Sullivan walked down to Wazowski's room below deck. He couldn't shake the guilt of what they'd done to the Southern Water Tribe. His friend always had good advice. He would know how to put Sullivan's mind at ease.

He opened the door, then stopped. Wazowski was on his bed with his girlfriend Celia, engaged in a messy kiss. Sullivan awkwardly looked away, not sure what he should do. Should he apologize, or just run away and leave them to it?

Wazowski saw Sullivan and screamed. He scrambled back in surprise and fell off the bed.

"Googly-bear!" Celia cried, which made Sullivan roll his eyes. He had nothing against her or her relationship with Wazowski, but the cutesy nicknames were a bit much.

"Sulley!" Wazowski screamed. "Who just opens doors without knocking?!"

"Who doesn't lock the door when they're—" Sullivan gestured wildly at the bed. "I'll come back later. Sorry."

"Actually, I need to get going anyway," Celia said. "I just remembered that I have a meeting with the captain in a few minutes." She kissed Wazowski on the cheek. "I'll see you later tonight, googly-bear."

"Looking forward to it, schmoopsie-poo," Wazowski purred. Celia left, both her and Sullivan mumbling an apology as she slipped past him out the door.

"What is it, Sulley?" Wazowski asked.

Sulley sighed. "Mike, I feel awful about burning down that village."

"Me too. But we had to."

Sulley shook his head. He didn't think Mike truly understood just how bad he felt about the whole thing. "I don't think we should have done it. We should have put our foot down and said no."

Mike slammed his finger against Sulley's mouth. "Shh! Shh!" He looked around to make sure nobody had heard them, even though they were the only two people in the room. He went to the door and closed it. "I know what you're saying, pal, but you can't say that! We were just following orders. Firelord Syndrome would have killed us if we didn't do it."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we were right. We're just cowards."

"Maybe, but we're cowards who are alive," Mike said. "Beats being a dead hero, in my humble opinion."

"So we just do everything they tell us? When does it go too far?"

Mike didn't know how to answer that, so he didn't even try. "You can't think like that."

"Will we start killing people? Burning them to death where they stand?" Sulley asked. "Does that include children? I don't think I could ever forgive myself. Mike, what's the point of being alive if we can't live with ourselves?"

Mike swallowed. "Look, Sul, I've heard from the older officers that it gets easier. Eventually, you just think of it as another part of your job. And you stop feeling so guilty. That's what they say, anyway."

Sulley wasn't sure that was a good thing. The only thing worse than feeling bad about all the destruction was being so cold and emotionless that he didn't feel bad about it. He didn't think he ever wanted to be that heartless.

But he knew Mike didn't want to hear this. He just wanted to be reassured that Sulley wasn't going to do something stupid that would endanger both of them. And he knew at the end of the day, Mike was right. The only thing they would achieve by standing up to Syndrome would be an early grave, which didn't do anyone any good.

"Thanks, Mike. You're…you're right."

Mike patted his arm. "I know." He usually was. "It'll get better, Sul. Just…hang in there."

Sulley left the room, still feeling guilty but feeling more resigned to it. Mike sighed. He knew Sulley all too well. The big guy was too softhearted for his own good. Mike felt upset by the needless destruction too, but he didn't let himself dwell on it. He just kept himself distracted and focused on other things. It worked for him. He just hoped Sulley would learn this too before it was too late.

~~~~

Dash sat on his bed, trying not to pick at his new eyepatch. The ship medic had assured him he wouldn't lose his eyesight in his burned eye, but he would have a permanent scar. He didn't think of himself as vain, but he did get a lot of attention from the girls around the palace, and he imagined they wouldn't be too enamored with him anymore. He'd probably miss the attention, but right now, he had a million other things to worry about than that.

Mentally, he didn't think he could ever recover. The smell of burning flesh would stick with him forever. And Syndrome's words would be rattling around in his head for the rest of his life. If you really thought I wanted to bond with you, you're even more stupid than I thought. The reason I brought you on this trip is so I can punish you. What had he ever done to Syndrome? Why did he hate him so much? Sure, he wasn't from the Fire Nation, and he wasn't the Avatar, and he wasn't as cunning and stoic as the rest of the royal family, but he tried his best. He didn't think he deserved this kind of treatment.

He silently hoped a storm would bring the entire ship down and drown everyone on it, including himself. He didn't care.

He felt guilty when he thought about Jack-Jack. He supposed he didn't want his little brother to drown. Even though he was spoiled rotten by their father, and that made it hard not to resent him a little bit, it wasn't Jack-Jack's fault.

The door opened, and Sulley walked in. He awkwardly waved. Dash just stared at him blankly.

Sulley cleared his throat. "Um, hi. Just making sure you're doing all right."

Dash wanted to laugh. How could he possibly be all right? His father had just burned off half of his face.

"At least it doesn't hurt too much," he said, which was true. The medic said his nerves had likely been burned off. As horrifying as that sounded, at least he wasn't in a lot of pain.

"Good," Sulley said. He paused. "Well, um, if you ever need anything…"

"You don't have to be nice to me because you feel bad for me," Dash said, staring at the floor. He didn't want to sound ungrateful, but it was hard not to see kindness as pity after what had happened to him.

Sulley nodded and started to leave. Dash felt a stab of shame over being so harsh. He probably was just trying to help.

"Thanks," Dash said, and Sulley stopped in the doorway. "For checking in on me." Nobody else had. He doubted Syndrome had even asked the medic how he was doing.

"Of course," Sulley said. "I…care about you." He hoped that didn't sound stupid, since to Dash, he was just another nameless soldier in his father's army. "You're a good kid." He had seen Dash around the palace here and there for years, and he'd always liked the kid. It saddened him to see how much less happy and energetic he'd become over the years, worn down by Syndrome's constant criticism and neglect.

Dash smiled. "Thanks."

"You'll make a good Firelord someday," Sulley said.

Dash looked at him. "What do you mean? I'll never be Firelord."

"Why do you say that?"

"'Cause Dad hates me, so he'll probably skip me and give it to Jack-Jack."

"The Avatar can't be the Firelord. The Avatar has to travel around, keeping peace, while the Firelord should stay in the Fire Nation to watch over their people." Not that Syndrome cared about keeping peace, but that was beside the point. "And I think it would be a positive thing for the Firelord and the Avatar to be brothers. They've got an understanding with each other but also know when to call each other out if they have to."

Dash had never considered this. "Would they even let someone be Firelord if they can't firebend?"

"I've heard that Firelord Mor'du wasn't a firebender." That was just a rumor, but he could believe it. None of the history books mentioned any of his firebending feats, just his skills with a sword.

Dash's eye widened. "Really?"

"They don't teach you that in your history lessons, do they?" Sulley said.

Dash shook his head. It made him wonder what else they didn't teach people.

Sulley left. Dash smiled. Him, Firelord? Was that actually a possibility? He knew better than to get his hopes up, since Syndrome would probably just ignore common sense and make Jack-Jack the Firelord anyway. But he couldn't help but feel a little more hopeful about his future.

Firelord Dash. It had a nice ring to it.

~~~~

Barley looked down at the South Pole as they flew away. He felt guilty ignoring Luca's parents' pleas for him to stop and return their son. It made him feel like he was kidnapping Luca, even though Luca had asked to come with them.

"So if those were your parents," he said to Luca, "where are yours, Alberto?"

"My dad's fighting in the war," Alberto said proudly. "He was the first Water Tribe member to volunteer."

"And your mom?"

"She was killed in a raid," Luca said.

Barley nodded somberly. "So is someone else taking care of you? Like a grandmother or uncle or something?"

"I'm old enough to take care of myself until Dad gets back," Alberto replied casually.

Barley raised an eyebrow at this. "And how old are you?"

"Fourteen. Eleven when he left."

"Fourteen?!" He was younger than Ian, who was only sixteen. "That's too young to be on your own."

"Are you kidding? Being on my own is great," Alberto said. "No one making me do chores or stopping me from doing what I want. I can just penguin sled all day. It's awesome."

"Our society's pretty communal anyway, so we all look out for each other," Luca added. Alberto never asked for help, but it had always comforted Luca that it was there for him if he wanted it.

Barley nodded. "Okay."

Violet stared at Alberto. He was the same age as she was. She couldn't imagine living without the guidance and security of her family.

A pang went through her chest as she realized she'd be spending the rest of her life doing exactly that. At least his father might come back. She would never see any of her family members again, except for Jack-Jack. She blinked back tears.

Alberto realized he'd said something that had upset her. But he didn't know exactly what.

"Hey, don't cry," he said quietly, putting his hand on her back.

She flinched a little and drew away. "Sorry. I just don't like being touched by strangers."

"Oh. Sorry." He thought of another way to cheer her up. "Hey, look at this!" He tilted his head back and spat into the air, then bended the spit into a compact droplet. He moved it around, swirling it around their heads and showing it off.

"Hey, neat!" Barley said. "You're a waterbender?"

"Yup. So's Luca."

"Do mine!" Barley said. He spat in Luca's direction. Luca caught it before it landed on his face and threw it to Alberto. Alberto passed it back along with his own spit. Luca juggled the droplets, sticking his tongue out in concentration.

Violet's face twisted in disgust. It took all of her self-control not to put a shield of air around herself. She should have known being the only girl in a group of guys would mean putting up with some repulsive behavior.

She felt better when she saw Ian looking grossed-out as well. At least he wasn't disgusting.

Luca finished and tossed the spit droplets off the side of the airship. "Ta-da!"

Barley and Alberto clapped. Then all three of them burst out laughing. Their laughter was contagious, and Violet and Ian found themselves joining in.

"I know a lot about waterbending from 'Tales of the Four Nations'," Barley said when they all calmed down. "You should let me give you some waterbending tips sometime."

"Okay!" Luca said excitedly.

Alberto frowned. Teaching Luca was his job. What was wrong with his lessons? What could a dumb game teach him that Alberto couldn't?

They flew until late evening. Then they decided to get some rest. They had time. Barley guessed they'd reach the North Pole in a few days at the rate they were going, while it would take Syndrome at least a few weeks in a ship.

They landed in a small village in the Earth Kingdom, hidden in the mountains. They walked down to the village to look for a place to sleep. People milled about the village. Everyone was carrying umbrellas, which was odd, since it wasn't raining. It wasn't even overcast.

In the center of the village, a man was standing in front of a growling tiger. Ian hid behind Barley. Luca screamed and scrambled up onto Alberto's shoulders. Violet put up a swirling ball around herself.

Barley looked around. All of the villagers were far too calm about this. Something was off here.

"Do you need help?" Barley asked the man.

"No," the man said cheerfully. He stared the tiger down. The tiger looked away and eyed Ian for a moment. Then the animal walked away, disappearing into the mountains.

"What was that?" Alberto asked. "Why were you just standing there?"

Luca bit his fingernails anxiously. "Yeah, why weren't you scared?"

"It's simple! Moonwind told us nobody in the village would be physically harmed today," the man said.

"Moonwind?" Ian asked.

"Our fortune teller! He runs this village with his otherworldly knowledge. In fact, he'll want to meet you!"

They followed the man through the village. Luca looked around, fearing the tiger could come back any second.

"So is Moonwind connected to the spirits somehow?" Ian asked, trying to figure out how Moonwind's powers worked. That was the only way he could see it making sense.

"No. He just has a gift for reading the future."

"Oh." That sounded like a scam to Ian, but he didn't want to offend them, so he didn't say this out loud. He'd meet Moonwind before casting any judgment.

They approached a small, unassuming house. Outside, a man was spinning a sign that read: FORTUNE TELLER HERE! FREE READING!

The man's face lit up when he saw them. He tossed the sign away and ran over to them. "I've been expecting you!"

Violet looked at the man. His fluffy blond hair and beard stuck out in all directions, and his teeth were blindingly white. She couldn't tell if he was crazy or wise. His eyes looked kind, though.

"I am Moonwind," he said, quickly going through the group and shaking all of their hands. "Come in, and I'll give you a reading!"

"We were actually just looking for a place to sleep," Ian said, but Barley nudged him to be quiet.

"We'd love a reading," Barley said.

They went inside. The interior of Moonwind's house was all one large room, with mismatched pieces of furniture here and there. They sat down on the floor in front of a firepit. Moonwind's assistant brought them cups of tea.

Violet sipped hers cautiously, assuming she wouldn't like it since she was particular about tea. To her surprise, it was jasmine tea, with a little sugar. Just the way she liked it.

Moonwind sat down across from them. "So, who's going first?"

Silence. Violet shyly raised her hand. "I guess I will."

"Excellent! Come forward, dear."

She sat closer to him as he started a fire in the firepit. His assistants walked around them, sprinkling sand. Another assistant brought him a dish full of animal bones.

"Thank you, Windstar." He took one of the bones and threw it onto the fire.

"I can read the burn marks and cracks in the bones to see someone's future," he explained when he saw the bewildered looks on his guests' faces.

He calmly reached into the flames with his bare hands and took out the bone. He peered at it intensely. Violet waited, praying it would be positive. She couldn't take any more tragedy.

"You have suffered a great loss recently," he said. "But no worries! You'll rediscover something you have lost and take great joy in rebuilding."

Could that be her relationship with Jack-Jack? She hoped so.

"You'll also find love in an unexpected place, with an unexpected someone," Moonwind said. "So be on the lookout for that." Before she could ask any questions about this, he tossed the bone away. "Next!"

Barley went next.

"You're a brave young man who has taken on a heavy responsibility," Moonwind said. "You'll find an answer you've been long-seeking, but it won't be what you thought."

Violet thought this was incredibly vague. Ian and Barley seemed to know what it meant, though, because they both looked shaken. Violet wanted to ask why, but she knew it wasn't any of her business.

Ian went next. He could only imagine what his fortune would say. You'll fail at everything you try. Or maybe You'll never try anything. You'll never take risks, so you'll live in painful mediocrity until you die alone and miserable. That sounded about right.

Moonwind read the bone. "You have great potential, young earthbender. You just need to see it."

"I've been telling him that for years," Barley said.

"You won't always know what to do. But trust in yourself and you'll find your way," Moonwind said. "You're capable of more than you know."

That was about the vaguest, most trite thing Ian had ever heard, but at least it wasn't something terrible. So he'd gladly take it.

Alberto and Luca were the last two left. Alberto grabbed Luca's arm and pulled him over to the firepit. "You can do ours together. We do everything together."

"Unusual, but all right," Moonwind said. He looked over the dish of bones, mulling over which ones to pick. Then he plucked out two and threw them into the fire.

The flames flickered and turned black. Noxious green smoke curled out, swirling around Luca and Alberto. Luca gulped. That couldn't be good.

"Oh dear," Moonwind said softly. "You will both discover incredible power, becoming two of the most powerful waterbenders of your generation."

"Cool!" Alberto said.

"But I also see a great rift," Moonwind said. "One that will only be healed by blood."

The fire burned bright red. Luca felt a chill go down his spine. That sounded ominous. Were they going to kill each other? He couldn't think of what else Moonwind could mean.

Moonwind put out the fire. "That was…odd. Most fortunes don't turn out that way. My apologies. Oh! But look here! One of you is also going to find love, so that's nice, isn't it?" He cleared his throat. "You may all stay here for the night. I'll go find you some blankets."

Alberto picked his ear, unperturbed by their unsettling fortune. "Okay, thanks."

"Alberto, aren't you worried?" Luca asked as Moonwind left the house. "That sounded bad!"

"He's full of crap, Luca," Alberto said. "We're thick as thieves, have been for years. You really think it's all gonna fall apart just 'cause some weirdo said it would?"

"He was right about the tiger, though," Luca said. "So maybe he's right about this."

"He's not," Alberto said. "Don't think like that."

Moonwind returned with blankets, and they all settled in different corners of the room. Ian knew he should be getting some rest, but anxious thoughts kept jamming his brain, keeping him awake. He stayed awake for what felt like hours, until he thought he might explode if he didn't talk to someone about what was on his mind.

"Barley?" he whispered, hoping his brother was still up.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think—" Ian hesitated. "Do you think your fortune was about Mom?"

Barley's silence gave him his answer.

Ian swallowed nervously. "Do you think she's—"

"No," Barley interrupted. "That's not what he meant. It…couldn't be." He turned to face Ian. "We'll find her. Don't worry."

"But what if we don't?" Ian asked. He didn't like to be negative, but he couldn't just pretend everything was going to be okay. He had to think about the worst so he could prepare for it.

Barley took Ian's hand and looked him in the eye. "Then we'll keep doing exactly what we've been doing. Looking out for each other. We've been okay since she disappeared, and we'll still be okay. Okay?"

Ian nodded. "Thanks, Barley." He paused. He opened his mouth to say something else, then stopped when he heard a sound above them. Something pattering against the roof. Rain.

Luca heard it, too. He tensed, remembering the villagers carrying umbrellas. Moonwind must have known. He was right again. Luca's heart sank.

He turned to look at Alberto, who was fast asleep. Could something really drive them apart? He couldn't imagine what that would be.

He remembered the night they'd met. Luca had been wandering down by the water, frustrated about being told for the hundredth time that his bending was dangerous and needed to be hidden. It felt like a part of him he couldn't repress. Even though no one had ever taught him a lick of waterbending, and his own experimentation hadn't gotten him anywhere, he still felt like it was some deep need, as much as eating or sleeping.

When he saw Alberto standing in the water, bending a tiny wave, it was like a whole new world opened up for him. Suddenly, he wasn't the only waterbender in the world. He wasn't alone. He'd asked Alberto to teach him, and Alberto had been more than happy to do that. They'd been inseparable ever since.

What would be a big enough issue to ruin their friendship and keep them from making up until one of them was dead?

Moonwind must be wrong. He had to be. But as Luca listened to the rain growing stronger outside, he had the sinking feeling that he knew the truth.