I would like to begin this chapter by wishing any bisexual readers a very happy Celebrate Bisexuality Day!

Responses to Reviews:

Zigzagdoublezee: We're in the endgame now. The Battle of the South Pole is here.

RonaldM40196867: I suppose there is the question of where you can go with it once you have a fully realised Avatar, and if you get it wrong you could accidentally devalue their story during the three series' we did get. Plus I like the Legend of Korra, although of course I would like to see more Aang and his friends after the war too.

As Always, Please Review!

Gembul circled the small ship a few times at low altitude, everyone on board looking anxiously to see what the Fire Nation would do. Finally, a figure stepped out on deck, a familiar man with big, bushy sideburns.

"Zhao," Yue growled.

Zhao gestured for them to land, unsheathed his sword and made a show of throwing it away as a sign of good faith.

Rinzen brought Gembul around, and they touched down on the front of the deck, near the prow.

For a moment, Yue and Zhao just stared at one another.

"Don't worry, I haven't come to hurt you," Zhao began. "This is not a trap. I am an honourable man."

Sokka snorted, and hastily disguised it as a coughing fit.

Zhao's gaze lingered on him for a moment.

"I am honoured to meet you," he continued. "I wish to discuss terms."

"What kind of terms?"

"Why, the terms of your surrender of course. But first I would have you stop your ships. Having a pitched battle break out around us would not be great for peace talks."

"They can see us here, talking to you, and they can see the white flag," Kya pointed out. "They will know what is going on."

"So be it," Zhao nodded. "Now get off the bison and you can talk. Don't worry, I'll let you leave peacefully whenever you want."

Yue frowned.

"Forgive me if I do not trust in your good faith," she said. "But the last time the Fire Nation came in peace, they destroyed my home and tried to kill me.

"Understandable," Zhao shrugged. "Alright, stay on the bison then. It makes no difference."

"What do you want, Zhao?" Kya scowled, having picked up his name from Yue.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush, I want your unconditional surrender," Zhao replied. "Don't worry. You will be treated fairly, and the city will be left intact. We will even leave you to rule the city in our name, an arrangement which will no doubt benefit both of us."

"And what about me?" Yue asked.

"That's a little bit tricky," Zhao frowned. "I hope you understand, you are a symbol of resistance against us. As long as you are free, you will inspire opposition, leading to needless conflict and death. But if you come with me, your comfort and safety can be assured in the Fire Nation."

"Can it?" Yue asked in a sceptical tone.

"It can," Zhao nodded. "Maybe you would like to ask someone who has first-hand experience of how we treat noble captives, before you make up your mind?"

"What do you mean?" Yue asked, as Zhao clapped his hands and a man was dragged onto the deck by two guards.

"I do love a good family reunion," Zhao grinned. "So allow me to present Hakoda, Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, father and husband.

Kya gasped and dropped her helmet.

"Hakoda?"

"Kya?" Hakoda looked up at her. He was hairier than Yue remembered, but otherwise looked unharmed. "Sokka? Katara! What are you doing here?"

"You-" Katara stood up in the saddle and jabbed a furious finger at Zhao.

"What have you done to him?"

"I haven't done anything!" Zhao protested. "I've only had custody of him since yesterday. He assures me he's been treated well."

That didn't stop the look of furious anguish on Katara's face, but she managed to hold herself back from doing something stupid. Sokka, too, was shaking, Yue realised.

Kya, meanwhile, began to scramble off the bison.

"This is heartwarming," Zhao smiled. "But I should give a word of friendly advice now."

"You really are in love with the sound of your own voice aren't you?" Hakoda spat.

"No, this is important. You are going to want to hear this," Zhao took the insult in stride. "There's a bomb on the ship."

"What?" Kya stopped.

"In fact to call it a bomb might be an understatement. A hundred barrels of blasting jelly primed to go off at any moment. And they will, if you try to take Hakoda off this ship by force. This vessel and everything on it will cease to exist in a moment."

"Including you," Katara pointed out.

"I have thought of that," Zhao grinned. "A worthy death. All of these men agree, they're all volunteers. All know what they've signed up for. And I've left orders to my fleet that the moment they see this ship explode, they are to attack. They will burn your city and everyone in it to the ground."

"You said you would treat us fairly!"

"And I will. Do you really think I want to explode?" Zhao asked sarcastically. "Think of this more as an insurance policy than a threat."

"Alright!" Kya called. "We won't try anything."

"Good," Zhao seemed to relax. "I'm glad to hear it."

Kya rushed over to her husband and threw her arms around him. As they whispered furiously to one another, Yue sat in the saddle, lost in thought. There was absolutely no way she was going to submit to Fire Nation captivity again.

"Look," Sokka called down to Zhao. "We're going to need to think about this, and discuss it with the rest of the tribe."

"Why?" Zhao seemed genuinely baffled. "You get your father back, you don't die in flames, and your city remains standing. I don't understand why you wouldn't take the offer."

"It is an appealing offer," Sokka nodded, "but we can't accept it without our people's approval, or they will just call us traitors and overthrow us. Without us, what good is dad as a bargaining chip? And then where will you be?"

Zhao scowled.

"I suppose you make a good point," he said. "Very well. You have until tomorrow morning to come to a decision. I hope it will be the right one."

Kya broke away from Hakoda with one last regretful smile and began making her way back to the bison. The Chief looked up at where his children sat on Gembul and Yue saw his eyes filled with pride.

Then Kya was climbing back onto the bison.

"I will expect you on the deck of my flagship bearing news of the city's surrender by 8 O'clock tomorrow," Zhao said. "Otherwise-"

"Yeah, yeah, flames, sackings, all that stuff," Sokka interrupted him.

Zhao scowled, but nodded.

"That's the idea," he said. "Farewell. See you soon, Avatar."

Rinzen snapped the reins and they took off, flying back towards the city as behind them Zhao's ship began to turn around.

As soon as they were safely out of sight, Sokka's anger seemed to intensify. He sat in brooding silence, staring back at the ship. Yue knew he was contemplating his father's imprisonment.

Yue saw that Kya was clutching something in her hand. She looked at it.

"What have you got?"

"What?" Kya seemed to register that someone was speaking to her. Slowly she lifted it up to reveal that it was a small piece of scrap metal, with a message painstakingly scratched into the surface.

"He gave it to me," she said, and Yue knew that she meant Hakoda. She passed the metal over, and Yue examined it, straining to read the letters engraved in it.

The message was short, and to the point.

"I love you. Don't trust them.

H."