Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

In a world where the Avatar wasn't found, the Fire Nation took over two nations and they strive to overcome the last one. Water Tribe warrior Sokka seeks to fight for his people's rights, but he's captured by his enemies. His life is no longer in his hands as he fights as a Gladiator, and his fate will eventually depend on the Fire Nation Princess, who needs him for her own ends...

339. Chapter 339: Battle in the NWT 1

Battle in the Northern Water Tribe

1

Multiple rows of tall ice walls served as defenses against the hostile icebreaker ships that would otherwise have sailed into the Northern Water Tribe unopposed since well over a decade ago. They weren't the only defensive mechanism in the Water Tribe's arsenal – their fleet had clashed with the Fire Nation's own, but for the first time since the war began, it appeared that the firebenders had succeeded at destroying the bulk of the enemy fleet through overwhelming numbers. Only a handful of Water Tribe ships still stood between the walls and the enemy: behind them, waterbenders reinforced the walls, intent on to taking advantage of the last moments of darkness in the North Pole to defend their people and culture. Their defensive techniques had yet to fail them, the Fire Nation had never broken past their best barriers…

But the Fire Nation had never sent hundreds of ships in one assault before.

The Fire Nation had never sent airships, drifting smoothly under the dark clouds, heralding a different kind of darkness.

Whatever was happening on that day, it was not normal. It was not something they had expected to face during the last days of the dark period, either…

"Send word to Master Pakku at once!" roared the sentry by the furthermost wall: one the younger soldiers nodded before jumping off the wall, manipulating ice to push himself towards the city once more.

The dark, ominous clouds had unleashed their first rounds of charged black snow days ago. The attack hadn't commenced yet. At first, they had been tempted to strike first… the number of enemy vessels, however, had daunted them away from such thoughts.

But the catapults on the ships' decks were ominous, too. The airships loomed dangerously above them. Smaller flying vehicles did, too. Right now, nothing seemed to be happening… but as many defenses as the north might have to its name, they were unprepared for an invasion of this scale. Even if the water obeyed them, how could they remove hundreds of ships from their shores? How could they turn the tides when the Fire Nation's most daunting attack yet stood ready at their doorstep?

A dark chill seemed to spread across their land… an unnerving, unsettling awareness of the horrors that were to come. Ten years of constant warfare had passed, years of battle and conflicts that had never fully seen a resolution to the war in the North Pole: the Fire Nation's attempts would fluctuate in their intensity, occasionally bringing fierce forces, but always failing at making true, lasting progress. The unwillingness by the Tribe's leaders to send a larger number of troops outside the safety of their city's glaciers, to finally tear down the Fire Nation fleet, was much harder to understand when their frontlines stood before what had to be the greatest threat their home had ever faced.

The Water Tribe warriors stationed by the walls didn't know what they'd be expected to achieve out in the ice, so vastly outnumbered that their superiority in these territories hardly seemed to count for something, for the very first time. Could they genuinely push back the tides of war the Fire Nation had sailed with into the North Pole? The airships towering above them induced them to think otherwise…

Such fears strengthened further once a thundering, unwelcome sound cut across the tundra: a war horn's cry, echoed across the ships on land and in air, rushed through the landscape, heralding the beginning of an assault the waterbenders had to put a stop to.

The catapults began their attack on the Water Tribe's remaining ships: the benders aboard couldn't maneuver fast enough to dodge every projectile, and a measly ten ships could scarcely hope to stand against three hundred.

Even the support of the waterbenders at the walls was no use: their attempts to push back a few enemy ships proved insufficient – they were too far away to deal real damage to the enemy. But even if the Water Tribe ships were sinking hopelessly in the frigid sea by now, there was a chance that one of the Tribe's most common defensive techniques, easily performed and strengthened by multiple benders, might push back against the enemies in the water…

"Tidal wave! NOW!"

The commanding officer would usually withhold that order for as long as possible, to secure the destruction of as many enemy ships as possible, but not this time. Waiting for the enemy to be in the right position to take the full brunt of the damage would be a terribly dangerous gamble to make, one they couldn't afford right now. Pushing the ships back, crashing them into their allies, might gain them time as the Fire Nation sorted through wreckages to reach their walls…

The benders began amassing water, reeling it in, and in doing so, accelerating the enemy ships' progress towards their ice wall. Little by little, they would gather a powerful enough burst of water to run over the front ships… but they would need more support than this to properly defend against the Fire Nation fleet. Were there more waterbenders by this wall, surely their circumstances would look less grim… but they could win, even so. They could fight on and defend against the Fire Nation's forces, for even if the first line of defense crumbled, the second, the third, the multiple rows of them would see to the protection of the Northern Water Tribe…

One of the airships began dropping altitude. The tidal wave wasn't strong enough yet to overturn ships, only to shift their trajectory, at best… but focused as they were on their immediate, urgent task, the waterbenders didn't pick up on the strange movement by the airship until the sound of its engines intensified over its proximity. They looked up just in time to see the jaws of the dragon-like effigy at the tip of the balloon unclenching, revealing a dark cannon behind its sculpted teeth.

"What is…?!" gasped one of the waterbenders, before their commanding officer screamed.

"RUN!"

It was an instinctive command, one that only a handful of his soldiers would even attempt to fulfill: they stood atop a tall wall, and a large expanse of water stood between them and the next one. The better waterbenders could certainly use the water to carry themselves down… the lesser ones, however, the younger and least experienced fighters, were left to either run over the wall itself or stand still on the spot, terrified by the cannon before them…

The menace in question stopped being confusing, for it became outright terrifying once an inferno spilled from the airship's cannon, raining a violent, rapid burst of fire powerfully upon the wall and everyone standing on it still.

Even the waterbenders attempting to escape were helpless: the fire spread alarmingly, as though setting the air itself on fire around them. The flames gained strength as they consumed the ice, burning the screaming waterbenders and warriors as the first line of defense fell apart… and with it, the defensive tidal wave came undone. In doing so, it instead bolstered the speed of the ships that now sailed into the inner waters of the Northern Water Tribe, on to the next defensive wall.

The airship ceased its attack: the first wall had melted, shattered under the power of flames too difficult to stifle, even now. The air continued to burn where the airship had attacked, though the fire would likely recede soon after it had exhausted all the gas it had been burning as its fuel. With that, the first step towards invading the Water Tribe was fulfilled.

"How many charges did that airship spend?" Zhao asked Zhen, eyes set on the sole attacking airship that was rising back to rejoin the formation.

"One, Admiral," Zhen responded. Zhao smirked.

"Just the one…" he said, and with only that, the imminent destruction of the Water Tribe's defenses had become a certainty.

To think they could have had this power all along… to think they could have been raining fire upon that tribe of savages for years, and they hadn't until now. Though if he thought about it, the reason why that was the case wasn't all that difficult to recall…

She had told her father there were too many risks in this strategy. That the airships were too valuable to be lost to the Water Tribe… as if. Even back then, so long ago, she had been a traitor. Even then, she had been stabbing her idiot father in the back and he had been too lost in his delusions to understand it…

"Just when did it begin, I wonder…?" Zhao hissed to himself. Zhen, beside him, heard the words but said nothing – the Admiral's temper as of late had terrified even him, regardless of his position as Zhao's second-in-command. "Treacherous bitch."

Zhao shook his head and folded his arms over his chest. It made no matter: the Princess's beloved savages would drown today once their damnable pole was erased from existence. And after they were gone, she would follow… she and Ozai both. The power Zhao would acquire once he reached the oasis would see to that.

"The Yu-Yan are on stand-by?" Zhao asked. Zhen nodded. "Very well. Prepare to give them the signal once we've breached past the next walls. We won't waste all our charges melting them."

Their particular airship would waste none there, to begin with: their fire would be saved up for the Water Tribe itself, unleashing no end of destruction upon the frigid civilization that had long been a thorn in Zhao's side. Today, with all the resources at his disposal, with all the motivation, greed and need that drove him, he would turn his failures into victory: the Northern Water Tribe would be conquered, the Moon Spirit slain… and the water of eternal life would be his for the taking.

---

"Let the Chief know…! They're here! It's a full-scale… full-scale assault! There's some ships in the sky! T-they're flying, and they're shooting fire at everything!"

The desperate, terrified and exhausted waterbender who had been sent as a messenger to the city had been a young, promising recruit: his reaction would seem too unprofessional, he would even appear to be unfit for his role, if only the burst of fire in the distance hadn't been visible for most the sentries in the Tribe's main wall, as well as for anyone watching the battlefield from the tallest buildings of the city.

"Catch your breath, we will convey what you've relayed to us," one of the guards of the main wall, an elite waterbender, told the young messenger, turning on his heels and rushing deeper into the city right away.

It was possible to travel quickly in the city through the water canals if you were a waterbender: the guard was joined by another of his fellow waterbenders and together, they sped themselves on the water across the city's multiple levels until they reached the Royal Palace.

The city wasn't unaware of the danger. They had no true days of peace across the past decade, even if not every day was marked by warfare: even in the most placid of moments, the shadow of war hung over them all, for they knew the Fire Nation was preparing to strike. There was no telling when they'd arrive, no certainty that they'd succeed with the next assault, or the next… but there was always someone of high authority prepared to respond in case anything dangerous happened, and the best strategic minds of the Water Tribe were needed to ensure their people's safety.

On that day, the guards rushed into the Palace's grandest halls to find preparations in full swing. Warriors stocked up on armor and weapons while the waterbenders readied themselves with waterskins…

At the center of the room stood the most powerful men of the Water Tribe, and they were the ones to whom the urgent message had to be delivered:

"Master Pakku! Chief Arnook! The Fire Nation is attacking!"

"Innik," the Chief said, frowning as he turned towards his fellow tribesman. His face was marked by age, his dark hair dyed gray in streaks. "We have heard the war horns. What are we facing this time?"

"Chief, sir… we don't know exactly," Innik answered earnestly, shivering. "The messenger says… most our ships have been defeated or destroyed. They have airborne ships, somehow, attacking from above. Our men were preparing a tidal wave to repeal the enemy, but before they could do so, these airships attacked with a huge burst of fire unlike anything we've seen before. We… we don't know if there are any survivors."

"A burst of fire… it seems Fire Lord Ozai has succeeded at harnessing sufficient power to imitate Sozin's Comet, has he?"

Innik shuddered: as deceptively calm as his voice sounded, Master Pakku, tall and stern, charged his glare with undisguised wrath as he cast a glance through the open doors of the Palace: it was so far away… and yet he could see the bursts of fire in the distance, revealing that the Fire Nation's menace was closing in, dangerously fast.

"Pakku…" Arnook said, eyes wide. "You don't mean that. This cannot be. Sozin's Comet…!"

"I said he's imitating it… it only can be done through unnatural means. Their bending will remain the same as it was before," Pakku said, frowning heavily. "I do not know how they're going about this … but we must prepare to fight back at all costs…"

"Of course, but how?" asked Arnook. "If they're airborne…!"

"Leave that to the waterbenders and the warriors, Chief Arnook," said Pakku, clasping his long-time friend's shoulder with a firm hand. "We do not know how difficult this battle will be. These airships will make matters more complicated than they ever have been. Organize the evacuation of the city at once, Chief. We will save the city, and you will save our people."

"But I can't…! I won't simply cower and hide while you lead our forces in what could be the worst of all of our battles, Pakku!" Arnook exclaimed. "What kind of chief would I be…?"

"A living one," Pakku said, firmly. Arnook's eyes widened. "We do not know whether we will live or die… if we fail to defend against this assault, our society will fall. But if we succeed, at whatever cost we might, it will be up to you to rebuild what we shall lose. No one is better suited to that task than you. You may have the heart, the training of a warrior… but you cannot join the fray, my friend. Save your people… save yourself."

It wasn't the first time Pakku had warned Arnook to stay in safety, but it certainly was the darkest of them all. Arnook could barely bring himself to answer… he didn't, in the end: Pakku walked away, gathering his forces, organizing the battalions and groups that would charge into the fray to defend against the attack. Projectiles would be thrown at the airships, in the hopes of taking them down… but only time would tell if that strategy would succeed. The walls would be reinforced with more benders, more fighters, new walls would be erected to keep the ships at bay…

Would it be enough? Could it be? It was hard to believe that things had come to this… and yet they had. Arnook shuddered, fists trembling as he caved in, doing as Pakku expected of him: he turned towards his servants, and he gave the command for the evacuations to begin.

Dark, cold tunnels, deep in the polar casket, had been dug out long ago by the waterbenders for this very eventuality. There would be sufficient food and lodgings within the tunnels for the general population of the Northern Water Tribe to last them a few days, though there was no telling for how long they would need to hide there… let alone was it possible to know if they would truly be safe within those tunnels. If the Fire Nation succeeded, they would be likely to lay waste to the entirety of the North Pole solely to make certain that no one was left alive… a fate much like the one they had inflicted upon the Air Nomads.

Little by little, the Water Tribe's people began to spread out to their expected destinations: warriors and waterbenders bid their families farewell as they joined the defenders of the city while civilians marched towards the Palace, where the tunnels' entrance was located. Word spread quickly of the dangers they were facing, and many could see in the distance as fire spilled across the landscape, still distant, but looming dangerously closer with every passing moment.

Arnook remained by the tunnels' entrance, ensuring that everyone marching in would go safely. His personal guards stood with him, guiding the elderly and the sick inside with care. More and more civilians appeared to arrive, and each one was guided to safety… but the Chief was distracted from directing his people into the safe chambers in the ice when someone he had been awaiting arrived at last.

"Grandpa!" exclaimed a little girl, rushing up to him and hugging his legs tightly. Her older brother marched up to him as well, his young face marred with concern that didn't belong on that youthful visage.

His mother, of course, bore the same concern upon her features – they appeared all the more striking due to the stark contrast between her white hair, her blue eyes and her dark skin. The youngest of her three children clung to her as she held him against her chest.

"Yue… kids, you're here at last," Arnook said, with a dishonest smile as he leaned down to caress his granddaughter's hair. "I was about to go fetch you myself…"

"I'm sorry, I wish we had been ready sooner, Father. Amarok and Shina helped me gather some food and clothes for everyone…" Arnook's daughter said, shaking her head. "Kallik had been asleep, though, so that's why…"

"You're here now, Yue, and that's what matters," Arnook said, trembling. "This… this could be the worst of all battles, child. Please, head inside the tunnels and help me keep the peace…"

"You will stay in the tunnels too?" Yue asked, eyeing her father compassionately. He sighed.

"My own men refuse to have me join them in the battlefield. A chief who obeys his people's mandate… that appears to be a contradiction, doesn't it?" he said, with a weak smile.

"It's proof of why you're a great leader, Father," Yue said, affectionately. "It is not in you to wield your authority through force. Perhaps… perhaps this is your duty this time, even if it's painful to accept it."

"You may be right, child, but even so…" Arnook sighed, shaking his head.

"All of us must do our part to protect the Water Tribe," Yue recited, her voice earnest and charged with meaning.

Her eyes met her father's. His heart sank once he understood the true meaning of her words.

"N-no. Oh, no, Yue…" he said, shaking his head and stepping closer to her.

"Mom?" her oldest son, Amarok, scowled at his grandfather's sudden, emotional reaction. "What's going on, Mom? What's the matter?"

"Amarok…" Yue said, smiling down at her son and reaching for his shoulder gently – he was tall for a seven-year-old. "I'll need you to watch over your siblings while I… while I fulfill my duty to the tribe as well."

"Yue, this isn't… you mustn't," said Arnook, shaking his head. "Stay. Please… stay with us. I understand what you're trying to do, my child, but you mustn't…"

"If I'm not ready to return what was given to me when our people's lives are at stake, I would only prove to be unworthy of this gift," Yue said, earnestly. Arnook snarled, shaking his head.

"I… I will have my guards stand by the oasis with you, then. I will…"

"The oasis? I want to go!" Shina exclaimed, turning towards her mother and tugging the fabric of her dress. "Mom!"

"You will later, dear. Not right now," Yue said, heart clenched as she attempted to act normally… to hide the truth of what she might have to do behind her pained smiles.

"Why do you have to go there?" Amarok asked, scowling. "Mom, you should stay with us, o-or we could go with you…!"

"No, dear… that's certainly out of the question," Yue said, grimacing and shaking her head. "You'll stay with your grandfather, please. I need you to listen to me, Amarok…"

"B-but…" the boy said, staring at her in chagrin.

He didn't want to leave her alone. He seldom ever did. He was a good boy, perhaps too good – of all his siblings, he had taken his father's abandonment the hardest, no matter if Shina had wept about it much more openly. He closed himself in, he shut down his emotions… all be it to offer his mother comfort as best he could. Yue had hoped to keep her sorrows to herself, her fears, her uncertainties… but Amarok had always been there, holding her hand through moments of grief without wavering. He was so young, and yet he fashioned himself her protector, always ready to stand up to anyone who might hurt his mother.

He didn't want to let her go. He didn't know what awaited Yue in the oasis, but most of all, his young heart refused to see his mother off without complaint.

"I will have your mother guarded, Amarok," Arnook said. Amarok stared at him in chagrin. "I know it's difficult, my boy… I-I share your apprehension, but I'm afraid this is…"

It was something far more powerful than Amarok, than Arnook, than the Water Tribe itself: Yue's life had been a blessing, and it appeared the time had come for her to fulfill its ultimate purpose.

Yue hoisted Kallik carefully, gazing into his blue eyes. The boy was as confused as the others, perhaps even more so, since he was only three years of age. He pouted a little, eyes gleaming with hopeful perplexity.

"Mom…?" he said, small hands clinging to Yue's clothes.

"It's okay, my dear. I love you. I'll always be with you," Yue said, earnestly: she kissed his brow, and Kallik gaped at her in confusion.

She handed the boy to her father, who held him closely as Yue knelt before her daughter next.

"Can I come? Only girls can go…?" Shina suggested, hoping to figure out an excuse to join her mother while her brothers had to stay behind… but she wouldn't be in luck.

"I'm afraid not, dear. I'm sorry," Yue said, with a said smile. She kissed her brow as well. "I'll always be with you. I love you. Be good to your grandfather… behave yourself, okay?"

"M-mom…?" Shina trembled – her mother didn't usually speak this way. What was that supposed to mean…

Amarok, next to her, shivered and snarled as his mother turned towards him. Yue smiled kindly, cupping his cheek.

"My strong warrior…" she said. "You'll watch over your siblings, okay? I know you will. You always have. Be good to them… be good to your grandfather. Be kind to our people. They're not at fault… none of us is. Not for this… not for anything that happened in the past, Amarok. So… be kind to yourself too. Be strong, as you always are… and be the wonderful prince of the Northern Water Tribe you always have been."

Amarok's eyes failed to contain the tears as his mother leaned close: she pressed her lips to his brow now, and he sobbed and shivered.

"I love you. I'll always be with you."

His arms wrapped around his mother, as though to not let her go, and Shina joined him. Kallik struggled in his grandfather's arms, urging him to set him down: he rushed in to embrace his mother too, as soon as he was able.

Her heart seemed poised to break: how could she ever hope to fulfill her duty like this? She had always known she had to be ready to give up her life to save the Moon Spirit, should it be threatened… but the sacrifices expected from her were far too painful. The very notion of leaving Amarok, Shina and Kallik alone, to fend for themselves in this world… it broke her heart to fathom it at all. But if she didn't do this, there would be no world left, to begin with. Her children would be victims of war, they would die just as surely as she would. If this truly appeared to be the final battle, it meant that it was time for her to fulfill her destiny. This was why she had been saved… this was her true duty to her people. She wouldn't fail the Moon Spirit.

Neither Kallik nor Shina could genuinely understand why their older brother was crying – that didn't stop them from joining him in doing so, as Yue rose to her full height once more. Her compassionate gaze fell upon Arnook, who wasn't unaffected by Yue's final farewell to her children.

"I… I have thanked the Moon Spirit every day for you, my dear," he said. "No matter what happens… I will always be grateful to have been your father, my child. Thank you… thank you for everything you have done. For all your sacrifices… for all your work to save our Tribe. No father has ever known a love truer than the one I feel for you. My beautiful Yue…"

He wept, wrapping his arms around his daughter, who cried in his arms too. His tight embrace was so nostalgic… she wanted nothing but to remain protected and safe with her family, but the circumstances demanded otherwise. She didn't even know if she had time to indulge in their company for a moment longer…

And so, she pulled away, trembling, tears spilling down her cheeks. Arnook held her hand, squeezing it gently before letting go and turning towards the nearby guards – busy directing people into the tunnels still.

"Escort my daughter to the Spirit Oasis and keep her safe as best you can."

The guards obeyed: as soon as Yue stepped away, they followed.

"Mom…! Mom!" Amarok exclaimed, attempting to rush after her – Arnook stopped him, wrapping his arms around all three of his grandchildren. "Come back! Come back, Mom! MOM!"

His voice broke her heart. He needed her, and he was certain that she needed him too… of course she did. She needed her family, her children, they gave her life meaning… but that life wasn't truly hers. It never had been.

That was the truth behind her white hair, as white as a full moon, that none of her children had inherited. They often asked questions about it… she had never explained. The older she grew, the better she understood her destiny, and the last thing she ever wanted to do was convince her beloved children that the Moon Spirit, her savior, could somehow be at fault for stealing away their mother.

The noise outside the Palace chilled her very soul, once they left its premises: waterbenders were fighting, shifting their water into ice spears, into dangerous tidal waves… but that couldn't stop the relentless progress of the Fire Nation's war machine. The navy continued to move forward, to sail into their shores while the airships rained all manner of threats from above…

"Princess."

One of the guards had opened the door to the Spirit Oasis for her. Yue, caught watching the chaos beyond their city's walls, hadn't noticed it yet.

Never before had she needed to gather so much strength to cross that threshold. Never before had she entered the sacred location while knowing she was most likely about to face death.

But there was no doubt in her mind that Hahn's betrayal would lead to that. In abandoning the tribe, he had gone to the Fire Nation, as he had told her he would. He would have given away all of the tribe's secrets in order to secure a strong standing within their society… or at least, they would promise as much only to stab him in the back for his naivety later. Spiteful as it might be on her part, Yue certainly hoped they had done exactly that. He deserved to face the full consequences of such a betrayal… of having abandoned his children, his wife, while knowing all too well that they would die if the Fire Nation ever gained sufficient strength to destroy their city.

He had told them of the spirits… he had told them where they would be found. The Fire Lord's top-ranked officers wouldn't waste the opportunity to steal away all power from the waterbenders, even if that also meant severe, catastrophic consequences upon their world. Breaking the world's balance had never bothered them before, though… it certainly wouldn't now, either.

Yue breathed deeply, stepping deeper into the tranquil oasis. The vibrations of the battlefield rang distantly, causing ripples to spread in the waters of the otherwise still location. Once she reached the central pond, she smiled kindly at the sight of Tui and La, swimming in circles, rounding each other smoothly.

"I'm back," she spoke, quietly. The fragrance of the bamboo trees behind her seemed to envelop her, as did the blowing breeze – the smoke hadn't reached the oasis just yet. Perhaps keeping corrupt air outside its premises was part of its spiritual properties…

Whether that was the explanation for the serenity within the oasis or not, she resolved to remain serene herself. She knelt by the pond, closing her eyes and positioning her hands upon her lap as she meditated by the pool for one last time… connecting with the Spirit of the Moon, hoping to find calm and grace through Tui's influence.

Beyond those walls protected by stern, armed guards, ready to lay down their lives to protect their princess, however, only danger and chaos brewed: the airships loomed closer to the city, but that they hadn't fired more rounds of their volatile flames didn't mean that the Water Tribe was safe from their threats by any means…

"We are close," Zhao said, upon glancing out the window once more: only three more walls kept their navy away from the wretched Water Tribe. He could see some of their rudimentary boats near the Tribe's thickest walls… the fools truly believed they could hold a torch to the Fire Nation's military, somehow. He smirked at the thought. "Have the Yu-Yan archers take care of the walls' sentries now. We'll save the rest of the fire for the city itself."

"Yes, Admiral," said Zhen, nodding promptly before giving out the order.

A new war horn cut through the night, carrying distressing tidings with it that the Northern Water Tribe's soldiers did not understand: they waited for the fire, though, watching the large airships apprehensively, prepared to defend themselves with all the water they might be able to harness…

They dared attack an airship, casting powerful ice projectiles in its direction, but it was to no avail. While they damaged the catwalks, and even succeeded at causing the fall of one of the soldiers into the frigid sea, the airship's flamethrowing mechanism remained intact. Yet the airship seemed to slow its approach… was it a sign of progress? The waterbenders certainly hoped so…

Then, one of the waterbenders fell into the waters of the frigid bay.

Another one followed a moment later.

Suddenly, the waterbenders manning the defenses of the frontlines started collapsing, one after the other, dropping into the freezing sea. The ones nearby panicked: what was happening? What was going on? It was still so dark that they could barely distinguish anything… some failed to understand it even as the arrows found purchase in their chests, heads, or guts.

Trained extensively to shoot with utmost accuracy, the Yu-Yan archers were unaffected by the poor lighting conditions, prepared to recognize motion even in such darkness: arrow by arrow, they eliminated the threats atop the walls. Each Water Tribe warrior and bender would fall against their skill and accuracy, finding no place to hide from the ruthlessness of a deadly squad of archers.

Within less than five minutes, the wall was clear: Zhao nodded, and Zhen gave out the next command.

The ships further forward took some time to obey the mandate of the Fire Nation's war horn, but they prepared what was expected from them all the same. Within around ten minutes, the first of the skiffs took to the sea, and shortly afterwards, the next followed.

Each skiff was manned by a single soldier. Failures, the soldiers with least impressive military records, had been destined to this specific task. Their names had been written into a golden plaque already: they had signed it proudly, owning up to the great honor of making the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.

The skiffs approached gradually, targeting the Northern Water Tribe's main wall. The single sailors within were sweating as they powered their vessels as best they could, be it with coal or their own firebending. Skiffs were meant for emergencies… to provide the ships' crews with means to escape should it be necessary. And while that remained the case for over half the fleet on that very day, the ships further forward had been given a crucial task with those skiffs, one that ensured that none of them would be able to turn back: there would be no escape for the ships standing at the frontlines, for in cutting off their chances to escape, they would ensure that they would either win or die. They would not back down, for there would be no fighting on another day but today.

That was particularly true for those manning the skiffs, of course.

The wall approached steadily. The man leading the charge trembled, eyes wide. It was almost over… it was almost over. He was almost dead…

With whatever strength he had left, he raised his voice and screamed:

"FOR THE FIRE LORD!"

That wild cry cut across the Northern Water Tribe's bay shortly before a loud explosion shook the tundra: the main wall that defended the enemy's city had taken the collision, and a large, dangerous crack spread across it now, when there had been none before.

Moments later, another such war cry, and another such explosion followed. One after the other, the skiffs loaded with explosive material charged forward into their suicidal ploy, dying as the blasting jelly, overloaded and triggered by impact, amounted to an intense enough explosion to cause the wall to crumble. Two more remained.

"Rudimentary as it is… blasting jelly remains effective," Zhao said, carelessly, watching as the way cleared up for their approach to continue. Ships poured into the cleared area now, perhaps not as carefully as they should have, considering how much debris of shattered ice littered the sea…

Zhen closed his eyes, heart tight in his chest as he elevated a quick prayer for the souls of those who had sacrificed themselves for victory. Perhaps they would attain it this time… the men who had died to tear down those walls hadn't done so in vain: they had to succeed at defeating the Northern Water Tribe this time.

The next walls would crumble under the power of further explosions. They were so close… waterbenders and warriors attempted to prepare another bending defense, this time a whirlpool that would syphon the remaining skiffs away from the walls, but their attempt served no purpose: the Yu-Yan archers fired anew, and in doing so, their arrows slaughtered the enemy forces once more.

The greatest complication for the Water Tribe's defenders was finding where those arrows were coming from: the airships were too far away, they couldn't be there…

But glints of fire gave away that there were other types of airborne vehicles much closer, if also much smaller and easier to miss, in the gap between the airships and the walls: hot-air balloons, dark and concealed by the night, hosted the archers that fired without remorse or hesitation, cutting down enemy upon enemy until the way was clear for the skiffs to strike anew.

It was simple enough this way. Even if one hot-air balloon fell – and it did, once an ice projectile struck it and caused the dangerous vehicle to drop into the sea –, there were numerous others ready to take its place. The waterbenders closer to the city were much stronger, some managed to damage the hot-air balloons and the airships too. Defenses were quickly crafted too, with shields that allowed them to confirm that their enemy was using dangerous arrows once the projectiles lodged perfectly into the ice. The ice shields would break over the power of too many arrows, but the waterbenders continued to erect them as others took to raising powerful ice projectiles as well, launching them towards every deadly airborne vehicle approaching. If they found their rhythm, they might just be able to push back, who knew if even to tear down an airship – one of the ice projectiles lodged successfully in the engine of the airship that happened to be flying lowest, it would be a matter of repeating the same thing with every last one of them, until…

The last sacrificial skiffs reached the final wall.

It was the last needed push to tear down the Tribe's last line of physical defense against the Fire Nation's assault.

---

The ominous winds blowing against the hot-air balloons didn't tranquilize Rui Shi in the slightest. He could smell that acrid stench still… a smell he hadn't come across in many years. Too many mishaps had caused blasting jelly to fall out of use in the Fire Lord's army – it wasn't powerful enough for Ozai's usual purposes, but it appeared that his forces had settled for using it once again.

"That's blasting jelly, isn't it?" said Jianghuo, standing beside him on the hot-air balloon. "Or am I imagining things…?"

"We're close to the Northern Water Tribe by now," Rui Shi said, frowning heavily. "The clouds give it away. They're charged… but not simply with snow. We… we might be arriving too late. We might be…"

The sinking feeling in his gut strengthened as they progressed further: it couldn't be. They hadn't wasted that much time, or had they? His heart clenched as the stench gained strength, as the balloons' pilots maneuvered carefully, leading their vehicles towards the west…

Ships. Rui Shi's eyes narrowed as he glared in the direction of the horizon, having spotted something that looked so much like fire…

It wasn't just one fire, though.

His jaw dropped as the others started to pick up on it too: before them, spread across the sea, it seemed as though every single vessel in the Fire Lord's navy had been sent to attack the North Pole.

There were ships wherever their eyes could see, releasing smoke into the air, their fumes running and burning as they powered onwards, deeper into the seas of the Northern Water Tribe.

But that wasn't all there was to it: the whirring sounds high in the sky gave away the location of the hot-air balloons… of a handful of airships, too.

"Fuck. Oh, fuck…" Tai Wei, in his own balloon, covered his mouth with a hand as a cold chill ran through his body.

"That's not… not possible. He couldn't have sent his entire navy to…!" Fei Li exclaimed, in his: all enthusiasm, all hopes that they might have felt over seeing this mission fulfilled, had suddenly gone up in the Fire Nation's smoke.

Zhao's forces seemed endless. They couldn't be… but it felt like they were. Their strategy to scout the exact number wouldn't pay off so well, they realized, as firebenders and pilots struggled to attempt to count the enemy numbers…

"Over a hundred ships…" Rui Shi said, shuddering.

"I'm counting… three hundred?" said Jianghou next to him, staring at Rui Shi in sheer horror.

"The fleet didn't number over five hundred," Rui Shi told him, shaking his head. "And… fifty ships were sent to the South Pole. They were destroyed, as far as Sokka told us, so that means…"

"Did the Fire Lord truly commit his entire fleet to this attack?" Jianghuo asked. Rui Shi shivered.

"He would have to be entirely mad to do so…" Rui Shi said, a hand tightening over the basket of the hot-air balloon. "But no one's said he's particularly sane, to begin with."

"Surely he's left some ships to patrol and protect the Fire Nation waters, but… this commitment feels like madness," Jianghuo said. "It's almost like…"

"Like he's not taking no for an answer," Rui Shi said, frowning heavily. "He will not stop until he destroys the Northern Water Tribe with this assault."

"And if the fight lasts long enough for the sun to rise… he might just succeed," Jianghuo said, casting a glance at the horizon warily.

Rui Shi shivered, and not because of the cold. He shivered violently, as warnings seemed to flash repeatedly in his mind, telling him to do something, to do anything… for if he didn't, that damn fleet, the hot-air balloons, the airships would wipe out one more culture by the time the sun had risen above the horizon. They might not even need the sunlight to bolster their attack. With a fleet of this magnitude, they would raze the entire Water Tribe within hours…

But they were here. They had come here for a reason, and now they had to adapt to the circumstances, just as Sokka would if he were in their shoes. As he would, with his own team.

He breathed deeply, stilling himself. He allowed himself to think of Song one more time, to picture her face, to remember her smile… a smile he would protect by fighting now, by attacking the enemy and tearing down its forces with his allies. The Fire Nation would not destroy another society, and millions of lives, on that day. He would see to that.

"Everyone!" he called, marching towards the back of his balloon's basket, past his fellow firebenders and the pilots.

The crews on the other hot-air balloons approached the sides of the baskets as well. What little light was cast by the balloon's mechanism, as well as a few neutered lanterns their vehicles carried, gave away that most members of their group were utterly terrified.

"They don't know we're here," Rui Shi said, immediately. The words were a welcome wake-up call to those who were still too shocked, too stricken by the circumstances, to focus on finding a solution. "They're unaware both of our presences and our resources. There's… three hundred ships, maybe, down in the water. As far as we understand, there may be around thirty airships, five of which have been fashioned with the flamethrowing weapon. But… as much as it may look like it, this fleet isn't endless. Our plan was to scout its size, to report back with what kind of foes the Northern Water Tribe would have to face… and they're already facing them."

"So, what do we do? Do we join Sokka?" asked Fei Li, eyes panicked.

"He's too far away now," Haoren said, beside him. "We can't catch up with him at this point."

"No… we can do more from here than we could at his side," Rui Shi said, firmly. All the forces under his command froze upon hearing those words.

"W-what do you mean?" asked one of Zuko's firebenders. "Captain Rui Shi…?"

"We'll loop around the final airships, the last hot-air balloons…" Rui Shi said, staring at them sternly. "And we will begin an attack from their rearguard. They will not expect this… in disabling the airships and hot-air balloons we might, hopefully, cause severe havoc in the fleet once they collapse and crash in the sea. It's… it's not going to be easy, but it's what we can do now. It's what we must do to give the Northern Water Tribe a chance."

"A rearguard attack…" repeated Taro, shivering as he glanced towards the enemies ahead: bright lights, even if small, gave away the hot-air balloons easily in the night. Just in that moment, he could count at least ten of them. "They… they can't see our emblem in the dark. We could approach them by pretending we're reinforcements, Rui Shi…!"

"It won't be easy. We have to be careful not to get confused and attack our allies…" said Haoren, wary.

"We can infiltrate their air forces and remove some of them before they reach the Northern Water Tribe," Rui Shi insisted. "Even if their initial defenses hold up, and I don't know if they will, cutting down the numbers of the Fire Nation's assault troop will help in the long run. So… let's move together again, to find all the aircrafts. We will fly high enough to ensure their warships' catapults cannot reach us."

"We can attack better from above, too," said Tai Wei, scowling and cracking his knuckles. "Let's do this!"

Rui Shi nodded: a brief war cry in agreement echoed in that moment, and the former guard captain could only hope their voices wouldn't have been overheard by Fire Nation forces… but they were so far away, and so noisy on their own, that it wasn't likely that they would have.

Once more, he led the charge: his hot-air balloon took point as the others followed, hovering carefully behind him, preparing already for the dangerous battle they were about to join. The Fire Nation wouldn't expect them right away, surely… but they might have some warning regarding the Gladiator Army's airborne forces regardless. The airships would be vulnerable, however, just as Sokka had believed they would be: defeating the hot-air balloons would be its own challenge, but taking down the large airships would ease the burden on the Water Tribe, at the very least…

Within half an hour, their balloons had closed in on the Fire Nation's forces. By then, it was possible to glimpse something bright in the horizon… but not in the direction where the sun would rise soon.

"Rise higher!" Rui Shi urged his pilot: the others followed quickly.

His chest tightened at the sight of a barrage of flames pouring down upon a bright, white city… He snarled: they were close to the last hot-air balloon in the Fire Nation's ranks already.

Without giving it any further thought, without so much as confirming the others were ready, Rui Shi raised a hand and shot a blast of fire: the fabric of the enemy's hot-air balloon was quick to falter, consumed instantly by blazes that lit up that dark night, much like the deadly flames from the airship's weapon, which sought to lay waste across the Northern Water Tribe…

---

It had taken them well over half a day of continuous flight to reach the first rows of polar ice. Their trajectory had led them to the east of the Northern Water Tribe, away from its main city as they approached it from the back. An unsettling chill spread through the air, however, one that had nothing to do with the weather.

Sokka breathed deeply, scanning their surroundings constantly with narrow eyes, watchful for any signs of danger or hostile forces. There was so little to see with so little lighting, unfortunately… for thick, dark clouds were covering the night sky.

"I don't like those clouds," Katara, guiding Appa, spoke apprehensively as both her and her brother studied the North Pole warily.

Sokka sat nearest to her, on the saddle. Zuko sat beside him, while Aang and Kino sat further back on the saddle. While Aang had led Appa at first, that had ceased being the case hours ago, as he focused on meditating and cleansing his chakras anew. Kino had been assisting him so far, mostly easing his mind while occasionally saying helpful things that Aang could work with in order to still his heart. Aang was right to prepare beforehand for what might come: the Avatar State might be necessary if something bad was brewing in the horizon… as appeared to be the case.

"Looks a lot like invasion clouds, doesn't it?" Sokka said. Katara gritted her teeth.

"Might be it's always like this," Zuko said, frowning. "The Fire Nation has been attacking the Northern Water Tribe for a decade. I don't know if they've experienced anything other than polluted clouds for a long time."

"Maybe, but… it looks really ugly," Sokka said, gritting his teeth. "Even if you're right…"

"Didn't the Fire Lord commit more forces to the north now? Wasn't that what you learned from that war minister?" Katara asked, glancing at Sokka over her shoulder.

"The question is how many of them he's sent, of course," Sokka scowled. "Though we know to expect the Air Force to be here, that's for sure."

"Would they have dared attack yet?" Katara asked.

"I don't know. I hope not," Sokka said, gritting his teeth.

Hope was feeble and easily broken, he knew. The Fire Lord and his people were quite experienced at breaking it, too… that had always been their strongest weapon in the Hundred Year War. In ensuring the enemy gave up, their victory would be secured. By tearing down rebels, one after the other, they would never cease to send the message that no dissent would survive in the Fire Lord's world.

Hope: that was what Aang represented with his return… for his century of absence had meant the exact opposite thing. With the Avatar on their side, everything should be on the right track… but he was only one man. Even if things grew complicated once they reached the North Pole, could Aang provide a crucial boost in the morale of the Northern Water Tribe, as well as being a helpful resource to take the fight back to the Fire Nation's forces?

The Avatar certainly hoped so… but the Avatar wasn't quite sure he would be able to fulfill that purpose.

His meditation had brought him into a trance now, even if one where he remained partially aware of his surroundings and company. But in his mind's eye, he was seeing that entity, that massive Aang made of pure starlight, carrying a swirling sphere of power that he knew he was supposed to step into. But for now, Aang stood in place, staring at that entity with eyes open, as good as pleading.

"I understand what I must do…" he spoke. "I know what you expect from me. But… who are you? What are you?"

The entity before him didn't respond. He didn't quite expect him to.

Aang raised a hand, touching the sphere: he closed his eyes… and he felt that raw, pulsating power that was his for the taking. But it wasn't his power… it didn't belong to him the way his bending did, when he was fully conscious. This wasn't him, even if on some level, it still was…

"It's them, isn't it?" he whispered, opening his eyes…

The scene changed as he was drawn into the sphere: his heart clenched when he saw their silhouettes anew… their backs turned on him.

His past lives, so many of them he couldn't even count them, stood within that sphere. Their power would merge if he entered the Avatar State, providing Aang with unsurmountable strength… but while he wasn't in the Avatar State, they were still here. They were still within him, resenting his choices, judging him unworthy…

But were they doing that, still?

"Roku," Aang called, his voice firm as he glided towards him in this ethereal space. The tall Fire Nation Avatar, with his characteristic two-pronged crown, turned a heartfelt, sorrowful gaze upon him.

"Aang," he said. The younger Avatar slowed before him, performing a respectful reverence towards him.

"I… I have cleansed my chakras," Aang said, earnestly. "I believe… you won't be able to take control of my body as you did that day."

"We will, should you let us," Roku said. Aang frowned.

"Is that really all there is to the Avatar State?" he asked. "Allowing yourself to be controlled by power… rather than controlling that power yourself?"

"No one is strong enough to harness this kind of power alone," Roku said, frowning. "You'd do best not to deceive yourself into believing it is so."

"I'm not trying to deceive myself…" Aang said, frowning too. "But I don't want to be a puppet… I don't want to be a tool. I understand why you're frustrated with me. I know why all of you feel so let down by what I've done. I acknowledge you were right to feel as you did… just as I know it wasn't within my power to change the unfortunate backhand that fate dealt me."

Roku's scowl grew more prominent, but he said nothing. Aang's serenity, it seemed, kept his emotions at bay.

"I wish I could have acted sooner. I wish I could have stopped the Fire Lord sooner. I'm doing it now, though," Aang said, breathing deeply. "And even if you don't help me, even if none of you did, I will continue to fight. I may not be the army's leader, I may not be the only solution… but I have power that so many others don't. And I intend to use it the right way. I want to see things clearly… I want to evoke your strength without losing my heart and mind to all of you."

"You can tap into this power at will now. Is that not what you sought?" Roku said.

"I want… to be more than just a vessel. More than a channel of your power," Aang said. Roku frowned.

"You already are," he said. "You have unlocked the true secrets of the Avatar State. It's yours to use at will…"

"It's not," Aang said, breathing deeply. "No one is strong enough to harness this power alone, you said… but I'm not alone. I have all of you with me. All I need… is to know that you believe in me. If you can place your faith in me, surrender your power to me just as I've surrendered my body in the past, I will become the Avatar I need to be in order to win this war."

"That's madness," Roku said, firmly. "You remain childish, irresponsible…!"

"I'm asking you to work with me," Aang said, cutting him off as he spread a hand in Roku's direction. "I'm begging you to stand strong beside me as I channel your strength, rather than backing down as you and all my past lives take over me. Maybe I truly am not strong enough to keep my heart and mind while unleashing the ultimate strength of the Avatar State… but I'm willing to try."

"You toy with forces you do not understand, Aang," Roku said. "We cannot give you what you seek."

"No… you can," Aang said, firmly. "Just as you couldn't believe there was a way out, a possibility beyond all this darkness, you refuse this possibility. I don't blame you for it: if I were in your shoes, I would feel apprehensive too. But I've proven you wrong once… I might just do it again."

"Aang…" Roku snarled. The young man before him remained serene, his hand stretched out in his direction.

"Work with me, Roku. Help me. Stand by my side without taking over me."

The old Avatar stepped back. Aang didn't falter.

"That something has never been done in the past doesn't mean it cannot be done in the future. It doesn't mean it shouldn't be done at all."

Roku's frown eased up. The other Avatars, gradually, turned towards him.

Roku stepped forward, dubitative, stern… but he frowned with determination anew before taking Aang's hand.

He could feel it then: a resistance shifting, lifting, changing. A transformation, deep within his body, deep within his very existence: that power was not meaningless. It was not small, by any means. It connected so deeply with the very roots of their world, to its core, to every single entity alive in it… and yet Aang was no longer consumed by that energy. He was made from that very energy, just as much as it stood within his reach… between his hands.

He closed his eyes, welcoming the sensations that spread within him as he inhabited himself in a way he never had before, in a way no one had ever taught him to… being truer to himself than he ever had been.

When he opened his eyes, he sat on the saddle once more. Kino sat beside him, starting at him in amazement and confusion.

"Did… did something happen?" Kino said, blinking blankly. Aang smiled at him.

"I think… I think I've got it. I think it's finally… it's finally making sense to me," Aang said, closing his eyes anew: that power pulsated within reach still, but he didn't seize it. It simply stood there, latent, waiting for him.

"What do you mean?" Kino asked, perplexed. Aang breathed deeply, bringing a hand to his chest: for a moment, Kino thought his arrows and eyes had flashed white, but the vision faded quickly.

"I mean… that I am the Avatar," Aang said, with a firmness and determination that Kino had only heard from one person before… "I'm ready to be the Avatar only I can be."

Kino's eyebrows rode high on his forehead as he gazed at Aang with perplexity. It had taken several hours for Aang to finally reach this stage of serenity… but it had worked somehow. He still didn't quite understand Aang's resolve, let alone whatever had happened within his soul… so he glanced at the others, wondering if perhaps someone else might have a clue that eluded him.

Zuko, though, seemed as confused as him even if he smiled approvingly at Aang. Sokka frowned but nodded at Aang, while Katara cast him a wary glance over her shoulder.

"Probably good timing to reach that conclusion…" she said. "Because, well… we don't know what we're dealing with, actually. It doesn't look promising, though."

"What do you mean?" Aang asked, frowning.

The question was easier to answer once he glanced down at Appa's saddle… at his fur. Small mounds of black snow gathered there, and Aang frowned heavily at the sight of them.

The dark clouds ahead swirled dangerously, and the polar casket's icy terrains sped past them as Appa flew quickly, as exhausted as he might be. Sokka tightened a fist as he glared around himself: should they have approached the Tribe differently? Perhaps their plans had been a mistake…

"What are we going to do once we get there?" Zuko asked. "Stick to the plan?"

"We'll find anyone with enough authority to speak to, yes," Sokka said, frowning heavily.

"What if we can't find them?" Zuko said. "What if they're…?"

Sokka snarled – in other circumstances, he would have snapped at Zuko for his pessimism… but not right now. Not today.

"Should I ask myself just how bad can it be?" Sokka said, gritting his teeth. "Worst-case scenario… we'd be too late to save anyone. By then, we'd have no impact on the outcome of this situation. All we could do by then would be fight and avenge them as best we can."

"But that's just the worst-case scenario," Katara said, nervously. "It doesn't have to be that way, Sokka…"

"I doubt it is," Sokka admitted, surprising and relieving his sister. "The Water Tribe is strong. I believe they can stand against whatever threat the Fire Nation has mustered against them… though I know they might not be able to fend it off by themselves. Still, they have to be holding out. As long as they are, we can turn this battle around… I hope, anyways."

"Sokka…" Zuko said, eyeing him warily. "The worst-case scenario might not come to pass, but you might be overlooking something crucial."

"What?" Sokka said, eyeing him with uncertainty.

"Zhao," Zuko said, firmly.

Sokka's heart clenched upon hearing that name… it clenched with a need for violence that he knew he had to temper, that he knew he couldn't act on. Even if everything suggested Zhao had done unforgivable, monstruous things, no one he'd come across had been closer to Azula and Ozai than him. No one would know more about their circumstances… for some of the anguish Azula had suffered had been Zhao's own doing.

Just thinking of that urged him to destroy the man on sight. That he had been forced to marry Azula had filled Sokka with conflicting, chaotic feelings – he had never believed Azula could have chosen Zhao willingly, and learning of Xin Long's captivity had explained matters quickly enough. But he had sworn a vow to Sokka, back when he had believed he'd only die… and Zhao had broken that vow in every way he had cared to.

He had to hold back, though… much as he had with Iroh, he had to hold back. Killing Zhao would not benefit him, it would benefit no one: he had to capture him, question him, force him to withdraw his troops. By the time that was done, Sokka would reason with him. He would break through whatever madness had gotten to the Admiral, and he'd see to either locking him up somewhere to ensure he wouldn't cause further harm or provide him with the opportunity to be useful to Sokka's forces, namely with information… who knew if, perhaps, by pledging his forces to their cause instead. Surely that last thing would be too wishful… Sokka wouldn't have felt comfortable working with him to begin with. Even if he had done it with Iroh, Zhao was an entirely different matter.

"I know," was his response to Zuko, whose frown deepened. "If I held back against your uncle, I can with him. We'll… we'll target him. We'll track him down, and once we find him, I'll make him withdraw his troops somehow."

"That sounds easier said than done," Zuko said. "I know you've done some pretty wild and miraculous things, down to convincing my father not to attack your Tribe back when you did that, but this is a whole other matter. It's Zhao, too… he's not a rational man. He lost his temper at a sixteen-year-old boy long ago, lost an Agni Kai to him because of that… how much more reckless and mindless do you think he's bound to be right now?"

Sokka gritted his teeth, shaking his head.

"Doesn't matter. We're neutralizing him, and if he won't make himself useful that's his prerogative. Much like Iroh… Azula will be the one to decide his fate once everything's said and done," Sokka said.

His certainty that the war would end, that their support of the Water Tribe would result in victory, didn't sit badly with Zuko… but he dreaded the Gladiator might be too idealistic. For the farther they flew, the more unsettling the situation seemed to become…

A war horn in the distance took Kino by surprise. He was the first to pick up on its tune, but the closer they flew, the easier it was to recognize.

"Sokka, that's a… a horn. That's a sign of attack," Kino said. Sokka gritted his teeth.

The landscape grew darker and darker as they approached, the clouds heavier… but there was a sudden light in the horizon: a bright orange light, spilling wildly and fluctuating in the distance, shot spiraling dread through Sokka's heart at once.

"Oh, no…" Katara said.

"That's inland," Zuko said, a trembling hand fisting the side of the saddle.

Sokka's eyes narrowed as he glared at the approaching battleground. He couldn't tell what was happening from afar… but that fire was pouring from the air.

The weaponized airships had been deployed, and they were laying waste upon the Northern Water Tribe.

"Appa… speed up!" Sokka exclaimed. Katara shook the reins.

"Yip-yip, buddy! Yip-yip!" she said, urgently.

Appa groaned – he was tired, having covered far more distance in one day than he usually did. But the urgent situation meant he had to be pressed on further, faster… for as they came closer, the actual state of the battlefield grew more apparent and, just so, more worrisome.

"He can't go on much longer, or any faster…" Aang realized, gritting his teeth as he jumped towards his animal companion's neck. He sat behind Katara, who glanced back at him in sheer horror. "We'll get as close as we can, but…"

"We're in no condition to fight if Appa can't even fly…!" Katara said, staring at Aang in horror.

"He just needs a bit of respite," Aang said, nervous regardless.

Appa, underneath him, seemed to growl to reassure them, but that didn't feel as reassuring as it should have as the bison slowly drifted lower to the ground… so low that he wound up sprinting over the ice rather than flying, soon enough.

By then, the horizon ahead was utterly devastating to look at: three massive airships flew right above the Water Tribe's city. One airship, Sokka realized, was seemingly docked inland while there were many smaller hot-air balloons, hardly noticeable in the night, hovering alongside the hot-air balloons…

Sokka's chest tightened with dread once Appa slowed to a halt: it was difficult to judge what was what from the creature's current position in this glacier, though.

Without hesitation, Sokka jumped off the saddle, rushing to the edge of the ice cliff that surrounded the Water Tribe's capital. He heard the others jumping off along with him, rushing after him as Appa trotted weakly behind them, too. He didn't bother glancing back to confirm everyone was fine though… for the closer he came, the stronger the sinking dread became.

"Oh, no. Oh, no…!" Katara gasped, covering her mouth with her hands once she hit an abrupt stop, shaking her head in sheer horror.

The Water Tribe's magnificent capital city, sculpted out of the casket's natural ice, was on fire.

No one knew how that was possible, for the very nature of the Tribe's home was such that fire should have never found any purchase… but it did. Fire spilled through the air, licking and consuming every building made of ice, every street, evaporating the water in the canals. Waterbenders appeared to attempt to placate it, but save for a few clusters that worked together, most the ones who were stragglers appeared to falter to the flames.

Soldiers were spilling into the city: the navy's occupation forces were rushing in, ready to kill any resistance should they meet it. The walls surrounding the Water Tribe had fallen, and with them, the warriors and benders who had attempted to defend them.

The situation wasn't quite the worst-case scenario yet, Sokka thought – there were still waterbenders fighting back, some more effectively than others, and some enemy ships at sea were on fire – an airship appeared to be in trouble, massive ice shards had been driven into the engines, and it seemed moments away from fully collapsing atop the warship fleet.

But the overload of information, the shocking sight before them, paralyzed them briefly: the Northern Water Tribe was moments away from being entirely annihilated.

"W-what do we… what do we do?!" Kino exclaimed.

Aang drew a hand into a fist: he had found that new power, he had harnessed it…! But for what? Were they too late? Was it impossible to save the Northern Water Tribe anymore?

Sokka snarled, shivering violently as he watched the leading airship rise anew: this time, pulling away from the Water Tribe's largest building.

"They're…" Sokka said, stepping closer to the cliff. "They're about to strike at the Palace."

He had assumed it was the Palace, perhaps it had a different name… but that didn't change that the landed airship had risen from the unstable ice by now. Someone had disembarked, perhaps many troops had… and all they'd have to do was climb the stairs that led up to the Palace to take control of the city.

But was the Palace itself the target?

Sokka's brow drew together as he glanced down, straight down: the glare of the flames around them gave away that there was something odd in the valley between the cliffs, right at the very core of it. A bamboo forest? Ponds… grass.

Within those ponds, something seemed to be swirling in circles… and right beside it knelt someone, a woman in an ornate dress who inexplicably appeared to have hair as white as the moon.

---

The battle had extended for longer than anticipated, considering their vastly superior resources. Even so, two days… Zhao almost smirked at the thought that a ten-year siege had been resolved as quickly as within two days of warfare ever since they had reached the very first of the defensive walls. The Water Tribe's defenses had crumbled easily, for even with their maneuverable ships, they had failed to put a stop to the surging tide of Fire Nation forces.

They hadn't fired constantly upon the city: waterbenders were casting ice projectiles at the airships constantly, and they had even succeeded at striking two of the airships with them. Fortunately for his forces, only one of the affected had been among the airships fashioned with the new weapon… it was still a severe loss, but that it had already spent well over half its charges meant it had done enough damage before being taken down.

He had ensured that the troops at his disposal would clear the way for him to land, though: the fire-throwing weapon served that purpose, burning the city powerfully so the way to the Palace would be clear enough to land… though Zhao knew to aim somewhere other than the Palace first. Destroying the Northern Water Tribe's Chief could be done after he had secured the oasis's resources.

He didn't disembark alone: powerful firebenders joined him, quick to defend him and fight back when warriors and waterbenders attempted to strike at him. Feel better rested than he had in months, Zhao had no trouble casting his fury upon them as well, recklessly charring enemies to the bone, withholding none of his power. His allies were as relentless as he was, and while a few of his firebenders had taken wounds, so far it appeared that the waterbenders had spent most their energies by trying to fight back and resist against the unleashed firepower of the airships, unprepared to face far better rested enemies so far.

It was easy, almost. So easy that Zhao's anger only increased for it: this could have been done so much sooner if only that fool had never listened to a single word his accursed daughter might say…

But it made no matter. Ozai would face appropriate retribution for all his mistakes, for all his ineffectiveness, for holding Zhao back constantly. His throne would burn to cinders… and Zhao's would rise from its ashes.

There were warriors casting spears at them from the top of the stairs: Zhao scoffed, dodging them before casting a fireball powerfully in their direction. His fellow benders aided him in doing so: soon enough, those warriors had raced back, pushed away by the powerful force that seemed to melt the very ice on which they stood…

"Careful! The ice is getting slippery!" Zhao hissed, as he stepped up the unstable stairs.

The firebenders were now followed by the non-bending Fire Nation soldiers as well. Half of the contingent traveling with Zhao had disembarked and now marched up, momentarily unopposed as they carried forward, rising to the heights of the Palace.

A pandemonium broke out halfway through their climb: the waterbenders were much more powerful past the stairs, for those assigned to the Palace's protection were not as overexerted as the ones they'd fought so far. Zhao snarled, falling back as his allies raced up, protecting him and rushing against the Water Tribe's remaining defenses – for now, the Fire Nation had superiority in numbers, if nothing else.

Where fire didn't do the trick, spears might succeed: a waterbender collapsed, a spear protruding through his chest. Another was the target of a well-placed arrow, striking him right between the eyes. As resilient as they were – as resourceful, too, by attempting to melt the ice to cause Zhao and his forces to continue losing their footing –, the Water Tribe was losing ground… the Fire Nation was overcoming them.

After sorting past an unstable area of the stairs, Zhao finally joined the fray anew, casting a potent blast of fire at a waterbender who didn't foresee the attack and crumbled under its flames.

Three more waterbenders stepped in to fight: Zhao's eyes darted towards them, sensing their superior prowess from the fluidity of their motions as they began gathering potent ice and water attacks.

Where had they come from? His heart raced at that thought. These three hadn't entered the fight by leaving the Palace… they had come from someplace behind it.

A wild grin spread over his face as he gathered more firepower, perhaps far more than he should have used by then: the waterbenders weren't harmed, for they shielded themselves effectively against his attack, but in falling to a defensive position, it meant the Fire Nation had the initiative.

"Keep them busy!" Zhao roared: the nearest firebender nodded.

"Focus on those three!" he commanded the others, at once.

Zhao shot his own fire at them, but only to bolster the barrage of attacks that were already raining upon the waterbenders: he took off on a sprint, and a handful of soldiers followed as they raced past the top of the stairs, towards the passageway behind the Palace, lined with round vases… leading to a rudimentary wooden doorway.

Desperate, the waterbenders attacked them next, attempting to stop them from making progress into that delicate location…

But in diverting their attention towards Zhao, the waterbenders' initial shield faltered. The flames struck them, and once their shield was withdrawn, a volley of arrows followed.

The way was clear. The doorway into the oasis, a simple-looking traditional wooden doorway, was closed… but no one would stop Zhao from blasting it open with a swift firebending powered punch.

He didn't wait for others to catch up with him. The Admiral sorted past the debris, a wild grin on his face… though it faded quickly once he stepped into a pool of water.

Reckless as he was, he hadn't paid enough attention to his surroundings: the oasis was a pristine place, a small island in the middle of a pond, with one more pond within the island itself. Bamboo stalks grew on it, and the water surrounding the land spread out until it reached the walls, where a long, empty walkway had been carved into the cliffs, as though to lead people out of the oasis – a powerful, strange waterfall flowed from the very top of the cliffs…

But the only person within the area wasn't likely to leave through that path. Zhao's scowl was more prominent upon realizing he wouldn't be alone in the oasis to unravel its inner workings.

A woman sat right by that pond, amid its grass and wildflowers. A scared woman, young, even if her white hair could have suggested otherwise. She shivered violently, a hand raised defensively… but water didn't obey her command. She carried no weapons with her, either.

Even if he hadn't known Hahn, he would have immediately held one suspicion regarding the identity of the woman before him. The regal clothes, the opulent hairdo, the straight back, the bearing of a noble… all of it added up to a single possibility, one that her presence in this sacred place confirmed further.

Nevertheless the main giveaway of the young woman's identity was decidedly that white hair, whiter than that of people who died of old age. Zhao smirked smugly in her direction, chest heaving after his exertions.

"Well, well. If it isn't Princess Yue."

Her fear only seemed to grow stronger upon hearing her name in the voice of a hostile stranger. Yue shrank by the pool, dread and fear taking hold of her very soul as she understood the meaning of the man's presence: all their defenses had been torn down. The nightmarish fire that had poured all over her hometown had allowed this man to reach her… to reach the Spirit Oasis.

"P-please…" Yue said, shaking her head: she knew begging him would go nowhere, but she tried it, nonetheless.

Zhao smirked, stepping to the bridges that allowed him to cross the pools of translucent water, on his way to the very core of that oasis.

"I suppose it was about time for us to grow acquainted with each other," Zhao hissed. "Though I've learned enough about you to feel as though this isn't our very first encounter… I'm almost sorry to say that your husband doesn't send his regards."

The words almost sufficed to break Yue's fear: rage she reserved for the treasonous Hahn brought her to scowl at Zhao, who chuckled at the sight of her as he began the trek towards the oasis's very core.

"Seeing what your puny city has proven to be like, I can't quite blame him for choosing the Fire Nation over this savagery…" Zhao said. "As I'd know all too well, marrying a princess is a punishment rather than a reward of any kind."

"Where is he?" Yue asked, breathlessly. "Where is Hahn…?"

"In the Fire Nation, safe and sound, with his new wife," Zhao responded, deceptively calmly. Yue hardly seemed to feel more outraged upon hearing those words, though. "Were you by any chance betraying him as well? It doesn't appear like it means much to know that your husband has chosen another…"

"If anything, I pity her," Yue said, bluntly. Zhao snorted and laughed: he was already at the bridge that led directly into the island.

"Oh, I cannot quite blame you for saying so either, considering what a scoundrel he was…" he said, smirking as he stepped onto the bridge.

"Please… leave this place at once," Yue said, pushing herself up to her feet and scowling at Zhao. "You don't understand what forces are at play here. What you intend to do won't harm the Water Tribe alone: you will cause the destruction of countless Fire Nation lives if you don't stop now…"

"Is that supposed to deter me?" Zhao asked, with a smirk. Yue's eyes widened. "I don't see why it should. Less Fire Nation people… less loose ends to worry about once I'm Fire Lord."

"You…" Yue gasped, horrified by his words.

Movement behind him gave away that he wasn't alone: her guards had failed to keep Zhao out of the oasis, and now, more enemy soldiers had poured into the oasis, ready to support the Admiral.

"Please… don't do this. For all you could possibly hold dear, don't…" Yue said, shaking her head. Zhao chuckled. "You cannot hope to imagine what this world would become without the Moon Spirit! Listen to me…!"

"That… will be a secondary matter," Zhao said, turning his eyes sharply towards her. Yue froze. "I do intend to slay the Moon Spirit, don't misunderstand… but I have other priorities. Lieutenant Li?"

"Yes, Admiral?"

"Find me a waterskin. The savages you killed must have had some," Zhao said, carelessly.

"Right away, sir."

Yue frowned. Her eyes shifted from side to side, confused over why a Fire Nation man would ever request something of the sort…

The group of soldiers had already poured into the oasis in full. She had nowhere to run, she realized: most had entered the oasis through both bridges, leaving her no way to escape other than through the waterfall's pathway… but she hadn't meant to escape. That being said, she wouldn't sacrifice her life for no reason: if she gave herself to the Moon Spirit only for it to be slain a second time, what would ever be the point of the life she had been gifted? She had to survive long enough to restore Tui after the worst had happened, even if these soldiers appeared hellbent on achieving otherwise…

"Sir, shall we restrain her?" asked one of the soldiers.

"Or slay her," another said, and Zhao chuckled and shook his head.

"Not yet," he said. Yue's heart sank. "I would much rather she is of use to us. I take it this is it, Princess Yue? This… pond?"

He stepped towards the central pond of the island: the spirits of the Moon and Ocean swam inside it, circling each other relentlessly, scurrying from side to side… ever in balance.

Yue didn't say anything. Zhao didn't need her to: the information he knew sufficed to confirm he was exactly where he needed to be.

"Is the water outside this special pond important and valuable too?" he asked, glancing at the pool that hugged the island. "More supplies would be quite convenient, of course. But if this pool is all we have to work with, I suppose I shall make do."

"What are you talking about?" Yue said, staring at him in chagrin. "Supplies? This pond is…"

"It carries great power, or so I've been told," Zhao said, eyeing the pool with a raised eyebrow. "Spiritually enhanced water, somehow. Wasn't this the very pool where you, as a stillborn child, were dipped and brought back to life?"

Yue couldn't speak, even if her mouth was open: that Hahn had given away such information, that he had told the Fire Nation so much, hurt in places she never imagined she still had left inside her. She had never loved him… but she had never imagined he would be quite so keen on betraying his people, his former family, as he had been.

"Then… if that's so, his claims and beliefs might be true," Zhao said, with a smirk. "If that's so…"

Moments later, Lieutenant Li returned: the waterskin he offered Zhao was quickly emptied as the Admiral smirked with cruelty at the helpless Princess before him.

"I can only wonder…" he said. "These spirits might be harmless. But it's entirely possible that they understand exactly what my intent is, isn't it?"

"I don't… please, don't. Please…!" Yue exclaimed: Zhao stepped forward, with a dark bag and dipping it into the sacred water of the pristine pond.

He seized the white fish quickly and easily, unconcerned by the slick texture of its scales. He forcefully stuffed the fish into the bag, careless over the water that dripped out of the fabric… and in doing so, the world around them suddenly changed in color.

The moon, hidden behind those dark clouds, turned red. The waterbending powers exhibited by the benders outside suddenly lost their grip upon the water they sought to control. Yue's face was a mask of pure horror as Zhao raised the bag with the white fish before her… as the black one continued to swim in the pond, desperately seeking its partner.

With that, Zhao tossed the empty waterskin at her. Yue shuddered, shaking her head.

"Fill it. Now. Or else…"

Zhao raised his fist, threatening the fish with a plum of fire. Yue shook her head still, trembling as a hand rose towards the waterskin.

"You don't know much about me… but the truth is, I'm well known for not having the tightest control over my fire," Zhao said: a blaze skipped from his grasp, falling on the bag and singing it slightly. Yue shuddered. "I also don't have a lot of patience. Move now, girl."

Yue gritted her teeth: she had already reasoned that she couldn't let herself, or Tui, die as easily as this… but being forced to betray her people in order to have even a small chance of saving them was devastating.

Such was the way of the Fire Nation.

She picked up the waterskin, and her hands entered that pond for the first time since she had been dipped in those waters. The water didn't feel too different from any other kind of water… if only the situation had been different, she could have filled the waterskin with another kind, rather than the sacred, valuable water from the Ocean and Moon's pond, and lied to Zhao about having done as he had asked…

But not while she was under surveillance. Not while there were twenty soldiers or more watching her every move intently.

The waterskin was full. She raised it towards Zhao, who stopped threatening the spirit as he clasped the waterskin… and to Yue's utter surprise, he relinquished Tui.

The fish spilled out of its bag, and back into the pond.

She breathed out in relief, chest heaving as the fish returned to its rightful place in the pond, and the sky above them returned to its natural state… but the anguish had not ended quite as easily as that.

Zhao raised the waterskin, smirking at her.

"To my health."

There was a component of irony, of mockery, to his words. That didn't register with Yue at all, though, for nothing could outdo the horror of witnessing Admiral Zhao raising the waterskin to his lips and draining long, deep gulps of the spiritually charged water.

A part of her hoped it would backfire on him. That his innate spiritual corruption, his heart's depravity, would be entirely destroyed by the countering influence of the spirits' purity. A louder part of her hoped that the water would be meaningless… that it would achieve nothing noteworthy, for he was no waterbender, and he wasn't using a waterbending healing technique…

Zhao lowered the waterskin, wiping his mouth with his gloved hand. He frowned, crooking an eyebrow as his soldiers watched him in utter perplexity – not even they knew what their commanding officer was supposed to be doing.

"Well, I've certainly had better things to drink," he said, rolling his eyes before pulling off his gloves.

Fearful that he would attack her now, Yue backed further into the trees, into the bushes, as Zhao extended his middle and index fingers in his right hand: a sharp, bright blade of fire pressed against his left palm, and he cried out in pain as he held it down against himself for a moment too long…

He withdrew the fire, and he released a huff of irritation as he waited. Nothing was happening… nothing happened yet. Perhaps Hahn had lied after all, but even if he had, Zhao would kill the Moon Spirit today. This wouldn't be a waste of time, no matter if he had been played by that savage, wretched mongrel…

The reddened skin, prickling so powerfully, suddenly eased in its pain.

Zhao's lips parted as he stared, pointedly, frowning heavily at the sight of his self-inflicted wound's slow but certain disappearance. Within two minutes, it was gone completely.

He smirked, a chuckle spilling from his lips as he glanced at Yue with utterly cruel delight.

Yue shook her head violently, raising her hands defensively in his direction.

"No, no…!" she said. "Hahn didn't tell you the truth! That water isn't…!"

"Ah, but I've seen it with my own eyes now, felt it upon my own flesh," Zhao chuckled. "Perhaps you fools believed waterbending healing was the only way to make use of it… did any of you consider drinking it before? I would wager you didn't…"

He laughed, openly and carelessly, throwing his head back as Yue hugged herself, shaking her head in sheer disbelief. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real. Hahn had theorized about this, of course he had, his beliefs of a legion of immortal warriors had been what had caused his worst spat with her father…

He couldn't have been right. There had to be a drawback, a fatal flaw to this theory… but Yue couldn't figure it out yet, if there was one. Hahn couldn't have been right about this, though, he couldn't have been right… he couldn't have given away a secret as vital as this one to their enemies only for them to use the power of their own spiritual pond against them. It defied all reason…

Zhao laughed, closing his eyes as he felt the effect of the water inside him. It was as though a light buzzing was spreading from the center of his chest, all across his body. The vibration seemed to ripple through him with energy he hadn't felt before. Energy he was quite ready to put to good use…

"And I still have plenty left, too," he concluded, smirking as he fastened the waterskin to his belt. Yue covered her mouth with her hands as he met her gaze once more. "Well, then… I thank you for your services, Princess Yue. You were far more helpful than another Princess I know, that much I can assure you… it's a true wonder that Hahn could ever be so foolish as to attempt to marry her after having you first. Clearly… you're a far more adequate wife than that bitch could ever hope to be."

Yue's confusion increased as Zhao breathed deeply. She didn't know of whom he spoke… but she did know why he was stretching his trembling right hand out, fire dancing on the palm of his hands.

In the direction of the pond.

"N-no! You have what you wanted, you needn't hurt the Moon Spirit!" Yue exclaimed, stepping forward as to defend the spirit… but Zhao shifted the direction of his fire.

Now, he aimed it at her.

Yue stopped on her tracks.

"That hair of yours, so white when you're so young… Perhaps that time when you were dipped in the pond changed you in more ways than Hahn explained. Are you perhaps… touched by the Moon Spirit?" he inquired, eyes set on her pale hair. "I wouldn't believe it possible, but you stand before my eyes now… and I can see the truth as plainly as anyone else can. You were stillborn… and yet you lived. Your dark hair turned white, didn't it? You… you are connected to the moon."

"I… I am," Yue said, courageously, even if she didn't know what she would achieve by acknowledging the truth.

"Good to know," Zhao said, with an unpleasant smirk. "It means that, if I slay the Moon Spirit now? You may just be able to return the life that was granted to you to save it. And that would be terribly counterproductive for me, now, would it?"

Yue's eyes widened. Her lips parted.

Zhao's eyes seemed to glow with madness now: as contained as he had been all along, an urge to shed blood, more than he already had with his orders across the past two days, had seized him violently.

"So… you'll die first. And then the Moon Spirit will follow."

"No…! No, please stop! Please! You have what you wanted, don't…!"

Zhao wouldn't listen. Of course he wouldn't listen. He hadn't come here to let himself be steered out of his chosen path by anyone, no matter how desperate their pleas might be. The dark-skinned Princess seemed pale now as she faced the imminence of her death…

She glanced about herself, no doubt hoping a soldier would take pity on her: none did. Did she truly believe it was the first time the Fire Nation forces had witnessed the cruel murder of a defenseless civilian? Though she scarcely counted as a civilian at all, considering her connection with the moon, her status as royalty…

"Goodbye, Princess Yue."

Zhao raised his hand: the fire strengthened in it, ready to be cast with unrestrained violence at the woman who screamed desperately, breaking her pleas as she surrendered to a reality she couldn't contest…

A whistling sound cut across the air, and soon, Zhao's voice joined Yue's.

She had shrunken away, turning her shoulder towards him… but now she raised her head to find the fire in his hand was gone.

Instead, there was a violent, harsh cut across his wrist.

The whistling sound was moving away by then: it stopped abruptly, though, just as Yue registered a large shadow looming over her.

Before the actual source of that shadow could touch the ground, someone else did.

Two heavy boots landed right before Yue's shrunken figure. Her deep fear was accompanied by utter confusion by the stranger who had suddenly, inexplicably fallen from the sky…

With a bloodied boomerang held firmly in his left hand.

The Princess of the Northern Water Tribe couldn't have recognized the man standing between her and Zhao… but the same wasn't true for the soldiers who immediately inched away. A rumor of voices echoed in the oasis – some of the soldiers even backtracked so clumsily that they fell into the larger pool that surrounded the oasis' island, splashing nervously in their attempts to find safety.

The man before her rose to his full height after landing with flexed knees. His chest seemed to be heaving, going by how she could hear his every breath… he stood with legs slightly apart, the silhouette of the dark blade in his right hand gleaming under the glare of the firebending many of the soldiers still held.

Zhao cried out in horror when the weapon cut across his exposed hand. His immediate impulse was to back off from that sudden, unexpected threat… a threat he recognized once that dark blue armor came into focus, as well as that black blade, as bloodthirsty as the already bloodied boomerang.

Even before he rose to his feet fully, his eyes had been set on Zhao.

They remained latched onto him as he glowered with a vicious rage unlike any Zhao had faced before.

His pained shouts ceased at once. He trembled instead.

"No… no, no, not you…!" Zhao managed to mumble, eyes wide with fear: after all his smugness, suddenly he seemed even more terrified than Princess Yue had been moments ago.

For Yue hadn't truly known what was coming. Yue had also accepted a destiny of sacrifice, long before this day had arrived.

Zhao, however, had never accepted the fate he had marched towards. He had never believed he would face consequences for the mistakes he had made, whether those from many years ago, or those from only a few weeks past. He had his own ideas of what he would make of himself… he had chased after his ambitions recklessly, relentlessly, indulging in the belief that he would gain great power, along with eternal life.

And just so, he had arrived. His retribution, his greatest enemy, his biggest fear…

The new arrival's hands trembled as they gripped his weapons, charged with wrathful emotions he had hoped he could keep at bay… but he had failed to do so: this was Zhao's doing. The Water Tribe was about to be wiped out… and it was all Zhao's doing.

Whatever mercy he had thought he'd show the man had been forfeit long before seeing him attempt to kill this woman.

He snarled viciously at Zhao, indulging briefly in the satisfaction of eliciting such deep fear out of a man as prideful and smug as the disgraceful Admiral, someone he hadn't seen in almost a whole year… someone who had been an entirely different person back then. Someone he had thought could be relied upon, someone he had wrongly entrusted Azula to…

It had been one of his worst mistakes. He would never forgive himself for it.

But while he couldn't set it right… he could ensure that Zhao would never hurt Azula again. That his conquest of the Northern Water Tribe would ultimately fail.

"Looks like you have a death wish, huh?" his deep voice, charged with vitriol and wrath that further instilled terror in the hearts of the men assailing the oasis… most of all, in Zhao's heart, where all resolve and determination had given way to profound, overwhelming fear:

He wasn't alone. With him landed a creature of the likes Zhao had never crossed: with him arrived enemies, both familiar and unknown… a scarred firebender who leapt off the saddle right by the Gladiator's side, as well as another Water Tribe woman who jumped to flank the Gladiator as well… and standing by the large creature's neck, a tall, bald man with blue tattoos shaped as arrows upon his body.

All his pretensions of destroying the Water Tribe for good dwindled at that moment as Zhao's fearful eyes latched onto Sokka's own. The man's voice, coated with the deepmost hatred Zhao had heard in it, rang in the Oasis once more:

"Or maybe this just isn't your lucky day… Admiral Zhao."