Zuko gritted his teeth as he trudged through the thick tundra snow. As if things couldn't get any worse, a blizzard had started, and he could barely see ten feet in front of him.
I just need to get back to the city, he thought to himself as he fell to his knees, breathing heavily. But what direction is it? His legs and arms were getting extremely tired, especially so with having to carry Aang's weight with him.
Zuko looked over to his right shoulder, where Aang's head rested. The Avatar's tattoos were still glowing, but his eyes were now closed, as if he were in a deep sleep.
He'd found that carrying Aang on his back was somewhat easier than carrying him in his arms, but did not like how much it exposed the Avatar's body to the harsh elements. With a bit of awkward maneuvering, he pulled Aang's unconscious body down into his lap.
I can't see anything in this blizzard, Zuko thought anxiously, hugging the Avatar close to his chest. Aang had told him before that he used airbending to regulate his body temperature, but he obviously couldn't do that if he was unconscious. If I don't find shelter soon, we'll both freeze to death…
Taking a deep breath, he rose to his feet, lifting Aang up with him in his arms, and took a step forward. Suddenly, he heard a loud crack, and his eyes widened.
Oh no.
Zuko immediately began to run forward as fast as he could as the ice behind him began to collapse with each step, hugging Aang close again to ensure he wouldn't drop him. As he glanced over his shoulder, he gasped in fear as he saw a massive cloud of snow that had been kicked up as a result of the ice caving in on itself, and desperately willed his legs to move faster.
Unfortunately, however, Zuko was not an airbender, and this was not something his legs were physically capable of doing. With a yelp, he tripped forward, and he felt himself lose his grip on Aang as he tumbled into the snow.
Feeling dizzy, cold, and disoriented, he lifted his head slowly, looking over his shoulder again to see a gaping cavern where the ice had once been behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Aang laying next to him, and scrambled over to pull the Avatar upright, brushing the snow from his head and face, which had started to turn red from the cold.
Zuko sighed heavily. Well, no going back that way. We're probably nowhere near Agna Qel'a by now.
He lifted his head, and his eyes widened again when he spotted a cave not too far ahead of them.
"Shelter," he breathed in relief as he lifted Aang into his arms again and trudged forward.
When he entered the cave, he immediately set Aang down gently against the wall. To his surprise, he spotted what looked to be a small campfire pit, and next to it sat a pile of kindling. It appeared that this cave had been used as a shelter before, possibly by hunters.
"Maybe the universe doesn't hate me after all," Zuko mused as he hurried over to the pile of sticks, silently thanking whoever had left it. Removing his right glove, he pointed two fingers at the kindling, ignited it, and returned to Aang, slumping against the wall next to him.
Suddenly, the Avatar breathed in deeply through his nose, and Zuko flinched as he felt Aang's head fall onto his shoulder. He looked down at the unconscious boy and smiled slightly, a warm feeling blooming in his chest despite how cold the rest of his body felt.
"Guess we'll be here awhile," he murmured as he slowly rested his head against Aang's, closing his eyes as the fire began to heat the cave.
When Aang opened his eyes, he was no longer in the Spirit Oasis.
He instead appeared to be seated on a wooden platform in the middle of a foggy swamp. Despite its earthly appearance, however, Aang could immediately tell that he was no longer in the material world.
As he lifted his head to see a crane-like creature that was flying over him, his eyes widened when he realized that there were hundreds of trees floating in the dim, golden sky.
"Ohmmmm."
Upon hearing this sound, Aang hopped to his feet, his eyes darting around to search for its source. He quickly spotted an ancient-looking gate formed out of stone, under which a person was sitting in lotus pose.
He quickly hopped over to the island upon which the stone gate stood, and to his surprise, found that the person was not actually a person, but a person-sized monkey with white fur—likely a spirit.
"Hello?" Aang said. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I just really need to find the Moon and the Ocean spirits."
"Go away," the spirit replied haughtily, their eyes still closed. After a moment, they opened one of their eyes. "You're still here?"
Aang frowned slightly. "Yes, I–"
"Ohmmmm!" the spirit interrupted loudly before opening one eye again as a small ball of light floated around them. "Perhaps that thing will help you," they said, their eye following the ball of light. "Chase it!"
Seeing as this spirit was clearly not interested in helping him, he decided to do as it had instructed, scrambling over the roots and trees of the swamp to catch it. When he finally did, however, the branch he had been standing on suddenly dematerialized, and he yelled as he fell, unable to use airbending to slow his fall.
He landed with a splash into the shallow water below, and to his dismay, the small ball of light floated off again. "Come back!" he shouted as he scrambled back to his feet.
Before he could go any further, however, he quickly noticed something rippling in the water where his reflection should have been. As the water stilled, the image of a familiar white-haired Fire Nation man appeared.
"Hello, Aang."
"Roku!" Aang exclaimed as his previous incarnation materialized directly in front of him. "The Water Tribe's under attack. I need to find the Ocean and the Moon spirits!"
"The Ocean and the Moon are ancient spirits," Roku replied, an uneasy look appearing on his face. "They crossed over the Spirit World to the mortal world very near the beginning. There is only one spirit I know of who is old enough to remember..."
"Who?" Aang asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.
"The spirit's name is Koh," Roku replied, his expression growing dark. "But he is very dangerous. They call him the Face Stealer."
Upon hearing this title, Aang immediately felt a chill run down his spine.
"When you speak with him, you must be very careful to show no emotion at all," Roku continued. "Not the slightest expression, or he will steal your face."
Eventually, Aang found himself at the base of a large, gnarled-looking tree that looked exactly as Roku had described. As his gaze fell to the entrance of the cave at its base, a feeling of fear the likes of which he had never experienced washed over him, and he felt a strong urge to run.
However, he knew that his time was limited. No matter how afraid he felt, he had to talk to Koh. He had to find the Moon and Ocean spirits. He didn't have any other option.
Suddenly, he flinched as he heard a chattering sound.
Aang breathed in relief when he spotted the animal that had made the sound perched on a root of the large tree. "You're just a curly-tailed blue nose," he said with a smile.
However, when the creature turned to face him, Aang yelped in horror. Where the monkey's face should have been was instead a complete blank canvas—no wrinkles, no spots, no details whatsoever. Its face had truly been stolen.
You can't back out now, Aang told himself, taking another deep breath as he continued his descent. Remember, this is for Agna Qel'a. For the Northern Water Tribe. For my friends.
"Show no fear. Show no emotion at all," he murmured to himself, repeating what Roku had told him and relaxing his facial features into a neutral expression. His surroundings continued to grow darker as he walked down the multitude of stairs that led to the depths of the cave.
"Hello? I'm looking for a spirit named Koh," he called out after several moments of walking in uncomfortable silence.
From somewhere behind him, he heard an unsettling clicking noise. He whipped around, still conscious to keep his expression neutral despite the terror that was building inside him, but saw nothing.
Despite this, Aang immediately felt another chill run down his spine. Something was very, very close.
"Welcome!"
Suddenly, a creature appeared in front of him. It had the body of a large centipede, with hundreds of long, pointy, stick-like legs protruding from its black, segmented body. Its face, however, seemed to be that of a human, though Aang could not be certain. It appeared to be wearing a full face of Ba Sing Se opera makeup: a fully white base with large, gray circles painted around its eyes with small black dots to represent eyebrows. Its lips were painted blood-red, and they curled into an unsettling smile as the spirit studied him.
"Thank you," Aang replied politely, keeping a straight face. Strangely, aside from fear, there was another emotion manifesting deep within him as he stared back at the spirit. It felt like anger.
"My old friend, the Avatar," the spirit purred melodically as it began to circle him. "It's been a long time."
"You know me?" Aang asked, genuinely curious, and still aware of the feeling of anger that was burning deep inside him.
The creature turned away from him for a moment. "How could I forget you? " it said softly.
Suddenly, it whipped around, and the face the spirit now bore was that of a angry-looking middle-aged man with a long mustache and beard as it advanced upon him, stopping inches from his face with its sharp legs pointed directly at him. "One of your previous incarnations tried to slay me . Nearly eight or nine hundred years ago…"
Aang continued to maintain a neutral expression. "I didn't know that. Why did he—or I— try to kill you?" he asked.
"Oh, it was something about stealing the face of someone you loved…" the spirit replied nonchalantly, and its face changed again, this time to that of a beautiful young woman with long, dark brown hair that seemed to flow gently in a nonexistent breeze. As her strangely familiar dark gray eyes looked down at him with a soft, loving expression, Aang suddenly felt a tug of intense longing in his chest.
After a moment, the woman's loving expression shifted to one of maliciousness, and abruptly changed to that of a baboon as Koh laughed loudly and darkly.
"Of course, that's all behind us," the spirit continued as it began to circle him again. "Why should I hold a grudge against you for something in a past life? After all, you're a different person now," it whispered in his ear from behind. "You've come to me... with a new face."
Aang immediately felt a strong urge to run, and somehow also a strong desire to turn around and rip the creature's face from its body.
"It's been a long time since I've added a child's face to my collection," Koh continued, face shifting again to that of an owl. "So... how may I help you?"
"I need to find the Moon and the Ocean."
"Their spirit names are Tui and La," Koh replied, continuing to circle him. "Push and pull. And that has been the nature of their relationship for all time."
"Please. Help me find them," Aang said. "An entire culture could be destroyed if I don't get their help."
"Oh, you think you need their help," Koh said, turning away from him again. "Actually, it's quite the other way around." Suddenly, without warning, the spirit spun back around, coming to a stop directly in front of his face once more, this time sporting the face of a blue-skinned creature with fangs and piercing red eyes—quite similar to Zuko's Blue Spirit mask. "Someone's going to kill them! "
Aang closed his eyes for a moment as his heart rate spiked, taking another deep breath to calm himself before slowly opening them again. "What do you mean? How can I find them and protect them?"
"You've already met them, actually," Koh replied, turning around once more. "Tui and La, your Moon and Ocean, have always circled each other in an eternal dance," the spirit said, curling its legs inwards. "They balance each other. Push and pull. Life and death. Good and evil. Yin and yang."
Suddenly, the image of the black and white fish in the Spirit Oasis pond flashed in his mind, circling one another over and over.
Yin and yang.
"The koi fish!" Aang exclaimed in realization, his eyes widening.
He quickly realized the mistake he had just made, however, and returned his expression to that of neutrality as Koh whipped around again, coming to a stop directly in front of him with that same blue-skinned face.
"I must be going now," Aang said calmly.
"We'll meet again…" Koh replied ominously, flicking to the face of a balding young man with amber eyes as he began to recede into the shadows.
Aang slowly turned around and began to ascend the stairs, eventually breaking into a run. As he exited the cave at last, he stopped at the edge of the shallow water in front of him and looked down at his reflection, seeing Roku again. "The spirits are in trouble. I need to get back to the physical world."
"A friend is here to guide you back," Roku replied, and the image of the old man shifted to that of a black-and-white bear.
Aang grinned and spun around. "Hei Bai!" he exclaimed happily as the large panda bear lowered its head to allow him to climb on.
Before long, Hei Bai had hopped back through the swamp and returned him to the platform he had arrived on. Interestingly, it looked quite similar to the Spirit Oasis: there was a wooden gate behind it, as well as a small bamboo forest.
"This is where I came in, but how do I get back?" Aang asked, furrowing his brow in confusion as he hopped off of the spirit and onto the platform.
Hei Bai said nothing, and instead lifted itself up on its hind legs. It pursed its mouth into an "o" shape, and a small beam of spiritual energy shot out, surrounding him with bright light.
In the blink of an eye, he was back at the Spirit Oasis. He immediately spotted Momo curled up on the ground next to the koi pond.
"Momo!" Aang said happily as he walked over to pet him. "Momo?" he said again when the lemur did not react. As he lifted his hand to touch him, he gasped when he realized it was blue and translucent. "Oh no, where's my body?"
Suddenly, he felt himself shoot into the air.
As the campfire began to dim, Zuko looked down at Aang again, whose head was still resting on his shoulder.
We're losing our heat source… he thought anxiously as he removed one of his gloves and placed his hand over one of Aang's. His eyes widened when his fears were confirmed: it was very cold. With the dwindling fire, Aang's body temperature would continue to lower if he didn't do something.
Pushing the Avatar off of him gently, Zuko scooted away from the wall and shrugged off his fur coat that Avu and Piqa had given him and pulled it over Aang's head.
"There may not be any more kindling for the fire, but you're not freezing to death on my watch," Zuko muttered somewhat irritably as he removed both of his gloves and placed them on the Avatar's hands. "You'd better come back soon, or I'm gonna be pissed."
Once the gloves were on, he began to pull the fur hood over Aang's head, yanking on it several times to secure it in place. Eventually, his expression slowly began to soften as he stopped fussing with the hood.
"You have to come back, " he murmured softly as he gently brushed his fingers against the Avatar's cheek. "I can't lose the person I…"
Suddenly, Aang's eyes shot open, the glow in his tattoos quickly fading. "Zuko?!" he exclaimed in astonishment, his features slowly lighting up with joy. "Zuko!"
Zuko grunted in surprise as Aang lunged forward and hugged him tightly, his face immediately beginning to burn despite the cold. It didn't take long for him to relax in the airbender's embrace, gripping the back of the coat he had put Aang in tightly.
"I was so worried about you," Aang murmured against Zuko's nearly shoulder-length hair, causing a shiver to run down his spine. "I thought I'd never see you again..."
"Me too," Zuko replied softly, squeezing Aang close. "I'm sorry it took me so long to find you again."
"What happened to you and Iroh?" Aang asked, still clutching Zuko tightly. "And where are we?"
"It's a long story," Zuko replied with a sigh. "All that matters right now is that I'm back. Even if you try, you can't get rid of me."
Aang laughed in reply, and Zuko felt his stomach do a flip upon hearing the familiar, pleasant sound.
They stayed like that for several more moments until eventually, Aang pulled back, causing Zuko to mourn the warmth that they had generated together.
However, instead of sitting back against the wall, Aang stopped just a few inches from Zuko's face, his gray eyes studying Zuko's features intently, almost as if he wasn't certain that he was really there in front of him. This close up, Zuko could see that Avatar's face was flushed. That was probably due to the cold... right?
We're so close, Zuko thought. Spirits, I feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest!
"Zuko," Aang whispered as he looked directly into Zuko's wide eyes. "I–"
"There they are!"
Zuko whipped his head towards the entrance of the cave, where he quickly spotted Katara and Sokka running towards them from outside, where it appeared that the blizzard had stopped. Appa was several feet behind him, and Princess Yue appeared to be sitting in the saddle.
Aang immediately jumped up with a grin and ran towards the mouth of the cave, hugging both Water Tribe siblings close.
Zuko shook his head rapidly and smiled as he pushed himself to his feet and walked over to his friends. "You found us."
"We need to get to the oasis," Aang interjected abruptly, looking as though he had just remembered something important. "The spirits are in trouble!"
"Spirits?" Zuko asked confusedly as the four of them ran back outside to Appa.
"I'll explain on the way," Aang said. As he came to a stop next to the bison's head, however, he looked down, seeming to notice the blue fur coat he was wearing for the first time. He looked back up at Zuko and cocked his head to the side.
"Uh, I just wanted to make sure you didn't freeze to death," Zuko quickly said as he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his ears grow warm. "Since I figured you probably couldn't do that breathing regulation thing while you're in the Spirit World…"
A warm smile spread across Aang's face upon hearing this. "Thanks, hotman," he replied as he shrugged off the coat and jogged over to hand it back to Zuko. "But I think you need this more than I do."
"So there are two koi fish in that oasis, and they're the Moon and Ocean spirits?" Sokka asked in confusion.
"And someone's going to try to hurt them?" Katara added anxiously.
"Zhao… It has to be," Zuko murmured darkly. He wasn't sure how he knew the admiral was the one behind this plot, but he did.
Aang nodded from where he sat on Appa's head. "That's why we have to get back. I have to protect them."
Suddenly, the airbender winced, and Zuko quickly darted over to the front of the saddle.
"Aang?" he exclaimed, reaching a hand out towards his friend. Suddenly, he gasped as he looked up at the moon, which had abruptly shifted from bright white to blood red.
"Are you okay?" Sokka asked anxiously.
Zuko turned around and saw that the Water Tribe boy was not talking to Aang, but Princess Yue, who held her head in both of her hands with a pained expression.
"I feel faint," the princess replied weakly.
"I feel it too," Aang said, and Zuko turned to see he was pressing his hand to the side of his head again. "The Moon Spirit is in trouble…"
"I owe the Moon Spirit my life," Yue said softly.
"What do you mean?" Sokka asked.
"When I was born, I was very sick and very weak," Yue replied. "Most babies cry when they're born, but I was born as if I was asleep, my eyes closed. Our healers did everything they could. They told my mother and father I was going to die. My father pleaded with the spirits to save me. That night, beneath the full moon, he brought me to the oasis and placed me in the pond. My dark hair turned white. I opened my eyes and began to cry, and they knew I would live. That's why my mother named me Yue. For the moon."
Zuko's brow furrowed as he listened to Yue's story, but before he or anyone else could say anything in reply, he spotted the oasis below them.
"I am... a legend, now!" he heard a gratingly familiar voice shout from below as they descended. "The Fire Nation will, for generations, tell stories about the great Zhao, who darkened the moon. They will call me Zhao the Conqueror, Zhao the Moon Slayer, Zhao the Invincible! "
As Appa landed next to the pond and Zuko, Aang, Sokka, and Katara each dismounted, Momo immediately darted forward, latching himself onto Zhao's head just as he had done at the Southern Air Temple nearly two years ago.
"Ugh... Get it off! Get it off!" Zhao exclaimed as he flailed around, Momo pulling at his hair and beard for several moments before taking off and landing on Aang's outstretched arm.
As Aang brandished his staff and Zuko, Sokka, and Katara readied themselves to fight, Zhao's exasperated expression shifted. Instead of his usual sneer, it was something much darker. "Don't bother," he said, holding up a cloth sack in one hand and aiming a fist at it with the other.
With a spike of panic, Zuko quickly realized that the Moon Spirit was likely in the sack. Aang seemed to notice this as well, and immediately lowered his staff.
"Zhao, don't," Aang pleaded.
"It's my destiny to destroy the moon, and the Water Tribe," Zhao replied haughtily.
"Destroying the moon won't hurt just the Water Tribe," Aang said slowly. "It will hurt everyone, including you. Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world."
"He is right, Zhao."
Zuko's eyebrows slowly rose in realization as he turned to see none other than Iroh crossing one of the bridges leading to the oasis. "Uncle!' he exclaimed in relief.
"General Iroh," Zhao said, narrowing his eyes as he met the man's gaze. After a moment, his eyes moved to Zuko, and he smirked. "Today is an auspicious day indeed. The Avatar, the banished Prince, and the disgraced former general, all together in one place while the Fire Nation is on the cusp of finally decimating the great Northern Water Tribe," he chuckled darkly. "You never should have come here. There's nowhere for you to run anymore."
"Shut up, Zhao," Zuko growled, feeling the familiar surge of anger Zhao always induced in him as he took a step forward. He stopped, however, when Aang grabbed his hand, firmly but gently.
"The Fire Nation needs the moon, too, Zhao," Iroh stated loudly. "We all depend on the balance." Suddenly, the former general lifted his arms into a fighting stance, and a livid expression appeared on his usually calm face. "Whatever you do to that spirit, I'll unleash on you tenfold. Let it go, now! "
I forget how scary uncle can be when he's angry, Zuko thought to himself as his eyes moved back and forth anxiously between the two men.
Genuine fear sparked in Zhao's eyes upon hearing Iroh's command, and the admiral's eyebrows twitched as he slowly closed his eyes. After a moment, he slowly crouched down, opened the sack, and returned the Moon Spirit to the pond.
As the color of the moon returned to its usual shade of soft white, Zuko felt himself relax, breathing a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, however, Zhao raised his arm, and to Zuko's horror, the admiral whipped a powerful slice of firebending down into the pond. As the flames dissipated, the light of the moon disappeared completely, engulfing everything into near-complete darkness.
The oasis lit up with an orange glow as Iroh leapt forward and began to shoot multiple large fire blasts towards Zhao and the firebenders. Within moments, each of the firebenders were laying on the ground around the former general, groaning in pain.
Aang immediately darted over to the other side of the pond, Zuko following quickly after him. He looked down at the pond, where a white koi fish with a black scorch mark laid motionless while a black koi fish swam frantically around it.
"Is it…?" Zuko murmured as Iroh somberly knelt at the edge of the pond, reaching his hands down into the water to gently pick up the white fish.
"There's no hope now," Princess Yue said from behind them, her voice cracking with pain. "It's over."
"No. It's not over."
Zuko abruptly turned to look at Aang, whose voice was joined by hundreds of others simultaneously. The Avatar's eyes and tattoos were glowing again, and his livid expression was somehow both terrifying and awe-inspiring.
As Aang slowly began to walk forward into the pond, Zuko instinctively made a move to follow him, but stopped when his uncle held out his arm and shook his head. Instead, he watched nervously as his best friend continued wading through the shallow water of the pool until he stopped in the center, bringing his hands together in front of him. After a moment, the water in the pool began to glow white, and a soft breeze began to blow as Zuko gaped in awe.
Suddenly, Aang disappeared into the water, and the pool surrounding the island began to glow bright blue. Zuko's wide eyes followed the blue light as it spread through the water towards the palace ahead of them, eventually rising up and forming the shape of a gigantic fish-like creature that raised its arms to the sky.
Is Aang in there somewhere?! Zuko wondered in astonishment as the creature's body phased through the palace and into the city.
He looked back to Iroh, who was still holding the white, lifeless fish in his hands. The old man slowly knelt down again and placed the fish into the pond.
"It's too late," Katara said somberly. "It's dead."
Iroh's brow furrowed as he squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, however, they widened as he looked at Princess Yue in realization.
"You have been touched by the Moon Spirit," Iroh gasped. "Some of its life is in you ."
Yue slowly lifted her head, and as her eyes opened, Zuko suddenly noticed that despite the darkness, they seemed to retain their vivid blue color.
"You're right," the white-haired girl replied, standing up. "It gave me life… Maybe I can give it back."
"No!" Sokka exclaimed, jumping to his feet and grabbing the princess's hand. "You don't have to do that!"
"It's my duty, Sokka."
"I won't let you!" Sokka protested, his voice cracking. "Your father told me to protect you!"
"I have to do this," Yue replied, her brow furrowing in determination as she pulled herself away from Sokka.
"Uncle, surely there's another way," Zuko said as Iroh retrieved the white fish from the pond again.
Iroh simply shook his head sadly, and held up the fish as Yue reached her hands out to touch it. The fish's body glowed white for a moment, and with one last exhale, the princess collapsed.
"No!" Sokka cried out as Yue fell into his arms. He cupped her face tenderly for a moment, and his features twisted in pain as he hugged her lifeless body close. "She's gone. She's gone…"
Zuko couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in his heart as he watched the devastating scene. It almost didn't feel real.
Suddenly, Yue's body began to fade, and within seconds, she had disappeared completely, to Sokka's dismay.
Behind him, the koi pond glowed with spiritual energy once more. However, this time, something translucent rose from it. Eventually, it fully materialized into the form of Princess Yue, now clad in majestic, ethereal robes that seemed to ripple around her, almost as if she were suspended underwater.
"Goodbye, Sokka," Yue said softly, her voice echoing as she spoke. "I will always be with you."
She then floated forward, cupped Sokka's face with a ghostly hand, and kissed him before fading away again.
Almost as soon as Yue had disappeared, the sky was alight again, the full moon reappearing in the sky.
An uncomfortable silence followed, only broken by the sounds of Sokka's quiet sobs as Katara crouched down next to her brother and put her arm around his shoulders to comfort him.
As Zuko tore his eyes away from the distressing scene, he saw that the four firebenders were still lying on the ground, some groaning in pain, the others laying still. His eyes slowly widened when he realized Zhao was not among them.
No… Zuko thought to himself as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He can't get away this time. I won't let him.
With that, he immediately took off across the bridge back towards the palace.
"Zuko? Where are you going?" he heard his uncle call out behind him.
"To find Zhao," Zuko replied over his shoulder. "I'm not going to let him hurt anyone else!"
Aang found himself returning to consciousness at the top of what remained of the Agna Qel'a city wall. He pressed his palm to his forehead as he dizzily regained his balance, thankful that he hadn't immediately fallen hundreds of feet into the freezing ocean below.
His eyes squinted and he blinked several times in confusion as he saw that a portion of the ocean in front of him was glowing bright blue. It quickly disappeared, however, and he shook his head rapidly.
Suddenly, he looked up at the sky, and his jaw dropped when he saw that, by some miracle, the moon had reappeared.
How is that possible? Zhao killed it. That's why the Ocean Spirit was so angry…
He squeezed his eyes closed, vaguely recalling the feelings of rage and anguish he felt when he had stepped into the koi pond. With a sharp inhale, his eyes snapped open, and for the first time, he saw what remained of the Fire Navy in front of him.
…I did all that? he thought as he surveyed the carnage, beginning to feel sick to his stomach. How many people did I…?
He shook his head violently. No. I wanted the spirits' help to defeat the Fire Navy, and that's what the Ocean Spirit did. Agna Qel'a is safe now. That's what matters.
He took a deep breath and tried to force down the feeling of extreme guilt that was beginning to rise in his stomach. "I have to get back and make sure everyone's okay," he murmured to himself.
While he didn't have his glider, thankfully that didn't mean that he couldn't get back quickly. Jumping down from the wall, he sped off into the city, hopping from building to building until he reached the upper level.
He froze in his tracks, however, when he heard someone shouting.
"You should have chosen to accept your failure! You're a disgrace. Then, at least you could have lived!"
Aang's eyes widened as he recognized the enraged voice of Zhao, and he began to change directions to run towards the direction he heard the voice coming from.
He escaped! Aang thought anxiously. I have to help whoever's fighting—
"I am going to live."
Aang's heart skipped a beat upon hearing Zuko's voice, and he immediately used a gust of airbending to propel himself across one of the canals before landing on a roof overlooking a large bridge. Below him, he could feel the heat of the firebending blasts both Zhao and Zuko were shooting at one another.
"You don't scare me anymore, Zhao," Zuko continued. "Surrender now, because it's over. The Moon Spirit survived. You've lost."
Zhao immediately began to growl in response, holding his hands behind him as he prepared to throw another attack at the Fire Prince.
"Zhao!" Aang shouted as he jumped down from the roof and landed behind Zhao, who whipped around with a livid expression. Zuko, on the other hand, had a relieved smile on his face.
"You're back! And you're okay!" Zuko exclaimed with a sigh of relief.
Aang couldn't help but smile back. "I'm not going anywhere, hotman."
The exasperated-looking Zhao looked between the two boys who had surrounded him on either side for a moment, his expression initially one of confused anger. Then, it shifted as his eyes widened slightly and his lips curled into his characteristic sneer.
"I see what's going on here…" Zhao murmured, shaking his head. "As if you couldn't become any more of a disgrace, Prince Zuko."
The smile on Zuko's face disappeared as his attention returned to the admiral. "This again? Do you really think I care anymore?" he replied. "Your insults mean nothing to me."
"No. You know what you've done," Zhao replied darkly, his gaze moving pointedly towards Aang, whose brow furrowed in confusion. "I could see it in your eyes from the moment he arrived. To think you've been so corrupted ..."
Suddenly, a panicked expression appeared on Zuko's face before quickly morphing into one of rage.
Zhao smirked, and as Zuko broke into a run towards him with a yell, forming a ball of flames in his hand, Aang realized that this was exactly what Zhao intended.
As the admiral's right foot slowly slid backwards in preparation to strike, almost instinctively, Aang moved his arms in a fluid motion, pulling water from the canal below. With one swift movement, the water blast knocked Zhao off the bridge and into the canal with a splash.
Zuko immediately stopped in his tracks and stared at Aang with wide, unblinking eyes. "You used waterbending!"
Aang nodded. "I've been practicing while you were gone," he replied with a small smile.
Zuko blinked several times and shook his head rapidly. "We need to get him out of the water and detain him," he said as they both leaned over the edge of the bridge to see the flailing admiral swimming to the edge of the canal. "We can't let him get away!"
Aang nodded, and the two boys quickly descended to the level of the canal, where Zhao had managed to reach solid ground and was attempting to hoist himself out of the water.
Suddenly, they both stopped in their tracks. In the water behind Zhao, a large, glowing blue arm ascended, almost looking as if it were somehow constructed from the water itself. With one swift movement, it reached towards the admiral and latched around him.
Zhao's eyes widened, and as he turned to see what had grabbed him, a look of genuine panic appeared on his face, and his fingers dug into the ice as he tried to keep himself from being pulled down.
The Ocean Spirit! Aang realized as he and Zuko both continued running towards Zhao.
"Take my hand!" Zuko shouted, reaching out his arm.
Upon hearing Zuko's voice, Zhao looked up. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and a sneer appeared on his face again.
Right as Zuko reached him, the admiral let go of the ice, holding both arms purposefully away as the giant hand slowly pulled him into the water.
"Today, we achieved a great victory against the Fire Nation," Arnook declared to the crowd that had gathered in front of the palace the following morning. "Thanks to the help of the Avatar, and our great Ocean Spirit, the Northern Water Tribe survives."
The chief nodded to Aang, who bowed his head respectfully from where he stood next to Zuko and Iroh. Arnook bowed in return.
Zuko's brow furrowed as he watched the chief speak, a sorrowful feeling beginning to manifest deep in his chest. Arnook had just lost his only daughter, and yet he was still somehow strong enough to address his people like this.
He glanced over at Sokka, who was leaning against one of the large ice pillars next to Katara. His sister's arm was locked with his, and she was leaning her head on his shoulder. While the Water Tribe boy seemed to have stopped crying, he was now staring at the ground with a hollow gaze.
Zuko couldn't even begin to imagine how Sokka was feeling right now. For one horrible moment, he imagined how he would feel if he watched Aang die in front of him, and he immediately felt sick to his stomach, shaking his head rapidly to dispel such thoughts.
"Sadly, this victory did not come without sacrifice," Arnook continued, closing his eyes slowly. "We lost many good men in the battle. We honor them today."
Zuko's gaze moved back to the chief, and he caught sight of Advisor Iknik, who was standing with the other tribal council members behind Arnook. The man appeared to be shaking; tears were running down the advisor's cheeks, and his fists were gripping the fabric of his robes tightly.
Someone he loved must have died in the battle, Zuko realized with a pang of sympathy.
"We also honor the sacrifice of Princess Yue," Arnook said, and it was at this point that Zuko heard his voice begin to waver. "The spirits gave me a vision when the princess was born. I saw a beautiful, brave, young woman become the Moon Spirit." The chief closed his eyes again and released a sigh. "I knew this day would come. She gave her life to save Tui when all was lost. Yue's name will be passed down for generations as the savior of Agna Qel'a, and of the Northern Water Tribe. I could not be more proud of my daughter than I am on this day."
Chief Arnook lowered his head upon finishing his speech, tears now freely running down his face. Zuko's eyes widened in surprise as he watched Advisor Iknik make his way over to the chief, who embraced the man in a hug.
"The advisor and the chief must be close," Zuko murmured.
Aang nodded. "Arnook said they've been friends since they were young," he replied, expression somber. "It must be hard for them, both losing a child on the same day. I mean, I didn't like Hahn, but he didn't deserve to die… None of them did."
Hahn? Zuko thought, his eyes widening as he whipped his gaze back to the sobbing advisor. Suddenly, he recalled the conversation he had heard between the smug boy and one of the guards back at the estate they'd been imprisoned at. If Iknik is Hahn's father, then doesn't that mean…?
The advisor had been the one behind his and Iroh's kidnapping.
"So. Now that all that is over, are you and Iroh finally going to tell us what happened to you guys?" Sokka asked as they gathered around the fire pit in the guest house that evening. Zuko was happy to see that he appeared to be a little less somber than he had been earlier that day.
"Well… Like I said, it's a long story," Zuko replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
"We were kidnapped," Iroh replied at almost the exact same time.
" Kidnapped? " Katara repeated with an astonished expression, which was also shared by both her brother and Aang.
"I knew you guys were in trouble!" Aang exclaimed, expression quickly shifting to that of anger. "When I find out who did this–"
"Aang, careful!" Zuko interjected as the flames in the fire pit began to grow, placing a hand on the airbender's arm.
"Sorry," Aang replied, taking a deep breath. "Sorry. You can keep going. I'll stay calm, I promise."
Zuko sighed and exchanged a glance with his uncle. "What uncle said is true. The night we disappeared, we were both ambushed separately while uncle was on a walk. I had to fight several waterbenders, and I ended up with a pretty nasty head and rib injury."
Aang immediately looked at him with wide, concerned eyes. "Injuries? Do you need Katara to–"
"It's alright, Aang," Zuko interrupted, giving the airbender a reassuring smile. "I'm already healed, for the most part."
"Already healed?" Katara asked curiously. "Who…?"
"Thankfully, we managed to escape our captors, and were lucky enough to run into a lovely couple, one of which is a healer," Iroh replied. "Zuko was in pretty bad shape when they found us, but she fixed him right up in no time."
"Once I had healed, and we saw the Fire Navy was attacking, we knew we had to get back to you guys as soon as possible," Zuko added. "After that is when I ran into Sokka. You guys know what happened next."
"Did you see who attacked you?" Sokka asked, brow furrowed seriously as he leaned forward. "Maybe we can give a description to the chief, and Advisor Iknik can send out a task force or something to track them down."
"Their faces were covered," Zuko said quickly. "We couldn't see them."
Why shouldn't I tell them what I found out? he thought to himself. Iknik is the one who did this to us. Doesn't he deserve to face the consequences of his actions?
The memory of Iknik shaking with sobs earlier that day flashed in his mind, and he frowned.
But hasn't he suffered enough?
"Ugh," Sokka sighed, folding his arms. "I just hate to think about whoever did this getting away with it… You guys deserve justice."
"I couldn't agree more," Aang said quietly, folding his arms.
Zuko wasn't sure how much time had passed as he continued to toss and turn in his bedroll in the dark. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't seem to fully fall asleep; his mind was buzzing with thoughts revolving around the events that had occurred over the past few days.
Maybe the cold air will clear my head…
As he pushed aside the curtain and stepped outside the guest house, he looked up at the bright moon above him. So… that's Yue, now? He was still unsure what exactly had happened to the princess.
Strangely, he couldn't help but wish that he had gotten more of a chance to get to know Yue. While he didn't know her well, he could see why Sokka liked her—she was kind and incredibly selfless. She would have likely made a great chief one day. Perhaps they could have even bonded over their shared experience growing up in a royal family—the expectations, the responsibilities, the sacrifices.
At least her father seemed sad about her, he thought with a sigh. I doubt my father would feel anything if I died. In fact, he'd probably gladly kill me himself if I were face-to-face with him right now.
As he thought about how sorrowful Chief Arnook had looked during his speech earlier that day, he couldn't help but be reminded of Advisor Iknik.
Should I really reveal my suspicions about Iknik to everyone? he thought with another sigh. It's not like I can even prove his involvement... And losing his son really seems to have been extremely painful for him. Maybe that's enough of a consequence.
He gripped his forearms tightly as a shiver ran through his body. He had forgotten the coat Piqa and Avu had given him in the guest house, but he wasn't quite ready to go back in yet.
Suddenly, he froze as he felt something warm being draped over his back. When he turned around, he saw that Aang was standing behind him. The Avatar smiled as he finished tucking the blanket over his shoulders, and Zuko felt his ears begin to burn.
"Sorry to sneak up on you, hotman," Aang said sheepishly. "I couldn't sleep either, and I was worried when I saw you just get up and leave without your coat…"
Zuko smiled softly. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."
"Well, not on my watch, you aren't," Aang replied with a small grin as he stepped forward to stand side by side with Zuko.
As Aang looked up at the moon, Zuko's gaze remained on the Avatar's face, suddenly recalling how close they had been when Aang had woken up in the tundra cave. What had he been about to tell him before they were interrupted by Sokka and Katara?
His heart was already starting to pound just thinking about it.
"Zuko?" Aang asked, interrupting his thoughts and causing him to flinch.
"Y–yeah?" Zuko stammered.
"I have a feeling there's something you're not telling me."
Zuko's heart immediately began to beat even faster. What could he possibly mean by that?!
"Um… Like what, exactly?"
Aang turned to face him, gray eyes locking onto his own.
"About your kidnappers," Aang said.
Zuko rapidly shook his head. "Oh."
"You said you didn't know who did it," Aang continued with a serious expression. "But you do, don't you? Why don't you want to tell me?"
Zuko bit his lip and looked off to the side, pulling the blanket tighter over his shoulders. "Because I don't have any proof."
Aang's hand latched onto his forearm, gently but firmly. "Zuko… please. You can tell me. I want you and Iroh to get justice for what happened to you."
Zuko reluctantly met his friend's gaze again and sighed. "Even though the person who captured uncle and me had their face covered, I immediately thought that their voice sounded familiar," he explained. "But I couldn't remember where I could have heard it from. Then, that Hahn guy and his posse ran into Sokka and I last night…"
Aang's brow immediately furrowed and his eyes widened. "It was him? " he said in astonishment. "Of course it was him!" he muttered angrily.
"It doesn't matter anymore," Zuko said, folding his arms and looking up at the moon again. "Hahn died in the battle."
A moment of silence followed, and he could feel that Aang's gaze was still on him.
"There's still something you're not telling me."
Zuko groaned, pinching his nose bridge. Aang was far too perceptive. He wasn't going to let this go, was he?
"I… think that Advisor Iknik was behind the whole thing," Zuko said quietly. "I heard Hahn talking to a guard about not letting his father find out we were gone when uncle and I were still in the tunnel we had melted to escape."
Aang's wide eyes blinked several times. "We need to tell Chief Arnook right away!"
Zuko shook his head rapidly. "Aang…You saw the advisor earlier today. He was heartbroken. He's suffered enough… Hasn't he?"
Aang's intense gray eyes darted over Zuko's features for several moments. Suddenly, the Avatar was leaning his forehead on Zuko's shoulder, and he seemed to be laughing quietly.
Now extremely confused, Zuko had no idea how to respond to this, only staring wide-eyed at Aang's tattooed head.
"...What on earth are you laughing about?" Zuko asked.
"You really have changed, hotman," Aang said as he lifted his head up. "The Zuko I met two years ago wouldn't have given a care in the world about the feelings of the person who had wronged him. He was all about honor and revenge."
Zuko immediately felt his face flush in embarrassment. "I know, I know… You don't have to remind me," he muttered. "Are you making fun of me?"
Aang shook his head emphatically. "Not at all," he replied, a bright genuine smile appearing on his face. "I just... think it's sweet." Suddenly, the airbender looked off to the side and chuckled awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "What I mean to say is… you really care about people, don't you?" he said quietly. "Even when they don't deserve it."
Zuko blinked several times, and he felt his face grow even warmer. Hopefully, Aang wouldn't notice with only the light of the moon shining down upon them. "Well… uh… I guess you're starting to rub off on me, or something," he replied quickly, coughing into his hand as he looked off to the side as well.
"There's no reason to be embarrassed," Aang said, placing a hand on Zuko's upper back, his expression growing serious again. "And you also shouldn't feel bad about telling the chief what happened, and what you heard. Even if there's no hard evidence, I believe you, and I will one hundred percent vouch for you."
"Yeah, but…" Zuko trailed off, no longer able to think of a good argument.
"Iknik had to have known the risks when he made the decision to do what he did," Aang said. "And if for some reason the chief doesn't believe us… Well, what are they gonna do? Kick out the saviors of the Northern Water Tribe?"
Zuko nodded slowly. "...Alright. We can talk to the chief tomorrow."
"Hello, Avatar Aang," Chief Arnook greeted with a nod from where he and the other council members sat in the palace throne room. While there was a cordial smile on his face, Zuko could still see the sorrow in his dark blue eyes. "How can I help you this morning?"
Aang stepped forward and cleared his throat. "As you can see," he began, gesturing for Iroh and Zuko to both come forward. "My friends have returned."
Arnook blinked several times in surprise when his gaze landed upon them, as if noticing them for the first time. "That's right! That's excellent news! I'm relieved to see they are unharmed."
Thankfully, the expression on the chief's face appeared to be genuine. It doesn't seem like he was in on the plot, at least, Zuko thought.
His gaze shifted slightly to the level behind Arnook, where Iknik sat cross-legged next to Master Pakku. While the advisor was quite skilled at maintaining a calm facade, Zuko could see that his hands were gripping his robes tightly.
"It is," Aang replied. "And as it turns out, they've told me they were kidnapped, and Zuko here has some important information that I think you should hear."
Chief Arnook's eyes widened in astonishment. "Kidnapped?" he murmured seriously. "I… I am very saddened to hear this. I'm certain Advisor Iknik can make use of any information you have, and we can work to address this situation imme–"
Suddenly, Advisor Iknik himself shot up from his seat, eliciting several gasps from the other council members.
"Iknik?" Arnook said confusedly as he turned to face the advisor.
"It was me."
Zuko's jaw immediately dropped, and he and Iroh exchanged an astonished look.
"You– what?! " Arnook exclaimed in bewilderment.
"I was behind the abduction of the Avatar's companions," Iknik stated calmly and clearly.
Arnook blinked several times, then began to shake his head slowly as a pained expression slowly appeared on his face. "... Why?"
"I was blinded by my hatred for the Fire Nation, and I made a decision I deeply regret," Iknik replied, his expression tired. "It's clear that they played a significant role in defending Agna Qel'a from their kinsmen. I'm ready to accept any punishment you see fit for committing such an egregious crime."
Arnook closed his eyes and turned away from the man. "Guards… Please escort Advisor Iknik to a cell for questioning."
Once the advisor had been escorted from the throne room, Arnook sighed heavily, pinching his nose bridge. When he finally looked back up, he somehow looked as if he had aged several years.
"I offer my deepest apologies for the actions of Advisor Iknik," he said, bowing deeply. "You two have experienced nothing but hardship since you arrived. And yet you still helped protect and save the Moon Spirit, and Agna Qel'a."
"You don't owe us anything," Iroh said kindly. "Besides, we know that Iknik's actions do not represent the beliefs of the entire tribe."
As Zuko nodded in agreement, he suddenly remembered something. "Actually, there is one thing you could do. Not for us, but for someone else."
"Name it," Arnook replied.
"My uncle and I were rescued by a couple who lives in the lower level of the city," Zuko said. "Their names are Avu and Piqa. Piqa is an excellent healer. Maybe you could…?"
"I would be more than happy to compensate them for their kind deeds," Arnook said, a small smile appearing on his face.
Zuko sighed in relief as he and Iroh left the throne room.
"Well, I'm glad he confessed," Zuko said. "I didn't expect that."
"Me either," Iroh replied, shaking his head. "I didn't want to believe it at first when you told me your suspicions about the man. I could see how much pain he was in yesterday."
Zuko nodded. "It must be hard for him, losing a kid."
"Dealing with loss is never easy," Iroh replied, a sad look appearing in his eyes. "Grief isn't something that ever goes away. It changes you, and you must learn to live with it."
Monkey feathers, Zuko thought, kicking himself internally and immediately feeling extremely guilty. I didn't even think about cousin Lu Ten when I said that.
As they arrived at the palace entrance, they both came to a stop, and Zuko saw that Aang, who had left before them, was standing at the top of the stairway leading back down into the city. He wondered what the Avatar was thinking about.
Zuko took another step forward, and Aang turned around. The two stood there for a moment, then embraced, Zuko hugging Aang tightly.
Eventually, he felt another pair of arms wrap around them, then two more. Zuko opened his eyes and chuckled when he saw that his uncle, Katara, and Sokka had joined in on the hug.
A chirp sounded from the ground, and Zuko craned his neck to see Momo sitting expectantly next to Sokka's ankle, his head cocked to the side.
"You too, Momo," Katara chuckled.
"Come here," Aang said, holding out his arm for the lemur to crawl up. Instead of stopping on Aang's shoulder, however, he immediately hopped to Zuko's.
"Rejected once again," Aang sighed, shaking his head, and each of them laughed.
Zuko gave Momo several chin scratches, and he and Aang exchanged a smile.
Now that Zhao's gone and the Northern Water Tribe is safe, maybe this will be the end of the chaos. At least for a little bit.