Luca felt a familiar chill in the night air. The crisp coldness reminded him of home. They must be getting close. He eagerly looked over the edge of the gondola, trying to catch a glimpse of the North Pole.
And there it was. It was as beautiful as he'd imagined. A large city sprawled below them. The entire city was surrounded by a majestic ice wall. The glowing fish in the sky shone down on it. The crown jewel was the huge ice castle, with dozens of towers and turrets. He'd never seen something so magnificent.
They landed outside the wall so they wouldn't come across as aggressive invaders. Northern Water Tribe soldiers came out to investigate.
"We need to talk to your leader," Barley declared.
"The Chief," Alberto said.
"It's urgent," Barley said. "We have news that Firelord Syndrome is coming here."
The soldiers looked alarmed. "We must tell Chief Massimo immediately."
They led Violet and the others through the city. Alberto and Luca skipped ahead of the others, who were struggling to stay upright on the ice. Ian was finding it especially difficult. He really didn't like not having earth under his feet. He grabbed Barley to keep himself from falling, and nearly brought them both to the ground.
He drew his thin shirt tighter around himself. He didn't care for the cold, either. The freezing air seemed to cut through him into his bones. Nobody else seemed bothered by it. Luca and Alberto were used to it, and Violet must have been able to control the air temperature somehow, because she seemed fine.
They approached the castle. Luca's breath caught in his throat as he stared up at it. He'd never imagined he'd ever set foot in a place like this. He looked around in wonder as they walked through the hallway. There were ice statues of Chiefs and Chieftesses. The Southern Water Tribe didn't even have tangible records of their past leaders. No pictures or statues, just stories.
They entered the throne room. A large man, Chief Massimo, sat on a throne of ice. He stood up when they came in, his figure becoming even more towering. Alberto's eyes widened as he noticed that the Chief only had one arm. It made him look even more intimidating.
The soldiers bowed. "Chief Massimo. These visitors bring news."
Luca stepped forward and bowed. "Sir, we're from the Southern Water Tribe."
"We're their last waterbenders," Alberto said. "We're kind of a big deal."
"The Fire Nation destroyed our village, and they're coming here next," Luca said.
"He kidnapped my brother, Avatar Jack-Jack," Violet said.
Massimo looked alarmed.
"He's coming to find a waterbending teacher for Jack-Jack, so he can become a weapon for the Fire Nation," Violet said. "Can your army help us get Jack-Jack when they arrive?"
"Of course," Massimo said. "I'll brief the generals."
Violet breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
"They're coming by ship," Barley said. "They should be here in a few weeks, so that gives us time."
"You're welcome to stay here until then," Massimo said.
"Thank you," Barley said gratefully. Ian wasn't too excited about staying here for the next few weeks, but he did appreciate the hospitality.
A girl with bright red hair ran in. Luca stared. It was the girl from his vision.
"Dad! Dad!" the girl cried. "There's an airship outside the gates!" She stopped when she saw the five strangers in the room.
"I know, Giulia," Massimo said. He gestured to their guests. "They're going to be staying with us for the next few weeks."
Giulia squealed with excitement. "New friends! From outside!" She ran to Luca and Alberto. "Are you guys from the South Pole?"
"Yeah," Alberto said.
"I've never been there! I've always wanted to go!" Giulia shouted. "What's it like? The stars must look so different down there! Hey, is it true that your cities aren't made of ice?"
Alberto and Luca glanced at each other, unsure how to respond. They didn't even know which question to answer first.
"Giulietta, why don't you show our new friends around?" Massimo suggested.
"Great idea!" Giulia said. "Come on!"
She ran off. Luca and Alberto followed her. Ian, Barley, and Violet tried to keep up with them, but they didn't even make it out of the throne room before they fell behind.
Massimo laughed. "She's a force of nature. Come, I'll have the guards show you to your rooms."
Ian followed a guard to a large bedroom. He went to the window and looked out at the sparkling city. He did have to admit that it was beautiful. He still wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, though.
Barley walked in. "This place is huge!"
"And cold," Ian muttered.
"Yeah. And cold." Barley flopped back on the bed. "So, are you enjoying this journey so far?"
"It's been…interesting," Ian said. He'd never thought he would ever embark on something like this.
"It's almost over," Barley said. "The Chief will help us get Jack-Jack back. Then we can go home."
"Or…maybe we could go to Ba Sing Se," Ian suggested.
"Really?" Barley said.
"Yeah." This adventure had shown him that taking risks wasn't all bad. They had so much more to gain than lose, so why not?
Barley grinned at him. "Let's do it."
~~~~
"I'm so excited to meet you!" Giulia said, leading them down a shiny ice bridge. "So what are your names?"
"Luca Paguro."
"Alberto Scorfano."
"I'm Giulia, the daughter of Chief Massimo," Giulia said. "Technically, I'm the princess of the North Pole, but you don't have to call me that."
"Wow," Luca said. "That's so cool!"
Alberto frowned, seeing Luca's wide-eyed gaze full of pure admiration. "Yeah, well, my dad's fighting in the war," he interjected. "He's gonna come home a hero. So that's pretty cool too."
"Oh, neat," Giulia said. She paused, then said, "Well, let's start the tour! I have so much to show you!"
She pointed out several buildings to Luca and Alberto, talking at a rapid-fire pace. They could barely understand her. Still, Luca hung on every word.
Then a nasty, nasally voice came from behind them. "Well, well, well. Look what the dog dragged in." A boy about Barley's age walked over, smirking. "The dog is you, Giulia." Luca immediately hated the sight of him. His tiny mustache, along with the way his lips curled around his teeth, made Luca feel gross.
Giulia groaned. "What do you want, Ercole?"
"I'm just introducing myself to your new friends." He looked at Luca and Alberto critically. He pointed at their clothes. "You're a bit dirty to be hanging out with the princess, no? Not that she's prim and proper, either. I don't know why Chief Massimo lets his daughter run around dressed like a commoner."
Giulia rolled her eyes.
"So where are you from?" Ercole asked.
"The South Pole," Luca said meekly.
Ercole laughed. "Of course! The inferior Pole! That's very funny. What is Southern trash like you doing here?"
"We're on an important mission," Alberto boasted. "To save the Avatar."
Ercole snorted. "Yeah, sure."
"We are!" Alberto insisted. "We're powerful benders, here to save the Avatar from the Fire Nation!"
"You two? Powerful benders? The South Pole hasn't had a bender in ages."
"Stop it, Ercole!" Giulia snapped.
Alberto looked over the edge of the bridge. A shallow river flowed under the bridge, lapping softly at the ice columns holding it up. He put out his hands. "Stand back, Luca, Giulia, while I drown this jerk!"
Ercole raised an eyebrow at him. Alberto concentrated as hard as he could, lifting a few droplets of water out of the river, and threw them in Ercole's face.
Ercole laughed. "Try again, loser!" He flicked his wrist. A wave rose up and crashed down on Luca and Alberto's heads, splashing onto Giulia as well. Ercole laughed and walked away.
"Asshole," Alberto muttered. He shook his head like a dog to dry himself off. Luca squeezed the water out of his hair, grimacing as cold droplets trickled down his back.
Giulia growled. "He thinks he can be a jerk just 'cause he's the son of an important councilman, and just 'cause he can waterbend!" That made her think of something that might take their mind off of Ercole. "Hey, I haven't shown you the best part of our city! You'll like this, Alberto, since you're a waterbender."
"I'm a waterbender, too," Luca shyly volunteered.
"I taught him everything he knows," Alberto said proudly.
Giulia led them to a large domed building. The roof was made of thousands of sparkling ice crystals.
"What's that?" Luca asked.
"Our waterbending school," Giulia said. "We train some of the best waterbenders in the world."
"Whoa," Luca breathed. Alberto scoffed. They didn't need waterbending school.
"Wanna go in?" Giulia asked.
Luca jumped up and down excitedly. "Okay!"
They went inside. A large pool sat in the middle of the room. A group of young students stood in a line in front of the pool, being instructed by a tall man in a bright white coat.
"Hey, Lucius!" Giulia greeted him.
He turned. "Hey, Princess!"
"Lucius is the best waterbending teacher," Giulia said. "Show them a trick, Lucius."
With a smooth winding motion, Lucius drew some water out of the pool. Then he thrust his arm forward. Starting from his fingertips, the water froze into a long icicle.
"Wow!" Luca gasped. Even Alberto looked impressed.
"With enough practice, any waterbender can do that," Lucius said.
"Can you teach us? I mean, we have a lot of other stuff to learn first, but can we join your class?" Luca asked.
"Sure!" Lucius said.
Luca ran over to join the other students. "Come on, Alberto!"
Alberto reluctantly followed him. He supposed if Moonwind was right about them becoming powerful waterbenders, they should learn the basics.
He quickly realized the basics were tough. Lucius made it look so easy, but Alberto just couldn't seem to get it right. There were so many forms to remember. He didn't like trying to remember information while he was bending. And every time Lucius told him he needed to relax, it just made him more tense.
It was extra frustrating because he could easily feel the water around him. He just didn't know what to do with it.
It didn't help that everyone was watching him, including Giulia. She was just sitting in the corner, which annoyed him. From what he could tell, she wasn't a bender, so why was she even here?
"Look, Alberto, I'm doing it!"
Alberto looked over at Luca, who was controlling a medium-sized wave, the size they usually made together. He was doing it all by himself, his movements flowing like water. Alberto knew he should be happy for his friend, but instead, he just felt irritated. He was Luca's teacher, and they usually did everything together, so it felt rude for Luca not to wait for him.
"Do you need some help, Alberto?" Lucius asked.
"No!" Alberto snapped. "I've got it!"
He didn't get it. By the end of the lesson, he was still where he started. His nerves were on-edge from frustration and embarrassment. He wanted to hit or destroy something.
"That was amazing!" Luca gushed as they left the school. He felt exhilarated. He loved learning.
"I'm glad you liked it," Giulia said. "What about you, Alberto?"
"Oh, yeah, it was so fun," Alberto said with an eyeroll. "Learning nothing in front of a room full of people."
After an awkward silence, Luca said, "Well, I learned something, and I thought it was really cool. So thank you, Giulia."
She smiled. "You're welcome, Luca."
They returned to the palace. The guards informed them that Massimo was holding a feast in their honor. They went to the dining room and sat down at the long table that seemed to go on for miles. Alberto watched as Luca sat next to Giulia. He sat across from them, which placed him next to Massimo, who sat at the head of the table. Massimo looked at him, and he realized maybe he wasn't allowed to sit there.
He stood up quickly, his chair squeaking on the icy floor. "Sorry. Sir. I'll—"
Massimo put his hand on Alberto's shoulder reassuringly. His grip was strong but not painful. "It's okay. Sit."
Alberto sat back down, feeling a little dazed by the interaction for some reason. He wasn't sure what to say. "Okay"? "Thanks"?
When everyone was seated, Massimo raised his glass. "I am honored to hold this feast for our guests. May we help reunite them with the Avatar, and protect the balance of the world."
Servants brought out the food. Seaweed salad, steaming plates of grilled fish, bowls of boiled sea prunes. The air became crowded with the sound of silverware and individual conversations.
Alberto looked over at Luca. Giulia was whispering something to him. It must have been funny, because both of them laughed so hard that water came out of their noses. Alberto stabbed a sea prune with his fork.
For the next week, Luca spent most of his time at the waterbending school, trying to learn as much as he could while they were here. Alberto attended one other waterbending lesson, which went just as poorly as the first one, then stopped going. What was the point? He was just going to look stupid in front of everyone.
He spent most of his time in the palace courtyard, showing off and doing tricks for the girls of the court. Violet was usually there, practicing her airbending, and she would roll her eyes as the girls giggled and fawned over his stupid spit trick. Surely they'd seen more impressive waterbending feats, so they were just appealing to his fragile ego. Did they really find him that attractive? Sure, he was kind of cute, but not that cute.
Sometimes, he would glance at her. Barely, but she saw it. Clocking that she was annoyed by his showboating. Then he would double down, making the droplets bigger, moving them faster, bragging louder. Which made her doubly want to airbend him over the courtyard wall.
Some days, Ercole and his rich friends would come around and bother Alberto, calling him names and dumping water on him. They would always leave before Violet could intervene. She wasn't sure Alberto would want her stepping in anyway. He seemed too proud for that, always trying to face Ercole instead of running away or just ignoring him.
One night, after Luca's training, Alberto suggested they take a walk together, hoping it would be like old times. Luca happily agreed. They walked around the courtyard, talking and laughing, and Alberto felt better than he had since they'd arrived. He'd missed this.
They sat down on an ice bench. Luca looked up at the sky and saw the full moon. He pointed at it. "Hey, Alberto, did you know our powers come from the moon?"
"Uh, yeah," Alberto said incredulously. "I told you that!"
"Yeah, but you said it was a fish."
"'Cause it is," Alberto said.
Luca shook his head. "It's not. Giulia said it's a rock hundreds of thousands of miles away. But it holds the spirit of the ocean goddess, so that's why our powers are stronger during a full moon."
Alberto scoffed. "Whatever."
"She reads a lot," Luca said. "She knows so much. She's so smart."
Alberto felt a red-hot stab of anger he couldn't quite explain. He angrily got up and started walking away.
"Hey, where are you going?" Luca called.
"Away," Alberto replied curtly before storming off. Luca watched him go, a sinking feeling in his stomach. He hadn't meant to upset him. He considered going after Alberto, then decided against it. Alberto seemed like he needed some time to calm down.
Alberto walked down to the river, his blood pounding in his temples. He didn't know where he was going, exactly, just that he wanted to be alone.
He stopped when he saw Violet sitting by the river. The moonlight reflected off her long black hair. He didn't know why, but something about it was like a beacon, drawing his attention.
She turned and jumped a little when she saw him. "Oh, hi, Alberto."
"Oh, uh, hi." He hoped she hadn't noticed him staring at her. That would be awkward and creepy.
"If you're going to start spitting, I can leave," Violet said, only half-jokingly.
"I'm not." He wasn't in the mood to do silly tricks right now.
She looked up at him inquisitively, her hair falling over her face. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes," he snapped as he sat down. "Fine. Everything's great."
She hesitated, then scooted closer to him. "Are you sure? You don't sound sure."
He sighed again. "It's just…Luca and I had a fight." That wasn't exactly true, since he hadn't told Luca what he was feeling, and he hadn't given Luca a chance to respond, but he didn't know how else to describe it.
"Oh."
He could tell she was thinking of Moonwind's fortune, about the rift between him and Luca. "Nothing huge. It'll get better after we leave this place." He stared at the ground and picked at the ice. "I don't like it here. I mean, it's nice, I guess, but it's too…uppity and hoighty-toighty. Look at us and our palace and our rich kids and our big waterbending school."
"Yeah, a little bit," Violet said. "But the Chief seems nice. And as long as they help me save Jack-Jack, they can flaunt their wealth as much as they want."
Alberto suddenly felt a pang of shame. These people had taken them in, and they were risking their own lives to help them. He shouldn't be so unappreciative. Violet probably thought he was an ungrateful jerk.
"You'll work things out," Violet said. It took him a second to realize she was referring to his friendship with Luca. "You're best friends. I mean, I assume. I don't really know either of you. But you seem pretty close. So you'll figure it out." She hesitated, then patted his hand. "So don't worry too much about it."
Alberto smiled at her. "Thanks, Violet."
She smiled back, then looked away shyly and tucked her hair behind her ear. Alberto was used to seeing her hair covering her face. He knew he shouldn't be staring, but he couldn't help it. It was amazing how much of a difference a small change like that could make.
In the distance, someone blew a horn, disrupting the moment. Twice, three times. It sounded urgent.
They ran back to the palace. Chief Massimo was standing outside, talking to Lucius and one of his generals. Giulia and Luca stood next to him, their eyes wide with apprehension.
Luca breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Alberto. He ran over. "Alberto! The Firelord is here!"