast is really saying.

SOKKA: Gone? You don't mean...

ZUKO: No. Like... disappeared.

He briefly looks back at Sokka in the saddle with a concerned frown. As he looks back forward, he continues.

ZUKO: He's from a... different world. Or something like that.

The prince takes the news oddly well.

SOKKA: Hm. Would explain some stuff.

ZUKO: Like?

SOKKA: Remember how you took me and Kenora as prisoners? Back at the school?

Zuko nods quietly, preferring not to think about that adventure for too long.

SOKKA: Yeah so, when I tried to fight Aang he just... sat down and... asked me weird questions, like he wanted to know about my sister? Also, I'm pretty sure he knew my name was Sokka beforehand. It was really weird.

Zuko nods again. He hates this feeling. Azula was right. Not that he didn't believe her, it's just that a part of him had hoped that the outlandish explanation was rubbish and that Aang was just a dick. But with what Sokka says... it just clicks more and more.

SOKKA: Go lower!

Zuko abruptly loosens Appa's reins, signaling to the animal that it should fly lower, which it then does.

ZUKO: What is it?

Sokka peeks through his spyglass.

SOKKA (looking through spyglass): Cruiser class ironclad. It's him.

ZUKO: Bato?

SOKKA (looking through spyglass): Yes. Hm...

ZUKO What is it?

SOKKA (looking through spyglass): The smaller ships are missing. The wooden ones.

ZUKO: What does that mean?

Sokka collapses the spyglass and reattaches it to his belt.

SOKKA: I don't know.

With a smirk he puts the boomerang back into its sheath, which he kept just in case...

SOKKA (quietly): I knew you'd come back.

The prince clears his throat.

SOKKA: Alright, here's how this is going to go - You drop me in the front as a distraction. I'll keep Bato busy while you sneak in from behind.

ZUKO: What?!

SOKKA: You're apparently a ninja or something, so deal with the guards quietly. After you found your friends, you'll go straight for Appa and get out of here.

ZUKO: What about you? Aren't you going to come along?

Sokka answers with silence.

SOKKA: Nah. I have a bone to pick with Bato. He won't kill me. I am still his prince.

Zuko looks back again. The image of the ironclad starts moving closer.

ZUKO: Thank you.

Their eyes meet one last time and Sokka gives him a confident smirk.

---

Footsteps, metal clanks, and shouting sounds from the front part of the ship, all while Zuko quietly waits in between some food barrels. He "parked" Appa in a blind spot, briefly knocking out an approaching guard that came his way. The staircase leading down is now directly ahead. Well, one of the staircases. Sabachi stayed back on Appa, though Sokka suspects that the little lemur won't stay there for long.

Like a moving shadow, he disappears from his hiding spot and sneaks through the corridors. The metal mixed with some wooden door frames give him a strangely alien feeling. An occasional guard or soldier called to the bow rushes through the halls, forcing Zuko to constantly shift back and forth. He manages to keep his breath down and his feet light.

After a while he finally finds the right corridor, or at least he thinks, which could lead him to a cell. As he quietly opens the door, he finds himself in a large room with a huge collection of random items, including Sokka's old sword. Still, wrong room. He shuts the door, miscalculating its weight and accidentally creating a loud thud.

GUARD 1: Hey!

A guard caught on - Zuko runs for it, keeping a brisk but still silent speed.

GUARD 1: Come back!

The guard crosses a few corners before admitting to having lost the raven-haired boy. Two other guards with clubs show up.

GUARD 2: What's going on?

GUARD 1: I was just chasing a kid! He went down this hallway!

GUARD 3: A kid?

GUARD 2: Where did he go?

The first guard doesn't have an answer to that. He looks in the corridor ahead, then back where he came running from. There's one more direction.

He looks up.

And that's precisely when Zuko lets himself fall down, kicking the guard with his knee before landing and immediately pinning the guy down with two darts. Guard 2 immediately tries a club attack, but finds his arm quickly wrapped around Zuko's, who uses the momentum to elbow his enemy in the face. The third attacker tries a club swing, misses, tries again and is tricked by the boy to hit Guard 2 in the face, knocking him out. Zuko lets go, disarms the club man with a knife throw, gives him two skillful kicks, which knocks him against the corridor wall, against which he is quickly pinned with very sharp-looking knives.

A brief moment of silence. The first guard moans but is ultimately knocked out by a pretty brutal kick. Zuko tries his best to seem calm and intimidating, even though all of these kicks and punches really, really hurt.

GUARD 3 (scared): Who are you?

Zuko takes out another knife and holds it up to the man's throat.

ZUKO: Where do you keep your prisoners?

With a partially pinned arm, the guard politely and comically points down the hall.

GUARD 3: Turn left, last door on the right.

Zuko is surprised by the level of cooperation.

ZUKO: Thank you.

Unfortunately, he does still have to knock the third guard out with his own club.

---

Patience is thrown out the window when Zuko crudely opens the hatch-like door. The small, dingy room with a narrow window at the very top was obviously not constructed as a prison, yet the chains hanging down the walls would indicate that it is very much used for that.

What speaks against it is the lack of prisoners. Zuko's heart skips a beat. No Azula. No Ty Lee.

ZUKO: No...

---

Part 2: Hunter of the South

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Like the beat of a metronome, Bato continues to sharpen his hunting knife over the edge. The sea has shown to be much calmer today. An almost even surface is disrupted by the ironclad piercing forward. He continues to run his sharpening tool down the blade, only to move it back towards the hilt to repeat the process.

He hated Puwati's strategy. He had previously taken a liking to the Vice-Chief's sharp and precise battle conduct. But now...

The worst thing was that Kanna went with him. He scoffs at his dumb thought. But it's true.

Bato was ordered to spread his smaller boats as thin as possible. Any signal of an Avatar trying to get past them and the whole fleet would be alerted. Though Bato suspects that Puwati's real plan is to have the Avatar come to him personally. It was Bato's mission and now the Vice-Chief wanted to take is glory.

If only he knew what Kanna had said to him last night, something Bato didn't hear in the raging storm. But it must've spooked the larger man. And it was reason enough to scare the hunter.

Paranoia had been festering inside Bato, growing slowly like a parasitic creature. How did Puwati know? He never mentioned Huoshan by name. Was it - no. No. It can't be. Kanna would never...

Then a second, even scarier thought arises inside him. What about the girl? If Puwati knew about Huoshan... what if he... somehow knew about the stronghold? The night Ae' Kiki was killed by the Blue Spirit? And the night he let a stranger rescue the firebender? What if... what if the girl talked...

No! He snaps out of it, angry at himself for even considering it. For as much as he hated the little brat... she was right. It would not make them win the war faster. But what if she did talk?

...

He lingers on the thought for a bit longer than he wants to. He finally makes a decision - go to his office to distract himself.

---

A knock on his metal door gives Bato's mind the much-needed distraction.

BATO: Come in.

Slouched over in his chair with his legs on the table, the incoming soldier seems slightly baffled by the more relaxed-looking commander. He still performs the chest pounding gesture and Bato responds with a tired nod.

BATO: What is it?

SOLDIER: The uh... belongings of the prisoners. As you requested.

Bato nods once again and the soldier puts the bag on his desk.

BATO: That's all.

He waves the young soldier away and the man leaves, slightly dazzled by Bato's informal behavior. After the lad shuts the door, Bato sits back upright, starting to cram through the two backpacks, trying to find anything of interest. He scoffs at the realization - had he had this bag a few days ago, he could've tracked them down earlier.

It also makes him think of something else - Sokka. It was his scent that they used, and it eventually led him to the spa. Was the prince there?

Never mind. He continues to cram through the bags as if they were his. He also admires the craftsmanship on the broad swords but dismisses the non-bender weapons quickly. Let's see...

Clothes? Boring. Though the wrist protectors the girl started using seem quite impeccable, as does her golden head piece, though the pin got lost somewhere inside the bag.

A nice little crate filled with knives, darts and other tiny weapons, though it appears to be almost empty. A silly circus outfit. Hm. Bato throws it in a corner.

Then, something quite interesting. As his arm exits the rucksack, he holds in his hand a Pai Sho piece. The lotus. The same Pai Sho piece he saw in Ae' Kiki's office. The commander is truly baffled. And truly terrified.

BATO: What in the world?

As he lets the coin flip through his fingers another knock on the door scares him half to death.

SOLDIER (from the other side of the door): Commander! The bison has been sighted!

Bato puts the Pai Sho piece in his lowest drawer and grabs his hunting knife.

---

The glistening sun heats up the metal hull of the iron clad and reflects sunlight at the nervous commander, who straps two water pouches around his waist. A large number of soldiers are scattered all around the ship.

BATO: Where is it?

The frenzied personnel seem too scared to answer. One of the soldiers finally steps forth.

SOLDIER: We... haven't been able to locate it again, commander.

BATO: What?!

SOLDIER: It was spotted a few minutes ago but... it... vanished.

BATO: That's impossible! Keep searching!

SOKKA: Nothing is impossible.

The hunter's jaw drops as he turns around, baffled to spot none other than the banished prince himself.

SOKKA: I want my sword back. And my crew.

He draws his club and machete. The men are somewhat shocked. Bato cackles.

BATO: Well, look who it is. Seems like our precious prince has joined the Avatar.

Now the crew just seems confused, comedically mumbling amongst each other.

BATO: Don't you see? The bison was spotted and now he's here to distract me! His friends are probably somewhere on deck trying to rescue the girl!

The crew exchanges awkward looks with each other. Bato only now figures that his behavior is completely unhinged, making him seem a little bit... mad.

SOKKA: Are you... okay?

Bato grunts, taking on a fighting stance.

BATO: Men! Arrest him!

As he menacingly points at Sokka, he finds his soldiers semi-frozen.

BATO: What are you waiting for?!

SOLDIER: Uh... commander... that's... the prince.

BATO: And?!

DIFFERENT SOLDIER: Look, I may not have a lot of respect for him, but he's still the Great Chief's son and heir.

THE CREW: Aye.

Bato is comically enraged by this.

BATO: What?! He's- he's attacking the ship right now!

Sokka, on his own, surrounded by dozens of larger men, sort of underlines the ridiculousness of his comment.

SOKKA: I didn't come here to fight anyone in my crew!

The soldiers seem a little impressed by the boy's guts.

SOKKA: I came here to settle a score with you, Bato!

Bato grunts again.

BATO: So be it.

Sokka smirks.

Expecting the obvious water swipe, Sokka dodge rolls, awaiting any incoming attacks patiently. The other soldiers form a circle around the two, unwilling to intervene.

BATO: You should have stayed on that rock!

SOKKA: And you... should have...

He awkwardly pauses.

SOKKA: Man, I really should've prepared some lines for this.

No time to quip - quick! An incoming ice spear - no - a barrage of ice spears. Yet, to Bato's shock, the boy blocks and cuts them all to pieces in an impressive display of his weapon skills, which have notably improved since Bato last saw the prince fight.

SOKKA: Is that all, old man?

Bato's brow starts twitching.

The hunter leaps forward, slashing strings of water at Sokka, who once again blocks and hacks the projectiles, rendering them useless. Even a false flag string that rushes past him and then returns to hit the prince in the back is easily dismantled. With every new hit that misses, Bato loses a bit of his breath and patience.

SOLDIER: Since when is the prince such a badass?

The crew nods and mumbles in agreement. Bato is baffled too but regains his focus when he sees the prince's smirk.

He tries a quick series of water whips, all aiming at Sokka's chest. While at first Sokka once again manages, what he didn't expect was Bato to aim at his weapons. He manages to pull the machete away.

Sokka still holds firm.

Bato tries one last maneuver - a huge tidal wave shooting from the ocean and flying towards Sokka. The prince prepares for the absolute last moment, when he rolls aside...

...he completely misses the second wave that Bato created on the other side. This time it washes him across the deck and smashes him against the metal railing. His dropped club floats towards Bato, who stops it with his foot, proceeding to kick it aside.

BATO: There's your prince.

The crew seems somewhat disappointed. Bato's initial smirk over the victory disappears, as the prince struggles, but ultimately succeeds to get back on his feet.

SOKKA (in pain): Is that... is that all?

Bato grunts, his hand reaching for his water pouch again, yet a swift silver boomerang smacks his hand before he can act.

BATO (in pain): UH!

Sokka roars...

SOKKA: AHHH!

...and charges the commander, tackling him to the ground and briefly wrestling on the wet deck. The larger, older and angrier man quickly gains the upper hand, finally drawing his hunting knife.

BATO: Is that how you want to die, huh?! Prince?!

Sokka takes a few seconds to respond. The crew is on edge, watching nervously.

SOKKA (struggling): At least... I'll die a brave man.

Bato scoffs, then reaches back his arm, preparing for the death blow.

His striking hand is caught before it can reach Sokka's face, the knife pulled away by a wateracle. Bato looks in shock at the same soldier who brought him the rucksacks earlier. The young soldier lets the water slap to the ground, the hunting knife clanking on the metal.

SOLDIER: I'm... sorry commander. But he's the Great Chief's son. It wouldn't be right.

Bato's fletched teeth accurately express his fury. He points at the young soldier.

BATO (angry): PUT HIM IN A CELL! I'LL HAVE YOU COURT MARSHALLED LATER!

The man has handcuffs put on and is dragged away. Bato reads the crowd and glares at the defenseless Sokka.

BATO (angry): Fine. You want your precious prince? I'll have him sentenced by the Northern Council!

He glares at the boy again, waiting for him to look back.

BATO (to Sokka): And they won't be as gentle as I.

A strange splashing noise and a deep roar immediately changes the topic, as everyone's head looks at the sky bison that's currently flying away from the ship. Bato can't see quickly enough who is on it. The hunter also doesn't see the prince briefly smiling.

BATO (angry): What are you standing around?! GET THE SHIP GOING!

Sokka is picked up and cuffed, the crew getting on their posts. Once the sails are set and the benders get the vessel going, a metallic creaking makes the entire ironclad vibrate, before it suddenly takes a sharp turn to the left. Almost everyone falls over, some soldiers even fall overboard in the earthquake-like state. The ironclad comes to a grinding halt.

BATO (angry): What is going on!?

After not getting an answer from the frenzied crew, he runs over to the ship's port side. This is where Bato spots the error - the ship's giant metal anchor is down in the water. The ship's hull is bent and scratched by the anchor chain.

While he may have won against the prince, Bato finally sighs in defeat.

---

Act II. – Wrath of the Vice-Chief

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Part 3: Aura Reading

---

The cold isolation of the dungeon chamber weighs heavily on Ty Lee. While she is able to control the air temperature around her... she refuses to do it now. May it be out of protest, out of defiance... or simply because she feels tired. Her hair is now finally long enough to be braided once again. She was really looking forward to asking Azula to do it. She'd be able to brush Azula's, Azula would be able to brush hers... it would be a sweet little nighttime activity. They would of course only talk about one thing, whatever Zuko's awkward reaction to her love confession would be. She pictures his adorable face turning red from the heat. They'd sit by the beach, have Azula make a little campfire (and then probably leave) and then Ty Lee and Zuko could spend some time together.

It would be fine for her if he didn't like her back. She would obviously feel a little sad about it, but ultimately the two, no, the three are good enough friends to stay together.

He also may have said that he likes her back. Ty Lee didn't expect it, but she did really hope for it. Being around the dorky little swordfighter, who gets scared easily by the mere mention of ghosts, but who would bravely defend his friends when they needed him. She smiles at the thought of him and her aura lights up again.

The metal door of her cell smashes open, slamming against the wall and scaring the joy out of Ty Lee. She gasps. The corridor lighting is now the only light source inside her cell, blinding her temporarily.

PUWATI: You look strange for an airbender.

His deep voice gives her the chills. She tries to stay persistent.

TY LEE: You look strange for a waterbender.

Puwati laughs. Taking a few steps aside, the hallway light finally illuminates his scarred face. He leans his two-sided weapon against the wall and smirks at her.

PUWATI: What makes you think I'm a waterbender, little one?

She holds firmly against his sympathetic facade and glares back at him.

TY LEE: I'm not little. If I wasn't chained against the wall I could easily beat you.

He crosses his arms and looks at his harpoon hook again.

PUWATI: Well, you would certainly try. One mistake many men commit is to underestimate a capable opponent based on their appearance.

While intrigued by his words, she keeps up her stern expression

PUWATI: I've been following you and your little friends for a long time now.

He uncrosses his massive, hairy appendages and takes out a paper scroll he kept in his pocket.

PUWATI: "Slave Revolt", "Destruction of a Sacred Temple", "Multiple Interferences in Water Tribe Operations"...

He looks up from the paper and at the acrobat.

PUWATI: It's quite a list.

Ty Lee attempts a smirk.

TY LEE: See? You shouldn't underestimate me.

PUWATI: That is true.

He looks back at the scroll.

PUWATI: Although, and I do have to ask, why did you leave the Northern Lights?

Her facade shatters and utter fear appears on her face. The Vice-Chief rolls the scroll back up.

TY LEE: How...

PUWATI: Seriously. Did some impressive performances over the years. I remember seeing you on Whale Tail Island once. Truly breathtaking.

She forms a pout, simultaneously showing her distaste for the large man while also looking like she's about to burst into tears.

PUWATI: Anyway, that's not why I came here today.

TY LEE: Did you come here to kill me?

Puwati laughs again.

PUWATI: No. Why would I do that? I kept you on my ship for a reason. No...

To her surprise, he sits down across from her, his legs crossed in a lotus position.

PUWATI: I would like you to do an aura reading for me.

She looks at him in confusion, a hint of fear mixed in between.

TY LEE: What?

PUWATI: You mentioned that ability. It's why I brought you on board.

She gulps. A few tears run down her cheek, despite her attempts to hold it back.

PUWATI: Go ahead. Please. I won't hurt you.

Ty Lee breathes in through her nose, letting the air out via her mouth. Puwati can feel the breeze running through his face. Ty Lee could probably knock him over with her airbending. But for now, she complies. They both close their eyes.

TY LEE (her eyes closed): It's very deep. It's a strong layer that surrounds you like a shell. A part of it engulfs the people around you.

He nods with respect.

PUWATI (his eyes closed): Mhm.

TY LEE (her eyes closed): I would say... blue.

Puwati's eyes snap open.

PUWATI: Hm?

TY LEE (her eyes closed): Your aura. It's a very dark shade of blue. Almost looks black.

Puwati seems pleasantly surprised by this, even going so far as to smile at her.

PUWATI: You don't say...

She opens her eyes again.

TY LEE: What?

Puwati scoffs.

PUWATI: That was very interesting.

He gets back up on his feet.

PUWATI: I've never used colors as an aura indicator. It's a very unique thing.

Fear grows in her again.

TY LEE: You... read auras?

PUWATI: Oh, all the time.

He picks his harpoon hook up again.

PUWATI: Yours is pink and fluffy. Adorably naive.

He walks over a few steps to the door, before briefly stopping.

PUWATI: Your friend... the firebender... hers is interesting.

Ty Lee had noticed Azula's recent aura shift. Though the fact that Puwati knows it worries her greatly.

PUWATI: It's... fierce and... blazing... like a raging fire. But then it's...

He looks up at the ceiling, trying to get his thoughts in order. He scoffs joyfully.

PUWATI: It's purple. A warm... purple.

He pauses for a moment.

PUWATI: You'd think it would be red and passionate. But I guess we're all wrong sometimes.

He grabs the door handle when Ty Lee finally speaks up again.

TY LEE: Maybe you're wrong about us. Maybe you underestimate Aang.

He scoffs again. Ty Lee can feel her spine tingle looking at that smile.

PUWATI: For cases like that...

He taps his hook.

PUWATI: I have this thing.

The door shuts again, and Ty Lee is once again engulfed in darkness.

---

A loud thud and something that sounds like Appa wakes up Ty Lee from her terrible sleep. She had dreamt about traveling with Azula and Zuko, back to their home island. She had liked it there.

More thuds. Distant screams. Men shouting orders. Boots trampling on the ship's metal hull. It's all distorted and muffled inside her cell. But her heart races, nonetheless.

She closes her eyes and tries to focus. Focus on energies. See if she can feel anything.

Purple. Just very briefly. She starts to feel excited. They're here. She opens her eyes again. Darkness, still. There's nothing she can do for now.

Quite a lot of time passes. She tries to scan for her friends' auras again but fails. She has been locked in this hole for too long. She's drained. She starts getting nervous. What if they failed? What if no one is coming? Her heartbeat goes up like crazy-

The door opens again. This time no Puwati. Instead - relief.

AZULA (exhausted): There you are.

Ty Lee smiles with tears in her eyes. The firebender rushes towards her, hugs her briefly and then begins opening all four shackles with a large key chain.

TY LEE: How did you get here?

The firebender appears battered and injured.

AZULA (exhausted): Long story.

Ty Lee is freed again, able to get up and stretch. A moment of comfort.

AZULA: We need to go.

---

The two girls run through a corridor maze, although Azula seems to have remembered the path.

TY LEE: So Appa came for you?

AZULA (exhausted): Yeah. Amongst other things. It's a long story.

Ty Lee nods, worried mainly about Zuko.

AZULA (exhausted): Alright, it's just this corner-

They follow her directions but stop at the sight of a certain old lady.

KANNA: Oh, what a surprise.

The girls immediately take on a fighting stance. Kanna is standing right in front of the staircase that leads them to their freedom.

AZULA: Move.

Kanna smirks.

---

Part 4: Mother

---

Kanna felt ten years older when she got up this morning. Her back problems haven't acted up since her grandson got banished. Well, not officially. But she remembers how her son and the high court spoke about it. How they howled and cackled, entertained by the ridicule that they spoke upon Sokka when he wasn't in the room. A poor boy who had lost his mother.

Hakoda wasn't like that. He still isn't, Kanna hopes at least. He was a kind man, but he had to be a ruler first. Their house, the Wolf Clan, had been stagnating in influence. Kanna's husband, the prior Great Chief, was cold and cruel. A man who saw a potential threat in everyone and everything. A mad king who died trying to run away from his problems, his lodge shattering into thousands of pieces.

His son tried to fix that. Appeasing the other clans and chiefs had a price. He'd eventually have to remarry, a newer, younger Chief Headwoman, who would continue his bloodline and give him a worthy heir. Hakoda hasn't remarried yet. Kanna had always hoped that Sokka would eventually come back a new man, stronger and more responsible, able to persuade his father to make him the legal heir.

But she gave up on that. Now she only hoped he was safe, perhaps happily traveling on his own. Perhaps he found something with this Kenora girl.

Then of course there is also his sister. Princess Katara lived mostly secluded, but she recently decided to travel to the colonies, a PR stunt to promote the culture and prosperity that the war had brought. Kanna now knows that this is a lie. Sure, for the Water Tribe settlers and some lucky merchants, life was good. But this war was wrong. It needed to end.

And there is no one better to do this than her son, Hakoda. Perhaps the only other man would be the Vice-Chief, who went to visit the prisoner a few minutes ago, while she was waiting on deck, staring out into the ocean and praying for the Ocean Spirit's grace.

---

The loud thuds of leather boots and a metallic clank hitting the ground repeatedly announces the return to Kanna, who still oversees the vast ocean in silence.

KANNA (her gaze averted): You seem unusually chipper, Vice-Chief.

He halts, supposedly not having expected the old woman. Yet, with a tilted smile, he presses forward, halting next to her and leaning against the metal railing.

PUWATI: You seem weirdly quiet. Your aura is different today.

He looks at her with a creepily intrusive smile.

PUWATI: Can I ask you something, Chief Mother?

She nods with a raised eyebrow.

KANNA: Advice?

PUWATI: Yeah. It's about Bato. I don't know if I can trust him.

To her quiet shock, he looks at her from a slouched over, downward angle, giving him the most innocent expression possible - not comical - genuine. She has never ever seen the human beefcake this sensitive. She wonders why, already suspecting to know the answer. For now, she just responds to his question.

KANNA: You can.

A brief pause.

KANNA: But be careful. His temper is like...

She scoffs.

KANNA: Like blubbered seal jerky.

Puwati looks at her with big, confused eyes.

KANNA: Tastes good but it doesn't fill you up.

PUWATI: Hm. I wouldn't know.

KANNA: You've never had blubbered seal jerky?

PUWATI: No. I'm a vegetarian.

She frowns, having once again been boldly reminded that she knows almost nothing about the ruler of Whale Tail Island. She decides to poke the platypus bear and ask more personal questions.

KANNA: It's your daughter, right?

Puwati reacts very seriously to the inquiry.

PUWATI: Hm?

KANNA: The reason you're so jolly. You're not much known for smiling.

Indeed, he smiles as a result of her comment. Or the mention of his daughter.

PUWATI: Yes. Yes, you got me.

He gets up from his timid lean and firmly shores himself up by grabbing the railing, not before leaning his signature weapon against the ship wall behind them.

PUWATI: It's not often that you hear about your daughter being such a character.

Kanna folds her hands under her sleeves.

KANNA: That's not the usual reaction you'd hear from a man of the Great Water Tribes. Most fathers would have their daughters collected the moment they left the house, let alone their home.

Kanna briefly remembers a night in which she and her childhood friend Hama tried to do such a thing. She always regretted not going, though Hama was able to find love and give birth to her son, the man now standing next to her.

PUWATI: Yeah. But Kenora isn't like most daughters. Or any daughter.

He smiles again, his teeth glistening under the beard stubbles.

PUWATI: Raided her first village at fourteen. Man. I was sixteen when I conducted my first raid. I remember fighting off one guy and then - ZAP - I trip over a rock and break my arm.

He briefly laughs out loud at a high volume.

PUWATI: What a girl.

KANNA: Yes but... what about her future? Wouldn't you want her to get married?

Puwati scoffs quite egregiously, dismissive of his boss's mom.

PUWATI: No man was ever going to tame her. I always knew that. If anything, she was going to find a dame and court her.

He very suddenly turns very quiet.

PUWATI: Her... mother insisted we... get those thoughts of rebellion out of her head. Laiya wanted to send her off to a boarding school in the north. I told her the idea was nonsensical.

With the Vice-Chief quieting down, Kanna ponders about his lost wife.

KANNA: Whatever happened to her? I mean... really happened to her? I only heard the rumors.

PUWATI: What do the rumors say?

Kanna shrugs, trying to show sympathy.

KANNA: Some say she had an affair and ran off. Some say she was captured and is being kept as a political prisoner. Some... some say she died.

Puwati waves her list away, literally.

PUWATI: Pick one of those. I don't care.

He looks longingly into the ocean.

PUWATI: I hope Sokka didn't do it.

KANNA: Didn't do what?

He looks down in shame.

PUWATI: I wanted to distract him. Keep his trail off of Bato and keep Kenora out of danger. So I...

Now he does act a little comical, scratching the back of his head like an awkward schoolboy.

KANNA: So you?

PUWATI: I... gave him a blank engagement necklace.

Kanna gasps.

KANNA: You WHAT?!

Puwati shushes her.

PUWATI: Keep it down!

KANNA: Puwati, that goes against the High Chief Council - the Great Chief himself!

He pouts in defeat.

PUWATI: It was a gamble. The boy was never going to do it, and even if he did...

He smirks again.

PUWATI: Kenora would never say yes to an engagement.

As he smiles at Kanna again, the ship's alarm horn is blown. Puwati immediately grabs his hook harpoon and Kanna checks the two pouches hidden under her sleeves.

KANNA: What is it?

A messenger runs towards Puwati, stops, pounds his chest, then talks.

MESSENGER: Vice-Chief! The Avatar's bison has been spotted!

PUWATI: Hunt it down! I'll slay it myself if you fools can't do it!

MESSENGER: That's the thing sir...

Puwati grinds his teeth.

PUWATI (angry): What?

MESSENGER: We uh... lost sight of it.

Puwati immediately throws a hissy fit. That's the Vice-Chief Kanna knows.

PUWATI (angrier): How? It's a giant horned beast! Go search the ship!

MESSENGER: Yes, sir!

The soldier leaves, Puwati leaves, eventually also Kanna leaves. The whole ship will be swarming with soldiers. It will upset Malu again. She sighs, deciding to go to the stables.

---

As the old woman walks down the stairs, she both curses and frowns with a sorrowful expression. Of course, all the buffalo yak are up in a frenzy from all the commotion one level above. She thought it was all nonsensical, yet felt too afraid to mention it to Puwati earlier. She may not have been an aura reader, or a clairvoyant, but she could tell by the look of that little girl that she was innocent. It was the same scared and bewildered cry that her granddaughter had many years ago. She could never forget such a face.

The firebender was telling the truth and Puwati was wasting his time. She had begun to worry about what would happen to her and the airbender girl if the Avatar never showed up. What was yesterday a mild concern had today begun to eat away at her conscience.

For now, she focuses on calming the mounts, feeding them hay, bending water towards them and giving them a gentle rub on the snout. They love it and Kanna loves doing it. She would do the same for Bato's much smaller stable, and so why not do it here too. These animals are perhaps the only innocent participants in the war.

A growl from her komodo rhino finally reminds her why she really came. Malu was transferred and placed further back from the entrance. She can see his tail waving out his box.

KANNA: Oh... how is my little cuddle monster doing?

A second, much larger tail appears behind him. Kanna stops in shock, for it is the same furred beaver tail that she had seen before. Malu can't leave his box on account of being chained to the wall. He was apparently just fine with sharing his space and food with a much larger animal.

Appa finally peeks his head out the box stable and spots the scared old woman in blue. While the bison is a herbivore, a general guess, plus it's just now swallowing hay, it still manages to intimidate Kanna with sheer size alone. She may have been able to lull it with cookies a while ago, but the beast seems to have completely forgotten about that.

Like a dog spotting a burglar, it starts slowly approaching the old woman with bare teeth and an ever increasingly loud snarl. Kanna steps back slowly, though expects not being able to fight back or run away. All the secret training, all those expensive water pouches beneath her robe and yet an old woman against such a beast would simply fold.

KANNA: Please...

It steps closer.

KANNA: I don't mean any harm...

She really thinks about those words. They're... a lie. All of her cold exterior has been a lie. A facade she had developed with the cold and harsh environment of her people. What use would it have to try and look tough in front of this beast when it cannot possibly know her words?

She sighs in defeat and gets on her knees.

KANNA: Who am I kidding? You're on an enemy ship and I am wearing your enemies' clothing.

Appa stops for a moment.

KANNA: Clearly, you must remember me from all those times I and my countrymen attacked you and Aang.

This somehow calms Appa down a bit. The old woman still continues.

KANNA: I've been lying to myself about how much of a danger I am. I think I'm nothing but an old lady, yet I've stood by for decades while the men of our tribe have continuously slaughtered for a few inches of land. The spirits should be ashamed of me...

While she hangs her head down low, she is shocked and surprised to feel the warmth of the bison standing right in front of her. She looks up with big eyes while it rudely exhales into her face. The silent creature, as it gently observes the defenseless woman, seems almost like a miracle, a sign from the spirits themselves.

Then it suddenly looks up. In fact, all of the animals in the stable look up, as if someone is calling to all of them at the same time. Appa seems to interpret the calling, rushing past Kanna, up the stairs and flying towards the sea. She chases after him, stopping at the railing and looking after it with sparkling eyes.

SOLDIER: Chief Mother!

A flock of soldiers runs up to her, half of them screaming at the bison as it escapes.

PUWATI: DAMMIT!

Puwati lowers his arm again. Having aimed at the flying bison from afar, he ultimately puts his weapon down, angrily poking a small notch into the metal with the harpoon end.

PUWATI: SEND A CONVOY AFTER IT! NOW!

Some of the wooden ships hanging from the side are quickly lowered, small units of benders and non-benders deploy to pursue it. The Vice-Chief runs up to Kanna.

PUWATI: Did it attack you?

Kanna shakes her head timidly. This gentle beast has shown her more compassion than any Water Tribe soldier in the past few years.

Puwati grunts.

PUWATI: There was no one on that thing. It must have been a ruse.

He walks off and leaves the old woman alone. The image of the beast escaping is edged into her mind.

---

And so, she aimlessly wanders around the ship, accidentally stumbling into the two escapees.

AZULA: Move.

She smirks. While the two girls get ready to attack, she finds the coincidence of running into these two more than delightful. Her prayers about the injustice the two have endured were heard by the spirits, perhaps Sedni herself. The bison proves that the Avatar is helping them. But they are, after all, nothing but children. Children who have been mentally tortured by the cruel Vice-Chief.

KANNA: Wait here.

Her calming tone wildly confuses the two.

TY LEE: Sure?

AZULA: Why are we listening to her?

As they wait patiently, Kanna walks up the stairs back to the railing.

KANNA (shouting): I SAW SOMEONE BY THE STABLES!

She points away from the corridor as a huge number of soldiers run towards her. Azula and Ty Lee briefly hide behind a corner, as they see a whole army running away from them. The last Water Tribe person to leave is the old woman herself. She looks at the girls, nods, and then walks to the stables herself with a satisfied smirk.

---

Part 5: The Last Firebender

---

Confined to her dimly lit cell, Azula claws and screams at her unjust incarceration. A part of it is still a reaction from last night, a haunting memory that robbed her of some much-needed sleep. Dangling over the cold, dark embrace of the ocean made her entire life flash in front of her. Her mother picking flowers, her father shouting at Zuko for his inadequate talent, her uncle reading them bedtime stories, playing Water Ball with Kuzon, Zhao making inappropriate jokes, meeting Aang for the first time, cheering up Ty Lee-

She abruptly ends her emotional sulking. Her father may have been a horrible person, but he was a true warrior. And if he were imprisoned like this, he wouldn't be letting his emotions get the upper hand. She tries to relax, calm her mind, take some deep breaths, try to come up with a solution-

Another vision suddenly races through her mind. This time it's no memory, no specific event or person from her past.

She looks briefly through the eyes of someone else. The person is sitting - no - tied to something... a... a boat. She can see the crystal blue water and smell the salty air. She looks around and sees a strange shape, a girl wearing blue?

The vision ends and Azula snaps out of it.

With befuddlement she looks around the cell. Her eyes wander from the corners to the steel door, to the small window at the top.

This was... something else. A strange sensation that was unlike her nightmarish state of past memories.

AZULA: Huh.

She had felt this power before. It was the same feeling - the same level of intensity she felt before.

Azula finally remembers. The Glacier Temple. The vision she saw of Ogro, the giant shadow haunting the violent sea.

AZULA: O... kay.

She doesn't quite know how to respond to it. She would love to talk to someone about it, even stranger than that, she would love to consult Ty Lee about it. Strange times.

But it can't divert her from the task at hand-

AZULA (trying to shake her bangs out of her face): Thi- come on!

Uh... well, as just mentioned, a strange anomaly like this cannot-

AZULA (still trying to shake her bangs out of her face): Come ON you STUPID HAIR!

Um...

AZULA (still desperately trying to shake her bangs out of her face) UGH! I hate this! Couldn't they have at least let me keep my head piece?!

She frowns at the door.

AZULA (shouting at the door): Hey you dimwits! You better not have lost my head piece! It's a family heirloom!

Obviously, no response. She grunts at her misfortune.

AZULA: Barbarians...

With her hands chained together she crams her pants on the off chance that she put it in her pockets. Nope. How could she? It's way too big anyways...

However...

AZULA: A-ha...

She triumphantly looks at the head piece's golden hair pin, which she had on her person back at the spa. Her first thought is to try to bind her hair together.

Then she gets an even better idea.

To the best of her shackled abilities, she attempts to open the padlock with a mere pin. After a few attempts she gets upset, but tries to remain calm, nonetheless.

Her reward is a highly cathartic clicking noise.

---

Escaping through the small window at the top proved to be a lot harder than Azula had expected. After painfully birthing herself from the rectangular shape, she takes in a few breaths of fresh air, before using the pin in her pocket to tie her hair into a crude bun, not the most fashionable choice but at least effective enough to stop her vicious bangs from blocking her vision. Distant sounds of soldiers approaching alert her, and she chooses the only escape route possible - a set of stairs leading her back inside the ship, where she quickly finds herself in an empty corridor. A few quiet steps later and she hears more voices coming her way. As a panicked last resort, she enters the first door she can find.

Upon entering Bato's office, she looks bewildered at the mostly empty walls and shelves. The only notable thing is the massive mahogany desk upon which an array of maps and two familiar backpacks sit.

She acts quickly, gobbling up any misplaced items back into the rucksacks. Carrying them both proves to be a lot more difficult than-

A scratching on the door freezes the firebender on the spot. She drops Zuko's backpack, preparing to fight back.

Yet from the other side of the metal door sounds no voice or boot, but rather a familiar chirping. Azula quickly opens the door.

AZULA (quietly): Sabachi?!

The lemur jumps on to her and quickly climbs to her shoulder, after which she greets the firebender with a few happy licks.

AZULA (quietly): That means Zuko can't be far...

She briefly hops back inside, grabbing Zuko's backpack and his broad swords.

---

She sneaks back outside, trying to get as far away as possible from the commotion of the ship's front.

AZULA (to Sabachi): What now?

Sabachi calmly chirps back.

AZULA: Appa? Where?

SOLDIER: Hey!

She turns around to find a spear guard standing by the stairs.

AZULA: I can explain!

Her improvised distraction briefly stops the soldier.

AZULA: Let me... explain...

The explanation comes in the form of her brother, who leaps from the ship's inside, kicking the man in a Mai-like maneuver and throwing him overboard.

As the siblings share looks of relief they waste no time running into each other's arms. At an earlier point in her life Azula would've been appalled by this. But right now, she couldn't be happier to see her older brother.

ZUKO: Where were you?! I was in your cell-

Azula triumphantly taps her hair pin.

AZULA: Escaped of course, dum-dum.

ZUKO: That's my sister!

With a big smile he spots his backpack and sword, taking them both for himself. He finally realizes someone is missing.

ZUKO: Where's Ty Lee?

AZULA: The guy with the harpoon has her. We got to get to his ship.

Almost simultaneously, the two remember Zuko's and Ty Lee's last interaction, both deciding to leave it unmentioned.

ZUKO: Let's... go.

AZULA: Do you have an escape plan? How'd you even-

Hidden in plain sight, Appa floats quietly behind the ship's anchor, finally rising to the occasion once Zuko waves him over. Azula's eyes sparkle with the same joy she felt when she met Appa for the first time.

AZULA: Appa!

The beast groans, landing conveniently for the two to hop on to, Zuko taking the reins.

ZUKO: Let's go!

AZULA: Hold on!

After a few kicks against the giant steel anchor, Appa decides to hit it with a strong blast from his tail, causing the metal apparatus to sink down all the way, chain included.

AZULA: That should keep them busy.

Zuko smiles at her.

ZUKO: Yip-yip!

---

Zuko closely studies one of the maps Azula snatched up from Bato's desk. Having given the reins to his sister, he uses the outlines and a compass to determine the direction of Puwati's ship.

ZUKO: Northeast. We should be there in a bit.

He closes the compass and Azula nods.

AZULA: Right.

As they quietly soar on Appa she begins wondering if she should tell Zuko about her strange vision. He makes sure to suggest a different topic first.

ZUKO: Do you think Sokka is going to be fine?

He had told her after their departure about what the prince had done. While she appreciates the sacrifice, she can't help but to scoff dismissively.

AZULA: I'm sure that our little prince is going to be just fine. We should worry more about Ty Lee.

The boy nods. After a few more seconds of awkward silence Azula conjures up yet another topic.

AZULA: So, how did you find Appa?

Appa growls, having heard his name.

AZULA (to Appa): We'll feed you something later, big guy! We're in a bit of a pickle at the moment.

Appa quietly growls back.

ZUKO: Well... he just showed up. I don't really know why.

She looks down at the huge fur monster.

AZULA: Is that true?

Appa gives two short, consecutive grumbles in response. Azula worryingly raises her eyebrows.

AZULA: I see...

ZUKO: What did he say?

AZULA: He went somewhere with Aang, then... he got lost. Went looking for him.

Just as she finishes the sentence, the dots in her head get connected - the blurry vision she saw earlier came from none other than Aang. She decides to keep it to herself for now.

ZUKO: Do you think he...

"Went back to his world" is what Azula assumes her brother wants to say.

AZULA: I don't know. Ty Lee said she trusts him to come back.

ZUKO: And what do you think?

She has no clear answer, opting to go with her gut.

AZULA: I think we need to rely on ourselves for now.

---

The siblings manage to sneak on board mostly unnoticed. While they initially stirred some tension, their excellent hiding spot for Appa, hidden in between some of the additional canoes and escape rafts hanging down the side, proved to be more than effective. Azula seemed baffled at how easily they managed to trick the crew. Similarly, she had started wondering about just how good Zuko's stealth skills were. Not that she paled in comparison, she just hadn't realized how far Zuko had come as a warrior.

Zuko gestures her to stop, waiting behind a corridor corner while a few soldiers run off and towards the staircase.

AZULA (whispering): It's really crazy just how good you are at that.

Zuko shushes her at first.

ZUKO (whispering): At what?

AZULA (whispering): The whole Crescent Warrior thing. We were there for like what? A day? You really took at stuff to heart-

She intends to get up but is held back by her cautious brother, who sees one last man, a servant of some kind, exiting a door ahead, entering some other door for some apparent reason. Azula fumes slightly, but calms down quick enough.

AZULA (whispering) Nevermind.

They begin to push forward, quietly entering through the door from which the servant had just emerged.

ZUKO (whispering): Why do you want to know so bad?

The siblings sneak through an empty, well-lit dining room, which includes a fancy red carpet floor, an extensive bar, and a set of ceiling chandeliers dangling ever so slightly back and forth.

AZULA (whispering): I don't know. I guess I didn't realize how good you are at this.

Zuko's face displays a slim smile for a moment...

AZULA (whispering): I mean, I always knew I was good. I didn't think you'd ever-

...until it disappears, choosing instead to halt for a second and glare back at her with a face that may have been carved from Uncle Iroh's "disappointment expression". Azula saw that one a lot in her time.

They continue forward, finally reaching another door.

ZUKO (whispering): Let's just focus on finding Ty Lee's cell.

That process had been proven to be a lot more difficult this time around. Azula suspects that Zuko finding her cell earlier was simply luck, though she didn't utter that theory. Zuko checks corners once again. Nobody in sight, only an open door which appears to be rather fancy.

ZUKO (whispering): Let's go.

They crouch further down the corridor. A stairwell to the left eludes Zuko. His sister stops for different reasons.

AZULA (whispering): Would you look at that.

She halts at the open door, spotting Ty Lee's brand-new airbending staff leaning against the wall. Even Sabachi, who has so far remained quiet on the firebender's shoulder, seems to recognize the object. Zuko stops and hisses at his younger sister.

ZUKO: (hiss/whispering): Azula! Come back!

AZULA (whispering): It's Ty Lee's staff! It's just leaning against the wall!

The suspicion detection part of her brain momentarily shuts off, as she gets up and quietly taps into the office. Zuko alone spots the large arm grabbing the door handle, and as he charges towards it, the metal hunk has already shut in front of his nose.

Azula turns around to the noise - goosebumps roll over her entire body like a flood.

PUWATI: Alright, I may have found your little hide-and-seek game amusing, especially the distraction with your bison...

Like a scared cat and without blinking, she takes on a combat pose and slowly backs off from the Vice-Chief, closer and closer to the wall. Zuko is hammering like crazy against the locked door from the outside.

PUWATI: ...but if I'm being completely honest, I have some other things on my mind besides a few annoying ember peasants.

She finally buds against the wall. Her heart raises while Puwati spins his weapon with one hand, making a similar noise to when Aang does that with his staff.

PUWATI: How about you and your brother just... surrender peacefully, and in return you can keep your little monkey, huh?

Sabachi lowers her ears and cowers in fear as the Vice-Chief stops a mere four feet in front of her, grabbing his staff with two hands.

PUWATI: What do ya say, huh, Azula?

She finally finds the guts to respond with a determined frown.

AZULA: You know my name?

He laughs loudly, finding the question mildly insulting.

PUWATI: Of course! Do you take me for an amateur?

She gives him no answer to the inquiry.

AZULA: I suppose you're Puwati then.

He nods, somewhat politely.

PUWATI: Indeed. Vice-Chief of the Moray-Barracuda Clan.

Azula begins to smirk, having found her trump card.

AZULA: Ah. Makes sense. Just like your daughter.

His smile very quickly goes away.

PUWATI (through gritted teeth): What?

AZULA: Yeah. Met her a few times. Tried to mess with us. Real pain in the ass.

The massive man with the intimidating weapon seems to shatter in part. To Azula's surprise, he takes a meditative breath.

PUWATI: Runs in the family.

Without hesitation he swings the dull hook part at her like a club, her dodge resembling more of a drop. He starts spinning his weapon and, as she tries to rush past him, he impales the wall right next to her head, the harpoon end penetrating the metal with relative ease. Sabachi finds her fighting spirit, screeching at the Vice-Chief and then proceeding to bite his hand with horrific ferocity. The large man lets out a painful scream, giving Azula time to sneak under the staff and reach the door. Sabachi returns whilst Puwati pulls the harpoon out of the office wall, giving Azula a final chance to counter with a massive fire blast. As the flame dissipates, Azula reacts with utter shock to Puwati, once again spinning his staff, which seems to have nullified her attack and left him unharmed. The door finally opens again with an abrupt clank.

ZUKO: GO!

She rushes outside, her brother throwing some knives at Puwati, who counters the attack the same way he dealt with Azula's flames. In a triumphant scene of justice, Zuko slams the door on Puwati's face, sticking a pin in the mechanism, which keeps it permanently shut.

The siblings look at each other with astonishment.

ZUKO: Did you get the staff?

Azula slaps her forehead in frustration.

AZULA: No! DAMMIT! It was right there-

The two step aside as a horrific, industrial screech warns them in time to dodge the harpoon, which has just cut through the metal door. With a few good dashing moves the door breaks down and the Vice-Chief prepares for his next offensive.

Without holding back for a second, Azula lets off a series of high-pressure fire attacks, combining kicks and punches and not really having the patience to focus on proper form, but rather just quickly hitting the non-bender with everything she's got. The large man, in spite of his slow appearance, is able to easily block and slash all incoming flames. Even when Zuko starts his broad sword attacks from the other side, the Vice-Chief can somehow manage to deal with a skilled swordfighter and a barrage of fire. In the literal heat of the battle Sabachi decides to fly off.

Eventually Azula starts losing her breath, allowing Puwati to step closer, having made out Azula is the greater threat of the two. He finally is within reach and tries a full-on swing - his harpoon end cutting through the wall like it was butter. She blocks it with her arm wrists, though he still has enough strength to push her across the floor and smack her against the other wall. This all happens within a second. Azula grunts with pain.

His sister's pain fills Zuko with fury and he charges Puwati head-on in a series of quick-cut attacks, utilizing both swords with almost perfect synchronicity.

Puwati manages to block every single swipe with his strange, staffed weapon. At the end of the assault, he simply kicks Zuko against the wall as well, though he is quick enough to counter right away with his last darts - Puwati has to block with his left arm, giving Zuko the chance to run to his sister.

ZUKO: COME ON!

He helps her up and the two run into the fancy dining room. Puwati removes the darts from his arm. It's only a tiny flesh wound.

The caped Vice-Chief catches up quickly with the kids, forcing Zuko to start throwing and kicking chairs at him, while his sister still tries to recover from that last blow. Zuko didn't expect the flimsy chairs to be much of a real obstacle, yet he also didn't expect to see Puwati hoist one of the dining tables up with his hook and launch it at the siblings. Azula regains her strength, or a part of it, just in time to turn the center of the table into ash, the remains shattering into splinters. As she is doing this, Puwati has utilized one of the chandeliers, using his hook to hang on to it, swing forward and try to hit the firebender, who managed a decent roll just in time. Zuko prepares to block an incoming attack, yet instead finds his leg caught by the hooked end as Puwati throws him across the room and into the bar, shattering dozens of fine bottles.

Azula breathes heavily yet tries to keep it together. Remembering some of her exercises and tips from Aang, she summons another series of quick attacks, this time more precise and powerful, as she is using her fingertips and not putting her already depleting muscle strength into it. Puwati blocks all the attacks once again, spinning his staff with the same ferocity as an airbender. Yet, this time he seems to have used up a lot more of his own strength.

PUWATI: Truly you are an impressive one. Darn shame you're my enemy.

Azula scoffs with laughter, as she found the comment hilariously offensive.

AZULA: I don't think there's anything in this world that would change that.

Puwati smirks.

PUWATI: I wouldn't have expected-

Interrupting his next comment, Puwati pauses to block an incoming attack of bottles that are tossed at him. Zuko throws one after the other, none of them having an effect as they are easily splattered by the staffed weapon. Eventually Puwati loses it.

PUWATI (angered): ENOUGH!

This motivates Zuko to stop and Azula to regain some of her strength.

PUWATI (angered): Do you have any idea, boy, how expensive these bottles are?!

ZUKO (with a smirk): Nope. But I know they're alcohol.

He picks up a piece of broken table, half of it on fire. Puwati's expression changes quickly from anger to fear - the raven-haired boy tosses the fire at the wet ground, hoping to set the man ablaze. Puwati manages to knock the piece away, yet he fails to see Azula's incoming flame, which does finally set the red carpet on fire. Puwati jumps away so as not to be burned to a crisp.

The siblings exchange one more smile, before hearing incoming soldiers coming from Puwati's office.

AZULA: Oh, give me a break...

ZUKO: The windows!

He points at the large glass portals, one of which Azula shatters with her fire. They climb outside, dangling over the ocean for a brief moment, before reaching the empty ship deck. They take a quick breather, especially Azula, who is in more pain that she would like to admit.

ZUKO Alright... the fire should hopefully distract them. We need to go back in and find Ty Lee.

Azula lets out a heavy sigh.

AZULA: I should never have climbed on the Twins, should I?

She gives him a warm smi-

Another horrific, metallic screeching makes her heart skip a beat, as the silver harpoon of the Vice-Chief is now sticking from the ground, almost impaling Zuko. They step aside, though are shocked to find that only a few more harpoon pokes, hook scratches and blunt force allows Puwati to create a hole in his own vessel, giving him the chance to escape the smoke from inside. His coat gets caught in one of the edges and it is lost to the flames.

PUWATI (through gritted teeth): I think I've had it with you two.

Zuko charges him with a roar, Puwati thinks quickly, lifting himself up from the ground with his staff, and then using his momentum to charge feet first into the boy, causing him to be knocked over. Azula's last few fire strikes are weak, lacking strength or precision, being merely expressions of her desperation. After dissolving her attacks, Puwati reaches his hook back, then strikes once again like a club, hitting Azula's crossed arms and shattering the wrist protectors into smaller pieces. Azula drops down with another painful grunt.

Puwati peeks back angrily at Zuko, who, in spite of the bad odds, gets back up. His attempt at another quick counterattack is easily blocked, even allowing Puwati to strike hard enough to let his swords fly away, one after the other. Disarmed and beaten badly, Zuko tries to pull one last trick - a hidden knife which-

Puwati grabs his arm before he can do anything with it. Struggling to overpower the much larger adult, Zuko winces and struggles in protest, Puwati easily keeping his arm in place.

PUWATI: Stop. That.

Zuko does not stop. He would never give up without a fight, not after they captured his sister and Ty Lee. Puwati shrugs, then drops his staff with a loud clunk, after which he grabs Zuko's right arm with both hands...

...and snaps it like a twig.

The gut-wrenching scream of the horrific amount of pain streaming through Zuko's body is enough to alert an entire fleet, let alone one ship.

That includes Azula.

With a burning, seething, passionate hatred, she gets back up, instinctively producing a flame much larger and more powerful than anything she had shown before, larger than anything she has ever created.

In addition, this flame is blue.

A primal, unfathomable amount of rage has suddenly taken hold of her. She pictures the strange, mirrored version she saw of herself in the Glacier Temple, the one who was able to produce the exact same fire as she is now spewing out. None of the flames hit Zuko, who has sunk to the ground. Meanwhile her blue barrage burns brighter and hotter than any attack from any firebender Puwati has ever encountered in his life. After picking up his staff again, he can barely, just barely, keep up with the attacks, needing to put a hundred percent of his strength and focus into not getting his flesh turned into barbeque. If her brother was still capable of fighting, he would be lost. The flames, which engulf the front of the ship almost like waves, finally subside. Their creator, the furious firebender, is able to run on enough adrenaline to stand calmly before the sweating Vice-Chief.

AZULA (angry): You are clearly outmatched.

Puwati, to her surprise, scoffs at the comment. She looks around her and finds a huge number of soldiers, which have finally reached the deck, surrounding her with all of their water, spears, clubs and other weapons drawn.

PUWATI: And you are clearly outnumbered.

---

Act III. – The Blue Flare

---

Part 6: The boy from the other world

---

Aang's thoughts drift off aimlessly in his state of unconsciousness. It's not... dreaming, it's as if his spiritual body somehow became detached and is now drifting away. Suddenly for a brief moment, he sees through the eyes of someone else, a vision showing imprisonment in a dark, dingy cell made of metal. Aang wonders if this came from Katara. Seconds later, he finally wakes up.

The first thing that hits him in the face immediately is the relentless force of the cloudless sky - the power of the sun blasting him as if it were a punishment. As he slowly regains his vision, he finds himself on a boat, one separated into two halves and with red paint, which has slowly been losing its brightness over time. He is seated in the middle of the ship, its sails located right above him.

The third thing he notices is that he is tied up. Upon moving his arms a bit, he can make out that his wrists are stuck behind the mast and apparently bound together by a solid steel chain.

KENORA: It was Sokka's idea.

Right away, Aang recognizes the voice of Kenora, her distinct lisp and her manner of speaking which, over time, has transformed from a quiet presence to a daring, sarcastic bark.

KENORA: He thought that if we ever caught you and the firebender, you guys would immediately be able to burn through our ropes. Now you could do that here too, but I assume it would hurt quite a bit.

Aang can finally make out where her comments are coming from - his head reaching back as far as it is allowed by the shackles he finally spots Kenora at the bridge's helm, her surprisingly muscular arms firmly grasping the steering wheel and her blue pirate coat missing, supposedly a wardrobe not suitable for this last autumn sun.

AANG: I've been through worse.

He speaks earnestly from the heart but does his best not to let the pain overtake him. His old friends have to wait, Aang's matters are with this world. For now.

AANG: You have to let me go. I need to find my friends.

KENORA: Sure you do.

Her comment is as dismissive as an annoyed teacher talking to a child. Aang stays persistent.

AANG: Please. They might be in danger without me.

Kenora scoffs.

KENORA: Sounds like you're the one causing all the danger.

Aang falls silent, as she is... kind of telling the truth.

AANG: You're right.

She finally has the decency to look back at him, as prior to his admission of guilt, her eyes were glued to the sea ahead.

AANG: I've brought them nothing but danger so far.

Aang won't let her get to him.

AANG: But that is behind me. Whatever happens now, I will be there to protect them.

She sighs in the most arrogant way possible. Weirdly enough, this reminds Aang of Azula. Either version, really. She fixates the steering wheel and walks down the stairs at a slow pace.

KENORA: What you and your friend the firebender need to learn...

She ducks under the mast and walks in front of Aang, her arms crossed.

KENORA: ... is how... to do things on your own.

She points at herself.

KENORA: Look at me. I was just some... low ranking princess from some island and now - boom! I'm a captain!

Aang sits up straight, having made the decision to engage in this conversation.

AANG: How is that, exactly?

She smiles.

KENORA: Well... I ran away from home... faked my identity to become a dockyard worker-

AANG: No, I meant the captain thing. How does that work for someone...

KENORA: Who's a girl?

Aang slightly tilts his head.

AANG: ...so young.

She gives him a fake smile, though Aang can clearly tell that she's upset.

KENORA: Sokka made me one.

AANG: He did?

Kenora regrets starting this convo, and so quickly tries to wrap it up whilst walking back to the helm.

KENORA: Yes. Whatever. Listen, my point is... that if you really want to do something right - you gotta do it yourself.

She grabs the steering wheel again and hopes the boy shuts up. Looking at her map the passage should be close.

AANG: Why did you travel with Sokka then? And what about all those pirates?

She massages her brow ridge.

KENORA: Obstacles, really. Sokka was hoping to have some... second-in-command-henchman.

She scoffs thinking about it.

KENORA: The look on his face when he found out I was a girl...

Aang thinks back to his Sokka, and the boy's initial... objections to strong women. He smiles, knowing he overcame it, though still wondering if this Prince Sokka can overcome them too.

AANG: I'm sure he meant well.

He tries to keep the conversation going. Maybe it will lead somewhere.

AANG: Where do you think he is now?

KENORA (paying attention to something else): Doesn't really matter. I got my own stuff to worry about now.

Aang looks ahead and sees a massive number of sharp rocks sticking out from the ocean. The waves begin to rise slowly.

AANG: Where are we going? In there?

KENORA (studying the map): Shut up.

AANG: It looks dangerous. Sure you can navigate us on your own?

KENORA: Yup.

AANG: Aren't you scared?

KENORA: Are you?

Aang has come up with a strategy for this convo - answer honestly. This, above everything, seems to distress Kenora somehow.

AANG: Yes. But I'm not scared of you. Or the rocks. I'm scared that I can't save my friends.

Kenora snickers a bit at that.

KENORA: Famous last words.

Aang's brow shoots up in confusion.

AANG: What is?

KENORA: "I'm not scared of you".

She chooses to elaborate.

KENORA: As a girl I wasn't exactly allowed to do all the stuff that the boys could. I spent a lot of time in libraries. Didn't really like reading either but I do remember some of the stuff. There was this passage that said that the most common last words of generals who died in battle was "I'm not afraid of you", or something like that.

Aang would probably appreciate the trivia a lot more if it wasn't for the circumstances.

AANG: So... are you scared?

Kenora grunts with disgust.

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!

She tries keeping it together.

KENORA: I... don't know what you're talking about.

Aang laughs. Mostly because he tries to distract her as much as possible, but it is also funny to him. Obviously not because they're girls, but because...

AANG: It's kind of a weird thing to develop feelings for someone you're constantly fighting. Especially if that person beat you-

KENORA: That's not true! She only won because someone intervened - on that island, in the jungle, in that desert town...

Her angry snap-back at him does raise some more questions.

AANG: Wait... "desert town"? We never met in a desert town.

Clearly insulted, Kenora crosses her arms once again.

KENORA: Yeah, she and I did a while back. I had the upper hand, then some... weirdos showed up, dragged her into a fortress - of which I broke her out of, proving my point again...

Aang finds the story eerily reminiscent of one of his own misadventures.

AANG: Wait? Really?

KENORA: Yeah. Some freak in a mask showed up and tried to KILL us! I also saved her from that, so I'd say I won at least that one...

The image of the Blue Spirit is catapulted back into his mind.

AANG: Was it a blue mask?

Kenora's arms uncross in shock.

KENORA: Yeah. How did you...

She becomes very quiet all of a sudden.

KENORA: You know a lot about that night. Don't tell me you were the one swinging a katana...

A new piece of information that clearly deviates from his own world. He has already ruled out Zuko, and suspects that Sokka didn't do it either. For now he needs to deflect the accusation.

AANG: So... I'd sneak out with a sword and try to kill my friend?

Kenora focuses her glare on the airbender and pouts in suspicion.

KENORA: Fair point.

The waves start gaining some significant height.

AANG: So... you... fought against Azula, helped her escape and then... you started falling for her?

Kenora refuses to answer. She knows that's not the story. If anything, her focus is now on the encroaching field of rock spikes protruding from the seafloor, making this part of the ocean a death trap of sorts.

KENORA: That's the Northern Passage. There's a lot of volcanic activity around here, so most ships avoid it.

Aang begins worrying about Kenora's mental state.

AANG: And we're not most ships?

KENORA: We need to reach a port as fast as possible. This is the fastest way to the North Pole.

Aang guesses that the waterbender has concerns about other Avatar hunting parties, mostly Bato. However...

AANG: What's the point of being fast when we drown?!

KENORA: We won't. We're going to make it.

AANG: And then what? Get to the North Pole undetected?

She doesn't answer. Her plan is flawed, and she knows it.

AANG: And for what? What do you hope to gain from this?!

KENORA: PROVE THEM WRONG!

Aang has some guesses about what exactly she means by this. For now, he tries to divert the topic as the Matariki enters the Northern Passage.

AANG: You're going to need my help!

KENORA: SHUT UP.

She tries her absolute best navigating through all the marine geology and treacherous thorns trying to impale their ship on several occasions. She still manages to get some dents and scratches in the side, making the already deteriorating paint job even worse. Despite bright sunshine, the awful waves and constant saltwater splashes remind Aang of the stormy night he ran away.

AANG: You're going to kill us!

She keeps her mouth shut, slowly succumbing to the over exhaustion of navigating a boat while bending waves back and forth.

AANG: Come on, Kenora!

The constant bumping and minor damage make the Matariki's captain more and more nervous.

AANG: You're not going to prove anything if you're dead!

This is somehow the thing that makes her break. She temporarily freezes the water arounds the ship, allowing it to stay in place, though based on the ice crack sounds the clock is ticking.

KENORA: Alright...

She takes out a key from her pocket and walks over to Aang.

KENORA: How good is your waterbending?

AANG: Not very.

She reacts with the most comical of frowns, though there's no time to waste.

KENORA: Alright, get to the helm. Keep your eyes on the compass and move north.

She stands in the middle of the ship, waiting for Aang to grab the steering wheel, after which she allows the ice to break and the Matariki to move forward.

---

The harrowing journey through the Northern Passage takes far more time and strength than Aang expected. While he's keeping course and occasionally bending the wind to their advantage, he thinks about what his best escape plan should be. Many ideas float through his head, though he decides to go with one that leaves Kenora with her boat and not stranded in the ocean.

KENORA: A clearing is coming up!

It is, though after an especially gnarly set of spikes, almost resembling an upside-down ribcage, Aang gets an idea.

AANG: Create a huge tidal wave for us!

KENORA: What?

AANG: Trust me!

She's repulsed by the thought, though still complies for some reason. The wave that follows is just large enough to get the catamaran over the spikes, with Aang giving it the final blow with a broad wind blast, stretching the sails and giving the boat one final shove across the wave, letting it float for a moment before landing on smooth waters, officially ending their troublesome voyage through the deadly passage. Kenora is ecstatic for a moment...

KENORA: We did it! We-

Though as she turns around and finds the helm empty, her smile quickly disappears. Immediately, she rushes downstairs and into the below deck area, preparing a bubble of water in case the Avatar tries anything. She has beaten him before.

She finally kicks open her door to her room and freezes Aang's hands just as he was about to grab his staff.

AANG: Dammit!

Bending the boy upwards, she slowly drags him back outside, chaining him back to the mast like he was previously.

KENORA: Nice try...

After a metallic click she puts the key back into her pocket.

KENORA: Should've attacked me when you had the chance.

She stomps away and heads back to the helm, getting the ship back on course.

He really should've attacked her. But it would've led to her being stranded, possibly killed. It wouldn't be right. Plus, something about Kenora fascinates Aang. Perhaps it's just the fact that Kenora is unique to this world.

---

After a while Kenora starts getting behind Aang's plan. She eyes him closely with paranoia, wondering if he took a pin or something else from her room that might help him escape.

KENORA (mumbling to herself): That was way too easy.

While Aang still carries some injuries from their last battle, he still has more than enough energy to fight back. He did have the strength to blow the sail and use his bending to rush downstairs. Something is off...

She fixates the steering wheel and walks down the stairs once again.

KENORA: What did you take, Avatar?

Aang, meditating up until now, opens his eyes again.

AANG: I don't know what you're talking about.

She quickly loses her temper and grabs him by his shirt.

KENORA (angry): Don't lie to me.

AANG: I haven't.

KENORA: Really? You're going to stick to your other world story too?

Aang frowns at her and gets an angry glare in return.

AANG: I told you the truth. Maybe you should try some of that too.

She pulls him even closer, allowing him to feel her angered breath.

KENORA (angry): Maybe I should just freeze you in an ice block and let you sleep for another century.

AANG: Aren't you forgetting someone then?

Kenora backs off in confusion.

KENORA: What?

The animalistic growling from the distance answers her question.

AANG: Okay. I'll admit it - I lied about one thing.

He shows her the bison flute he blew into earlier, confirming Kenora's suspicion about Aang's plan.

AANG: Last chance. Let me go.

She refuses, preparing a large ice spear to launch at the incoming bison. Aang uses the momentum to blow another gust of wind into the sail, repeating the trick used on Sokka's ship to similar effect. By the time Kenora gets back up, the sky bison's tail has already blown her against the helm stairs, briefly knocking her down. Appa lands with a big splash, growling happily upon seeing Aang again.

AANG: Appa! Can you knock the mast for me down?

Unsure about whether or not the bison understood him, it rams the wooden mast regardless, breaking it off and allowing Aang to be (half-) free again. Grabbing the key from an unconscious Kenora, he manages to free himself by the time Appa flies back around.

AANG: Hold on, I'll get my stuff!

He looks at Kenora one last time before departing. He'll be prepared for her next time.

---

Soaring through the skies, Aang had begun wondering where Appa came from. He clearly didn't wait for him back at the spa, as he came flying from what appeared to be north. He suspected that the bison found their friends before Aang could. Taking a peek back at the saddle, their rucksacks confirm his theory. The incoming convoy of wooden scout ships add to the puzzle, the confused men shouting orders, as the sky bison quickly flies over them.

AANG: I assume you know where you're going.

Aang can't tell what Appa's response growl means but he takes it as a "yes".

---

After a while, the shape of a metal ship appears on the horizon, Aang tightly grabbing the reins and pushing his bison to fly a bit higher. He suddenly spots a strange occurrence, blue sparks of light sweeping across the deck. Aang finally realizes he's looking at blue flames, and while the image is initially terrifying, he quickly overcomes his subconscious fears and flies higher. A huge crowd of Water Tribe soldiers runs towards the fiery spectacle.

AANG: We're going to need to be a little clever here, buddy.

Appa growls quietly, not alerting anyone on board.

---

AZULA (angry): You are clearly outmatched.

Puwati, to her surprise, scoffs at the comment. She looks around her and finds a huge number of soldiers, which have finally reached the deck, surrounding her with all of their water, spears, clubs and other weapons drawn.

PUWATI: And you are clearly outnumbered.

At first, the soldiers carefully approach the firebender, who is willing to fight to the last nail. She wouldn't surrender after what they did to her, after what the smirking monster just did to her brother. With the glare of a cornered animal, she stares down at the Vice-Chief.

PUWATI: This is the part where you give up.

With all the adrenaline that's pumping through her body, the overwhelming odds of her against the world seem comically hopeless. And yet she persists, aiming her shaking arms at Puwati himself, who prepares to counter right away.

PUWATI: It's over.

Fire Nation boots land behind him. The crew stares at the event in shock, Azula gasping in relief. Puwati turns around slowly, his jaw dropping at the sight of Aang, holding his own staff like a spear.

AANG: No. It's not over.

Before Puwati can shout any orders, he spots half his crew swept aside by the mighty tail of Appa. Azula immediately takes the opportunity to blast blue fire at another stack of soldiers, who seem panicked and unprepared, jumping aside or blocking her blow, only to be pushed overboard in the chaos. Puwati bites his teeth and prepares for a great duel.

PUWATI: So... we finally meet, Avatar.

Aang doesn't take his eyes off the far larger man, though for now he ignores his comments.

AANG (talking to Azula): Where are the others?

She points at an injured Zuko cowering on the ground.

AANG (talking to Azula): Ty Lee?

AZULA: Imprisoned.

AANG (talking to Azula): Go get her. I'll keep him busy.

She nods. Her feelings on Aang remains muddled, though she can clearly ignore that for now. Puwati starts walking in a circle around Aang, spinning his staff in a show-off fashion, waiting for his reinforcements to appear.

AANG: Looking for me?

Puwati scoffs nervously.

PUWATI: I've spent weeks preparing for this encounter. Training, meditating... and yet you are simply a child.

AANG: And you're balding.

PUWATI: So are you.

The Water Tribe soldiers get into position.

AANG: I know. Gives me some neat advantages.

Finally, one of the soldiers charges Aang with a club, the boy being able to read the change in wind through his bare head. Dodging the blow, he sweeps away two other incoming spear men, blowing all three off-board. Puwati swings his hook with a horrid roar, Aang being able to dodge and keep him busy with a fire spin Puwati certainly didn't expect to see. Two waterbenders prepare to launch streams and whips respectively, both vaporized by Aang's fire and blown away (literally) by a mighty staff swing, which is also the next attack Puwati tries, once again only making a dent in the ground. One after the other, Aang is able to get rid of the few soldiers that remain on deck, perfectly utilizing his skills from years of war.

He has got the right rhythm to deal with enemy waterbenders, though Kenora's unique bending style remains elusive to him. He launches himself above the Vice-Chief's harpoon stab, trying to propel him into the ocean with a massive air blast. Puwati deals with the attack by sticking his harpoon into the ground like a flagpole, being able to stand mostly in place during the powerful wind attack. Aang launches a massive fire ball directly after that, no longer holding back any of his bending abilities. The Vice-Chief rolls aside, his face expressing quite a bit of shock at Aang's brutality.

PUWATI: Your firebending is impressive for someone still learning.

Aang shrugs.

AANG: A bit of extra learning never hurt anyone.

Puwati smiles for some reason at that comment, Aang guesses it's because of the new wave of incoming soldiers, encircling Aang around the ship's edge.

PUWATI: So it seems.

To their collective dislike, the sky bison lands behind Puwati, allowing Aang to jump up and causing Appa to smack the men off-board with the strength of an industrial turbine.

Aang lands back next to the edge.

AANG: We need to get Zuko-

Like having a rug pulled under him, something gets ahold of his leg and pulls him down, forcing Aang to drop his staff in the process. While Appa wants to help, he is being kept busy by protecting Zuko from more soldiers.

Aang lands on a wooden boat hull, immediately jumping aside once he spots the blue-silverish shimmer of Puwati's harpoon. He lands on one of dozens of wooden lifeboats, his opponent in a different canoe ahead.

PUWATI: You put up quite a fight, Avatar. You and your firebender friend both. How about we make this just between you and me instead, huh?

Aang readies himself.

AANG: I'm not afraid of you.

Puwati chuckles at his response.

PUWATI: Famous last words.

At this moment, Aang remembers Kenora's long title, which includes "Daughter of the Vice-Chief", or something along the lines.

AANG: You're Kenora's dad.

Aang's correct observation leaves his opponent speechless.

PUWATI: Don't you dare...

Now Aang is the one snickering.

AANG: You two are very much alike. Although I have to say, Kenora was much more of a challenge in a fight.

The provocative comment, meant to disrupt the Vice-Chief's focus, does the exact opposite - the man firmly grasps his weapon almost to the point of breaking a finger, his head shaking like a wild animal.

PUWATI (through gritted teeth): You dare to lay your hands on MY DAUGHTER?!

With a howling roar, he leaps forward, using his hook like an icepick, briefly sticking it into the ship's hull and then leaping onto Aang's boat. The boy dodges the first blow, then ducks from the second, which penetrates the ship's coat so far, it indicates clearly that this was meant to be a deadly strike. Puwati is finally fast enough, pressing him against the ironclad and severely scratching the metal, all while grunting with murderous intend. He won't seem to back off with fire, meaning Aang has to physically shove him away with a strong funnel of air.

The Vice-Chief manages to sweep Aang's feet - the Avatar falls down and dodges a series of harpoon blows, all aimed for his head and instead destroying the canoe's bottom. Aang finally gets the upper hand, bouncing Puwati up in a dome of wind, allowing Aang to roll aside, mostly because, as soon as the dome disappears, Puwati recklessly strikes the canoe as if his cane were a hammer. The chains holding up their platforms break upon impact, and the vessel crashes down into several other lifeboats. Aang jumps onto another canoe in time, meanwhile Puwati tries flinging the shattered lifeboat against the boy, forcing Aang to dodge by jumping back on board the ironclad in a risky leap of faith.

With an angered roar, the Vice-Chief drops into the ocean, stuck in a pile of shattered wood.

TY LEE: AANG!

The acrobat quickly jumps at his throat, followed by a quiet Azula, the girls emerging from a corridor inside the ship. Aang hopes he gets a chance to say sorry to all of them, though for now their focus is on escaping.

AZULA (to Ty Lee): Your staff is still inside.

TY LEE: I don't care. Let's just go.

The kids rush for the main deck, occasionally ramparting through disorganized soldiers like they're bowling pins.

They finally reach a growling Appa, helping him to get rid of the last few soldiers, who had been swirling him like flies. Ty Lee rushes to the next person, the injured Zuko. Sabachi has also returned after all the action, poking her head from behind Appa's saddle.

TY LEE: He's hurt really badly!

AZULA (picking up Zuko's swords and Aang's staff): We'll help him on the way.

The kids load the bison's saddle quickly, all hopping on board, with Aang at the helm. As they watch numerous Water Tribe soldiers running up towards them, Aang shouts the most cathartic two words he has spoken in a week.

AANG: Yip-yip!

The bison can safely escape from the clutches of the Koriata, the impressive ironclad that's partially on fire, with numerous destroyed lifeboats and a crew that got their asses handed to them by a bunch of kids.

---

Part 7: Vice

---

Desperately and repeatedly, the Vice-Chief attempts to climb to the next lifeboat, which is hanging from the side of his expensive ironclad, far away from his reach. This is his sixth or seventh attempt, and it too results in an angry man slamming his hook into the wall, only for him to slip and fall back into the water. He curses himself, punching the surface, angered at his failure to capture the Avatar, amongst other things.

An actual floating lifeboat finally approaches, and Puwati swims towards it in defeat, hammering in his next orders, as he exhaustedly climbs the strange ship.

PUWATI (out of breath): We... need to immediately... start the pursuit...

He erects himself, using his harpoon as a walking stick. He ponders the strange mast, which seems to be duct taped together with a thick coat of ice. He finally looks at the helm, spotting his daughter.

Kenora looks at her father with a blank expression, completely in shock as to stumbling into him, let alone dragging him from the water like a fish. Hearing a distant animal groan, she looks up at the sky, seeing a tiny dot in the distance, just big enough to make it out as the Avatar's bison.

KENORA: Th- the Avatar! He's getting away!

Puwati drops his harpoon hook and slowly walks up to his daughter, who points hectically at the escapees.

KENORA: We- we need to...

He finally stops in front of her. His face, carrying a brand-new scar she hasn't seen before, seems tired and relaxed. His relief is finally expressed in a long sigh.

PUWATI: I thought I had lost you.

Tired from the long travels and keeping the mast intact, she falls into her father's arms, breaking down and sobbing with unexpected joy. He hugs her back, trying his very hardest to stand upright.

---

Part 8: Appa

---

Dusk takes on a strange color when the sky is almost completely devoid of any clouds. This would probably be the last sunny day, and the last time Azula would be comfortable walking outside without extra clothing. Their island had tropical winters, so she never experienced the seasons as harshly as other parts of the world. Though if their adventure to Musho Ichi was any indication, she would not like winter.

Zuko has mostly stopped moaning from the pain. Ty Lee had constructed a makeshift splint for his broken arm, though they would need to get help somewhere soon, or else his arm might never heal back all the way.

AANG: The Northern Air Temple is only a few hours away. We'll fly through the night.

Appa's grunt meant protest, though in reality his complaints often went nowhere, and he complied with whatever demand the gang had for him, even if it went against what he wanted.

Ty Lee lovingly strokes the wounded soldier's head, having decided to have the "Talk" with him at a later point. Sabachi seems to have finally grown a genuine liking towards Zuko, resting calmly on his legs.

At the front of the saddle, Azula stares over the edge in silence. Aang hadn't spoken another word and... really didn't know how to begin, other than with a long sigh.

AANG: Listen, I-

AZULA: Save it for later. You have enough time to apologize when we get to the Golden City.

He looks back at her with tired eyes, haven taken a real harsh beating from the Vice-Chief. The same can be said about Azula, whose voice sounds tired but accepting.

AANG: No more lies. From now on, if you want to know something, I'll tell you. When I feel uncomfortable about something-

AZULA: You'll let us know. Got it.

He nods at her. Where his mind would be up in flames at the thought, it is now at peace thinking about one topic in particular. Time to come clean.

AANG: I lied. There is another Azula in my world. She was evil. Really evil. Sometimes when you acted a certain way... you reminded me of her.

A moment of silence. Aang made the decision to accept any answer to that.

AZULA: I know.

He didn't expect that, expressing it with a fitting expression of curiosity.

AZULA: I mean, I figured. Would be odd to react to everything the way you did but then I'm just... a blank spot. You stopped attacking us when you saw Zuko for the first time. You didn't react that way to me.

To his own surprise, Aang is glad to hear that. Never underestimate Azula's wit.

AZULA: Plus, I saw a vision of myself as an evil firebender back at that Avatar temple, so... yeah, that kind of gave it away.

She smiles at him, and he allows himself to return the favor.

After that, Azula finally lies down, using her backpack as a pillow. Something inside the bag pokes her and she rummages out the headpiece whose matching pin is still keeping her hair together. She removes it, letting the hair pile open up and fall down like a stream of black.

Even after everything that happened, she found Aang's presence comforting. Plus, he looks much better when he's bald. Much better...