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!

32. Scar

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!

Since it seems to keep coming up, I'll clarify something—Jin, the rightful Queen of Chyung, is not the same Jin that Zuko met in Season 2 of the show and went on a date with. Any similarities beyond a shared name and shared place of living are coincidental.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender

XxXxXxXxXxX

Ozai parted past the guards and entered his tent and let the tent's flaps shut behind him with a powerful clamp, still amazed to see Ursa—his wife!—before him, where he left her. She looked more beautiful than he ever remembered, and he had reached out and grasped that beauty many times since she had returned to him. The bed had been well-used and occupied in the week since they had been reunited, and he wondered how he could have ever tried to replace her with Hama—it was the most damning of insults!

Hama had been for rejuvenation, but Ursa was for living—how she made him feel alive!

The only blemish was The Avatar's bastard, from whom Ursa refused to be separated. His solution was a metal chain around The Avatar's bastard's small waist attached to the wall, keeping her imprisoned but allowing her full mobility—as long as Ursa complied.

It wounded him to resort to such drastic measures, but it wounded him even more that The Avatar's bastard was required at all to remind Ursa of her innate loyalty for and connection to him.

He intended to remind Ursa everyday of their sacred, memorable relationship that she threw away years ago—it was one of the many reasons he loved her body daily since their reunion, hoping to reach her spirit, which once adored him with ardent passion and devotion. It was clear that Ursa desired him; she refused to voice it, but when he united with her, her low moans, so similar to those in his memory, signaled the truth. However, it was also evident that Ursa surrendered to him, not out of love for him, but love for The Avatar's bastard, whom she wanted to protect. He had raised stones through the floor and created a room without a room, giving The Avatar's bastard an enclosure in which to hide herself while he ensured his relations with Ursa, the only reason Ursa engaged with him—because there was privacy where The Avatar's bastard could not see or hear the relations.

However, Ursa was holding herself back; she was not letting herself engage completely, withholding the true depths of her passion and love. But she still participated in and lost herself in him as he lost himself in her. She would never admit it yet, but she missed him—she wanted to return to his side; she wanted to be his again; and she wanted him to be hers again.

He would have her again.

"If you are here for your pleasure, I refuse," Ursa informed quietly from her position of reclining against the pillows on the bed, holding The Avatar's bastard close, whispering soft words into her hair for likely comfort.

"Not only mine but yours," Ozai pointed out as he approached; he sat on the edge of the bed, near where Ursa held The Avatar's bastard, long metal chain stretching, taut, through the air in a barrier. "But I am not here for that, though I will never deny you."

Ursa's golden eyes assessed him, and though she looked like she wanted to say something more, it was evident that The Avatar's bastard's presence sheathed her tongue. It frustrated not only her but him, as well—he wanted to see her as she was, not the performance of a 'grandmother,' which was maddening! "She is asleep—she is exhausted."

He hated talking about The Avatar's bastard, who possessed the infuriating boldness to refer to him as 'Grandpa,' despite his insistence that he was nothing of the sort. Apparently, Zuko's resemblance to him was too strong. "I can get her a new bed- "

"A bed has nothing to do with it," Ursa replied, voice light, but her golden eyes burned. "She is terrified."

"I will not hurt her- "

"Only because I am here," she hissed, face twisting—in despair and rage. "I know you would send pieces of her to Avatar Aang if you could. The only reason you do not is me."

Ozai saw no point in lying to her. "She is not our granddaughter; we have no grandchildren- "

The look on Ursa's face reminded him of when she shot lightning at him atop the North's Spirit Oasis. "She is mine, Ozai. You may refuse claim to her, but I do not. I will protect her- "

"You do not need to protect her," he interrupted, irked that she wished to speak of worthless subjects after they were reunited after so long apart. "I will not hurt her."

"Only because I am here- "

"Which does not discount the fact. You are not going anywhere, Ursa. Thus, no harm will befall her. If harm does, I will personally torture the attacker—I will give him to you if you desire."

"I want it to be your desire to protect her," Ursa snapped with a low hiss, mindful of her volume. The Avatar's bastard did not stir—exhausted, indeed. "I wish I could trust you with her. She is a wonderful child and a worthy granddaughter- "

Ozai scoffed lightly. "She is not of our blood—there is no worth without it."

Lightning seemed to flash in Ursa's vivid golden eyes. "Then why did you turn your back on our children?"

He knew her maternal follies would always be powerful—it was one of the many things he loved about her—but he wished they were not so powerful now. "Why did you?"

Ursa flinched before she swallowed. "To protect them. You ruined them- "

His brows rose. "How did I ruin them? I made them strong. Look at them—they are glorious. I despise the path they chose, but that does not mire the fact they are glorious."

"You ruined Zuko's face," she hissed.

Ozai traced Ursa's face with his eyes. "Only the surface," he whispered, recalling his various reasons behind his decision; he did not feel determined enough for such a conversation—not yet. "Did you not once say that the surface held nothing but fraudulence?"

Heat emanated from her before she stifled it; she held herself so tightly he was afraid she would shatter—it seemed that The Avatar's bastard was the only thing holding her together. Ozai wanted it to be him holding her together. "What do you call breaking Azula's mind?"

"She broke because she was weak," Ozai explained, feeling a sense of melancholy that Ursa was so blinded by her maternal follies—it was admirable but reckless. "You know it. She inherited your weakness and broke when things became interesting."

Ursa looked away, face furious. "I want nothing to do with you."

Ozai sensed the lie and smiled. "Nothing is simplistic—you are anything but. I love you because you are complex and keep up with me."

Her chest heaved with emotion, trembling; he only noticed because The Avatar's bastard, still motionless in deep slumber, moved with each breath. "If you loved me, you would have never deceived me that night."

He needed no clarification on the night to which she referred. "I hated doing it," he admitted. "You have no idea what happened that night. I was caught. Father knew what I did- "

"You assassinated Lu Ten," she hissed, golden eyes misted with tears as she glared at him. "You sponsored our nephew's murder."

Ozai only nodded, doing nothing to denounce the observation—it was the truth. "I did it to save Fire. I knew if Iroh became Fire Lord that he would end the Great War and diminish our eminence to spare Earth and Water's miseries; I knew Iroh would sacrifice so much of what we are to satisfy Earth and Water's vengeance. Look what happened when Zuko capitulated to their demands—chaos! He made Fire, which is about power, weak—he is everything I feared about Iroh becoming Fire Lord. That is why I assassinated Lu Ten."

"And you wanted the power of Fire Lord."

He raised his brows. "Of course. Father was displeased and- "

"I know. He told me as he laid, dying."

Ozai had wondered how much Ursa had learned from Father that night—it seemed she knew everything. "Why did you leave?"

Ursa's jaw clenched; there was a stubbornness on her face. "Father banished me. It was his final command."

His fists curled into the bed's sheet as he fumed. Of course, Father would do such a thing, achieving a final victory over him, even with his dying breath. "Why did you obey? You know that I would have rescinded the command."

"I was tired," she confessed. "I wanted to punish myself—I deserved it. My horror, grief, shame, and guilt possessed me; I felt insane, out of my mind. I thought if I left, no one could manipulate Zuko or Azula, like you had manipulated me out of my love for them. I never wanted to be manipulated so grotesquely again, and I learned that night I could not trust you to spare me from such things."

Ozai glared at her, betrayed. "You chose to leave. I did not make you; Father did not make you. You left of your own willing. You judge me for failing our children, but you failed them more than I ever did. At least I was there."

Ursa's eyes were sharp and bitter. "And how present were you?"

"Enough to know their progress and capabilities, unlike you," he derided, feeling the tide of outrage and bitterness, compounded across years, burst forth. "All you had were your memories. Did you even think of me, Ursa? Did you even think of us? Or did you only ever think of yourself, like you did that night?"

"You thought of yourself first that night!"

"I did it to save our family," Ozai snapped. "How readily you think the worst of me! Father might have married you himself for all I knew! Yes, I wanted to be Fire Lord, but I could have waited—I would have if Father would have seen reason! I knew Iroh would ruin us if he became Fire Lord, and though Father had decades of life to live, I knew he would abdicate to enjoy a retirement, passing the Dragon's Throne to Iroh. It was not to be borne—it would lead only to disaster. I knew it. Only when Father was possessed by madness did I act—I had no choice but to act. I refused to let our family be broken- "

"By breaking it yourself!"

Ozai matched her glare with his own, letting the silence consume them—as neither could deny the accusations and observations made by either.

It was all true.

Suddenly, Ursa laughed in a broken whine. "A haunting tragedy we are," she whispered, voice cracking.

"We can come back from it," he pointed out. "We will. Why do you think I am here?"

"For your pleasure."

He shook his head. "Perhaps of spirit, but not of body—not now. I am here for you—for us."

"If you are not here for pleasure, why come?"

"I want to talk to you, like we used to- "

"There is a reason it is 'used to'."

"Who holds the blame for that?" he retorted, allowing his deep anger to echo in his accusation.

She flinched before holding steel in her eyes. "Both of us."

Ozai could not deny it. "Now is our chance to redeem ourselves. This is it, Ursa—look at us. We are together again. We revived our relations, but we must revive all the other things—the things we forgot."

Ursa swallowed, face shadowed. "We forget them because we are fugitive. What I remember is passion we mistook for love."

"Lie to someone who does not know you," he dismissed with a scoff. "Do not waste your lies on me—it insults and debases us both. We knew love when we gazed at each other; we still know it. I will never have another in my heart but you."

Her brows arched. "What of your waterbending master? I saw how she looked at you."

Ozai had been afraid of that but shook his head. "She is nothing."

"You laid with her."

"You were not here," he whispered, stretching his arms. "What would you have me do? I was lonely and needed rejuvenation. It meant nothing—you know it meant nothing to me."

Ursa's golden eyes flashed with pain. "And all the others you 'rejuvenated' yourself with after I left?"

Ozai's jaw clenched before sighing. "I was angry; I felt betrayed. Surely you opened your legs and let other men rejuvenate you."

It was one of the many thoughts that haunted him across the years, stealing his mind from blissful rest many times.

"Never," she answered in a murmur, holding his intense gaze. "I was never touched until we reunited. You are all I have ever known."

He shuddered out an exhale, overwhelmed with relief. "Good," he choked out, nodding. "Good. I will be all you ever know. This is our chance to redeem ourselves; this is our chance to be ourselves again. Nothing goes against our wills more than denying ourselves this."

"I know several things."

Ozai frowned. "Like what?"

"I want peace, Ozai," Ursa whispered, peering at him in desperate hope. "Is that not possible?"

He stared back, understanding her despair but resenting it—she should be on his side! "It is when The Avatar is my enemy."

Ursa shook her head, combing her fingers through The Avatar's bastard's hair with soothing rhythm. "He is a good man- "

"Do not speak like you know him."

"He is our son now," Ursa continued, fearless. "He is our daughter's husband- "

Ozai's fists clenched, but he was relieved his firebending was replaced with his waterbending; his fists would be smoking otherwise. "He is no son of mine—never. He is my enemy forever, and Azula allied with him—she threw her lot in with his, taking his cursed seed in both her womb and her mind. You know her fate because of it."

Ursa's golden eyes narrowed into slits. "I know you already killed her."

He flinched at the memory, how he thought he gave The Avatar his fate before Azula intercepted it and died, instead—it was not his intention. The memory still astonished him—because it should be impossible, nothing ever to be borne. "She dove in front of him- "

"I know."

"I did not want her dead—if I had ever wanted it, for a single moment, she would be dead."

"I know."

Ozai saw so much of Azula in Ursa, which made the truth of her betrayal sting so much worse. "She can never be my daughter again—her choices have consequences, as mine do. She chose my great enemy; she chose my executioner if he succeeds."

"You know he will," she whispered, voice cracking. "He will kill you. He is ultimate—I have seen it. I know you—you do not compare."

He recalled glowing white orbs and the power of the ages pouring through the air in thunder and storms, all condensed in The Avatar—the ancient terror of the world. "I will compare," he vowed. "It is my only ambition; it is all that matters. Should I fail, damnation awaits me."

"It awaits you should you succeed."

"I will show you how wrong you are when I succeed and you are by my side," Ozai assured. "You will see the purity of what I accomplish; you will see the greatness beyond the conception of most. This is not only my quest; this is the quest of all men he has ever wronged, slighted, debased, and murdered—this is the quest of the world manifested in me. Vaatu knows it, Agni knows it, and I know it. Why do you refuse it?"

Tear leaked out of her golden eyes; she looked anguished. "Because you will die. I do not want you to die. I want you to live forever."

"I will as the new Avatar- "

"I want you to live as you forever, not as that."

Ozai reached out, over The Avatar's bastard who slumbered, extending his arm, and connected his fingers—his hand—to Ursa's cheek; he brushed his fingers across its flesh. "I will always be me. You will never lose me—you must know that. I will make my form my nature, continuing forever, taking on new forms with every lifetime—exactly like The Avatar. I will be everything if I remain what I was, which I will; if I forget what I am, I will be no more. I will never die, Ursa—I will ensure it. I will remember myself always—I will remember you always."

"Avatar Aang will destroy you," she said, voice worn, dimmed with inevitable despair. "You cannot surpass him; you cannot beat him."

His gaze sharpened. "Do you want me to beat him?"

The tears streamed fast as she seemed to choke on her breaths, but she shook her head. "No."

"I will prove you wrong—by Agni, I swear I will."

"My love, please," Ursa begged. "Your intelligence must despise the truth, but it cannot deny the truth. You know you will never beat him. Plead for pardon- "

Ozai laughed, unable to help it; it felt bitter and disappointed. "Plead? Do you forget who I am? Do you forget what I am? Do you forget what he is? His forgiveness is cruelty! His mercy is judgment! His grace is shame! He stole my firebending and made me live in disgrace for years, cast as worse than a beggar. There is no pardon; he will not pardon me, and I will not pardon him. This ends only one way—him dead or me dead. I damn well know that it will be him dead, not me. You should know me enough to know that."

She sniffed and did not wipe the tears from her eyes. "Do not underestimate him, please. I want you to live, but you can only live if you stop this."

"I can never stop," he confessed. "It is against my nature—you know this."

"You think his nature embraces stopping, but it does not," Ursa warned, voice breaking. "He will never stop."

Ozai smirked slightly. "I will match him—I will bond with Vaatu forever, and I will reign evermore across the ages; I will take The Avatar's place, replacing a tyrant with a lord."

"You are already a tyrant, my love," she said quietly. "You were deposed for a reason."

"I was deposed because our son is a traitor- "

"You are proud of him for it."

Unable to deny it, he grit his teeth. "The Avatar deposed me; Zuko had nothing to do with it."

A strange sudden smile stretched Ursa's lips. "Lie to someone who does not know you," she echoed. "He had everything to do with it—as he defeated all support you had."

Ozai thought of all the many nobles who flocked to his side, all of whom were lost at the North, possibly to Zuko himself. "He did not defeat all support."

"He rallied the common peoples to him, which is so much more impressive and mightier than having the nobility's support. You were not a beloved Fire Lord, Ozai. Why do you think you will be beloved as the new Avatar?"

"I learned from my mistakes."

"Which were?"

"Trusting fools," he sneered, feeling his face twist in disgust. "I must do everything myself—that is what I learned. When I ascend, I will accomplish all, capable of all."

Ursa finally wiped her tears from her cheek, leaving divergent streaks. "No, Ozai—you will be capable of nothing. Avatar Aang will never allow it. Even if you get within a moment of success, success will never be yours. I love you, but love does not blind—lust blinds, not love. I am not blind to your fate—I have never been blind to it. You will be forgotten forever, lost to extinction. Avatar Aang will win, even if it takes everything he has, but his capacity for everything is the only capacity there is—you have no capacity for it. If you fight him, you will lose; he will smite you to the world's foundations and leave you there to rot under the weight of his wrath, which is the world."

Ozai stared at her, eyes roaming her shadowed, pale face, taking in the rawness of her golden eyes and tightness of her flesh—before his lips cracked, releasing a strange gasp as he catapulted off the bed and marched out of his room.

Ursa did not believe in him—it was unholy! For all his life, he had always trusted in her belief in him. When no one else ever believed in him, not Iroh, not Aunts Li and Lo, and not Father, Ursa believed in him—she encouraged and thought all his capabilities possible and the best of all possibilities. He mastered firebending because Ursa believed in him; he supported Father, being a dutiful son until he no longer could, because Ursa believed in him; he was a father to Zuko and Azula because Ursa believed in him; he became Fire Lord because Ursa believed in him; he survived his torment and degrading shame because he knew—he knew!—that Ursa believed him; and he fought against The Avatar's tyranny with Vaatu because he believed—believed!—that Ursa would believe in him once he explained it to her.

But he was wrong—she did not believe in him, not anymore.

Why had so much not gone according to plan, leaving only dismay and loss?

"What happened?" a familiar voice demanded, approaching him.

Ozai ignored Hama, continuing his stride. "Nothing," he muttered, barely hearing his own voice.

Hama gripped his arm and stalled his progress. "Piandao, what's wrong?"

How he hated her at the moment—because she clearly believed in him only because he was 'Piandao'! She would surely not believe in him if she knew him as himself. Regardless, it should be Ursa—his wife!—believing in him, not Hama, his mistress born of Water's savages!

"No training today," he commanded, voice harsh. "I want nothing to do with it—I must think."

"Did your wife- "

"Alone."

At his glare, Hama relented and left him alone, but his bending was wrong—he needed his firebending! He wanted to burn everything down! He did not care if it signaled The Avatar of his location! He needed the powerful release of his rage and distress! He needed to shoot lightning and restore the serenity to his mind! He needed to clear himself of all distractions and remember his goal! He needed to remember his ambition! He needed to remember his quest! He needed to remember all the great men before him to whom The Avatar laid waste!

But all he could remember was Ursa's unbelief in him.

"An interesting choice to do nothing when you could be training," Vaatu's grueling voice murmured near him, and Ozai glared at him, fearless.

"Find another vessel if you think I am not devoted to our cause."

"Do all mortal men mate with multiple women?"

"Only the powerful ones."

"But The Avatar only mates with your daughter from what I know."

Ozai's sour mood soured further. "Like you say, The Avatar is no mortal; do not speak of my daughter who is not a daughter—she is a traitor, and thus, a failure."

"The Avatar surrounds himself with failures."

"He almost made us fail at the North!" he hissed, almost wishing for lightning—to shoot at Vaatu. "You let his sky bison leave. It led The Avatar right to us!"

"Only to serve a greater purpose," Vaatu countered calmly. "I needed The Avatar to follow us."

The disbelief was a thankful distraction from Ursa's unbelief. "You wanted him to follow us? He could have destroyed us all; he would have if not for Hama!"

Vaatu floated closer to him. "During my eons-long imprisonment in the Tree, I learned of a way to disappear between the Mortal Realm and Immortal Realm by passing through the Void of Eternity, slipping into the fabric between spaces; it is how I teleport, and after I escaped from my prison, I tested it. When Raava and I created the Mortal Realm, we were still young and foolish; those powerful enough can sense the mistakes that we committed in tethering the Mortal Realm to the Tree to merge with the Immortal Realm. There are small rips that I harness, small passageways that lead to the Void of Eternity, of what the Mortal and Immortal Realms float inside by being tethered to the Tree. The Avatar knows nothing of it, and as I foresaw, he tried to follow us, but he failed to find us because of my useful trick. How else were you able to go into the Immortal Realm before you mastered your chakras? How else have I teleported us away from The Avatar in the past?"

Ozai blinked in shock, having always wondered how Vaatu teleported but never knowing the truth—it had never seemed important or pressing. "I have been in the Void of Eternity? I would remember."

"Your conscious mind would be obliterated by it. I have induced slumber on you and any others I have brought there. Only when we are bonded permanently will you be able to be subjected to the Void of Eternity with no effects."

He blinked hard, shaking his head. "We wasted resources! Why did we need the warships and airships? Why did you not just take our army immediately to the North?"

Vaatu hummed in aggravation. "Even for one such as me, it would leave me weakened, and I could not risk it. Traveling through the Void of Eternity with our fighting force that was one million strong while keeping everyone deep in slumber so that their minds would not be pulverized would take too much of my power. I am not at full strength—not yet."

Ozai stared at Vaatu, watching the wisps of darkness ripple. "Why have The Avatar follow us and fail? What greater purpose did it accomplish?"

"Agni and Devi have had over a year to find Indra, but she continues to elude them. The fact that The Avatar failed will only push him that much more; he will be relentless in his search. Tui and La are lost to us now—I sense it. The Avatar will move them, hide them, perhaps keeping them with him at all times—nothing is beneath his doing. However, Indra is still out there—she is still vulnerable. With only Air remaining to complete us, The Avatar will focus all his energies into finding Indra. He will lead us to her."

"And The Avatar's bastard?" he asked. "She hardly knows airbending; her attempts were laughable."

"Yes, but she is an Airbender; she was touched by The Avatar himself. It is crucial; she is the key. I have a plan to fetch a true Master of Air to teach you, but I believe I will wait until we get Indra to administer it. It will give you more time to master waterbending under Hama's tutelage."

"And when we obtain Indra?"

"The Ascension will be imminent."

Ozai anticipated it—he would prove Ursa wrong and stir her belief in him again!

XxXxXxXxXxX

The lion turtle had not changed from what his memories informed him, which was a thankful change of pace. Whereas everything else had changed so drastically and horrifyingly, the lion turtle was the same—it gave him hope that other things could stay the same, unburdened by the poison of change.

"Do you understand what I'm asking of you?" he asked, holding Tui and La in their globe before him. Choosing the lion turtle to hide Tui and La had been an easy decision as he knew that Vaatu would never be able to track the lion turtle down because the lion turtle moved constantly, never stopping, always going—always swimming. Even so, Vaatu would not guess the lion turtle as Tui and La's new location, expecting him to hold Tui and La in his keeping, and while the enticing thought had occurred to him, he didn't want to do that—he didn't want to always be worried about Tui and La on his person and trying to explain to everyone why he always had two koi fish with him.

It made him more paranoid to keep them so close to himself, aware so powerfully of how mortal Tui and La were. He could easily kill either one without realizing it possible, which was unacceptable. He needed a little distance, but he also needed to know exactly where—and with whom—Tui and La were, and he knew how to find the lion turtle, certainly knowing more than Vaatu did.

Hopefully.

"I understand, Avatar," the lion turtle replied with its deep, ancient voice.

"You will guard them."

"Until it is no longer needed."

"I will decide when it's no longer needed, not you," Aang clarified. "Stay hidden from Vaatu. If he senses you, he will destroy, especially now since you guard them."

"Yes, Avatar."

"I will return when it's time, and I will restore them to their immortality when it's time."

"I will preserve their secrecy on my back until you return, even if it is thousands of years from now."

Aang flinched at the thought. "You don't have to worry about that. It's not going to be thousands of years. It's not even going to be years—hopefully. I plan to be back for them within a year."

The lion turtle's large ancient eyes roamed his face before a slow nod rolled forth like rocks grinding together. "Knowing of your will, you will succeed."

He didn't have the heart to tell the lion turtle of Vaatu's monumental will but nodded and flew onto the lion turtle's back. He landed amongst the many trees and reached out to find the nearest pond. When he reached it, he analyzed its enclosure, satisfied that Tui and La could never escape from it; to be safe, he fortified its edges and curves with his earthbending.

Aang released Tui and La from the globe of water into the pond, in which they swam frantically.

"You abandon us after you steal us!" La condemned, furious. "When Vaatu finds us and restores our immortality, you are our first target! You are not worthy of your power!"

"Anything to add?" he asked, tired, glancing at Tui.

"This is not wise, Avatar Aang."

"This is our only option. I don't trust you—you've given me no reason to trust you. I have to keep you here, but it's not forever."

"You promises are not worth the words to utter them!" La sneered in outrage. "May you choke on them and die!"

"I'm going to restore you both once this is all over," he pointed out, hoping to soothe their indignation. "I wronged you long ago, and I'm going to make it right. But I can't do it now because I can't trust you—otherwise, I would."

Tui's laps in the pond began to reflect her frustration. "You can only prove you are worthy of our trust by restoring our immortality now. You condemn me to die again by not doing so!"

Aang was unmoved. "That's not your decision to make- "

"This is the life you gave me!" Tui shrieked, grief and horror ringing in her words. "This is your fault! I died because of you! I die every day because of you!"

Resignation curdled in his gut—like so much did. "You're not going to die much longer. You don't care for my promises—I understand that. But you can care for my death- "

"Always!" La confirmed in fervor.

"- because if I don't keep my promise it means that I died and Vaatu won. Either way, you're going to be restored, but now isn't the time. But your restoration is imminent, though not current—not instant."

"I hope your power kills you!"

Aang turned away. "It already has." He took off and returned to the lion turtle's head, floating before him. "It's done. I trust you will keep moving daily."

"It is my nature," the lion turtled intoned in his booming voice. "I doubt Vaatu will find me. He will move to something more achievable—Air."

"I won't let that happen," he replied, shuddering. "I'll find Indra first."

"You must hurry."

"I know," Aang said, nodding, trying not to lose his temper—it was so difficult when he knew Samir and Ursa were trapped with Vaatu. "Agni and Devi are searching for Indra—it's what they have been doing this whole time, really."

"They will not look always in the Immortal Realm forever."

Aang's eyes widened; he felt like he could barely breathe because the anticipation was so strong. "You know where Indra is?"

When the lion turtle's eyes closed briefly, he knew the answer. "I know she is in the Mortal Realm, nothing more. She cast aside her immortality to save herself—I felt it when it happened. The energy was unmistakable—the loss of it was. The moment she did, she became imperceptible, even from yourself and Vaatu. She could be anywhere."

It was exactly as Aang had always suspected, but at least now he had the confirmation. "Do you know what form she wrapped herself in?"

Samir's only description of Indra's form was a 'small and pretty animal,' and despite Aang's encouragement to describe in greater detail, Samir never could.

"No, Avatar."

Aang absorbed the answer, unsurprised—nothing was ever given to him. "I'm sure you felt it, but an energybending attack was unleashed against Fire," he informed. "I found its source, and I will interrogate him. Do you have any advice?"

"You must be unbendable- "

"That's not going to be a problem."

"Then I have no advice to give you; you are a master."

He smiled slightly, though he felt no enjoyment. "I want to let you know that I'm going to kill energybending—no one will use it ever again."

"If that is The Avatar's will," the lion turtle intoned, apparently unsurprised—likely because the lion turtle had already lived through energybending's extinction once.

Aang nodded. "You won't teach it to anyone—I won't let you. You shouldn't have taught it to me. I'm thankful you did, but you shouldn't have."

"You summoned me, and I answered; I gave you the solution you sought."

"It was an evil solution."

The lion turtle's face flickered with slow sadness. "Many solutions are."

Aang bowed his head. "Thank you, lion turtle. I won't forget your service to me."

"Goodbye, Avatar. I will preserve Tui and La."

He turned around, satisfied, directed to the North, and took off.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Stepping soundlessly into the prison cell, Azula smirked in predatory triumph; her mind was clear of distractions, and she relished the looks of wariness on the faces of Father's followers. The guard outside glanced at her in concern, but she waved him away; he reluctantly used his waterbending to seal the cell. All the prisoners were shackled, a mixture of ice and metal that somehow functioned effortlessly, and she stepped toward the two men who stared back at her; they bore a resemblance to each other.

"You two have the bearing of men used to authority. Thus, I will start with you." Azula stared down at them hard; she cleared her expression of anything but cold rage—she would get Samir and Mother back! "Where are they? I heard you both, heard you all speaking during the battle to communicate with each other and your allies of Fire, all of whom are dead now—I know that your tongues function correctly." They remained silent, and she felt a small surge of pleasurable glee fill her mind; however, she did not let it show on her face, except minutely. She had to make them feel some dread, after all. "You wish not to speak? Perfect. I hoped you inherited Earth's primary character trait. Do you know who I am?"

"Fuck you!" the man on the right sneered; his face quivered from the intense cold, but his eyes flashed with fiery rage. "Let me loose!"

"You speak."

"We're not tellin' you nothin'!"

"Based on common logic, you just declared that you would tell me anything. Did you know that?"

The man on the left stirred. "The fuck she talkin' about, Satish?"

"Who cares, Manik?" Satish finally looked away from Azula, and she watched their exchange with interest, gathering all possible data she could. "She's crazy. Keep your mouth shut, and we'll be fine. Chin V, Piandao, and Vaatu will rescue us eventually."

"Chin V?" She peered down at them, wondering if Chin V was the new Chin whom Aang and Zuko heard about when they assassinated King Lonin of Chyung. "Who is Chin V?"

"Fuck! I just told her the master's name!"

"Shut up!"Manik hissed. "Take your own advice and keep your mouth shut!"

"I assume your relation is that of brothers, as you look similar." Azula glanced at the other prisoners; they kept their heads down and seemed occupied with conserving their body heat—they were wise. "Regardless, you are kin to each other—you are related. You feel fondness for each other. If you do not answer my questions, I will take that fondness from you and mire it in grief."

"Fuck off."

Azula smiled pleasantly. "You never answered my question. Do you know who I am? Have you any idea?"

"You work with The Avatar!" Satish spat, ignoring Manik's advisement, and his body seemed to come alive; it shook with rage, but he could do nothing to unleash it. "You're nothing but a firebending whore!"

"I am Princess Azula of Sozin's line, wife of The Avatar, and Mother of Air. Why else do I wear Air Nomad garbs?" The hatred augmented suddenly in their faces, but it also contained fear—it was delicious to see. "Before you panic, you must not worry about an encounter with The Avatar. He is elsewhere now." The relief on their faces made her laugh, and she relished it. "You think The Avatar is the worst you can face? No, you misunderstand—I imagine misunderstanding is your foremost trait. You are mine, and I am so much worse than The Avatar for something like this. You see, The Avatar would be quick; he would never cherish this opportunity and extends its life as long as possible—but I do. I cherish this. You are mine, and you will be mine until I deign your usefulness has expired. You fear The Avatar—rightly so. But it is not about him you must worry. His wrath is pervasive but brief—look at Ba Sing Se's slaughter. No man can stand against him ever. But his brevity is his only weakness—if he possesses one. I assure you—I despise brevity. I adore continuation, and I will continue your torture, unlike The Avatar, whom only seeks to end it."

"We ain't scared of you, you Fire bitch! We ain't scared of The Avatar, either!" The words escaped Satish's curled back lips in a rush of fury. "Fuck him! Kyoshi will pay for what she did!"

"What does Avatar Kyoshi have to do with this?"

"Everything! She murdered our sire, and Chin V, Piandao, and Vaatu will help us get our vengeance!"

"Damn it!" Manik cried out, face twisting in frustrated disbelief. "Stop talking! Shut up! Stop revealing our secrets!"

Satish bowed his head, saying nothing further—for now.

"Most interesting," she commended. "Thank you. I appreciate your honesty. I shall repay you with my honesty. If you cease your helpfulness, it will only be my pleasure. You can ask The Avatar—I always ensure my pleasure. I always get what I want; I always have what is mine. You are mine now. It is no frustration to me with your silence—it only increases my pleasure. You mistake your silence as infinite and enduring, but I will replace your silence with your screams."

"We ain't tell you nothing, you sick whore of Sozin's blood!"

"You will tell me everything," Azula assured, waving a hand, which she cast in sapphire flames. "Do you know torture? Do you know how to skin a man of his flesh and keep him alive? I know—I know everything. I know how to boil your eyeballs and feed them to you, forcing you to swallow; I know how to rip your fingernails away; I know how to break the bones in your body; I know how to make you drink your blood; I know how to make your agony a permanent state. My daughter and mother were kidnapped by Vaatu, the spirit to whom you pledged your souls. His crimes rest on your shoulders; you must answer for them as Vaatu is not here to. I do not care of natural law to keep Vaatu's crimes on him and not you as it was an unnatural crime in kidnapping my daughter and mother. You were part of the unnatural crime—you are unnatural animals for following him, too unintelligent to see that you are but pawns in his massive game. You are weak, too strident to see the subtleties happening all around you. You will tell me where Vaatu and my father are; you will tell me everything."

Satish and Manik glanced at each other before they laughed in unison; it was unrestrained, mocking, and boisterous.

Azula smiled down at them and began to laugh, too, in relief. It was exactly as she wanted—needed. "I know, I know—it has only begun. Thank you for your cooperation."

Her smile vanished off her face in the blink of an eye, and all that was visible was the cold, all-consuming rage. She immediately stretched her fingers, and the tell-tale sound of sparks crackling was heard; it overpowered the sound of their fading laughter. Pressing her fingertips to Manik's forehead, she let the lightning flow; his skin shuddered and bubbled before his head exploded in a shower of red mist, and the lightning destroyed the ice wall behind them, the sound thunderous.

"Manik!" Satish screamed in horror.

Azula calmly ignored the blood staining her Air Nomad garbs—she would request that Aang or Katara or any Waterbender wash it at a later time—and stared down at Satish; he was deprived of any other words, terror and anger fighting for control of his face.

"I suppose I am a little out of practice," she lamented in woe before she leaned even closer, cold golden eyes trapping Satish. "You will help with that. Tell me everything."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Things had changed—she felt it in her bones, immersed in her blood.

Piandao had pulled away from her in the month since the North, focusing on his returned wife, only staying with her when she trained him in waterbending, which he was excelling at much more rapidly than previously. Hama wanted to think that it was her training that made him so great, but she knew, deep down, that Piandao's wife's return had inspired him with new motivation.

He had not touched her since before the North, and she realized how deeply he influenced her life when his sudden absence from all areas of it was painful chillingly. It was a terrible rejection, but it shouldn't be; she had never gone into their 'rejuvenating' partnership with any oversights or qualms about it. She knew that there was nothing resembling love for it; she knew that it was simply rejuvenation of the body, not the spirit—nothing like it.

But why did his sudden rejection after his reunion with his wife, who possessed a threatening beauty, hurt?

Why did she fall in love with Piandao? She suspected before that she had, but now that his attentions were riveted on his wife, she knew. How could she have let it happen? How could she have let herself fall in love with him? She knew his aims and ambitions—Vaatu had made it more than clear that the Ascension would wipe Piandao away, changing his nature, which ensured that she could never have him—but she had done it anyway.

What was wrong with her?

Watching him master his waterbending, gripping several volunteers with bloodbending, something he took to with amazing ease, it was too easy to remember why she fell in love with him. He was a beautiful man, despite his obvious race, with unbelievable power who understood her in ways no one ever had because his family had betrayed him even worse than hers had.

But now his family had begun to return to him, beginning with his wife—and granddaughter, to whom Piandao refused any claim as she was The Avatar's bastard. Based on the way Piandao gazed at his wife, he would ensure his family that returned to him would stay with him, probably making another child with his wife to tie them together—without the possibility of another betrayal.

Where would that leave her? Once Piandao did the Ascension, bonding with Vaatu, and destroyed The Avatar, where would she go? What would she do? Would he still offer her the position of Chiefess of Water? Would she accept it? Did she want to accept it?

Could she accept not having Piandao anymore and so suddenly?

Hama couldn't stop her heart from racing with a painful rush as she approached Piandao, still in the middle of his training. "That's good," she called out. "Your balance is much better. You're going to be a master soon—if you're not one already."

Piandao dismissed the volunteers—all kinsmen of Chin V, who was killed, according to Vaatu—who bowed and rushed off, before turning to her. He didn't look at her like he used to, which she missed with a dreadful ache. "Your mastery ensured my own; you are an excellent master."

"I'm excellent in many other ways," Hama alluded, looking at him with intent that could never be misinterpreted. How many times Piandao had embraced the intent—by embracing her! "Must I remind you?"

"Remind me of what?" he demanded flatly.

She didn't let his seeming disinterest stop her; she motioned for him to follow her. "I speak of training. I need to look at your arm. How does it feel?"

"Exceptional," Piandao notified with a glimmer of warmth in his golden eyes—how she wanted more! "Thank you, Hama."

"Let me make sure it stays exceptional. Follow me."

Thankfully, he seemed in a much better mood upon the reminder of his healed arm, and he followed her without a further word. She led him into her tent, which had missed his presence, never having been entered into by him since they had relocated after the North.

"Lay down," Hama ordered.

Piandao removed his shirt and laid down, trusting her, and Hama did as she promised—she analyzed his arm and roamed her healing hands over it with water. But it was miraculously clear to her that there was nothing wrong with his re-attached arm. It was like he had never lost it to The Avatar's cruelty to begin with! It was an amazing change that she knew the Ocean and Moon Spirits had ensured in thanks for Zhao's sacrifice.

She moved her hands slowly from his arm and shoulder to his chest, and when she traveled down, she let the water seep away, leaving only her warm flesh descending his navel.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, sitting up.

Hama grabbed the edges of his pants, like she had many times before. "Reminding you."

Piandao grasped her arms with his hands; his grip was tight. "Forget your reminder."

"No- "

"We are done."

Hama closed her eyes, unprepared for the sudden grief. "Are we?"

Piandao glared at her and swung his legs over as he stood to his feet; he loomed over her. "We are."

"Because of your wife?" she demanded.

"Yes. I will not betray her- "

"You already did!" Hama cried out in confused distress.

Piandao inhaled slowly. "We both betrayed each other. Now is our second chance. I will not ruin it. She is all there is for me."

Hama's fists clenched as she recalled the encounter at the North atop the Spirit Oasis. "She tried to kill you!"

"If she wanted me dead, I would be dead," he dismissed with a confidence that astonished her—and worried her. Those lightning strikes in the North weren't ones that were meant to incapacitate—they were meant to kill. "She never wanted to kill me; she loves me."

She almost confessed that she loved him, too, but knew that was a stupid thing to do. "Her love for you didn't stop her from betraying you once," she pointed out, instead, hoping to reach him. "She could do it again."

Piandao's gaze darkened in warning. "She will not. I will ensure it. She is mine, and I am hers—there is nothing more."

"How can you say that after- "

"There was nothing more to us than rejuvenation. I am fond of you, yes, but this is where you are and where you will stay. Chiefess of Water is still yours, but you will never be my wife, if that is your desire."

Hama had no idea what her desire was anymore beyond seeing Katara suffer. "I want rejuvenation still; I want you still."

Piandao waved a hand in dismissal. "You cannot have me. You must find rejuvenation with another. One of Chin V's kinsmen will accept your offer."

She felt struck by his disinterest because it was clear how little fondness he truly held for her because if he did feel fondness for her, he would be outraged by the possibility of her 'rejuvenating' herself with another man, but he clearly did not care if she did. "You really love your wife," she whispered, unable to say anything else—it was the one thing that was obvious to her.

"I never thought I would see her again, at least not for a long time," Piandao breathed, looking distant, trapped in his memories. "Having her now is a miracle."

Humiliated rage coursed through her, so abrupt that she almost choked on it. "You're not going to have much time with her! Once you go through the Ascension, you'll never be you again!"

Piandao turned slowly to her, golden eyes narrow. "What?"

She should feel triumph, but all she felt was grief and dismay. "Vaatu told me. The Ascension's going to destroy you thousands of times over, remaking you, reshaping you- "

"You think I am not prepared for that?" Piandao snapped, disgusted. "The Avatar already destroyed and remade me. All events in my life have done the same. The Ascension will be like everything else—simply another event to facilitate my great victory."

"You don't understand," she hissed. "He will use the spirits to mimic the Harmonic Convergence. Vaatu will merge with you, and you'll drink the Tree of Time's sap before going down It's roots into the Void of Eternity. When you're down there, you'll be ripped apart, destroying everything you are. It's more painful than anything imaginable. You could scream forever into Eternity, but the Void will never care; no one will ever hear you. You won't even hear yourself. It's suicide."

Piandao didn't waver or stagger; he simply stood there, staring at her, face knowing. "It is sacrifice, Hama. I sacrifice myself for this; I know what I am doing. Vaatu never explained the specifics to me, but I knew what it would take. I had nothing but years to think about how I could destroy The Avatar, and it was clear always that the only way to destroy The Avatar is to be on his level, which is only possible by being an Avatar yourself. I know what it takes. I am no fool; I walk into this with open eyes and sound mind."

"I don't want to see you destroyed."

Fire sparked in his golden eyes as stepped closer. "Do you want to see me fail?"

"No," Hama denied. "I want you to succeed, but I hate what it will cost."

"Any cost is worth it," Piandao hissed. "You try to hold me back- "

"I'm trying to warn you- "

"By trying to provoke dread! I tell you now—I feel no dread about the Ascension. I anticipate it."

The look on his face terrified her—because she knew he meant it. "Do you anticipate having me again?"

Piandao's face tightened in answer. "No. We are done."

There was only strategy she had left, and she used it, knowing there was nothing left to do. She undressed quickly, baring herself before him—offering him all that she was in one last attempt to entice him. But the uninterested, if not disgusted, look on his face was more chilling than the frigid air in the North.

"We are done, Hama," he repeated. "Our rejuvenation is over. You are my waterbending master, nothing more."

Hama swallowed and nodded, saying nothing as Piandao left the room.

It felt like another betrayal of Family ravishing her.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Upon returning to the North after dropping off Tui and La on the lion turtle's back, a location he would never tell anyone except possibly Azula, Aang felt more in control of his emotions, although they still lingered like a foul stench; he no longer felt that he would slip into The Avatar State at any moment because Samir was kidnapped by the man who hated him with the force of the world. Unfortunately, it was painfully obvious that he had to spend more time at the North than he wanted to, but after a month, he had enough, ready to finish everything he needed to do. Samir needed him! Ursa needed him! Azula had been the one to make him see reason, and she said that Ozai would not harm Samir, not with Ursa there—it was the only hope they had.

During his rare times of sleep, images haunted him, and visions assaulted him, keeping him from true rest. He had spent much of the past weeks in deep rumination, meditating in isolation, letting no one, not even Azula, disturb him. While he was unable to decipher how Vaatu teleported the way he did, specifically with leaving no trail of his energy, he had made progress on a possible solution on preserving Fire from Lee the Energybender's attack and restoring Agni's strength.

It would be an extreme solution, but it was an extreme problem—it had to work.

All he needed was to see Agni again, which was another reason for him to go to the Immortal Realm besides visiting Wan Shi Tong.

But he needed more, which provoked him to visit Lee's cell—finally.

Upon entering the cell, he felt the bitter chill, but at the same time, he didn't; it didn't impact him. For whatever reason, it looked like it didn't bother Lee, either, and he noticed that the sizzled features had disappeared; they looked completely normal, as if he had never been burned by fire that should have melted his flesh and blackened his bones. Beside him, Zuko exhaled a small flame from his mouth and stared at the imprisoned Lee with burning golden eyes. His friend had requested to be included in the interrogation since he needed a brief reprieve from smelling corpses, and Aang didn't refuse him, specifically since Lee's reaction and words to Zuko were intriguing—telling.

He needed all the knowledge he could get from Lee.

"Am I that notable?" Lee's mocking voice drifted into his ears; Lee was still imprisoned in the ice that Aang had shaped, and despite Lee's great strength from all the stolen chi energy, he couldn't break free—exactly as Aang designed. "Both The Avatar and Fire Lord deign themselves to visit my cell after a week of isolation. I should feel honored, but all I feel is hatred for you both."

"I'm beginning to feel the same about you," Zuko muttered.

Aang wasted no time and walked towards Lee silently before placing his thumbs on the his forehead and, after using waterbending to remove some of the ice, on his solar plexus.

Lee shook mightily, panic and horror on his face. "No! Aang, stop! Don't do it!"

He didn't say anything, using his energybending against Lee's; it was a powerful fight for dominance. Slowly, the foundations of Lee's energybending and chi became visible, and he began to understand exactly what Lee did, but he needed verbal confirmation. He was also astonished at how strong Lee's chi was, how much energy flowed inside it. Save for Aang's own, it was more saturated than any chi that he had ever encountered but he knew why—it was stolen energy, siphoned away from other benders, any benders, not only Firebenders, and probably some who he had infected with his attack on Fire. It was also how Lee had been able to heal from those injuries; the abundant chi energy had made him stronger, more durable, and more resilient. If not checked, it would keep him alive for centuries.

Aang's determination hissed through his teeth as he began to conquer Lee's energybending, which was impressive—it terrified him how impressive it was. It meant that Lee might be a teacher of energybending, having taught others, which meant there was something else to take care of. It was a fierce struggle, something he had to work at, and he extended his presence, probing deeper and deeper, wrapping his grip around all of the chi energy that Lee stole—before ripping it away and absorbing it into himself.

He didn't feel a thing as he let go of Lee, gasped in a strangled croak. "You traitor," he hissed his head lolled back, eyes blinking rapidly.

"It will take a minute," Aang consoled flatly before he waved his hand and released the ice. At first, Lee did nothing but after several more moments, he staggered to his feet with weak presence, unused to the lack of strength he normally possessed.

Zuko subtly shifted his stance into one of combat, but Lee didn't try to attack or flee somehow; he simply stared at Aang in hatred. "I hope all that energy kills you."

"What is he talking about?" Zuko asked, looking between them in concern. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Aang answered, watching Lee. "He's adjusting. I took all his energy from him—everything he stole I stole."

"Everything?" Zuko echoed, worried and astonished. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes."

"It can't be good for you- "

Aang shook his head. "It doesn't change me or impact me—it doesn't. You can't add to the ocean, even if it's a big lake. You also can't take away from the ocean. My chi is like the ocean—too massive to ever impact. Only another ocean could impact me, something that is already at my level. Only stealing Ozai's chi at this point could give me a rush of energy." He looked at Lee, eyes narrowed. "That's how you did it, isn't it? You attacked those first who were closer to your chi's level and absorbed it, increasing your level, and you kept going and going."

Lee's face stretched in pride. "That's right. It's nice that you understand what I did—you understand my greatness."

Zuko blinked. "You could not take my chi—that's what you tried to do."

"I was not at that level," Lee admitted, begrudging and bitter.

"He increased his chi with all the energybending," Aang explained. "His base level was so poor that anything more was an obvious difference. Your chi, Zuko, is prodigious and powerful. It would take you stealing Azula's chi for you to have a similar experience as Lee."

"And I would have to increase the thefts by targeting those with the strongest chis," Zuko realized, staring at Lee in a new light. "I could never get as powerful as you because you had so many more gains to make; I have little gains to make in comparison as I already start in such a favorable place."

Lee's face twisted. "Fucking Fire. But you're never going to have those advantages again." Before Zuko could respond in threatening outrage, Lee looked at Aang and spit at him. "I'll come back from this and steal your chi."

"Who have you taught?" Aang demanded. "Did you teach anyone energybending?"

"Why teach anyone when I could hoard it to myself?" Lee asked with a scoff. "You're always so fucking blind, Aang. You have no sense of possibility—never have. This all started because you couldn't see the possibilities. Energybending is the source of bending. What better way to attack Fire, who worships their bending more than anyone?"

He didn't bother explaining to Lee that Air had worshipped their bending more than anyone. "You targeted only Fire."

"Of course, I did! I saved the world!"

Aang gripped Zuko to prevent him from lashing out while the pieces of information he had gathered and discerned came together in dreadful union. He realized the depths of what Lee did with his attack—targeted only Firebenders because of the Inner Fire connection to Agni, which he twisted and distorted by taking the firebending away, but Lee could never replace the nature. Lee enforced an unnatural form over their natures, and those impacted went insane trying to fix it.

It actually was a plague.

After being infected, each chi-stealer looked for Agni, traveling the world, looking for the ultimate Fire to endow in himself, to fill the void enforced and made possible by Jet. It acted as a signal emanating outward from each chi-stealer, no longer attuned to the frequency, no longer able use firebending because Lee stole the energy. However, the chi-stealers still looked to connect to the signal because it was their natural states to do so. Each Firebender they came across had that faint signal, and they absorbed his firebending, hoping to revive their own firebending, but it never worked—it would take an actual Energybender to restore the firebending. But they kept doing it. It was a flame that didn't die and couldn't burn itself out—until there were no more Firebenders.

Lee clearly used energybending against Waterbenders and Earthbenders, stole their chi energy for himself, depriving them of their bending, but only with Firebenders did he put something into the void of the bending. It was the urge to replenish and pass the curse onto other Firebenders. The plague only worked on Firebenders because of Fire itself, how it wants to consume everything in its path. Lee took out the inner flame and replaced it with the need to feed. As a Firebender's chi was already primed to consume, Lee didn't need to do anything else.

It was unbelievably complex and precise, which was how he knew for certain that Lee didn't discover any of it on his own.

"You're not intelligent enough to figure any of this out," Aang pointed, frowning. "You never created the plague; you inherited it from someone. Vaatu taught you this."

A triumphant smirk crossed Lee's face as he looked at Zuko. "Agni did."

While Zuko blanched, dumbstruck, Aang shook his head, realizing he should have suspected it. "Because it's only firebending," he realized. "That's why Agni helped you. No one knows firebending better than Agni. He would know how to make this attack so precise and complex as it is."

"I snuffed out Firebenders and replaced the void in their chis with the need to feed, to spread—just like Fire. Agni told me how firebending works; he showed me. It was my creation, designed only to target Firebenders because of Fire's nature. It wants to feed and consume everything in its path, but my plague only does it to Firebenders themselves. They were the hosts, and my plague takes their firebending away and attacks other Firebenders until an outsider rightfully puts them down."

"Why would Agni betray us?" Zuko wondered in disbelief.

Aang glanced at him. "I suspect it has to do with the reason Agni allied with Vaatu in the first place. We don't know the reason like we do Devi's and Tui and La's if I didn't manage to stop it, but that must be it. He saw the reasons for this attack as, likely, a necessary evil. Remember, he should love all those of Sozin's line, but once he saw that Azula was loyal to me, he tried to destroy her; he is willing to destroy any of his children."

"The burden of Power," Zuko whispered. "Agni expects his Fire Lords to be of immense strength and power, capable of embodying his aspect. If a Fire Lord fails Agni's expectations, he experiences Agni's disregard rather than regard. There are legends of Fire Lords meeting ugly deaths from Agni's disregard. We betrayed him somehow, but I don't know how."

"It's revenge against me, I think," Aang replied. "I did something, in another reign, to slight him—I must have. I have no doubts that I did."

"You should have many doubts!" Lee cackled. "You think you have it all figured out, but you don't! You've grown a lot, Aang, but you still can't see what's right in front of you—literally. You're The Avatar, but you close your senses. You know me. I want you to say it—I want to see the horror on your face. Tell me you know me!"

Aang frowned. "I don't know you. I've never seen you before."

"Yes, you do," Lee assured with a mocking laugh. "I know how much you've grown. I remember that small and thin bow and see the man you are now. It's pathetic. You've only grown physically, not mentally; you're still that stupid kid."

"Who are you?" he asked, scanning Lee, looking for a sign of familiarity—but there was none. "We met each other?"

Lee shook his head. "Your mind is so fucking small. You don't know how to take opportunities. I was given an opportunity, and I took it."

"By Vaatu."

"Yes," Lee boasted, unashamed. "He gave me everything you never would. You'd never eradicate Fire—that was more than clear. You failed us! You failed the world! You call yourself The Avatar but stand next to him!" Lee's finger, jagged at its edge, pointed at Zuko in condemnation. "You should give me his head! It's what he deserves and what I deserve! You hate the world, Aang—it's obvious. You kept Fire alive when we all wanted their death, and it's inexcusable. Vaatu offered me the means, and I did what I must to extinguish Fire—and my plague will do it, if it hasn't already. I was broken, but I found my source for healing—Fire's death. It was something that you would never give me but Vaatu would. He gave me energybending, showed me Agni, who taught me so much more, and I unleashed the plague that rids the world of its monsters."

"The only monster is you!" Zuko snapped.

Drifting his glance away from Aang, Lee immediately tensed at the sight of Zuko, and the insane rage glimmered in his eyes; it was as all-consuming as if he was trapped in Vaatu's darkness, and it was a dreadful sight—because he wasn't trapped in Vaatu's darkness. "You should look in the mirror, Fire Lord. I've waited a long time to have the chance to kill you, and if Aang weren't here, I would. You not only killed me but cut off my hand." The stump of a hand was held up for emphasis. "I will repay you by cutting off your penis."

Zuko seemed both dismissive and angry. "You tried to kill me—and, apparently, steal my chi."

"But I didn't actually kill you, whereas you killed me in Ba Sing Se! You killed me before I got to see the end of the Great War!"

"What does that mean?" Zuko stepped forward. "I have never seen you before in my life! I killed no one in Ba Sing Se except Earthbenders who rebelled against Azula and me and a few Dai Li agents."

"And almost killed me," Aang added calmly, not to accuse Zuko or making him feel guilty; he wanted to see Lee's reaction.

Zuko winced and glanced at him in apology. "Yes, that, too."

"You really are a monster!" Lee snarled, teeth flashing; they were blood-stained. "You kill everyone, and it was me at the forefront!"

"You're one of my subjects!" Zuko exclaimed. "You're not one of the Earthbenders and Dai Li I killed; you're Fire!"

Lee jabbed his stubbed hand at Zuko. "Only because it was the way to vengeance! If I could have remained myself and seen its success, I would have! I may look Fire, but I'm not! I'm Earth—I've always been proudly Earth!"

Aang closed his eyes. "Your name's not even Lee."

"Exactly," Lee confirmed. "Finally—you're opening your eyes, Aang. My name isn't Lee. I took that name when Vaatu rescued me as a reminder of the boy and uncle who killed me."

Zuko blinked; something passed over his face. "You named yourself after me."

"I renamed myself, using the same alias you used in Ba Sing Se."

"And Uncle Iroh and I killed you?"

Lee's eyes burst with ferocity. "Yes! You killed me when you surrendered me to the Dai Li! Long Feng may have ended me after I stopped trying to kill Aang, but it was you who killed me, Lee!"

Aang's lips parted—it couldn't be!—as he gasped. "Jet?"

A shudder passed through Lee—Jet?—before a slow smile spread over his face; it was a peaceful expression. "Hearing that name again feels so good. It's been a long time."

Staggering back, Aang shook his head and tried to make sense of everything. "You're dead! You died under Lake Laogai! It was ten years ago!"

"You remember."

"We know—I know!"

"Good memory," Lee—Jet!— commended with a smirk, and the vague smirk stimulated his mind, and he remembered it on another face.

"You're Jet!" he exclaimed, unable to say anything else.

Jet gestured in disgust to his body. "Reborn, yes. But I will be reborn again after my task is done. Vaatu promised me a new body—any body I wanted."

Zuko blinked hard. "I don't believe this! It's not possible! You look different! You have obvious Fire features instead of Earth features! You are older than you should be! You died! Aang told me about it!"

Aang swallowed. "The Dead do not walk the Mortal Realm; it breaks the Laws of Balance."

But Aang had technically broken the Laws of Balance when he returned Azula's spirit to her body after Ozai killed her, which is how realized what Vaatu did to Jet—the memory was clear. Vaatu once promised him that he could return Air by taking Air's spirits, all those who were murdered, and placing them in living bodies across Water, Earth, and Fire.

Vaatu was so confident in his offer because he had already done it before—with Jet. He brought Jet back by using the same trick, placing Jet's spirit in a different body—an unholy crime.

Aang scanned Jet, looking at him spiritually, and saw the obvious. There was an Earth spirit trapped in a Fire body, placed there by Vaatu. "You unnatural thing," he breathed, horrified, almost choking on the sudden rush of pity that flooded him.

It was such a horrible existence that he wouldn't wish on anyone, not even Sozin or Ozai.

"Believe it, Fire Lord!" Jet—Jet!— snarled and glared at Zuko. "Because of you and your firebending uncle, the Dragon of the West, the Dai Li tortured me and killed me. When Vaatu freed me, to whom I owe everything, I took the name that was used by you as a reminder of what happened to me, to never forget who killed me. Fire Lord Zuko is Lee, and Lee is Jet."

Zuko finally snapped out of his shock, glaring back at Jet. "You're the one who attacked me at the fucking tea shop! Don't blame me It was your own damn fault!"

When Jet dashed forward with a roar of fury, Aang, in response, used his waterbending to imprison him once again. "Enough! You're going to tell me everything you know, Jet."

Jet only laughed. "Why would I do that, Aang? I owe everything to Vaatu. I'm not going to betray him; he saved me."

Aang's face contorted, and his own rage was back; he dimly noticed that Jet immediately looked wary. "Vaatu kidnapped my daughter!"

"And my mother," Zuko added darkly. "Start talking."

"Fuck you!" Jet glared at Aang with poisonous rage. "That's right—how could I forget? You traitor! You wed one of Sozin's line! You fuck her? You place your hands on such evil? You share a daughter with her! That's how you choose to bring back your race? Through her? You're a fucking disgrace!"

"The only disgrace is you!" Zuko snapped furiously. "You continue to add crimes to your legacy!"

Before Jet could respond, Aang spoke, letting wrath bleed through. "I don't care that I knew you during the Great War; I don't care that you once trusted me; I don't care that you think I betrayed you; I don't even care that you died; and I don't even care that you're returned to the Mortal Realm, cursed by Vaatu in a new body—I don't care about any of it! All I care about is that you work directly for Vaatu, spread a plague through energybending to destroy Fire, and are one of the reasons why I wasn't able to save Samir and Ursa from Ozai. You kept Zuko from telling me that he saw Ozai at the top of the Spirit Oasis!"

Jet's impossible features scrunched in confusion. "Why do you keep talking about Ozai? Vaatu doesn't work with that fucker."

"Yes, he does."

"No, he doesn't. I would know."

Zuko laughed. "You are the one who's blind, not us. You can't see what's right in front of you! You think I don't know what my father looks like? Did my resemblance to Vaatu's vessel never tip you off?"

"Fuck you!"

"Who's Vaatu's vessel, then?" Zuko demanded aggressively. "Who did you work with if not my father?"

"Like I would tell you. Go ahead and torture me as much as you want, but I'm never saying anything. I'd rather die again."

"That can be arranged," Zuko growled. "Start talking!"

"Fuck you!"

"Vaatu's vessel is Ozai, Jet," Aang interrupted, solemn, and he released Jet from his prison in encouragement. "I saw him. You think I don't know what Ozai looks like? You think Zuko doesn't? You're the only one who never saw Ozai. How can you say you know what he does and doesn't look like?"

Jet swallowed before shaking his head in denial. "No! I worked with Piandao! He's Vaatu's vessel, not Ozai! I worked with Hama! I worked with Zhao! I worked with- "

"Zhao?" Zuko echoed in astonishment. "He's dead! I watched it myself!"

"I forgot to tell you," Aang whispered and turned around, feeling a pressure building behind his forehead; he massaged his temples. "I learned from Tui and La that Zhao was impossibly alive; it was something about Vaatu freeing Zhao from his prison. Vaatu returned Zhao to Tui and La- "

"But I watched Zhao die!"

"You have a habit of condemning people to die, Fire Lord!" Jet sneered.

Zuko gnashed his teeth. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

A nightmarish puzzle began to conceptualize in Aang's mind as he stood there; there was only one non-bender listed, and Vaatu wouldn't work closely with one. His counterpart valued only power and a swordsman had none in comparison to a bender.

Like Jet stole chi, Ozai stole an identity—Piandao's identity.

"Piandao is Ozai," Aang breathed, almost choking on the words.

Zuko's eyes closed instantly, arriving at swift comprehension. "That's it. He stole Piandao's identity to mask himself. No one of Earth would trust 'Ozai,' but they would trust 'Piandao,' who was slighted by both The Avatar and Fire Lord, proving his trustworthiness—not to mention Vaatu's endorsement. We have been so blind! How—how? How is Jet alive? How is Zhao alive? Nothing is making sense! Jet said he was dead, but now he's alive with a different body!"

"I'm never telling you anything!" Jet shouted, face red.

Aang took over, trying to stay calm—how deceived they had all been! "Piandao is Ozai, Jet. Ozai stole the swordsman's name. You've been working with Ozai this entire time and- " He gasped, choking, as another horrifying thought occurred to him, and he swallowed thickly. "Sokka! We sent him after Piandao thinking that it was- "

"Agni," Zuko cursed, fear paling his face. "We have to find him!"

"We will," Aang assured, trying to conceal his own sudden terror and dread.

"This entire time, my father has been masquerading as Piandao," Zuko whispered, shaking his head, trying to grasp the new angles everything had taken on. "It's the only thing that makes sense. You cut off Father's arm, and he has it back now, healed by Tui and La's waters. He escaped but left his army, and we interrogate the survivors, all of whom never say a thing about 'Ozai,' but instead focus on 'Piandao' where we expect to hear 'Ozai.' The only thing that changed is the name—that's it."

He nodded—it was the truth! "Piandao is Ozai."

Jet's face drained of blood, and he looked shaken, horrified. "What? No, I would have known if- … It can't be! No! Pian- Fire Lord Ozai is Vaatu's vessel? I slaughtered the Order with him! He knew the whole time he was lying to me?"

Aang felt faint as the final piece came together; he dimly recalled hearing about Bumi's memory of Order members found with their bodies drained of energy, but he hadn't put it together. "It was you. You murdered my followers."

Before anything else was said, Jet vomited, collapsing to his knees in his vomit; he shook and curled into himself, the fight leaving him in a rush. "Devi. I- I did those things! I helped Fire Lord Ozai!"

Zuko stared down at Jet, disgusted. "You only feel regret when you learn that you were working for my father the entire time—shallow. Your skin must be crawling—mine is from listening to you."

Jet's horror-stricken face snapped upward, and the rage reappeared. "Don't think that changes my hatred for you! I'll still see you and your uncle and all of Fire die!"

"You're not leaving the North alive," Zuko hissed. "Your crimes are innumerable, and you show no regret for your actions towards me or my race. I'm going to execute you—and Vaatu won't be there to change it this time! Maybe I should get Katara to execute you—you deserve it!"

Aang thought that was a terrible idea, but Jet flinched. "Katara?" he gasped. "No, I can't see her!"

"I would never let you see her!" Zuko spat, a hideous snarl on his face. "Even if she begged me on her knees, vowing the world's peace, to spare you, I wouldn't do it! Not even she could save your life now!"

Jet's eyes widened in fury. "On her knees? Is that a position you know her to be familiar with?"

Zuko's golden eyes sharpened. "She will be my Fire Lady—we are betrothed."

Aang had no idea Zuko and Katara had discussed being betrothed, but his surprise was nothing next to Jet's. "Betrothed?" he roared, rising up again, but Aang sighted and imprisoned him swiftly. Even while kneeling, Jet's rage burned. "You corrupted her! I'll kill you!"

"I will kill you," Zuko corrected. "And Katara can't stop it. I think you think she will save your life, but she won't; I won't let her save you- "

"She loved me once—she can love me again!"

Zuko laughed, and the sound was cruel. "That wasn't love. She told me about it—she told me about you. It was infatuation, nothing more. You don't know what love is—it's beyond your meek intelligence!"

Surprisingly, Jet didn't rise up and bellow or screech; he bowed his head in sorrowful acceptance.

Aang inhaled slowly and let the silence echo for several more moments before he spoke. "Zuko, your nostrils have cleared of the stench. You need to go."

"What? I- I need to go?"Zuko looked incredulous and angry. "Jet is my responsibility! He unleashed the plague on my race! It's my duty!"

"You can deal with him later," he replied in calm assurance, understanding Zuko's anger, knowing where it stemmed from. "I need to speak with Jet alone, and with you here, you add a presence that he both fears and hates; he would rebel. I can learn things from him, but I need to do it alone."

Zuko calmed himself before he nodded. "Fine. Get your answers. Once you do, I get his head."

Aang opened the wall, through which Zuko walked before Aang resealed it and looked back down at Jet.

They were alone.

"I want my energy back," Jet said, staring up at him. "Surely we can agree to something. You don't know what it's like. I had all the power in the world, and you just took it from me, making me so much smaller than I was. I want it back."

Aang sat across from Jet. "It wasn't your energy to begin with. You're never getting it back—you're never walking out of this cell. I can't save you, and I wouldn't if I could. You say I'm still that 'stupid kid' I used to be, but I promise you I'm not. You know nothing of my experiences and all I have learned. Zuko's going to execute you, and I'm going to let him do it. Your crimes are too great."

"Just kill me, please!" Jet looked at him, beseeching. "I saw you in the battle! You killed people—you killed countless people, millions even! I know what you did to Ba Sing Se! Kill me, please. I don't want to die by that skin-melted fucker's hands for a second time!"

"I'm not going to kill you," he replied, shaking his head in sadness. "You don't understand. Zuko and Iroh aren't responsible for your death—you are. We spoke with Smellerbee and Longshot; they told us what happened, the truth of the matter. You were all going to Ba Sing Se for a fresh start, but you—you—couldn't let go of your hatred for Fire, and when you met Zuko and Iroh and discovered that they were Firebenders, it consumed you. You were obsessed and attacked Zuko, who defended himself. Your actions led to your death. You need to stop blaming others for your own deeds. You will do nothing to Zuko and Iroh—I won't let you."

Jet stared at him in disgust. "And that's why you're a failure, Aang. Do you really think the Air Nomads feel good about you doing nothing to avenge their horrible deaths?"

Aang tilted his head, locking eyes with Jet's strange ones as he recalled the fact that he let his race's horrible murder happen—it was the hardest thing he ever did and ever would do. "My race died, Jet; they feel nothing about their deaths because they are at peace now."

"That's a stupid fucking rationalization!" Jet spat, spittle exploding past his curled-back lips. "I felt furious when I was dead! I wanted nothing more than to leave the Gardens of the Dead and wreak my vengeance on Fire! I wanted to live again! Vaatu rescued me, and I made sure that Fire paid for what they did!"

"And why do you hate Fire so much?"

"They murdered my parents! They took everything from me!"

Aang almost laughed but only felt tired. "Do you think your parents are proud of what you've done, killing and spreading destruction, in their names?"

Jet snarled, teeth gleaming. "Fuck you, Aang! You know nothing! Fire must die, and my plague will do it. They deserve it! Look at what they did to the world!"

"Look at what you've done to the world, Jet. Vaatu will destroy this world if he feels like it; he doesn't care about humans at all. The only human he cares about is Ozai, and that's it. Everybody else who follows him are tools that he manipulates to serve him."

"You lie! My plague was for the good of the world! Fire will die because of it!"

"Will it?" Aang questioned lightly, ignoring Jet's teeming emotions. "You couldn't infect Zuko, who's a master, born of a lineage with prestigious chis. If you couldn't, none of those you infected could, either. Fire won't die—they are beaten for now, but they will rebuild with Zuko leading them. Fire will survive—I assure it."

"No!"

"Yes. I will help oversee firebending's return."

"You're wrong," Jet hissed, adamantly shaking his head. "My plague will wipe out Fire forever- "

"Who knows more about energybending, Jet?"

"Fire will die! Vaatu promised me!"

"Vaatu's a liar- "

"Fire murdered my family!"

"And murdered mine," Aang pointed out, holding his insane gaze. "Is your loss greater than mine? Do you dare say it is?"

"But you're an Air Nomad!" Jet stammered. "You're different! You were a stupid fucking kid!"

"Your obsession led to your death, not Zuko or Iroh. Your plague changes none of it."

"You're wrong!" Jet howled, adamant.

Aang realized that he was wasting time and released Jet from his prison. "I'm not going to save you from your fate, but I can make it quick. Tell me what you know of Vaatu. Tell me everything that's happened. How are you alive? How did Vaatu pull your spirit into another's body? What about Hama? How is she younger? How was the Order slaughtered so meticulously? And most importantly, where are my daughter and mother-in-law?"

Jet was quiet for a long time before a hysterical laugh echoed. "I'm going to die—again."

"I've died many times," he consoled. "It's not hard. You will go the Gardens where you belong—you shouldn't be here. You need to go back, Jet. This is imbalance- "

"Can you really make it quick?"

"Yes," Aang promised and created a perch of ice for himself to sit on—and he made one for Jet, too. "What do you know?"

Jet's strange face spasmed before he relented and plopped onto the perch. "Vaatu showed up one day—one year, whatever it was—in the Gardens of the Dead. He said that he sensed my hatred and offered me a chance to live again, to get my revenge on Fire and I eagerly jumped at it. He said that my return required sacrifice, and I said I'd do anything. He gave me this body, a scribe who worked in the Caldera, and put my spirit in it. I commandeered this body, you could say."

"By energybending."

"Yes. The scribe had a family, a pregnant wife. Vaatu wanted me to kill her; he said that it was a test."

Aang's eyes shut painfully, wishing he was surprised. "You killed her?"

"At first, no," Jet said, surprising him. "I asked after you, demanding to know how you punished Fire for the Great War. I thought that you would destroy Fire when you realized how stupid you were as a kid and that while I would get a second life, I didn't need to destroy Fire because I thought you'd do it. But Vaatu showed me the truth of you—you were a recluse who didn't care about the world, least of all about Earth. If Earth was going to have revenge against their conquerors, Earth had to do it, Avatar be damned. And I did it. I understood what Vaatu meant. I went back and killed the scribe's wife; I strangled her. In reward, Vaatu gave me energybending and taught me how to use it; he introduced me to Agni, who showed me so much more, explaining to me how Fire chis worked—how firebending itself worked. With Agni's help, I created my plague. I tested it on myself."

He blinked in realization. "The scribe was a Firebender."

Jet smiled in gleeful triumph. "And his body still was after I commandeered it. After I got back from helping murder many of Sokka's followers here in the North—do you know about that?"

"Yes," he answered flatly.

"Good. And after hunting down the Order, stealing countless chis for my own, making me stronger and greater than anyone, I went back to the Caldera, where I infected my own chi with the plague, ready to fulfill my purpose. I was the first chi-stealer because of it, and when I snuffed out that damned inner flame and changed things, that was when I was finally able to master it." Aang shuddered at the implications but continued to listen. "It was impossibly hard to keep from spreading the plague, but I held on as long as I could, and it was worth it. Then I stole the scribe's identity just as Pia- Fire Lord Ozai apparently stole a swordsman's and worked as a scribe for the Dragon of the West while he was regent."

"Where you snuck into the Fire royal catacombs to steal Embers," Aang recalled. "Iroh wrote a letter explaining it."

Jet sneered. "I didn't do it for that fucking sword—that was a bonus. I did it so I could shit on Sozin's tomb and destroy it. The Dragon of the West stopped me."

"But you still unleashed your plague.'

"I still don't regret it." Jet leaned forward, eyes turning as cold as the prison they were in. "I'd unleash my plague again in a heartbeat. I'd do one against you specifically next time. Instead of a Fire-killing plague, I'd make an Avatar-killing plague."

Aang sighed, hiding his horror and anger. "I know. What about the Order?"

Jet smirked. "I'll be the first to admit I don't know everything, unlike you, but before I took that scribe's position in the Caldera, Ozai and I were given the location of each member of the Order. Vaatu would deposit us near the location, and Ozai and I would go in and slaughter everyone. They were always grouped together, and since I wasn't able to steal the chi energy of a master bender, I took the ones who weren't masters. Those were the big chis that changed everything for me. It made everything so much easier. But I couldn't get the masters—Ozai dealt with all of them, and the ones above them." Jet was sorrowful and regretful, hints of anger in his tone. "I'd never encountered such a powerful Firebender. I knew he was to be Vaatu's vessel, but I never imagined that it was Fire Lord Ozai."

"How did you know the location of the Order's members?" Aang demanded. "It was the most powerful organization in the world. But it was slaughtered down to fou- three members! How did it happen?"

"There was a man in the Order; he was the Sage of Earth, I believe."

"Kanan," the name flowed off Aang's lips smoothly, but he still couldn't picture the man.

Jet nodded. "Yes, that was his name. He felt what many people did on the continent—hating Fire's survival. I spoke with him on several occasions, and he complied with everything that Vaatu wanted. I thought that he would show more loyalty to his organization, but no. He was a worthy son of Devi. It pained me to kill him."

Aang didn't breathe but clenched his fists. "He's just like all the rest. It was betrayal from the inside. He gave Vaatu the location of every Order member, and you and Ozai attacked—and destroyed. But why not all of them? Why didn't you attack Bumi, Iroh, or Pakku?"

"Pi- Ozai wanted the Dragon of the West to be alive when it was all finished, and he promised me that I could kill him. Vaatu didn't want King Bumi's location revealed because he had promised Chin V revenge against him. And no one wanted to face Pakku in the Southern Water Tribe; he would have had too much of an advantage, even for one such as Ozai."

"Revenge against Bumi?" Aang blinked. "Chin V?"

"He's descended from Chin the Conqueror."

He almost groaned upon realizing that Chin V was the new Chin King Lonin's advisor warned about. "Of course. What did Bumi do to him?"

Jet shrugged. "Disfigured his face, from what I heard; it's an ugly sight."

"For Vaatu to promise something like that, Chin V must be valuable."

"He is. He's the most powerful Earthbender I've ever seen, including Toph."

Aang had a terrible feeling in his chest. "Did Vaatu promise Chin V revenge against Bumi if he taught Ozai earthbending? Is that it?"

"Yes, but he isn't just an Earthbender. He's also a Metalbender and Lavabender."

He inhaled sharply, realizing exactly who Chin V was—Bor's father, who raped Bumi's daughter, murdered Bumi's son, and maimed Bumi's legs with lava. "Everything's connected," he breathed. "I need to warn Bumi- "

"Too late," Jet notified, sounding almost regretful. "There were no Earthbenders for this invasion to the North, but make no mistake, there were probably one million Earthbenders under Ozai's employ, and Chin V was his general. While we all attacked the Northern Water Tribe, Chin V and his Earthbenders were to attack Ba Sing Se."

"No!" Aang stood to his feet and scrunched his face; he had failed again! Vaatu's attack wasn't a pincer attack but a three-pronged attack! Simultaneously, Vaatu attacked Fire with Jet's plague, attacked Ba Sing Se with Chin V's vengeance, and attacked the North with his invasion force! Vaatu blinded him, kept him in ignorance, and still forced him to choose which one to stop—and he had barely saved the North to begin with! Instead, he let Fire and Ba Sing Se be hit full force by Vaatu's schemes.

It was horrifyingly efficient.

As soon as he was through in the North, he vowed to immediately fly to Ba Sing Se—and he still needed to find Samir and Ursa! Feeling overwhelmed, Aang collapsed back onto the perch. "Bumi stopped it," he whispered, more to himself than Jet. "Bumi won—he always wins. Now what about Hama, Jet? Why is she younger? I knew her during the Great War; she was an old woman then."

"I don't know," Jet answered with a shrug. "I know she kept Ozai's condition stable after you cut off his arm, and she was his waterbending master."

"This is a nightmare," he muttered and rubbed an exhausted hand down his face. "And my daughter and mother-in-law?"

"I had no idea they were going to be taken. I can't help you there."

Aang grit his teeth but a thought appeared—he despised it! "You already have. Ozai has three elements and needs airbending—that's it. He has no airbending masters available to teach him. He needs an Airbender to teach him, but the only one who could truly teach him is me, which is impossible. He could use Indra, but he can't find Indra. But now he has an Airbender in his grasp, and he's going to destroy her." The cell shook from the force of his despair as he realized what Vaatu was going to do; his eyes misted with thick tears as he struggled to breathe. "Samir can't teach him anything; she's just started. But her body is an Airbender's, and he needs her body—like he needed that scribe's body. He's going to use Samir as a host."

"What?"

"A host!" he roared, fear and anger coursing through him as he almost staggered in horror. "As you took over that scribe's body, a dead Airbender will seize Samir's! The spirit itself couldn't use airbending; it would need an Airbender's body, and Samir is the only one in existence save myself! Vaatu will pull an Airbender out of the Gardens of the Dead, and input him into Samir's body. Then he has an airbending master to teach Ozai airbending! He's going to use my daughter!"

"That makes sense," Jet commented neutrally, seeming disinterested.

"Where are they?" Aang demanded, standing to his feet, looming over Jet—he would torture him if he had to! He had to save Samir! "You should have an idea where they'll go. I can't feel Vaatu himself, only his darkness in others. He hides from me, but if you know where Ozai and Vaatu will go, I'll be able to stop them both and save Samir and Ursa."

Jet sighed. "It won't be the same place; it was mentioned that they needed a new base during the trip to the North. Before the invasion of the North, we were in Chyung in Chin V's territory. I don't know where they are now."

"Guess," he commanded.

"Somewhere still in the old Colonies," Jet decided after a moment of thought. "It's always chaos there. I don't know, though. It could really be anywhere. Maybe even the fucking Fire Nation. My plague's left plenty of room because so many have already died—and many more will!"

Aang sighed. "You have it all worked out; you thought it through."

Jet looked insulted. "Of course, I did. I thought about nothing except Fire's extinction and those who would deny me it, which means you, Aang."

"Thank you for the answers," he replied and stood to his feet and nodded; he walked towards the door and opened a doorway to walk through with his waterbending.

"Aang?"

He slowly turned around. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry that you lost your daughter and… mother-in-law, but I don't regret my plague at all." Jet's eyes were hard, uncompromising. "Know that—fucking know it for your thousand-year lifespan. Vaatu gave me the means to destroy Fire, and I did what I had to. I would do it again—I will. You're too weak to do what needs to be done, and that's why you lost your daughter and mother-in-law. They're probably dead—I hope they are. Maybe now you'll finally use your power to destroy those responsible as you should have done with Fire. Maybe you won't need someone like me to fix your mistakes this time."

Aang turned back around and exited the cell; he passed Zuko who, unsurprisingly, was waiting.

"Did he tell you everything?"

"It's worse than I thought," he whispered, frozen in panic. "Of course, it's worse than I thought! This is a nightmare."

Zuko placed a steady hand on his shoulder. "We'll get Samir and my mother back, and we'll stop Father and Vaatu."

Aang scrubbed his face raw and stared at Zuko. "I promised him that I could make his death quick if he revealed everything. He revealed everything. I won't force you to make it quick- "

"I'll accept those terms," Zuko said, not looking happy—but he also didn't look angry. "I want it over with. Leave the torture to Azula—I prefer action. My duty as Fire Lord calls for nothing less."

He closed his eyes and turned away. "He's all yours."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Zuko re-entered the cell and stared at Jet, still trying to triumph over his shock over the revelation of whom 'Lee' actually was. A lot more of the words exchanged between them made sense, and he wondered briefly how he was going to explain this all to Katara. Should he even tell her? Should she know about Jet's continued existence? Should she know about his innumerable crimes?

He could not answer those questions yet.

"It was always going to end this way," he greeted, staring at Jet hard. "Surely you always knew."

Jet glared at him. "Fuck you. It doesn't matter—I win. I made your race and firebending die out. My plague is my legacy. Yours is one of failure and death just like Fire."

"I'm glad that I did not turn out like you. I could have, but I didn't—because I am stronger than you," Zuko pointed out, smiling thinly. "I conquered my consuming hatred, but you fell prey to it because you are weak."

"Weak? I am stronger than your kind, Fire Lord!" Jet stepped forward, and Zuko watched with what he hoped was a similar expression of boredom that Azula often donned. "I have decimated your race! I have gotten my revenge, and there is nothing that you or anyone can do to fix it! Not even Katara's healing hands could do it!"

"You're wrong." His tone darkened at Jet's mention of Katara; that fucking bastard did not have the privilege to speak her name! "Aang is The Avatar, and this falls under his domain; he will fix what you have wrought. I'll make sure of it."

"You'll do nothing but watch Fire die!"

"What's ironic is that you hate Fire, but you always had Fire in you," Zuko said, unable to keep his grim amusement from his voice. "You're a half-spawn—or less than that. You have some Fire in you. It's obvious. Both Uncle and I thought so- "

"You thought wrong!" Jet howled in mania and rushed at him, furious, frothing from his mouth.

Zuko was ready; he whipped out one of his swords in the blink of an eye and side-stepped Jet, and in a smooth motion, decapitated him. The forced hitch of choked breath reached his ears, and he watched unblinkingly as Jet slackened and toppled forward; his head unevenly rolled away, a trail of blood staining the ice.

He punched his fist forward, and the body was engulfed in flames; he stepped around it, ignoring the sound of boiling blood, and picked up the head. The face was permanently etched with that consuming hatred, eyes wide and lips parted. Zuko gripped it in his hands and held it away from himself; he spewed fire from his lips and dropped the head, staring as flesh and eyes were melted and bones were blackened. This time, there would be no regeneration from a killing blow.

Satisfied, he exited the cell and motioned for the guards to shut it. Aang stared at him distantly. "It's done?"

"It's done," he confirmed in relief and the guards left after the cell was sealed. "I've avenged my race."

He did his rightful duty as Fire Lord.

Aang sighed, face sorrowful in lament. "I wish he chose differently."

"He was always going to do it," he pointed out. "It's his nature. He couldn't change. He did all of this on his own; he is responsible, not you. You have a terrible habit of blaming yourself for things that are out of your control."

"Because I'm The Avatar," Aang muttered, lips quirking in strange, exhausted amusement. "I had no idea he was capable of this. I should have known—I should have seen this." Aang slid down the ice wall until he was sitting. Zuko sat next to him. "If I can see the future and have all this power, what's the use? I continuously fail. No matter what I do, it's not good enough. I thought I was beating Vaatu, finally having an advantage over him, and he unleashed these attacks all at once, devastating the world and me. It's exhausting."

"You may hold all of the power in the world as The Avatar, but you can't do everything." He placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "You couldn't have known about Jet; you couldn't have known about Vaatu's plans. You can't stop all the bad going to happen. You can't save everyone, Aang. Some people are too far gone. Jet was one of those few people, and my father is certainly above him on that list. No matter what you say or do, they will never change from their evil ways. It becomes a crime to those who are redeemable to keep those monsters alive; they are better off dead."

Aang's eyes shut. "Is everybody too far gone who appear that way?"

"No." He shook his head adamantly for emphasis and squeezed Aang's shoulder. "Look at me, for example. For a long time, I thought I was too far gone, but I really wasn't. All I needed was to realize a few things—and a push in the right direction. That's how it is for most people, regardless if Fire, Earth, Water, or Air. Look at Azula. Everybody kept telling me that she was irredeemably evil, and on my worst days, I even believed them. I visited her every day for eight years, and while progress was made, it wasn't enough." Zuko turned to fully face Aang, staring at him. "It wasn't until she ran into you when she truly changed for the better; you saved her Aang. You proved that she wasn't too far gone. Now you are married to her, and she adores you more than I ever thought that she could feel for someone. You did that. Not me, not Mother, not anyone but you. All these people under Vaatu's control, most of them are not too far gone, either. It's only a special breed like Jet and my father who are irredeemable."

"You're right," Aang whispered, swallowing as he leaned his head back to the ice wall. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"You're drowning—that's what's happening. So much has happened these past weeks, and none of it good. Your daughter and my mother were taken by Vaatu, the biggest monster in the world. You have also learned so much these past weeks and they, too, weren't good."

"Jet told me how the Order was slaughtered so easily."

Zuko's eyes widened in surprise. "How?"

"The Earth Sage, Kanan, hated Fire and hated me for sparing Fire."

"Of course," Zuko muttered and pinched his nose. "The recurring theme—it's universal, it seems. That was Jet's reason, too. It's everyone's reason."

"Yes."

Zuko watched Aang for several moments before nodding slowly. "How did Jet come back? How did Vaatu do it? I know you know."

Aang swung his head to face him, face distant. "The means were energybending, I suspect, but the end was stealing Jet's spirit out of the Gardens of the Dead and placing it into a Fire scribe's body."

"What?" he asked, incredulous, though he absorbed it with a strange sense of fascination. "That's possible?"

"Yes," Aang confirmed with a seriousness in his voice that terrified Zuko; there was a dead look in Aang's gray eyes. "It's what Vaatu's going to do to Samir. She will be his host for a dead airbending master who can teach Ozai airbending."

Zuko's breathing shuddered as he thought of such a fate for his wonderful, innocent, loving niece. "We're going to stop that from happening. We have to! How can you find her, Aang?"

"I already tried- "

"Think harder," he encouraged. "There has to be something. You said you're going to Wan Shi Tong, right? Maybe Wan Shi Tong will- "

Aang straightened in what looked like a painful rush; there was sudden hope on his face. "Indra," he breathed. "I was going to ask Wan Shi Tong where Indra is, willing to make that bargain. I have to at this point. But if I get to Indra, she can tell me where Samir is, which will tell me where Vaatu and Ozai are. I can rescue her and Ursa and plan a large assault against Vaatu and Ozai."

Zuko felt his pulse accelerate at such a thought. "Then we need to do that."

"Just have to finish up here in the North," Aang whispered as he stood to his feet; Zuko followed him. "We need to go back to Ba Sing Se and talk to Bumi; he just faced an invasion by Chin V."

"What?"

"The new Chin, remember?"

"Right," he said slowly, stunned, recalling King Lonin's advisor who proclaimed the strength of the new Chin who would sweep across the continent. "Ba Sing Se was invaded?"

"A three-pronged attack, according to Lee. We thought Vaatu's strategy was a pincer attack, but we missed an attack, unaware of it. It was a three-pronged attack—Fire, Earth, and Water."

Zuko blinked in realization. "Fire with Jet's plague, Earth with Chin V's invasion, and Water with the North's invasion. He hit all the Races."

Aang snorted. "To go along with Air's murder 110 years ago."

"He thought it all through- "

"We're thinking it through now," Aang promised. "We have a plan. If we get Indra, we can win. Then we can rescue Sokka from his doomed endeavor."

Zuko had forgotten that detail and hissed as he closed his eyes. "We need to work fast."

Aang's gray eyes brightened slightly. "Airbender-fast. We leave the North after ensuring its stability. Start packing."

XxXxXxXxXxX

She was trapped—because Samir was trapped. It would be effortless for her to escape and walk out Ozai's tent, kill his guards, and flee, but Samir being with her changed things fundamentally; it ensured she would never take any risk. Ozai had been remarkably lenient and generous in letting Samir walk around wherever she wished in the tent, only restrained by a chain around her waist, connected to the wall. Anything to jeopardize it was unacceptable. It was the single reason she refused to destroy Samir's chain or to try to sabotage it subtly because she knew Ozai was capable of punishing Samir for it.

Thus far, Samir had been fed, and while chained to the wall just as Ursa herself was, had a shocking amount of freedom where she could move her arms and walk around anywhere she wished inside the tent, even getting close to the ingress if she wanted; it was the chain around her waist that kept her in the vicinity. However, Ursa refused to antagonize or attempt to refuse Ozai, not that she was capable of refusing him, because she knew she had no allies. Ozai's former mistress, the Waterbender, possessed a clear hatred for her, attracted to Ozai, possibly on her way to loving him—there would be no aid from her. She had no means of escape.

She could not risk anything, not with Samir present—it was unacceptable!

Thus, she made no attempts, choosing to bide her time and hope Avatar Aang and Azula would find them—it was their only hope.

"I don't like this game," Samir whined, holding her chin in her hands. "Grandma, let's do something else. Why can't we leave?"

Ursa picked up the card from the ground and replaced it with another—she had not resorted to such tricks since she was a child trying to obtain money to help her sick mother, but it was powerfully useful to know now. "Which one, Samir?"

"I don't wanna play anymore. It's not fun."

"Not everything can be fun."

Samir crossed her arms. "You sound like Mommy."

Ursa smiled. "I am your mother's mother."

"When will we see Mommy again?"

"Soon," she vowed with strength and conviction. "Your father and mother search for us."

Samir's smile was desperate, on the verge of breaking; it broke Ursa's heart. "And Uncle Zuzu, too?"

"And he, as well," she confirmed. "We will not be here much longer. However, we can make it fun."

"Nothing's fun without Daddy," Samir muttered, seeming to huddle in on herself.

Ursa placed the cards on the table between them, trying to think of activities to ensure distraction. "Do you want to hear a story?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Are you sure?" she challenged. "I can tell you many more things than your mother can."

Samir stared up at her, gray eyes blinking before something scared crossed her face. "Why is Grandpa so mean?"

Ursa's heart dropped to her stomach as she cleared her throat, trying to control her emotions; she failed, according to her trembling fingers. "I am sorry—so sorry—that you only know him as this. When I met him, when we were so happy, he was different; he was himself. Your grandfather looks at the world and sees something different than your father and mother see; they are on different sides. Does that make sense?"

"But a daddy has to be on the same side as his babies!" Samir protested in confusion. "Mommy is Grandpa's baby."

"I know," she soothed, mainly for her own benefit; she was not ready for such a conversation, but would she ever be ready? "We all make choices, Samir—everyone does. Our choices lead to the events in our lives. I am so sorry this is an event you will remember forever. Your grandfather is a powerful man; he sees the world as his to take; his ambition is with every breath he breathes. He is a great man, and I once knew the good man therein. I hope I will see him again."

Samir's face scrunched. "He looks like Uncle Zuzu."

"I know."

"But why doesn't he be nice like Uncle Zuzu?"

"He can be—he was often nice. But I made decisions that hurt him, and he made decisions that hurt me. It is hard, and I am sorry it is hard."

Samir's head tilted. "What happened?"

How could she possibly explain something so long and convoluted to a child? "Too many things," Ursa answered, thinking of all the mistakes made—and still experiencing as a result. "We made promises to each other that neither of us could keep. We were young—so young. Perhaps too young. We hurt each other, Samir. You do not mean to, but it happens all the same. Have you ever hurt anyone without meaning to?"

"Uh-huh," Samir said softly, bowing her head.

Ursa spared Samir from explanation and smiled—or tried to. "It hurts, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"You feel guilty."

"Uh-huh."

"You do not like what you did."

"Uh-huh."

"And you do not like what the other did."

"Uh-huh."

"You did not mean for it to happen, but it happened because you missed something; you lacked insight and foresight. That is what happened with your grandfather and I, Samir. We did things to each other that we wish we never did; we wish we made better choices; we wish we could be how we were before, but too much has happened, and that is why your grandfather is 'mean.' Does that make sense?"

Samir crossed her arms, huffing in annoyance. "But he should like me, Grandma. Everybody likes me."

Ursa laughed and was relieved when Samir giggled with her. She shuffled by the table's edge and crouched in front of Samir, brushing her hair away, making her beautiful gray eyes more vivid. "Indeed. Perhaps he will. Ozai is capable of great surprises. He may surprise us."

She hoped he did.

"Would Uncle Zuzu look like Grandpa without his scar?"

A surge of pain withered her, but she nodded. "Even more so, I suspect."

"Was he born with it?"

Ursa hoped her face did not betray her thoughts. "Was he born with his beard?"

Samir giggled. "No! That's silly! Babies are bald on their faces!"

She pinched Samir's nose lightly. "He was not born with his scar, either. It was a training accident."

"Oh," Samir said, nodding her head, not sensing the bold lie at all, which was a powerful relief. "It must've hurt."

Such a thought had stolen many nights of sleep from her. "Yes. But your uncle is strong."

"Is Grandpa strong?"

Ursa nodded, seeing no point in lying. "He is."

Samir fiddled with her fingers, looking down. "Is he strong enough to beat Daddy?"

"No," she answered instantly, surprised by the question but unsure why. "Your father is the strongest man in the world. Even Ozai admits it."

For now, until he became his own Avatar.

"Why does he hate Daddy?"

Ursa had hoped that Samir had not registered such a prominent fact, but that would be asking too much—unfortunately. "He has his reasons for disliking him, and your father has his reasons for disliking Ozai. They were on opposite sides during the Great War; theirs is a rivalry that could never be resolved."

Samir blinked. "What's that mean?"

"It was always going to happen," she said instead, convinced of it. "Your father and grandfather each believe in his cause. It is one of the many admirable traits about both. I dare say that your mother loves your father precisely because of it—and other things."

"Mommy really loves Daddy," Samir said like it was the only thing that made sense to her, and Ursa supposed it was understandable in such a scenario. "Is that why you love Grandpa?"

Ursa tensed, lips parting in surprise before she recovered. "Why do you think I love Grandpa?"

Samir stared at her, confused. "Because you married him. He's Mommy and Uncle Zuzu's daddy, and you're Mommy and Uncle Zuzu's mommy. You look at him like Mommy looks at Daddy."

She was unaware that Samir had been paying such close attention, but she inhaled slowly and nodded. "Yes, I love your grandfather. His sense of will is extraordinary—it always has been. He is a flame to which I am drawn."

"Why?" she asked innocently, blinking in curiosity. "Mommy says that Daddy makes her feel good. Is it like that?"

Ursa hoped—hoped truly!—that Azula possessed enough restraint to refer simply to feeling good emotionally instead off physically and sexually. "It is. Your grandfather and I always trusted each other. It was a good feeling."

Samir looked confused. "You love him just for that?"

Ursa shook her head on instinct but hesitated on what else to share with Samir; she wanted to distract her from the situation but also knew that there were many things unacceptable to share. "He made me happy," she whispered. "I was never happier in my life than with him. He was the first real family I had."

She, Ozai, and Azulon had formed a family for those years, the fondest of her memory. It was all the more distressing to know forever that she was that family's destroyer through her simultaneous naivety and incompetence.

Such was her shame for all her life.

"Ahh, okay," Samir chirped, nodding like everything made sense. "You make me happy, Grandma. I love you, too."

Ursa swallowed and pulled Samir against her in a hug, ignoring the chain wrapped around Samir's waist. "I love you, Samir," she whispered. "I love you powerfully. You bring me such joy. Never doubt that I will protect you, okay?"

"Okay."

Before she could say anything else, footsteps—familiar footsteps—approached from outside the tent.

Ursa looked up at Ozai when he entered the tent and knew instantly his intentions at the look on his face; it stirred heat inside her, for her body still yearned for his as she loved being with him—she always had and still did. It had been the only enjoyable aspect of being kidnapped and held against her will by threats against Samir. But that was a lie—Samir did not singularly hold her back. It was Ozai, as well, who held her back; he possessed her heart, which was not a thing easily recaptured.

She still loved him and would, inevitably, surrender her body to him in desire.

How she still desired him as she always had!

"You need to go to your room, okay?" she whispered to Samir, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Samir looked at Ozai, and her apparent fascination with the resemblance to Zuko had ended; she looked scared. "Why can't we go home, Grandpa? I miss Mommy."

Before Ozai could crush Samir's hopes, Ursa smiled, warning Ozai with a deadly look to remain silent, which he did. She combed her fingers through Samir's hair. "We will go home, but we cannot now, okay? We have to be here a little longer."

"But why?" Samir whined with an exhausted pout. "I don't like it here! I want Daddy! Grandpa, please? Can't you take us home?"

"This is your new home," Ozai said like it was a demand. "Accept it."

Ursa glared at him before soothing Samir's distress. "It will not be much longer."

Ozai stepped closer, face imposing and harsh—how she hated the sight of it because she knew that he was capable of touching kindness! "Go to your room—now."

Samir sniffed and scurried into her makeshift 'room,' nothing more than four walls of stone that Ozai had erected to reach the tent's height, granting a semblance of privacy. Ozai, without his earthbending, rolled the stone across the doorway with his impressive strength, leaving only the slightest opening for Samir's chain to fit through.

Ursa opened her mouth to curse him, but he took her mouth with his—and she surrendered. There was no thought of restraint at his touch; there was no thought of denial; there was no thought of resistance; there was no thought of rejection. She wanted it as much as he did, conveyed by his familiar appendage swelling against her.

They undressed quickly, the result of much practice with the other, and joined on the bed, where they reached the conclusion of their shared desire, knowing how to satisfy each other. It was a quiet performance from them both, though she knew it was not a result of dissatisfaction. Ozai had always been quiet, and while she had usually filled the void for them both, she did not want Samir to hear anything suspicious or revealing and kept her sighs and moans as quiet as she could, but there were some key moments when her pleasure took more volume than she wanted.

Their bodies rocked together, producing sound, and she loved the rhythm—loved what it inspired and touched inside her—she was the recipient of measured affections with each thrust. For the moment, they were together again—as they should be. No longer were they separated by years of betrayal and distrust; they were not separated by disparate loyalties; they were not separated by grueling mistakes and judgments; they were not separated by differing paths; they were not separated by their children; and they were not separated by their mere existences, one a rebel and the other a follower.

For once, they were in union again; they were married again—as they should be.

The recurring dance increased its rhythm, something familiar but enticing—because she knew what was imminent, felt it rising inside her, beckoned by Ozai's delicious warmth, pulsing like a heart with each thrust. They grasped at each other, clawing, lips moving, teeth marking, and tongue soothing, rolling over each other like the waves on Ember Island, where they spent their honeymoon after they were married—and years henceforth, where they relived their powerful memories.

They knew each other's bodies, knew which point to hit, which rhythm to stretch, when to move, when to arc, when to slow down, when to accelerate, when to pause, when to begin again—and doing it over and over again.

Ursa panted in pleasure, trying desperately to swallow her moans to as they caressed each other, but as the familiar, sweeping warmth, deep inside her, rose to the surface, impossible to stop, she did the only thing she could—she sank her teeth into Ozai's shoulder, muffling her deep, loud moan into a strange hum as the pleasure stunned her, shocking her like lightning cast by Agni himself.

In response, Ozai increased his pace with a rapid intensity, making Ursa dizzy from the pulsating pleasure that almost became painful, overwhelming her—it was nearly too much. However, it ended swiftly when she felt Ozai empty his seed into her and heard his rough exhale of breath.

He laid on top of her for a long time, one hand in her hair and the other stretched between her legs. She bore his weight as long as she could before she patted on his side, a long-held signal between them, to which Ozai rolled over. She rolled with him until she was raised on her side and felt only flattered amusement—as always—when Ozai's eyes latched onto her breasts.

She brushed the bloody teeth marks on his shoulder with her fingers and tasted his blood in her mouth, on her tongue; she hated it. "I bit you," she whispered, amazed. "We are still capable of firsts."

Ozai smirked and raised a water-coated hand, which took on a blue hue, to his shoulder; after several moments, he lowered his hand, revealing healed skin—like the mark never happened. "That we are, Ursa," he agreed softly, stroking her back with his fingers. "We are capable of anything—we will achieve everything."

"We achieved too much already," Ursa pointed out, relaxing into his embrace and closing her eyes; it felt like they were back years ago when everything was brilliant and promising. "Let us leave the achieving to others."

"They are not worthy of it; we are." Ozai brushed his lips against her hair. "There is so much to do. Do you remember the promises we made to each other?"

Ursa smiled against his shoulder. "We made many."

"And meant even more," he breathed, golden eyes bright with ambition and promise; she loved his eyes, so beautiful and memorable, and she loved them even more when they were bright with his powerful, moving dreams. "We said no one would stop us from heralding a brighter age, and no one can. Can you see it, Ursa? I see the world before us, ours to make as we will; we will make the world ours, like we promised. We have been together already a month and longer—it is glorious. It is the beginning of seeing our promises manifest- "

Ursa swallowed. "We were children then; we understood little of the world."

Ozai did not appear to hear her, one arm rising, hand beginning to point to and draw images only he could see. "It will all work. Vaatu is on our side; he loves me, and because I love you, he loves you, as well."

She squeezed her eyes shut. "Stop. Keep the peace."

"When has that ever been my nature?" he asked quietly. "You know me better than that—you love me better than that. Peace is something that only happens by force. Peace is not natural with what we are. Look at the Races—we are chaotic and descend into worthlessness. It is our impulse that overrides our instinct—shameful. Only force, born of power, makes peace. The Avatar made the world by force, and he is the ultimate power across the Realms, even more than Agni. You think the world has always been this way? You think all these systems, structures, and beliefs, embedded deeply in everything we do, were always here?"

"No."

Ozai's lips stretched in a slow smile. "Right. They were enforced on the world, and those who dissented were killed. The Avatar made the world, slaughtered all who challenged his tyranny, and this is the result, Ursa—look with clear eyes. The Avatar is the Balance-Keeper, but there is no one who does more to destroy balance than The Avatar. He destroyed the world to remake it in his image; he does it in every lifetime. In every generation, we rise against him, trying to return the world to its natural state, but he smites us each time—but not this time. I will smite him instead as the heir to all those he slighted across his reign."

She flinched and shook her head, trying to defend, not only her son, but her grandfather. "Ozai, no—stop. The Avatar makes mistakes- "

"He is not entitled to make them, and more importantly, we are not entitled to accept them. Who makes bigger mistakes than The Avatar? Whose mistakes destroy the world? Who is so immersed in how we live our lives, impacting everything we do?" Ozai's grip on her body tightened in protection, like he believed Avatar Aang would appear and destroy and sought to spare her. "He does not deserve the power—he deserves extinction. All this chaos happening now is because of him. You think it is because of Vaatu, but- "

"It is because of him," she said firmly, unwilling to hear such a lie. "All this only happened when he escaped from the Tree of Time—that is no coincidence."

Ozai's golden eyes glimmered as he smiled down at her, pleased. "You are informed."

"Do not speak your lies to me," Ursa muttered, looking away. "I bear much of you, and I will bear more, but I refuse to take your lies."

"I bet The Avatar did not tell you the whole story," Ozai whispered, fingers dancing across her back; she cherished the touch. "Yes, Vaatu's escape and dealings before his escape unleashed many things- "

"Many evil things."

"- but what The Avatar did not tell you is that it was all building to it; it was fermenting for countless generations since he imprisoned Vaatu, growing and growing until the only possibility was its eruption—exactly as how it happened."

Ursa hesitated and glanced at him, seeing the honesty on his face—he believed what he said, at the least. "What do you mean?"

Ozai smirked in triumph, born of arrogance and strength, and she should hate the sight of his smirk, but she loved the sight of it; she almost kissed him for making the expression. "The end result of The Avatar was always this. Vaatu was always going to rise—it is right that he rises. Vaatu has chosen me to lead us into a greater age, where things are actively possible, unlike now where we are stuck in the cycle of The Avatar's tyranny. The Avatar is unsustainable; he has proven over his lifetimes that he is unsustainable, unleashing catastrophes that devastate the Races. The Avatar has silenced Vaatu for over 9,000 years, keeping him in the margins, never letting him have a say—when Vaatu must have a say. It is exactly what happened to me. When I should have had a say, The Avatar cast me aside to be forgotten and overlooked, which solves nothing—The Avatar knows it. He does it on purpose to produce destruction, death, and confusion, over which he is master. He ensures all the chaos brews, ferments, and festers—all so he can appear our savior when he wipes it away. But we see through his deceptions; we see through his tricks." His golden eyes held her in place with a mystifying power. "Do you think this is all random? No, Ursa—it is all connected. You think these events are born of now, but they are born of then thousands of years ago, having their roots then. This is only the surface. You think this is a fight on the surface, but it is below—deep below. You think this is new, but it is ancient; it is a simple continuance of what has come before, what has happened already. All this chaos and these disasters have happened before; many men and women were slaughtered as they have been now, powerless to see and understand anything that was going on, as they lacked insight into the roots. But what is the one constant across the ages, across the generations, where men live and die with no memory of any life but one? Who is aware always of the roots but does nothing to change the poison that he put there to destroy the roots, remaking the world in his image?"

Ursa's heartbeat accelerated as she swallowed. "The Avatar."

"He ensured this would all happen with his tyranny," Ozai whispered, staring down at her. "If The Avatar did his job, none of this would have happened—there would never be the incessant degeneration the Races undergo. He wanted this to happen—it is the only conclusion. All the imbalance is his fault, not Vaatu's. Vaatu seeks to fix the imbalance- "

"Vaatu is why the Great War happened," she hissed, trying to control her volume as she did not want Samir to hear, but she was failing. "He put everything in motion!"

"All to save the Realms. He felt and saw The Avatar's impact and hated it; he knew the only way to ensure The Avatar faced him to pay for his crimes is by planting the Great War. The Avatar is a failure, Ursa. All of this chaos, stretching back to all past generations, is a condemnation against his reign—a direct challenge to his tyranny. We are sick of him; we despise him—and we will be rewarded for it when we destroy him."

She shuddered against him and bowed her face against his chest. "Speak of something else," she pleaded, heartbroken that there was no rationale that could convince him he was wrong; he believed in his conviction—it was obvious.

Ozai stretched, bent down, and pressed his lips to her cheek before moving to her ear. "Anything. Have your desire."

"I want us to be a family again."

Silence.

Ursa looked up and saw the blank expression she feared would be there. "That is not possible," he intoned at last. "Too much has happened."

She cradled his bearded face with her hands and kissed the top of his cheek before moving to his forehead, down to his lips. "Do you miss it?" she breathed, tasting the tears on her lips—and ensuring he tasted them, as well. "Do you miss us?"

Ozai's hands clasped hers, holding them close; his golden eyes peered into hers, intense and probing. "Every day."

"Do you miss them?"

"I miss my plans for them," he whispered, closing his eyes. "They are not what I expected—they never were. I never wanted them for my children."

Ursa held her forehead against his, breathing him in—knowing that she would not have much longer to. "They were hard to raise," she agreed. "But they were wonderful and worth it—they still are."

"They will kill me."

She flinched at his flat observation, but his gaze held her in place as she curled her fingers into his hair for support. "I know."

"I must kill them."

"If you loved them as I do, you would never raise a hand to them."

Ozai was quiet for several moments, considering, before his deep sigh passed out of him—and into her. "I do not love them as you do."

Ursa laughed slightly, but she felt its born hysteria. "So, you do love them? You maim our son's face, break our daughter's mind, and kill our daughter, and you love them."

His grip tightened briefly before it relaxed; his face was shadowed. "I never meant to kill her—you know that. You must know that. She jumped in front of The Avatar."

"I know," she whispered, fingers curling into his hair—hard. Her nails dug into his skull, but he did not flinch. "But how could you maim our beautiful boy? Azula made you kill her—I understand that. I even understand how Azula's mind broke because she was never suited for that life in the long-term—I knew it long ago. I understand her mind breaking, and I understand you killing her—I understand those, and I think my understanding is generous. But I will never understand you marking Zuko forever. No one made you do it."

Ozai's golden eyes were dim but resolute. "I was frustrated," he admitted. "I was tired—I was tired of dealing with him. His failure drew me away from what I needed to do. I was Fire Lord, and because you were not there, I had to also be Fire Lady."

Her eyes widened in outrage. "Never blame me for- "

"It is an observation," Ozai interrupted, voice flat. "It is what happened. I had to hold two positions—and be a father and mother to two children who were maddening to raise on their best days, even Azula."

Ursa shook her head. "No, that is not enough—it is never enough. I know they were hard, but 'hard' does not equal maiming Zuko's face!"

"He made the Agni Kai happen with his foolishness," he recounted, sounding far away, looking to his memories. "He broke sacred tradition in the war room in the presence of all my top generals, admirals, and advisors, which was an insult to me and the Dragon's Throne, and with everyone presence, I had to act, lest rumors of weakness abound. His flagrant disrespect was unacceptable, particularly with the context of those present; he insulted one of my generals- "

Ursa glared at him. "Which one?"

"General Rao."

"You hated General Rao!" she exclaimed, unable to believe her ears.

Ozai's face darkened. "He had his uses, but Zuko's disrespect and breaking of tradition were too much. There needed to be an Agni Kai. You know if I did not arrange Agni Kai, the nobles would be dissatisfied—they may have sought my downfall, sensing weakness and smelling blood. And you know that by sparing Zuko from an Agni Kai, from participating in it, it would reveal on my part a doubt in his capabilities, which would make everyone think I thought Zuko was weak, which is unacceptable; it would make him a target of assassination by the nobles, who would arrange for one of their sons to marry Azula, the only heir left, giving him the Dragon's Throne upon my death."

Ursa's eyes closed as she understood the context, and she knew how Ozai's mind worked; once he put the pieces together, he would act to facilitate it, for he was duty-bound as Fire Lord. "Because it was in your war room, it was you he had to fight."

"He refused to," Ozai whispered, sounding frustrated, even over thirteen years later after the event. "He needed to. By refusing, he shamed himself, which reflected on me. All the nobility were in attendance—all of them. My position as Fire Lord was precarious already since Iroh was favored by many of the old guard, and I only had one son to my name—the son I had to fight an Agni Kai against. His refusal made him a source of ridicule to the nobility; they would never forget his weakness, his confirmation as an honor-less stain, which would provoke conspiracies to assassinate him. They knew I would never remarry; they knew the only son I would ever have to my name is Zuko. But what if they took away that son? All that remained is Azula, whom they would present as an eligible bride for one of their power-hungry sons or brothers or cousins—or whomever. This was delicate, Ursa. There were many factors at play. I needed him to fight the Agni Kai; I wanted him to—it was the only way. Once he fought me, proved his strength and worth to all the nobility watching, they would accept him as my heir, and all would be well. Do you think I would have actually fought him in that Agni Kai with all the fire in my spirit and strength in my limbs? No, I would have sparred against him, testing him, for several minutes before I called an end to the Agni Kai, declaring that Prince Zuko had proven his strength not only as a son of Agni but as my son. It was to be a cause for celebration—I had it all worked out beforehand. It was solving many issues with one event, reaffirming my line's claim to the Dragon's Throne and preparing Zuko for his inevitable ascension. But then he refused to fight, miring himself in dishonor, and ruined everything. The only choice I had was to punish him—all the nobility was watching and judging. The nobility is beholden to me, yes, but when they had another candidate in Iroh right there, I had to consider them in my actions. It was the only choice I had. I had to mark him. I was supposed to kill him, as an Agni Kai demands, but I refused it; instead, I marked him. Then I banished him to save his life. If I did not banish him and impose on him such a harsh, unthinkable, impossible sentence as capturing The Avatar, he would have been assassinated by the some of the scheming nobles by sundown the next day—we both know it. You know how the nobles are and their methods. After banishing him, my intention was for him to return years later, perhaps after the War's end. I anticipated Iroh continuing Zuko's training, strengthening his firebending until he was a worthy Firebender, and upon his return, I thought I would spin some tale for the public and, more importantly, for the nobility about how Zuko achieved greatness in his search, slew The Avatar, and helped end the War, bringing total victory to Fire. My intention was for him to always come home. It was not until he betrayed us at the North with Iroh that he became a traitor. However, I hoped by branding him a traitor, it would provoke his power, provoke the rebellion I knew he was capable of as my son—like I did to Father. It would make him strong, at which I succeeded—I did make him strong. I succeeded—he rebelled against me but not in any way I imagined. That is what happened, Ursa."

Ursa was speechless—deprived of any instinct for speech for possibly the first time in her life. Ever since she heard of what happened between Zuko and Ozai, she always knew there was so much more to the story than what she was told, more than what Zuko ever understood and recounted to her, but anything she imagined had failed to match the reality of it. For once in her life, she failed to see the politics of the court and Fire's nobility; she only saw the emotional side to it, blinding her. If she had been of a clear, sound mind about it, she would have realized the depths of the situation and would have explained it to Zuko, who could have possibly reached peace and understanding with Ozai while Ozai was locked away after she returned from her banishment.

However, such insight about the situation could only come from the Fire Lord, who sat in such a position—only Ozai could have that insight because she left after killing Azulon, refusing the position of Fire Lady, declining to share the burden with Ozai. Zuko would never have the insight because he was too close to it, despite being the current Fire Lord and could come the closest to understanding it; Iroh would never have the insight because he always quite lousy at politics, never caring for it; and Azula would never understand it because she was too young when it happened and considered her conception of the situation complete.

But now Ursa, for the first time, knew—knew truly!—what happened.

Tears streamed down her face as she saw the obvious. "You should have coached him beforehand!" she exclaimed. "You should have prepared him for what he needed to do!"

Ozai nodded, face distant, eyes dim. "Yes—that was my failure. I overestimated him—like I always did, until I did not. However, there was no time to coach him as the Agni Kai happened the night of that very day." His gaze sharpened with a sudden intensity. "You think that day did not destroy me, as well? I lost my heir that day! Yes, he was pathetic and weak, but he was still my heir—he was my son; he was all I had. I have always wanted him to succeed, but I never thought him capable of succeeding. I am proud I was wrong, but I despise the method he chooses to stand against me. I would rather he assassinate me than bend his knee to The Avatar. Whether you believe me or not, I love him in my own way. He is a strong Fire Lord; he is a worthy one. I dare say he is more beloved than I ever was. The public hated me, resenting my betrayal of Iroh's birthright, but the nobility loved me—that was the difference. With Zuko, it is the opposite—it has been always. I admire his hatred for the nobility, as he embodies Fire's aspect all the more because of it, holding Power, making the nobility beholden to him and his will, instead of being beholden to the nobility. That was the different between us. I chose to answer to the nobility, knowing of the consequences otherwise, while he rejected the nobility and embraced the consequences. Zuko is a great man—I never thought it possible with his extensive early struggles. His only weakness is his subservience to The Avatar. However, I still lost him—everything I ever wanted for him, he squandered, until it was too late, and we were cast on other sides. I lost my heir, and I had no heir—I never had an heir, not a real one. It was only my strength of will and power that preserved my life on the Dragon's Throne from the scheming nobles, who saw I had no heir and coveted the power and prestige of my lineage. I knew Azula would never last on the Dragon's Throne—I knew it. She was never a real heir. Akemi's legacy is not so easily forgotten, and I saw the same weakness you saw in Azula as she aged—it was clear to me she would fail. She was unacceptable."

Ursa swallowed. "Yet you put her on it before Sozin's Comet."

"My only option," he admitted, irritated. "It was more of a temporary measure. My grandfather failed when the Comet came the first time, and he was only the Fire Lord. I thought if I augmented my standing to that of the Phoenix King, I would succeed fully in my quest, unlike my grandfather. But it was a temporary augmentation only. I was always going to reclaim the Dragon's Throne from Azula. I planned to be gone for a year or two, destroying all of Earth before moving to Water, for I knew I needed time. I intended for Azula to hold the Dragon's Throne while I was gone—she was my regent."

"She never knew that," she pointed out, having heard of what happened from Azula, piecing together the snippets she received over the years.

"Something was wrong with her," Ozai said, jaw clenching. "I saw it; I noticed it. I did not know what it was, but I knew she was unstable. She seemed to be reverting in her mental capability, de-aging somehow. She was more childish. I could not tell her anything as her understanding was so poor."

Ursa glared at him. "She was finally being the child she could never be because of you."

Ozai only looked at her. "I left her behind because I feared she would ruin the conquest, and if she ruined anything, I wanted it to be back in the Caldera, which would have been fixable. I had little options—I have always had little options with our children. It was always going to happen—you know this."

She bowed her head. "I know."

"I lost both my children, and the thought is not a pleasant one—it grieves me. I wanted so much for Zuko and Azula—I wanted the world for them; I wanted them to have everything I never had. But it was not to be. I failed as a father—I know it. I resembled my father, yes, but I learn from it now." Ozai's face brightened with promise, desire, and happiness—it was not an expression she had seen in so many years, which made her weep in a combination of joy and grief. "But we will make new children, Ursa. We will redeem our failings. We learn from the past to make a better future, one where our children actually have a chance."

Ursa jumped back as if burned. "What? How can you say- "

"We are bonded together forever," he whispered, staring at her. "We are worthy; we are the inheritors of magnificence, which we will pass to our children- "

"We already passed it to our children!"

Ozai's golden eyes were clear, though remorseful; he gripped her hands tenderly, face hopeful but grim. "There will never be peace between me and them—you know it. I failed as a father—I accept that; I understand it. However, what you fail to see is that they failed as children; they were never worthy of us. They were disappointments, and now they have proven themselves traitors by enslaving themselves to The Avatar, refusing to seek knowledge and learn the truth. I am proud of Zuko for his strength and rebellion, yet I must kill him or he must kill me. We are on opposite sides, and Azula sided with The Avatar and Zuko—she chose. Because we are on opposite sides, they are, thus, worthless—they must be. They are failures and can be nothing more, despite all their promise. We must try again and have more children—have better ones. Our new children will rule the Four Nations after us, preserving my supremacy across all my lifetimes. Do you not desire more of us in the world? Do you not desire our love producing greatness as it once did?"

"How can I desire such things when you seek our children's deaths?" she whispered, barely able to breathe due to her horror. "If you win, you will kill Zuko and Azula."

His arms tightened around her. "They will kill me if The Avatar wins."

"He will kill you himself—he told me."

It was something that almost made her hate Azula's chosen husband, but she saw deeply enough to understand the source of Avatar Aang's reasoning.

"He will never succeed," he assured with a confidence that she wanted to believe and did not want to believe. She wished neither Ozai nor Avatar Aang to die! Why did they have to be on separate sides and sworn enemies? "I will be my own Avatar and destroy him."

Ursa swallowed, golden eyes roaming his memorable face. "If you destroy him, I will not let you destroy our children. You will spare them and love them."

Ozai frowned. "I must destroy them."

Something broke inside her at the flat but determined resignation in his voice. "How can you look into your children's eyes and deny them their lives? Can you do it, Ozai? Can you really do it? Can you actually go through with it and murder your own children?" She gripped his bearded cheeks with her hands, desperate eyes locked onto his lovely, familiar eyes. "Can you murder our babies, Ozai? They are our children. For all their faults, they are ours—and we are theirs. That is not something you can undo; that is not something you can forget or dismiss. We brought them into this world, and we must leave them the world when we die, and they will do the same for our grandchildren. Can you go through with murdering them?"

His tightened jaw alerted her of his resigned, grim discontent. "I will have to."

Ursa's lips quivered as sobs caught in her throat, but she steeled herself and shook her head with a rough jerk. "Then I will murder you if you do! If you murder them, there is nothing between us! I will kill myself before loving you ever again! I will reach a hand down to my sex and burn everything, reaching to my womb and scorching it! I will never give you another child if you murder our children, who are worth everything! If you make your choice, I make my choice!"

Ozai's face cleared of anything resembling the man she married; he became blank, a stoic mask that reminded her of Zuko during his war room meetings with General Lao—before General Lao lost himself to madness and declared Agni Kai to Zuko, who killed General Lao in the Agni Kai. "I keep my promises, Ursa. We are not through. No matter what happens, we will always have each other."

She shoved at him, overwhelmed by the onslaught of grief and hysteria as her eyes filled with tears; her vision of him became blurry. "Get out!" she shrieked. "Out! Leave! Break someone else's heart!"

He hesitated, looked regretful, like he wanted to say something, probably apology for the necessity of the inevitable, but she wanted nothing of it, which he clearly saw on her face as he dressed himself swiftly and departed his tent.

Silence.

Ursa wept hard and bitterly, unsure if she had ever wept so deeply in her memory, not even after she killed Azulon and realized how cruelly Ozai betrayed her that night.

Her world was shattered.

However, when she heard meek sniffling that slowly resembled weeping, she stiffened upon the memory of Samir. She dressed herself in frantic movements and jumped against the stone of Samir's 'room,' using firebending to propel herself with strength. When the stone was rolled away, Samir was huddled inside the 'room,' face raw and devastated—it matched how Ursa's heart felt.

She scrambled inside and gathered Samir in her arms, trying to soothe her and shush her cries. "I am so sorry," she breathed, trying to control her breathing and emotions. "It will be okay- "

"Grandpa did Uncle Zuzu's scar," Samir moaned against her shoulder, sounding terrified and broken, sobbing, voice trembling—and Ursa felt like dying.

She never wanted Samir to discover the truth. "I know," she soothed, rubbing a hand against Samir's trembling back.

"I don't want a scar!"

Ursa's grip on Samir tightened. "No. He will not- "

"He did it to Uncle Zuzu, and he's Uncle Zuzu's daddy! He did it to his baby! He hates me!"

"Nothing will happen to you," she vowed, firm but gentle. "I will die to protect you, Samir. You need to look at me. Look at me, Samir."

The sound of crying slowly diminished as Samir achingly raised her pale, raw, terrified, and exhausted face and Ursa. "Grandma," Samir choked out, eyes red, lips trembling. "Grandpa is- "

"Give me your hand," she encouraged and felt the fragile fingers brush against her own, and she gratefully savored the brief contact of innocence as she brought Samir's hand to her chest, holding it against her heart. "Do you feel that? It is your heart; it beats strong and fast—it is alive."

Samir's breathing slowly evened out as she relaxed against her. "Uh-huh."

"And do you know what?"

"What?"

"Your mother and father's heartbeats are alive," Ursa whispered, squeezing Samir's hand gently. "They beat just like yours. And your Uncle Zuzu's heart beats, as well. No matter what happens to them, no matter what happened to them in the past, they are still alive—they are still here."

Samir swallowed, voice thick. "I don't like it here. Where's Daddy? I miss Mommy."

"They are looking for us," she swore. "I know they are; they will not stop until they find us."

"I miss Uncle Zuzu and Aunt Katara!" Samir cried out, words raw and broken; they contained no understanding. "I miss Toph! I miss Appa and Momo! I want to go back!" The air began to pick up in the tent; it swirled with raw fury but it was a weak gust. "I don't like it here!"

"I do not like it here, either," she consoled soothingly; she needed to be strong! "We are together, which is what matters. Your father will find us, Samir; he will not rest until he rescues us. Nothing will happen to us, okay?"

"Grandpa took us from Daddy. He wants to kill Daddy."

Ursa blinked rapidly to disperse her fresh onslaught of tears. "He will fail. Your father will win, Samir. No one beats The Avatar."

Samir sniffled again and nuzzled her face into Ursa's chest. "Is Grandpa hurting you?"

"Only my heart," she whispered.

"He hurts my heart, too."

Ursa squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head into Samir's hair, embracing her tightly. "I will keep you safe, Samir."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Thank you for your interference, Avatar Aang," the heavily bandaged Onartok said; he had been found near the Spirit Oasis, barely alive. It was only through Katara's intervention that he had survived. "Without you, I fear that we would all be dead. Because of you all, the North survives."

Azula watched Zuko incline his head. "My father is responsible for this. It is only right that his children see him stopped."

"I had trepidations about you both, Fire Lord Zuko and Princess Azula, but they have proven unfounded." Onartok's gratefulness was clear in his eyes. "Thank you."

They were all seated in the Throne Room at a large table of ice. Since Aang's return from hiding Tui and La at a mysterious location that he refused to name, even to Azula herself, Azula was relieved that his intentions were clear to everyone—he intended to leave as swiftly as possible to search for Samir and Mother, doing everything in his power. He would accept no lethargy from anyone.

He was The Avatar—as he should be, embracing it. It made her hopeful, calming the frantic desperation in her heart she had felt since she was first notified of the kidnapping.

"What did you gain from those prisoners, Azula?" Katara asked from her place next to Zuko, leaning forward; many of the surviving Water Tribesmen who sat at the table looked at her, too. "Do you know where Samir and Ursa are?"

"No." She felt her lips pinch in barely concealed rage, but it faded under her practiced mask of regal poise; it also helped that Aang's calming presence was near. "While I failed to receive what I needed most, I did learn some interesting things. The Earth non-benders who attacked were part of a cult-like family, massive in number, known as the Children of Chin."

Aang simply nodded. "Chin the Conqueror?"

She glanced at him. "Yes."

Zuko sighed. "That applies to what we learned from Je- Lee."

Before Azula could ask what they learned from Lee, Onartok frowned. "I thought Avatar Kyoshi stopped Chin the Conqueror. It was centuries ago."

"She stopped Chin, not his descendants," Azula clarified, having learned the whole story from Satish—before she killed him, of course. "Chin the Conqueror's descendants hate The Avatar and work for his demise not only as an enemy but as a traitor.

"How can we trust the information that these Children of Chin gave?" Zuko challenged. "They could be lying."

"Oh, I doubt that," she purred with a sharp smile. "I asked them nicely, Brother. When that did not work, I elected for more realistic tactics."

"You destroyed two of our cells, Princess Azula, with those realistic tactics," Onartok reminded, frowning at her. "If people had been in those other two, they would have been killed."

"But no one was in the other two," she dismissed, waving a hand. "Their intelligence was valid and valuable. I learned that Avatar Kyoshi was not Chin the Conqueror's adversary but his wife."

Unlike the various gasps that echoed from all the others, along with several demands of proof, Aang only closed his eyes. "I know."

Azula glared at him. "You knew?"

"Avatar Jinzhai told me. I have only indistinctions, not specifics, but I gather enough of the picture."

She nodded slowly, recalling what else Satish shared. "The Children of Chin have tried to assassinate The Avatar ever since, trying to avenge their forefather's murder by their foremother. They failed with Avatar Kyoshi, and though they failed with Avatar Roku, they were able to strike at him; they murdered Avatar Roku's young son- "

"Aging him decades in the span of days," Aang whispered, looking stunned—he had been ignorant of that fact.

"They allied with Vaatu so they could succeed this time with Aang."

Zuko rubbed his forehead. "And Chin V is their leader, yes?"

Azula glanced at him. "Yes. How did you- "

"Lee. He said that while this was going on, Chin V attacked Ba Sing Se."

While Azula was annoyed that all her subtle efforts in determining how to explain such information delicately were futile as Aang clearly already knew it, Katara placed a hand over her mouth. "He's hit everything. Are Suki, Toph, Bumi, and Bor okay?

Aang looked grim. "Yes, I know they are—Bumi beat them off. Nothing knocks Bumi down, and there's been no news of any success or failure, regardless. Bumi won. It was a designed, unstoppable three-pronged attack—Fire, Earth, and Water. He made me choose, knowing I could only choose one. I chose the North, though I was unaware of Ba Sing Se—it still happened. I asked Je- Lee everything I could, and he revealed all that he knew to me. But he didn't know about Samir and Ursa, either."

Katara leaned back, and Azula did the same. "And who is he, exactly? He was clearly crazy, saying that Zuko killed him. Did he tell you what he meant?"

She saw Aang glance at Zuko and grimace. "He was a man consumed by darkness; he became a monster and unfortunately, he didn't leave the North alive. His crimes are worse than originally thought."

Azula nodded her head in approval. "You killed him."

Zuko looked pitiless—a true Fire Lord. "I did."

"But he knew things and said things," Katara said in bemusement, looking saddened by the fact Zuko had to kill Lee. "Was he just raving?"

Zuko sighed loudly and ducked his head for a moment; she saw him come to a decision. "It was Jet."

Katara blinked. "Jet…? Yo- you mean…?"

"Vaatu took his spirit out of the Gardens of the Dead and placed into a Fire Nation scribe," Aang answered, tired but firm—he was in little mood for intensive explanation and conversation. He wanted to leave the North as soon as possible. "He used energybending to do it. He wasn't the Jet who we knew, Katara—believe me, not at all; he was a monster. Or maybe that who he always was, and we couldn't see it."

Based on the look on Zuko's face, it was obvious he believed the latter. "It's not surprising- "

"He's alive?" Katara whispered and glanced at the exit of the throne room; she looked overwhelmed. "What? But… why- why would he do those things?"

"He was in Vaatu's clutches for years," Zuko explained. "He always hated Fire, but this time, he got his vengeance. He has driven Fire to extinction; he murdered innocents, and he helped slaughter the Order. He was a monster, and I killed him for it."

Katara looked horrified. "That can't be…"

"He confessed, Katara," Aang said gently, though there was a frantic urgency in his gray eyes—he wanted to move to another subject. "I was there myself; his crimes were immense and inexcusable. He didn't regret his plague at all; he said multiple times that he would do it again- "

"And he's dead?"

Zuko didn't look apologetic, though his face softened. "He is. I made sure of it. I'm sorry."

"You actually killed him this time," Azula murmured in amusement, feeling no pity or compassion at all for this Jet. "How painful did you make it?"

"Painless." Her brother glanced at her in irritation. "Because he told Aang everything, it was a quick death."

"Aang?" Katara looked at Aang in shock. "You allowed this?"

"I had to," Aang said flatly. "Jet's plague has impacted Fire with devastation, and I know how he did it—he had to die. I couldn't risk him teaching others how to do it. There have many people who died throughout this whole war who never deserved it, but Zuko killed someone who did deserve to die. It fell to Zuko to deal with him as Fire Lord since his crimes were predominantly against Fire. I won't challenge the laws of the Four Nations, not for this."

Katara froze briefly before she nodded slowly. "Are you sure that it was him?"

"Yes. He made it clear." Zuko gripped Katara's shoulder tenderly. "I'm sorry. I should not have told you."

"No, I'm glad that you did. Thank you for being honest." Katara shook herself, and her eyes were desperate for a change in subject. "So, what else did you learn?"

Zuko laughed slightly. "We missed our chance to kill Zhao again."

Azula froze for a moment at the thought of her once-nearly-betrothed, the brute. "What?"

"He was alive- "

Aang gripped her hand, clearly recognizing her thoughts. "Vaatu freed him from his prison in the oceans months ago, apparently. Tui and La told me; the fact Vaatu returned Zhao to them convinced them to heal Ozai's arm as repayment."

"He is gone?" she asked.

"Gone," Aang confirmed.

"I always considered him a pawn," she murmured. "A brute and a pawn."

"And this the most horrifying thing that we learned, at least in my opinion." Zuko stared at everyone, although the Water Tribesmen had all elected to remain quiet throughout the discussion. "Everyone has kept mentioning Piandao- "

"Yes," Azula agreed. "The Children of Chin were quite vocal about how Piandao will destroy The Avatar. I have wondered about the statement because it implies that a swordsman could slay the Avatar; it is a fallacy."

"Le- I mean, Jet said 'Piandao,' too," Katara reminded softly. "Now that I think about it, there were several of those non-benders during the battle who mentioned 'Piandao,' also."

Zuko glanced at Aang. "Do you want to say or should I?"

"Say what?" Onartok demanded. "What is it?"

Aang sighed heavily. "We learned that Ozai stole Piandao's identity and has been masquerading as him; it's why we keep hearing that name instead of Ozai's." Azula's eyes widened in realization, and her lips parted—she should have known! "We can only assume that the true Piandao, the swordsman was killed when the rest of the Order was."

Katara gasped in horror, face pale. "Sokka! We have to find him before he gets to Ozai!"

"For all that we know, he might have already stumbled upon Father," Azula pointed out calmly, digesting the new information and beginning to apply it to relevant topics. "He, Mai, and Ty Lee may be dead- "

"Don't say that!" Katara glared at her heatedly. "Is that what you want? You've never liked Sokka!"

Azula raised a brow and waved away both Aang and Zuko. "I hold sympathy for your brother; he is about to, if he has not already, learn that his master, for whom he would risk much, is actually my father, the man who will kill him immediately without any thought except pleasure. Your brother is intelligent in strange ways; he will be able to concoct an escape quickly. The only reason why I raised that point was that we must be prepared for such an eventuality."

"And are you prepared for the thought of your daughter and mother being killed?" Katara snapped. "Are you? They could be dead for all that you know!"

"Yes, I am," she hissed, leaning forward, and her features darkened as she felt her hands fill with flames; the table of ice began to melt from where she sat. "And if that does happen, I will personally bathe in the blood of everyone who works with my father, regardless of their so-called innocence. They will die painfully. I will cut off their penises with a dull blade, squeeze their testicles until they burst- "

"Okay!" Zuko cut in with a tight look on his face. "That's enough."

"I agree," Aang said, and she felt immediate remorse, not for her words but for saying them in his presence, when he squeezed his legs together in an unconscious effort of protection. Azula also noticed that all of the Water Tribesmen stared at her in newfound horror, their bodies clenched. "We are not speaking of that subject again. Do you understand? Ursa won't be killed by Ozai; he's obsessed with her. Samir is not in physical danger but spiritual danger- "

"Why?" Azula demanded, face urgent. "What does that mean?"

Aang sighed and squeezed his eyes shut. "Samir's important to Vaatu's plans."

"How?"

"Just as Jet was taken out of the Gardens of the Dead and placed into a new body, I believe that a dead Airbender will be put into Samir's body so that Ozai will be able to learn airbending. He is already a master in firebending, lightning-generation, and earthbending, metalbending, and lavabending because Chin V was his earthbending master. Ozai has mastering waterbending, and Hama is his master, which means that he will learn bloodbending and be a most powerful Waterbender. All he needs is airbending, and there is no one alive who could teach him except me. But Samir is an Airbender in body without the knowledge in mind. Vaatu can fix it and replace Samir's spirit with a dead Airbender's, who will have all the knowledge necessary to pass to Ozai. Ozai will master all the elements. I saw a vision when I went to learn lavabending under Avatar Jinzhai. I saw Ozai walking on air as a true Airbender and he and Vaatu were permanently bonded." Azula closed her eyes at the thought of such a horrible reality; she contained the fury that threatened to erupt. "I hope to keep that from coming to pass, but I don't know. He may gain all the elements and somehow bond with Vaatu permanently. And he has his arm back, thanks to Hama and Tui and La- "

"That woman!" Katara hissed before her face cleared. "Wait, why would Hama ever work with Ozai? She hates Fire the same way that… Jet did."

"She probably only knows him as Piandao," Azula offered after a moment. "What a brilliant deception. He pretends to be born a non-bender who was rejected by Fire to gain more followers through sympathy and shared injuries from Fire only for him to be the former Fire Lord, the second most powerful Firebender in the world behind The Avatar. Nobody except Vaatu, Zhao, and all of the Fire Nobles who betrayed Zuko would have known his true identity because his face was never familiar to everyone in the world, least of all to Earth or Water. Only a select few, such as us and the nobles, would have ever known who their leader truly was."

"This woman of whom you speak, Hama, somehow controlled my body while Ozai did the same to others," Onartok cut in with fearful eyes. "How did she do that? I could not move, and she forced my limbs to bend unnaturally."

"I suspected," Katara whispered sadly. "While healing you, I noticed signs."

"How did she do that? What kind of unholy power has she tamed?"

"It's an art that is known as bloodbending, the one that I just spoke of." Aang's voice was patient; he seemed aware of what potential reaction could appear. "A prodigiously skilled and powerful Waterbender, particularly during the Full Moon, can control the very blood in one's body."

A horrified gasp echoed from all of the Water Tribesmen, but Onartok slapped his hand on the ice to silence them. "I would say that what you speak of is not possible but I felt it myself; it was terrifying. But it was not a Full Moon during the invasion. It was close, but not full. How did this Hama do that?"

"She works for Vaatu," Aang explained slowly. "He has taught her things that no mortal has known for a long time. I suspect that she mastered her chakras."

"Which are?"

"Something that we don't have time to discuss," Aang said firmly, looking at everyone, gray eyes steady but filled with authority and hidden power; Azula was reminded of why he was hers. "We finally have an advantage over Vaatu and Ozai, and we can't waste time, or we might lose that advantage. We know what he's going to do, and we think we know how he's going to do it. For the first time, in spite of the direness of the situation, we know more about the plan. We can stop them!"

Katara smiled, and it lessened the stress in her features. "What's our plan, Aang?"

"We've done everything that we can in the North. The rest will be up to Onartok and the Water Tribesmen."

"We can do that, Avatar Aang," Onartok vowed, inclining his head. "We will be able to rebuild because of what you have done. We will forever be in your debt."

"You will be the temporary Chief of the North until Sokka returns, Onartok."

"I will uphold our people's beliefs and culture to the best of my ability."

"Do not think that this position is permanent." Azula raised an eyebrow at Aang's flat tone; she was surprised but also relieved. Her husband understood what was at stake and was not willing for anything disastrous to happen again. "I will be angry if you do, and you don't want that."

"No, I do not."

"Good. Sokka is the heir, and he will come to claim his rightful throne." Aang finally looked away from Onartok, moving his gaze to Azula, Zuko, and Katara. "While we are on Appa flying- "

"Don't forget about Druk," Zuko reminded in interruption. "I'll be riding on him."

"- back to the continent, I will be in the Immortal Realm speaking to Wan Shi Tong about Vaatu, Indra, and other things."

"How will you be able to come back, then?" Azula challenged, stared at him. "When you teleport, your body is gone, but it returns to the point from which you teleported. Even if you did it on Appa, he would have already moved on; you would appear over the ocean."

Aang paused and scrunched his face for a moment. "Thank you. I hadn't thought of that. I'll need someone else to come- "

"I am accompanying you and no one else," she cut in, holding his gaze. "There would be no one better, and you know it."

Thankfully, Aang showed no sign of argument as he nodded. "Yes. I'll use your spirit as an anchor point so that while you return to your body, I'll be able to appear where you do." His lips twitched for a moment before his face cleared to show his serious intent. "After that, we'll go to Ba Sing Se to check up on Bumi after Chin V's failed invasion. We can get Toph and Bor. Azula and I will find Indra based on Wan Shi Tong's knowledge, which will lead us to Samir—we can finish this. The rest will go get Sokka from wherever he's at, where we'll meet up, and we can get to Vaatu directly. If we're close, and if we know the location, we can attack and get Samir and Ursa back. Hopefully, we can end this new war by doing that and keep that vision I saw of Ozai from happening."

"That would be fantastic," her brother muttered. "I don't hold that much hope, though."

"What was it that you said?" Aang asked. "Hope for the best and prepare for the worst? Well, I agree with that. I hope that everything goes according to the plan, but I'm going to start preparing for it to go wrong, too."

"Well realized," Azula commended.

"Will you be departing quickly?" Onartok asked. "How soon?"

"As soon as possible—preferably after this meeting."

By the look on his face, everyone clearly knew he meant it as an order.

"Before you go, Avatar Aang, I wish to give Princess Katara a gift for saving my life, along with the lives of our kin. As temporary Chief, I bestow upon her a full water-skin of Spirit Oasis water, which has retained its unique properties after Tui and La's absences." Onartok stared at Katara with gratefulness. "Because of you, Princess Katara, I get to see my wife and daughter again. Thank you."

Katar's eyes widened before she nodded her head in thanks. "You're welcome, Onartok. Thank you for the Spirit Oasis water. I'll use your gift wisely."

Onartok turned to one of the men. "Torkok, go to the Spirit Oasis and fill a water-skin for Princess Katara."

Torkok nodded and left the Throne Room.

"What is this Spirit Oasis water?" Azula questioned in confusion, not understand its apparent sanctity. "Why do your tones suggest that it is sacred?"

"Because it is," Katara confirmed, voice serious. "The Spirit Oasis water is what I used to heal Aang after… Ba Sing Se when he was injured."

Lightning erupted behind her eyes, and Azula remembered; her hands curled into fists at the reminder of her worst deed, but Aang gently wrapped one of his larger hands around her own. His gray eyes held no condemnation or anger, just understanding, and it was enough. "I see," she whispered.

"Once Katara receives her gift, we leave for Ba Sing Se," Aang called out, pulling her to her feet; she saw both Zuko and Katara rise, too. "Get ready."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Can't you tame a badgermole or something, Bor?" Toph's irate voice reached his ears from where she sat on his back and, while annoying, he felt relieved. If she felt well enough to complain and whine it was a good sign. "We're moving so slow; it would go by a lot faster on their back instead of yours. It's been a fucking month now, if not longer! Why can't"

Thankfully, the farther they traveled from Ba Sing Se, the less chaos they encountered of other groups trying to escape and survive. However, all the chaos that his father unleashed prior to sacking Ba Sing Se was notable, though not as bad. They still had to be careful with whom they interacted as if his identity as the new King of Ba Sing Se was known, he would be killed. Unfortunately, there was no healer that he could discern amongst anyone, leaving Toph's feet to rot with possible infection, but the good thing was that Toph was a bender, which ensured her body could fight an infection longer than a non-bender. The only other good thing that had resulted was that Suki had been able to procure new wraps and salve, playing perfectly the pregnant woman in need of help, for Toph's feet, buying precious time.

Bor adjusted his hold on Toph's thighs, and her fingers dug into his shoulders for stability. "I don't have that experience. It would be too hard to do right now."

"It's easy. I used to play with them."

"You are part animal," he retorted. "It's easier for you."

Toph laughed and gripped his cheeks. "You love it."

He could never deny that fact.

"We can't get distracted by another pursuit." Suki's voice wasn't as patient as it usually was. "We have to focus on getting to Chyung."

"I still don't see why we can't go straight to the Sun Warriors," Toph insisted. ""It's pretty close to the Western Air Temple because when Aang and Zuko went on their little field-trip—I'm still waiting on mine, can you believe it?—they weren't gone for long. So just go in that direction."

"That requires crossing the ocean," Suki pointed out. "None of the ships in Chyung would go in that direction, and we don't have a Waterbender with us—and Aang's not going to stay at the Sun Warriors long. He probably already left."

"Just raise a walkway of earth and then we can cross the entire thing," the reply was flippant, and Bor felt his relief increase at the sound before it faded; she was either really good at distraction or she had accepted what had happened—and he was certain that it was the former. "We just reached Zaofu, so it shouldn't be too much longer."

"Does she always have such a positive viewpoint?" Jin whispered to Suki. "She is unperturbed about anything."

"I wouldn't say that," Toph answered with a remarkable casualness. "I'm unperturbed now because nothing can top getting my feet scorched by the fucking Butcher. I don't even care if I drown. Nothing beats it. Plus, I'm keeping my mind off the pain. While the wraps and the salve that Suki got help—and the shirt that she got for Bor that gives me a better grip—it still fucking hurts like a cunt."

"That is a unique outlook," Jin said slowly. "Does a badgermole think that way, as well?"

"You bet! You know what else a badgermole can do?"

"What?"

One of Toph's hands left his shoulders and patted his cheek. "It could go a lot faster."

Bor sighed. "I'm going as fast as I can. I'm not as strong as a badgermole."

"You also don't have their stamina."

"I know." He let a chuckle escape him to cover his small irritation. "You're heavy."

Toph gasped in apparent outrage, but he heard—and felt—the slight laugh. "If I was anyone else, I would order a servant to run you through with his rapier!"

"Is the servant in this scenario Suki or Jin?" Bor dared, trying not to laugh. "My vote goes to Suki; she's walking strangely."

A howl of laughter pierced through the air as Toph laughed. "See? This is why I love you, Bor."

Suki glared at him, apparently not as amused. "You try traveling on such a journey while being pregnant with twins."

"Well, I can't really do that," he said unapologetically. "I can't become pregnant."

"Yeah, he gets the easy part!" While he couldn't see Toph, he could easily visualize the huge grin on her face. "Suck it, Suki!"

"He does, yes, but you could become pregnant, too, Toph. If you ever marry, you will have children."

Bor's grip on Toph's thighs tightened as he was reminded painfully of how Toph refused to marry him, and he cleared his throat. "That doesn't matter. But I'm also the one carrying Toph, so the load on my end is a lot bigger—because, like I said, Toph is heavy."

Toph laughed, but it sounded strange; it was clear she had been thinking the same thing he was. "From all the ass I've kicked in my life, it all went to my own ass. What makes this whole thing bearable is watching you- fuck, I can't see you. What makes it more bearable is hearing you walk all while I get to be carried like a queen."

"You will get used to it," Jin said. "You will be Queen of Ba Sing Se after you marry King Bor."

Silence.

Bor's heartbeat accelerated too rapidly for Toph not to feel, and he glanced at Jin, swallowing. "That's not… We're not…"

Jin blinked and looked horrified. "My apologies. I assumed and blundered. Forgive me."

"Nothing to forgive," Toph said softly, and Bor didn't even try to determine what she was thinking.

"Do you think that a noble is going to try to take Ba Sing Se's throne?" Jin asked quickly, and he was grateful for the distraction. "You are the rightful king, King Bor, but you are not there."

"If they survived the siege of the Butcher's men, it wouldn't surprise me. I'm king, but right now there is something more important. Once this new war is over, I'll reclaim my throne."

He really wished Grandfather was alive to reclaim the throne himself—because it was Grandfather's throne.

"With me on your side!" Toph punched the air dramatically. "I'll crush the skulls of anyone who dares to renounce your claim."

"I feel more confident already," he commended.

"You should. Since that fucker did you-know-what, I know that I'm never going to show restraint again to anyone who goes against me." She rested her chin on the top of his head, and he didn't know what it meant. "Maybe I could be a queen—I could be a warrior-queen. Just like all those legends. I'll be a kick-ass. I could even change my name from Queen Toph to Queen Tough just as that play did."

Bor swallowed but didn't read too much into such a declaration. Toph had already decided that she didn't want to marry him.

But that undying part of him hoped she was reconsidering.

"I wasn't lying about retaking Ba Sing Se after this is all over," Bor said, glancing at Jin. "I'll help you with Chyung if necessary. Ba Sing Se is my birthright, and I'll make my grandfather proud."

"Bumi will always be proud of you, Bor." Suki's eyes were soft. "He loved you fiercely."

Finding his eyes suddenly wet, he blinked rapidly and nodded shakily; he inhaled roughly. "I know, but I still need to feel proud of myself. All I feel like is a failure for failing to save him."

He was responsible for his mother's death and his grandfather's death—he would believe it for as long until his own death.

"I don't think he would have wanted to be saved."

"What?" Bor stared at Suki incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

Suki sighed. "He lost all of his limbs because of the Butcher. If he somehow lived, what kind of style of life would he have? He would be miserable. You aren't a failure, Bor. You did everything that you could."

"She's right," Toph whispered above him gently. "Bumi and I had a lot of problems, but I loved him, too. It's not your fault."

Rather than explain how much it was—it was!—his fault, he stopped his pace. "I'm not there yet. I know that… that he would have been miserable, but I can't not think that it was my fault. I hope that Avatar Aang is understanding; he… could blame me, and part of me thinks that he should."

"Aang is understanding; he'll be grieving, too, but he won't blame you." Toph's fingers began to massage his tense shoulders, and he slowly started walking again. "If he does, I'll beat the shit out of him. I'll be that warrior-queen."

Her simultaneous claims of challenging The Avatar and being a warrior-queen gave him a desperate reprieve and hope. "Challenging The Avatar? You must really love me."

He felt Toph swallow but nod. "I love you. I tried not to, but you grew on me—like a fungus."

"And then you insult me," he breathed, chuckling. "There you are—there's Toph."

"You two have a strange relationship," Jin commented with small amusement. "Thryn and I were never combative verbally."

"I'm sorry about your husband," Bor said after a moment. "He seemed like a good man from what you shared."

Jin nodded but didn't say anything else; it was silent as they continued walking but it wasn't awkward. They all seemed to understand each other, and when Bor felt Toph burrow her face into the side of his neck, he felt hopeful that maybe, he wasn't such a failure for his inability to save Grandfather's life.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Zuko continued to steal glances at Katara during the trip back to Ba Sing Se; she had not said a word since Aang and Azula had entered the Spirit World, and he felt worried. He petted Druk's neck, considering his options, and came to a decision.

It was better to confront than let stew.

"I'm coming over," he called out in warning, and before Katara could respond, Druk flew closer to Appa, and Zuko hopped off him into Appa's saddle, sitting directly across from Katara.

She stared at him in amusement. "Was the Fire Lord lonely?"

"Without you, I'm always lonely." He hoped that sounded charming as he glanced at Azula's lifeless form, making sure that she was not in danger of falling out of the saddle; she was still tied to the grip of the saddle with rope. "What are you thinking about? You've hardly said anything."

Watching as she tensed briefly before a forced calmness overtook her features, Zuko frowned as she responded: "Nothing's wrong. Why would you think that?"

"Because I know you." He leaned forward, a desperate feeling clawing inside; he knew the reason—he had suspected it for some time. "It's about Jet, isn't it?"

Katara looked away, confirming his suspicions. "I can't help it. I keep thinking about him."

Zuko sighed and pinched his nose before he calmed himself; he refused to be angry. "You knew him. It's understandable. Are you angry at me?"

"Why would you say that?" she asked, looking back at him, eyes confused. "Why would I be angry at you?"

"I killed him." He left out the part how he had gladly killed Jet and how the only thing that he regretted was that it was a quick death. "It was me who ended his second life."

"The part of me that wishes that he could have been different is angry about his death, but the rest of me… I don't know how I feel. I learned that he was somehow alive and had done horrible things such as unleashing the plague only to learn that he had already been killed before I could have gained any closure or answers. I'm just sad about it all."

Zuko felt awkward and wished that Uncle were here, but he pushed through it. "I only ever knew him as a fool and monster- "

"But that's how I knew him, too," she whispered, features drawn, and he was struck by the sadness in her beautiful eyes. "That's how I really knew him—as a fool and monster. When I first met him, I was attracted to him, and I didn't see him for who he was until it was almost too late. If not for Sokka, it would have been too late. When we ran into him in Ba Sing Se after he lost his memory- "

"Which was because of me, apparently," he muttered in derision. "He blamed me for that and how it led to his death."

"It was no one's fault but his own—I know that. I saw glimpses of who he could have been during those few days, but there was still something off about him. Then he was killed, and I've felt guilty ever since. If I had been able to heal him somehow, maybe he could have changed and not become the monster that he did."

"He wouldn't have changed," Zuko said with conviction, believing it; he stared at her, hoping she saw how serious he was. "I saw him—I always saw him for what he was. He was consumed by his hatred. You told me that he was willing to destroy a peaceful village full of women and children who had never wronged him, and he would have if not for Sokka. He was already a monster by that point, and since he was already at that point, Katara, he wasn't going to come back from it. Really think about it—it's comparable to Sozin, wiping out a group of peaceful people only because of the blood in their veins. He hated, and he didn't even have a good reason for hating—not reason enough to wipe out a village. His parents were murdered, but that never equates to an entire village. He was insane, possessed by his hatred. He hated Fire, and his hatred killed him. There was nothing that you could have done; you shouldn't feel guilty. The guilt has always lied with Jet—it always will. He chose that life, Katara; he willingly allied with Vaatu and committed some of the worst crimes imaginable. None of that is on you. You're amazing, and the fact you do feel regret and sadness about him, even though he's unworthy of it, shows how compassionate and good you are."

Katara wiped away sudden tears and shuffled closer to him; she embraced him, and Zuko rested his chin on the top of her bowed head, sitting in her hair. "I love you," she whispered against his chest. "You seem to always know what to say."

"That comes as a surprise. I struggle for the right words. Uncle always knew what to say, and I just say what I think he would say."

"Your uncle is your conscience?"

"Apparently," he muttered, though felt little resentment about it.

"He taught you well." She leaned up and kissed him quickly; her eyes were wet. "I always dreamed of who I would marry and even harassed a fortune-teller about it, but I never imagined that the Fire Lord himself would be perfect for me."

"I'm sure your reaction would have been of disgust if you knew the future when we first met."

"Absolutely, but we were both young then." Katara smiled, and he felt relieved that she wasn't burdened by thoughts of Jet any longer. "Don't pretend that your reaction wouldn't have been the same."

Zuko nodded. "I would have been horrified. But my only thoughts were about capturing The Avatar and restoring- "

"Your honor," she finished, eyes twinkling. "It was your only love."

He laughed. "Yes, but you're my true love." Upon saying something so stupidly sentimental, he closed his eyes in disgust for several moments, trying to clear his ears from the echo, but when he reopened them to look at Katara, she smiled, happy.

"I never took you for a romantic, Zuko."

"Me neither," he muttered. "You bring it out of me."

"Don't sound so sullen," she said, patting his chest playfully. "If it makes you feel better, you're my true love, too."

"Just don't tell Azula what I said—she will never let me forget it."

He shuddered at the thought.

Katara's laughter was pleasant to his ears. "Don't worry. I won't ruin your fearsome reputation."

"Thank you. You have no idea how much she teased me when we were children."

"I think I have an idea if what I've learned of your childhood and my own treatment of Sokka are any indication."

Zuko continued to hold her and was quiet for several moments, not responding. "Thank you for 'playing nice' with her. I know you two have history, and none of it good, but it means a lot to me, more than you know. Thank you."

Katara's smile was dry and almost amused as she looked at Azula's lifeless, immovable body tethered to the saddle. "Well, it's not like she was going anywhere."

"Still—thank you."

"She's different," she answered after several moments. "I see how you love her, and I see how Aang loves her—I never thought I'd say it, but it's true. She's likeable, actually."

Zuko winced. "Trust me, don't ever tell her that—for your own good. You will never hear the end of it if you do."

Katara nodded with a brief smile. "I've gathered. We are to be sisters—we will be family. I once thought she wasn't good enough to be family, but it turned out she is. If I was wrong about that, I can't help but wonder what else I'm wrong about and have been wrong about."

"Not much," he assured. "I'm glad she got a second chance—she deserved it."

"She did," Katara agreed softly.

Zuko was relieved to have chosen a Fire Lady so reasonable and honest.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Piandao had barred her from seeing his wife, and she agreed at first—until she could no longer bear it. She needed to see the woman named Ursa who held Piandao's heart—and now his loins. None of it made sense, which bothered her the most. Everything she knew about Piandao and the woman named Ursa didn't make sense, especially when Ursa had claimed to have killed her father because of Piandao. The words came and overwhelmed her, suspicion a silent scream in her mind. She wanted to know the truth, but she knew instinctively that Piandao wouldn't tell her the truth—he hadn't told her many things. But would Ursa tell her the truth? It was something that gnawed at her. She held firm against the rising tide of answers she yearned for, but not even she could stop the wave from crashing over her, swallowing her—taking her to where it wanted her to go.

Piandao's tent.

"Step aside," she ordered, standing before the guards outside the entrance—meant to prohibit Piandao's wife from leaving. How Piandao had such devotion for a woman who had to be forced to stay was beyond her intelligence. "I must speak to the prisoners."

"You?" one of their ugly faces split into an amused smile. How she hated Chin V's kinsmen! "What would you need to speak to the prisoners about? Is it about your cycles- "

He was cut off as Hama gripped his body in her power; she gripped the others to keep them from attacking. "You are very powerful Earthbenders, you must be to have this trusted position, but I'm more powerful than any Earthbender—I even briefly held The Avatar himself in my grip." Hama leaned forward, peering at their frozen, petrified faces. "Your Chin V failed in his mission, but I haven't. I'm Piandao's waterbending master, and he will destroy The Avatar and all those who follow him." She released them, and they lurched backward, almost falling over each other. "Don't test me. I'm above you, and I will gladly crush your hearts."

"Okay, go inside," the man muttered, bitter.

Hama entered swiftly and shut the curtains to the ornate tent; her eyes were drawn immediately to Piandao's admittedly remarkably beautiful wife, named Ursa. Ursa held The Avatar's daughter, waist wrapped in a chain attached, to the wall, in her arms, reclining on Piandao's bed—and Hama hated her! It should be her on Piandao's bed, not Piandao's wife! It should be her enjoying Piandao's company, not Piandao's wife!

At the sight of her, The Avatar's daughter yelped in fear and huddled into Ursa, terrified, to which Ursa wrapped her arms around the child—but her brilliant golden eyes glared at her. "The Bloodbender," she whispered with apparent bitterness. "Only through you was my husband able to capture our granddaughter—and, thus, me. You ensured this would happen."

"If I knew this was the result, I would have let you go," Hama muttered, approaching the bed's edge—but refused to sit down. "You have him."

"Who?"

"Your husband," she hissed, bitter. "He's yours. He clearly loves you, and it's obvious that he doesn't want you harmed at all. Otherwise, he would have killed you in the North. His heart belongs to you. Ever since you, he's been different. I thought I had him, but I don't. I never planned for this, but it happened—I love him. But he loves you. There's no room for me in his heart—because you are there, taking all of it."

Ursa stared up at her from her position with a noble look on her face. "You love him?"

Hama's eyes narrowed. "You doubt me?"

A surprised laugh echoed, which surprised Hama. "I doubt everything here. I doubt your intentions most of all. You look like my destroyer."

The enticing thought had occurred to her, but unfortunately, she knew Piandao would destroy her if she destroyed his wife, and though she hated Piandao's wife, she loved her life more than such hatred. "I'm not going to hurt you- "

"You hurt me," The Avatar's daughter whispered, staring up at Hama with terror and anger. "I tri- tried to run, but I- I couldn't." The air began to sway around them inside the tent, but it was weak. "You- you did it to me."

"Stop, Samir," Ursa commanded gently. "Not here; we are not in a position of strength."

The Avatar's daughter—named Samir, apparently—sniffed, tears on her cheeks; the air calmed down. "You hurt me."

Hama nodded and sat down on the bed's edge, dipping the mattress. "I did." It was said in bare agreement, unashamed. "You're a brave girl to speak to me like this- "

Ursa's golden eyes sharpened and appeared to shine with lightning. "Take care," she warned. "If you harm her in any way, you will wish Vaatu despised you instead of me."

Well, she understood exactly why Piandao loved his wife. "I don't regret what I did," Hama defended, glaring. "It was The Avatar's fault for bringing you there."

"Daddy will come!" The Avatar's daughter stared at her with gray eyes—like the boy she knew as Kuzon's gray eyes, although different at the same time. "He'll save us!"

Hama scoffed. "Let him try. He doesn't even know where you are. Do you really think he can stand against Vaatu and this whole army here?"

"Uh-huh! He'll stop you!"

Ursa patted The Avatar's daughter's back, quieting her. "Peace, Samir," she whispered. "She will not hurt us—she does not dare."

Her fists clenched against her thighs. "So secure you are in his protection. You don't deserve it. You abandoned him and your children."

Something passed over Ursa's face. "Yes, he would describe it that way."

Hama leaned closer, so tempted to grip Ursa by her blood, but she refrained—barely. "You deserve torture and blood; you deserve agony. You broke your family; you betrayed Family."

Ursa sighed. "I am well familiar with Water's ethic of Family- "

"But you don't understand any of it," she sneered. "You left. It was to save your children, but you- "

"He told you I saved our children?"

"He did."

Out of all the things she expected, she did not expect Ursa to look fond. "Of course, he did."

Hama grit her teeth. "Piandao loves you, but I don't; I'll be watching, and when you betray your family again, I'll be there to destroy you."

Silence.

Ursa blinked, face scrunching in incomprehension. "What?"

"Don't play so innocent!" Hama condemned. "I know you're going to betray him again! You know he loves you! He lets you walk around freely when you are his enemy! And you know how you can take advantage of his love for you- "

"Piandao?" Ursa echoed, golden eyes confused and filled with a strange light—it was an act! "Piandao loves me?"

Hama almost direct her spit into Ursa's face in disgust. "Of course, he does! He's your husband, not that you're worthy of him!"

Ursa looked past her, blinking in a mysterious daze, appearing to see everything and nothing before her simultaneously—before she started to laugh, amazed and genuine. "How brilliant you are, my love," she whispered, face stretching in mirth and incredulity. "So subtle but powerful. That is how you did it—how you inspired such devotion from Earth. All it took was a different name- "

"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"How deceived you are," Ursa said, almost looking at her in pity. "You call him Piandao- "

"He is Piandao."

"No, Piandao was my son's swordmaster."

Hama blinked. "What?"

Ursa's lips stretched in sadness. "My husband always hated Piandao; he hated his striving. Piandao was fond of me, and my husband is a passionate man with a long memory. Now he calls himself Piandao to slight a dead man—and, more importantly, conceal his own identity. The name I have always known my husband, your Piandao, by is Ozai."

Silence.

Something rose inside her slowly; her perception flickered as light burst in her eyes. "Ozai?" she echoed faintly, disbelief swallowing her.

"Fire Lord Ozai," Ursa clarified softly, "son of Fire Lord Azulon and Fire Lady Ilah, grandson of Fire Lord Sozin and Fire Lady Shala."

Hama laughed in hysteria, but it sounded shrill even to her own ears; she stared at Ursa for a moment, and when she glimpsed the solemn honesty shining in those golden eyes, she staggered back, tripping over her limbs—there was no reason for Ursa to lie! Piandao—Fire Lord Ozai!—had every reason to lie while Ursa had none! She laid there on the ground, her senses malfunctioning; colors swirled through her vision, and her hearing faded. Her mind rebelled against the words, but they were too strong; they filled her fully and echoed with the force of a fury that could only resemble The Avatar's fury.

Events began to make sense in different ways. Ursa's allusions to maiming children, one of whom was killed by Piandao—Fire Lord Ozai!—before The Avatar returned her spirit, bringing her back somehow, Zhao always calling Piandao—Fire Lord Ozai!—by 'my liege' or 'my lord,' and Chin V and Chin V's blatant hatred of and suspicions about Piandao—Fire Lord Ozai!—returned to her with shuddering force, slamming into her with cold, horrified realization.

What about how Piandao—Fire Lord Ozai!—was such a powerful Firebender, using his firebending with such an ease that Hama had never before seen? Was it because he had always been a Firebender from birth and only had his firebending returned to him when Vaatu freed him from The Avatar's cruelty? She thought that Piandao—Fire Lord Ozai!—was a rival to Fire Lord Ozai, which is why all the Fire nobles alluded to both them often, and he—Fire Lord Ozai!—said that he killed Fire Lord Azulon, but if he was Azulon's son, he murdered his father, and a son would have the most success at murdering his father.

He destroyed his own family—like he destroyed her now with the lie!

Just thinking of that name—Fire Lord Ozai!—chilled her heart, and the realization that she had engaged in amorous activities with—fallen in love with!—such a monster split her soul to the bone. Something began to rise inside her, and she barely turned over as she retched horribly, nausea swimming through her, clouding her senses. How had she been so blind? She should have known!

"You really did not know," Ursa breathed, words barely reaching her; they were far away, diminishing in the gloom, horror, and misery in Hama's mind. "Has anyone known? Did he steal the swordsman's identity without anyone the wiser?"

"He- he is Ozai," she sobbed, placing a hand to her chest, feeling the blood in her body quicken its rush; her heart was racing from the combined assault of her all-consuming fear and grief. "I must… I can't… I la- laid with hi- him; I loved him! He's Fire! He's of Sozin's line!"

"Help us escape," Ursa offered in an urgent whisper, golden eyes beckoning. "Together, we can escape, and we will go to Avatar Aang and my children- "

Hama swallowed, staring at Ursa in a new light, anger increasing exponentially. "You're his wife! You're the Fire Lady! You- you bore his children!"

"My children have nothing to do with this," Ursa hissed, tone dangerous, golden eyes narrowed, which only compounded Hama's rage. "They are free from this. They fight against Ozai- "

"They are born destroyers, like him! He's from Sozin!"

Ursa scoffed, holding The Avatar's daughter against her; The Avatar's daughter watched with wide eyes. "Everyone is a born destroyer- "

"He killed his father; he destroyed his family!"

"I killed Azulon."

Silence.

Hama blinked rapidly, mind fracturing from the stress of all the new knowledge she was learning. "What?"

Ursa only stared at her, face haggard but true. "I killed Azulon; I put Ozai on the Dragon's Throne, after which I abandoned my family."

"You killed Azulon?" she whispered, faltering in place, trying to breathe—but it was hard because she choked on all the words she wanted to say but couldn't grasp! It was all too much!

"One of the great regrets of my life."

The thought that, possibly, she could trust Ursa because she killed Azulon disappeared instantly at the obvious grief on Ursa's face. Somehow, Ursa loved not only Piandao—Fire Lord Ozai!—but Fire Lord Azulon, as well. The only conclusion was that Ursa was a monster herself; it took a monster to love a monster. "Monster-lover!" she cursed, spit spraying out of her mouth.

Ursa's golden eyes glimmered. "Monster-lover."

Hama flinched at the truth of the observation, staggering to her feet as she backed away and dashed out of the tent past the Children of Chin without another word, hysteria a loathsome burden to her mind, and anguish a poison to her breaking heart.

Piandao was Fire Lord Ozai.

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!

**Ozai reunites with Ursa, who is kept 'prisoner' only because Samir is chained up! They discuss their long history together, their children, the night Azulon died, Ozai becoming a new Avatar, and how Ursa wants him to stop, but Ozai says he can never stop.

Ozai and Vaatu talk, and it's revealed how Vaatu disappears. Since, in this story, a young Raava and Vaatu are who created the Mortal Realm with the Tree of Time's permission, they must have made mistakes due to their youth and inexperience. In mythologies across cultures, there are stories of deities making mistakes. Thus, Raava and Vaatu's inexperience in their creation is why Vaatu can disappear—because he's the only one conscious of the mistake, whereas Raava diminished herself to expand herself as The Avatar if that makes any sense, which means that Raava is gone, never to appear again; she sacrificed herself to destruction, subsumed by Wan, along with so much more when he underwent the Ascension. For Raava and Vaatu, there are big advantages to staying in their natural forms and retaining all the knowledge they possess, but there are weaknesses to it, too, which is how Vaatu was defeated in the first place; also, there are advantages to becoming an Avatar, but there are weaknesses, too, which is why Aang has to keep scrambling to keep up with Vaatu's schemes, born of Vaatu's knowledge. There is no perfect solution.

**Aang hides Tui and La's mortal forms on the lion turtle's back, finding a good hiding place for them.

**Azula interrogates some Children of Chin! Since her daughter and mother were kidnapped, she doesn't mess around; she is direct and ruthless, willing to do anything, including torture and terror, her weapons during the Great War, willing to return to that place.

**Hama tries to get back in Ozai's good graces since Ursa arrived, but it goes nowhere, and Ozai vows that they are done, never to experience any "rejuvenation" with each other again.

**Lee is revealed to actually be Jet! I know that some of you saw that coming from the last chapter, so good job. I got the idea to bring Jet back because I thought that he'd be interesting and plus, his death had been ambiguous (although not really). Jet was never a good guy; he got little redemption in his death, if any, compared to everything he did before. He died from his madness because he lived a life of madness, unable to mature or be intelligent. Jet was willing to pull a smaller-scale Sozin by wiping out an innocent village just because he hated Fire—and that's when he was only sixteen! Then when he gets to Ba Sing Se, he was given the chance to change, but his hatred and dark impulses were too deep. He brazenly attacked Zuko, and his actions led to his death, no one else's. Yes, he was "brainwashed," and yes, he tried to kill Long Feng, but those are two instances that build off what was already there inside Jet; Jet could be a mindless killing machine because that's exactly what it took to destroy that village he tried to destroy—mindless killing, devoid of emotion, like a machine. Also, he was always a killer, so it's no surprise—it's not testament of his goodness—that he tried to kill Long Feng after being used in one of the most invasive and violating ways imaginable. Jet didn't attack Long Feng because it was the right thing to do, he attacked because he wanted revenge. Sure, Long Feng deserved to die, and Jet deserved his revenge, but it's Jet's nature to go for vengeance and not see reason—it's his curse. He's too mad to think straight. Nothing that Jet did ever revealed a nature of goodness, except for perhaps making a family with the other "Freedom Fighters," but that's hardly enough compared to everything else he did.

It makes perfect sense for him to become "Lee" and be possessed by his hatred and vengeance—because that's exactly how he was in the show. Dying wouldn't change that; if anything, it would intensify it. Him becoming "Lee" and unleashing the plague on Fire is the only logical progression there is. Remember, he HATES the Fire. Just the suspicion of a Firebender (Iroh) caused him to lose his shit and become maniacally obsessed, even when he had no actual evidence. He would want Fire destroyed, and when Vaatu and Piandao (Ozai) promise him that, he jumps at the chance to ally with them, to finally have his true revenge. When Aang reveals who Piandao really is after figuring out what had happened, Jet only regrets working with Ozai, not the plague itself; in his mind, anyone of Fire is guilty and deserved all the suffering he unleashed. He doesn't regret his plague at all—he sees it as his magnum opus. He makes it abundantly clear, which is why he can't find redemption. Jet was always more of a sociopathic/psychopathic character. He was shown to barely have a conscience, and he was very charming while having a delusion of grandeur that it was his duty to rid the world of the Fire. Those are considered characteristics of a psychopath, and while Jet does feel emotions and was accommodating by explaining everything that he knew to Aang, none of it makes up for what he did.

Then Zuko kills Jet, and Aang allows it. That is something that MUST be done. Jet would never change. It's a fallacy to think otherwise. Aang knows it and has been through enough to realize it; he knows better than anyone how hard it is to change (sparing Sozin and letting Air's murder happen, anyone?), and he knows what it takes to change. He's intelligent, perceptive, insightful, and wise enough to see that Jet doesn't have what it takes at all to change. Even though Aang's The Avatar and has a lot of leverage, he doesn't do anything so save Jet except promise a quick death. Think about it—this is a severe political situation dealing with a notorious, unapologetic terrorist. Jet helped slaughter the Order of the White Lotus and more criminally, killed many of the Firebenders in the world with his plague, driving Fire to extinction. He must answer for his crimes, and only the Fire Lord (Zuko) can administer the punishment. If you think that Zuko would have shown mercy or something, no. Zuko can be as vengeful as they come, and he takes his vengeance against Jet, avenging everyone across his race who was murdering during all the chaos unleashed by Jet's plague. Then there's also the fact that he never liked Jet. It's an effortless decision for him to make.

I hope the explanation for how Jet was able to return was believable. It's his spirit that inhabits a new body, so he looks completely different from what he once did, but he's in full control because energybending is a manipulation of one's life energy and being able to enter the chi and other stuff. I pictured the spirit, the soul has to be energy for after someone dies, their spirit or soul is left. To exist, something must have energy, so the spirit or soul is energy, which is how Vaatu was able to bring Jet back.

**Ursa and Ozai have sex and talk again, and Ozai reveals the reasons behind his decision to scar Zuko's face. That is a pivotal event that is never given any attention—it's never been discussed in a real way. It's actually a very complex situation. Because Ozai is still a "fresh" Fire Lord, particularly with a viable, worthy replacement in Iroh waiting in the wings, he has to be very careful—because he knows the nobility could decide to oust him and put Iroh on the throne. He must act according to the nobility's wishes instead of his own, and his actions, as a result, may not really be his but a response to pressure from the nobility. Thus, because Zuko broke sacred tradition by speaking out of turn in the war room before the Dragon's Throne, there had to be an Agni Kai—because it's tradition. However, because all of Ozai's top nobles, generals, admirals, and advisors were there, Ozai couldn't ignore the tradition; he couldn't spare Zuko because it would be a sign of weakness, which everyone would know about. He had to embrace tradition because he was beholden to his nobility—he was, actually, a weak Fire Lord. He had to have the Agni Kai against Zuko, but that was never the problem—the problem was Zuko's unthinkable "dishonor" in begging for mercy, which went against Ozai's plan to smooth everything over and make it a victory for himself and Zuko. Ozai relied on Zuko as much as Zuko relied on Ozai—they are father and son, Fire Lord and Prince, Ruler and Heir. They achieved definition by having each other in their lives—they needed each other. Ozai needed Zuko to play the game, but Zuko failed to discern the game, whereas Zuko needed Ozai to stop being Fire Lord, but Ozai couldn't stop being Fire Lord—because all the nobility was there.

Unfortunately, Zuko ensured his punishment by his "dishonor"—it was inevitable because the Agni Kai was in front of the nobility. It was a public affair rather than a private one, and Ozai had to do something. An Agni Kai demands death, but Ozai didn't kill Zuko—that says A LOT. Instead, Ozai marked Zuko's face, which is unbelievably harsh, but he had to do—he didn't really have a choice because his position as Fire Lord was already tenuous and shaky, especially because IROH WAS RIGHT THERE AS A POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT. If Ozai didn't do the Agni Kai, the nobles would not be happy because it was a sign of weakness, and they could have looked to Ozai's downfall. However, it's not only Ozai; it's also Zuko. If Ozai didn't do the Agni Kai, the nobles would interpret it as Ozai having doubt in the capabilities of his son—his literal only heir—in fighting and surviving an Agni Kai, which is weakness in and of itself. If Ozai didn't go through with it, the nobles would pounce and likely "arrange an accident" for Zuko or assassinate him straight-up because Azula was a viable bride for any man to marry to take the Dragon's Throne after Ozai died—all of which Ozai understood. It's a very complex situation, and Ozai understood the complexity—he's the only one who did because he was the only one in the position to understand it completely.

Zuko refusing to fight damned not only himself but Ozai, actually. Ozai needed Zuko to fight, but Zuko refused, which shamed not only himself but Ozai; it reflected poorly on them both, particularly with Ozai's reign in its infancy. Ozai had to be very careful. The nobility wasn't stupid; they all knew that Azulon was assassinated by Ozai somehow. They don't know how it happened, only that it happened. If they weren't satisfied with Ozai, even for a moment, they could hold that over his head and move against him, turning the people against him, revealing the source of Azulon's death, because Azulon was beloved as Fire Lord. Iroh was still alive and well-beloved by the people; the nobility didn't care for Iroh, epitomized by the fact that the nobility ACCEPTED Ozai as Fire Lord in the first place, bypassing Iroh, but if they started to care for Ozai less than they cared for Iroh, it spelled Ozai's doom—and Zuko's conduct threatened everything for Ozai.

**Aang, Azula, Katara, Zuko, and all of the men of the Northern Water Tribe who survived the invasion talk! There, much is revealed and they determine their game-plan. Before they leave, Katara is gifted a full water-skin of Spirit Oasis water in return for her services and saving the regent Chief's life.

**Bor, Toph, Suki, and Jin continue their journey trying to get to the Sun Warrior Ruins! They are pretty much just hoping for something good to happen because they are alone and need to tell everyone else what happened.

**Katara and Zuko talk about Jet! It was shown in Canon that Katara felt sorrow at Jet's death and great guilt—it makes sense she would feel the same for the second time. Zuko sprouts some of his own 'Uncle Iroh' advice, and she stops feeling sad.

**Hama learns that "Piandao" is actually Ozai from Ursa! She is in extensive disbelief, horrified, and heartbroken—she had loved Piandao, finding in him a powerful kinship. As a result, she can't think straight; her emotions are all over the place, and she needs to recover and absorb the onslaught of information she received.

Hama was shown to be clever in Canon. She had to be to escape from prison and hide out in a Fire Nation village for years while manipulating everyone into thinking that she was harmless when she was actually one of the most dangerous people in the world—not to mention make the best of her obvious difference in appearance compared to everyone else. However, she's always been cursed by her hatred (sound familiar?). She hates Fire, and while she was able to live with loving "Piandao," she hates Ursa and can understand hating Ursa a lot easier than she can understand hating Ozai—at least, at first. As a result, when she has the chance to escape with Ursa, she was blinded by her hatred of all Firebenders, along with the realization that Ursa is the current Fire Lord's mother; she turned her back on the most logical path available to her, which was to fight with Ursa against Ozai or simply escape immediately.

I think that was everything so leave a review and tell me what you think of the chapter. I'd really appreciate it!

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