Author's note: hmm... reactions were better than I thought. I was expecting things like "nooooo! how could you do this to Chenlian! you're too cruel, I can't follow you anymore!"Haha, well, maybe not to that extent, but something along the line XD. That said, I admit being disappointed that I didn't get more reviews (except for some of my faithful readers). Guess that 2nd season and those last chapters were not so good after all. Oh well. In any case, I promised it so here it is. A first looooong chapter. I hope that this 3rd season will be better and that you will enjoy it... though the first half will be full of heart-wrenching stuff lol.
Book 03
Fire
Fear and despair, doubts and regrets all swirl like flames. Everyone must, at one point, have their hearts consumed by them. Like a fire having burned all the old and rotting plants and allowing new buds to sprout, when there's nothing left, everything becomes clear and we realize what's truly important. As ashes can fertilize the soil, even a painful past can become fodder for us. We must learn from our mistakes. That's why there can't be a future without a past. That is necessary, and part of one's growing pains. In order to overcome them we must develop a will of fire. That's how we grow stronger. That's how people can start anew.
Fight 45: Awakening
Aang began to awaken. He groaned as he sat up on his bed. He had bandages on his arms and legs and his abdomen was all wrapped up. He stared at the floor, his vision blurry and his head swaying. He clutched his stomach, wondering what happened. He looked at the room and was shocked... those banners, all that metal... he was inside of a Fire Nation ship! And behind him was a large tapestry with the Fire Nation insigna. Terrified, the Avatar scrambled off the bed. But he had to be careful when escaping. He peered outside. Nobody was there. The wounded child slowly hobbled down the dimly lit hallway, teetering from side to side while using his staff and the wall for support. At the corner he looked around and saw two Fire Nation soldiers, one very tall and carrying a club, and the other very tiny. The tall one asked his friend if he had heard something. Aang gasped and put his back to the wall before turning the corner and swinging his staff, bending a strong gust of wind at the soldiers who shielded themselves from the attack. The Avatar ran down the corridor.
"He's awake!" The giant exclaimed. The monk desperately tried to get away, still using his staff for support. The soldiers followed him. "Stop, wait!"
Aang reached a small flight of stairs leading to the deck that he climbed up. He tried to jump off the last steps and onto the deck but he tripped and fell down. He lost his grip on his staff and it slid across the deck to... Momo? And he was being petted by two Fire Nation soldiers? No, those were Hakoda and Bato. It was night. The boy was confused. They all turned to him. The lemur chirped happily and leaped towards his master. The airbender stood up as Momo jumped onto his shoulders and licked his cheek. Toph and Katara ran to him excitedly. The two soldiers who had chased him arrived. It was Pipsqueak and The Duke.
"Aang, you're awake!" Katara yelled, sounding so relieved. But the boy wasn't quite sure. He rubbed his eyes as he still felt he was dreaming. He was caught off guard when the waterbender embraced him. "You're not dreaming. You're finally awake." She let go and another 'Fire Nation soldier' (mask and all) walked up to Aang and gave him a quick hug.
"Aang, good to see you back with the living, buddy!" The person said. The airbender somehow recognized Sokka from the voice and manner of speaking. However, the Avatar was just too exhausted and confused and he fainted. Appa groaned softly as he joined the group looming over Aang.
On another Fire Nation ship, Zuko was standing alone at the edge of the deck, staring at the moon shining through the clouds. Mai came and asked if he was cold.
"I've got a lot on my mind. It's been so long. Over three years since I was home. I wonder what's changed. I wonder how I've changed." The prince answered. The girl sighed.
"I just asked if you were cold. I didn't ask for your whole life story." She smiled and wrapped her arms around Zuko. "Stop worrying." She pulled his face closer and kissed his cheek. He let her, but she knew he wouldn't let her kiss him on the lips. He was still awkward and stiff with her. And although he didn't speak about it, she knew he was worried about Chenlian too. Mai let go and walked away.
"Why are we on a Fire Nation ship? Why is everyone dressed this way? And why am I the only one out of it?" Aang demanded before being given a red robe by someone in disguise. He and Katara were sitting on the deck in front of Appa. She told him to take it easy as he had been hurt pretty bad. And also, she liked his hair. "I have hair? How long was I out?" The shocked monk felt his scalp. The girl replied he had been out for a few weeks. Hakoda joined them. He wanted to know if everything was okay.
"We're fine, dad." Katara answered a little crossly while looking away. Hakoda introduced himself to Aang and extended his hand. "He knows who you are. I just called you 'dad', didn't I?" She stopped Aang by placing a hand on his shoulder and slightly glared at her father.
"I guess you're right." The warrior admitted, looking a little hurt. But his daughter had been in a bad mood ever since they had joined up. It was a bit better now that the Avatar had woken up, but they were missing an important member of their group.
"Nice to officially meet you, Chief Hakoda" Aang extended his hand.
"It's an honor to meet you." The Chief grabbed the boy's arm.
"Great, great. Now you guys have finally met, so would you mind giving us a little privacy?" The annoyed waterbender requested. Her father complied and went to pet Appa. Given her mean attitude, Aang wondered if she was mad at her dad or something. "What? Not at all, why would you say that?" She raised an eyebrow. She seemed really clueless about her own behavior. The child shrugged, and almost immediately groaned and held his side in pain. "Maybe we should go upstairs. You need a healing session."
"Wait. How come I haven't seen Chenlian yet? She's here, right? Is she hurt? I want to see her." The Avatar demanded with a mixture of hope and dread. However, the dread suddenly grew much heavier when Katara's blue eyes widened for a second, and look away, too late though as he had seen the shadow of fear and uncertainty pass inside.
"That... I'll tell you once you've properly received treatment." The girl smiled and helped her friend to his feet and they returned to his room.
Chenlian felt like she was sinking in the darkness. The cold and emptiness were numbing her body and senses, seeping into her bones, into her heart, robbing her limbs of any strength and crushing her will to fight. To fight... why should she fight? An image of Zuko appeared and shattered. Then she saw Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph... they seemed older... there were also Appa and Momo... and she was there too... they embraced her older self. They all looked happy. She tried to move, raise an arm towards that image, that future, but she couldn't move after all. And darkness engulfed her. Suddenly, she saw something glowing gold. As it came closer she recognized Guang. She thought she heard him say "Don't go! You must not go over there!" But she couldn't respond or do anything. She was closing her eyes when he enveloped her. His muzzle touched her chest at the place of her solar plexus, where her scar was and it was like he fused inside her. And then, she could feel her heart beating again, it was like it was glowing the same color as him. She could feel its heat spreading along her veins, bringing strength, and dispelling the darkness.
Chenlian groaned as she began to wake up. Her vision was still unclear and she could only vaguely distinguish shapes and colors. A male silhouette loomed over her and she recognized Fire Nation clothing. Her eyes snapped wide open and her arms and then her legs as she moved into a handstand from her supine position, released small but scorchingly intense arches of fire, driving the enemy back. She jumped away and landed, only to have her back hit a wall. Pain shot through her and she collapsed again, writhing and clutching her sides because she couldn't reach her back. It felt like the skin and flesh of her back had been torn apart, and it was probably the case. When the pain lessened slightly into a dull throbbing, she looked up and saw Zuko. He had a partly burnt cloth in his hand. At his feet was a water basin whose content had spilled. There was also a recipient with some sort of balm, and a pot of honey. The girl recalled that dilapidated shack near that ghost village where she had treated Iroh's lightning injury with honey and plantain leaves. Then she saw the metal bars and walls. She was in a prison, no, a brig. She could feel the slight rocking of the sea. She recalled the fight in the Crystal Catacombs where she almost killed him, where she had been about to kill him... because he had chosen his sister over her. And Azula... had shot Aang! She also remembered having helped Aang and Katara to escape. Then, there was the fight... But then, even though this happened, even though he had made his decision... why was he gazing at her with such worry, such compassion and gentleness? Why was he treating her? She managed to sit up, but she kept her eyes on the ground.
"What happened after that? Did you capture Aang the others? How long has it been since then?" Chenlian questioned softly. Being angry and throwing a fit at this point wouldn't change or achieve anything, right?
"It's been a few weeks. We're on a ship en route to the Fire Nation. We should be home soon. The Avatar and his friends still haven't been captured. But Ba Sing Se has fallen." Zuko replied as he approached and knelt down before her."
"I see... then hope still remains... I'm glad... I'm glad I could do something for them..." She sounded so relieved as she placed a fist above her heart. Right, Katara still had that spirit water. She could save Aang and protect him. A shadow crossed over the boy's features and he glared slightly. "And what about you?" Her tone was sharper. She stared at him so insistently that he felt uncomfortable. Unable to withstand the straightness of her gaze... and of her heart... he averted his eyes that darted around.
"Hum... nothing much... it's just that Mai... I... we... hum..." He stammered, incapable of finding the right words to explain the situation. Or he just didn't know what he himself was feeling.
"So you've already got a new girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend! She's-"
"Whatever." Chenlian sharply cut him. She didn't want to hear his excuses or become his love advisor. "And why are you here?"
"I wanted to make sure you were alright and that you were healing correctly."
"Why? Oh, right. The Fire Lord needs me alive, or all those years of efforts will have been wasted. That's the only reason I am allowed to live. You need to protect your bartering tool." She reasoned coolly, and resignedly. "Then I'm fine like this. Let it heal naturally. The uglier the scar, the better." She refused treatment. She didn't want to gloss reality over, and she didn't want to forget the lessons those wounds had taught her. Zuko curled his fists and felt a pang in his heart. She was right... she might be right... but...
"That's not it and you know it! You don't need to be like this! You don't know what state you've been in those last weeks!" He snapped. Although she had been gradually healing, her condition had still been dangerously precarious, and they were moments when they doubted she'd make it. "I'm worried about you! Why can't I be?!"
"Wait until you're actually sleeping to start spouting nonsense. At the moment of truth, you showed where you true loyalty was. You chose a side, which is not mine. My wellbeing is not your business anymore. Showing some half-assed concern now is nothing but disgusting hyprocrisy and it's making me sick." The girl coldly glared at him.
"STOP BEING SO STUBBORN! YOU NEARLY DIED HERE!" He bolted on his feet. How could she say that, even though he was caring for her?!
"It might have been better if I did. Then at least I would have been spared this sight." Chenlian said after a time. The blow was so strong it completely stunned Zuko for a moment. She didn't seem to be joking at all. She could not bear the sight of him to that extent? He started trembling. The cloth he was still holding fell on the ground. He suddenly slammed his hands on the wall above her.
"Are you seriously saying that!? Is that your true feeling!?" He balled his hands into fists and glared down at her with pain in his eyes. She stared back without flinching. The prince gritted his teeth and stormed away. But then the girl heard sounds of banging metal, like it was being kicked or punched, and she saw flashes of reddish light, easily recognizable as firelight. And after thirty seconds, Zuko returned.
"You've got no right to judge me!" He pointed an accusing finger at her. "I did what I had to! You know that's what I always wanted! I thought you would understand me and stay with me! I wanted you to choose me! I thought you would choose me!" Zuko burst out.
"Says the guy who already got himself a new girlfriend. That shows just how important I was to you, right? As long as Ozai holds power, as long as he doesn't radically change his views, then he'll be an Enemy of the world, and my enemy as well. And I won't submit to him for as long as I live."
"Mai isn't my girlfriend! You wouldn't be choosing my father but me! Don't you want to be with me? Isn't that why you came to me? We can still be together!"
"Zuko, you're speaking like a stupid and spoiled little brat. Do you have any idea how cruel you're being, to Mai, and to me?" She couldn't believe her ears. Did he really not understand what he was saying? She sighed. "I want to be with you... or wanted... it's the future I ended up wishing for somewhere in my heart. It might be my true wish, but that isn't the future I'm looking for... As long as your father is on a throne, as long as you intend to follow his footsteps, we can't be together. I won't choose that future. I can't do it, and you know that, you know why, since I already told you everything. I too believed in you, that you would understand me, and choose me. But somewhere in your heart, you've always rejected me. You could never truly accept me. Because I am your father's enemy, I was an obstacle between you and him." She sounded so earnest... and sad.
"Don't you want your honor back?!" He yelled, mixing rage, incomprehension, frustration, and desperation. Chenlian's amber eyes flashed. There was a smouldering rage he had never seen in them. She closed them and opened them again.
"What honor? I have no use for a title that someone can give and strip from me on a whim. Yes, I am of noble birth. But so what? Nobility does not come from the blood but from the heart. That's exactly why I will never bow down. I won't sell my soul. Over generations, the royal family has been responsible for the genocide of an entire nation, pillaging, oppression, destruction. They can even sacrifice their own family, their own people without batting an eyelid. That is the honor you reclaimed. I don't think that is right. That's why I'm fighting. That is MY pride and honor. I'm not as selfish and rotten as to live in splendor at the expense of the rest of the world. Forgive me?" She smiled with cheerless irony. It was a smile meaning 'you've had enough, haven't you? Please leave now'. So he left without a word like she wanted. There was nothing else to say.
When Chenlian was sure he wouldn't be back anytime soon, she slumped back on the floor and her composure vanished. She tried the foetal position but her back hurt too much. She held her head. Whenever people try to protect something, someone will be sacrificed. It was something she knew. She had fought all those years, believing in him, in herself, that she would reach him, and in the bond they could forge. She lamented in the stillness, no longer sure what the fighting had been for. All she had ever wished for was to live, surrounded by everything and everyone that was precious to her, to keep them close, embrace them with all her love as she learned about it, to protect them... Then, as things precious to her continued being taken away, she decided to fight, so no one else would have to lose anything precious, to make sure she had not lost those things in vain... until she broke down. She was just a discarded broken blade.
But all of a sudden, an ominous feeling gripped her. That dizzyingly deep sense of loss and emptiness inside... It wasn't just because of Zuko! She could no longer sense Guang's presence! She started meditating, reaching down to the innermost parts of her consciousness... but she couldn't find him or feel him! Where?! Her tears started flowing uncontrollably. She clutched her chest above her heart. No... actually she knew where... and why... It was her fault. Because she had stayed, because she had believed in the wrong person, because she had been weak... she had lost an irreplaceable friend, partner, a parental figure, a pillar of support... even without speaking, just having that presence watching over her had comforted her numerous times... and the weigth of his absence... was simply crushing.
Katara removed the bandages around Aang's abdomen revealing the scar left by Azula's lightning on his back. He was sitting cross legged on a short platform. Katara, standing behind him, bended the water out of two bowls on either side of the injured boy and placed the water onto his wound. "Tell me where your pain feels most intense."
"A little higher." The airbender's eyes squeezed shut and he grunted in pain. She obeyed and he had a sudden flashback where he saw himself in the Avatar State, rising within a pillar of light in the Crystal Catacombs. Katara moved the healing water over his back and shoulders. "Wow, you are definitely in the right area there." He commented.
"I can feel a lot of energy twisted up around there. Let me just see if I can..." The waterbender pulled the water up and away from Aang's scar. The boy arched his back painfully and the shock plunged him back into that moment when he had been hit by the lightning while in the Avatar State, before he recalled Katara's face bathed in tears as she was leaning over his body and they were fleeing on Appa's back. He recovered.
"I went down! I didn't just get hurt, did I?" The boy suddenly realized as his memories returned to him. "It was worse than that. I was gone. But you brought me back."
"I just used the spirit water from the North Pole. I don't know what I did, exactly." Katara replied.
"You saved me." He turned to her. She placed a hand on his cheek, saying he needed rest and started leaving. But he grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Wait. Where is Chenlian?" He insisted. She was hiding things from him. However, he wanted and needed to know the truth, and he wouldn't let her go until she told him. That was clear from the way he looked at her. The waterbender sighed and sat down at his side. She really didn't want to tell him now, but it seemed there was no way around it.
"I... don't know." She answered honestly.
"What?!"
"She stayed to cover our escape. She promised to return to us. But there have been no sign of her since then, no news... nothing."
"Then what are we doing?! We must hurry and get her back!" He grabbed her shoulders. There was so much urgency and despair in his voice and expression. "Why didn't you take her with us?! Why didn't you return earlier to save her?!" He blamed her.
"I couldn't! We had to get you to safety first! And we have no idea where she is! She asked me to trust her, and she asked me to save you first, and she promised me! You know she's strong! She was definitely able to get away! She'll manage and return to us!" Katara justified herself... as much to convince herself and quiet her own doubts and insecurities as to appease him.
"I know that! I know she's strong and can get out of most sticky situations on her own... ordinarily I wouldn't worry much... but Zuko's involved here! When it comes to him, she changes! And I can't shake the feeling that something bad happened to her!" Aang recalled those times when Chenlian had chosen to save Zuko at the Pohuai Stronghold, and at the North Pole, the expression she had then... and how she had chosen to stay with him, both at the North Pole, and that ghost village after Azula had got away from them. He knew that deep down, Chenlian wanted more than anything to be with Zuko, and he knew that to her, he, Katara and Sokka, Momo and Appa were her precious friend, her new family, the ones she was simply incapable of betraying... not only because they were friends, but also because they were... because he, Aang, the Avatar was the key to the future she had chosen. And because of these conflicting emotions, she had been torn. If she stayed with Zuko in those catacombs like she always did before, despite remaining loyal to him, the Avatar, like she had always been... she could have been captured... and maybe worse...
"I'm worried sick too! I saw Zuko and her together, her love for him was obvious... and I believed his love for her was real too... but he still betrayed her! I didn't want to leave her! But I had no choice but to trust her!" The girl yelled with tears in her eyes. That was why she didn't want to tell him now. She just knew that like her, he'd want to leave right away to find their missing comrade, and that he would really go, even though he was in no condition to. She too was doing her best to stay calm and cope with everything that had happened. She too wanted to help Chenlian, but they had no idea where to start! And Aang was still the priority. He was in no state to fight or do anything! They had to protect him! And what could they do, a single ship against the whole might of the Fire Nation? Aang and Chenlian had been the two most powerful benders in their group, the only ones who could face a whole fleet head-on on their own. And now, Aang was like this and Chenlian was missing and who knew what could have happened to her...
"Then all the more reason! Zuko abandoned her, that must have broken her... and we abandoned her too...! I feel we left her alone at the worst moment when she must not be left alone no matter what! And it's my fault!" The Avatar gripped his head, clutched his heart... It hurt... much more than his wounds... the guilt and the fear... Even though Chenlian had suffered enough, why did she have to go through that again?!
"Aang, you need to rest."
"How can I rest when Chenlian-!"
"To save Chenlian, you must have your strength back. And to have your strength back, you must rest, and heal." The waterbender asserted firmly. And only then did Aang reluctantly comply.
At the harbor below the capital of the Fire Nation, Lo and Li, Azula's firebending teachers, were standing on a very high balcony of a giant tower, gateway to the Harbor City, and the path leading to a massive dormant volcano and Royal Caldera City, the capital itself, built in the crater on the mountain's summit. That city was home to the elite, the nobles, and the Royal Palace at the center situated on a vast hill of rocky, barren scorched earth, walled off from the remainder of the city. The old twins were facing the Royal Plaza where a large crowd had gathered like a disciplined army. And behind them was a large archway filled with flames.
"Your Princess Azula, clever and beautiful, disguised herself as the enemy and entered the Earth Kingdom's capital. In Ba Sing Se she found her brother, Zuko, and together, they faced the Avatar. And the Avatar fell, and the Earth Kingdom fell! Azula's agents quickly overtook the entire city. They went to Ba Sing Se's Great Walls, and brought them down! The armies of the Fire Nation surged through the wall and swarmed over Ba Sing Se, securing our victory!" Li and Lo narrated. The Dai Li supposed to protect Ba Sing Se had betrayed their king, their country... they had been the ones causing the wall to collapse and allowed the enemy inside. And the citizens could do nothing but watch and despair. They cried and held each other, like Tahn, his wife Ying, and their baby daughter Hope as the Fire Nation soldiers paraded through the streets on their komodo rhinos. The palace of the Earth Kingdom was surrounded by tanks. "Now the heroes have returned home. Your princess, Azula!" They announced, and the princess walked towards the edge of the balcony and the crowd cheered for her. "And after three long years, your prince has returned. Zuko!" And Zuko, once more dressed as Crown Prince of his nation, walked out onto the balcony. He sullenly gazed down at the masses. Even though the people, HIS people were cheering for him, even though he had been waiting so long for this day and he had fought so desperately for it, even though this scene was exactly what he had been craving for... why was he unable to smile and rejoice from the heart?
It was lunch time on the Fire Nation ship taken over by the warriors of the Southern Water Tribe. They were all eating bowls of noodles on the deck, and Sokka was explaining what had happened to Aang. After what happened in Ba Sing Se, they had to get him to safety. Flying over Chameleon Bay, they found Hakoda and the other Water Tribe men. The Earth King decided he wanted to travel the world in disguise, so he set off alone, well, with Basco. But soon, the bay was overrun with Fire Nation ships. Rather than fight them all, they abandoned their fleet and captured a single ship and made it their disguise. Since then, they've been traveling west. They had crossed through The Serpent's Pass a few days ago, and none of the Fire Nation they had seen had bothered them.
"So, what now?" The Avatar questioned. Chief Hakoda answered that they've been working on a modified version of the invasion plan, though his irritated daughter curtly rectified him. It was Sokka's invasion plan. The poor man corrected himself. In any case, a massive invasion might have become impossible due to the absence of the Earth King's armies, but the solar eclipse was still going to leave the Fire Nation vulnerable. So they were planning a smaller invasion, just a ragtag team of their friends and allies from around the Earth Kingdom. They had already run into Pipsqueak and The Duke. Pipsqueak greeted Aang, it was good to see him again. And the best part was... the eclipse wasn't even their biggest advantage. They had a secret... him, since the whole world thought he was dead. Wasn't it great? The Avatar was too appalled to speak for a time before he suddenly burst out.
"The world thinks I'm dead? How is that good news? That's terrible!" With the death of the Avatar and the fall of Ba Sing Se, last bastion of peace and power, the world would sink into despair! But it was great as it meant the Fire Nation wouldn't be hunting them anymore. And even better, they wouldn't expect him on The Day of Black Sun. "No, no, no, no, no. You have no idea. This is so messed up! And what about Chenlian? She fought all this time for me! Don't you think our priority should be to save her and regroup?! We can't have even one missing member! We need her!" Aang held his head in his hands. And it was clear that he only considered her knowledge and power as secondary.
"Look, Aang, I get your feelings, I want her to be with us too. But do you have any clue where to start looking? Also, you, the most vital part of our firepower, are down. What can you do in your state? What can WE do? Listen. She knows of the Spirit Water so she'll trust that you're alive just like we trust that she is. So there are two possibilities. Either she got away, or she didn't. If she did, she'll find a way to contact us or join us like she did the first time. Isn't she the most capable and resourceful one of the group? And if she didn't get away, that means the Fire Nation captured her. We also know they need her alive and I believe they want to keep her close at hand. In that case, the best way to save her, or at least, get some information on her whereabouts would be the invasion plan. She only needs to hang on until then." Sokka reasoned.
"But what if she can't hang on?!"
"We know she's very resilient. The only thing we can do for now is to trust her." Sokka concluded. Aang hung his head, unwilling to admit the truth and acknowledge his current powerlessness. Suddenly, the horn of another ship blared. The airbender wanted to go, let everyone know that the Avatar was back... but even as he opened his glider and prepared to take flight, he was flinching in pain, clutching his side, sweating heavily, doing his best to endure. He clearly was in no condition to fight... but he didn't care. However, Katara reminded him that other ship didn't know they were not Fire Nation. If they could keep their disguise and simply talk their way through, wouldn't it be for the best? The child reluctantly folded his glider. Hakoda told everyone to stay calm. He and Bato would take care of this. They donned their Fire Nation helmets. Pipsqueak and The Duke concealed Appa beneath a large piece of tarp. Aang and Toph crouched inside the stairway leading below the deck. They're joined by the siblings. "I hate not being able to do anything." The monk whispered.
"Hopefully, you won't need to." Toph replied. The ships stopped parallel to each other. A bridge lowered and an officer crossed over, flanked by two escorts.
"Commander, why are you off course? All Western Fleet ships are supposed to be moving toward Ba Sing Se to support the occupation."
"Actually, we're from the Eastern Fleet. We have orders to deliver some cargo."
"Ah, Eastern Fleet. Well, nice of Admiral Chan to let us know he was sending one of his ships our way." The Fire Nation officer noted sarcastically.
"I am sure Admiral Chan meant no disrespect, sir."
"I mean, how hard is it to write a quick note and send a hawk our way?" The other ship commandant complained.
"Next time, we'll send two hawks to be sure you get the message." Hakoda and the officer bowed to each other. When Bato and Hakoda walked away, a guard informed his superior that Admiral Chan was on leave for two months at Ember Island.
"What? Why doesn't anyone ever tell me anything? Something's not right. They should've known that. I think this is a captured ship. Just stay quiet until we're safely across the ramp. Then we'll sink this ship." The trio turned heels and started leaving. Toph, who had heard everything, climbed out of the stairway and pointed at the men.
"They know!" The earthbender grabbed the metal floor of the deck, squeezing it like cloth. A fissure spread from her hand all the way up to the bridge that buckled and dropped into the sea, along with the three soldiers. Katara bended a small hill of water up between the ships that she slammed against the enemy boat, knocking it back a good distance. This allowed the stolen Fire Nation vessel to get away. The men who had fallen at sea climbed the ladder tossed to them.
Zuko was sitting at the edge of the turtle duck pond at his home in the Fire Nation capital. He tore a bread bun in half and threw it into the pond. The mother turtle duck and its ducklings swam up and fed on it. It was then Azula arrived. Her mere presence was enough to scare the animals away. She stood in front of her brother and noted how downcast he seemed to be. Had Mai gotten to him already? Though actually, Mai had been in a strangely good mood lately.
"I haven't seen dad yet. I haven't seen him in three years, since I was banished."
"So what?"
"So, I didn't capture the Avatar."
"Who cares? The Avatar's dead. Unless you think he somehow miraculously survived like Chenlian..." The princess questioned. Zuko looked down and away from her. He recalled that water tribe girl telling him about the spirit oasis water and its special properties...
"No. There's no way he could've survived. If Chenlian survived, isn't it because she learned healing and because of her special circumstances? Dad must have told you about them..." Even though Ozai had never told him anything... The siblings stared each other down, like they were testing the other.
"Well, then I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."
"And I didn't defeat Chenlian either. You're the one who shot her back with your lightning. It might have been informal, but it was still an Agni Kai... and I lost it."
"Then what? Do you mean I should have let her kill you? Even if you say it was cowardly, shameful, despicable or whatever... I couldn't let her kill my one and only beloved brother. And I told you it wouldn't have been possible without you. You deserve that credit. We won, together. The Earth Kingdom, the Avatar, Chenlian, they all fell to us. This is what you wanted. You finally have it all! So try looking happier." And Azula left on these words.
A Fire Nation soldier ignited an oil-covered rock loaded onto a trebuchet that fired the flaming stone towards the stolen ship and missed. But the second one grazed the hull on the side. The vessel rocked and everyone tried to keep their balance. Toph entered an earthbending stance. Pipsqueak heaved a large rough disc of stone he set in front of Toph that she sent into the trebuchet, demolishing it. Another trebuchet fired but its burning projectile collided in the air with another stone disc, shattering them both.
Aang and Sokka were hiding inside the hall leading to the bridge, both on either side of the doorway leading out to the deck. Well, Sokka's role was to keep Aang in check. Indeed, as more fireballs nearly hit their ship, the Avatar attempted to run out and help, causing his friend to stop him. The child obeyed and knocked his head against his staff in frustration. A ballista on the enemy boat fired downward. The chained, giant arrow punctured the belly of the secured ship. Cut to a shot of the inside of the hull being pierced by the projectile, resulting in a huge leak. The tip of the arrow opened up, expanding the breach even more when the dart was pulled back. As the inside was being flooded, Katara exhaled freezing mist from the edge of the deck towards the hole. The mist descended down the hull and closed the breach with ice.
"I'm gonna give us some cover!" The female waterbender exclaimed as she produced a huge cloud of mist that engulfed both ships. That didn't stop the attack though. Toph, The Duke, Bato and Hakoda, all ran when a fireball pierced through the mist and crashed into the pile of discs, smashing them. Aang and Sokka shielded themselves when the smoke flew past the doorway. That was when the Avatar's patience ran out and he rushed outside. He could no longer just stand by and do nothing. Sokka ran after him and grabbed his staff.
"No, Aang! You're still hurt, and you have to stay secret. Just let us handle this." The young warrior attempted to reason with him. The monk reluctantly agreed. He angrily snatched his staff back and stormed away. There was another explosion and Sokka was caught in a wave of smoke. The ships exited the mist cloud and a fireball hit the back end of the stolen vessel's deck. The engine was on fire. Katara bended sea water to extinguish it. Toph asked how they were doing. "Things couldn't get much worse." Sokka answered. Suddenly, the giant serpent burst from the water behind him and screeched. "The Universe just loves proving me wrong, doesn't it?"
"You make it too easy!" The earthbender replied. The ophidian was about to strike them when it was hit on the head by a flaming boulder. The angered animal changed target and instead, coiled its body around the enemy vessel like trying to crush it. Sokka thanked the Universe from the bottom of his heart.
The seized ship docked at the pier of a merchant town. Aang was lying on his bed and staring up at the ceiling when Toph, Katara, and Sokka entered and offered to come with them into town for dinner. The boy sat up and clutching his growling tummy. Maybe dinner was a good idea. However, going out meant he had to hide his identity, and he didn't want to go if he couldn't wear his airbender arrow proudly. Sokka told him to be practical but he didn't seem willing to listen.
"You guys go ahead without us. We'll catch up with you." Katara touched her brother who obeyed and left with Toph. She sat down on the bed and placed a hand on Aang's shoulder. "I think I understand why being a secret bothers you so much. You don't want people to think you failed."
"You're right, I don't. But the problem is: I did fail."
"Aang, that's not true."
"It IS true. I was in Ba Sing Se. I was there, but I lost. And now, I've lost Chenlian, and the Earth Kingdom has fallen for good." He stood up and walked a few steps away from her.
"It's not for good. Remember, there's still a plan... the invasion plan." The girl stood up too and opened her arms.
"And I hate the invasion plan, too! I don't want you or anyone else risking your lives to fix my mistakes! I don't want more people sacrificing themselves for me like Chenlian did!" He yelled angrily, turned and ripped the tapestry from its hanger above his head and threw it to the floor, knocking over his staff. "I've always known that I would have to face the Fire Lord. But now, I know I need to do it alone." The child asserted. Katara whispered his name and reached out to him but he turned away from her. "Katara, please. Just go, please." He demanded. The waterbender tilted her head down sadly and made her way to the door.
"Is there anything you need?"
"I need to redeem myself. I need my honor back. And I need Chenlian back." The Avatar declared, mirroring the words and feelings of a certain Prince during the first part of their journey, up to the North Pole.
Zuko worriedly looked up at a red curtain with a gold symbol of the Fire Nation on it. It was the entrance to the throne room where his father was. It was also in that room that the war meetings took place. And thus, it was also here that the young prince had made his misstep that brought about the agni kai with his father and his subsequent banishment. The boy took a deep breath, braced himself and walked forward, parting the curtain. The room was filled with dark, ornate pillars. Fire Lord Ozai was sitting on his throne up on the dais, separated from the rest of the throne room by a trench of fire. The prince stopped. He couldn't help but feel intimidated after all.
Katara, carrying a tray of food, entered Aang's room. But when she looked around, it was only to find him gone. The tray fell to the ground and the food spilled onto the floor as she ran out. The Avatar was flying through the thick dark clouds on his glider.
Zuko got on his knees and bowed low and deep.
"You have been away for a long time. I see the weight of your travels has changed you. You have redeemed yourself my son." Fire Lord Ozai stood up and walked forward, to his son who looked up at him. "Welcome home." He greeted. Zuko looked so touched... "You have redeemed yourself my son."... "Welcome home." Those were the words he had always wanted to hear. What he was seeing in father's eyes was pardon and acceptance. That was what he had always wanted. He finally had them. Nothing had been in vain! And his decision had not been wrong! His destiny, his right to the throne, his position, and more than anything, his father's love and acceptance... he finally had them!
Flying through the black clouds over open sea, Aang, winced and clutched his wounded side. That caused him to lose altitude and almost hit the water, though he regained control in time. At the top of the bridge tower of the captured Fire Nation ship, Katara ran up to Hakoda and Bato. Bato decided to leave the father and daughter alone when he saw the tears in the girl's eyes. The chief asked his child what was wrong. Very frustrated, Katara told him Aang had just taken his glider and disappeared. He had this ridiculous notion that he had to save the world alone. That it was all his responsibility.
"Maybe that's his way of being brave." The man replied.
"It's not brave! It's selfish and stupid! We could be helping him! And I know the world needs him, but doesn't he know how much WE need him too?! How could he just leave us behind?!" The waterbender retorted angrily. There is a brief moment of silence as Hakoda let his daughter's words sink in.
"You're talking about me too, aren't you?"
"How could you leave us, dad? I mean, I know we had Gran Gran, and she loved us, but...but we were just so lost without you." She cried even more. Even though she was so strong, and mature, and responsible and reliable, always took care of everyone and did her best to keep them together... in the end, she was just a child who grew up without a father after her mother died. It all took a toll on her. There was no way she wouldn't be sad or lonely. There was no way she wouldn't suffer. The sobbing girl turned away. Her dad placed a hand on her shoulder and apologized. Katara embraced him and kept crying in his chest. Hakoda hugged her back. "I understand why you left. I really do, and I know that you had to go, so why do I still feel this way? I was so sad and angry, and hurt." She wept. Even if the person said they loved you and cared about you, they still left you behind. And regardless of how rightful the reason, there was no telling just how painful it was to be abandoned, not to feel that loved person next to you.
"I love you more than anything. You and your brother are my entire world. I thought about you every day I was gone, and every night when I went to sleep. I would lay awake missing you so much, it would ache."
"I am proud of you, Prince Zuko. I am proud because your sister conquered Ba Sing Se. I am proud because, when your loyalty was tested by your treacherous uncle and Chenlian, you did the right thing, and captured the traitors." The Fire Lord praised his child, though that praise only made that child close his eyes before looking away, not to happy about it. Those two traitors had been so important to him, and they also deeply loved him... but no matter what, he wanted to grab the highest apple, even though it was also the most costly, and he had to step on precious things to reach it. "And I am proudest of all of your most legendary accomplishment. You slayed the Avatar." Ozai paced to his kneeling son's left and behind him. Zuko raised his eyebrows in surprise and apprehension as he asked his father what he had heard. He might have finally grabbed the apple, but it could slip from his hands at any moment. And he was most terrified of that. "Azula told me everything. She said she was amazed and impressed with your power and ferocity at the moment of truth." The ruler replied. His son looked away again, frowning slightly.
Aang was gliding barely a foot over the ocean, the wing of his glider sometimes dipping into the water as he tried to keep control. But he soon saw a blockade. The Avatar took a huge breath, folded his glider and dived into the water. Like a torpedo, he zoomed through the water and under the blockade, scaring away three green sealguanas, before popping out on the other side. Clearly exhausted, he caught his breath and swam to a large peace of drift wood. The child grabbed onto it and rested a little. But then, a sudden smile curved his lips. Using the driftwood as a board and his glider staff as a sail, the windsurfing boy bounced over the waves. But with the strong winds, the heavy rain that had started falling, and the powerful and dangerous waves... even for a skilled bender like Aang, to keep navigating like this proved impossible despite his best efforts. He lost his glider as he crashed into the sea and disappeared into the waves.
Azula was lying in her warm and comfortable bed inside the Fire Nation palace when the door opened and the light shone in, casting her brother's shadow over her.
"Why'd you do it?" Zuko questioned her. Not even bothering to open her eyes, she told him to be a little more specific. "Why did you tell Father that I was the one who killed the Avatar?"
"Can't this wait until morning?"
"It can't." The prince answered sternly, detaching each syllable. His little sister sighed, clearly annoyed, and finally deigned opening her eyes and sitting up.
"Fine. You seemed so worried about how father would treat you because you hadn't captured the Avatar. I figured, if I gave you the credit, you'd have nothing to worry about."
"But why?" The young man insisted. Azula called it a generous gesture. She had wanted to thank him for his help, and was happy to share the glory. "You're lying."
"If you say so." She replied unconcernedly as she walked past him.
"You have another motive for doing this. I just haven't figured out what it is".
"Please, Zuko. What ulterior motive could I have? What could I possibly gain by letting you get all the glory for defeating the Avatar and Chenlian?" She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Unless somehow, like Chenlian, the Avatar was actually alive... All that glory would suddenly turn to shame and foolishness." She walked back to her bed. As always, she sounded so all-knowing, haughty, and evil-minded. And having realized that ulterior motive Zuko glared at her. He might have claimed back everything he wanted, but with that lie, he had no peace of mind, and everything could slip away like sand between his fingers at a moment's notice. "But you said yourself that was impossible. Sleep well, Zuzu." The princess returned under the blanket, closed her eyes, and smirked as her brother left and walked down the hall, not bothering to close the door.
Lightning bolted in the sky. Desperately hanging onto the drift wood, Aang reached out to his glider as it floated further away. He yelled as he was swept away and caught in a huge wave that plunged him beneath the water. He swam back up and grabbed his piece of wood again.
"I'm not gonna make it. I failed." The boy closed his eyes in exhaustion, sinking in hopelessness. There was another flash of lightning and the spirit of Avatar Roku appeared before Aang who uttered his name in surprise.
"You haven't failed, Aang."
"But everyone thinks I am dead again. They think I've abandoned them... I've... abandoned Chenlian... and I'm losing this war. I'm letting her... and the whole world down."
"If anyone is to blame for the state of the world, it is me. I should've seen this war coming, and prevented it. And I also am partly to blame for Chenlian's suffering. You inherited my problems and my mistakes. Azula shot her down with lightning just like you."
"No! It can't be!" Aang felt his tears flowing and his heart being crushed. It couldn't be too late!
"She survived. Just like the spiritual water bound you back to life, Guang kept her alive. But in the process, he..." However, Roku just couldn't finish. "Aang, I also believe you are destined to redeem me. Save Chenlian, and save the world."
"Of course I want to save them. But... I don't know." Aang was just a lost child... who was buckling under the weight of everything he had lost in Ba Sing Se. But then, a beam of moonlight fell over him.
"You already saved the world." A female voice said. The airbender looked up at the moon shining through the clouds and saw Yue's spirit in front of it. It descended towards him. "And you'll save the world again. But you can't give up."
"Chenlian kept fighting to stay alive, and stay herself... even at the brink of death and despair. That's why she was able to save people, and that's why she was able to meet you and your friends. You'll let her down if you give up." Roku added.
"You're right. I won't give up." The wonder in the monk's eyes turned into determination. Aang bended a large wave behind him and climbed on top of the driftwood that he rode atop the wave like a surfboard. With his waterbending, the wave grew and picked up speed the more it rolled across the ocean. Yue's spirit returned to the sky.
However, the constant bending in his wounded and weakened state completely exhausted him. He passed out. The sea washed the unconscious boy onto Crescent Island. The lower half of his body was into the sea and the upper half on the black waves of solidified lava. The continuous eruption of the volcano was still ongoing and in other parts, trails of molten rock were perpetually flowing from the crater down into the ocean. It was dawn when Momo jumped onto Aang's chest and licked his cheek, awakening him. The lemur hopped off Aang as soon as the child groaned and sat up. Katara ran to him, followed by Sokka and Toph. The water tribe girl dropped to her knees and hugged Aang's head, so relieved he was ok. Toph, Sokka, Momo and Appa joined them and they all formed a group hug. They broke away after a moment.
"I have so much to do." The Avatar remarked. Katara reassured him. He could count on their help.
"You didn't think you could get out of training just by coming to the Fire Nation, did you?" The blind one teased. The monk asked about the invasion. Sokka told him they would join up with his dad and the invasion force on the day of the eclipse. Toph felt something bumping against her cape in the water and picked it up. It was Aang's broken and burnt glider that she handed to him when they all stood up. They all knew how precious that staff was to him as it was one of the only mementos he had from his past, and one of the very few relics from the civilization of the Air Nomads that hadn't been destroyed by the Fire Nation. And now, that too had been broken.
"That's okay. If someone saw it, it would give away my identity. It's better for now that no one knows I'm alive." The last airbender spoke, even though he looked so sad. He jumped onto a mound and looked down solemnly. He spun the glider above his head and slammed it into the lava before jumping away. After a few seconds, the staff ignited and was consumed by the flames.