Aang's head turned from side to side as he traversed the worn pathways of the Southern Air Temple. He didn't know what he was looking for, but for some reason, he felt frantic about finding it.
At last, he arrived at a dilapidated structure. This was what he had been searching for.
He pushed aside the curtain, and as he entered the room, he froze when he saw… himself.
Only, it wasn't himself. Not his current self. This version of himself appeared noticeably younger and smaller, still wearing his old training robes.
His other self's head slowly turned to face him, and the expression on his face combined with the white-hot glow of the Avatar State in his eyes and tattoos made Aang's blood run cold.
He gasped in fear, whipping his arms up in front of him, when suddenly, the scene abruptly shifted. He was now watching himself rise into the air, surrounded by a vortex of airbending in the valley where he had found the Air Nomad relics. Iroh and Zuko were hiding behind rock formations in front of him, both looking equally terrified.
The next thing he knew, he was being blown backwards, and when he opened his eyes, he was in the Fire Sage temple on Crescent Island. The heavy doors to Avatar Roku's chamber slid open with a horrible metallic scratching sound, revealing his past self in the Avatar State yet again, that same terrifying expression etched into his features. His past self roared, fire blasting from his mouth, and sliced the floor of the temple, which Aang fell through with a scream.
He landed in the snow, quickly realizing he was now in the middle of the bloody battle between the Southern Water Tribe and the Southern Raiders. He could see himself in the distance again, batting off Raiders like they were spider flies with all four elements. In the blink of an eye, he was suddenly once again standing directly across from his other self, who hooked Aang's ankle with a water whip, tossing him into the frigid water of the South Sea.
Aang drifted deeper and deeper into the ocean before abruptly surfacing. Almost as if gravity had flipped upside down, he "fell" from the ocean's surface and landed with a thud onto the deck of a Fire Navy ship, and slowly looked up to see a massive, electric-blue entity that somewhat resembled a koi fish. At the center of the fish's chest was, once again, himself in the Avatar State. Aang's eyes widened in terror, unable to move as the giant koi entity lifted one of its arms—clearly being controlled by his other self—and sliced into him.
He woke up with a gasp, breathing heavily for a few moments in the dark as he tried to recall where he was. His breathing began to slow as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he recognized his surroundings: he was currently below deck on a Northern Water Tribe ship.
Luckily, it seemed he hadn't woken any of his companions. As quietly as he could, he pushed himself off of his hammock and onto the floor, cushioning his landing with airbending before quickly darting over to the ladder that led to the ship's deck.
As he emerged onto the deck and made his way over to the edge of the ship, breathing in the warm, salty night air, he felt himself begin to relax ever so slightly.
"Aang?"
He flinched when he heard Zuko's voice, turning around to see the Fire Prince emerging from below deck. It seemed he had woken someone up.
"Are you alright?" Zuko asked as he jogged over to him, putting his hand on his upper arm. "I saw you get up… Was it another nightmare?"
Aang's gaze flitted down to where Zuko's hand was resting, then back up to his friend's face, which was quite close to his own, amber eyes filled with concern. Within seconds, he felt his cheeks and ears begin to grow warm, and nodded in reply as he quickly turned back to face the ocean, hoping Zuko hadn't noticed anything.
For the most part, things had returned to normal between the two of them in the four months following the siege of Agna Qel'a. However, there was one thing in particular—other than the vague memories related to the Avatar State—that he'd been unable to stop thinking about.
When Zuko and Iroh had gone missing that week before the battle, while he had of course been worried about both of his friends, the thought of never seeing Zuko, the person he was closest to in this new world, ever again... It had nearly driven Aang insane.
But then, when his spirit had returned to the material world that last night of the siege, he had opened his eyes to see Zuko himself, right there in front of him in the tundra cave. The degree of joy and relief he'd felt had been indescribable. He hadn't lost his best friend; Zuko was real, he was there with him, hugging him close. And when they'd pulled back from their embrace, the Fire Prince's face mere inches from his own, Aang had suddenly realized that the other boy's warm gaze seemed to have ignited a fire within him.
In that moment, it had become crystal clear. Somehow, without even realizing it, he had fallen in love with his best friend.
Ever since then, he'd often wondered anxiously to himself if his feelings were really any different from the crush he'd had on Katara... or Yanli, or Hakar, or Wen. In contrast to his behavior with previous crushes, however, the mere thought of even attempting to "woo" Zuko (as he had attempted with Katara in Makapu) not only felt silly and disingenuous… but also terrifying.
Somehow, what he felt for Zuko did feel different to anything he had felt for anyone else before. And that scared him.
What if Zuko didn't feel the same way? What if he made him uncomfortable? Their friendship might be ruined forever. After what had happened in Agna Qel'a, he couldn't bear to lose that. He couldn't bear to lose him.
"Do you… wanna talk about it? Or do you want to be alone?"
The Fire Prince's words snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts, and his brow furrowed as he returned to thinking about his nightmare, images of his other self vengefully slicing into him flashing in his mind.
"I've had dreams about being in the Avatar State before. Where I couldn't control myself," he replied quietly. "But this one was different. I was in the Avatar State, but I was outside my body, watching myself…" He squeezed his forearms tightly. "It was scary. I was scary."
Zuko nodded slowly. "Well… the Avatar State may be scary, but if it makes you feel any better... it has helped save a lot of people."
"But it's also hurt a lot of people, too."
"I mean, technically, yes," Zuko replied with a shrug. "But that's because they're our enemies. They didn't exactly give you any other choice."
"I didn't have a choice, Zuko," Aang said, his voice tightening as both of his hands gripped the railing. "I mean… maybe I did at the North Pole, with the Ocean Spirit, at least at first…I don't know. But what I do know is that I can't control myself when I get like that, and it terrifies me." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Sure, I've only hurt bad people as far as I know, but there's no way to be certain… And I'd really rather not be hurting anyone. "
"Aang…" Zuko murmured quietly. "You shouldn't beat yourself up about this."
Suddenly, Aang whipped his head to face the Fire Prince, who flinched backward in surprise.
"It's my responsibility to save people, not hurt them! And who's to say that innocent people won't get hurt the next time I go into the Avatar State? Who's to say Iroh, or Sokka, or Katara, or you won't get hurt?"
As Zuko's wide eyes blinked several times, Aang immediately felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He'd raised his voice at him without realizing it.
"I– I'm sorry…" Aang sighed, slumping his shoulders. "I know you're just trying to help me feel better."
Zuko shook his head. "It's okay. I… can't imagine what it must be like."
"I just… need to master all of the elements as quickly as possible so that I can go back to Guru Pathik," Aang said quietly as they both turned back towards the ocean and rested their arms on the ship's railing. "He can teach me how to control it."
The two stood there silently for another few moments. Strangely, it felt calming, just having Zuko by his side.
"Hey. I'm sure you'll master the rest of the elements in no time," Zuko eventually said, nudging him gently with his shoulder and giving him a small smile. "In fact, I know you will. You're a talented kid."
Aang smiled slightly in return, his ears warming again slightly. "Kid?" he teased. "Bold of you to speak to your elder like that."
"You may technically be almost a century older, o wise elder," Zuko replied sarcastically. "But you're still physically and mentally thirteen."
"Almost fourteen," Aang added.
"Whatever," Zuko replied with an eyeroll, though his mouth curled into a small smile as he shook his head slowly. "You're a kid whether you like it or not, just like the rest of us. Well, except for uncle, I guess… Not that he's particularly mature in the first place."
Aang chuckled to himself, that now comfortable and familiar feeling of warmth beginning to bloom in his chest again as he gazed at the Fire Prince, his dark, shoulder-length hair blowing softly in the ocean breeze.
Somehow, Zuko always seemed to know how to help him feel better.
"Katara," Master Pakku said as he approached the Water Tribe girl on the main deck the following morning, removing what looked to be a small vial from his satchel. "I want you to have this. This amulet contains water from the Spirit Oasis. The water has unique properties. Don't lose it."
"Thank you, Master Pakku," Katara replied respectfully, giving the old master a hug.
"Aang," Pakku continued as Aang stepped forward, handing him a decorated wooden box. "These scrolls will help you master waterbending. But remember, they're no substitute for a real master." Pakku nodded towards Katara, who was now in Appa's saddle.
Aang turned to smile at his friend, who smiled in return, then turned back to Pakku. Good thing Katara ended up being a waterbending prodigy, he thought as he bowed to the old master and stepped to the side. I bet she'll be a much nicer teacher than Pakku.
"Zuko, Iroh," Pakku said. "You two showed me, and many others, the importance of not judging a book by its cover. Chief Arnook has instructed me to leave you with two parting gifts."
The old man dug into his sack again and procured another wooden box, this one much more plain looking than the one that held the scrolls. Aang's head cocked to the side in curiosity as Zuko accepted the gift and opened the lid, the Fire Prince's brow rising in realization.
"Zuko, this is a travel waterstone made from the finest stone in all of Agna Qel'a. Use it to keep your broadswords sharp."
Zuko immediately ducked into a deep bow. "Thank you, Master Pakku. And please give my thanks to the chief. I will use it well."
Pakku nodded in reply, then turned to Iroh. "Iroh, my friend," the old master said with an uncharacteristically warm smile as he handed a giddy-looking Iroh a small brown bag. "The ingredients for Spirit Oasis tea, as requested. Be sure to save it for a special occasion."
"I'll do my best," Iroh said, opening the bag and taking a whiff of the ingredients, which had been sourced directly from the Spirit Oasis itself. "Though I can't say I won't be tempted to brew this as soon as we arrive at the base."
Pakku simply chuckled in reply. "I actually have one other gift for you. From myself, this time, because you mentioned you lost your old one," he said, placing a small object into Iroh's free hand. "A new white lotus tile."
"Ah! Thank you, Pakku," Iroh said with a warm smile, bowing deeply. "It brings me relief to know that my set will be complete again."
"Uncle, we don't even have a Pai Sho board," Zuko said, with a confused look.
"Just because we don't have one doesn't mean I won't be able to play," Iroh replied with a grin, tossing the tile into the air and catching it in his hand again.
"Sokka…" Pakku continued as he turned to the Water Tribe boy, who looked up at him expectantly. "...Take care, son," he finished, patting a now dismayed-looking Sokka on the shoulder.
"How come Iroh got two presents, and I didn't even get one? " Sokka grumbled as the rest of them joined Katara on Appa's back.
"Fly straight to the Earth Kingdom base to the east of here," Pakku instructed once Aang had gotten himself situated on Appa's head, reins in hand. "General Fong will provide you with an escort to Omashu. There, you will be safe to begin your earthbending training with King Bumi."
Aang smiled, a joyful feeling bubbling in his chest as he remembered he would soon be seeing his old friend again. "Appa, yip yip!"
"Say hi to Gran Gran for me!" Katara called out as they took off into the sky.
"Welcome, Avatar Aang!"
Aang turned around to see a man with an Earth Kingdom-style topknot, long beard, and extravagant-looking armor approaching them as he and his companions stretched next to Appa in the base's coutyard. Behind him were several rows of Earth Kingdom soldiers, and judging by their lack of footwear, he concluded that they were all earthbenders, including the man who had addressed them.
"I am General Fong, and welcome, to all of you great heroes!" the man continued. "Appa, Momo, brave Sokka, the mighty Katara…"
"Mighty Katara?" Katara repeated, a pleased look appearing on her face. "I like that."
"And of course, how could I forget the Fire Prince and Dragon of the West! The Fire Lord's son and brother themselves, turning against their own family to fight for what's right!" Fong declared.
Zuko and Iroh looked at one another, both sporting an equally surprised expression.
Suddenly, with several loud, crackling pops, a myriad of colorful fireworks appeared in the sky above the base.
"Not bad, not bad," Sokka said with a smirk, nodding his head approvingly.
Following the short fireworks display, General Fong led them up to his large meeting room inside the base.
"Avatar Aang," Fong said as he sat down at his desk, motioning for them to take a seat as well. "We were all amazed at the stories of how you single-handedly wiped out an entire Fire Navy fleet at the North Pole. I can't imagine what it feels like to wield such devastating power. It's an awesome responsibility."
"I try not to think about it too much," Aang replied with a shrug as the nightmare from the previous night flashed in his mind. He tried his best to ignore it.
The general stroked his beard in silence for a moment before replying. "Avatar, you're ready to face the Fire Lord now."
"What?!" Aang immediately sputtered in astonishment. "No I'm not!"
"He's definitely not!" Zuko snapped angrily.
"Aang still needs to master all four elements!" Katara added.
"Why?" Fong replied casually. "With the kind of power he possesses, power enough to destroy hundreds of battleships in a matter of minutes… He could defeat the Fire Lord now! "
"But sir," Sokka interjected. "The thing is, Aang can only do those things when he's in the Avatar State."
Aang nodded. "See, it's this special state where–"
"I'm well aware!" Fong interrupted. "Your eyes and tattoos glow, and you're able to summon unbelievable power. Without you, we'd be slaughtered before we even reach their shores."
The general then stood up and walked over to the world map that was on display next to his desk, drawing a line with his finger from the location of his base to Royal Caldera City.
"But with you leading the way, as the ultimate weapon… We could cut a swath right through to the heart of the Fire Nation."
"General, a siege of the Fire Nation capital is not something you should rush in any capacity, regardless of the Avatar's abilities," Iroh said, shaking his head seriously. "It would require careful planning."
Fong's mouth twitched downwards for just a second. "And I suppose you would know, former general," he replied quietly. "Your infamous siege of Ba Sing Se is proof enough of that."
Aang inhaled sharply as he looked anxiously back and forth between Iroh and the general. What Iroh did in the past has got to be a sore spot, especially for Earth Kingdom soldiers…
Iroh closed his eyes and lowered his head. "It is not something I am proud of, general. I know it doesn't make up for what I've done, but please believe me when I say that I was a different man back then. I'm doing what I can now to atone for my mistakes."
Fong continued staring down at Iroh, arms folded behind his back. His neutral expression made it difficult for Aang to tell whether or not he was angry.
"Which is exactly why we are so fortunate to have you here with us," the general replied at last, breaking back out into a friendly smile. "This is a perfect opportunity for you to do just that. I'll bet you two know quite a bit about your nation's weaknesses."
"While that may be true," Iroh replied carefully. "And we would of course be happy to assist you, once again, I would highly discourage taking any sort of action too quickly."
"And even if we do come up with a thorough invasion plan," Aang added, his brow furrowing as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know how to get in or out of the Avatar State, much less what to do once I'm there…"
"So, it's decided then," Fong replied matter-of-factly. "I'll help you figure out how to get into the Avatar State, and then you'll face your destiny."
"No, nothing's decided," Katara interjected angrily, gesturing for each of them to stand with her. "We already have a plan. Aang's pursuing his destiny his way."
"He's not just some pawn for you to use to win the war," Zuko added, narrowing his eyes. "If your plan goes wrong in any way, Aang could get seriously hurt. Or worse."
The general lifted his chin, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath in and out through his nose. "Well, while you take your time learning the elements, the war goes on," he said, walking down from his desk platform and coming to a stop in front of them. "May I show you something?"
Aang nodded, and the general led them to a large, round window overlooking the base's courtyard.
"That's the infirmary," Fong said. "And those soldiers are the lucky ones. They came back."
As Aang peered down at the people below, he saw that many of them were bandaged and limping. He didn't have to ask to know how they had sustained their injuries.
"Every day, the Fire Nation takes lives," Fong said, shaking his head and clenching his fists at his side. "People are dying, Aang! You could end it, now. Think about it."
Aang brow furrowed as he continued to watch the injured soldiers below.
What if the general was right?
"Yes!" Sokka exclaimed as he threw himself onto one of the empty beds in the room Fong had prepared for them, Momo jumping off of Zuko's shoulder to land on the Water Tribe boy's chest. "I haven't slept on a real bed in weeks!"
"That Fong guy has a lot of nerve," Zuko muttered to himself as he sat down on another one of the beds. "Telling Aang he's ready to fight my father now… He has no idea what he's asking."
"I couldn't agree more," Katara replied. "And I really didn't appreciate how he tried to guilt-trip Aang into doing what he wants!"
"I can understand where the general is coming from," Iroh said as he unpacked his belongings onto the chair next to his bed. "He's desperate for the war to end, and he cares about his soldiers."
"That doesn't mean he should be trying to pressure Aang to do something he's not ready to," Zuko said, frowning at Iroh. "Don't make excuses for him, uncle. Tomorrow, we'll be on our way to Omashu, and we won't have to hear any more nonsense from this guy."
Zuko looked up to see Aang, who was the last to enter the room. The airbender was uncharacteristically quiet as he sat down on the remaining empty bed next to Sokka with a heavy sigh.
"There you are," Katara said as Zuko looked up to see Aang entering the room. "Is Appa settling in okay?"
"Uh-huh," Aang replied somewhat absentmindedly, staring at the wall across from his bed with his lips pursed into a thin line.
"Hey," Zuko said, his voice softening. "Don't let Fong get to you. He doesn't–"
"I told the general I'd help him," Aang interrupted. "By going into the Avatar State."
"What? " Zuko exclaimed in astonishment.
"Aang, no!" Katara added, jumping to her feet. "This is not the right way!"
"Why not?" Sokka asked, craning his neck to look at them from where he laid on his bed, arms behind his head. "Remember when he took out the Fire Navy? He was incredible!"
"There's a right way to do this," Katara countered. "Practice, study, and discipline!"
"Or, just glow it up and stop that Fire Lord!" Sokka replied casually.
Katara's eyebrow twitched as an expression of anger began to grow in intensity on her face. "If you two meatheads want to throw away everything we've worked for, fine, go ahead and glow it up!"
"Katara, I'm just being realistic!" Aang argued as Katara exited the room in a huff. "I don't have time to do this the right way!"
"Aang," Zuko interjected. "Katara's right. Didn't Guru Pathik specifically tell you that you can't learn to control the Avatar State until you've mastered all four elements? Or at least unlocked all four bending abilities? You still haven't earthbent yet, at least not outside of the Avatar State."
"Guru Pathik?" Iroh repeated with a confused expression on his face.
That's right, Zuko suddenly remembered, feeling slightly guilty. We never told him the full story about who Pathik was, did we?
"So... That old guru Aang and I ran into back at the Eastern Air Temple may have told him he could teach him to control the Avatar State."
Iroh's wide eyes blinked several times. "I see…"
"But what if Pathik was wrong? " Aang said, gripping the fabric of the bed sheets tightly. "What if I don't need him?"
"Aang, it's too dangerous! My father is ruthless. You can't just rush in and fight him with the Avatar State right now!"
"Why not?" Aang asked, turning to face Zuko with wide, guilt-ridden eyes. "Every day I don't do something to stop the Fire Nation, more people get hurt, and more people die. This is something I have to do."
Zuko shook his head, feeling himself begin to grow angry. "No, it's not! Even if you learn how to trigger it, what if you can't control it?"
"Well, I won't know unless I try!" Aang argued, his tone growing heated as well. "You guys just don't understand…"
"Ugh," Zuko grunted, folding his arms and laying down on his back. "Uncle, can you try to talk some sense into him? He clearly won't listen to me or Katara."
"Aang, I know you want to keep people from getting hurt," Iroh said gently. "But you know my stance on the way you should be going about your element training. Remember what happened the last time you tried to rush things?"
A flicker of mixed fear and uncertainty appeared on Aang's features for a moment; he was likely recalling his mishap with his first attempt at firebending several months prior. Zuko couldn't help but feel a twist of guilt in his stomach as well.
After a moment, however, Aang closed his eyes, and his features hardened again. "I've made my decision, Iroh," he replied calmly. "I won't be able to live with myself if I don't try."
Zuko didn't have the energy to argue anymore, and simply sighed as he pressed his forearm over his eyes.
"I have to admit, I was surprised when you said you wanted to accompany me," Iroh mused as he and Zuko walked through the forested path to the southwest of General Fong's base. It would eventually lead them to Guilin, the coastal village that could be seen from the base's walls. If Zuko had to guess, he would say that they had to be getting close by now.
"The last time you went on a walk without me, uncle, we both got kidnapped," Zuko grumbled. "Plus, I really didn't want to see what stupid gimmick they were going to try on Aang next." After watching that hack of a shaman splatter mud all over Aang, he had decided he had seen enough.
"Well, at least now we can assume that both the general and Aang will realize before long that inducing the Avatar State is an unachievable task—at least in the way they are going about it."
"I still don't like it," Zuko replied with a huff. "We're supposed to be in Omashu by now, but we're wasting time here."
Suddenly, Iroh stopped in his tracks, and Zuko stopped walking. When he turned around, he saw that his uncle was staring into the forest to their left, his eyes wide and his mouth agape.
"What is it, uncle?" Zuko exclaimed, jogging over to Iroh and craning his neck in an attempt to see what he had spotted. "...I don't see anything."
Iroh remained silent and simply began walking forward through the thicket, and eventually crouched down.
"Uncle, what are you doing ?" He peered over Iroh's shoulder to see what the old man was looking at and saw a small bush with a single white and red flower growing from it.
"You're looking at the rare white dragon bush," Iroh replied. "Its leaves make a tea so delicious, it's heartbreaking! ...That, or it's the white jade, which is poisonous."
"We can find you some tea once we get to Guilin," Zuko replied in annoyance.
"Hmm... delectable tea?" Iroh murmured to himself, seemingly ignoring him. "Or deadly poison…"
Zuko groaned irritably as he spun around to head back towards the path. "I'm going to keep walking. Stay here and stare at that dumb flower all day for all I care."
Eventually, however, Iroh managed to catch up with him a few moments later, and Zuko remained silent as they continued on their walk.
After several more minutes passed, Zuko began to notice that Iroh was repeatedly scratching his arm. Then, his shoulder, and after that, his back, followed by his leg. Zuko's eyes slowly widened in horror as he noticed that red, swollen patches were beginning to form on his uncle's face, and he stopped in his tracks.
"Uncle… you didn't…"
"...I did," Iroh admitted sheepishly with a sigh, pulling out a tiny satchel filled with several leaves, dumping them onto the ground. "And it wasn't ."
Zuko continued to stare at his uncle in horror. "Will you be okay?"
"When the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing," Iroh replied casually, to Zuko's further dismay. Suddenly, his uncle's eyes widened in recognition again, and he jogged further down the path to a bush with small clusters of pink berries growing on its stems. He pulled a branch off of it and turned to show it to Zuko. "But look at this! These are bacui berries, known to cure the poison of the white jade! …That, or maka'ole berries, that cause blindness…"
Zuko immediately grabbed the branch and chucked it back into the forest with a grunt. "We're not taking any more chances with these plants! We need to get help. We should go back to the base."
"Actually… there may not be enough time for that," Iroh said, now contorting himself into various positions as he continued to scratch himself. "We should be close to the village by now. I'm sure there's a doctor there."
To Zuko's relief, Guilin was indeed just a few more minutes' walk down the road, and the local hospital was relatively easy to find.
Initially, the nurses had been both surprised and amused that a grown man had not only touched, but attempted to ingest the leaves of the poisonous white jade bush. Before long, however, Iroh had returned from the back room, now covered in a thick, gray-green paste, and it appeared the swelling of the rash had gone down quite a bit already. Before they left, Zuko thanked the nurses profusely, giving them each a few extra coins for their trouble.
"Okay," Zuko sighed as they exited back onto the main street. "Now that that's over, let's get back to the base."
"Just a moment, nephew," Iroh replied, grabbing hold of his shoulder to stop him. "I recall you saying that we could find some tea once we got to Guilin. And we're in the village now."
Zuko frowned. "Uncle, I would have thought you'd want to steer clear of tea for a while after what you just did to yourself."
"Steer clear of tea?" Iroh replied, an extremely offended look appearing on his face. "What kind of person do you take me for?"
Zuko folded his arms and regarded his uncle with a deadpan expression.
"...We passed a teahouse on the way into town," Iroh pleaded, pressing his palms together. "Surely we can make a quick stop on the way back…?"
Zuko closed his eyes and sighed. "Fine. Then it's back to the base. No more stopping for flowers, berries, or anything else."
Iroh nodded, a wide smile spreading across his face as they continued to make their way through the village streets until at last, they arrived at the teahouse—a quaint, cozy little establishment. Aside from the owner and a handful of other patrons, the place was nearly empty, which Zuko was glad to see.
Once they had received their tea and sat down at a table, Iroh lifted the cup to his nose and breathed in, sighing dreamily. "It may not be white dragon, but you can never go wrong with jasmine."
Zuko rolled his eyes as he took a sip from his own cup. He really didn't understand his uncle's obsession with tea. Sure, it was good, but he certainly wasn't willing to risk his life for it.
"Hello, brother. Uncle."
Upon hearing the sound of this new person's voice, Zuko immediately choked.
No. It can't be…
He slowly lifted his head and felt his heart drop directly into his stomach when he saw none other than his sister standing next to their table. The Fire Princess appeared immaculate and calm, as she always did. Not a hair out of place.
"What are you doing here?" Zuko demanded through gritted teeth. He couldn't let her see how much her sudden presence had shaken him. He couldn't show weakness. "How did you—?"
"In my country, we exchange a pleasant 'hello' before asking questions," Azula interrupted lightly, holding her hand in front of her to survey her sharp, perfectly manicured nails. "Have you really become so uncivilized, Zuzu?"
"Don't call me that!" Zuko snapped, the demeaning nickname immediately triggering his anger.
Azula, however, remained calm, a small smirk appearing on her lips. "To answer your question: my soldiers spotted you on your way into town."
Soldiers?! Zuko repeated in his head, mentally kicking himself. I should have been more observant…
Normally, he would have been more observant, if it hadn't been for Iroh being in danger of dying of asphyxiation from eating a poisonous plant.
"And to what do we owe this honor?" Iroh asked calmly, setting his cup down slowly. His gaze darted over to meet Zuko's for a moment, and he assumed that he was silently telling him to remain calm.
"Honor? " Azula scoffed. "That's rich, coming from you, uncle. What would either of you two know about honor?"
"More than you," Zuko replied, taking a deep breath as he narrowed his eyes. "If you're here to capture us, why don't you just get it over with and spare us the pleasantries?"
"You wound me, Zuzu," Azula replied, sporting an exaggerated pout as she blinked her eyes several times. "Come now. We're family. "
"Since when did that matter to you?"
Azula dropped the feigned offense act with a sigh, folding her arms. "While it's true I've been searching the entire northwestern Earth Kingdom for any sign of you two, it may surprise you to learn that it has not been with the intention of capturing you."
Zuko's brow knotted in confusion. "Then why–?"
"I've come with an offer."
"An offer?" Iroh repeated confusedly.
"Yes, that's what I just said, uncle," Azula snapped irritably before taking a deep breath. "An offer that, if you choose to accept it, could very well allow you to return home."
Return home? Zuko repeated internally, his eyes widening in shock.
He shook his head rapidly.
No. Even the mere idea of returning home after everything he'd seen and been through the past couple of years left a horrible, bitter taste in his mouth.
And Azula always lies. This has to be another one of her schemes.
"Even if we had any desire to go home," Zuko replied, his hand reaching down to rest on the hilt of his broadswords, which were sheathed in the scabbard that was attached to his waist, hidden from view. "The wanted posters make it very clear. We've committed the highest act of treason possible. An irredeemable offense."
A cold smile appeared on his sister's face. "Indeed you have. Speaking of… I must admit I'm surprised the Avatar is not with you right now."
Zuko immediately realized he would have to respond to her carefully. There was no way he was risking Azula finding out that Aang was anywhere nearby.
"If you're looking for him, he's not here," Zuko replied, keeping his gaze locked on her own. "You can search the entire town. You won't find him."
"I'll cut to the chase, Zuzu," Azula interjected with an annoyed-sounding sigh. "I don't particularly care where the Avatar is right now. You see… father has entrusted me with a special task, one far more important than chasing after one boy. Soon, I'll be on my way to pick up some old friends to assist me."
"What does any of that have to do with us?"
Azula casually picked up his teacup and began to study its contents. "You know, when I first heard that you and uncle had betrayed us, it was certainly a shock. You may have always been a failure, but I never took you for a traitor. "
Zuko's hand gripped the hilt of his swords tightly. Stay calm. She's trying to get a rise out of you.
"Get to the point, Azula."
Azula glared at him for a moment before continuing. "But then, I had the most interesting thought!" she said, putting her free hand up to her chin with an exaggeratedly thoughtful expression as she continued to study the teacup. "Perhaps… this was your plan all along? To get close to the Avatar, learn his weaknesses, so you can strike when he's most vulnerable?"
Zuko's immediate reaction to this statement was shock, then disgust, followed by another wave of anger. However, he did his best to not let any of these emotions show externally.
"You've managed to gain the Avatar's trust, Zuko," Azula continued, returning his teacup to the table "Trust makes people vulnerable. If you were to use that trust to help us take down the Avatar when the time is right, father would be very grateful. Perhaps grateful enough to forgive your previous treachery."
It was these words that completely broke any sense of self-composure Zuko had left, and he immediately bolted to his feet, his burning gaze clashing with his sister's icy one as he began to unsheathe his broadswords from their scabbard. "If you think that for even a second– "
Suddenly, Azula lifted a hand into the air.
Zuko's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment. Then, his eyes slowly widened in panic as he spotted at least five different Fire Navy soldiers appear from various corners of the tea house. How in the name of the spirits had he not seen them earlier?
"So quick to anger, Zuzu!" Azula said, folding her arms. "I'm only trying to help you."
"You've never cared about helping anyone but yourself!" Zuko spat back at her, his hand still gripping his broadsword hilts tightly, waiting for her or any of the soldiers to make the first move. There was no point in attempting to stay calm anymore—he would fight if he had to, even if it meant he might go down in the process.
However, no one made a move.
"I can see you still need some time to consider," Azula said, snapping her fingers. Almost immediately, the soldiers made their way over to the princess, coming to a stop behind her. "So I'll take my leave for now, and I'll come back to this teahouse to call on you tomorrow morning. If you two have any shred of honor or love for your country left in you, I will see you both then."
"And if you don't?" Zuko asked, narrowing his eyes.
"If I don't…" She shrugged her shoulders casually. "Well, then I'm afraid I'll simply be forced to hunt you both down as traitors. Dead or alive."
With that, Azula and the soldiers were gone.
After a few tense moments of silence in which Zuko waited with bated breath for Azula to immediately return with her soldiers to capture them, revealing all of this to have been one giant, twisted prank, he and Iroh eventually paid for their tea and departed as well.
"Prince Zuko, are you alright?" Iroh asked as they quickly walked down the road leading to the eastern town gate.
"I'm fine," Zuko hissed as he looked over his shoulder anxiously, thankfully seeing that as far as he was aware, nobody had followed them. It was late afternoon by this point—they would have to move quickly if they wanted to get back to the base before sundown. "We just need to get back to the base as soon as possible, and tell Fong that she's here. We never should have stopped at that teahouse…"
"Well… look on the bright side: if we hadn't, Azula might have followed us straight to the base, and we would have been none the wiser."
Zuko had to admit that Iroh was probably right. At least she didn't know where Aang was—he didn't for one minute believe that she had no interest in capturing the Avatar.
"I can't believe she just let us leave like that," Zuko murmured, anger shifting to anxiety. "She has to have some plan, some trick up her sleeve..."
"Or perhaps she does care about you, in her own way," Iroh posited quietly. "She's your sister, after all."
"You don't know how she feels about me," Zuko snapped angrily, whipping around to face his uncle. "You don't know anything!"
"Zuko, I only meant that in our family, things are not always what they seem," Iroh replied calmly.
Zuko shook his head. "You don't know Azula like I do, uncle. She's never cared about me before. I can't see why she'd start now."
Aang sighed deeply as he gazed out over the mountainous horizon, where the sun was beginning to disappear. He was exhausted; none of Fong's methods were working, and he was starting to think that maybe he was wasting his time with all of this…
"So how'd the rest of today go?"
Aang suddenly perked up when he heard Zuko's voice, and turned to see his best friend ascending the stairway.
"You're back!" he replied happily as the Fire Prince joined him next to the balcony. "And… uh… it was fine," he added quickly. He really didn't want Zuko to know just how much more absurd the methods had gotten after he'd left. "How was your trip to Guilin with Iroh?"
Zuko's brow immediately furrowed, and he was silent for a moment, pursing his lips into a fine line.
"Did something happen?"
Zuko looked off to the side for a moment before responding. "Well… uncle decided to taste the leaves of a poisonous bush because he thought it might have been a tea plant. And then he got a full-body rash."
Aang stared wide-eyed at Zuko for several moments, not knowing whether to laugh or express concern at this revelation. "I'm… assuming he's alright now?"
"He's fine," Zuko sighed, shaking his head as he folded his arms and leaned with his back on the balcony. "We were close enough to the village by that point that we were able to get him to the local infirmary. The nurses said the rash should be completely gone by tomorrow."
Aang chuckled. "Well, I'm sure he's learned his lesson. When I saw the look on your face at first, I was worried for a minute that you'd run into some Fire Nation soldiers or something."
Zuko immediately bit his lip, his brow furrowing with even more intensity, almost as if he were in pain. Aang knew that look.
"...Did you run into some Fire Nation soldiers?"
Once again, the Fire Prince took several moments to respond. "We... ran into my sister," he finally replied quietly.
"Your sister?! " Aang exclaimed in shock. "Did she attack you guys?"
Zuko shook his head.
Aang cocked his head to the side. "So, wait… Does that mean she's switched sides, too?" he asked hopefully.
Zuko immediately barked out a dry laugh. "No. She's still every bit as much of daddy's little princess as she was the last time I saw her."
"Then… why didn't she attack you?"
"She…" Zuko began before closing his mouth again. He closed his eyes for a moment, and Aang could see that his hands had curled into shaking fists. "She wanted us to betray you. She said that if we did, father would… forgive us for our treachery, and allow us to return home."
Aang's eyes widened. "...Oh."
"You know that I would never even consider doing that, right?" Zuko asked, quickly looking back up at him with an anxious expression.
"Of course I know that," Aang replied earnestly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I trust you. You know I do."
Zuko sighed in relief and gave him a tired nod, pressing his thumb and forefinger onto his temples. "She told us to meet her at the same place tomorrow morning if we decided to go through with it. I was fully ready to tell her that she was a fool for thinking I'd agree, but... I didn't exactly get the chance. Which is probably a good thing, because I don't think uncle and I could have taken on her and her soldiers and made it out alive... or made it out at all."
"I'm just glad you're both okay," Aang replied. "It definitely sounds like she's... not the greatest sibling."
"That's an understatement," Zuko snorted. "Normal siblings, like Sokka and Katara, bicker, but at the end of the day, they look out for each other. Azula, on the other hand, knows my weaknesses, how to exploit them to get under my skin, and she takes pride in it." He shook his head slowly. "I just... wasn't expecting to run into her again anytime soon. Or ever, honestly… "
Aang nodded sympathetically. It was somewhat difficult for him to relate, having no siblings and being raised by monks, but he could imagine how difficult it must have been for Zuko to grow up with such a family member. And this was in addition to his horrible father, who had burned and banished him simply for speaking out of turn. No wonder Zuko didn't speak about his family often.
"Anyway," Zuko said, clearing his throat. "Uncle and I told General Fong what happened as soon as we got back. He's going to send some soldiers down to see if they can ambush them tomorrow morning… Though, knowing Azula, she'll probably see them coming a mile away."
"That's good, though," Aang replied. "Even if it turns out they're gone by the time Fong's soldiers get there, it doesn't hurt to be safe."
"...Speaking of the general," Zuko said, evidently deciding to change the subject. "Have you made any progress with your… training?"
"Oh. Uhh… I mean… Not exactly ," Aang replied, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment as he purposefully avoided Zuko's gaze. "But Fong says he thinks we're getting close. Katara still thinks it's a waste of time, though."
"I mean, she's not wrong," Zuko muttered, folding his arms. "Do you really think this is worth all the time that you're spending on it?"
Aang sighed and pursed his lips together. "It's only been a day, Zuko. I can't give up now."
An awkward silence permeated the air for several moments.
"Hey," Zuko said eventually. "Um. Can I… talk to you about something?"
The softness with which the Fire Prince asked this question surprised him, and as he looked back up to meet Zuko's gaze, instead of frustration, he saw genuine concern in his amber eyes.
"Sure. What is it?"
"Almost every time I've seen you go into the Avatar State, it's been because of something bad happening," Zuko replied, turning around to grip the stone railing tightly with both hands as he gazed out at the setting sun. "Something traumatic. When you go into the Avatar State, you aren't even you anymore."
Aang closed his eyes. That's what scares me. And it's just one more reason why I need to learn how to control it as soon as possible.
"Of course, like I've said before, the Avatar State has helped save a lot of lives…" Zuko continued before turning to face him again with a pained expression on his face. "But you have to understand, for the people who–"
His eyes suddenly widened, and he quickly turned his head away from him to where Aang could no longer see his face.
"Who… care about you," Zuko finished at last. "Watching you be in that much rage and pain… Well, it's painful for us, too." He was quiet for another moment. "It's painful for me."
That final statement pierced Aang squarely in the chest. The thought of causing Zuko any pain whatsoever made him feel… awful.
Maybe… maybe I should give this up, he thought guiltily. Maybe I do just need to be patient, and find Guru Pathik when I'm ready…
However, as he looked back over the balcony, his gaze moved back over to the infirmary, and once again, he thought about how many injured soldiers there must be inside.
But if I could just figure it out now, then I could stop more people from getting hurt…
He squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled through his nose. "I'm really glad you told me that, Zuko," he replied quietly.
The relieved, hopeful look in Zuko's eyes as he turned back to face him made him feel horrible for what he was about to say next.
"But I still need to do this."
Zuko's expression immediately fell.
"Fine," the Fire Prince muttered. "Do whatever you want. But I'm not coming to watch any of these stupid tests anymore. Goodnight."
With that, Zuko turned on his heel and left the way he had come, leaving a guilt-ridden Aang alone in the twilight.
When Aang opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that he was no longer in their guest room at Fong's base.
Instead, he seemed to be somewhere very dark. The only light that he could see was coming from a thin slit on the ground in front of him, likely the bottom of a door.
Suddenly, the entire room seemed to lurch, and he fell forward onto the door, pushing it open. He found himself tripping to the ground, his palms smacking cold metal. When he looked up, he gaped in terror.
He saw himself, glowing and enraged, suspended by a large funnel of water from the icy ocean that surrounded the Fire Navy ship he was on—Zuko's ship.
In front of him stood Zuko himself—specifically Zuko as he had appeared nearly two years ago, clad in heavy Fire Nation armor and sporting a shaved head and ponytail. The Fire Prince had his back turned towards him, while his other self hovered above them both.
Aang immediately scrambled to his feet and began to run forward. "Zuko! You have to get out of here!" he yelled.
Suddenly, Zuko whipped around, and the enraged, hateful look on his best friend's face made Aang stop in his tracks. In the blink of an eye, however, past Zuko morphed into current Zuko, and the Fire Prince's resentful expression shifted to one of fear.
"Zuko, it's me!" Aang pleaded, holding his hands up to show that he was not going to hurt him. "It's okay! We have to get out of here, we–"
His eyes widened in shock when he glanced over Zuko's shoulder again and suddenly realized that his other self was nowhere to be seen.
When his gaze moved back to Zuko, the terrified boy turned back around and began to run towards the hull of the ship, away from him.
"Wait!" Aang cried out. However, instead of simply reaching his hand out as he had intended, his arms seemed to move against his will, each making a slashing motion as they hurled a powerful blast of waterbending directly at the Fire Prince.
He shot up with a start, breathing heavily, this time completely covered in sweat. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he couldn't get the image of Zuko's terrified face out of his head.
It had to be a sign.
He had to tell the general that they needed to stop trying to bring on the Avatar State.
"The thing is, I don't think we'll ever be able to trigger it on purpose. So… I guess that's it."
Aang glanced over to Sokka and Iroh, who stood next to four soldiers on the right side of the main hall. The Water Tribe boy gave him a small thumbs up, while Iroh nodded encouragingly.
He was glad he'd asked both of them to accompany him—Sokka for moral support, and Iroh because he figured Fong would be more likely to listen to another adult if he wouldn't listen to him. He would have preferred to have all of his friends here with him, but Zuko had still been fast asleep when he'd woken up, while Katara had already gone to the infirmary to help the healers, according to Sokka. He would simply have to tell them both the good news later.
When he looked back up at the general, surprisingly, the man appeared quite calm, if a little disappointed.
"General, if I may," Iroh said, stepping forward. "It's important that Aang learn the elements first before attempting to master the Avatar State. I have told him as much myself many times."
Aang nodded. "Also, I actually already know someone who can teach me to control the Avatar State—a guru. So, I'll go to him when I'm ready. And trust me, you'll be the first to know when I do!"
Fong frowned slightly. "You sure I can't change your mind?"
Aang nodded. "Right now, I can only reach the Avatar State when I'm in genuine danger."
"I see," Fong replied with a sigh. "I was afraid you'd say that."
Suddenly, the general pulled his foot back, and with a grunt, sent his desk flying directly towards him as he gasped in horror. Thinking fast, he shot himself into the air, narrowly avoiding the desk as it flew out the window at the end of the hall behind him.
"Aang!" Sokka yelled. He attempted to run towards him, but was immediately held back by two of the soldiers that had been standing behind him.
Iroh, however, quickly whipped around and managed to knock the other two soldiers back with a few quick punches and kicks before they could apprehend him. As Aang landed, the old man ran to his side and moved into a fighting stance next to him.
"What in the name of the spirits do you think you're doing, general?" Iroh demanded angrily. "This is not the way!"
"We've waited nearly a hundred years for this war to end," Fong replied, walking slowly towards them. "Victory is within our reach. This is for the greater good."
Iroh shook his head. "This is madness. Aang, you need to get out of here."
"I'm not going to leave you guys here alone!" Aang protested.
Before Iroh could reply, Fong lifted several medium-sized chunks of earth from the ground behind him and hurled them forward one at a time. Aang managed to duck out of the way, while Iroh blocked them with several powerful fire blasts.
The current and former general continued fighting one on one, with Iroh seeming to gain the upper hand as he forced the general further and further backwards. However, just when it seemed Iroh was about to gain the upper hand by knocking Fong off balance with a powerful fire blast, suddenly, both of his feet sank into the ground. As he lurched forward with a grunt, his palms hitting the marble floor, Fong stomped his foot, and Iroh's hands were encased in earth.
"Iroh!" Aang shouted, attempting to run forward again before Fong shot himself into the air with a pillar of earth and landed directly in front of him with a ground-shaking thud.
"There's no one to help you now, Avatar," Fong declared with a crazed smile.
Zuko opened his eyes the following morning to see that, evidently, he was the last one to wake up. Yesterday had been so exhausting that he must have slept much later than he had intended to. Each of the other four beds in the room were empty, and his eyes lingered on Aang's empty bed in particular.
Right. He's probably out trying Fong's next inane tactic to bring out the Avatar State, he thought to himself grumpily as he rubbed his right eye and pushed himself to his feet.
After he had gotten fully dressed, he trudged back over to his bed and dropped himself back down to sit on it.
"Oh! Hey, Zuko. You're finally awake."
He looked up to see Katara standing in the doorway, Momo sitting on her shoulder.
"Let me guess," Zuko said. "You didn't want to watch any more either?"
Katara nodded with a sigh as she walked over to her own neatly made bed and sat down on it. "I tried to talk to him again yesterday, but he just wouldn't listen."
"Me too," Zuko sighed. "I know he feels guilty about not being able to do more, but he's gonna end up hurting himself if he keeps this up."
"Exactly!" Katara agreed, throwing her hands up in the air with a frustrated look.
Suddenly, the sound of what could only be described as that of a boulder being slammed into the side of the building caused both of them to flinch and exchange an anxious glance.
"…Are the earthbending soldiers running drills, or something?" Zuko wondered aloud.
"They must be," Katara replied with a nod, though she appeared uncertain.
Another crash sounded from outside, this time causing the entire ground to shake. Momo immediately hopped off of Katara's shoulder and onto the ground, where he began to dart around in circles, chittering anxiously.
"Do you think it could be whatever crazy thing they're trying next to bring out the Avatar State?" Zuko asked apprehensively.
The Water Tribe girl bit her lip. "Maybe we should just go make sure Aang's okay," she replied as she pushed herself to her feet.
Zuko nodded in agreement, standing up as well and grabbing his broadswords. "It definitely can't hurt."
With that, they both ran out of the room and down the hallway. Suddenly, Sokka appeared, and ran up to them.
"There you guys are!" Sokka exclaimed, turning back around and gesturing for them to follow. "We have to hurry!"
"What's going on?" Katara shouted at her brother as they continued running, eventually exiting the building and rounding the corner to begin descending the stairs leading to the courtyard.
"And where's Aang and uncle?" Zuko added anxiously, hand gripping the hilt of his broadswords.
"The general's gone crazy! " Sokka replied exasperatedly. "Aang asked Iroh and me to go with him to talk to Fong. He told him he doesn't want to keep trying to bring on the Avatar State."
"He did?" Zuko replied, he and Katara exchanging an equally surprised look.
Sokka nodded. "But now, the general's trying to force Aang into it! Iroh tried to stop him, but Fong trapped him with earthbending!"
While Zuko was thankful to hear that Iroh likely wasn't in danger, the news that Aang likely was filled him with an immediate wave of anger and panic. His eyes widened as he looked up ahead of them to see the airbender zigzagging across the base's courtyard as Fong's earthbending soldiers hurled massive coin-shaped rocks at him.
He quickly unsheathed his broadswords and began slicing through the spears of several nonbender soldiers, while Sokka tossed his boomerang into the air, knocking out several earthbenders. Katara, who had uncorked her water pouch, sent out a water whip, managing to knock a soldier off of the ostrich horse he had been riding.
There's too many, Zuko thought nervously as he jumped to narrowly avoid a giant coin-shaped rock, wiping the sweat from his brow. We can't beat an entire base of soldiers, especially not one with this many earthbenders!
To Zuko's horror, he suddenly spotted another earth coin being hurled towards Katara, and he began to make a beeline towards her. Thankfully, however, Sokka arrived first on the back of the riderless ostrich horse, pulling his sister up onto the saddle behind him and out of the path of the earth coin.
"Maybe you can avoid me... but he can't!"
Zuko whipped around to see General Fong himself standing a few feet behind him, and with a loud rumbling noise, the earthbenders each twisted their earth coins to point directly at him.
With an angry grunt, Zuko immediately began to dart towards the general, but before he could take more than three steps, he tripped forward as he felt his right foot sink into the ground, his broadswords flying out of his hands. He tried with all his might to yank his foot free, but it was now completely encased in solid earth. As the general began to walk slowly towards him, Zuko, now growing panicked, hurled a fireball at Fong, who blocked it with a shield of earth.
"You dare to attack me with your firebending?" Fong said darkly, and as he curled his fingers at his side, Zuko felt his other foot sink into the ground. Once again, he attempted to shoot another fire blast, and once again, Fong easily blocked it. "Just like your uncle... I should have known we could never trust Fire Nationals to be on our side."
"You're insane! " Zuko snapped. "You're the one who's literally attacking the Avatar! You've given us no choice but to fight back to protect him!"
"Don't hurt him! "
Zuko looked over Fong's shoulder and breathed a short sigh of relief when he saw Aang standing on the stairs behind him, unharmed. However, the small, unsettling smile that had appeared on Fong's face was clearly not a good sign.
Suddenly, he felt himself spin around, and he was now waist-deep in the ground. At this point, his heart had begun to pound with terror.
Aang couldn't earthbend yet, and it seemed all of Fong's soldiers were on his side… Meaning that if they couldn't convince the general to stop soon, it was looking pretty likely that he was about to be buried alive.
"Zuko, hold on!" Katara's voice shouted from somewhere behind him, and he craned his neck around to see the Water Tribe siblings charging forward on the ostrich horse. However, as Katara sent a water whip at Fong, the general made a quick movement, and a wall of sand rose from the earth, soaking the water into it, to her dismay. Sokka then reached his arm back with the intention of throwing his boomerang again, but before he could, the ostrich horse's feet tripped on a small pillar of earth that had suddenly appeared in front of it, and the two were sent flying, tumbling onto the ground.
"Stop this! You have to let him go!" Aang pleaded, running up to grab Fong's arm.
"You could save him if you were in the Avatar State!" Fong responded angrily, a crazed look in his eye.
"I'm trying!" Aang responded desperately, tears beginning to roll down his dread-ridden face "I'm trying! "
Zuko felt himself spin again, and he was now chest-deep into the earth. Fully panicking now, he struggled with all of his might, again to no avail.
"I don't see glowing!" Fong growled, lowering his right arm and closing his fist, sinking Zuko down to his neck.
I don't want to die… I don't want to die!
"You don't need to do this!" Aang screamed desperately, his hand digging into the general's wrist as he fell to his knees.
Fong looked down at the airbender scornfully. "Apparently, I do."
The next thing Zuko knew, he was completely enveloped by darkness.
Rage. Anguish. Heartbreak.
These were all that Aang could feel. All other emotions seemed miniscule and foreign to him as rose higher and higher into the air above the base at the top of the vortex that swirled below him.
"Avatar Aang! Can you hear me?" a distant voice called out from the ground. "Your friend is safe! It was just a trick to trigger the Avatar State… and it worked! "
He looked down at the ground where the general's voice had come from, and saw Zuko kneeling on the ground beside him
A wave of relief suddenly washed over him. He's alive!
But he could have died, another part of his brain screamed. Fong could have killed him! He deserves to be punished!
Bursting with rage once again, he descended to the earth and slammed into the ground.
Within the blink of an eye, however, he was in the sky again, except now he could still see his other self on the ground below, tattoos glowing hot-white, just like in his dreams.
Time seemed to slow down, and within seconds, he realized he was riding on the back of Fang, Avatar Roku's dragon. His predecessor himself was sitting in front of him, and as he looked down at his hands, he saw that he was in his blue, translucent spirit form.
"It's time you learned," Roku said, his otherworldly voice echoing in Aang's ears as Fang ascended, further and further away from the base until at last, they were soaring over the Mo Ce Sea.
"The Avatar State is a defense mechanism, designed to empower you with the skills and knowledge of all the past Avatars."
As Roku spoke, Aang saw a vision of Avatar Kyoshi, the glow of the Avatar State flashing in her eyes for just a moment before she lifted two massive badgermole statues with earthbending.
"The glow is the combination of all your past lives, focusing their energy through your body."
With a flash, the vision of Kyoshi was replaced by one of Avatar Kuruk, who stood before him on a Northern Water Tribe raft. Again, the glow appeared in his eyes for just a moment before fading, and with a fluid movement of his arms, a tsunami-sized wave rose behind him.
The vision changed again, and he was now watching Avatar Yangchen use the glow to summon powerful winds that caused even the large forest trees surrounding her to bend against its might.
"In the Avatar State, you are at your most powerful," Roku continued as the vision changed once more, this time to Avatar Szeto, who stood in front of a series of volcanoes. The glow flashed in his eyes, and each of the volcanoes erupted powerful blasts of lava hundreds of feet into the sky. "But you are also at your most vulnerable. "
The end of Roku's sentence broke Aang out of his state of awe, and he shook his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"If you are killed in the Avatar State, the reincarnation cycle will be broken," Roku replied, and to his right, a long line of Avatars appeared, stretching far into the hazy distance. One by one, starting from the furthest end of the line, the Avatars began to fade in succession. "...And the Avatar will cease to exist. "
Roku was the last of the Avatars to fade, leaving Aang alone on Fang's back.
With a roar, Fang's speed increased, and he shot back down to earth directly into Aang's physical body with a flash.
The moment he returned to the material world, he immediately felt the heavy weight of his emotional and physical exhaustion on his body as he fell to his hands and knees. He lifted his head up slowly, and a wave of guilt struck him deep in the chest as he surveyed the damage he had done. Earth coins had been flung to all corners of the base; many were jutting out of the walls and roofs, and some buildings had been completely destroyed.
Still too weak to stand, he instead sat down and pulled his knees to his chest, trying his best not to cry.
After a moment, he felt a pair of firm but gentle arms wrap around him, and looked up to see that it was Zuko, unharmed, but shaking ever so slightly.
"I'm sorry, Zuko," Aang said, his voice raspy as he leaned against the Fire Prince's chest. "I hope you never have to see me like that again."
"Ha! Are you joking?"
Both Aang and Zuko whipped their heads up to see General Fong approaching, looking relatively unscathed, and even a bit triumphant .
"That was almost perfect!" the general declared. "We just have to find a way to control you when you're like that…"
"You're out of your mind," Aang replied with a deep frown.
"If you take even one step closer, you're going to regret it," Zuko muttered darkly, moving into a defensive position between Aang and the general as fire daggers ignited from the back of his fists.
Despite the circumstances, Aang felt his heart flutter.
"I guess we'll figure it out on the way to the Fire Nation," Fong said, ignoring them both as he stroked his beard thoughtfully.
Before either he or Zuko could utter another word in reply, however, Sokka appeared behind the general on his ostrich horse, Katara sitting behind him. He raised his club, and used the end of it to strike the general on the back of the head. Fong's expression slackened, and he fell forward with a thump, knocked out cold.
"Anyone here got a problem with that?" Sokka called out, addressing the soldiers, all of which seemed to have survived the ordeal, to Aang's relief.
Almost every single one of the soldiers shook their heads rapidly in reply, and bowed deeply towards all four of them as the Water Tribe siblings dismounted and helped pull both Aang and Zuko to their feet.
"Do you… still want an escort to Omashu?" one of the soldiers asked apprehensively.
"How about you release my uncle first?" Zuko demanded angrily. "And maybe we won't report what happened here today to King Bumi."
Each of the soldiers' eyes widened fearfully. Aang presumed that his old friend would not be too happy to discover that one of his own generals had just attempted to seriously hurt him. He definitely wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of Bumi's wrath.
"Of course. I'll go get him at once," one replied, immediately darting off.
"So… I'm assuming that's a 'no' on the escort?" the first soldier asked.
"I think we're all set," Katara replied, folding her arms as Momo landed on Aang's shoulder with a chirp.