Once the city was stable enough that the Avatar's help was no longer needed, Pakku tested him. "As I expected. You're a good enough waterbender to defeat a powerful foe in combat. It's time for you to move on."

"What about the moon and ocean spirits?" Aang asked.

"Our guardian spirits have been returned to their home. They don't need you."

Aang and his friends were officially relieved of all responsibilities to the Northern Water Tribe. He and Katara rounded up Sokka, and the three of them went to their house to pack up their things. "I'll tell Zuko while you guys get Appa ready," Katara said.

"We're on a mission again, so I guess Sokka's in charge," Aang said. "What do you think, Sokka?"

"He did save everyone's hineys and give a pretty good speech about how fire is supposed to be a warrior, so I'll give him another chance," Sokka said. They packed up all of their things and brought it all to the new stables. Katara left to inform Zuko and Iroh of their imminent departure.

"I'll tell him," Iroh promised. Zuko was roaming around the city, as usual. Iroh found his nephew assisting the doctors by explaining over and over again to frightened patients that a powerful light spirit would protect them in their dreams. Sometimes he used a bit of spiritbending for extra reassurance. He'd probably cut the workload of the spiritual healers in half already. Iroh waited for a quiet moment before he approached. "Hello, Nephew," Iroh said. "I see you're very busy. Keep doing what you're doing. I'm just here to tell you that the Avatar and his friends are going to leave soon. It's time for him to find an earthbending master. They've invited us along. Should I pack our things?"

Zuko looked conflicted. "Going with the Avatar? To do what? Help him?" He looked down. Iroh let him think.

Eventually, Zuko raised his head. "Pack our things, Uncle."

Iroh smiled. "As you wish!" He left to do just that.

Kalika revealed herself. "What are you packing your things for?"

"The Avatar's leaving."

"Are you going to help him?"

"I don't know." Zuko looked around. It was still quiet. He turned to her and said, "The water spirit told me that the past becomes the future. The trick is which past becomes which future. In the spirit world, I met an ancestor of mine who had a past that sounds nice. I have a funny feeling that in order for that to be my future, I have to go with the Avatar now."

"I'm very glad to hear that you trust your intuition, Lee. It won't let you down. Even if something bad happens when you go with him, have faith that it will ultimately work out just like you thought."

"I know something bad will happen. That's why I have to go. Staying would be giving in to cowardice, and I don't want to be a coward."

"Did you learn that from Katara?" Kalika asked with a smile.

"Yeah."

She laughed. "Good luck. Oh, someone's coming. See you around, Lee."

.

The king insisted on giving them a proper sendoff. He held another banquet, this time in a public square, for everyone in the city to celebrate and say their goodbyes to the Avatar's party. He gave a grand speech in which he described the role each of them had played in saving the tribe from the Fire Nation. For most of citizens, this was the first they were hearing about it. Everyone in earshot cheered wildly before turning to whisper to those who couldn't hear the speech. Aang blushed and waved. Zuko tried his best to do the same, but managed only a single raised hand. That was enough for his admirers. The king invited him and the Avatar up to give speeeches of their own.

Aang took the stage first. "I've learned a lot more than I thought I would from being here. I learned how to waterbend, but I also learned that bending power isn't the most important thing in the world. What really matters are the bonds that tie people together. Thank you all for teaching me that." He bowed to everyone in sight as he would bow to a teacher.

Zuko took the stage next, just because he thought he should. He had no idea what to say. He looked up at the moon and remembered his first meeting with the fish spirits. "Before I came here, all I knew were the harsher realities of life. I knew that mercy, forgiveness and charity existed, but I thought that only crazy people and spirits could have them. I thought that real people living in the real world couldn't break free from cycles of hatred and revenge, taking and taking back. I thought I couldn't break free. You all showed me more kindness each day than I'd seen in my entire lifetime. Now I understand that forgiveness and charity are forms of strength, not weakness. I've only just begun to learn how to use them. As I travel around the world with the Avatar, I'll keep learning. Thank you all for setting me on this path." He bowed to everyone in sight as he would to a teacher.

Both speeches were met with riotous applause. The king and Princess Yue clapped. The banquet was a roaring success by anyone's standards. After the eating was done and the people began to mingle, some came up to the king's tables. The other students in Master Pakku's classes slapped Aang on the back and said he'd better not forget them. Little girls from the water healing class hugged Katara and told her they would miss her. Surviving warriors promised to feed Sokka his own bragging words next time they saw him. He promised the same right back. The man with the misbehaving teenager and others that Iroh had spoken to thanked him for the games. Iroh told that man that his advice hadn't proven useful. Some people needed firmness, but others needed gentleness. He told that man that Zuko was the nephew he had spoken of. The man, remembering Zuko's speech, promised to think about it.

Kalika and Riri came up to give Zuko hugs. Kalika went first. "Good luck, Lee. You've changed my life, too. In case something bad happens to you and you ever wish I was there to help guide you, take this. A little something to remember me by."

Zuko gawked at the beaded necklace. "But it's a gift from your mother."

"I can get another token from her. It's alright."

Zuko put it around his neck. "What do you mean, I changed your life too?"

Kalika smiled. "You taught me a lot about trust, in other people and in yourself. Doctors struggle with self-confidence. It's part of the role."

"Then take this." Zuko handed her his knife. "Read its inscription."

"'Made in Earth Kingdom.'"

"The other one."

"'Never give up without a fight.'" She gawked at him. "Lee, what is this?"

"An old gift from my uncle. I can get something else. It's alright."

They hugged again. When Kalika stepped back, Riri broke in. "It's hugging day!" she exclaimed joyfully. "I didn't know it was gifting day too. I didn't bring anything."

Zuko hugged her back. "It's okay. I don't need any more necklaces." He released her. "Kalika, Riri. Riri, Kalika. Riri's the girl who got me to tell her all about spirits, and actually appreciated what I had to say. Before that, I thought nobody in the whole world wanted to hear about spirits."

"So that's where the rumors started!" Kalika exclaimed. "Nice to meet you. Do you, by any chance, know my old friend Talik?"

Riri looked ready to sink all the way through the ice until she hit solid earth. "Mhm."

"I thought your name sounded familiar! He's getting married. Do you want me to pass on an invitation?"

Zuko nudged Riri's shoulder. "See? I told you. You don't need to change who you are. Enjoy the wedding." He left the two women to their newfound friendship.

The banquet broke up after that. People drifted home. A light snowfall drifted with them, pure and white, no soot included. Zuko lay down on his blanket and wondered if he was dreaming. Tonight was perfect. Too perfect? Or am I allowed to have something perfect, just once? He closed his eyes and dreamed of snow.

.

The next morning, they departed. Pakku took them all onto a Water Tribe boat and set a course that would take them near a remote Earth Kingdom military base. He sent advance notice of their arrival with a sea pigeon. Zuko fled to the other side of the boat as soon as he could. He didn't want to be in close quarters with the Avatar and his friends. Something terrible could happen.

On the one hand, the journey took a week and a half. On the other hand, they were able to sleep and take potty breaks. It was a definite improvement, especially when they passed the sun line and needed extra sleep to recalibrate their cycles. Pakku summoned them up to the deck during a bright, sunny day. "It's time." They woke Appa and Momo and readied the saddle. Meanwhile, crew members took down the sails, slowing them to a gentle drift.

Zuko summoned the water spirit's dragon form up onto the deck. He breathed a sigh of relief when it leaped onboard. He patted its nose and whispered, "I missed you. Why did you disappear for weeks?" It nudged his hand and flared its gills once. All will be explained. It made a saddle for itself, along with reins and straps to secure two riders. Whatever the cause of its absence, it was here for him now. Zuko did his best to ignore how comforted that made him feel.

Pakku waved for their attention. He held a sack in his hands. He reached in and took out a necklace with an ornate crystal-shaped bottle on it. "Katara, I want you to have this. This amulet contains water from the spirit oasis. The water has unique properties. Don't lose it."

She took the necklace with a smile, then gave him a hug. "Thank you, Master Pakku." She climbed into the saddle.

Pakku took a box out of the sack. "Aang. These scrolls will help you keep up your practice. We wouldn't want everything you learned falling out of your head as soon as you leave, would we?"

Aang shook his head. "Absolutely not, Master Pakku." He accepted the box of scrolls, bowed and climbed onto his riding perch.

"Sokka." Sokka stepped forward, a huge grin on his face. Pakku patted his shoulder. "Take care, son." Sokka's smile fell off his face. He pouted.

Pakku turned to Iroh and Zuko next. "I still have an apprentice to train. But once that is done, I expect to do a bit of traveling. We might meet again."

"I hope so," Iroh said. They shook hands.

To Zuko, Pakku said, "Don't get full of yourself. Just because you're destined to save the world, don't expect any special treatment."

"I won't," Zuko promised. He bowed. He climbed onto the ice saddle just behind the water dragon's neck. Iroh sat directly behind him. They both strapped themselves in.

To the Avatar, Pakku said, "Fly straight to the Earth Kingdom base to the east of here. General Fong will provide you with an escort to Omashu. There you'll be safe to begin your earthbending training with King Bumi."

"Appa, yip yip!" With Pakku and the crew waving goodbye, the bison and the dragon lifted off. Once they were at a comfortable height, Aang called out, "Hey Zuko! Race you to the base!" Zuko smirked back. They both flicked their reins. Appa and the water dragon zoomed forward.

Appa got more air resistance, so Zuko won. Zuko grimaced and resolved not to do any more spiritbending for the rest of the day as the base finally came into sight. Thankfully the water spirit let him down gently. They landed on a tall, circular central tower surrounded by 4 walkways forming an X-shape, enclosed within a circular wall. The whole base was the upper half of a mountain, and it only had one bridge as a landbound access point. They were, indeed safe here. Zuko felt completely safe groaning and muttering, "Lesson learned: do not agree to races when you don't know how far away the destination is."

Appa roared in agreement. " Good point," Aang said, blushing.

A tall, broad-shouldered man in full Earth Kingdom regalia walked out with two lines of soldiers at his back. "Welcome, Avatar Aang!" he called. He and all of the soldiers bowed deeply. "I am General Fong. And welcome to all of you great heroes - Appa, Momo, brave Sokka, the mighty Katara, Twospirit Lee, and the wise Mushi."

"The mighty Katara? I like that," Katara said with a proud smile.

Zuko grimaced. Should we come clean now? That might save us a lot of trouble down the road. He decided to do it at the next semiprivate opportunity. Not while all these soldiers are watching.

Celebratory sounds came from above. They turned and watched a fireworks display that was being put on in their honor. Sokka grinned. "Not bad!"

.

Inside the strategy room at the top of the tower, General Fong had them all sit down on a mat placed on the carpet. He sat behind a desk that was flanked on two sides by maps and backed by a massive Earth Kingdom flag. It was very imposing, at least to commoners. The open space struck Zuko as dinky, and he wondered if they just couldn't afford anything better before catching himself. This is not the royal capital of the Earth Kingdom. It's just some base in the mountains. Even so, he eyed the general with no more respect than the man had earned. The man was no king.

General Fong cleared his throat. "Twospirit Lee, we were all amazed at the stories of how you single-handedly held the wall against an entire Fire Navy fleet at the North Pole, and how you convinced a Fire Nation admiral's own fire to turn against him. I can't imagine what it feels like to wield such power. It's an awesome responsibility."

"It feels like being picked up and shaken by a tornado filled with panicking ostrich horses," Zuko replied. "Not fun."

General Fong smiled. "Even so, power like that can defeat the Firelord."

There was a moment of stunned silence. "But it's my destiny to defeat the Firelord!" Aang yelped.

"Seconded," Zuko snarled. He stood up. "I will not be used as a weapon against the Fire Nation!"

"Why not? The Fire Nation is an island nation. With the power of the ocean behind you and no firebender able to stand before you, it would take less than an hour to reach and defeat the Firelord. The war could be over today!"

"I said no!" Zuko snapped. Iroh touched his hand. He took a deep breath. "I mean, I refuse. That's not the right way to end this war. That's not the kind of person I want to be."

"Well, while you figure out what kind of person you want to be, the war goes on." General Fong gestured to a window. "May I show you something?"

"Let me guess: you're going to show me a bunch of injured people and tell me that all the casualties of the war are my responsibility if I refuse to fight," Zuko said. He would be completely correct. "But that doesn't change anything. The spirits of Fire and Water are well aware of all the injuries and deaths that soldiers and innocents suffer. They're not moved. They will not help me destroy the Fire Nation."

"Oh? I thought you were refusing for your own personal reasons."

Zuko forced himself to stand straight. "I am. Even if they obeyed my every whim, I would not use them that way. I just wanted to let you know that they aren't at my beck and call and they also refuse, so you might as well give up."

General Fong sighed. Zuko's father flashed before his eyes. Their disappointed sighs were exactly the same. "I see. You value spirits over real, flesh and blood human beings. I suppose we shall have to wait for months and months, while the wounded pour in, until the Avatar has finished his schooling and is ready to fight."

Zuko sank back down to the ground. The energy that propelled him to his feet evaporated. He couldn't even speak.

"That's the only way," Katara argued.

The general whirled around. "Well I'm not willing to wait that long. See reason, Lee! You could save thousands of lives!"

Zuko felt all eyes on him. He knew what he had to do. But to his terror, his body began to move without him. His hands folded in his lap respectfully, like a proper prince. "I can try," he heard himself say.

.

Everybody else erupted into protest. But the general smiled approvingly and congratulated him on doing the right thing. He and his soldiers swept Zuko up and led him out of the tower. Zuko followed numbly. His thoughts were a blur. He couldn't focus.

The general held out a hand. Someone brought him a torch. He held it out to Zuko. "Use your power, Lee. Summon a great, roaring dragon out of this flame. You've done it before. You can do it again."

Zuko was well aware that he could not do it again. He was doomed to fail. When he failed, he would hear that disappointed sigh again, and he would become the traitor that killed innocent people through sheer willful incompetence. He tried. He really did. "Come out," he whispered. But it didn't work.

"Louder!" the general commanded.

A squeak betrayed his nervousness. Zuko flushed bright red. "Come out!" he yelled. It still didn't work.

"Stop!" Katara yelled. She and Aang ran to Zuko's side. "You sound just like the Firelord!"

The general raised both eyebrows. "I do not. The Firelord is responsible for a war that could destroy the entire world. I am a pragmatist trying to bring peace. Now leave us be."

"No!" Aang yelled. "It's my destiny to defeat the Firelord! I'm going to master all the elements and do it! His destiny is totally different."

"General, are you sure it's a good idea to bully someone who you yourself admit wields awesome power?" Iroh asked. "Beware of the fire you hold in your own hand."

"I would be happy to be burned," the general said. "That would be proof that Lee has the power we need."

"He doesn't!" Katara snapped. "He only gave in because you sound just like his father!"

There was another moment of stunned silence. The general looked at Zuko. "His father is the Firelord?"

"Yeah," Sokka said. "Lee and Mushi are fake names. His real name is Zuko - Prince Zuko. And this is General Iroh, the guy who nearly destroyed Ba Sing Se."

The general studied Zuko. His stony, impenetrable face radiated disappointment and lack of trust. Zuko couldn't look at it. "She's right," he whispered. "You do sound just like him."

Katara took Zuko's hand. "Come on. You have to get out of here. We all have to get out of here. We're not safe here." Aang pulled out a whistle and blew it.

The general jerked. "What are you talking about?! You need me to escort you to Omashu!"

"We'll find our own way, just like we have before," Sokka shot back. A boom came from somewhere below. With a roar, Appa landed on top of the tower. The icy dragon that Zuko had led into the stables before followed. Zuko had no ability to spiritbend. His insides were paralyzed. He barely had control over his lips. Iroh had to drag him onto the dragon.

"You're no heroes!" the general yelled after them as they flew away.

They flew until the base was out of sight. "That was scary," Aang said. Momo chirred in agreement. "I didn't expect to find someone like the Firelord in the Earth Kingdom."

"You can find all kinds of people in all of the Nations," Iroh said. "No country has a monopoly on virtue or vice."

"Are you okay, Zuko?" Katara asked.

"My spiritbending is paralyzed," he replied. "And I feel like stinking garbage." He hadn't even remembered about Kalika's gift. The banquet seemed like nothing more than a rosy dream. The Water Tribes were a whole different world. Now I'm back in the real world, where I can't expect coddling. I'm not any stronger. I still can't handle it. I'm still just a weak-willed child.

"What are you going to do when we meet someone who's actually Fire Nation?" Sokka asked.

"I have no idea."