Book 4: Light and Darkness

by ButtonPusherExtraordinaire

Air's murder was a symptom. The Great War was over, but the Greater War endured. The Realms are imbalanced, and Air's loss is but a sign. Years after Sozin's Comet, The Avatar's most ancient enemy reminds The Avatar of his existence. Lies and truths are disordered as the roots are infected from the chaos, to which The Avatar was ignorant. Things must change. The cycle must end. AU!

30. Reckoning

ATTENTION! THERE ARE NOW 37 CHAPTERS, NOT 24! I HAD TO REDO THE LENGTHS OF EACH, STRETCHING IT OUT MORE! THE NEWEST CHAPTER IS CHAPTER 37 (STRATEGY)! START FROM THERE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN READING THE NEWEST CHAPTER! IT WILL TAKE PROBABLY A FEW HOURS, POSSIBLY DAYS FOR ALL THE NEW CHAPTERS TO BE UPLOADED! PLEASE GO TO CHAPTER 37 AND READ THE NOTICE AT THE BEGINNING FOR EXPLANATION! MY APOLOGIES FOR THE CONFUSION!

Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate hearing the feedback from you guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender

XxXxXxXxXxX

A stream of light flooded across the area from the many jets of flame blazing from the ships, and Hama felt amazement at the sight—legions of men and women, all Firebenders or non-benders of Earth, those of Chin V's kinsmen that he left behind when he left for Chyung with all his Earthbenders—were lined up in the millions, standing still, poised for the upcoming journey across the frigid ocean to the North. She stood next to Piandao as he looked down at the legions, Lee on her other side, and Vaatu loomed directly behind Piandao, cementing his place. Zhao stood on Piandao's other side, looking beyond smug, proud over his grand achievement in putting together the invasion force's preparations and schematics.

It was both mesmerizing and eye-opening in how Vaatu and Piandao had garnered power—and would only garner more and more as time passed, especially when they bonded forever to become the new Avatar. These legions were in lines facing Piandao, heads all craned up, and from what she could see, all of these millions gazed up at Piandao in adoration, loving him and believing in him—believing that he was their salvation and vengeance against The Avatar's tyranny.

She thought she knew Piandao and Vaatu's plan, but it was only now when she saw the vast mass of people—millions—lined up in loyal devotion that she finally began to really understand it, the unmistakable observation in targeting The Avatar.

This was an army—a very real, ready-to-kill army that would conquer the North to heal Piandao's arm and strike a deadly blow simultaneously. The millions before her looked eager, fit, and prepared—it was visible in their faces, their very eyes! All their bodies were strong, and her eyes closed at the magnitude of the immense strength of the legions of Avatar-haters, the aura of vengeance that floated in the air, fueled by Vaatu's own precise, pervasive shadows. It was clear that this army belonged to Piandao and Vaatu, having pledged themselves, maybe their very souls, to them to see The Avatar destroyed.

It seemed that The Avatar had much to answer for, probably stretching back multiple lifetimes.

Hama opened her eyes and watched with a sense of pleasure as Piandao raised his single fist in the air, his voice as deafening as thunder while all of the legions of Firebenders raised their flaming fists in unison, followed by swiftly by all the non-benders, whose fists were flame-less.

"Look at us!" Piandao bellowed, voice magnified with impressive authority. "Look at our numbers! Look at our strength, so plain to see! Look at our hatred for The Avatar, so plain to feel! Look at our presence! No one can deny us, not even The Avatar! He will fall under the weight of our judgment! We judge him as the ultimate tyrant, as he has been ever since his origin when he took the inheritance of immortality for himself, denying it to the rest of us! He peers down from Heaven and wrinkles his nose at us! He is not real! He is not like us! He is a god, but what does a god understand of men? He can never be one of us! Yet, there are those whom he leads by the hand, binding them in chains of servitude, and we hate them because they are the ones who affirm The Avatar's tyranny! They hold no strength, only weakness! But we have the strength they lack, absorbing it into ourselves, and directing it at The Avatar!" A deep, raucous roar of approval echoed from the legions, making Hama's ears vibrate from the powerful sound, followed by Zhao's rhythmic applause, unable to stop clapping in consent—while Piandao's volume rose like a tide. "That is what we are! We stand against him! We rebel against him! We defy him! We conquer him! We destroy him! He will glimpse our might, our combined strength, and realize that not even he can defeat us! But when he goes to flee, for his innate nature is cowardice, we will not let him get away! We will consume him! We go to the North to find momentum, testing our mettle in the icy tundra close to death in which we become masters of annihilation and renowned conquerors! This is our opportunity to strike at The Avatar's allies and pillage all with our vengeance!" Suddenly, Vaatu dashed into Piandao, who wasted not a moment to embrace the power as his beautiful golden eyes were consumed by blazing black orbs. "To the North! We will set fire where ice reigns! We will blacken water with ash and smoke! The Avatar can never stop us—such is our unshakeable alliance of strength, will, and ambition! I have glimpsed eons of activity founded on generation and degeneration, but we are the regeneration of the Realms as they rightfully should be—as they must be! We surpass The Avatar in our willpower and numbers, and our pillars of power will prove indomitable and impervious to his wrathful gaze! The Avatar made us masters of nothing for eons, confined to limits while he endowed in himself infinity! Our supremacy beckons—I feel it! The Ascension is inevitable!"

A mesmerizing frenzy erupted as animalistic intensity flooded the area; everyone, including Hama herself, shouted with approval in unison, and aggression and darkness began to cloud her senses, intensifying her anticipation and eagerness—and motivation to destroy The Avatar and sail for the North. The Avatar had to suffer, and because of her aid, the Fire was being decimated thanks to Lee's plague! Everything happening was beautiful, what she had wanted, and she yearned for the North to experience the might of Piandao and Vaatu.

Feeling powerful, all of the blood in everyone's body a beacon to her senses, she watched as all of the non-bending Children of Chin pulled out various weapons, how confidence lined their postures, the ease with which they carried the weapons. It was a sign, a beautiful omen—they were deadly warriors, and no one in the North would be able to defend themselves from the combined forces of Firebenders and these non-bending warriors of Chin the Conqueror's bloodline, millions in number in combination!

"Set sail!" Piandao cried out with Vaatu's booming power, voice heard by the mass millions below. "Show no restraint nor regret! Be remorseless, uncompromising, and deadly—like The Avatar! Our reckoning begins now! The Ocean will be ours! This is our healing! We redeem ourselves from the slights The Avatar has inflicted on us!"

XxXxXxXxXxX

Sokka wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep based on the fact that the fire hadn't died; the flames were just as strong as when they all called it a night. They had all decided early on that no one needed to stay up and keep watch since they were all light enough sleepers—they lived through the Great War, after all—to sense anything amiss. But though they all went to sleep, not all of them slept—obviously.

Someone was keeping the fire alive, as every so often, sparks crackled, the sign of diligent administration. It wasn't the first time it had happened—it had happened every night since they began their journey.

When he finally rolled over, he wasn't surprised to see Ty Lee, who was the only possibility; her gray eyes had been noticeably looking more and more tired since the night she and Mai asked him about his concerns for his impending fatherhood. But while his fatherhood was a constant echo at the back of his mind, always there, always reminding him that he had to succeed or his kid would live in horror, which he didn't want, it didn't seem to be as bad as whatever was bothering Ty Lee. There was something eating at her, gnawing her usual cheer and joy; it was something dark and possibly scary based on the expression he had seen on her face when she thought he wasn't looking.

Mai clearly knew what was bothering Ty Lee and had no success in soothing it, and while he had no confirmation, he had a suspicion. Her being cousins with Samir was something that made too much sense, and he knew that it went deeper than that.

"That wasn't just a legend, was it?" he asked, staring at her huddled body near the fire.

Ty Lee jumped, gray eyes wide with expression as she looked at him; the flare of light shining on her face only emphasized her exhaustion as her face looked gaunt and worn. "What wasn't a legend?" she deflected, voice soft.

Sokka looked at her face—really looked at it for the first time he had ever known her or been around her—and saw the truth that he'd never thought to look for, illuminated by the fire. "You have a lot more Air in you than anyone knows, don't you?"

She flinched but remained quiet, confirming his observation—the observation that no one ever knew could be made.

"That wasn't just a legend, was it?" Sokka repeated gently.

"Even if it is, it's close enough to what actually happened."

Sokka raised himself on his elbow. "Really?"

"I don't know how or why, but I know it's true somehow," she whispered. "Both of my grandfathers were Airbenders."

"Both?" he echoed, astonished. He had suspected that Ty Lee was descended from an Airbender based on her connection to Samir, but he never imagined two—two!—Airbenders, close enough in relation to be her grandfathers!

Ty Lee nodded. "I told you, remember? Cousins marry each other to preserve our blood, remember? I'm technically a half-spawn, half Fire and half Air."

Sokka tried to wrap his mind around something so disgusting as inbreeding. "Right."

"My father and mother were cousins; their mothers were sisters—and their fathers were secret Airbenders." Ty Lee hugged herself, arms wrapping around her shoulders; she looked alone and miserable, almost like Aang often looked during the Great War. "I never knew when I was younger—I didn't have that knowledge. But there was something different about my grandfathers, even though they dressed the same as us- "

"They didn't even have their tattoos, did they?" he realized.

Ty Lee smiled tightly. "No, but they always wore hats to hide their lighter hair from what I saw in portraits because my parents said they had lighter hair, which made my parents' hair brown—like mine."

He recalled Zuko, Azula, Ursa, and Ozai's hair. "Which isn't jet-black like Fire's hair is. And Aang told me that he was in the minority for Airbenders with black hair. Airbenders had light hair."

"Because it—my hair—is mixed, which is why it isn't black or light—it's brown. Sometimes my grandfathers shaved their heads, too, to hide their lighter hair, but they had no tattoos like Avatar Aang."

Sokka realized what it meant. "That means they weren't masters. How the fuck did they even survive Sozin's attack if they weren't masters?"

"That's why I thought Sozin kidnapped them as boys, thinking one had to be The Avatar—it's the only thing that makes sense to me."

"Did you ever see them airbending?" he asked, fascinated—but doubtful. "Were you told they were Airbenders. Did they tell you?"

"Never, but I knew they were benders," she said, sounding desperate. "I just knew. Does that make sense?"

He frowned in disbelief because he wanted to believe her, but he wasn't sure that he could. "No, it doesn't. How do you even know they were Airbenders?"

"It was just this sense that I had—I knew they were benders. Maybe it was the way they walked and talked; maybe it was the way they breathed and looked. I just thought they were Firebenders, and I thought it weird that I never saw them firebending, but it's all I thought; it's all I could think about back then. But they were Airbenders—I'd bet my life on it. And they were chi-blockers and taught everyone; I'm guessing they chi-blocked themselves and each other to hide their identities better and to stop themselves forcefully from using their airbending. My family is the only one that practices chi-blocking because it's so dangerous and difficult. If you do it wrong, you can kill the bender you chi-block. It's very dangerous, and you have to know what you're doing. You have to be a master, but no one but my family's ever mastered it. I've heard of novices who have accidentally—or not accidentally—killed benders from doing it, but no masters. Only we are masters. There must be a reason for it."

Sokka inhaled sharply as he recalled something that Aang mentioned to him in passing one time. "And no one can sense chi pathways, like where to block, better than Airbenders, and he even said in the Great War that chi-blocking was discovered by Airbenders. Apparently, there was a monk who thought that blocking his chi would lead—or help lead—to enlightenment. I can't even imagine how terrifying it would be to face an Airbender who knows chi-blocking and knows how to use it because he could move so fast."

"I didn't know that, but it makes sense why my family—why everyone in my family—has always had such success with chi-blocking. No one else has ever had success—no other family or anything. It's only been my family who excels at it; we're masters at it. My grandfathers and granduncles, all the other Airbenders who married my grandaunts- "

He held up a hand, astonished. "Granduncles? There were other Airbenders?"

She shrugged in admittance, though her posture was tight. "I think there were seven in total, including my grandfathers."

Sokka leaned back, shocked, mind sputtering. "Seven Airbenders survived Sozin, not including Aang—and Appa."

"I think they were kidnapped by Sozin, and they were married into my family because of our distant connection to Fire Lord Zyrn, who was an actual Airbender reigning as Fire Lord because his mother was an Air Nomad nun; he was a half-spawn, too, like me."

"But he was a real Airbender, unlike you."

"Yeah."

"Son of a bitch," he gasped, beginning to see how such a thing was possible. "Sozin actually kept Air alive, even if it was just seven Airbenders."

A tight smile met his eyes. "My grandfathers and granduncles, not by blood but through marriage to all my grandaunts, are the ones who, apparently, introduced chi-blocking to our family from what I've been told, and everyone picked it up quickly—because it was in our blood." Ty Lee licked her lips, hesitant. "We're the only noble family that has no Firebenders; we're an anomaly compared to all the other noble families. There are many whispers about us because of it, but no one knows the truth. I always thought we're chi-blockers because we weren't benders but maybe we're chi-blockers because we are benders."

"Because you're Airbenders, not Firebenders, which must be hidden from everyone, even yourselves," he breathed in realization.

Ty Lee swallowed. "I always thought, besides my grandfathers, who I thought were Firebenders, that everyone in my family was a non-bender, but now I think that we're all benders somehow—I can't help but wonder if we're supposed to be Airbenders but that our chi-blocking has ruined our chi pathways somehow. And I think Samir confirms it. How else is she an Airbender? She has less Air blood than I do, but she's still an Airbender. Maybe because she never learned chi-blocking or experienced it, it let her be what she was always supposed to be—an Airbender."

"You may be onto something," Sokka admitted, unsure. "I always wondered how a single Air Nomad nun from centuries ago could have passed airbending down through so many generations before it just randomly had enough presence or whatever to show up in Samir after so fucking long. It wasn't possible—I knew it wasn't possible."

"Do you believe me now?"

"I think so. I have no other choice—it makes way more sense than the Fire Lord Zyrn connection. Your appearance, including your gray eyes, and connection to Samir are easily the biggest factors in your favor and the fact you've actually always been kind of Airbender-like. You're right—Samir doesn't make sense as an Airbender unless her airbending ancestors are much more recent, as in the past couple of generations, not a dozen generations ago or something or however long ago it was. I'm guessing that Aang knows that Samir doesn't make sense with his current understanding but doesn't have any other information to consider and conceptualize for it. I'm guessing Azula knows it, too, actually. It literally doesn't make sense, and they're both too intelligent not to be aware of it."

"You're right."

"How old were you grandfathers?"

"Very old," Ty Lee answered with a deep fondness and grief. "I don't know how old they were, and even if they told me, I'd think it was a lie to hold the truth. I think they were older than King Bumi's age now when they died, actually, and they died within days of each other—they all did. It was like they all gave up the will to live after each other died, realizing they were alone, and they didn't want to face it, so each just let go."

He shuddered. "They didn't want to be like Aang, not be in his position."

"I'm sure that's it. They died after Zuko was banished, about a year and a half before Avatar Aang returned."

Sokka winced—hard. If Aang knew that he had been so close to seeing real Air Nomads who had survived Sozin's attack, he might kill himself in grief, horror, shame, and mortification. "Are you sure?"

A fire filled Ty Lee's gray eyes. "They looked like Avatar Aang, especially in their younger portraits. You know how he looks, how he looks different, unlike anyone else. They weren't black-haired like he is, but they were equally bushy-haired from what I could tell, and their features were the same even though they weren't identical. I know what I saw; I know what I'm talking about. Mai even agrees with me because she saw the same portraits I did when she came over to my house when we were young. Those portraits were of my grandfathers when they were younger, and they aged slower than non-benders—because they were benders. All of them—my grandfathers and granduncles—looked like Avatar Aang, and they could only look like Avatar Aang if they shared an origin. It's the only explanation. Does that make sense?"

He stared at Ty Lee's features that were obviously a blend compared to Aang's. There was certainly Fire, but there was also certainly what he recognized as 'like Aang,' which meant Air. "It does."

"My great-grandfather was a non-bender and had no sons, only seven daughters; they were the last of my noble house as all the other lines had died out. Then Sozin gave them husbands and gained control of our family. Why else do you think I was even allowed to befriend Azula? It was because my family was connected to Fire's royal family just like Mai's family is because one of Mai's great-granduncles was married to Princess Li, Sozin's daughter, before he died. It's my family that has Air. There were seven sisters—my grandmothers and their other sisters—married to seven secret Airbenders, and I'm certain they were all Airbenders because they all looked the same, born of the same race—I saw the portraits. When I was younger, I just thought they were all brothers of the same family, and that seven brothers of the same family married seven sisters of a different family, but I know that's not what happened. It's different. I put it together, and I don't know if I was the only one who ever did. Maybe my cousins or sisters did, maybe my parents did, but I don't know. It's really obvious looking back. I mean, I always suspected that my grandfathers and my granduncles were different because they were different, but I never knew what it meant; I didn't have words to put to feelings."

"You have to tell Aang!" he exclaimed, astonished, unable to believe what he was hearing, but it made too much sense. It sounded just like Sozin, the evil bastard, to keep Air alive by making it be absorbed into the broader Fire population. "Seven Airbenders survived Sozin's attack!"

"I did tell him," Ty Lee whispered, flinching. "Well, I tried to."

"When?" Sokka demanded, trying to make sense of such an impossibility. How could she have told Aang when Aang clearly had no idea? Aang should have been overjoyed when he heard the news, literally telling everyone about it—literally everyone! He would wake the world to tell everyone!

She wiped her eyes. "It was after the Great War before I joined the Kyoshi Warriors; it was actually before Zuko's coronation as Fire Lord. I asked Avatar Aang if I could talk to him, and he agreed. We were alone, and I asked him what he thought about half-spawns of Air, trying to get courage to tell him that I was a half-spawn, caught between Fire and Air, but then he answered me, and I didn't have courage anymore."

He felt a dread recalling his own experience with Aang's terrifying anger. "What did he say?"

She flinched at the memory, huddling closer. "The way he talked about half-spawns, it scared me. It was like he was denying the worth of their existence; it was like he was trying to say a positive thing but it only came out so negative because that's what he felt. I think he knew he was supposed to say something good and positive, that it was expected of him, and that he was supposed to be so moral and virtuous about it, but he could never agree with it because it went against his nature—and he skirted around it with vague dismissals, saying everything in the world but that half-spawns were worth knowing. I don't think he knew how he looked when he talked about half-spawns; I don't think he knew how his voice changed, got darker and disgusted, even as a boy of twelve; I don't think he knew he looked like he could kill me if he knew what I was. There was hatred in his eyes, and it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. I knew right then that if I told him, he would wish me dead and want nothing to do with me."

Sokka exhaled roughly in wonder—but unsurprised with what he had come to realize and experience. "He wasn't ready. He still had hope that his race was still alive not as half-spawns but as completely, fully, utterly, purely Air Nomads without a drop of blood from anyone else in their veins. He thought he would find survivors hiding somewhere, laying low. He was just a kid with hope that the world could still make sense."

Ty Lee smiled slightly, though she looked distressed. "I know. He loves Samir, and it's obvious. He's a good father; he's moved past that."

"Then why didn't you tell him again- "

"I wasn't sure," Ty Lee whispered. "He accepted Samir, but was that just because she was a child? I'm an adult, and I'm too far gone, aren't I? I'm not moldable or anything; I can't learn. And I'm clearly not an Airbender—no one in my family has ever been an Airbender until Samir. I don't know why that is, but it's the only fact I know—truly know. I have been wanting to tell him again since I found out about Samir, and he's clearly such a good father to her, accepting her and loving her, but I wasn't sure how. I tried to tell Azula before we left, trying to get advice and someone on my side who actually has sway with Avatar Aang, but she refused to listen and was irate."

Sokka's eyes bulged. "You told Azula?"

Maybe Azula wasn't worthy of being Mother of Air after all if she was irate about survivors of her great-grandfather's attack.

Ty Lee hesitated before shaking her head. "I tried to tell her, but I couldn't get through it. She misinterpreted, and with how irate she was, I didn't think to try again. She thought me mad, and I haven't earned her goodwill to make her listen to what I have to say, despite befriending Samir. I should have just said that I was a half-spawn to her—come right out and said it. She might have listened then." She gazed at him with tears in her gray eyes as she smiled, grateful. "But you've listened, Sokka—thank you."

"You're welcome."

Silence.

He considered his possible options, knowing that he should probably march Ty Lee right back to Ba Sing Se so she could talk to Aang when he returned from the Sun Warriors, but he knew that he also really needed Ty Lee to help him rescue Piandao and sabotage Ozai in any way, if possible.

Chi-blocking was so very useful, after all.

"Can you teach me chi-blocking?" he asked, unable to help himself.

Ty Lee looked at him, startled. "Really?"

"It'd be so useful," Sokka said. "I don't have to explain it to you. Look who I'm talking to!"

"I know, but I've never known anyone who can do it, like really do it—as in becoming a master for it—besides my family."

Sokka shook his head. "Even if I can't master it, I need to learn it—it will help us. And if I manage to impossibly chi-block Ozai the wrong way and kill him, I won't be sorry for it."

Ty Lee giggled, sounding more cheerful—the burden was no longer burdening her so severely. "Neither will I."

"Nor will I," Mai's dry voice echoed from behind them.

Sokka glanced back and saw Mai huddled in the same sleeping position, back to them. "Sorry to wake you, Mai."

"Whatever. It was about time she told you. Maybe you can think of a strategy to tell Azula, who will soften the news to Avatar Aang for Ty Lee."

He nodded and looked back at Ty Lee. "I'll figure out Azula and how to tell her—fuck, I may just tell her myself if I have to—if you teach me chi-blocking."

Ty Lee smiled before it faltered. "If it comes to it, can you help me tell Avatar Aang, too, if we have to?"

"Does that mean you'll teach me chi-blocking?"

"Yes."

Sokka grinned. "Then it's a deal."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Ran and Shaw looked just as he remembered with their long, powerful forms coiled around the Sun Warriors in a protective shield. Samir looked at the two dragons in awe, no fear on her face, and great relief filled him. On the trip to the Sun Warrior 'ruins,' he was nervous that Samir might fear the fearsome appearance of the dragons, but it was a sign of Samir's maturity and wonder that she wasn't afraid.

He felt proud of her.

"Really big," Samir muttered, gray eyes wide, echoing Zuko's observation of their size.

After making sure that Samir hopped out of Appa's saddle safely, Aang prepared himself for whatever the Sun Warriors could tell him; he prepared for them finding out that he had killed Agni's body all those months ago after Azula was killed and try to attack him for vengeance and retribution; he prepared himself for hearing that Ran and Shaw were dying; he prepared himself for an offer to go back to Ba Sing Se with all their forces; he prepared himself for news about Lee the Energybender's attack; and he even prepared himself for them to denounce him to his face and declare their unwavering loyalty to Vaatu and Ozai.

"By Agni, they are beautiful," Ursa breathed, golden eyes amazed as she stared at Ran and Shaw.

Azula stared, as well. "Indeed," she whispered, deprived of her usual verbal virtuosity by the majestic sight thought to be extinct.

Aang understood the feeling as he glanced down at Samir.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, grabbing his attention when her voice seemed far away. "They are powerful. Can you feel it?"

"I told you," Zuko said with a smile as he pointed at Ran and Shaw and whispered to Katara that Aang chose not to hear; he refused to invade their privacy with his airbending.

"Welcome, Fire Lord Zuko and Avatar Aang!" The Sun Warrior Chief stepped forward out of the small crowd, bypassing the enormous tails of Ran and Shaw to bow before them. "Thank you for granting us an audience."

Zuko inclined his head. "A pleasure, Chief."

Aang smiled and kept his hand on Samir's head. "It's good to see you. We hope that the Sun Warriors and Ran and Shaw will join us in the coming battle."

The Sun Warrior's face tightened momentarily as his eyes rested on Azula. "That depends on the company you keep."

He wished he was surprised, but before he could denounce the Sun Warrior Chief's hesitation, Azula stepped forward, hand gripping Aang's shoulder in a request for silence. "You know who I am."

"Fire flows through your veins, Princess Azula."

Azula smiled and gestured to Ran and Shaw. "As it does through theirs. It is most impressive. I will remember this day for all my life. Thank you for preserving them."

The Chief's eyes became cold and reviling. "Any of us would know the stench of Sozin's blood from leagues away. They had to be preserved from people like you- "

Aang frowned. "Stop it."

Zuko's eyes narrowed. "Azula made mistakes, but she has more than paid for them in full."

"You will not be the judge of that, Fire Lord Zuko." The Chief's flicked his hand, and Ran and Shaw both opened their massive jaws, fire glowing in the back of their throats, rising to their full height, looming over all of them, blocking out Agni's dim light, casting even more darkness on them.

Samir suddenly yelped in fear and hid behind Aang, and he put a consoling hand on her small shoulder, glaring at the Chief as he used airbending to pull the sounds away from Samir's ears so she wouldn't hear anything unpleasant and foul. "This is completely unnecessary- "

"I don't believe it is, Avatar Aang."

"You asked for Fire Lord Zuko and myself- "

"We did not ask for her, a known destroyer- "

"I am the destroyer of the world!" Aang countered fiercely. "And since you want a show of domination, I can just as easily be your destroyer! Remember Ba Sing Se, Chief! Remember Kuei!"

Uneasiness flashed over the Chief's face. "Avatar Aang- "

Aang made sure his face showed his displeasure. "I chose to bring my wife with me, and you will respect my decision."

The Chief looked at him in astonishment, horrified fascination carved into his face. "Wife?"

"My wife," he confirmed, fists clenching, beginning to regret his decision to come. The Chief reminded him too much of Ba Sing Se and Kuei with his belligerent attitude. "She is here because she must be- "

"Ran and Shaw have chosen otherwise, Avatar Aang. Do you dare disrespect them and blight their presences with Princess Azula, a saboteur and hunter for blood?"

Before Zuko could respond, and it looked like he was going to, Aang took a single step forward. "Do you dare disrespect me?" he bellowed. He should have known this was going to happen! He should have foreseen! He had prepared himself for everything but the fact that the Sun Warriors would scorn his choice of wife! Azula had been scorned enough as the Mother of Air, most of all by Aang himself, and she never deserved more of it! "Ran and Shaw choose nothing but what I allow! Fire worships Power, and Ran and Shaw are no exception—neither are you, Chief. Must I remind you of my power? Must I pull Agni from the sky and rip him in half? Choose your actions—choose your words—with great care. My power is endless, but my patience isn't. I am here because you asked for me when I could be elsewhere; I could be solving Agni's dim light instead of listening to your belligerent whining."

"That is why she wears your garbs," the Chief whispered, staring at Azula in disgusted fascination. "She really is your wife, whom you chose to bear your children."

Samir tugged at Aang's hand in desperation, pointing to her ears with wide gray eyes, and Aang hesitantly returned the sounds to her as Azula drew herself up, looking as royal as any he had ever seen, her Air Nomad garments proudly displayed. "I am his wife, and he is my husband. The Avatar and I share a most profound bond of affection and respect. I go nowhere The Avatar does not; I am loyal to him more than anyone. I will spit on Agni for him and denounce all the evils inflicted by my forefathers."

"You must denounce them for you!"

"No," Azula rejected, shaking her head. "I love all those things because they brought me here, for which I am grateful. I would change nothing, Chief, and though the dragons were reduced in such drastic number, their return will be all the more glorious because of it."

Katara nodded and drew water onto her hands, more streams swirling around her body dangerously. "And we will defend her from you."

Aang's eyes widened at Katara's shocking defense, but Azula only nodded in thanks. "I am not your enemy; we are not your enemy. We are here because The Avatar and Fire Lord thought us worthy companions and trust us with whatever knowledge you are to convey."

"Princess Azula was once part of the evils of Sozin's line," Katara pointed out. "But she's not her father, who is the epitome. Avatar Aang avows for her character, but I do, too. I've had months to watch her and listen to her, and she has changed; she's not who she was. Her sins are in the past, and they should stay there."

Zuko looked at Katara like he might ask her to marry him right then and there if Aang assumed correctly before the Chief sighed. "You are Ozai's daughter, Princess Azula."

"And I am his son!" Zuko snapped, glaring, golden eyes as fierce as Ran and Shaw's golden orbs, and Aang noticed that Ran and Shaw huffed at the name of 'Ozai.' "And believe me, I'm more like my father in every way than my sister is. Have you forgotten that fact?"

"Of course not, Fire Lord Zuko," the Chief conceded, "but it's easier to trust you as you were an ally of Avatar Aang during the Great War. You came to Ran and Shaw to learn firebending, showing your heart was in the right place, and your uncle vouched for you."

"And my uncle vouches for Azula now," Zuko claimed. "And not only does he vouch for her—I vouch for her, Princess Katara vouches for her, my mother vouches for her, and Avatar Aang vouches for her. You trusted my uncle, and he is of Sozin's line—and without Avatar Roku's blood! You can trust Azula."

Silence.

The Chief analyzed Azula for several long moment in which Azula only stared back with calm assurance before he nodded his head slowly, eyes looking to Aang. "Very well, Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko. Princess Azula will not be harmed by any of the Sun Warriors or Ran and Shaw unless she attacks us or provokes an attack against us."

That was as good an oath as could be made.

"Good," Aang said, glancing at Ran and Shaw—then to the Chief. "Now to business. Why did you need both Fire Lord Zuko and I here? We asked for an alliance to join us, not for an audience. I hope this is important."

"It is," the Chief pledged. "We will ally with you—it is our honor to do so, even with the peculiar company you keep, even in your bed."

Aang's eyes narrowed, but Azula waved him off. "Thank you for your goodwill. And you understand that the enemy is powerful beyond your conception?"

The Chief swallowed but nodded. "Yes, Fire Lord Zuko was clear in his letter. Former Fire Lord Ozai will be the vessel of this… Dark, correct?"

"Correct. Well done on not saying his name. You cannot say his name because saying the names of spirits gives them power and a subtle sway over you."

The Chief glanced at Zuko with grateful respect. "Fire Lord Zuko refused to write the name of this spirit and referred only to him as Dark."

"Literally well-written," Azula commended with a smirk.

Zuko smiled, eyes drifting to Ran and Shaw. "We thank you for your alliance, Great Masters. It grieves me that there are no more Great Masters- "

"Actually, that is the reason why we requested an audience with you and Avatar Aang, Fire Lord Zuko," the Chief interrupted.

Aang leaned forward. "Do you have a plan to repopulate the dragons? I was going to ask Agni to create more once this is all over."

The Chief's eyes widened, clearly never having thought of such a solution. "That's a possibility that could make the process quicker, but we already have a plan."

Zuko stepped forward; there was a yearning on his face. "What's the plan?"

"What do you recall about our Sun Stone?"

"Sun Stone?" Ursa echoed. "Is it a stone touched by Agni?"

"It was warm to touch," Zuko recalled. "It was golden and round."

Aang nodded with a brief laugh at the memory. "That's right—you touched it. It's why we were trapped for the whole day."

"You will never let that go, will you?"

"I never will now that I know it," Azula teased.

"Have you ever wondered why we guarded the Sun Stone so aggressively?" the Chief asked in interruption. "We were willing to kill to protect it. Do you know why?"

Azula's golden eyes sharpened. "Were?" she echoed. "Why the past tense? Was the Sun Stone stolen?"

Aang frowned. "Is that we're here, to find and return the Sun Stone to you?"

If it was, he had no time for such things—not now during a war with Vaatu!

"No, Avatar Aang," the Chief assured, glancing at Azula with an impressed eye. "You are as clever as I have heard."

"From whom have you heard?" Azula asked, brows raised.

"Stories of your deeds have reached our 'ruins,' Princess Azula." The Chief turned around slowly, staring at Ran and Shaw. "Princess Azula is correct—the Sun Stone is no more."

"What happened to it?" Zuko wondered. "And what is it? You ignored my mother's question."

Aang saw Appa's head suddenly perk up, staring at Ran and Shaw with intelligent and aware eyes, the beginnings of a snarl gracing his large face.

"The reason why the Sun Stone is no more is that it hatched, Fire Lord Zuko."

The Chief waved his hand and Ran and Shaw both moved, and when they did, another dragon was visible, a much smaller dragon, and Aang realized why Appa had snarled.

Silence.

Azula leaned back in understanding. "The Sun Stone was a dragon egg."

"There's another dragon?" Zuko breathed out, hand braced on Katara's shoulder for support.

"A male dragon," the Chief clarified. "When he comes of age, he will breed with both Ran and Shaw, beginning to repopulate the species."

Ursa brought a hand to her open mouth, tears of joy welling in her eyes. "What a miracle. Zuko, you must outlaw dragon-hunting, making it a crime punishable by death."

Zuko still looked shocked. "Yes, I'll do that," he whispered, still staring at the newest dragon.

Katara smiled. "This is wonderful! The dragons will be saved!"

Aang felt dread claw up his spine; he was incredibly relieved that the dragons had a future in this world, but what about the sky bison? Appa was the last of his kind, and there were no females for him to breed with.

The only possible solution was to ask Indra to create more—but he had to find Indra first when he had no idea where she was!

"Why did you keep this from me?" Zuko demanded, glaring at the Chief and all the Sun Warriors. "I've been worried sick for years in dread and regret that the dragons would go extinct!"

"Forgive us, Fire Lord Zuko," the Chief soothed, looking wary. "We only wanted to ensure that the newest dragon grew healthy, under the care of Ran and Shaw."

Azula raised her eyebrows. "You leave him unnamed? Why?"

"Yes, which brings us to why we requested an audience with Avatar Aang."

"You want me to name the dragon…" He trailed off, understanding dawning on him. "He's bonded to someone, isn't he?"

The Chief nodded. "Yes, which brings us to why Fire Lord Zuko is here."

Aang whirled to face Zuko, who looked astonished. "The dragon is bonded to me?"

"We believe that he is because he is bonded to none of our warriors. We checked many times. Since you are the only man who ever dared to touch the Sun Stone before it hatched- "

"He bonded to me," Zuko finished in a whisper. "Like Sozin and Azar were bonded."

Azula nodded. "And like Aang and Appa are."

Aang shook his head, trying to understand his purpose. "Then why am I here, Chief? I'm not bonded to the dragon, so I don't name him." He pointed at the new dragon, ignoring how the animal screeched in fear, suddenly disappearing behind Ran and Shaw. "Zuko names him, not me."

"Wait, what?" Zuko turned to look at him. "I name him?"

"Yes, you do, Fire Lord Zuko," the Chief confirmed. "That is why we have left him unnamed him, as noticed by Princess Azula. The reason why we need you here, Avatar Aang, is that you are the only man who we know bonded to an animal."

"You need me to make sure that nothing goes wrong to complete the bonding process," he realized. "I'm the only one old enough who remembers it. None of your warriors look old enough to remember the times before the Great War—before Sozin implemented dragon-hunting."

"Where are your women?" Ursa asked.

The Sun Warrior Chief nodded. "Our remain in the temple, offering daily praise to Agni, especially during his duress. That's another why we requested The Avatar's presence. We don't know why Agni suffers."

Aang sighed, unsurprised; he had been prepared for that to be a reason for his visit. "I can explain the reason for his diminishment after I finish the bonding process between the new dragon and Fire Lord Zuko."

"Thank you, Avatar Aang." The Chief gestured for the young dragon to approach, and after what looked like encouragement from Ran and Shaw, the new dragon did.

"Zuko, come here," Aang requested and stepped toward the dragon and motioned Zuko forward, staring at the new dragon that looked fearful, jaw opened slightly, prepared to attack at a moment's notice. "Reach your hand out to him, okay? Do it slowly while I grasp the connection between you two, your spiritual energy."

Zuko looked hesitant, but quickly, his features smoothed out to reveal determination and a faint excitement. The dragon looked at him with wide eyes, a brilliant golden color that shone with fire, but he thankfully didn't flee back to Ran and Shaw. Slowly, Zuko's hand touched the snout of the Dragon, a sigh escaping his lips.

"Now what?" Zuko whispered, mesmerized by the new dragon.

Aang closed his eyes and centered his own energy before reading the dragon and Zuko's. It was apparent immediately that they were bonded, but what startled him was the great connection between Katara and Zuko. While he knew they had started a relationship and that Zuko, at least, loved Katara, he didn't know it had progressed so well since it started.

Even during such dark times, there were positives.

He pulled back. "You two are definitely bonded, but I need to solidify it; it's incomplete right now. Once I solidify it, it will be forever—like Appa and me."

Appa groaned in glad agreement.

"How will that work?" Azula asked from her position by Ursa and Samir, staring at him curiously.

Aang shrugged. "I actually don't know for dragons. I only know how to bond with a sky bison."

The Sun Warrior Chief looked apologetic when he looked to him for answers. "Forgive us, Avatar Aang, we don't know, either. We have failed in our central duty of preserving the dragon species. If a dragon has no bond, it will be doomed to a lonely existence."

"Who are Ran and Shaw bonded with?" Ursa asked. "One of you?"

"No," the Chief replied with a solemn shake of his head. "That's why we committed our lives in dedication to Ran and Shaw. They never had the opportunity to bond with someone, cursed to lonely lives. We ease their loneliness in whatever ways we can."

Aang ignored the various questions about how they ease Ran and Shaw's loneliness and thought furiously. Could it work the same as the Air Nomad bonding ceremony with the sky bison? If only he could speak with someone who was actually bonded to a dragon.

Roku.

He chuckled with realization at the thought and stepped back from Zuko and the new dragon. "I won't be doing the ceremony as I don't have the knowledge, but I know someone who does. Well, it is me. You could say it's me but not myself."

Azula seemed to grasp his allusion as she sighed. "And you say I am dramatic."

"What?" Zuko turned to him rapidly, his hand still touching the dragon's snout. "What do you mean? Who will?"

"Roku will," Aang notified.

Before anyone could interject, he closed his eyes, and immediately, he felt a tornado of power swirl around his body as he was sucked into his own soul, Roku taking his place.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Zuko felt his eyes, even his scarred one, burst from their sockets when Avatar Roku appeared where Aang had just been standing, dimly reminding him of what had happened at Avatar Roku's Temple all of those years ago.

"Avatar Roku!" he exclaimed, unsure whether he should bow or not, especially when the Sun Warriors all bowed but Katara, Azula, Samir, who looked freaked out that her father had disappeared, and Mother did not bow.

"Daddy?" Samir shrieked, terrified, fingers digging into Azula's leg; her pallor was emphasized by the gray in her eyes. "Daddy, where'd you go? Daddy! Daddy?" She tugged at Azula's hand as tears filled her eyes. "Where's Daddy?"

"Have peace, Samir," Avatar Roku soothed in an ancient but soft voice. "I am Avatar Roku, Avatar Aang's predecessor; I am his past life. There is no need to be afraid."

Samir sniffed, gray eyes roaming Avatar Roku in his noble garbs and obvious Fire appearance; she seemed less scared. "Daddy will come back?"

Avatar Roku's lips stretched in a warm smile. "He will, Samir. He would not leave his favorite daughter."

"I'm his only daughter!" Samir exclaimed with a giggle.

Azula's fingers brushed through Samir's hair, keeping her in place. "You are. Now say hello to Avatar Roku."

Samir beamed; her terror and misunderstandings were gone. "Hi, Avatar Roku! I'm an Airbender!"

Avatar Roku's resulting laugh was warm and raspy. "You are, Samir. Air is in your blood. Avatar Aang loves you very deeply."

"I know."

"Never forget it," Avatar Roku said with a charming finality before he inhaled deeply as he looked at Zuko—and the newest dragon. "He looks much like Fang did when I first met him, Grandson."

"Avatar Roku," the Sun Warrior Chief murmured with awe and respect as he stood to his feet. "It's an honor to be in your presence, Balance-Keeper."

Avatar Roku observed all the Sun Warriors before glancing at Ran and Shaw; his golden eyes were powerful and carried a weight heavier than smoke. "This situation is my disgrace, one of my many, but you hold respect for me. I should have taken many measures to ensure that the famines would not happen by controlling the dragon population and giving them mating grounds that were not so valuable to the islands. Dragon-hunting was the only feasible solution to a problem that I refused to pay attention to. If I did my duty, dragon-hunting would not have happened."

The Sun Warrior Chief's smile faded. "Fire Lord Sozin is who- "

"It was my failure to see the signs that led to this. Sozin did the only thing he could with all the context he experienced. Sozin warned of the famines and their return. His father died from the stress of dealing with the first major famine during my training while I was away, and Sozin became Fire Lord during the worst crisis in generations- "

"This is when he went to Air's High Council for aid during the famine but was denied," Azula interrupted with clarity in her golden eyes—the same golden color as Avatar Roku's eyes.

Avatar Roku was quiet for several moments before nodded in confirmation at Azula's words, which made Zuko realize that he was missing a big piece of information. "Yes, but Sozin got Fire out of the famine. I ignored his warnings of other possible famines, and because of my negligence, it limited Sozin's options so severely that the only option he possessed during the social and political pressure of the Great War was to implement dragon-hunting. This was always my failure, not Sozin's—cleanse yourselves from hurling curses at his memory. He has been grossly abused because of my failures. However, by completing the first true bond between a man and dragon since Sozin and Azar, I hope to make amends, Chief of the Sun Warriors."

The Chief swallowed but nodded in acceptance. "Thank you, Avatar Roku. You teach us even in death. We admire your accountability."

Zuko met Avatar Roku's eyes when he turned to him, and he felt the dragon flinch under his palm; he soothed him as best he could. "He will not hurt you—nor will I."

"Your instincts are strong, Grandson," Avatar Roku commended. "The process of securing the bond with a dragon is difficult. Are you prepared?"

"Yes."

Avatar Roku smiled, and his face lost years of weariness from the movement. "Good, good. You will need a large amount of fresh meat."

"Hyouka, get meat!" the Sun Warrior Chief immediately ordered, turning to point at one of the numerous, silent Sun Warriors.

"Right away, Chief," the warrior agreed and scurried away before any of them could react.

A tense silence befell everyone as Avatar Roku simply stood there silently, eyes full of power observing all of them.

After another moment, Mother stepped forward, and her golden eyes—the same as Avatar Roku's—looked misty. "Hello, Grandfather," she greeted, craning her head to look up at Avatar Roku. "My name is Ursa- "

"I know who you are," Avatar Roku said. "You are Rina's daughter, unexpected and unforeseen by her."

Mother wiped a stray tear from her eye. "I am sorry I ended her life; my birth took so much from her- "

Avatar Roku shook his head, long beard flowing with the movement. "It took nothing she would not have given to you. Though unexpected, you were never not a miracle in her eyes. I wish you had more time with her."

"So do I," Mother whispered, wet eyes drifting over Zuko and Azula—and Samir. "I wish she could see her grandchildren. They do her proud every day."

"And do me proud every day," Avatar Roku added. "You are each worthy of the inheritance you received. You will save the world because of it."

"Thank you. I have always wanted to meet you," Mother said, eyes roaming Avatar Roku in awe. "Mother spoke rarely of you, but when she did, it was with the deepest fondness and grief."

Avatar Roku's face shadowed with memories. "I was a better father than I was The Avatar. At least someone remembered me fondly and said my name with love and attachment instead of hatred and disgust."

"I am sorry I never told my children of their special heritage, their lineal descent from you. I hid it from them. Perhaps I would have changed things if I told them."

"You are much too hard on yourself," Avatar Roku responded. "I have never been disappointed in you. None of it is your fault, not even Fire Lord Azulon's death. The blame for the Great War never compounded on your shoulders because you failed to keep Fire Lord Ozai off the Dragon's Throne, my granddaughter. The Great War is my fault alone." Avatar Roku seemed to age before Zuko's eyes, the wrinkles in his sunken face becoming more pronounced, and his golden eyes looked bone-weary. "You are of my line, but my sins and failures do not fall onto you, nor to your children, Ursa. They are mine alone, like Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai's sins are all theirs alone." Avatar Roku turned his attention to Azula, gesturing for her to step forth, and Azula did so without hesitation, Samir being left to stand by Katara. Slowly, Avatar Roku's hand gripped one of Zuko's shoulder, and the other gripped Azula's, but Zuko was shocked by how real the hand it felt, how strong it gripped his shoulder in spite how frail Avatar Roku suddenly looked. "You two are the beginning of glory after so much tragedy and failure; your accomplishments are staggering for your ages. I am proud of you."

Zuko inclined his head. "Thank you, Grandfather."

"We will continue to stagger everyone," Azula added. "Most of all with my beauty."

He tried not to roll his eyes and was saved thankfully by the sun warrior who returned into the clearing, carrying bloody and raw meat in his hands.

"Good," Avatar Roku commended, straightening as his hands fell away from their shoulders. "Fire Lord Zuko, place your palm back on the dragon's snout and keep it there no matter what."

Azula and Mother both walked back to their positions as Zuko slowly followed the order, returning his palm to the new dragon's snout, feeling the scales against his flesh, the hot breath warming the air. "Now what?"

"Take the raw meat from Hyouka." With his other hand, while keeping his eyes locked onto the dragon, he reached out and felt the juicy and bloody meat placed into his hand. "To secure the bond, you must both eat half of the raw meat."

Zuko bit back a groan and looked at Avatar Roku, resigned. "Are you sure?"

"This is the only way to fulfill the bond between you two. It is what I did with my dragon, Fang, and Sozin did the same with Azar."

"For once, I will not try to steal your glory, Brother," Azula called out, unable to keep the disgust out of her tone.

"He's gonna eat it?" Samir whispered, her words reaching him.

Mother swallowed, the sound audible to his ears. "Yes, my dear—he has to."

"Gross!"

"It will be okay, Zuko." Katara's words were soothing, and he looked at her for guidance, reassurance. "In the South, we all had to sometimes consume raw meat. You just can't eat too much of it, or else you'll become very sick."

Zuko glanced at the Sun Warriors, who peered at him desperately, hoping that he would do it. Ran and Shaw had leaned forward, their large heads staring at him with intensity, eyes excited.

He looked back at Avatar Roku. "I'm ready."

"You will take a bite of the meat, then you will present the meat to the dragon. He will take a bite, and then you will. This process will continue until all the meat is gone. Then the bond will be secured."

His face paled, but staring at the dragon, he felt his own resolve strengthen; he could feel something between, something that was incomplete just as Aang had said. Zuko wished for it to be finalized, to have his own bond like Aang had with Appa.

The rough scales beneath his fingers carried him on as he raised his other hand and sunk his teeth into the cold, bloody, raw meat. Revulsion spread through him at the chewy texture and terrible taste, at the blood that coated his tongue, but through much effort, he swallowed it down without retching. With a small, weak, and shaky smile, he offered the meat to the dragon, who reached out and took his own bite, the sharp teeth grazing his hand gently. Their eyes connected once more as the meat was swallowed down, and Zuko gasped, feeling the bond between them reinforce.

"Druk," he whispered out the name.

"Well done, Fire Lord Zuko. You have named your dragon." Avatar Roku's ancient voice filled his ears, but he was unable to look away from Druk, mesmerized by him, of his own bond. Was this how Aang felt with Appa? "Now finish the meat with Druk, and nothing will ever break your bond, not even an Energybender."

As if in a daze, Zuko took another bite, swallowing it without effort, and Druk did the same.

Fire's royal family and the dragons had finally begun the path to reconciliation.

XxXxXxXxXxX

His letter had been a success! There was now the possibility of an alliance! The gamble taken to build momentum and make an ally more likely had paid off!

Word had come through that Bipin stood outside Ba Sing Se's walls with his small entourage of trusted advisors, behind which stood Bipin's army at a distance, lined up in many thousands—there were even reports that the numbers were in the hundreds of thousands. Normally, Bumi would been prepared for a siege or attack with such numbers, but it was needless as Bipin himself came inside Ba Sing Se with his entourage, leaving his army outside, giving Bumi every advantage and no disadvantage.

It was an act of trust as Bumi held all the power because he could take Bipin as a hostage and control his massive army—control Chyung itself—with the promise of such a threat.

It was an extraordinary change in fortune compared to how desperate they had all been to make momentum and secure an alliance.

"Not even I thought Bipin would be this eager to meet," Toph said with a whistle. "I shouldn't have doubted you, Bumi."

"It's an incredible change of heart compared to King Lonin's hostility," Suki commended. "This was the right tactic to make."

Bor's face twisted. "I hope it's not a trick."

Bumi shook his head, confident. "It's not a trick. If he was going to trick me, he would actually do some trickery or something; he would do something suspicious. This is too honest. It's unheard of and only makes sense rationally if Bipin wants an alliance; he wants friendship. He came into the city by himself with his entourage. That's a sign of goodwill; it's a sign of trust. He trusts me, and he wants me to trust him—because he wants this alliance as much as we do. There was never anything like this during the Great War. But if it makes you feel better, I'll order the guards—our soldiers—to be extra diligent guard on watch."

"Please do."

"You're paranoid," he said with pride. "That's good. You'll make a good king. Only the paranoid king stays on the throne."

"And if anything happens, we'll smash these cunts to bits." Toph punched her fist into her cupped palm, the sound snapping through the throne room like a small explosion. "We have three of the strongest Earthbenders in the world in one area. They wouldn't stand a chance." Her howls of amusement were painful to Bumi's ears. "We have their king as the ultimate bargaining chip! Only an idiot would try to fuck us over, and Bipin's clearly not an idiot."

"We need to wait and see exactly what King Bipin wants," Bor pointed out. "He may want Fire annihilated."

Toph snorted, but it sounded dull. "Sounds like that's already happening."

Suki frowned. "I can't help but wonder if that's why Bipin is so eager to join. What if he heard about the plague—I mean, attack—that was unleashed by Lee?"

Bumi stared at her. "And you think that because Fire has been weakened substantially, that Agni himself is in pain, Chyung decided to join us?"

"It makes sense," Suki claimed. "Aang doesn't even know if he can fix this energybending attack that Lee unleashed, so it might take Fire centuries to recover, if they ever do. Bipin could see this as an opportunity to gain power over Fire and maybe branch out and make some of Fire's islands colonies for the Earth Kingdom, revenge for what Fire did during the Great War in making colonies."

Bor winced. "That makes a lot of sense. That's what I'm worried about. Bipin clearly has an ulterior motive."

Bumi shook his head. "Of course, he does. We always knew that. It's just that we knew Bipin's ulterior motive was never going to be as bad as Lonin's. It's all about going with the lesser of two evils."

"Ozai's name alone should garner enough support across the world to build the biggest army ever seen," Toph grumbled. "I'm starting to understand the Great War and all its badgermole shit."

"Told you," Bumi muttered, disgruntled at the reminder of the Great War and how nothing got done; all the Earth Kings were fucking cunts more worried about prestige and dragging Earth into a war that, according to Aang, never needed to happen. The more Bumi thought about it and remembered everything, the more he believed it. "But people hate The Avatar more than they ever could Ozai because of what happened to Ba Sing Se. It was a shattering impact that touched everyone on the continent and made them fear for their lives. Sozin wasn't able to do anything close to that. Earth's lived in terror since Ba Sing Se, and they would ally with Ozai to see The Avatar destroyed for the crime."

Toph crossed her arms. "Ba Sing Se didn't deserve it, but Kuei certainly did. If I had known the result when we first got there, I would have just walked up and jammed a dagger into his throat. Kuei wasn't innocent."

"But he's a martyr now," Bor pointed out. "Everyone thinks King Kuei was innocent; everyone thinks that King Kuei was a hero murdered with his city in cold blood. It was a slaughter unprovoked, in their minds."

Bumi nodded. "They think that Aang's hasty trip to Ba Sing Se to convince Kuei to rescind the war against Fire Lord Zuko and make peace was just a façade, concealing his intent to make a bloody supper throughout the entire city. They think Aang went there with the intention to murder Kuei and Ba Sing Se; they think that was the whole point. They can't imagine that Aang was pushed into it and attacked until he snapped. It's too fresh for them; its memory is still too traumatic. And even if they knew the truth, I don't think they would accept it; I think they would prefer the image of The Avatar's unjust rampage rather than the truth of one arrogant king attempting to challenge him until he snapped. People prefer legend over fact, and what better legend is there than the legend of the Mad Balance-Keeper?"

"Not to mention that fucking Ozai was there in Ba Sing Se, too," Toph muttered in distaste.

Suki sighed. "A simple understanding versus a complex understanding."

"It's what rage does," Bumi said. "If you're pissed, you can only look at it simply, and what happened in and to Ba Sing Se is one of the most complex things that will ever occur in your lives because it was building off of all these other things, responding to all these other things; it wasn't an isolated event but a connected one. Rage never allows you to look at and understand context. The moment you start to understand context, the rage starts dying—and none of them want understanding because they want to rage."

It was like him personally with the Great War, and he had just learned the complex context surrounding the Great War from Aang—it was an understanding that made things different, made whatever rage he felt about it wither and sputter.

Toph cracked her knuckles. "Even explaining it to them would only make them hate you as much as The Avatar."

Bor's fingertips knocked against each other. "Hopefully King Bipin will be different."

Bumi nodded. "The fact that he's here and showing such goodwill is a good sing—actually, it's a great sign. I couldn't have wished for a better response."

"I hope his demands are reasonable."

"I'm prepared to give him Zaofu," Bumi said seriously. "I'll make him king of half the continent—he's impressed me that much just with his reaction to my offer of alliance."

Bor winced. "What about me and Anju? That puts King Bipin at an advantage."

Bumi sighed. "If that's what happens, you and Anju's heirs will marry each other, tying Omashu and Ba Sing Se together forever; your grandson will have half the continent."

Toph whistled. "That's ugly."

"It's politics—it goes without saying."

Suki rubbed her stomach, housing the life therein. "What about the new Chin we heard about, the one who will sweep across the continent?"

Bumi waved a hand. "After this alliance, there won't be a threat of it anymore—because we'll have our own massive army to repel it. It all starts here. Things are looking up."

"I'll take your word for it," Toph said.

"King Bumi!" A guard suddenly burst through into the Throne Room. "King Bipin of Chyung is here, along with his personal guards, a unit of soldiers, and his advisor."

He stood to his feet, the others following his lead, and he punched his fist downward; the entire table vanished into the stone. "Send them in. We wouldn't want to cause a bad impression, would we? And send in our own guards with them."

"Of course, King Bumi," the guard complied and before departing.

Toph rubbed her hands. "Here we go."

Bumi sat on his throne, gesturing for them all to sit down on the cushions near him. "Don't say anything unless spoken to. Bipin's young, and though he's shown a lot of goodwill, he's still young and has a youth's limits. We need this alliance. Chyung's soldiers have always been hailed as true warriors—I saw it with Bipin's grandfather. Don't do anything that could upset him, not when we're so close."

Suki laid a hand on her stomach. "I doubt I'd have anything of substance to say anyway."

"Of course, Grandfather," Bor assured.

"No problem, Bumi," Toph said, elbowing Bor. "I'll keep him from doing anything stupid."

"Me? I've always had to keep you from doing something stupid."

"Then we'll keep each other from doing something stupid."

"That works."

It didn't really work for Bumi because they should be able to keep themselves from doing something stupid, not relying on the other, but he before he could respond, Bipin and his entourage entered through the doors led by Bumi's guards, dressed all in fine clothing—and Bipin was dressed most elaborately. Bipin looked young, indeed, eager for his tales of immortal glory to resound through history.

It actually reminded Bumi of himself a long, long time ago before he realized that war didn't make him a hero; it just made him a memory to be forgotten, never to be heard of and from again—like it happened to all the men he knew and fought with.

But it was something he would keep in mind with Bipin, which he could use to his advantage for the alliance.

The entourage stopped, along with the personal guards while Bumi's guards stationed themselves to the columns of the room, acting as extra stalwarts. Bipin continued walking forward, staring up at Bumi with eyes that looked nothing like his grandfather's; they shone with an enthusiasm and daring—a boldness that he knew could be beneficial.

Bipin inclined his head forward. "King Bumi, I thank you for your offer of alliance, and I am here to formally accept and clarify the details. Thank you for permitting us entry to the great city of Ba Sing Se."

It was just what he wanted—needed—to hear!

Bumi nodded his head back in respect with a broad grin. "King Bipin, I thank you for joining this alliance. We'll do many things together, and we'll be there to rebuild the world once this war has burned itself out. I was so sorry to hear about your father. He was a good man—I'm going to miss him."

"Thank you, King Bumi. My father's time was cut short to make room for the bright future of his son, and I will live up to the memory and legacy of him and my grandfather."

"I'll see that you do."

Bipin's own grin widened. "I will treasure this day for the rest of my days as it's the beginning of Chyung's expansion. I am here to negotiate the finer parts of our alliance. You saw my army outside, yes?"

"I heard its size is vast," Bumi commended. "I thought you would attack until you came inside the city alone with your entourage. I appreciate your goodwill and trust—you're serious about this alliance and stopping this enemy."

"I intend for it to be my name that the scribes and scholars know by heart generations from now, King Bumi—I want what you have. Surely you understand?"

Bumi nodded. "My reputation, you mean."

Bipin's eyes lit up. "Yes. Your name will never be forgotten- "

"It will," Bumi interrupted with grim knowing. "Even The Avatar's name is forgotten. No one remembers the name he took a thousand years ago—or if it's remembered, the name before that one is forgotten. It's destined—it's inevitable, even for us great kings. I can teach you how to be remembered for generations after your death, maybe even centuries, but that's all I can give you. Chin the Conqueror's conquest destroyed our ethic of History, and we're left with just fragments and plundered, distorted pieces—and that's only several centuries ago. Maybe our legacies and names will last longer, but something will happen to wipe us away."

"I appreciate your honesty, King Bumi, but I know how to ensure that doesn't happen," Bipin boasted with the youthful enthusiasm that Bumi once possessed—it was beautiful if not revolting. "You were so close to the solution yourself."

Bumi's eyes narrowed. "What is your solution?"

"This is why I wanted to negotiate in person," Bipin claimed. "So you could see that I'm serious—so you could see that I can handle the burden because you and I are the same. When you look at me, you see yourself when you were my age—you see so much of you in me."

It was painful to smother the laugh, but it looked no less painful than the groan Toph muffled against Bor's shoulder. He saw only ambition in Bipin, not competence or ability, but maybe he was wrong and Bipin would surprise him. It would be a welcome surprise. It was time for someone else to be the best because it was exhausting being the best for so long—someone else should have the burden and expectations. "And what are you serious about? What burden can you handle?"

Bipin squared his shoulders, drawing himself up. "I want Zaofu as mine; I want Chyung's expansion to absorb Zaofu and Zaofu's territories."

"I want you to have it," Bumi said honestly, unsurprised, not even waiting a moment to respond. He was actually thankful Zaofu was Bipin's demand for repayment and not something else, like Ba Sing Se, possibly. "This was always going to be the result—the continent's never been big enough for four kings. Chin the Conqueror knew it."

Personally, Bumi thought that two Earth Kings was too few and would cause destabilization; he considered three Earth Kings with equaled territory the correct solution and right number. It was the way of the Four Nations and Races—one Fire Lord, two Water Chiefs, three Earth Kings, and four Air High Elders.

But it would clearly take a different generation to make it so.

"Exactly. The Conqueror's vision was true but his execution was appalling."

Suki seemed to fume at the various praises for Chin the Conqueror, as she was from Kyoshi Island, but Bumi just nodded, not particularly agreeing or disagreeing. "I'll see to it that Avatar Aang ordains it; he'll bless your expansion, and it'll be most unwise for anyone to disobey his decree and judgment. But tell me—why do you want Zaofu?"

Bipin looked surprised by the question. "Because of you, of course! You hold more power than me and King Tornor because you hold half the continent—the premier cities of Omashu and Ba Sing Se. If not for the Conqueror, you'd be the most powerful Earth King in Earth's history. All I want is parity. Zaofu will be mine, and we will become equals—because we're already so alike."

Bumi wondered if he possessed such ambition daring and arrogance at Bipin's age and couldn't remember if he did or not. "You're twenty-eight, correct?"

"Correct. I'm a man who is willing to spill my own blood for glory and memory."

"Have you ever been to battle? I ask only for tactical strategy," he lied. "Have you killed a man?"

"Not yet, King Bumi, but I assure you, I'm more than ready. I learned a lot from the tutors, and I've heard the stories of it. I'm ready."

The irony struck him. Bumi's kingdom and power hadn't been inherited from his father, not at all. It was through his own persistence and strength of will that he had become king, unlike Bipin who was given everything. It had only been decades ago, when Sozin had held him at Death's door that he forced himself to greatness, forgetting the dignities, demands, and duties of a captain and seizing the power of a king. Facing Bipin, the differences between them were vivid to his eyes. He was no longer that young man who took Omashu and murdered Guron and his whole family, but an older man who simply wanted peace. Bipin was a young man, eager for immortality and his name to echo through history; it was the far reach of all young kings, and Bumi himself had once felt it—before he realized the truth.

If he had the choice, he would never have been the Fucker of Fire; he would have rather there never been the Great War and lived a 'boring' life and been forgotten forever.

But it wasn't to be.

"I hope you are ready," Bumi said softly before clearing his throat. "Was there anything else you wanted to negotiate?"

Bipin smiled, showcasing his short tenure as king. "My advisor has some ideas he wants to discuss, and he should join us soon."

Bumi didn't like it as he leaned forward, gazing at Bipin's entourage. "He's not here?"

"He is," Bipin assured. "He was held up by the body's needs."

"I hope that means shitting instead of fucking," he warned, unable to get rid of the sudden feeling that something was wrong. When in the Great War had things ever gone right? Why would things all of a suddenly go right now when they never had before? Why had the pattern changed? Why had the rhythm changed? "This is too important. He can celebrate with a woman afterwards if he has to."

Bipin looked shocked by his frankness but laughed. "No, no, King Bumi; he had to shit."

He glanced at Toph, who nodded her head, confirming that Bipin was telling the truth. "Of course," he agreed graciously, clenching his fingers over the throne's armrests; he couldn't shake that damned feeling! "We'll wait for him."

"King Bumi, I must ask—is it true you threw a mountain on Fire Lord Azulon's squadron during the Great War?"

Bumi's eyes closed at the ravishing disappointment. "I did. I thought Azulon was there, but I was tricked—I threw it on the wrong squadron. I thought I killed him until I received word he survived. I never got close enough to him to try again."

Bipin looked awed. "Fire Lord Azulon never set foot on the continent again after what you did—after how close you were."

Didn't he know it? He thought about little else for so many years after it happened!

"If I succeeded, I would have destabilized Fire," Bumi explained, feeling hollow. "Azulon knew it. If I had killed him, the Great War would have been over—and Fire would be devastated in a civil war, and I would invade and rape everything. Azulon made the right call for himself and Fire, unfortunately."

"We will ensure that this enemy will meet the fate that Fire Lord Azulon was denied," Bipin promised with conviction.

Bumi wished he could trust him. "Thank you- "

"Ahh, here is my advisor now," Bipin interrupted, glancing behind him. "He has ideas to discuss. He- … Who is that woman with him?"

He heard a deep chuckle by the pillars and looked towards it, watching as a man and woman entered, but only the woman's appearance was clear—she was ugly! She was inbred with a twisted, horrific, unattractive appearance. She looked around Dowager Fire Lady Ursa's own age with large ears that poked through her hair, and there was a surprising grace and maturity that defied her horrific appearance. But there was also something about her inbred appearance that pricked his awareness, like a forgotten memory that he couldn't place. However, unlike the woman, the man's head was turned away oddly, prohibiting knowledge of his appearance.

"I am his sister, King Bipin," the woman answered with a light voice; she seemed at ease and anticipatory, smiling in excitement.

Something was wrong—he could feel it!

Bumi was about to warn Toph and Bor to be on guard when the words died in his mouth as the man's head turned, revealing his disfigured face with three massive, deep slashes through his nose and cheeks and partly through his mouth—and making their eyes connect.

Anguish burst inside as the memories came in a chilling flood and seared him all over like the lava did that night; his thighs ached and spasmed, freezing him in place, locking his muscles as he awoke from unconsciousness after the unthinkable attack. He felt the heat not only in his thighs but the air around him and saw the lava burning the ground, producing a hissing sound and strange smell, and alighting the dead of night with sporadic light, revealing the corpses as he adjusted to what happened, trying to figure it out. But then he figured it out instantly in paralyzing horror as he saw Sheil's unmoving body, soaked by its own blood, motionless, frozen face distended unnaturally—and eyes dead. As his mind shattered at the sight—not again, because it couldn't be happening again, not like all his other children!—he froze in dread when he heard a sound that he identified immediately as a cry; it was low, raw, and terrified, on the verge of a whimper of despair. A harsh slap reached his ears, piercing through the night, followed by another—and then another. A choked scream sounded before fading, interrupted by another smack. He tried to speak, to find his tongue, and get answers and find out what was happening, but his body was so weak from the unthinkable attack of lava that he could only shuffle gingerly on his back to a better angle to glimpse the source of the sounds. Harsh smacks, flesh against flesh, echoed closer to him, and the sounds were closer—screams of moral terror swallowed physical violence.

It was a woman! But there was only one woman it could be as he only brought one woman with him—his daughter.

Lira!

Bumi's body buzzed in forgotten energy, in grieving panic and horrified rage, as he rocked himself to his knees, getting a better vantage. Instantly, he died inside—like Sheil did!—as he saw the evidence before him, knowing what was happening—because he saw it with his eyes, no longer listening only to his ears. Lira's clothes—clothes he had bought for her and given her as a present!—were shredded in pieces across the ground in an ominous, sickening trail leading to Lira's naked, shivering, huddled body, legs crossed tightly—too tightly!—and her pale weeping face, choking on sobs that echoed like grunts in the air, was all he could see—with the shadow of a man standing over her, adjusting his pants and stuffing his softening penis back inside.

An unholy hatred, fiercer and more explosive than he had ever felt for Sozin and Azulon, ruptured inside him, and Bumi roared as he rocketed forward in attack, unable to avenge the tragedies inflicted on his children because they had already happened—and he was unable to stop them from happening, failing like he always did when it came to the things that really mattered.

He was only able to avenge himself, not them—forever.

Bipin said something to the woman, but Bumi's breathing quivered in his lungs, barely able to breathe as he stared at the man—the Butcher!—in a suspended moment of disbelief, seeing a scarred, horrifying face, a head, a pair of eyes that he hadn't seen in over two decades—hoped to never see again!

Oh, by Devi—it was him! From the living and dying terrors that had haunted him for years, it was him—his son's butcher and daughter's rapist! It was Bor's father!

The Butcher!

Bumi rose from the throne in a hobble, legs cramping in memory of the lava, trapped in a stupor, knocking over his chalice, unconcerned as it dropped to the floor, clattering loudly against the stone.

"Grandfather?" Bor touched his shoulder, and Bumi jerked away like a wounded animal, swallowing in realization.

"We're going to die," he whispered before he inhaled sharply, awareness returning as he gripped Bor with an urgent terror—he couldn't let the Butcher get his hands on Bor, his son! "You have to leave! Now! Go! Bor, go! You can't be here!"

However, Bor looked confused, and Bipin frowned in concern, looking astonished. "King Bumi, what is it? What's wrong?"

When he felt distant vibrations in his feet, which Toph clearly felt as she paled, tapping her feet with more insistence to gain clarity, Bumi already knew what it meant—an invasion. Ba Sing Se was going to fall again; it had started the moment he let Bipin and his entourage inside the city.

He had been tricked, but he wasn't the only one. He was right in thinking Bipin came in goodwill and honesty, but he had never thought to consider the people Bipin brought with him and that they might have nefarious purposes—stupid!

It was going to be the death of everyone.

Bumi breathed heavily, panic and dread warring in his mind. "You've been tricked, Bipin!" He pointed at the Butcher—Bipin's advisor, which meant that everything was planned by the Butcher, not Bipin! "He's not who he says he is."

"What's he talking about, Chin V?" Bipin looked at the Butcher, who stared at Bumi with eyes gleaming in triumph and excitement, a subtle change that no one—not even Toph!—seemed to notice.

He realized how badly he had underestimated his positioning. It was clear that the Butcher was the new Chin—Chin V—that Fire Lord Zuko had warned him of after assassinating Lonin who's ambition was to sweep across the continent like Chin the Conqueror did.

Bumi had miscalculated—but no more!

Strength filled his body, and he whirled towards Bor, Toph, and Suki—she was pregnant, like Lira became after the Butcher's attack! He couldn't let anything happen to her or her child! "Go! Get away from here- "

"Bumi, what the fuck is going on?" Toph demanded.

However, Bor seemed to finally grasp the urgency and grabbed Toph's hand. "Come on—follow me- "

A deep rumble, followed by screams, in the distance interrupted him, and Bumi knew it was too late—it was too late! Bipin's guards huddled around Bipin in a protective shield, but they didn't realize that the enemy was already within their circle, standing right next to Bipin in triumph with his sister.

The palace was already surrounded, confirmed by Toph's sudden pallor—and by the vibrations Bumi sensed a moment later of men entering the palace from all sides and coming in through the roof.

The Butcher had been late, not taking a shit like Bipin believed but to ensure his invasion force got into Ba Sing Se and probably butchered everyone in his path, paving an easy path with lava, wiping out all of Bumi's forces and guards outside the palace—and now wiping out all of them inside the palace with his invasion force as his guards had gone to investigate.

Bumi was alone with Bor, Toph, Suki, Bipin, and Bipin's guards—against only the Butcher and the Butcher's sister. The odds should more than be in his favor, but as he saw the slow smile on the Butcher's face and tried to think of a way to escape, he couldn't think of anything; he had let his guard down, trusting in Bipin's competence in choosing an advisor, not realizing that the Butcher was the Conqueror's heir who wanted to follow his ancestor's path to conquest. The Butcher was with Vaatu, and Aang wasn't even on the continent anymore, far away—the numbers he had were impossibly thin. There was nothing he could do but fight, but fighting ensured that Bor, Toph, and Suki would be killed, which was unacceptable. If it was just himself, he would fight until his head was cut off, but he wouldn't risk his grandson, his grandson's inevitable wife, and Suki, the heir of Water's wife who was also pregnant.

It was over.

He couldn't stop the hysterical laugh from bursting out of him as he looked at the Butcher. "Well done."

"It is not done yet," the Butcher promised, voice rising in declaration. "This is redemptive."

"This is murder!" he snapped.

"You would know."

Bipin gripped the Butcher's arm, face twisted in frustration and confusion. "Chin V, what is going on- "

Bumi saw it coming and did nothing to stop or warn Bipin as the Butcher jammed a knife into the side of Bipin's neck, wrenching it to the side, and Bipin, only twenty-eight years of age, choked grotesquely and fell to his knees, hands flying to his gaping neck, trying to stem the abrupt tide of blood, but it was useless. He was dying like all the other men Bumi saw the same attack happen to in the Great War. After several moments, Bipin collapsed to the ground, dead; blood spilled out from his wound, red creeping in every direction.

Hysteria swept through everyone as Bipin's guards all screamed their king's name in unison, rushing at him, Bor grabbed Toph, who lunged at Suki, protecting her herself. Meanwhile, Bumi just stood there, feeling his mind became hazy as he stared at the blood—the same color of blood as Sheil's had been that night and the same color Lira's had been nine months later, the night she gave birth to Bor and saw the identity of his father on his face.

"Fuck!" Toph cried out. "The roof!"

Bumi just watched as the Butcher and his sister tore through Bipin's guards, joined by the men who descended from the roof to partake in the slaughter.

Toph flung her hands outward, stomping her foot at the same time, but before her unleashed wave of quaking earth blasted towards the Butcher and his men, Bumi stopped it by ripping control away from Toph.

She whirled on him after a stunned silence. "What are you- "

"It's over," Bumi interrupted, resigned. "Don't fight. He'll rape you if you do."

Toph swallowed, clearly taken aback—and realizing how serious things had become.

The Butcher laughed as he killed the last guard—no lava had been used yet, but Bumi knew it was coming inevitably. "It gladdens me that you remember that night."

Bumi stared at the Butcher's thick scars on his face. "It gladdens me you remember it, too, every time you see your reflection."

A snarl hissed as the Butcher's sister stomped toward him, but the Butcher grabbed her arm. "No, no, not yet. He- "

"Fuck this!" Toph hollered and smashed her feet into the ground in successive stomps, but before Bumi could stop it, Bor followed suit, and a clash resulted—and Bumi had no choice but to fight.

It was time to be the Fucker of Earth.

Bumi immediately bent a large boulder at the Butcher, who punched through it. "Get out of here!" he roared to Bor, Toph, and Suki, hoping they could manage to escape from the chaos, but he lost sight of them as too many attacks happened against him. He responded as eagerly as he could, killing each man who dared attack—but where was the Butcher? "Where are you?" he yelled over the sounds of grunts, groans, rumbles, and chaos. "Fuck you, Butcher! Face me, ugly face!"

"No!" Toph screamed. "Leave her alone!"

Bumi realized what happened and punched his fist forward; a large rock smashed through the skull of a man who had grabbed Suki, clearly recognizing that she was the weak link. The man collapsed with the whole in his skull, leaking blood and brains, and Bumi's chi filled his body with strength. He jumped up, and arching his back, he slammed his fists into the ground, shaking the entire room, the smell of blood ubiquitous—and familiar.

Many men stumbled back from his strike, and Bumi lashed out, sending boulder after boulder, the power of Earth flowing through him; each was crushed by his attacks, their souls leaving their bodies.

"You'll pay for what you did, Butcher!" he screamed, spittle exploding past his lips. "Face me, you fucking cunt! Your face looks like one anyway! Coward!"

Bumi unleashed his fury, the pain and grief coalescing in his mind to form something dangerous and vicious—if that really was the Butcher's sister, he'd rape her as payback if he had to! He would have his vengeance! He would repay the Butcher with death and devastation!

Violent tremors rocked his body for a moment and then he raised his fists and with a roar of violent intent, he smashed them both down. A massive wave of earth exploded out from him, barreling relentlessly at the large group of murderers—the Butcher's men! Their choked screams of pain were crushed as they were killed from his attack.

"There are hundreds!" Toph yelled as more men poured into the palace and from the roof. "We have to go!"

"Go!" Bumi roared. "Leave me and fucking go!"

He would die to have his vengeance against the Butcher!

Bumi noticed five men to his left jump to their feet, from where they had stumbled from Bor's attack—and they looked at him. Before Bumi could finish them off, they heaved together, and a massive boulder abruptly appeared in his vision, much larger than any boulder that he had ever seen. The men all cried out and then, in the blink of an eye, the boulder blazed toward him, and Bumi's eyes widened. Quicky, he rooted his feet in a split second and swung his fist into it, smashing it into pieces.

Dust and pebbles blocked his vision for a moment, and he couldn't see, but when he could, all he saw was a dash of silver before a metal shard connected with his maimed leg; all of the strength that he had procured fled him, leaving him in a rush just as quickly as it had filled him.

He fell to the ground with a hiss of pain, hands flying to the wound, pulling the metal shard out of his leg, swearing between his teeth, trying to keep the pain from overwhelming him. Suddenly, as he still laid on the floor, elbows propping him up, hands holding the wound on his thigh, his eyes landed on the Butcher, almost posing in the midst of the vast piles of bodies that Bumi killed—the Butcher knew metalbending! Large metal shards floated above the Butcher's fingers, spinning with deadly intent. Before Bumi could try to jump to his feet to attack, fill his chi with strength once more, the metal shards darted at him, unimpeded in their path.

Each sunk into his flesh, piercing through his legs and arms, and Bumi roared in agony, his body feeling as warm as it had when his legs had been maimed that night. He thrashed against the large shards, inflicting more pain to his old body, but he couldn't move; he was nailed to the stone, unable to move his limbs. In the back of his mind, he was thankful that not much blood would be lost because the shards themselves kept the blood from pouring out of his wounds; he wouldn't die from these wounds, but they prohibited him from doing anything.

Spittle flew out of his mouth as he gasped in pain, craning his head and jerking his fingers to bend the metal out of his limbs, but he wasn't strong enough; he could feel someone else's energy holding the shards in place, an energy that was stronger and younger than his own. Frantically, he sought out the Butcher, but the man had vanished like a specter into the chaos, seeking another target.

He had to warn Bor, Toph, and Suki!

"Get out of here! Bor, go!" he screamed, but as the chaos continued nonstop, his warning was futile. "Face me, Butcher! Do it, you cunt!"

His scream was overtaken by the clashing of boulders, and Bumi watched the carnage in horror, unable to do anything as sudden lava swept towards Toph and Suki out of nowhere. Thankfully, Toph wasn't uncomprehending and stupefied by the attack like Bumi had been on that night all those years ago as she was barely quick enough to raise a wall of stone to shield herself and Suki from certain death. Bumi's eyes darted everywhere anxiously, looking for him, for the Butcher. Where was he?

"You are very strong," the Butcher's sister said, echoing, voice light and almost appreciative. Bumi snapped his attention towards Bor, finding him in the chaos where he was engaged with the Butcher's sister. "You even look like one of ours. Are you one of ours? Did King Bumi get to you? What did he promise you for your loyalty? Death? Are you King Bumi's son? Is that why you look like us?"

Bor punched through a wall and returned the attack. "Go fuck yourself!"

"You deserve a traitor's death as you betray our line, which I give you!"

Before his eyes, Bumi watched in horror as Bor was smashed through the throne and into the wall, metal wrapping around his throat, squeezing, suffocating. Bumi thrashed again, trying to escape; it couldn't happen again! Not this time—no! It was just like last time!

"Stop!" he roared, voice breaking from the force he applied. "I'll give you anything- "

Toph noticed what was happening and screamed in rage. She left Suki behind, jumping towards the Butcher's sister, flicking her fingers at her. Bullets of stone pelted the Butcher's sister, and Toph yanked her hand toward her body. The metal clamp around Bor's throat flew into her hand, freeing Bor, who collapsed in relief, and in one smooth motion, it elongated into a deadly-looking knife, and it darted through the air towards the Butcher's sister, stumbling back.

Before it tore through her chest, lava burst through the stone and swallowed the metal knife that Toph had created. Instead of being scared or shaken, Toph swiftly pulled Bor to her, checking him with an earnest and relieved expression on her face that Bumi felt inside him, and she paused before her head tilted towards Bumi in awareness.

"Bumi!" she shouted, horrified, and her arm swept toward him across the distance, and the shards piercing through his body, keeping him in place, began to shake, causing him to gasp in pain and relief, but it was short-lived.

"Leave him, or your friend dies!" the Butcher's sister warned, to which Toph froze, realization creeping into her face—failure and guilt fought for control.

"No," Toph whispered, tears welling in her milky eyes.

Bumi turned his head slowly, dimly noticing that Bor and Toph followed, and he stopped whatever energy he had devoted to fighting when he saw Suki held by two of the Butcher's men, gripping each arm. One of the men's hands wrapped around Suki's throat loosely in a powerful message, and Bumi knew from experience that if anyone, even Suki herself, tried anything, that grip would become as hard and debilitating as steel itself, able to strangle effortlessly. Thankfully, Bor and Toph knew the same, and it looked like Suki did, too, for she remained in the man's grip, unwilling to try to escape or fight with them being so outnumbered and outmatched—and the life of her child, no doubt, was the biggest factor in her decision. The other man held a fist near her stomach, ready to strike a maiming punch that would undoubtedly seriously wound the unborn child, if not kill from blunt force.

"Don't attempt anything," the Butcher's sister said evenly—calmly. "If even any part of your body twitches toward either, then both of them will die."

Bor screamed in rage at her words, veins throbbing beneath his red face, but before Bumi could speak, someone else did, and it was all that he heard.

"You let yourself be led into this by the hand like a child," the Butcher said, parting through bodies of his army; there were hundreds packed into the throne room. This was always going to be the result. "She attacked, and you followed. You changed. How far you have fallen, King Bumi."

Bumi's lopsided eyes spasmed shut at the voice. "What do you want, Butcher?"

When he opened his lids, the Butcher stood over him, the grotesque-looking scars that Bumi had put on his face a beacon to his eyes. That was the face that Lira saw as she was raped, and he hated himself all the more that those scars didn't reach the Butcher's brain, killing him—like he had intended when he avenged himself that night.

"I want vengeance against you," the Butcher said.

Bumi nodded. "You can have it—take it." He gestured with his head—because all he could use was his head—towards Bor, Toph, and Suki, all of whom thankfully remained silent on instinct, understanding that this was a lot more complicated than they thought, realizing they needed to be very, very careful. "But those three go—they have nothing to do with this; they have nothing to do with us. They're worthless and meaningless. None of them are threats to you- "

"One is clearly a traitor of our line," the Butcher's sister said, approaching. "He must be punished."

"I take his punishment as my own," Bumi vowed, knowing it would only arouse suspicion if he denied Bor's obvious lineal connection. In fact, it actually looked like many of the men in the Butcher's army in the throne room shared a lineal connection to the Butcher and the Butcher's sister.

Fortunately, Bor remained silent, confused, likely trying to conceive a way to escape, staring at the simmering lava with a strange look on his face, while the Butcher kept his eyes on Bumi—another miracle. He couldn't let the Butcher look at Bor and take interest in him and find out their connection! Let him think that Bor was some cousin or something, not his son. He could never know that Bor was his son, and Bor couldn't know that his father was an inbred rapist!

"To add to your own punishment for your betrayal—very gallant of you," the Butcher drawled, watching him. "But never think you are a hero; you are nothing more than a murderer and traitor."

Bumi wanted to scream and writhe, but he only slackened back, conserving his energy. "And you aren't?"

"Your impression of me is not what you think- "

"Not what I think?" he echoed, appalled and furious. "You inflict tragedy on my family, and my impression isn't what I think?"

Chin V smiled, pleased, and Bumi wanted to stab him repeatedly. "That impression is correct but not its source- "

"I'll add more scars to your fucking face, adding more of my impressions!" Bumi jerked his head, pain forgotten. He tried to flex his hands into fists so that he could escape, so that he could step forward, could physically confront the cunt, could strangle the Butcher, forcing the man's eyes to lock onto his own as the breath left lungs, but he was unable to, only feebly twitching and flicking his fingers. "Free me, and I'll fulfill my promise."

"Why would I do that?"

"You wouldn't know integrity if it raped you!"

The Butcher's eyes glimmered. "Like I did your daughter?"

Bumi choked on his hatred, but when he saw Bor go pale, eyes bursting from their sockets as he finally looked away from the lava, followed swiftly by Toph, he remembered what was more important than his hatred—protecting Bor, first and foremost, followed by Toph and Suki. "You're with Vaatu, aren't you? You work for him."

"To destroy The Avatar," the Butcher confirmed, shameless. "Vaatu understands we whom The Avatar has disregarded over his eons-long tyranny; Vaatu understands right pursuit; and Vaatu understands what it takes to destroy The Avatar."

"I bet it eats at you that you aren't his vessel," he sneered with a laugh. When the Butcher's fists clenched, he knew he hit a sore spot. "You don't even realize you're following the old Fire Lord, do you? That's right—you follow fucking Ozai! That's who Vaatu has as his vessel!"

However, a grim, tight smile crossed the Butcher's face. "I do—we all do. Vaatu chose him, and I cannot make him choose, otherwise. Not even I can defeat him in earthbending, which is how I know The Avatar will fall when it is time."

That terrified him possibly more than anything ever had, except for the Butcher finding out about Bor—the fact that Ozai was so powerful in earthbending that the Butcher couldn't even beat him at it.

"And following Vaatu is better than following that unspeakable tyrant," the Butcher derided, glaring down at him. "The Avatar deserves his coming judgment—like you deserve yours for following him- "

"I remember you," Toph breathed in interruption, sounding horrified, realization coloring her tone. "You're the guy who kept asking about metalbending in that one tavern- "

The Butcher smiled, ugly, deformed face twisting in a sickening sight, and Bumi shuddered, flinching as the shards dug further into his flesh; he imagined that was the same expression Lira saw as she was being raped and that Sheil saw before he was killed. "You told me all about it. I learned it from you, which I use now to imprison King Bumi. I was already a Lavabender, but it was you who was the fundamental key to unlocking my full potential as an Earthbender, making me the ultimate Earthbender. There is no Earthbender in the history of the world who knew lavabending and metalbending—not even the Conqueror! You told me all about how you see through your feet, declaring that it was the strongest earthbending style in the world, created by you. Thank you, Toph."

"Fuck," she whispered, looking paler than a corpse—before fierce vigor erupted in her milky eyes. "No! I'm going to fucking take back what I gave you by giving you death, you fucking rapist!"

"Not if you want your friend and her baby to die a slow death."

Bumi froze, all thoughts of trying to attack stalled. He was able to glance over to see Suki shaking, her hands cradling her still-flat stomach, the man's fist poised right above at an unprotected spot. "Please," she begged, eyes frantic. "Not my baby—no."

"Leave her alone!" Toph screamed, the earth around her cracking, but she immediately took a step back in fear when the man holding Suki tightened his grip around her slender throat—and the other man's fist reared back slightly. Toph looked sick and shaken, and Bor gripped her hand tightly in comfort and reassurance.

"Fuck you!" he snarled at the man, eyes beginning to anxiously dart everywhere, searching for an escape.

The Butcher looked disgustingly amused—but thankfully not looking at Bor, seeing the inheritance on his face. "If you try anything, I assure that either King Bumi or your friend will die, Toph. My kinsmen are too fast; you could not even save one of them, and even if you could, both of them are out of the possibility. I am the one in control, in charge—stop challenging me. I am the ultimate Earthbender."

When the Butcher kept looking at Toph, Bumi knew he had to get his attention away from her—and not only because she was so close to Bor! "The Avatar knows metalbending and lavabending, too."

Whatever triumph the Butcher held vanished as he glared back down at him. "What?"

"You heard me!" Bumi boasted. "That's right—The Avatar is the ultimate Earthbender, not you! He's going to fuck you so hard when he gets the chance!"

"He will never have the chance!" the Butcher hissed. "All oaths against me are meaningless. No man will kill me—no Earthbender will! I am the rightful heir to the Conqueror's legacy, and I will finish what he started."

Bumi had already put together that the Butcher was the new Chin, especially since hearing his name was, apparently, Chin V, that Fire Lord Zuko warned about, but Bor and Toph were clearly only now catching on by the looks of dread on their faces.

He had to somehow get them away from the Butcher!

"Will you die as he did, too?" Bumi challenged, keeping the Butcher's attention—it was all that mattered! "The legend I heard is that Kyoshi ripped off his testicles and ate them before killing him and scattering his armies!"

He may have embellished the details a little bit.

The Butcher smacked his face hard—like he had smacked Lira's face that night based on the harsh bruises she had. "You are a traitor to your blood, you fraud!"

"What do you want?" Bumi demanded, hoping to keep the Butcher's deranged attention away from Bor and Toph. "Why are you here?"

"I told you—vengeance. And vengeance begins now." The Butcher gestured towards Toph and Bor but didn't look at them, keeping his triumphant gaze locked onto Bumi, pressuring him, reminding him of his powerlessness. How he hated the fucking cunt! "They seek to escape; tie them up—but no metal! The girl is a Metalbender."

"Don't do anything," Bumi ordered before Toph or Bor could do something stupid; he had seen it in their eyes, even Toph's milky ones, the spark of rebellion, the urge to fight or flee. "You know what's at stake—remember what's at stake. Don't be stupid; don't hate yourself."

The fight suddenly left both of them, and several men stepped forward, thick beads of rope held in their hands. All was silent, even Bumi who watched with solemn, resigned, and fearful eyes, as Bor and Toph were heaved from the ground, limbs tied to the stone beams in the ceiling, completely suspended from the earth; Toph wasn't able to see or bend, and Bor could only observe everything. The ropes were flung over the beams, and the men held them there, keeping them hoisted from the ground.

There was little hope of escape. Even if Bor used his face for earthbending, like Bumi taught him, it wouldn't be enough because Bor wasn't a Metalbender; there was nothing to destroy the rope holding him in place. Then there were the necessities of freeing and saving Toph and Suki on top of everything else.

Bumi had to think of something—he would! He vowed to!

The Butcher turned to his armies. "They will not be a problem, now. We will handle this. The rest of you, pillage Ba Sing Se! Make it fall! Do as our sire before us and conquer it! Join the others! Make it so that The Avatar weep when he sees what we did!"

"He'll stop you!" Toph shouted, kicking her feet against air. "He'll kick all of your asses!"

"The Avatar is not here, is he?" the Butcher pointed out, triumphant. "He left. Otherwise, he would have shown his face by now, smiting us all. You need not worry, my kinsmen. The Avatar need not be feared. Now fulfill your destinies!"

"Yes, Chin V!" the army shouted in unison before they dispersed, dashing out of the throne room, smashing through the walls, and Bumi knew that Ba Sing Se would fall once again; he could do nothing to stop it.

He didn't care to try to stop it as his only focus was on saving Bor, Toph, and Suki.

The only ones who remained were the two men holding Suki, the Butcher's sister, the Butcher, and the men keeping Toph and Bor suspended from the ground. The pain was a constant for Bumi, and he tried to distract himself from it, trying to think of ways that he could escape and keep all of them alive, but he couldn't! He could think of no plan that would keep them all alive; one of them would die if they were to escape.

It was destined.

"Why are you really here?" Bumi whispered, hearing the chaos outside the palace, but he felt distant to it, despite knowing what atrocities were being committed and inflicted.

Somewhere out there, there was a woman facing what Lira faced that night, experiencing what Lira experienced that night, enduring what Lira endured that night, and living what Lira lived that night—or there would be shortly.

The Butcher glared down at him. "You are an imbecile. I came here to strike a crippling blow against The Avatar and to secure my vengeance on you. But it is not only vengeance for me and my father but our line, which you weaken with your treachery."

Bumi stared up at him in disbelief. "You're the fucking traitor, not me. It's going to be me who gains vengeance on this day, not you." Bumi tried to move his body, tried to escape from this makeshift prison, but he couldn't because of the Butcher holding the shards in place with superior strength. "Let go of your hold on these damned shards, and I'll give you exactly what you want."

In case, the Butcher actually let go of the shards, Bumi craned his head towards a portion of the wall, prepared to fling it at the Butcher.

"What I want is for your betrayal to mean something!" the Butcher snapped. "Yet, you do not know the truth! You have no idea why I hate you! You have no idea why I attacked you that night, do you?"

Bumi froze, something chilling and despairing seizing hold of him. It had never occurred to him that the Butcher might have had a reason to attack that night beyond his animalistic lust and savagery. "What?"

The Butcher laughed, and it was a cruel sound that made his spirit wither. "You heard me- "

"Why did you attack?" he demanded, voice rising. "Why did you do it? Why? Answer me, you cunt!"

"You murdered my father."

Silence.

Bumi wasn't surprised by the accusation—he had murdered a lot of fathers, after all—but wracked his mind to place the Butcher's father, accounting for his obvious age and appearance, and couldn't figure out who the Butcher was talking about. "No, I didn't," he denied. "I'd remember if I killed your father- "

"It was the beginning of your end- "

He choked in realization. "Guron? Guron was your father?"

The Butcher frowned. "Who?"

It was a relief to know that Guron's long-lost son hadn't wanted vengeance against him all these years, but he was still confused. "Who did I kill? Who? Who? Who was your father?"

"My name is Chin V, and I am the great-great-grandson in body of the Conqueror; my father was Chin IV, great-grandson of the Conqueror."

Bumi shook his head, wondering hysterically if the Butcher had avenged himself on the wrong man and caused so much tragedy and horror—all because of a mistaken misidentification. "I've never heard of a Chin IV, and I haven't heard of your name until today! I've never known your name!"

"Which is part of your betrayal!" the Butcher roared, inbred face distended in a horrifying way. "You are my cousin, and you do not even know it!"

Silence.

Bumi blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend what he heard; he noticed the shocked, disturbed looks on Bor, Toph, and Suki's faces, but they felt far away, secondary to the disgust surging through him. "No, I'm not," he denied. "I'm not your cousin! Fuck you!"

"Second cousin, actually," the Butcher's sister corrected. "You killed our father, your cousin. We are cousins- "

"No, we're not!"

The Butcher smiled, and Bumi felt horrible at the sight; he felt a dreaded knowing that, maybe, the Butcher and his sister were telling the truth. The clash against the Butcher had always felt personal, even that night when Sheil was murdered and Lira raped. It felt personal then, but he never understood why. But if they were actually family, it made sense why it was personal.

It made it even worse.

"Where do you think your lopsided eyes come from?" the Butcher asked, pointing at his own eyes, and Bumi almost fainted—not from blood loss but horror!—when he realized that his eyes were exactly like the Butcher's. His lopsided, crooked eyes were a sign of inbreeding—why hadn't he ever realized it before? "We are blood, Cousin, but you betrayed it by killing my father, who was elderly and not as powerful anymore. If he was in his prime, he would have destroyed you."

Bumi tried desperately to place a 'Chin IV' in his memory, but he couldn't think of one. "If I killed him, why did I? How did he die?"

The Butcher's fists clenched, and the metal shards digging through his flesh spun in place, maximizing damage, making Bumi groan in pain. "He died because of your lack of intelligence! We should have been the best of friends, Cousin, as we both hated Fire to the cores of our bodies. My father allied with Fire- "

"Then that's why!" Bumi shouted because it was the only thing that made sense. He always killed traitors when he found them during the Great War. "He was a traitor!"

"No! He was not a traitor! He made a political strategy that required a brief alliance with Fire to strengthen us to destroy Fire!"

Bumi's eyes narrowed, and it felt like it was only he and the Butcher in the room; it felt like everyone else were spectators watching the game from an outside source. "What strategy?"

The Butcher glowered. "He was trying to unify Earth under his lineage and saw the Great War as the perfect opportunity to do it. He partnered with Fire and became the vassal of Chyung and Zaofu for Fire and was biding his time until he could strike back against Fire and throw off their yoke, banishing them from the continent. You have always been an imbecile, never realizing the long games being played! My father had a plan to destroy Fire, but you ruined it! We needed unity during the Great War, but you ensured we never received it! The Great War lasted so long because you resisted the unification to get rid of those damned Earth Kings!"

He blinked in realization. "Him? That was him? He was the vassal of Chyung and Zaofu? His name wasn't Chin IV; it was- "

"An alias, you damned fool and traitor to our blood!"

Bumi sneered. "Okay, I killed your father because he was a scheming, heartless cunt, but we're not cousins- "

"We are, which makes your betrayal all the more intolerable and disgusting!" the Butcher condemned, spittle flying out of his mouth; finally, the Butcher looked as raw and furious as Bumi felt since he laid eyes on him. "I hate you for it, and I killed your son and raped your daughter for recompense of your betrayal- "

"There was no betrayal!" Bumi shouted, craning his neck up, making sure to lock their, admittedly, identical eyes. "We're not cousins! And even if we were, I'd never want it- "

The Butcher seethed above him. "We are of the Conqueror and The Avatar's line, and you reject it?"

Bumi's head sagged back as he absorbed the words and arrived at the only conclusion that made sense. It couldn't be Aang as Aang had no lineal descendants; it couldn't be Roku because he knew what happened to all of Roku's lineal descendants; and it couldn't be Kuruk because it was nothing unique to be descended from Kuruk—and none of those three lined up with Chin the Conqueror to tie their lines together forever.

"Kyoshi," he said.

"Kyoshi," the Butcher confirmed. "Kyoshi bore three children to the Conqueror, and we are descended from all three- "

Suki's eyes widened from where she was held, unable to keep quiet at hearing such devastating news. "No! Avatar Kyoshi would never lay with such a disgusting and evil man!"

The Butcher focused on her, and Suki suddenly seemed to realize that she should have kept her mouth shut; Bumi was actually grateful for the distraction as it allowed him to get his mind straight, keeping him sharp. "You think you know of Avatar Kyoshi but you do not. You have no idea of her atrocities and crimes; you have no idea of her weakness and fickleness—or perhaps you do since you are of her sex. The Avatar never lived a more shameful life than Kyoshi's! All the Chins before me—all my ancestors—have worked for generations, ever since the Conqueror's demise, to rid The Avatar from existence, and it was the goal we all agreed on- " The Butcher's arm shifted, extended, and one finger jammed out in condemnation—directly at Bumi. "- until his grandfather embraced cowardice."

Bumi inhaled sharply, knowing in exhausting dread that the Butcher was telling the truth—he felt it in his gut! He even felt it in his penis and testicles, which housed the same seed as the Butcher's.

He wanted to die, and even the knowledge that he was descended from such a prestigious, powerful lineage, likely the most powerful in Earth's history, born of Avatar Kyoshi and Chin the Conqueror, couldn't stop him from feeling like he wanted to die.

It was enough to die just being related to the Butcher.

"My grandfather?" he echoed, staring at the Butcher in a new light—but he didn't want to! He wanted to keep staring at him in the old light, but it was impossible. "My father's father."

The Butcher turned back to him with a pleased look on his deformed face. "Yes. He was brother to my grandfather, Chin III. He disagreed with our quest to murder The Avatar because he was a weak-willed coward, believing it was impossible to achieve. My father, whom you murdered, told us the story and never let us forget of his uncle's shame, which is now your shame! After your grandfather, Chin III, and their sister tried to assassinate Kyoshi, their own grandmother, and were defeated, it is said that your grandfather saw the look on Kyoshi's face, the shine in her eyes, and withered to impotence, rejecting his noble heritage. He claimed that it was eternally pointless and wasteful to try to murder The Avatar, which culminated in him starting afresh, letting go of the idea of vengeance, severing the connection between them and moving to Omashu- "

"Where he married the Sage of Earth's sister—a powerful Earthbender," Bumi whispered, recalling one of the very few things his father ever shared about his grandfather. He had never known his grandfather, only his father, and his father, who was part of the Order, nephew to the Sage of Earth, rarely spoke of him because his grandfather had died sometime in his son's youth.

"Now you understand," the Butcher said. "You think I raped your daughter for the pleasure of it only? It was vengeance against you! It was about extending my withered lineage! I planned to take her back with me after I killed you to be my concubine to give me my heir as she has the only other acceptable lineage—because she is of our lineage, like you are. I raped her then as vengeance against you, but after, it was going to be about lineage and security, where she would be pregnant with my heir—but you woke up and stopped it from happening."

Bumi felt a burning sensation in his eyes that he dimly recognized as tears, but the hatred was a flood that would take his tears and drown the Butcher. "That's all my daughter was to you? That's why you raped her?"

The Butcher was unashamed, and even the Butcher's sister looked unaffected—Bumi couldn't even bear to look at Bor to see what he was thinking after undoubtedly putting the pieces together that his mother was raped by the Butcher. "Yes—another betrayal you delivered to me, to our lineage by denying me the heir I need. And your consequence is now. This is my inheritance! All of the Chins before me have led to this moment, to this grand triumph that I am to inflict against The Avatar. And you are his friend—how perfect."

He flinched as the Butcher summoned lava from the stone, pouring out of the earth in a gush, and he couldn't take his eyes away from the lava, the heat that suddenly encompassed the room and the burning sensation that swept through his thighs, making him feel weak.

Bumi realized his death was upon him as the Butcher smiled in conviction, and Toph and Suki seemed to realize it as each started screaming, but he ignored them; he craned his neck to find Bor, who was silent, stricken in disbelief, trying to comprehend how so much went wrong.

He wanted his last moments to be of him staring at his precious, beautiful grandson—it was worth it because Bor was worth it. He tried to convey to Bor, whose face was bloodless in horror and realization, not only from Bumi's impending death, but from all the knowledge shared by the Butcher—but it wasn't even the worst knowledge that could be shared!—that he needed to work on escaping, using his face to somehow free either himself or Toph while the Butcher killed him and then flee with Suki; he tried to convey to Bor to leave him to his fate—because this was always going to be his fate. But he saw in Bor's pale face that he wasn't going to listen or abide by his wish, even if he comprehended it, which Bumi doubted.

But it was too late.

He felt the wash of heat blanket near him, heard the roar of lava, but he kept his eyes on Bor, memorizing him, wishing him peace and joy in life, even with Toph, and loving that he had twenty-six years with him because they were probably the best years of his life outside his childhood before the Great War.

"I am about to kill you!" the Butcher screamed. "Look at me! Pay attention when I kill you!"

Bumi twisted his head back and gave the Butcher the satisfaction, but he kept his eyes on Bor, whose face trembled in denial and panic, as the lava surged forth, heat impossibly hot—before it vanished, fading to the side, in sync with Bor lurching his head to the side in an unnatural, intentional way but born of hysterical desperation.

The lava didn't touch him—and no lava attack happened again. There was only stunned silence.

He stared at Bor in dismay, registering what his grandson did—used his face to move the lava away, stopping the attack with a lurch of his head, controlling the lava, using lavabending on instinct as it was in his blood. He had wanted Bor to use his face to save himself, Toph, and Suki with earthbending, not use his face to save Bumi—while using lavabending!

In terror, Bumi looked to the Butcher, who stared, startled and stunned, at the lava as if it betrayed him before he jerked to look at Bor, finally looking at his face, and Bumi watched as it happened; he saw the expression on the Butcher's face, and it made him panic like never before. "No!" he roared, thrashing against the metal shards. "Look at me! Butcher! Chin V, look at me! Motherfucker, I'm right here! Look at me, you cunt! I'll rape your sister if you don't! I'll rape your ass! Fucking cunt, look at me!"

But nothing worked—because the Butcher knew the truth that Bumi had done everything in his life to keep from Bor. He could only fume in horror as the Butcher approached Bor, who was suspended in the air by the rope.

"What is your name?" the Butcher asked, voice different; it contained anticipation and curiosity—and knowing.

Bor spit down at the Butcher. "Fuck you."

The Butcher pointed at Bumi but kept his eyes on Bor. "Is he your grandfather?"

"No."

A laugh echoed as the Butcher seemed to respect Bor's audacity for lying. "He is. But who is your father? Who is your mother?"

Toph suddenly jerked against the rope holding her in the air; she seemed to realize that the Butcher was Bor's father. "No, fuck you! You hear me? I know you can, cunt-face! Leave him alone- "

"I will come to you in a moment, Toph," the Butcher dismissed with a gleeful triumph and joy in his voice. Bumi hated him more than anyone to ever walk the world, even Sozin! "I want to get to know my son."

Silence.

"What?" Bor croaked, voice strangled with shock and disbelief. "I'm not your son- "

The Butcher raised lava into the air, holding it above his fingers. "You are. You stopped my attack against your grandfather because the lava is in your blood—you are mine. My plan to sire by your mother an heir was realized." The sudden pride that was on the Butcher's deformed, inbred face was swallowed by fierce, ravishing hatred. "Your grandfather kept my son from me, for which he will pay- "

"You're lying!" Bor protested, voice cracking in doubt and misery, and Toph's face was bloodless, mouth dropped open, and eyes bulging in horror. "Grandfather, tell him! Tell me! He's fucking lying! Say it!"

Bumi swallowed and stared up at Bor's face, taking in the resemblance to the Butcher's face, and choked on tears. "I'm sorry—Bor, I can't. I'm sorry- "

"That is your name—Bor," the Butcher whispered while Bor flinched, legs writhing in the air, kicking and thrashing as he tried to escape from the truth; his face reddened in devastation. "My son's name is Bor- "

Bor screamed in hatred, shaking the rope holding him in place, making the men holding him aloft stagger and waver in place as they readjusted their grips. "I'm not your son!"

"You look like him," the Butcher's sister observed, and Bumi wanted to deny it, wanted to roar in demand for attention, but he lost—like he always lost. It was over—Bor knew the truth. He felt powerless. Everything he did in his life was to stop Bor from ever knowing the accursed truth of his birth, but Bor discovered the truth anyway.

Timing was always a fucking cunt—forever.

The Butcher looked despairing at the ropes holding Bor aloft. "I want to release you; I want to know you—but you will attack. I cannot risk it; I cannot risk you. Forgive me, my son- "

"I'm not your fucking son!" Bor yelled, chest heaving, almost seeming to have trouble breathing. "I'm going to rip out your spine! You raped my mother and murdered my uncle!"

"But made you in the process," the Butcher pointed out. "You are the gift I have waited for—the heir we have anticipated for decades. It is you- "

"You raped my mother!"

"Would you prefer I never raped your mother and denied you your life?"

Bor flinched but clenched his jaw. "Yes!"

The Butcher shook his head. "You are as poor a liar as your grandfather."

"You're the fucking liar!" Toph shouted, coming alive in fervor. "You're nothing more than Devi's shit! You're the worst part of Earth!"

"I am the best," the Butcher hissed, face considering as he evaluated Toph with a critical eye, and Bumi didn't like what it meant. "My lineage is premier; it is the most gifted and sublime. It must continue. I lost hope until I discovered my unknown son. I heard that my cousin's daughter died months after I raped her, but I never put together that she died nine months later and that a newborn infant son was in Omashu's palace, who my cousin accepted as his grandson and raised him as his heir. So much was concealed from me—but no more! All the plans I made to preserve my power and ensure stability are meaningless now because I have my stability—I have my heir. You, Bor, are my heir, effectively. My plan to sire an heir by your mother actually worked. I will not kill you, and I will not kill Toph- "

Bumi's sick feeling in his gut thrashed. "You're not going to kill me until I rip your head off, Butcher!"

"Quiet, cousin," the Butcher dismissed, back to him, and Bumi tested the metal shards holding him in place and despaired at the strong hold—he was still stuck! "You are the evidence before me that my seed is fertile, Bor. Thus, the fault lays against my sister in failing to give me an heir." It wasn't a surprise that the Butcher practiced inbreeding considering he was obviously the result of inbreeding—same with his sister—but it was still sickening to hear. "However, I need my heir to breed with someone worthy, only someone of my blood. There is only one solution- "

"To go kill yourself, you sick fucker!" Toph sneered. "I hope your next shit is too big and thick and kills you!"

The Butcher smiled up at Toph, who was ignorant to the expression on the Butcher's face, and Bumi shuddered because he had always imagined that expression as the one Lira saw as she was raped. "I will breed with you, Toph, since you are such a strong Earthbender. This is how I repay you for making me the ultimate Earthbender. I will sire by you a daughter and other sons, extending my lineage, and after your daughter matures, Bor will breed with her to produce Chin VI, the true heir."

Silence.

Bumi didn't know what to say, and he had lost the spirit to fight; he was dead inside, having lost everything that ever mattered. Suki said nothing, keeping attention from herself, but her face had a permanent pallor that hadn't been there before. Bor's tongue was silent, mind broken as he tried to process everything that he had just learned—from his father. Even Toph was deprived of speech at the gruesome, grotesque, and dark plan the Butcher had for her—until she regained her speech.

"I can't wait to kill you someday!" she screamed, voice throbbing with emotion as her legs kicked the air; she was evidently trying to swing her bodyweight, but it wasn't working with the men holding the rope. "Bor and I are going to shit on your corpse! Then we're going to take our shit and rape your ass with it!"

The Butcher hummed, unaffected by the promise—threat. "I think I will make this state of your existence permanent. You have the potential to cause me many problems, Toph." The Butcher walked towards Toph, and Bumi could do nothing but watch—like Bor and Suki. "I will not kill you as you have so much to offer- "

"The moment I get down from here, I'm going to fucking tear you limb-from-limb!" Toph shook against the thick ropes, but she couldn't break free. "I'll start with your legs, and then go to your arms! Then I'll take your head!"

"How dare you?" the Butcher's sister finally snapped, bulging eyes filled with fury. "Show him the respect he deserves! He's above you, and you should beg for his mercy and grace and thank him for his generosity in tying our lineage to yours- "

Toph's head swiveled wildly, trying to locate the voice. "Oh, I see what's happening. You're just his whore, aren't you? Should I call you Sister-Whore, you fucking inbred cunt?"

"You bitch!" the Butcher's sister snarled, shards of metal flying into her hand. "He has plans for you, and you should be grateful! Chin V raises the esteem of your stature!"

"Fuck his evil plans!" Toph spat, eyes somehow finally staring at the Butcher's sister, deciphering her location. "Since you're obviously so fond of his raping penis in your ass, take his plans there, too! He should rape your throat since all you spew is badgermole shit!"

"You insolent child! You understand nothing of what Chin will bring you!"

Bor thrashed against his rope. "Leave her alone!"

Bumi kept quiet, keeping an eager assessment of the metal shards—the Butcher couldn't hold them there forever! And the moment—the literal moment—when the Butcher slackened his grip, he needed to be ready to take advantage and kill him, his sister, and the few men remaining. Then he needed to flee Ba Sing Se with Bor, Toph, and Suki and meet up with Aang somehow.

But would Bor even want to go with him? Would Bor ever look at him again? Would Bor ever forgive him? Would Bor ever understand why he did what he did? Would Bor look to the Butcher—his father!—for answers instead of him? Would he choose to ally with the Butcher instead of him?

The thought almost made him retch.

"I will, my son," the Butcher promised. "But only after I ensure her docility. I will not hurt you; I will not burn you or strike you. I want to know you, and I hate that so many years have been lost to us. You are already part of our family, Bor, but Toph will join soon. She will be my concubine, like your mother was intended to be, and she is worthy of my plans."

Toph strained against the ropes but it was useless. "Put your penis up your own ass!"

"Pity," the Butcher dismissed, placing a hand on his sister's shoulder, keeping her quiet. "I hoped you would act reasonable, but considering what I know of you, this is no surprise. You will be mine one way or another. Through you, the Children of Chin will be saved- "

"I won't do it!" Bor shouted. "I'm not having sex with her daughter- "

"You will," the Butcher assured. "It is your rite of passage—it is the only way."

"No!"

"You fucking freak, I'll kill myself before I let you touch me!" Toph sneered, and Bumi only watched, waiting for his moment—because there had to be a moment! There had to be! There was always a moment! Where was the moment? When was it? "I'll kill you before I let you touch me! Release me, and I'll show you what I mean!"

"No, Toph, I think not." The Butcher stepped even closer to Toph, and Bumi flinched when earth swirled up from the stone and morphed slowly into sizzling lava. "I need you docile; I need you broken."

The lava was held close to the naked soles of Toph's feet, and she squirmed and paled. "Wha- what are- what are you doing? No, please! No!"

"I do not need your feet, Toph," the Butcher judged as lava swirled above his hands, closer to Toph's feet. "I need your womb only."

Bumi's eyes widened in horror, and Suki's tearful gasp echoed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the two men holding Suki had tightened their grips and reared back once more, prepared for an attack; he couldn't do anything, especially with the Butcher's sister staring at him with knowing eyes, daring him to try something! Inhaling roughly, feeling the blood in his lungs, Bumi swallowed and was able to do nothing except stare with saddened, resigned, bleak eyes as Toph frantically tried to escape, pleading with the Butcher in hysteria, trying to bargain, words coming out in slurs as she screamed so desperately and rapidly.

Suki swallowed from her position, tears spilling out of her eyes. "Toph," she whispered, cradling her flat stomach. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Stop this!" Bor screamed as the lava inched closer and closer upward to the soles of Toph's unprotected feet, which swung wildly in the air, trying to avoid it, but the Butcher only followed with precise reflection. "Don't fucking do it! I'll kill you for this! I'll never forgive you!" Bumi watched solemnly as Bor strained against the rope, but the men holding wouldn't budge "Father, stop! Please!"

Bumi flinched at Bor acknowledging the Butcher as his father, but the Butcher actually paused in his momentum, and he had the thought that just maybe atrocity would be spared—before the Butcher shook his head ominously. "It must be done," he whispered and continued his momentum.

"Fuck you!" Toph shrieked, voice shattering, right before the lava touched her feet. Instantly, she screamed hysterically, tears bursting from her milky eyes, spilling down her cheeks, the smell of sizzling flesh becoming pungent to everyone's nose; her cries of agony increased as the Butcher increased the pressure of the lava.

Bor roared unintelligibly, face redder than fire, veins rupturing through his skin, and he strained and strained against the ropes, his eyes glowing with absolute hatred and devastation.

But it was useless as the Butcher continued maiming Toph's feet—her very vision.

Finally, the lava vanished from the Butcher's hands, and Bumi had to turn his head away from the sight of Toph's charred and scorched feet, the seared blackness of the skin that looked like it would crumble to pieces and fall off.

"Toph!" Bor cried out desperately, and Bumi looked back to see that Toph had passed out from the pain and realization, hanging motionlessly from the rope—it almost looked like she hanged herself and was dead. "I'm going- "

"You will do nothing, Bor," the Butcher finished, stepping away, staring up at Bor with intelligent and dark eyes. "I understand that you love her, and I know that she loves you back. This is bigger than simple things like love; this is about survival. She is fertile. Our lineage must endure- "

"I disavow all ties I have to your fucking lineage! You're not my father! I disown you!"

A terrifying wrath crossed the Butcher's face before it was gone, and to keep Bor safe, to keep him from saying anything else that would keep the Butcher's attention, Bumi finally interjected, giving up hope of the Butcher releasing his hold on the metal shards. "I'm going to kill you, Butcher—or should I say Chin V? Or should I say Cousin? You know those scars I put on your cunt-looking face? I'm going to put those on your penis; I'm going to gouge out your eyes and eat them. And you know what? I'm going to rape your sister as you raped my daughter. That's right—I'm going to get on top of your ass-ugly sister and rape her everywhere I can think of, from her vagina to her anus to her mouth to her eye sockets to her ears. Then I'm going to slit her throat and do it all over again! And I'm going to make you watch! I'm going to chop off your limbs and make you fucking watch, unable to do a fucking thing to stop it!" Bumi felt a hysterical laugh leave his lips, hoping that he could provoke the Butcher's rage on himself to keep the others safe. "You think Bor's your son, but he's mine! He's my heir, and I've loved him from the first day I met him, and I love him forever! I raised him! I gave him my time and energy and wisdom, and I gave him my legacy! But he's going to make a better legacy than me, and he's sure-as-shit going to make a better legacy than you! You think you have your heir, but you don't! You lose even when you think you win, you stupid cunt! You don't actually have a son at all, which makes you sterile! You can't sire sons, which makes you a failure of a man, along with all the other ways you fucking fail! Your cunt sister's womb is so polluted that it killed all your heirs, didn't it? You murdered my son, but at least I actually had one, unlike you—because Bor's never going to be yours!" He cackled, feeling manic—because his plan was working as the Butcher glared at him with unholy hatred. "You couldn't because your line starts with Chin the Conqueror, and Kyoshi ripped off his testicles, giving him no sons ever again! Your whole line is a fraud! You're not even really descended from the Conqueror, are you? Of course not—he'd be horrified to have an heir as fucking deranged as you!"

The Butcher's sister's composure cracked, and she snarled, her large teeth glimmering with blood, but before she did anything, the Butcher stomped back towards him, glowering down at him, and Bumi met his stare unflinchingly. "You want the death and blood, Cousin? Since you want it so bad, I will give it to you, but first, you will suffer for what you did to me." The Butcher's fingers brushed over the scars on his face. "I have waited a long time for this."

Bumi stared up at him, his mind clearing of distractions, focused only on his own grief and pain. "What are you waiting for?" he roared. "Release me!"

"Your release is death." The Butcher held out his hands and lava rose from the stone, the terrible heat felt by Bumi from his position. "I have dreamed of this."

"So have I. I know how this ends—for the first time in my life, I succeed in my endeavor!"

"A bold statement, Cousin, but a false one." The lava floated above the Butcher's hands, highlighting his disgusting, swollen, inbred features with vicious intent. "You made an excellent suggestion earlier. I believe that I will test it on you, albeit in a modified way. Instead of a 'chop,' I will slice."

Bor shook against his restraints again. "No, leave him alone! Stop it, please!"

"Bumi," Suki whispered in horror.

He recalled his words from earlier when he vowed to chop off the Butcher's limbs and realized the Butcher's intentions as he gasped and fought against the shards keeping him nailed to the floor, ignoring the pain exploding through his body from his thrashing.

"You're not going to kill me like this!" he spat, trying to quell the rising terror inside him as the spinning blades of lava approached his legs, the searing heat washing over him, echoes of the past from that night assaulting his mind.

Bor screamed for a cessation, but The Butcher said nothing as he lowered his flat palm, and Bumi howled as the lava blades severed his legs, the pain overwhelming him, erupting through his mind with detonating shockwaves.

Tears flowed out of his eyes as unintelligible screams exploded past his lips, his mind alight with agony beyond anything that he had ever experienced, the sense of loss because he no longer could feel anything below his waist. His vision malfunctioned; blood-curdling screeches entered his ears, and he realized that he was making the noise, that Suki and Bor were screaming, too. The pain exploded through him again as the searing blades sank through his arms, severing both limbs just as the legs had been. The realizations and pain scorched through his very blood, igniting his body with fire—where fire shouldn't burn.

"You were mistaken, you old fool." The Butcher's voice reached his ears, overpowering the chaos in his mind. "You will die, failing in your endeavor."

Oddly enough, at the words, the pain began to fade as Bumi compartmentalized it in his mind. His eyes snapped open and he looked at his stumps-for-limbs, understanding—he was in the calm of observation. There was no blood from the amputations; the limbs had been cauterized by the very lava. The pain was a flickering flame on the edge of his consciousness, just out of reach, and he was thankful.

"I'm not dead yet," he whispered to himself, the truth of his words filling his limbless body with strength; his chi swept through him, the energy of the Earth collecting and condensing. His limbs were gone, but his face remained—and he would have his vengeance!

He would die for his vengeance!

The Butcher stood over him, overlooking him, dark eyes cold and distant. "May you see my father, and may he torment you for eternity."

He glimpsed all the metal shards still jammed through his severed limbs that were sprawled near him. However, unlike before, the energy of the Butcher was no longer holding them, and he smiled. "You can do that for him. I'll see you there!"

Bumi jerked his head harshly, and the largest metal shard was wrenched out of his amputated arm. It floated for a second, and he glimpsed the realization shining in the Butcher's lopsided eyes before the metal shard tore through his head in an explosion of red mist. Splinters of bone fragments and brain tissue littered the ground as it was painted crimson; the exhale of air, the raw whimper was audible, and the Butcher fell to the ground, dead, blood and brain matter pooling out of the gruesome hole.

"Now I'm the butcher, Butcher," he whispered in satisfaction as he had finally—finally!—succeeded for the first time in his life when it really mattered.

If only Bor could forgive him for failing him.

Stunned silence reigned before the Butcher's sister screamed, rushing towards her brother and lover, but Bumi ignored her. His chi was ready, his mind was ready, his heart was ready, and his spirit was ready. He yanked his head backward; metal shards shot through the air, slicing through the rope holding Bor, who reacted instantly, attacking the men holding the ropes, and in one smooth motion, Bumi painfully wrenched his face towards Suki. He saw the two men holding her captive fall to the ground, metal protruding out of their chests, and when he saw the blood dripping out of their mouths, he knew that he had successfully killed them.

"You killed Chin!" the Butcher's sister screeched, and she stumbled to her feet, her tear-stained face a beacon to Bumi's eyes. "I'll kill you- "

Bumi watched with anxious eyes as Bor suddenly appeared, freed from the ropes, and before the Butcher's sister could react to defend herself, Bor's hands wrapped around her throat, squeezing, crushing the life out of her; she fell to her knees with a choked croak as Bor thrashed her in his powerful grip as he strangled her viciously. Then her eyes, bulging from their sockets, locked onto Bumi, and Bor was too distracted and didn't notice that while she was being choked, in a final effort, she controlled one of the metal shards and flung it into Bumi's own chest.

He gasped and blood quickly filled his mouth, the taste and pain ubiquitous. He looked down, glimpsing the shard sticking out near his heart and laughed—of course, he would die such a death after everything he had accomplished in his life. He didn't have much time left before death, when he would finally be able to see all his beloved children again, not only Sheil and Lira.

Bor's guttural roar echoed through the air, and Bumi looked back, seeing Bor's look of horrified realization. The Butcher's sister's hands desperately clawed at Bor's, but his grandson then squeezed even tighter. The veins in her eyes burst, filling with blood, and her lips turned blue, and after several more moments, she stopped struggling and thrashing, her hands falling to the ground lifelessly. Bor released her, and her head slammed against the ground, thumping loudly; her body became ever still, eternally frozen in death's embrace.

All the opposition were dead, but soon Bumi would be, too—he could feel it.

Bor stared down at the Butcher's sister's dead body, glancing at the Butcher's body—his father's body—in an incomprehensible daze before he dashed back to Suki, who was holding Toph's unconscious head in her lap. Bor tenderly picked Toph up, and sniffles reaching Bumi's ears. "I'm so sorry; I'm so sorry. I-I didn't want this. I tried to make him stop. It wasn't me; it was him. Toph, I'm sorry." Bot turned to look directly at Bumi at rushed at him, kneeling down before him, looking distraught and bloodless—even more so—when he glimpsed the true depth of the wound the Butcher's sister had inflicted on him. Toph was held to his side, her face nestled into his shoulder and chest. "Grandfather! You're going to be okay, okay? You'll be fine. I'll go and get- "

Bumi stared up at the face that looked so much like the Butcher's—but also differently, too, because he wasn't only the Butcher's son; he was Lira's son, which meant he was Bumi's, and Bumi was damn proud to have him. He swallowed and shook his head, feeling his life begin to dim. "All I need is your touch, Bor. Touch me—please."

Bor immediately placed a hand on Bumi's chest near his wound. "I'm here, Grandfather."

He cherished the feeling of Bor's touch and memorized his face and smiled. "I'm okay, Bor—I'm okay. I'm worried about you, not me."

A horrifying flinch met his eyes, and he hated that he was going to leave his beloved grandson in such a state—because of his own failures and mistakes. "It's nothing."

Suki suddenly appeared next to Bor, her arms wrapped around her stomach protectively; she looked sick by the sight of Bumi's amputated limbs. "It won't be long before someone comes back to check back with… him. You must let him go." She broke off with a choked sob. "Bor, I'm so sorry."

"Bor, look at me," he pleaded when Bor began to look away in tearful shame.

Bor's wet, raw, and devastated eyes came to meet his. "I'm sorry," Bor choked out, trembling. "I'm sorry that he's my father- "

"I'm not," Bumi interrupted, holding his broken gaze. "Bor, I'm not; I'm not sorry. I've lied to you about many things in your life, but I'm not lying now. I'm not sorry he's your father because if he wasn't, I wouldn't have you; I wouldn't know you; and I wouldn't love you. You've been the best thing in my life since I met you, and I've loved you since that day; you've been the gift that makes me love living. Your start wasn't a happy one, and it wasn't happy for me, but it became happy—because you made me happy. Nothing is better than you, Bor; you're my only grandson, and I couldn't have asked for a better one."

"He raped my mother, your daughter," Bor protested, voice cracking. "How can you look at me? I look like him!"

Bumi blinked back his impotent tears. "I look at you because you're Bor, not him; you are nothing like him. And maybe more importantly, you're not like me. I'm a damned shame, Bor. I'm a criminal; I'm a monster—I'm no better than him. Believe me, I'm no better than he is—or was. But you are—you're better than the both of us. It's going to take you a while, but you're going to recognize that; you're going to accept that it's a good thing. And I fucking know that you're going to accomplish great things."

"I can't do that without you!"

He smiled tenderly. "Put your hand on my face, Bor." When Bor did so instantly, hand cradling his cheek, he nuzzled his face into it. "Bor, it's going to be okay. Toph needs you more than I do, and you need her more than you need me. She's more important than me. It's my time—I can feel it. I don't fear it, and you shouldn't fear it- "

Bor shuddered, and tears spilled out of his eyes. "No, you need to come with us, Grandfather. Avatar Aang can heal you—he has to! You're not going to die. I can carry you and Toph- "

"Aang can't heal me," he said gently but firmly. "It's too late for me, and that's okay. I'm ready to die, Bor—I can now that the Butcher's dead. I've had so many years of anguish and failure, and I thank you for being the reason why my last years were worth it. Despite it all, I've lived a good life—because I had a life. Not even the Great War and all the fucking badgermole shit that went with it could take that from me; not even everything that happened today could take that from me. I don't feel pain now; all the pain in my legs is gone. Even though my lungs are filling with blood, my limbs gone, and my life not far behind, I'm going to die in peace. I did it, I finally did it—the Butcher is dead. It was never your burden to carry—it was mine, which is why I kept it from you. Your uncle is avenged as best he can be, and your mother is avenged as best she can be. I did what I so desperately wanted to do."

"My mother died because of me, didn't she?" Bor whispered.

Bumi remembered that night and shook his head. "You gave her nine extra months of life. She would have died the night he raped her if not for you. Thank you for giving me nine extra months to be with my daughter, Bor."

"How can I remember her? I took her life from her."

"If you want to honor her, be you—only you. Don't be me; don't be the Butcher; and don't be anyone else. You didn't take her life from her, Bor—she took it. She was sick, and she was drifting farther and farther from me. It was always going to happen. It would have happened that night he raped her if not for you. And now I'm going to see her again, and I'm going to tell her all about you; I'm going to tell her everything I can." He kissed Bor's palm and smiled, feeling his energy seep away—in sync with his life. "This is the best day of my life—because I got him away from you, and he can't torment you anymore."

"Bumi," Suki murmured, weeping softly. "Thank you for saving us. You saved all of us."

"Now you're going to have to save yourselves," he whispered, trying to stay conscious. "But I know you can do it."

"But I'm not ready for this," Bor croaked, eyes clenched shut, Toph still unconscious against his side, held tenderly by Bor's strong arms.

Bumi stared at him, blinking away the blackness drifting over across his vision. "You're going to miss me many days, Bor, and even on days after, you're still going to miss me—and you're going to have to deal with that. But remember what I've told you. You deal with it slowly, okay? There are also days when you're going to hate me for lying to you and curse my failures for burdening you with this. It's all going all come, and it will consume you. Don't brush it off; don't tell it to fuck itself—accept it and go through that fog. Remember this—remember it, Bor. It's the only way because that fog is going to be inevitable, and you'll have to deal with that; you have to get through it, and you'll have to do it on your own. I know you have the strength to do it—you're so strong. No one can do it but you, and you can't fight it—don't fight it. You have to let it take you; let it fill you; let it hollow you; and finally, let it pass through you. You're all you have, Bor, and I trust you to take care of yourself and do what you have to do—I trust no one more than you."

Bor's tears fell over Bumi's blood-soaked wound. "But I don't know what I'll do; I don't know how we'll win; I don't know how to be king without you."

"Yes, you do," Bumi encouraged, voice dimming—but he fought to stay awake as long as he could so he could have more moments with Bor. "It's going to be so exciting. I'm going to love watching you and seeing what you do—because I've loved watching and seeing what you've done all your life, since the very moment I met you. You're going to be the best king this continent has ever seen—the best our race has ever had. You don't need me anymore, Bor, but Toph does, and Aang and the others do, too. Suki's going to need you now to take care of her and protect her until you find the others and she's reunited with Sokka. Ba Sing Se will need you after this new war is over. You are its king now. I couldn't have a better successor."

Bor sniffed, tears spilling down his cheeks. "I'll be the best king, Grandfather. I'll make you proud."

It was becoming almost impossible to speak, to draw air into his lungs, but he mustered all that he could. "Come here, Bor—kiss my cheek."

When Bor leaned down and kissed his cheek, Bumi did the same, kissing Bor's cheek, imparting his final affection in his life to the only one worthy and deserving of it. "Now go—go. Leave me; run and don't look back. It's time for your new life to begin, the one you'll share with Toph. It's going to be the best adventure. My grandson, my Bor, there's no one I'd rather call my own than you."

His eyes felt unbearably heavy, and Bumi finally relented to the overwhelming, unstoppable feeling, to his eternal rest, closing his lids softly, the memorized face of Bor glowing in his mind; sounds faded, and feeling vanished swiftly thereafter, and his final breath passed his blood-stained lips.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Bor leaned forward, Toph's weight against his side slowing his movement. "Grandfather?" The chest had stopped its pitiful breaths, and he realized what it meant with painful clarity. He rubbed his thumb over Grandfather's still, pale cheek, cradling it for as long as he felt he could—before he returned his hand to Grandfather's chest, directly above the heart, fingers grazing the shrapnel embedded deep within, the killing weapon. "May your grief finally settle once you lay eyes on your children. Tha- thank you for- for everything, Grandfather. I... I lo- love you. There's no one… there's no one I'd rather call mine than you. I'm going to make you proud."

Grandfather was dead.

"We need to leave."

The soft, pain-filled words reached him, and Bor raised his tear-streaked face, looking at Suki's pale and fearful one. He took in her appearance, the tears spilling down her cheeks, her red eyes, and most importantly, the hands that refused to leave the protective position across her stomach.

Grandfather was dead.

"Yes," he agreed, not recognizing his own voice. It sounded hazy and distant, diminishing in the darkness of his own mind as he looked around at the chaos in the throne room before his eyes fixated on his father's body—his father! He knew who his father was and saw their shared resemblance on his father's inbred face! He learned the truth of his birth and how it happened—and why his mother died. He realized how Grandfather had lied to him for years and kept the truth from him. He heard how he was descended from the Conqueror and Avatar Kyoshi's line many, many times over not only from his father but mother through Grandfather—because his father was a product of excessive, generations-long inbreeding.

His father maimed Toph's feet on purpose for disgusting purposes of rape—like he had his mother—and wanted him to lay with Toph's daughter, who would end up being his own half-sister. His father tortured Grandfather, who was his father's second cousin, and severed his limbs by lavabending, which he had used on instinct to stop the first attack against Grandfather. His father murdered Grandfather with the help of his equally inbred, disgusting sister, who was his aunt and might have otherwise been his mother in another life.

Grandfather was dead.

"Bor!" Suki shook him roughly. "Please, we have to leave! They could come back, and we'll all die! If not of me, think about Toph, who needs medical attention. We can't fight them, any of them. Toph is injured badly and unconscious, and I'm pregnant. You'll have time to grieve later, but right now, you can't! I'm sorry, but you can't!"

Grandfather was dead.

"Bor!"

The haze dispersed, and Bor shook himself, banishing all thoughts—realizations—about himself, his father, and Grandfather with a thick gasp because he would otherwise go insane, standing to his feet, heaving Toph into his arms. "I'll get us out of here." Stuffing his pain and grief into a box in his mind, he dashed towards one of the massive holes in the Throne Room, ignoring the countless slain bodies; he peeked his head past slightly, and thankfully, no one was there. "This way—hurry! We don't know when they'll be back." Suki, to his surprise, quickly ran to him, face anxious but also calm. "You can run?"

"For now, yes."

"Good." Bor shifted Toph in his arms, never more thankful that she wasn't too heavy. No matter how strong he was, he would eventually tire and the lighter she was, the longer he could last. "Keep behind me. If you see anyone of threat, scream—scream your fucking head off and don't stop."

Suki didn't answer, and Bor gestured for her to follow. He knew that he should probably hug the halls, but he ran instead; time was of the essence, and he couldn't afford to waste a precious second. He tried to ignore all the gruesomely slaughtered bodies of the guards and servants, keeping it from affecting him for now because Toph, Suki, and her baby needed him to be strong. He needed to be as Grandfather, saving all of them, and Bor intended to do just that.

He had to. As Suki had said, he would grieve later.

Grandfather was dead.

"Look at this," Suki breathed, stopped by a gash in the wall. "Ba Sing Se's… gone."

When she stepped away, Bor felt little but resignation when he saw what she was talking about. Lava burned, lighting buildings and homes on fire, and desecration had swept through Ba Sing Se, the vantage providing a perfect, horrifying image that Bor would never forget. What was worse, he couldn't do anything; he could only watch as Ba Sing Se burned.

There was nothing left; it had swept through the outer rings and approached the inner—there wasn't much time.

But he could use lavabending, couldn't he? If he really wanted to, he could challenge his father's army and destroy them with lava—like Grandfather was destroyed.

Grandfather was dead.

"That's what he was doing before he joined us," he whispered, ignoring the anguish raping his heart and mind—like his father had raped his mother! "He set it all in motion. It's been overrun."

"We have to go- "

"They'll kill us, especially since their leaders are dead."

And he had no intention of demanding his place as his father's heir—he wanted nothing to do with it!

Grandfather was dead.

Suki followed him, their running footsteps loud in the eerily silent and hole-ridden halls, but no one was within sight. The smell of blood filled his nose, the broken bodies tangled against the wall assaulted his eyes, and Bor shook his head, racing past the bodies and carnage, dimly wondering if he would ever not be able to remember all the dead bodies he had seen, Grandfather's at the forefront.

Grandfather was dead.

"Don't look!" he warned as they came across a particularly devastating as they exited the palace through a large opening. It looked like families had rushed to the palace in hope of protection—in the hope of Grandfather with his legendary reputation could protect them—but they were all cut down, even the children. Everyone was motionless—terribly, terribly still—and drenched with blood. "Don't stop! Just keep running!"

However, he belied his warning by freezing suddenly when he heard a haunting sound nearby—a scream produced by fear. Suki halted next to him, eyes wide, panting for breath, but before she could say anything, another cry echoed with ominous presence, shrill and cracked. It sounded like an animal in desperate intensity, almost rabid, but when another sounded, Bor deciphered it as a woman.

"It could be a trap," Suki said, grim, when she clearly realized that he debated investigation—and possible rescue.

Bor couldn't stop the dark laugh. "I hope it is. I want to kill someone."

It was in his blood, clearly.

"I'll follow your lead- "

"Come on," he muttered before taking off, fearing the source of the sound—what could possibly make a woman scream in such an unholy, rupturing way, high-pitched, and almost ear-shattering if not what his father did to his mother?

He couldn't save his mother, but maybe he could save another woman from enduring something so horrible.

When another shriek—it was ear-shattering now, desperate, and hysterical—echoed, Bor turned down an alley, following the sound. Based on where they were, he knew that if it was a group of men too numerous in number to fight at such a disadvantage, they could lose them in the many other alleys in the Upper Ring, all connected to each other.

And there was the fact that he wanted a fight—he wanted to unleash all the hatred, devastation, and confusion inside him!

He dashed towards the corner at the sound, shifting Toph in his arms once again, crouching down. Suki kneeled behind him as he edged his head past the corner, and what he saw filled him with revulsion and sickening fury. A woman who looked around Suki's own age laid helpless and beaten, littered with blooming bruises, beneath a large man, one of the men who Bor recognized from earlier—he worked for his father!—looming over her. Her clothes were ripped in several places, freeing her breasts, which the man fondled with possessive squeezes; her pants were torn away, pooled at the ankles of limp legs that had lost the fight to kick and thrash in hysterical determination and despair. Both the woman and man's hearts were unbelievably fast, almost too swift to focus on, but they were so rapid due to different reasons—horrifying reasons! The woman was clearly dazed from a vicious smack to her face as Bor saw her head wobbling back and forth on the ground, trying to stabilize and find balance, and he handed Toph to Suki, prepared to intervene.

"Stay with her," he urged quietly. "Scream if someone sees you- "

He happened to glance back and froze when he watched the man free his hardened penis and separate the woman's legs, gripping her hips to position himself—all to inflict the gravest of disgraces before he carried out an execution.

It was just like what happened to his mother!

Bor tasted murder in his mouth and screamed it as he flung himself around the corner. "You move, you're dead, you cunt!" he roared before the man could inflict any more torture. The woman looked up at him, blinking rapidly, eyes wide—but becoming clearer with each moment—and thick tears of horror spilled down her flushed, bruised, and swollen cheeks. The man spun around in alarm, and Bor immediately stomped his foot; an oval-shaped pillar smashed upward into the man's penis, and the rapist fell to his knees in a choked gasp, spittle exploding from his lips. "Stay there!" he yelled at the woman when she began to move in a panic. "Fucking stay right there!"

"Bor!" Suki screamed, dashing around the corner, lugging Toph with her in a heave of effort. "I can't! There's two!"

He smashed the rapist through the alley wall, cursed, and dashed back, meeting Suki and grabbed her and Toph, pulling them toward the woman, who had scrambled back and frantically tried to cover herself with trembling arms. "Stay there, all of you! Fucking do it, damn it!"

Suki held Toph against her and huddled with the woman, flying into action to help her steady herself, but Bor whirled around at the sound of footsteps. The rapist stumbled out of the broken alley wall, fury shining in his eyes, one hand gently readjusting his bruised penis into his pants—while the other clenched in preparation for a fight. But, as Suki warned, two more men rounded the corner, two more followers of his father.

"How did you escape?" one of the men asked, face twisted in suspicion. "Where's Chin V?"

Right—his father's name was Chin V.

"Kill yourself and find out," Bor goaded through clenched teeth, altering his stance so that Toph, Suki, and the woman were protected from any projectiles, which would connect with him first. "Go on—do it! You're not worthy of the breath in your spirits!"

Another stepped forward, face carved in cruelty and lust as he noticed the women. "Tell us where he is, and we'll let you go- "

Bor sneered and felt something insane burst inside him—he embraced it. "Fuck you! You can find him in his fucking grave, where I put him! That's right—I killed that cunt-face! He and his bitch sister are dead, killed by yours truly! I did it with a smile! I laughed when I did it! I'd do it again! I wish I could bring those cunts back just so I could do it again!"

"Impossible!" the men all cried, but before any of them could speak again, Bor lifted a wall of earth and shoved it at them, sprinting towards it. As he predicted, they all broke the wall apart, but he was right there, lashing out with overwhelming rage. He formed a dagger of solid stone in his hand and kicked his foot outward, catching one at the knee, bending it gruesomely. In the same movement, he smashed the same foot downward into the floor. Two more pillars of earth lifted the other two men off their feet, separating them from the stone, their power.

Bor plunged the stone dagger into the downed man's neck, dimly watching as he ripped it outward in the same way that he had seen his father do to the now-slain King Bipin. He didn't allow his horror—he was just like his father!—to affect him; he moved to the other two struggling men, realizing that they weren't trained well in earthbending. Otherwise, they would have escaped. He killed them in the same way, being especially brutal towards the rapist.

His hands were smeared with dripping blood, and he wiped them against his shirt, ignoring the stains. He ran back toward Toph, Suki, and the woman, who held the remains of her clothes to her chest, hiding her breasts. He swallowed as he stopped in front of them, staring at the woman, imagining his mother in her place, imagining what she must have looked like when Grandfather found her after what his father did—but unlike the woman before him, who he saved before the worst could happen, his mother experienced the worst.

If the woman looked as horrible, beaten, spiritless, and terrified as she did, what did his mother look like?

She stared back up at him in disbelief, horror, and confusion—and a perennial shock. "She said Bor." She pointed her shaking finger at Suki, who looked worn and weary. "You are the… the prince? You saved m- my life—why? You did not have to, but you… you did—you risked yourself… to save my life. Why… why did you do that?"

"King now, actually," he corrected softly, trying not to flinch—or weep. "I'm sorry this happened to you—I fucking am more than I can say—but we need to go."

"The city's been overrun," Suki notified, struggling to her feet, trying to pick up Toph. "Bor, a little help. We can't keep going like this. There is no more Ba Sing Se."

Bor looked at the partially nude woman and took off his shirt, seeing no other option, knowing that she wouldn't accept any of the dead men's shirts. "Here, wear this. It's long enough to cover your vagina while you're standing. Sorry about the blood."

"Thank you, King Bor," the woman whispered, taking his shirt with trembling fingers, and put it on while Bor went to pick up Toph, helping Suki to her feet in the process.

"You're right—we can't keep going like this." Bor closed his eyes and used the skill that Toph taught him; he slowly let the vibrations register. "We need to go underground, as true Children of Earth—literally." He opened his eyes and looked at the woman, who wore his blood-stained that was, indeed, long enough to preserve her modesty and privacy. "What's your name?"

"Jin," she croaked, wiping her face with a shudder of anguish. "My husband was… he was kill- killed by that…"

Another comparison with his father and the night he was conceived as his father killed his uncle, Anju's father, and raped his mother. Bor never saw a man's body through the alley way, but he reckoned that Jin had fled after her husband was murdered—and was caught by her pursuing rapist. He regretted that he couldn't stop her husband's death, but he couldn't stop anything—he couldn't stop Grandfather's death and Toph's maiming. Why did he expect to stop something else from happening? It was a miracle that he had succeeded with Jin.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Jin." Bor inclined his head slightly, sadly. "I really am, and I hate to say this, but that doesn't matter now, not when we have to hang on and get out of here. We have to go, and you need to come with us; more are coming back to the palace to regroup with… Chin V."

How it hurt to say his father's name, knowing their connection!

Jin swallowed but nodded with a jerk of her head—but she said nothing, unable to, too fraught with emotion after her ordeal.

Bor opened a large hold in the stone road in the alley, beginning a descending ramp for as far as he could. "I'll close it once we're inside. We can't afford anyone following us. It will be dark, so we have to hold on to each other."

He stepped down the ramp, and once everyone followed, he sealed the hole, darkness ubiquitous.

Like in his mind, which had been swallowed by the despair in his heart.

Grandfather was dead.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Arnook felt fearful; he had received reports that many vessels had departed from the Earth Kingdom, in Chyung's territories, heading directly towards the North. The sentries stationed there would never lie to him about something, and what was worse, the letter had been splattered with blood. The letter was half-finished, hastily written, and because it took often around a week or longer for communications to be received from sentries, it could mean that this new threat was near.

It could arrive in days!

He ordered his guards to bring him Hahn, whom he needed to help him ramp up a defensive effort against this imminent invasion.

Arnook had never imagined the North would be invaded again—at least, the actual North and not its territories. There was a time when he made a deal to extend the North's territories and, thus, the North's influence. It had all been worked out with Kuei's help to secure for Water a more substantial position of power and authority, elevating Water to a more equal standing against Fire's dominance and Earth's dominion. In return for his assistance, he agreed to name Sokka the North's heir—a slight that devastated him but was necessary—because all he wanted was to increase Water's prominence after centuries of being slighted and scorned due to their necessary isolation.

It was all done to help his race and their position, even though he hated the sacrifice he had to make to make it happen. He never wanted Sokka as his heir, for while Sokka was a worthy warrior, he was from the South, which would culminate, inevitably, in the South conquering the North internally, which led, inevitably, to an external conquering. It would be a minimization of the North's culture and influence until eventually the North's presence was lost, subsumed by the Southern invaders, whom Sokka—or his heirs—would welcome inevitably.

There was also the fact that Sokka failed to save Yue, his precious daughter. He had accepted that it always was going to happen, but he blamed those who took part in it—because Yue would have never done such a thing before Sokka's arrival to the North with Avatar Aang. Sokka had evoked in Yue a rebelliousness that was most unbecoming and led to her death—and, thus, the erasure of the North's presence, unless Arnook could fix it.

His solution was the one he used before as Hahn was the perfect heir and had been since he knew Hahn as a young boy; Hahn was not his son, no, but their minds were similar, along with their outlooks. He chose Hahn to be not only his daughter's husband but the North's chief because he saw many admirable qualities in Hahn, and even the few shortcomings were minimal—and could be taught and learned—when compared to his strengths. Hahn possessed a keen mind that grasped a problem's presence and worked diligently to arrive at an acceptable, feasible solution; he knew how to speak to others and ensure others listened, a treasured trait in a chief; he knew how to talk to the nobility, even in disagreement; he knew how to defy the nobility, a priceless gift that would only save the North in the long run and strengthen their reputation.

The North never interceded in the Great War because of the nobility, not because of the North's Chiefs—because the nobility refused the efforts and blocked Arnook, his father, and his grandfather from ever mobilizing. The nobility was the reason for the North's lackluster reputation; the nobility was the reason why Earth and Fire looked at the North as cowardly and timid; the nobility was why Arnook had little reputation to stand on when compared to the other leaders, who all looked at him in judgment and distaste—like he was a weak leader.

He—and his predecessors—were blamed for the North's policies when it was the nobility's fault, and the nobility was content to let him—and his predecessors—take the blame, sitting back and laughing!

It was an outrage.

When the nobility embraced and championed Sokka as the North's heir, Arnook refused Sokka almost on that point alone—simply to stick it to the nobility, whom had been thorns in his side for a long time. But refusing Sokka did not have only to do with achieving a subtle victory over the nobility; there were real reasons.

While Sokka possessed many of the same traits that Hahn did, Sokka was from the South and never encountered nobility in his life at a young age, which was unacceptable. Arnook needed an heir from the North who would always have the North's interests at heart and in mind at all times. Sokka couldn't be the heir. The North and the South were separate for a reason—for many reasons—and Arnook couldn't foresee any unification happening peacefully; he only foresaw civil war if such a thing happened, which he wanted to prevent by all means necessary.

But when Kuei came along and introduced his proposition to expand the North's influence in such an unprecedented way, Arnook could never decline it; he had to accept it—for the good of the North—and would deal with the problems that arose as he could, implementing strict guidelines to ensure the North never faltered under Sokka and his heirs' representation.

In exchange for naming Sokka his heir, which guaranteed Kuei the hand of Sokka's sister, Katara, Pakku's old student, in marriage, Kuei offered him a valuable chunk of the northernmost territory of the continent, extending the North's power. Arnook had possessed concern that such territory touched and included the Northern Air Temple, which involved Avatar Aang and might upset him, but Kuei soothed his concern and vowed he could—and would— handle Avatar Aang's displeasure since he possessed many ways to pacify him.

"He is a monk," Kuei dismissed. "There is nothing he would actually do to stop it. He lets some of my subjects live at the Northern Air Temple. He has little claim to the territory, and when he dies, he will have no claim. We only take this to its inevitable, rational conclusion. We both know that Air is dead, incapable of returning. That valuable territory is no longer Air's; it is mine, which I give to you as a gesture of friendship. We must adapt to the changing times, and Avatar Aang is a stalwart of previous times; it is unfortunate as he has such potential, but he confines himself to stupidity. If he fusses to our arrangement, I tell you not to worry—I will handle him."

But Kuei underestimated Avatar Aang, who unleashed calamities on Ba Sing Se and turned it into a memory.

When he heard word of what happened, he immediately—but quietly—pulled back from having Sokka as his heir, recognizing that Avatar Aang would never allow the North control of that valuable northern territory on the continent that included the Northern Air Temple. He renamed Hahn his heir during the aftermath of Avatar Aang's madness, and with the sudden void of nobles who supported Sokka, Hahn was accepted without any trouble from the remaining nobility. All the noblemen somehow killed by that freak Lee, who had tricked Hahn into friendship, before Hahn dealt with him as a Chief would when he realized what Lee was, opened the door for the North's preservation. While he regretted those noblemen's deaths, he would never regret the impact those deaths produced.

It only increased Arnook's pride and belief in Hahn—he made the right decision. And he made the right decision in renaming Hahn as his heir.

Only Hahn was acceptable.

"Chief?"

Arnook turned and smiled in greeting at Hahn, who walked into his private office—before his smile vanished as he remembered the reason for the meeting. "Thank you for coming. It is urgent."

Hahn's face flickered with determination. "What is it?"

He grabbed the blood-stained letter. "An invasion approaches."

"Invasion?" Hahn echoed. "How far away?"

"I cannot say," he said, crumpling the letter in his grip. "I need you to prepare a defense and ensure we are ready for it. I have not told the nobility yet, but you know once I do, they will interfere- "

"As they always do."

Arnook nodded. "How long do you think it will take? Can you have things ready, having Waterbenders patrolling the waters, by tomorrow?"

Hahn smiled. "Yes, Chief. Remember the game with icicles we used to do when I was a boy?"

He sighed at the memory, so long ago. "Of course. We waited to see how long we could make one until it broke, unable to hold itself together."

"It will take nowhere near as long," Hahn promised.

Arnook pulled water from the ice beneath his feet and created an icicle in his hands, twisting it in his hands. "Those days seemed easier then."

"They did."

He handed Hahn the icicle, watching Hahn flip it in his hands several times before he set aside the letter gingerly, feeling thrice his age—and bitter because of it. "How is it that no peace can be found? Why has Avatar Aang not stopped this invasion from coming to us?"

"Because Hahn does not want peace and wants the invasion," a voice echoed—a voice that he never thought he would hear again.

The words did not register—because the voice did. He gasped, strangled as he looked wildly around, dimly noticing that Hahn looked panicked. "Yue?" he begged. "Where are you? Please! Where do I see you?"

"Look."

Suddenly, the air flickered around him as if someone was trying to escape before a small beam of light descended through the open window, provided by the Moon. He gasped, tears welling in his eyes as his beautiful Yue levitated down to him, looking ethereal beyond even Avatar Aang himself. "Yue, my daughter," he choked out, emotions overwhelming him. "You are here."

"I am here only a short time."

"Why?" he breathed, awe fading for desperate, agonizing heartbreak. "Why come now? I miss you—and your mother does, too."

"It drains me to maintain a corporeal form. Only The Avatar can communicate with me at any time." Yue looked sad, which wounded Arnook even further as he could never handle it when his daughter was sad. "I am but a fraction of what I once was; my power, already paltry with this mortality, is insignificant to what it was. I am the weakest of my siblings. I do not have much time."

"Why now?" The tears finally fell down his cheeks, but he did not care as he gazed up at his beautiful daughter. "You have never appeared before—not since I lost you over a decade ago!"

"Spirits are not supposed to interfere in the Mortal Realm, but I must—Vaatu is imminent!"

Arnook blinked, not recognizing the name, but when he glanced at Hahn, he saw the grim resignation on his face and did not understand. "What are you saying, Yue?" he asked, looking back at his precious daughter—stolen from him before her time. "Who is Vaatu? Is he leading this invasion approaching us?"

Yue's face shuddered in warning. "Never speak his name. If you do, he becomes aware of you—he can begin to touch your darkness. He is the Spirit of Chaos and Darkness, primordial in strength; he is the counterpart of The Avatar, born of the old Spirit of Peace and Light, who sacrificed herself forever to see to Vaatu's imprisonment."

"Does he lead the invasion?"

"He seeks me and La; he seeks our alliance. His vessel, whom he will make a new Avatar, is Agni's old foremost son—Ozai."

Arnook recognized 'Ozai' and wavered. "Of course. That is Avatar Aang's great enemy. We must fortify our shores and- "

"All your efforts are and will be for naught as Hahn has sabotaged the North to this invasion- "

"Your self-importance is as big as your weakness!" Hahn screamed in interruption, and Arnook felt faint when he realized that Yue spoke the truth—Hahn had betrayed him. "This is your fault to begin with if you weren't so arrogant and self-imposing!"

Arnook stared at Hahn, forlorn. "You betrayed us, Hahn?"

Hahn looked rabid and cornered, eyes bulging in realization. "I betray you, Chief—because you betrayed me first! I've always been your loyal servant, and I loved you more than my own father—but you didn't reciprocate! You didn't show me the same loyalty and love!"

"Kill the traitor," Yue intoned in condemnation, and Arnook stared up at her in shock. "He seeks your throne."

"You were the traitor!" Hahn erupted, fury on his face as he glared at Yue fearlessly—and lovelessly. "You started all this with your stupidity! You put us in this position! I had to act!"

"By destroying the North?"

"Yes! I will build us back up, making us stronger than we've been in a thousand years!"

Arnook braced himself on his desk, stunned; he felt greater than thrice his age now. "You were my great joy, and now you are my great shame," he whispered, choked on emotion. "You have broken Family- "

Hahn whirled on him, face sneering with outrage, icicle pointed at him in contempt. "You broke it first! You betrayed me first! You picked Sokka and disinherited me!"

"Sokka is the true heir," Yue judged with finality in her voice. "I ensured it."

"Shut up, you stupid bitch! I did what was best for the North!"

Arnook swallowed, seeing the painful truth as he pushed himself off the table, trying to find the strength to stand on his own two feet; it was difficult. "No, you did what was best for yourself, Hahn."

"I do it now!"

In a blur of motion, Hahn seized Arnook's parka, catching him off guard, yanked him close, and plunged the icicle—that he gave him—into his chest with vicious stabs, again and again, warm and wet and thick blood splattering into the air.

"Hahn," Arnook whispered, staring at him in shock, blood seeping from his wounds and dribbling past his lips. He felt his life begin to dim as the wounds were fatal, administered with expertise—and experience.

Hahn yanked out the dagger and jammed it in again, twisting it harshly; there were tears in his eyes. "I loved you," Hahn choked out, face spasming with devastation. "I loved you!"

When Hahn ripped the icicle out and went to stab again, Arnook had just enough awareness to turn the ice to water, which fell out of Hahn's hands and splashed onto the ice. "Hahn."

"You didn't love me like I loved you! You only loved your bitch daughter!"

Arnook looked away from Hahn; his eyes sought Yue, his daughter, but as she began to flicker, face cast in sadness, he stopped fighting, wanting to go with her—he missed her so deeply. He heard Hahn saying words he could not decipher—the darkness beckoned—but did not care to try to listen; he had limited energy left and wanted to use it on the only one who really mattered. He summoned the last of his spirit and reached toward Yue in desperation to touch her—to feel her again—and know she was really with him, but his hand passed right through her.

The devastation of rejection was the last thing he felt.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Hahn gripped Arnook's body, distraught. "Why did you not love me enough?" he pleaded, desperation destroying his spirit as he wept. "Why? Why was I not enough?"

There was no response.

He squeezed tighter, face crunching as he glared up at where Yue once was. "Look what you did! You wanted this, you stupid bitch! That's what kind of daughter you are? You knew this would be the result, that this was the only thing I could do, and you did it anyway! You're a fucking monster!"

Yue was gone—like the coward cunt she was.

Hahn collapsed to his knees, bringing Arnook with him, staining his parka red from the blood oozing out of Arnook's chest—that he was the cause of. He breathed deeply and rapidly, understanding what he had just done. He had killed the man who was more of a father to him than his own, but Arnook chose Sokka over him.

It didn't matter now.

He wiped the blood away from his parka with his sleeve as he closed his eyes for a moment, realizing that he was Chief upon Arnook's death, securing power for himself—but it didn't go how he imagined because he was forced into it.

Fucking Yue—that stupid bitch!

When Hahn opened his eyes, he realized he had only smeared the blood across his parka, making it look worse, and stumbled to the door. "Guards!" he screamed as he yanked open the door. "Guards! The Chief is dead! He was assassinated!"

The two guards burst through the door and leveled their spears at him, but he only opened his hands in innocence as they searched him for weapons—but there was no weapon on him.

The icicle had returned to the ice below, making the weapon impossible to find.

"She went out the window," he said, gesturing back with his head. "It was a woman—she killed Chief Arnook and took off."

Upon realizing that he had no weapon and couldn't possibly by the murderer, the guards took off and raised the alarm, leaving Hahn alone with Arnook.

He was Chief.

XxXxXxXxXxX

"We're getting fucking nowhere!" Sokka exclaimed as he slashed his sword through a tree branch in frustration. "We need to decide already."

Mai rolled her eyes. "And what is your brilliant suggestion, Leader?"

He glared at her and inhaled slowly to calm himself—but it was hard as he wanted to be making meaningful strides instead of slow strides. "We need to be blunter in our approach."

"Your specialty, right?" Koko, newly arrived, quipped with a smirk. "Suki always told us stories of your bluntness—and that's not including our own stories about you."

Sokka stared at the Kyoshi Warriors, all of whom had recently caught up with him, Mai, and Ty Lee. "I'm open to suggestions, you know. I'm more than willing to hear any. I could use some!"

"We should stick with our current plan," Ty Lee suggested, and Sokka was finally used to the idea that she was a half-spawn of Air with both her grandfathers being secret Airbenders. He no longer caught himself staring at her when she wasn't looking, trying to wrap his mind around it. "We'll find it quickly."

"But how many villages do we have to hit until we find the trail?" he wondered. "Ozai must have a recruiting network of some kind. We just need to find it, pretend we're some eager recruits, and go on our evil way. But if we have to be careful- "

"That goes without saying," Koko pointed out. "We've already hit three villages, but we can't exactly say we're looking for Ozai."

Sokka shook his head. "You heard me—I'm looking for Piandao. That's what I say. I know it's a Fire name, but there has to be some connection. Piandao is the one who sent Lee to unleash that attack, and 'Lee' is an Earth name. I've never heard of a Fire man who'd be caught dead with the name Lee. I'm guessing Piandao recruited Lee for Dark. Piandao's got a way about him—how do you think I got to him?"

"Dumb luck?"

"A little more than that," he assured. "But Ty Lee, Mai, and I have already figured it out. Piandao's one of the higher-ups, but he's not the guy—because that's obviously Ozai. But Piandao's up there, and he's the one Lee knew, so Piandao, at least, had a hand in sending Lee to attack Fire, and since Dark infected Piandao like he did Mai and Ty Lee- "

Koko's brows rose as she—and the other numerous Kyoshi Warriors—looked at Mai and Ty Lee. "What?"

Mai's features tightened in memory. "He corrupted our awareness and influenced our actions. To quote Avatar Aang, he poisoned the well."

Ty Lee shivered, pale. "He pulled at our darkness and exploited it. We couldn't say no to him."

"Was Piandao there with you?"

"We didn't see him or hear about him."

Sokka nodded, scratching chin in what he considered an intelligent pose. "Which would make sense if Piandao is this recruiter or something—he'd be away, doing other things. Even if he's not a recruiter or something, he's still high enough clearly in Dark's hierarchy to be doing something evilly important. But because Dark saw the need to corrupt Piandao and keep him alive in the first place, it shows that he's valued; he plays a role. He holds seniority over others, despite being a non-bender, and he's also the one who commanded Lee to steal Embers, Sozin's stupid sword."

Mai frowned. "But going from village to village is bound to attract attention."

"There's literally nothing else we can do—because we have an insider in Dark's camp but can't get to him," he pointed out. "All we need is a clue about the whereabouts—that's it. We're so close—I can feel it!"

Koko pursed her lips in thought. "Focusing on disgruntled villages is the best option, but it means going through all villages because everyone hates Avatar Aang."

"And I don't want to split up," Sokka reminded. "We can't afford that. Even if it takes another week or two, it's bound to pay off. There's a delicious meal just waiting for us to find."

"Would Ozai have spies in villages?" Mai asked, tone as dry as ever—but Sokka detected a hint of concern. "If he does, a spy could hear we are asking about Piandao- "

"If anything, if there is a spy, he'd lead us right to Piandao! We can give him some spiel about hating The Avatar, say we want to join the 'righteous cause,' and we'll get right to it. I know you don't want to keep going through villages like we have- "

"It is so boring."

Ty Lee giggled. "It's better than banishment and being on the run, Mai. At least we're here with friends."

Mai rolled her eyes. "It is the least."

"It's going to get exciting soon," Sokka promised, knowing it was true. Too much was going on everywhere for it not to touch them at some point. "This is our only reasonable option. We have to start somewhere."

Koko shrugged and looked at her fellow Kyoshi Warriors. "If we keep doing small, simple questioning, it won't be too suspicious to anyone. Just tell them the truth—that you're looking for your old mentor you haven't seen in years."

Sokka grinned, knowing why Suki chose Koko to be the new leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, for she clearly possessed a tactical mind. "Exactly! Are we all decided then? Now's your last chance to say otherwise!" None of the women raised protest, simply staring at him in agreement, so Sokka nodded his head, gesturing to the village down the hill. "Fourth times the charm, huh? I'll do the talking since I'm so good at it, okay?"

"Finally, something we can agree on," Mai quipped, though there was a light, almost indiscernible smirk on her face.

"I could chi-block you now," he warned, recalling Ty Lee's lessons to him. "Just because I look like a tree according to Ty Lee- "

"But you do!" Ty Lee exclaimed, sounding horrified, ashamed, and unsurprised simultaneously. "You're too stiff when you do it! You have to be loose but firm."

"But that doesn't mean I couldn't do it against Mai, who's as stiff as a tree, too! It would counter it!"

Ty Lee frowned. "It doesn't matter what the recipient is like; it matters what you are like."

"I'm fucking awesome—it touches all that I do."

"Not my chi," Mai drawled. "Keep practicing."

"I think you can actually master it," Ty Lee said quickly as they all walked down the hill. "You have a good focus and commitment—your only problem is your rigidity and specific understanding of chi."

"I'll get there," Sokka assured.

"I know you will. And I can start teaching the Kyoshi Warriors, too—the more who know, the better."

Koko nodded in affirmation instantly. "Yes. It's a useful, terrifying skill, and it makes us a more dangerous opponent, one capable of catching Piandao."

Sokka liked their chances more and more.

When they reached the outskirts of the territory, he was taken aback by the solemn atmosphere—it was worse than the other villages they had encountered by a lot. Hunched-over figures stood in the shadows, watching as they walked through, eyes distrustful; they were muted, unspeaking.

"This is creepy," Koko whispered next to him as everyone seemed to keep their heads on swivels, eyes roaming everything and everything, taking it all in. "All I see are women. Where are all the men?"

"Let's keep going and find someone who looks in charge," he whispered back, unable to stop his spine from seizing with shivers as he saw how gloomy the place.

It was gloomier than Mai ever was!

"How can someone look in charge, Sokka?"

"Trust me, okay? I've done this sort of thing before."

Koko glanced up at him, unimpressed. "Interrogating the locals on Kyoshi Island doesn't count."

"That's not what I meant!"

"What did you mean? When have you 'done this sort of thing before'?"

He sputtered in outrage. "Nuh-uh! I'm not telling you after you just insulted me."

"Oh Kyoshi, just tell me!"

"In the other villages!"

"So, are you looking for a village elder or something? Is that someone who looks in charge?"

"Yes!" He raised his arms in disbelief. "Look at Kyoshi Island! Your elder is Oyaji; he's in charge."

Koko's brows pinched. "That's one example."

Sokka groaned, beginning to question his estimation of Koko's tactical mind—or maybe she was just provoking him. He couldn't honestly tell. "Because you interrupted me! I've found the village elders at the previous villages and talked to each! Each was very helpful."

"But all the men are gone here; we won't be able to find the village elder."

Sokka sighed, realizing she was correct. "Damn it—you're right."

Koko smiled, sharing amused glances with the other Kyoshi Warriors. "Have you ever said that to Suki?"

"Every once in a while," he dismissed, thinking critically about who to approach in the village, who would have the knowledge necessary to share that could lead them to Piandao's recruitment trail for Ozai? "Wait," he said, stopping as he blinked, eyes narrowing as he saw a man, who had a mustache, stepping out of the shadows of one of the crumbling buildings, staring at them with wide eyes, jaw agape. Why did the man look familiar? "That's a man right there- "

Ty Lee gasped suddenly, and Sokka tensed, hand darting to his sword, afraid that she saw some sort of attack. "Haru!"

"Haru?" Sokka echoed, eyes darting towards Ty Lee as she dashed forward, gliding across the ground and leaped at the man. He relaxed slowly as the man, indeed, looked like Haru; the mustache and build were the same, although he was taller, and his hair was shorter.

The man who looked like Haru caught Ty Lee in shock. "Ty Lee?" His disbelief was obvious, and Sokka was still trying to wrap his mind around everything.

But that was definitely Haru.

"Huh, but why couldn't that be Piandao?" he muttered, not displeased to have run into a friendly face but wondering why it couldn't have been Piandao, which would have made everything so much easier.

But maybe having an Earthbender in Haru would be helpful—if Haru was interested in joining.

"Not this," Mai groaned as Ty Lee smashed her lips onto Haru's. "Stop them before he starts loving her in the middle of the village."

"Cut it out!" Koko snapped as the other Kyoshi Warriors looked disapproving of the overly affectionate display.

Ty Lee pulled away from Haru, who looked glazed and dumbstruck. "I can't help it!" she defended as she rubbed her hands over Haru's chest. "I missed him. It's been a long time, and I still remember the way- "

"Stop!" Sokka exclaimed, holding up his sword—before lowering it swiftly to raise his hand. "I know enough about you, Ty Lee, that no one else knows—I'd prefer not to know more, if it's all the same."

Something passed over Ty Lee's face, alerting him that she never told Haru about her Air heritage, passed down from her two grandfathers, both Airbenders. "Okay."

He stared at Haru, who finally looked at him with recognition. "You're about the last guy I expected to see here," he greeted with a quirk of his lips. "I'd know that mustache anywhere."

"So do I," Ty Lee said with a giggle.

Haru slowly put Ty Lee down; control was his again. "Sokka, it's good to see you."

Sokka laughed in disbelief, feeling the presence of the solemn atmosphere, but it didn't impact him—not anymore. "How the fuck did this happen? I thought this village was attacked, and then we run into you of all people! I haven't seen you since the Great War ended. What are you even doing here?

"I'm hunting," Haru answered, face darkening, grief and anger combining into something dangerous.

He really hoped Haru wasn't hunting The Avatar after what happened to Ba Sing Se, but he kept himself on alert—he couldn't be too careful. "Who are you hunting?"

"My father's murderer."

"Please tell me your father wasn't in Ba Sing Se," he pleaded as Ty Lee laid her head on Haru's arm—likely for comfort.

Haru frowned. "No, why?"

Sokka relaxed in relief. "No reason. But I'm sorry to hear about your father. What happened?"

"My village was attacked, and I wasn't there when it happened," Haru disclosed, fists clenching, face twisting, mustache bristling. "I was away, looking for Toph if you can believe it."

Ty Lee's face softened. "To learn metalbending?"

Haru shuddered. "Yeah. There was a rumor that there was a Metalbender nearby, and I thought it was her. But she was nowhere to be found—no Metalbender that I could find."

Sokka winced. "Toph's been with us for a long time now, and she was in Omashu before that. She's actually back at Ba Sing Se now."

Apparently, such news wasn't a surprise to Haru, who just nodded. "But that's not my focus—I don't care about metalbending now. I want revenge."

"What happened to your village?" Mai asked, curious. "You were gone when it was attacked- "

"I didn't return to a village," Haru interrupted, voice dead, and Ty Lee hugged him tightly. "I returned to a graveyard. All the men were killed, boys included. Death was everywhere—and so much mourning. But I couldn't mourn, not like all the women; I needed revenge."

Ty Lee kissed Haru's bare arm. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Sokka just felt resigned hearing the account. "We'll help you get revenge if we can. Do you know what happened?"

"My mother told me," Haru confirmed. "A group of powerful Earthbenders—she called it an army, but I don't know how accurate that is—came, led by a scar-faced and inbred man who called himself Chin V- "

He inhaled sharply in recognition. "The new Chin," he breathed, recalling Zuko's warnings from King Lonin's assassination. "Chin V is the new Chin who's going to do like the old Chin and sweep across the continent."

Mai looked paler than normal while Koko and the Kyoshi Warriors looked on guard but confused, missing contextual knowledge; Ty Lee just looked sad and held onto Haru. "King Lonin's advisor spoke of him," Mai whispered. "It has begun."

"That's what Aang's going to have to deal with when he gets back from the Sun Warriors," Sokka realized. "We can't do anything to stop it; we need to continue our mission. But when we get back with Aang, we'll need to keep in mind that he may be dealing with Chin V and that whole mess. If Chin V really means to conquer the continent, and it's just started, it's going to get very messy—and bloody."

Haru apparently knew more than Sokka thought as he nodded. "That's what Chin V told my village. He said he was the Conqueror's heir and would trace his 'legendary' footsteps. He said he rebelled against The Avatar and gave the men a choice—join or die."

"And they chose death," Sokka assumed.

Something dark crossed Haru's face. "No. Some chose death; others chose to join. Those who chose death, died, even though they fought, and my father was amongst them. He was murdered. Then my mother said Chin V left with his 'army,' including his new 'recruits'; she said that he was more powerful than anyone she'd ever seen. Chin V is a Lavabender and Metalbender."

Having already known that lavabending was possible due to Aang mastering it, Sokka wasn't surprised—but he was concerned. "He's both?" he gasped in dread. "There's no Earthbender but Aang who can do that! Not even Toph or Bumi are at that level!"

"Lava?" Koko asked in astonishment. "That's impossible."

"My mother swore it," Haru confirmed, bitter. "And I'm going to hunt Chin V across the whole continent if I have to. He said nothing could stop him, but I'm going to stop him."

Sokka digested that news solemnly. "And that's what you're doing now. You're hunting him."

Haru's eyes shone with furious grief. "Yes, and I won't stop until I find him. I only stopped here at this village because something similar apparently happened to them, although it happened before my village's slaughter, and I've been helping people here the past days."

"That's why there are no men but you here," Koko realized, face enlightened. "They were all killed or joined Chin V."

"It was a little different," Haru said, shaking his head. "This is Zaofu, part of the former Colonies- "

Sokka blinked. "We've traveled that far?"

"How did you not know that?" Koko stared at him in disbelief. "We could have been lost!"

"I knew we were close, but I didn't realize we were actually in Zaofu," he defended.

"It's on the edge of it, but it's still Zaofu," Haru explained. "You won't get answers from anyone here. Most are traumatized by what happened. From what several of the younger women told me before they couldn't talk about it anymore, a man entered the village, but by the description, it wasn't Chin V. It was a Firebender. This happened weeks ago, apparently, but the women said he demanded for all Firebenders to join him, men and women. But when he was told that there were no more Firebenders since Fire Lord Zuko emptied the Colonies of his peoples, he demanded all the non-bending men join him—or die."

Sokka snorted. "You sure it wasn't Chin V?"

"Yes."

"Who was he?" Koko asked. "What did he want?"

"He said his name was Piandao and that- "

"What?" Sokka yelped, mind rebelling at the news—it was the break he had been waiting and looking for! "Piandao? Piandao! He was here?"

Haru stared at him. "Who's Piandao- "

"My former sword master! He was a good mentor to me, but he's been captured by Dark and Ozai! He's the insider I was telling you about!"

"Dark? I don't understand; you're going to have to explain that one."

"Dark is the opposite of Avatar Aang," Mai said quickly. "He is literally Darkness incarnate. He wants to darken the world forever, destroy Avatar Aang, and become his own Avatar to rule—and Ozai is his chosen vessel. If we do not stop him, he will become his own Avatar like Avatar Aang."

Ty Lee swallowed audibly. "Mai and I were corrupted by Dark; his energy turned our minds with hate and darkness. We were his slaves, and it wasn't until Avatar Aang saved us that we were healed."

"An existence I would not wish on anyone beyond Ozai himself; he more than deserves it. It was like waking from a horrible nightmare; it was poison in our minds."

Haru stared at Ty Lee, face concerned. "Is that why you left?"

She flinched. "No, that was for… other reasons."

"Piandao is corrupted just like they were," Sokka cut in, almost bursting as he wanted to hear more about Piandao. "What else do you know about Piandao? What happened?"

Haru was quiet for several moments, clearly processing everything. "Was Piandao the sword master—the non-bender—you spoke about at the Western Air Temple?"

"Yes."

"The women said that Piandao was a Firebender."

Sokka laughed in shock, having forgotten that strange detail. "No, that's not right. Piandao's a non-bender—like me. He's a swordsman because he's not a Firebender."

Haru looked grim. "The women were adamant about it—hysterical, even. They said Piandao killed the few men who dared attack him—and killed them using firebending. They said he was one-armed- "

His eye bulged from their sockets, and he felt his breathing stop. "One-armed?" he echoed, thinking rapidly of the impossible. Aang cut off Ozai's arm after Azula was killed, but was that it? Was it only Ozai who lost an arm? What if Piandao lost an arm, too? Was that why Piandao hadn't been heard from by anyone, not even Bumi or Iroh, his close friends within the Order? Had he faced such a maiming, possibly by Ozai himself, and been trapped in Vaatu's grasp, lured by the idea of vengeance or something?

Or was Ozai going around calling himself 'Piandao'? No, it didn't make sense for Ozai to pretend to be Piandao because Aang, Toph, and Azula all said that Ozai was going around in that camp of his as 'Ozai,' being referred to as 'my liege' by many people. Why would Ozai suddenly start going by Piandao when he hadn't before?

It didn't add up. A man like Ozai would despise being known by another name, especially a known non-bender's; a man like Ozai would never accept another man's name as his own; a man like Ozai would want his name known by everyone and deeds talked about; a man like Ozai was Fire Lord and expected praise and recognition; a man like Ozai sat on the Dragon's Throne where everyone looked at him because he was known as everyone knew his name; a man like Ozai would never accept anything less than knowledge of his identity; a man like Ozai would want his identity known by everyone. Ozai was trying to become his own Avatar so his identity would always be known forever, after all, passing through life and death just like Aang did!

Piandao must have had his arm sliced off, too, the reason why he vanished and fell sway to Vaatu's darkness—it was understandable to lose an arm and be susceptible to such a seduction.

"Piandao's a Firebender now because Agni must have blessed him," Sokka realized and found that he could breathe easier; everything made sense again, thankfully. "Agni's working with Dark. That's how Piandao is a Firebender now. He's a swordsman who became a Firebender, blessed by Agni like the first Firebenders were.

Haru leaned back. "Well, they did say that he carried a sword."

Sokka beamed in triumph. His theory was correct! "Exactly!"

"They also said that it was a fire-sword."

"That's Embers!"

"Embers?"

"An ancient Fire Royal Family heirloom created by Fire Lord Sozin itself," Ty Lee answered. "It's designed to handle a Firebender's flames without melting."

Haru looked aghast. "The Fire Spirit is working with Dark? Who else is?"

Koko winced. "Devi is."

"No," Haru replied, heated. "She'd never- "

Sokka shook his head. "No, she's allied with Dark. Aang himself saw her and confronted her. She hates what happened to Ba Sing Se."

Haru shuddered, face paling. "What did happen? I know it wasn't so simple as Aang deciding to murder everything."

"Kuei's what happened," he supplied. "He turned into the biggest cunt this side of the Spirit World—well, except for Ozai. Appa was killed, and Aang snapped, after which Aang revived Appa."

"Okay," Haru said, spacing his words as he rubbed his face, clearly wrapping his mind around everything—Sokka wasn't the only one who sympathized because it was a lot. "I can tell you who else is with Dark besides the Fire and Earth Spirits."

"And besides Chin V and all the people who hate The Avatar, which is basically everybody?" Mai drawled.

"Right. According to the women here, Piandao and Dark weren't the only ones who were here."

"What other ones?" Koko asked, eyes narrowed.

"I bet that one was Ozai," Sokka cut in darkly but felt a burst of strange amusement.

Haru nodded. "Maybe. They said a firebending man with mean eyes and sideburns and a waterbending woman were with Piandao and Dark."

Sokka blanched and laughed in disbelief. "A waterbending woman? What kind of bitch would be so bitchy to join- " He cut himself off, almost strangled on the realization caught in his throat. "Ozai must know waterbending—or that was a recruit that Piandao picked up and was taking to Ozai. That woman must be Ozai's waterbending master."

Ty Lee swallowed. "All he needs is an airbending master."

Reminded of her heritage—and the fact that she was a non-bender—Sokka winced. "But he's never going to get one. Aang is all that's left."

"What did the waterbending woman look like?" Mai asked. "Young or old? Beautiful or ugly?"

Sokka blinked as he recalled an old waterbending master who was a woman. "Was she old?" he repeated, something desperate rising inside him. If Ozai's waterbending master was Hama, whom he had never thought about since all those years ago, things were even more dangerous than he imagined.

Haru shook his head, which made Sokka relieved. "No, they said she looked around their own age—and they weren't that old. There were hardly any gray streaks in their hair."

"The other Firebender doesn't sound like Ozai, except for the mean eyes," Ty Lee pointed out slowly. "Ozai never had sideburns. Azula and Avatar Aang said he grew a beard similar to Zuko's—the sideburns don't fit. The only known Firebender who was renowned for his sideburns was Admiral Zhao. He vanished during the Siege of the North. Do you think- "

"It's not him," he declared, resolute. "He was killed at the North by the Ocean Spirit—or The Avatar. I'm actually not sure which, to be honest. And you're right—I don't think it's Ozai, either."

Mai began to twirl a shuriken in her hand. "I doubt it. Ozai would never let someone speak for him like Piandao. Ozai was particularly known as prince to do everything himself because he never trusted anyone else. There were many stories about it."

Koko stared at Haru. "What's your plan now, Haru? Are you still hunting Chin V- "

Haru's face darkened in a glower. "Yes. I was going to leave tomorrow."

"You're on a suicide mission," Sokka realized, resigned. "You know you have no hope against Chin V but are doing it anyway."

Haru kept at his stoic determination. "He murdered my father."

"I get that, but you have the chance to do something more- "

"Join us," Ty Lee said, tone close to a plea. "Come with us. You can help us end it and rescue Piandao, maybe inflict a crippling blow to Ozai and Dark. Then we, including Avatar Aang, will help you find Chin V."

Sokka nodded in agreement. "We're actually going to the source. We're going to rescue an insider we have in Ozai's camp and get critical information." He raised his shoulders in a shrug. "And if, while we're there in the enemy camp, we happen to fuck the life out of everyone there, no one will complain. If we have the chance to kill Ozai, who Chin V answers to, we'll kill him. We could really use your help. Having an Earthbender with us will make the journey easier and potential battles quicker." He gestured with his head in a blatant way at Mai. "You're not the strangest one to join us."

"Us?" Haru echoed, seeming to really take a look at the Kyoshi Warriors for the first time. "Is the whole Gaang back together, including these new members like Ty Lee, Mai, and…?"

"Kyoshi Warriors," Koko supplied.

"You're all part of the Gaang?"

Ty Lee beamed, tracing her fingers on Haru's broad shoulder. "We were accepted. Azula even joined."

"Azula?" Haru's eyes bulged from their sockets. "The Fire Princess? Your friend, Azula? I thought she was locked up!"

Sokka almost staggered. "Son of a bitch—you've missed a lot. But no, she's not locked up. If anything, she's locked Aang in her snatch!"

Koko rolled her eyes. "No wonder Suki married you," she quipped in mockery.

"It's true—kind of," he defended. "When The Avatar falls in love with you, you can pretty much do whatever the fuck you want, regardless of your crimes."

Haru stared at him, seeming not to breathe. "Aang—Avatar Aang—loves the woman—girl then—who shot lightning at him."

Sokka grunted without malice—more annoyance than anything. "Sounds just like him, doesn't it?"

"It does," Haru agreed softly in wonder before looking at Ty Lee. "And you're okay with her? She treats you well?"

Clearly Ty Lee—and Mai—had told Haru the whole story regarding their association with Azula.

Ty Lee's smile seemed half-hearted, and Sokka reckoned it was a result of Azula's distrust and refusal to listen to Ty Lee about being a half-spawn of Air. "We're okay. She has a daughter now, and she's a beautiful girl; she's actually adopted, but her father's one of my cousins.'

Haru stared down at Ty Lee for a moment before he looked at Sokka. "I'll join. Ozai and Chin V are going to pay for what they've done."

"I'd like nothing more," Sokka agreed, grateful, as he held out his hand, and Haru snagged it in a handshake. "We're just getting started. Let's go fuck those two like we would some whores."

Koko sighed. "You're going to be a father soon."

Sokka winced. "Right—right."

Haru blinked, amused. "Congratulations."

"Thanks. How about, let's go ruin those two like some heroes?"

"That's better," Koko commended.

Sokka sagged. "But it's lamer."

"If lame is what wins the day, I'll be lame all day."

"Good point."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Ozai saw the Northern Water Tribe in the distance and felt such anticipation—even more than he felt before Sozin's Comet appeared! He felt a buzzing in his body that was relentless and fierce, making it hard to stand still—hard to think about anything but having his stolen arm returned to him after it being gone for so long! How long would it take for him to adjust having his arm back? How long would it take for him to walk properly again? How long would it take for the additional weight to be familiar and comfortable again? How long would it take to implement his arm into his earthbending, maintaining his mastery? How long would it take for his bending to be at its ultimate peak with all his limbs unmolested and unmaimed?

Questions that he wanted to begin to challenge immediately!

"I think you've increased our speed."

He glanced at Hama, who approached across the ship's deck. "What?"

She looked amused. "Your waterbending is accelerating the ship."

Ozai realized at that moment she was correct; he felt his waterbending surge against the ship, pushing it faster, even if it was only barely because his waterbending was not powerful yet—he had been unaware he was doing it. "You could help," he offered.

Hama smiled and looked across the ocean. "I could, but I think I should reserve my energy."

"A wise endeavor," he admitted but still wished she would accelerate the ship—he wanted to be whole again more than anything as being without his arm reminded him of all those years he was without his firebending, incomplete because of The Avatar.

"Thank you for bringing me back here," she whispered, staring into the distance—where the North was. "I was born here, and it feels nice to be back."

"Second thoughts?" Ozai challenged, turning fully, watching her with an analytical eye.

"No, it's just a reminder of how far I've come, and I like the reminder. If I stayed here instead of leaving with my sister, I would have lived a life not worth it."

Ozai stared at the Northern Water Tribe in the distance. "Air's isolation was their downfall. The North failed to heed the lessons learned from Air's extensive failures. You would have been part of it had you stayed."

Hama looked disgusted and saddened. "I know. I begged for us to go to war, but no one refused. They were cowards, and my sister and I left after her betrothal."

"Were you betrothed?"

"I had offers, but being a Waterbender afforded me more time as I would live longer, which was something denied to my sister as she was a non-bender—the first in our family in several generations. When she was sixteen, she was betrothed to an arrogant polardog. His ego was stronger than his waterbending—and his waterbending was gifted. He was very powerful, and he knew it and told everyone about it."

Ozai remembered Iroh's various jovial, arrogant boasts when he was a child and understood her dislike of her sister's betrothed. "An aggravating experience."

"Your own?"

"My brother," he clarified, surprised he admitted such a thing to her, but it could not be helped—he was fond of her. "He was a prodigy."

"And you aren't?" she asked in disbelief.

"Not compared to him when I was young. But I outclassed him in time."

"I believe it."

Ozai smiled at the memory of his last encounter with Iroh. "He is fat and slow now; he started with greatness, whereas I earned my greatness—I will earn it further."

She grinned as her fingers grazed his stubbed arm. "I can't wait to see you whole. I've only ever known you like this."

He smirked. "I am the best you will ever see."

"Don't be an arrogant polardog," she chided, amused.

"It is not arrogance when it is true," he pointed out. "No one is better than me as I do what no one dares; I will succeed when all others would fail."

Something flashed over Hama's face before it was gone. "I intend to see it happen. You will ascend."

Ozai saw the North in the distance and felt the phantom pain of his lost arm. "I already started."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"How does it feel?" Katara leaned forward in fascination, petting Druk, hand touching Zuko's own. "Can you talk to him?"

He smiled slightly, feeling the bond; it was pleasant and impossible to deny. "It feels strange but fulfilling. It's as if part of myself was dormant, and now that Druk and I bonded, that part of me is awake. I can't talk to him, but we can learn to communicate—like Aang and Appa do."

"Speaking of Appa, I thought that he was going to eat Druk, regardless of his no meat-eating habit."

"I did, too," he admitted. "I don't think that they like each other much."

"Animals learn to tolerate each other," she assured, placing a hand on his shoulder, fingers inching closer to his neck. "I'm happy for you. Now this one is one less thing that you need to worry about. The dragons will return."

Zuko looked around the 'quarters' that the Sun Warriors gave them; it resembled more of a cave, but it was doable. "I always thought that after Ran and Shaw, there would be no more. This is the one time I love being wrong."

Katara turned and looked at him; there was a seriousness on her face. "I'm glad. I think it's amazing that you, the Fire Lord, are the one to bond with the first dragon. It's the sign of things to come; it's the sign that you are the best Fire Lord there is."

Zuko didn't feel like a Fire Lord at all; he felt like a pathetic failure—nothing more. "Thank you."

However, she must have seen something on his face as her blue eyes filled with concern and worry. "How are you?"

Unable to deny it, Zuko grunted. "Uncle may be dead for all I know. I feel as angry as Father."

She sighed, face pinching. "I know. I'm angry, too. I sent a letter to my dad, telling him about us and about everything, including this attack. I don't think I described it well, but it's hard. It's hard to think about something like that, and I'm sorry that you have to think about it more than anyone because you have to—you're Fire Lord. But if you want—you can tell me. I want to help you. You don't need to keep things secret from me."

Zuko was grateful for the offer but was unsure how to accept it; he had dealt with everything on his own for over a decade as Fire Lord. "I don't tell you because I don't trust you; I tell you because I don't want to have to burden you with this. I know what it's like—I know. I don't want it for you."

Katara leaned against him; the contact was not hesitant at all. It was more akin to an open embrace than anything else, which he returned, holding her. "I'm going to be Fire Lady, Zuko. You have to let me help you some time."

"But you're not Fire Lady now," he pointed out softly. "I don't want to ask this of you when you still have the chance to back out- "

"There is no backing out," Katara interrupted, firm; she did not seem angry that he doubted her commitment, only sad. "I'm not going anywhere. Azula couldn't even scare me off."

Zuko stared at her, eyes roaming her face, tracing her familiar features. "You would be an amazing Fire Lady, but you don't understand what it means to be Fire Lady; you don't understand what it means to be Fire Lord. You don't know my burdens, which you would have to share; you don't know my expectations, which you would have to bear. I can't tell any of it to you; I can't explain it. It's something you have to live and experience, and you aren't going to have that until you actually are Fire Lady. You can only understand what it means to be Fire Lady by being Fire Lady, and I don't want to put you in a situation that will spit you out, marred and broken. All this pressure and shame I feel now, I don't want you to feel it, either—because you will have to feel it if you're going to be my Fire Lady. Whatever the Fire Lord feels, endures, bears, experiences, and endorses, his Fire Lady must feel the same in all ways; she must reflect him in all situations."

For some reason, Katara smiled. "It's a good thing I'm a Waterbender, which means I know all about reflections."

He admired her effort, but she did not understand—clearly. "I'm the most dishonorable Fire Lord to ever reign, which makes you, thus, the most dishonorable Fire Lady. I don't want that for you- "

"That is so stupid!" she exclaimed, smile vanishing from her face, which flushed with her honest conviction. "Zuko, that's ridiculous! Most dishonorable Fire Lord? Did you forget about Kazuki? What about Ojas? What about Sozin? What about Ozai?"

Zuko shook his head, appreciating her attempts to defend his reign but disagreeing with it. "None of them failed Fire like I did. I'm a disgrace- "

"No, you're not!"

He was quiet for several long moments, thinking of how best to explain, but in his silence, he saw a rising hope on her face that he was 'coming around,' but he would have to crush that hope, unfortunately. "No Fire Lord has ever allowed such a disaster in his reign- "

"What about that thing Houka did?" Katara demanded with fire in her blue eyes, making them energetic with a vivid color. "That whole song your mom sang about Sozin was really about Houka!"

Zuko shook his head after an instance of thought. "A ruler—any ruler—is supposed to be with those he rules; he is supposed to live with them; he is supposed to suffer with them. Isn't that why The Avatar is human at the end of the day? It's the same for the Fire Lord—I must be with Fire during the glorious times and the horrific times. What is happening now—or did happen because it may all be over with my race on the verge of extinct—is the most horrific time I have ever heard of. Not even the Splintering was as destructive! Not even whatever Houka did besides leaving an Airbender as his only heir was as horrible! Kazuki and Ojas are distant legends compared to this! This—this fucking attack—is real! It's happening! When my name is spoken after my reign, it will be spoken with spite, disgust, and hatred!"

Katara kissed his cheek and moved her lips to his ear. "No," she hissed with an urgency that he didn't feel. "All those other Fire Lords are remembered because of their cruel reigns. Those were all things that they did; this has nothing to do with what you did- "

"I left!" he exploded, voice lashing out, tearing out of his throat. "When Fire needed me, I fucking left! I left them in their time of need! I left them during horror, trauma, and atrocity! They think I'm a coward and disgrace to Agni's favor! They think I abandoned them- "

"You left before you had any idea this was going to happen," Katara countered, undeterred; if anything, she seemed more guaranteed and confident—more certain. "If you knew this was going to happen, you would have never left and would have died not to see it happen. Would any of those other Fire Lords do that?"

Zuko hesitated, seeing the light she offered and craved it desperately—anything to be rid of the crushing guilt and remorse! "Unlikely. They never cared about Fire, not really."

Katara's face was tender but firm. "This was always going to happen no matter what you did. Can't you see that? This is Vaatu. I know you're the Fire Lord, but even the Fire Lord is nothing next to Vaatu. This wasn't you—and Fire knows it wasn't you. This isn't like Kazuki murdering his daughters and executing anyone who spoke out against him; this isn't Ojas murdering his nephew for the Dragon's Throne; and this isn't Houka and slavery. Zuko, this is Vaatu—this is Lee the Energybender. This wasn't you doing something to Fire; this was an enemy—enemies—doing something, a literal attack, against Fire. You couldn't stop it, even if you were there. Because you weren't there, you have the chance to return and stop it when it's time. Aang's working on stopping the attack—he's been talking with Ran and Shaw- "

"I don't even know how he does that," he said, shaking his head. "He hears nothing, but he sees something in their animal faces to communicate. It baffles me."

Druk huffed a puff of steam, and Zuko patted his head, while Katara laughed. "I think you'll get the handle of it quickly enough. But do you understand? You're not dishonorable, Zuko; you're honorable. I would never marry a dishonorable man. I'd be the first to tell you if you were being dishonorable."

Zuko felt that damned crushing guilt and remorse begin to fade; it was a welcome reprieve. "Azula would probably beat you to it." He recalled the various legends of women screaming in judgment at passing Fire Lords at disastrous implementations of ideas. "I'm sure there will be some other women, too, who would be the first to tell me."

To his surprise, Katara pulled his head down and brought his lips to her own, in which he closed his eyes and enjoyed the kiss. "I'm ready," she whispered against his lips. "I'll be the first for this. I know you had those concubines- "

"None of them mattered," he vowed, feeling his pulse accelerate in a way it probably never had. "But I care about you; I love you."

The smile on her face mesmerized him. "Love me, Zuko."

Zuko needed no further instruction and overwhelmed his body with her—and her body with his.

XxXxXxXxXxX

That's all for this one, everyone! I hope that you all enjoyed it and I'd also really appreciate it if you left a review; it would help me out! Oh, boy, a lot happened in this chapter!

**Ozai, Vaatu, Hama, Lee, Zhao, all Firebenders and non-benders and other company set sail for the North!

**Ty Lee confirms to Sokka that she's a descendant of more recent Airbenders since both her grandfathers were Airbenders! This has multiple parts to play and builds things for the future. The only literal way for Air to return—at least without Indra's intervention, which is a sure possibility because of her mortality—is for Air's lineages to remain. Aang's lineage isn't enough. There needs to be more lineages of Air for Air to have type of chance to return in a lasting, permanent way. Thus, seven other Air lineages, all disconnected from each other—meaning none were brothers or uncles or fathers or sons or cousins to each other—were preserved by Sozin of all people and placed in one of Fire's noble houses, which is where Ty Lee comes from. She was always Airbender-like in the show. This isn't just a strange choice with no explanation, like in the show; this is because she's an actual granddaughter of two Airbenders. This noble house is also where Samir comes from through her unknown father's side—her father was one of Ty Lee's cousins. And Ty Lee mentioned she has six sisters, who are all so much like her that no one could tell them apart, which suggests a unique nature compared to other noble houses and other Fire families in general. If you put them as all descendants of Airbenders, it makes sense because they would look so much more like each other than anyone else because their blood is hybridized—Air and Fire. Ty Lee's family, from her brief description, sounds like a big family, so there would be quite a number of them who possess Air's blood, which makes preserving Air and making a new race with Aang and Azula's children possible.

I also think saving those seven Airbenders was the perfect way for Sozin to keep an eye on them, keeping them right in his own backyard—the perfect area to trap The Avatar, whose return he waited for with every day of his life for the rest of his life. He keeps them alive because he thinks The Avatar will one day come for them, which will give Sozin the chance to strike and kill The Avatar—even if it's never going to happen. No one really knew about Sozin's plans—it's possible, although unlikely, that Azulon might not have even known about it—which makes Ty Lee's noble family special; it makes them unique; it gives them a legendary status. Because no one knew about what Sozin did, what he did passes into legend, only remembered by those seven Airbenders—and whomever they dared tell of their new families, if they dared. Really, there's a whole entire story to tell for these seven Airbenders and their descendants and Sozin because it's complex.

Aang has help to bring back Air—because he has to have help. The fears he always had about Air becoming extinct all over again after a single generation or two generations were always true—and couldn't be wiped away. But what he learned by going back to the past to meet Gyatso is that he needed to stop obsessing over it and accept Azula as his wife because things would somehow, impossible-to-comprehend-ways work out. It's going to work out because there is a foundation of preservation, made possible by Sozin of all people. It's more irony—Sozin not only preserved those seven Airbenders with unconnected purely Air lineages but also provides the Mother of Air in his own great-granddaughter.

**Aang and company arrive at the Sun Warrior ruins! A new male dragon as born, which was the Sun Stone before it hatched. It's not canon that the Sun Stone is a Dragon Egg, but I think that it would be obvious. I mean, the Sun Warriors were more than willing to kill over the Sun Stone, denoting its priceless nature. What would be considered priceless to a primitive tribe of Firebenders? A Dragon Egg would be, especially considering that there are only two—now, three—dragons remaining in the world. As for the animal bonding process between Druk and Zuko, I really struggled with how to solidify the bond and based it on what seemed to work between Appa and Aang that we all saw in the flashback scene although I changed a few things. (Yes, the consuming of the meat to share it with Druk was based on How To Train Your Dragon.)

**Bumi, Toph, Bor, and a pregnant Suki meet with King Bipin of Chyung, and then they are all ambushed by the Children of Chin and other Earthbenders, led by Chin V! Okay, I'm pretty certain that most of you figured out that Chin V was the one who killed Bumi's son, Sheil, and raped his daughter, Lira, and is Bor's father as a result and never knew about Bor because Bumi attacked and maimed Chin V's already inbred face with scars. Okay, the reason that ultimately, they lost was that it was an ambush, they were drastically outnumbered—there were millions—and because Suki was pregnant. (This is war. Pregnant women are at a severe disadvantage, and Chin V is willing to use people to get what he wants, someone who wouldn't care if Suki dies—and her baby, too.) It's actually a miracle that any of them make it out of there alive, least of all three of the four, though Toph is injured, considering the steep odds.

Toph is the one who pretty much taught Chin V metalbending. It was alluded to in the last chapter, but after Toph ran away from her parents for the final time, she was at an all-time low; she hit taverns during her travels and bragged about all of her accomplishments. Unbeknownst to her, she encountered Chin V, and after he recognized her strength, he coaxed her to drink more alcohol, releasing her inhibitions. She then revealed everything about metalbending, and because Chin V is so talented at earthbending, he was able to learn it from her words alone.

Chin V is Bumi's cousin, sharing a great-grandfather (Chin II) on Bumi's father's side! Chin V's attack against Bumi needed to be personal instead of random, and what better way for a personal connection than a blood connection? Basically, Chin V hates Bumi for multiple reasons, the first of which being the betrayal of blood that passed down to Bumi from his grandfather, who was Chin III's brother and betrayed the Children of Chin's oath and moved to Omashu, severing ties. In Chin V's eyes (and Chin IV's eyes), Bumi had to answer for his grandfather's betrayal as he was the only one left who could. The second reason why Chin V hates Bumi is because Bumi killed Chin IV because he thought Chin IV was a traitor to Earth for agreeing to be Fire's vassal over Chyung and Zaofu during the Great War, and Bumi caused a whole mess with it. Thus, Chin V saw killing Bumi's son, Sheil, and raping his daughter, Lira, as the correct recompense for repayment for Bumi's "crimes." However, Bumi prevented Chin V from taking Lira back as his concubine, marred his already ugly face, and hid the knowledge of Bor's existence. Thus, Chin V hates him still and executes further punishment against Bumi. Also, what else are Bumi's lopsided, crooked eyes a sign of than inbreeding? It makes perfect sense, and it also makes sense why Bumi's earthbending is so powerful when he's descended from Chin the Conqueror and Kyoshi—just like Chin V.

Toph is maimed. (*Ducks from flaming pitchforks!*) Look, what else could truly happen in this scenario? Chin V knows all about Toph, about how dangerous she is. They are at a drastic disadvantage because Suki is captured, Bumi is injured and incapable of helping because of Chin V. Bor and Toph eventually allow themselves to be separated from the earth because of the threat to Suki. Chin V maims Toph, searing lava to her feet, truly blinding her because he's not stupid. He knows that if she were freed, Toph is a legitimate threat to him and all of his fellow Children of Chin; in terms of a chess analogy, he is toppling the Queen from the board. He also plans to preserve his lineage by breeding with Toph and forcing the daughters he sires by Toph to breed with Bor—it's all gruesome and dark. For him, he's being pragmatic according to the context of the Children of Chin's culture and the pressures on him as their leader to sire a worthy heir.

Bumi gets his revenge and kills Chin V! Despite being tortured, having his limbs sliced off, Bumi gets the last laugh by using his face to metalbend a shard through Chin V's head, killing him. Chin V dies unceremoniously, and that is Bumi's ultimate revenge for his son, Sheil's death and daughter, Lira's rape—and also for Bor learning the truth of his birth and Toph's maiming. Unfortunately, Bumi dies from his wounds. Honestly, it was better for him to die at peace surrounded by his grandson and some of his friends; his style of life without limbs would have been horrible. Because of his sacrifice, he was the only one to die instead of all of them dying (Bumi and Suki) or living as slaves under Chin v's thumb (Bor and Toph).

**The Moon Spirit appears before Arnook, where it's revealed that she can't appear that often. Remember, the Moon Spirit is just a fraction of her essence now. The rest was killed by Zhao; she doesn't just magically go back to full power because of Yue's sacrifice. The Moon Spirit is weak, to be blunt, because of what Zhao did, because Tui had undoubtedly saved Yue's life as a baby by giving her just a small fraction of her essence.

It's revealed why Arnook allied with Kuei and even named Sokka heir of the North when he never wanted Sokka as heir! Basically, it all comes down to politics and landholdings. Kuei promised Arnook the northernmost part of the continent, which includes the Northern Air Temple, to make as something like a colony for the North, in exchange for naming Sokka the North's heir, making Water unified under one Chief. Remember, that was Kuei's goal. He wanted there to be one King of Earth (himself, of course) and one Chief of Water (Sokka) to match the one Lord of Fire (Zuko). It was all part of Kuei's scheme to, in his mind, strengthen Earth and Water to destroy Fire. Arnook had to accept because it was too good an offer to refuse.

Arnook learns the truth of the invasion because the Moon Spirit intervenes and rats Hahn out. Understandably, Hahn is furious and the entire confrontation culminates until a taken-by-surprise Arnook is stabbed to death by Hahn—because that was Hahn's only option. For those of you who might think that Arnook was killed too easily, remember his actions in Canon in regard to his daughter's marriage? Arnook was never shown to be an intelligent or competent man, least of all a leader. He was weak. He was completely oblivious to Yue's discontent to marrying her to Hahn, to her unhappiness; that shows a lack of awareness that could get him killed if he is blinded by his emotions. He loved Hahn like a son. Why else would he betroth him to his only daughter, willing to give him the North instead of creating an alliance between the South years previously by betrothing Sokka to Yue? Because he thinks that Hahn loves him, he believed that he would never be in harm's way; that would be the last mistake that he would ever make.

**Sokka, Mai, Ty Lee, Koko, and a few more Kyoshi Warriors meet up with Haru, whom they find at a desecrated village! Haru is on a quest for vengeance after his father and many men of his village were murdered by Chin V (this was when Chin V was on his way to Ba Sing Se from Chyung for the invasion, looking to inflate his numbers even more). Haru also lets Sokka know interesting information about Piandao, which gives Sokka hope that he's close to rescuing his master. Sokka convinces Haru to join them while they hunt for Ozai.

**Zuko and Katara finally have sex after Katara points several things out to Zuko regarding his not-so-accurate-to-be-called-failure in dealing with Lee's energybending attack on Fire.

I think that's everything so leave a review and tell me what you think of the chapter. I'd really appreciate it!

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