Hi, I'm back with another chapter. Thank you for your feedback, and I hope you'll enjoy this one too. I haven't written in a few years, so I'm just getting back into the flow. So don't worry, chapters will be longer by the time. Apologies in advance for any mistakes or inconsistencies—English isn't my first language, so you know how it is.

Also, I haven't read the continuation of the ATLA comics, so this story is purely my own invention. I'd love to hear your thoughts, comments. :)

Enjoy xx

"What took you so long?" came a quiet voice from behind a pile of documents, books, and scrolls.

"I was meditating," Aang replied simply, slowly walking over to the large table. The room was dimly lit by only a few large candles. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, overflowing with books and small trinkets that Zuko had received from his subjects during his travels. Aang smiled to himself—Zuko hadn't thrown a single one away; he'd kept every gift. Behind Firelord Zuko was a large french window—during the day, it offered a stunning view of the courtyard and surrounding grounds, with forests stretching into the distance, bordered by long hills. But at that moment, the window was covered by thick, heavy red curtains.

"Did it help?" Zuko asked simply. Aang frowned when he noticed the smirk on his lips.

"No."

Zuko looked up at him, his gaze sharp. "Why don't you just write to her and tell her you want to see her?"

"What makes you think that's the reason I went to meditate?" the young monk snapped, averting his gaze to the stack of books lying haphazardly next to the table.

"Isn't it?"

"Weren't we supposed to discuss yesterday's attack, where half a village near the palace was destroyed?" The tone of the young man with steel-gray eyes made it clear he wasn't interested in talking about anything else. It was already hard enough for him to follow his head rather than his heart.

"You know what I mean…" Zuko raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "Whenever something's going on, you write to her even more."

Aang turned his back to him. "I'm going to bed. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Don't be childish. Tell me what happened," Zuko sighed, waiting for his friend to turn around and sit across from him. Aang let out a quiet sigh. For a moment, he really thought about leaving, but he knew Zuko didn't mean any harm. He turned around and sat down in the chair. Zuko pushed the scrolls aside and poured himself a bit of red wine, leaning back and interlacing his fingers. "So?"

"General Mardock sent me a message around noon that there was an attack in Minse. I rushed there as quickly as I could, but by the time I arrived, chaos had already taken over. I don't understand it… the houses were filled with mud, the roofs shattered by huge boulders, as if they had rained down from the sky. I saw a few injured people; fortunately, there don't seem to be any fatalities, but the village didn't fare well," Aang recounted quietly. The bitter taste of defeat still lingered on his tongue. "The crops were gone, as if someone had torn them all up and ground them to dust. I didn't see anyone showing signs of being an earthbender. Through the vibrations, I only felt fear and panic, no calm or anything that would point to a culprit." As Aang spoke, Zuko's frown deepened. His stomach tightened. The fifth attack in one week. So far, they knew that it was only happening along the borders with the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. But it was entirely possible that attacks were happening elsewhere too.

"It's really strange. The attacks alternate—sometimes they use fire, then earth, and vice versa. We need to get in touch with Toph, check on the situation in Gaoling and the surrounding area, and see if she has any news," he paused, "and we should also send messages to the Southern and Northern Water Tribes."

Aang shifted uneasily. "I'll take care of it."

"I didn't expect anything less," Zuko replied with a bitter laugh, ignoring the resentful look from his best friend. "Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with these attacks? I can send more soldiers to the surrounding villages and the borders. This morning, I already informed King Kuei."

Aang shook his head. "There's no way to predict what will happen next, given that we don't know who's behind these attacks or what their motive is… We need to catch someone in the act, but how we'll do that, I'm not sure yet. I need to think about it…" And also figure out what those crystals found in each attacked village mean, he thought to himself, deciding to keep that information to himself for now. First, he needed to investigate on his own, and then he'd share what he found with Zuko.

"Don't take too long. People might start to believe we're not doing enough to keep them safe, and they might start doubting…" Zuko stopped mid-sentence, looking uneasily at his friend.

"…doubting the Avatar's ability, you mean?" Aang murmured quietly. "I'm aware."

"I didn't mean it like that, but you know the people—they want someone to blame, and they'll find one quickly when they're desperate," the Firelord sighed. "I'm also worried they'll start blaming each other, which could lead to another war…"

Aang froze, staring intently at the flickering candle flame. "Hm, that would be quite convenient, wouldn't it?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions yet. We'll see what the next attacks look like, and maybe we can stop them before things escalate," Zuko said, standing up from the table. He walked over to the heavy curtain and pulled it aside, allowing the bright moonlight to fall on his scar on the face. His expression seemed to soften in the light. "Tomorrow, we'll convene a council, and together with Mardock and the others, we'll come up with a strategy. We'll wait for news from the others, and if needed, we'll have to call representatives from each nation." He rubbed his eyes and looked at Aang. "We're done for tonight. It's late; tomorrow, we'll be a little wiser."

Aang nodded briefly and headed for the door. "I'll send the messages tonight."

"Good," Zuko replied, drawing the curtain shut, and the room dimmed once again. He wanted to say goodbye to his friend, but Aang was already gone. He sighed loudly. He didn't have a good feeling about any of this, and the worried look on Aang's face wasn't helping. But he trusted his judgment and believed they'd figure it out together. After all… they always had. He just hoped he wasn't wrong this time.

--

Later that night, Aang sent letters to Gaoling and the Water Tribes. He hoped his friends wouldn't take too long to respond, especially Toph, as Katara always replied to his letters right away. He was just about to let his mind drift to thoughts of his dream girl when his eyes fell on the four crystals on his table. The moonlight was hitting them just right, giving them an almost majestic appearance. He picked up one of the stones and examined it closely. They were raw pieces, not polished, as if they had randomly fallen out of the earth during each attack. That was possible… people pick up rocks in the fields all the time, but something about these felt off. The energy… it wasn't what he would expect from a crystal. It felt rough, aggressive. He'd never sensed anything like it before, and his sixth sense was telling him that this wasn't just a coincidence. Suddenly, fatigue washed over him. He frowned—it didn't seem like he'd felt this way just a moment ago. He shrugged and stretched. Momo jumped onto his head and playfully leaped right in front of him, startling him so much that he dropped the crystal.

"Momo!" Aang laughed. "Don't do that to me!" The lemur playfully spun around and flew over to his bed. "You're right, buddy, tomorrow's another day."

He left the stone where it was, and without further ado, collapsed into bed. Despite the weight of recent events, he fell asleep with a light smile on his lips, knowing that any day now, he could expect replies from his friends. And most importantly, the letter from Katara would be a little longer, and it would be just for him.