Stopping a war by stopping one man. The thought itself was simple, but it was also distressing to Aang. While Sokka and Zuko were out training and discussing plans, the Avatar was left to these ideas.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked, noticing his pensive frown.

"I'm still thinking about the final battle," he admitted. "It seems like the only way to save the world is to get rid of the fire lord."

"That's because it is, Twinkle Toes," Toph commented, leaning her back against Appa.

"But…but what if there's another way?"

"Like what?" the earthbender asked. "Do you want to sit him down and talk?"

"Sort of."

Katara put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "It makes sense that you'd want to find a peaceful way to fix everything, but the fire lord isn't reasonable."

"Does that mean that he deserves to die?"

The waterbender got quiet. It seemed so harsh to say that he did.

"I think so," Mai commented, looking off into the island.

Her words surprised the others. They said nothing for a moment until Aang spoke up again.

"Do you really mean that?" he asked.

Mai gave a small nod of her head. Perhaps she was biased. In fact, she knew she was, but that did not matter to her. After so many years of seeing Zuko try to hide injuries, her heart had hardened towards the fire lord. She imagined that all she would need to do to lessen her concern over seeing him in pain would be to think of how he had caused the same for her friend.

"Do you think that too?" Katara asked, looking at Ty Lee.

The other girl seemed unsure. "I wouldn't want him to die if he didn't have to. Azula would be really sad if she lost him."

"An upside to ditching the princess is that you don't have to worry about what she thinks anymore," Toph said.

"Are you fine with him dying?"

"I don't know why I wouldn't be. He sent Zuko's kill-happy sister to wipe out everyone in my hometown. Not to mention what he did to other parts of the Earth Kingdom and the world in general." The girl's calm expression turned into a frown. "I don't like that he'd kill all my friends the first chance he got either. The world's better off without him."

"But he's a living being," Aang said. "He might not value life, but we should. Maybe that's how we can change him. We'll win, but we'll show him mercy too."

The boy looked at the group around him, seeing who all agreed. It was clear that Mai and Toph did not, but Katara and Ty Lee seemed just as likely to side with him. Of course, the final say in the matter would be his. If killing the fire lord saved more lives, how could he selfishly prioritize his own values? Discouraged, the airbender let out a sigh.

"I guess I don't really have a choice," he stated. "This is the only way to protect the world."

"Oftentimes, just as people think they are powerless, new options are revealed to them," Iroh said.

The firebender was coming back from the beach house. He had a calm but wise look on his face. Iroh gestured for Aang to walk with him as the others stayed by Appa. The Avatar quickly approached and they walked towards the building.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked. "Do you think I'm deciding too quickly?"

"I think that you should do what keeps your spirit at peace. If it is not in you to take a life, then don't. It would only be another harm done by my brother if he turned a caring child into a murderer."

"I don't know how else to stop him," Aang admitted. "I really don't want him to die, but I don't want him to kill anyone else even more."

Iroh paused thoughtfully. "Are you a fully realized Avatar?"

The question took Aang off guard and he hesitated. "I…don't know. I haven't needed to go into the Avatar State in a while. I'm supposed to be realized after mastering all four elements."

"Then let's see if you can control entering the state. I might not have guided an Avatar into this before, but I've studied it. Meditation can help, then adjust to the feeling and gain control of when you enter and leave the state."

Aang nodded and sat down with his legs folded over each other. The airbender closed his eyes, then began the meditation. He focused on the Spirit World and what he needed to do. With a frown, he opened his eyes.

"It feels different when I'm not in danger or upset."

"The Avatar State is much more than a mere defense strategy," Iroh said. "It will connect you to your past lives. They will be able to guide you in ways that no one else can."

Aang's eyes twinkled at the thought, then brighter as a realization dawned on him.

"I'd be able to speak with Avatar Yangchen," he said, smiling when Iroh nodded.

The boy needed to do this. He had to see another airbender again. All he had to do was open his mind to that possibility. Suddenly, something changed. Aang no longer felt like he was just in his mind. It was like another world. He saw people he had seen in books and as statues. Their eyes lit up, but it was not like how it was in the past. Before, he would feel their anger and his. It was like their past rages enhanced his own. When they protected him and his friends, their fierceness was so strong that it almost made him feel like they had taken control of his body and left him behind. This time, there was a comforting warmth to their presence. They were glad to see him. He felt welcomed by a crowd of strangers who were also incredibly familiar to him. Aang's eyes locked onto a woman with tattoos like his own. Her face was kind and she did not hesitate to embrace the child when a look of deep sadness entered his eyes. Outside of the building, Zuko and Sokka were still training.

Both boys were beginning to get tired, but they knew that they had to bring the best they had to offer in this training. Zuko did not hold back against Sokka. Azula would not hold back either. Even if Zuko's firebending did not match hers, he could mimic the threat level by combining his flames with the sword strikes. The other boy was not fast enough to properly dodge everything, so it encouraged him to find other ways to fight. He remembered Suki's advice about anything being a weapon. Getting acclimated to fighting a dangerous opponent one-on-one was improving the boy's skills. He was also helping Zuko. What Sokka lacked in power, he made up for in craftiness. Azula would not be unwilling to do a move just because it was unfair. She would go for whatever led to a victory. It kept Zuko sharp since he had to keep adjusting for what Sokka would do next. He dodged when a handful of sand was tossed at his face, then continued. After a while longer, the friends finally stopped.

"The warriors should be here soon," Sokka said, panting. "Once they are, we can head out to Ba Sing Se. Dad will probably have a plan for us to use."

"What about your strategy?"

"Well, I was thinking about it and it just doesn't seem like something they'd all follow. I mean, Dad would listen, but we've got an actual king coming here. Why would he listen to someone like me?"

"Because he wants to stop the war too and your plan's the best way to do that," the firebender said.

Sokka smiled at the confidence his friend had in him. "Well, maybe. We'll see what happens. What about you? Are you ready to take over for your dad?"

"Not really," Zuko admitted, then he took a breath, "but I know I've got a good group of people around me to help. The worst part should be the first few days, but I think it'll get better with time."

"And if they try to assassinate you, I'll just use this sword on them," Sokka promised, slashing the air dramatically.

"That's very reassuring," the older boy said, a note of playful sarcasm in his voice.

It was starting to get dark out, so the friends headed back towards the others. When they did, they saw a small light coming from the entranceway of the beach house. Katara and Ty Lee were near the building, watching with wide eyes.

"What's going on?" Sokka asked, immediately getting shushed by his sister.

This caused the boy to frown, but his eyes widened as well when Zuko nudged him and drew his attention back to the room. Aang's tattoos were glowing as he sat across from Iroh. Slowly, the light faded until he was back to normal. The airbender's eyes opened.

"Did you get the guidance you were seeking?" Iroh asked.

"I did," Aang answered. "I…actually feel at peace with what I learned. I was able to speak with the Air Nomad Avatars–some of the others too." Happily, the boy stood up and bowed his head. "Thanks for helping me with that."

Iroh offered a warm smile and Aang left after sending a joyful wave to his friends. The four kids entered the building.

"What did he find out?" Sokka asked.

"I have no idea," Iroh admitted, chuckling. "Whatever it was, it seemed to help."

"Should we find out?" Zuko inquired.

Iroh shook his head. "The Avatars of the past would not intentionally give him poor advice. I'm sure there is a reason why he did not share his plan immediately."

There was a pause as a curious expression crossed Ty Lee's face. "General Iroh," she said, "are you going to become the fire lord again?"

"No, I cannot."

"Then…"

"It's going to be Zuko," Mai spoke up.

She had been sitting over by Appa with Toph while the others gathered near Aang, but she was still paying attention. The girl got up and approached.

"That's the plan, isn't it?"

Iroh smiled and nodded. "It is."

Katara looked slightly surprised, but it did not take long for her to send the firebender a supportive grin. "It'll be good for the Fire Nation to get a brand new kind of leader."

Sokka puffed up happily. "And when I get to show Suki all around the world, I can get special treatment in the Fire Nation since I'm friends with their ruler."

Zuko chuckled at his friend, but the happiness felt by the group was not in every nation. This was hard to come by in Ba Sing Se. It hardly mattered whether someone was a grieving citizen or an invader. The voyage to Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation had finally ended. Azula mostly stayed in her room for the duration of the trip. Despite how much she wanted to pretend otherwise, she knew that the betrayal in Shu Jin had gotten to her. Showing how much would only lead to her father doubting her more. The princess had been spared the full effects of his disappointment because of her success with Ba Sing Se. Why not bask in that glory for a little longer? There was no reason to taint it with negative emotions. Azula had experienced a lot of those lately. Zuko was finally getting his revenge on her for every cruel word or action. She was sure that he was enjoying that. He could watch her friends turn on her and side with him. To spit on her, he dared to regard her with sympathy. As if she needed his sympathy. She just needed to focus on the mission so that she never even came close to disappointing her father again. So, Azula had servants bring her meals to her quarters and trained there. If Ozai went to the door, he would be able to hear the flames. There would be no doubt that she was working to get stronger. Only, he never did come to her door.

Ozai mostly remained in his chambers as well, looking over plans. There was so much he could do in Ba Sing Se. What a weak king, to lose a king to spies. No one would ever kill him. He sometimes doubted even time would have that privilege. Once he had his empire the way he wanted it, time would not. The great Fire Lord Ozai would live on forever. His vast kingdom would make him immortal. It would touch every part of the world, so he would as well. He was beginning to feel like a being on the level of the spirits. This caused a frown to appear on the man's face. Spirits. He did not often like to think of those. That was his brother's area. Ozai remembered a younger version of them both as Iroh told their father about the various spirits who protected nature. Well, where had they gone? Perhaps they had never existed. They did nothing to stop him in his takeover. Maybe Ozai had destroyed them along with everything else connected to his traitorous brother. Or maybe they took the form of the Avatar and planned on using him as their vessel.

The fire lord clenched a fiery hand into a flaming fist. He needed to kill that airbender. He had come so close. There was no one on the planet whose power matched his own…except the Avatar. Even if Ozai rejected the idea of studying spirits, he made sure to research the Avatar. Four elements. What one person needed all of those? Most importantly, why was Ozai not born in the correct timeline to be an Avatar? His grandfather told him about a firebending Avatar who was pathetic. A mere volcano could defeat that man. Ozai had felt special the day when he learned that. Fire Lord Sozin shared something with him that he shared with no one else, not even the family favorite. He shared that he left the Avatar to die. After years of friendship, the Avatar expected to be aided, so it likely caused despair to hit him as his companion abandoned him to the poisonous volcano. This intrigued Ozai. It reminded him that even someone as strong as the Avatar could be vulnerable to foolish emotions–human weakness. It was the greatest flaw of the Avatar. Have the greatest powers in the world but be bound to a sense of duty for protecting it as well. The Fire Nation could have taken over the world back then when the Avatar was from their land, but weakness prevented this outcome. Ozai could not give himself more bending. So, he decided that the way to overpower the Avatar was to remove weakness from himself.

The father and daughter felt as the vessel stopped and docked at Ba Sing Se. At last, they left their chambers, seeing each other for the first time in several days. Azula respectfully bowed her head, but Ozai did not seem to notice. His focus was on their location. He was about to enter the very land that his brother had tried so zealously and failed to claim. His eyes were trained on the castle in front of him. It was mostly in ruins. Ozai never thought debris would look so beautiful. He walked over a ground covered in so much blood, puddles splashed as he stepped.

"Look at what our nation can do, Azula," he said.

The princess glanced around, seeing the corpses. She heard the pride in the man's voice and was glad to have been the cause.

"The rest of the world will be like this soon," she stated.

"Very soon," Ozai promised, smiling sinisterly. "The world will be reborn from flames like a great phoenix."

As he said this, the man's eyes twinkled. That sounded rather nice.

"Phoenix," he repeated. "What can destroy a phoenix? Nothing. Its flames protect it and can destroy anything it chooses. It's all-powerful. A king should be the same."

Azula was not entirely sure why he looked so excited all of a sudden. They kept walking until they entered the palace. Ozai saw the empty throne, but he did not sit down. He would only sit upon those made by the Fire Nation. Instead, the man blasted flames into the former throne room so that it was filled with nothing but fire.

"When my work here is done, you can replace me as fire lord," he said, still smiling.

"What will you do?"

Ozai watched the fire as though the entire planet was being consumed. "I've grown tired of being the fire lord. It limits me. I can do more than that. While you lead the Fire Nation, I will lead the world. I will be known by a new name. Instead of the fire lord, I will become the Phoenix King."

As the flames remained in Ozai's eyes, travel was ending for a large group of people. Ember Island got new visitors on its quiet coast. Excitement and nerves filled the children as they watched the ships dock. Sokka and Katara ran down to the shore, quickly going through the warriors. When they saw Hakoda, they rushed into his arms. Tears streamed down Katara's face and Sokka swallowed hard to keep the same from happening to him. After so much death, it had been difficult sometimes to not fear the worst. Anything could have happened in the Southern Water Tribe. In spite, Ozai could have sent more troops. Their father could have been slain. Hakoda held his children close to him, feeling the fear he had felt since the day they left fade. Bato and the other Water Tribe warriors approached, smiling at the siblings.

"Your children are spectacular," Chief Arnook said, coming over as well.

Hakoda smiled and stood up to shake his hand. "They are."

Pride filled the children and they saw more familiar faces. Fighters from the Underground hurried over to Toph. The girl started to frown when she was eagerly picked up by the Boulder, but the excitement in his voice made her stop.

"The Boulder is happy to fight alongside the Blind Bandit again!" he declared. "We'll bring our allies to victory!"

"You know it!'

More warriors approached and Sokka's eyes widened in shock. He saw makeup and green uniforms. Heart beating faster, Sokka ran over to the women. He yelped when someone tackled him to the ground. Immediately, he started grinning.

"Suki!"

The girl smiled and helped him back to his feet.

"I didn't know if you'd be here or not," Sokka admitted, looking overjoyed. "But I'm really glad you are."

"I am too. I told them what you said. We're warriors. How can we even name ourselves after Avatar Kyoshi if we don't protect the same world she fought for?"

Excitedly, Sokka brought Suki over to the others to begin the introductions. While he did, Bumi looked through the group curiously. Someone was missing.

"Where's Aang?"

"He's…"

Katara stopped, turning to the beach house. That had been where she last saw the boy, but he was not there anymore.

"He's probably talking with some of the Underground fighters," she mentioned. "He became friends with a lot of them."

Katara approached that group, but she did not see Aang there either. The waterbender walked up to where the Boulder and Toph were.

"Toph, do you know where Aang is?"

"I can check if someone ever puts me back down."

Sheepishly, the Boulder obliged with the request. Toph planted her feet solidly. Even with the sand shifting beneath everyone, the vibrations alerted her to their general whereabouts. She began to look worried.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I don't think he's here."

The friends began going through the crowd to search. Zuko saw them and their concern.

"What's wrong?"

"We're searching for Twinkle Toes," Toph explained. "We can't find him anywhere."

Surprised, Zuko turned to the building. "I'll see if I can spot him from up there."

The firebender quickly scaled the side of the house for a vantage point. Even there, he had no answer to offer his friends. Dread hit him. They had lost the Avatar. They never would have guessed that he was in the process of swimming away from the island with one destination in mind. One past Avatar in particular was guiding him. If Aang wanted to save the world and not lose himself in the process, he had to find answers from someone who had been in the world the longest. He needed someone who was not quite a spirit or a regular mortal, but a source of pure wisdom. One remained for the boy to find and as soon as he reached it, he would have his solution. Then the war could end.