The ties that bind

An Avatar: The last air bender AU fic

AU premises: Zuko is exiled at 10 & the spirits are more active & and other differences.

The leader of the Southern Water Tribe, Hakoda, seriously considered that his current situation was some sort of test put forth by the Moon Spirit Tui.

A situation that had begun earlier that day...

********************

As Hakoda looked out at the ocean before him, he smiled slightly. The weeklong fishing expedition had been greatly successful thus far; so much so, that by the time the rest of the nets were harvested he had little doubt the village would have enough fish for the winter.

However, his thoughts were interrupted when he heard the lookout shout, "Boat adrift ahead."

"What flag does it fly?"

"None sir, but the boat is metal," the lookout responded.

After looking to his second-in-command and long time friend Hakoda shouted, "Bring us alongside but be ready for Fire Nation treachery."

Several minutes later, as they pulled alongside, they found not a Fire Nation soldier waiting to attack them but a boy no older than at most 10 curled up under a veritable mountain of blankets breathing out a small plume of fire occasionally.

"Get him aboard NOW!" Hakoda bellowed. He wasn't about to let some kid, even a firebender, freeze to death.

********************

...and now he was staring at a haggard looking Fire Nation boy that had just told them who he was.

The response was plain and tired, as if hardly any fire was left stirring within the Fire Nation boy. It wasn't surprising considering the ugly palm sized still healing burn on his face.

Still the response he gave WAS surprising; he was none other then Prince Zuko son of the recently crowned Fire Lord Ozai.

"This is a fine mess," Bato, Hakoda's second-in-command said after Zuko had been taken away after a lengthy interrogation to prove his identity. This left the two to look over the boy's possessions; a dagger, a set of Dao swords meant to be used together, a collection of bending and martial arts scrolls contained in an odd six-chambered case, and various other odds and ends. Whoever had helped the boy escape wanted him to be well prepared.

"Ransoming the boy would be less than useless since he's been banished for treason. They'll be no one looking for him either," Hakoda voiced as he sat down.

"They probably assume he's already dead," Bato commented with a shake of his head. "He would be too if it wasn't for that weird breath of fire technique he said learned from his uncle's scroll."

Nodding absently as he looked at the case containing the bending scrolls Hakoda commented, "It would also not be wise to send him away. The earth kingdom military is rather blunt with their treatment of prisoners of war; to say nothing of what they would do to the very son of the Fire Lord, banished or not," while noting from the markings on the case that the case contained scrolls on all the bending arts. Obviously, whoever had packed the scrolls had wanted any potential saviors to see the case of scrolls as some sort of offering, as meager as it was. Of course whoever had packed the scrolls had probably also thought the boy wouldn't reveal his identity immediately.

"Then of course there's the fact the currents shouldn't have carried the boy here at all," Bato commented as he to sat down.

"True," Hakoda commented as he thought upon the currents around the Fire Nation. "The prevailing equatorial currents at this time of year should have taken him directly to the Earth Kingdom. Instead, here he is already practically at the South Pole. I've seen only a few things in my time that reek of the spirits being directly involved but this is one of them. Tui and perhaps even Agni have guided the boy to us for a reason. Whatever that reason is, is the real question here. Especially considering firebenders don't get along too well with the polar night."

Nodding at his friend's wise words Bato said, "Well since he's obviously going to be staying with us for a while we should lay down the ground rules."

"Bring the boy back after he's been fed," Hakoda responded before turning away from his friend and starting to contemplate.

What could possibly be the real reason behind the arrival of the very son of the enemy at his doorstep?

The answer to that question would only reveal itself to him in its fullness years later.

********************

Later after Zuko had eaten Hakoda laid out the rules of how the young exiled Prince was to behave. Zuko took all of the rules very well. However, when Hakoda stated that Zuko was not to lie under any circumstance and to immediately face up to the consequences of his actions a strange somehow ... hopeful look appeared in the young Prince's amber eyes. The look was gone in an instant however as Zuko was put to work.

"Did you see it?" Hakoda questioned of his second-in-command a few moments later after Zuko was thoroughly occupied.

"He's obviously been told lying is the correct thing to do his whole life," Bato said as he watched the young Prince starting to work without complaint. "...and from that look in his eyes he hates it."

"Strange to find such character in a Fire Nation child let alone their Prince," one of the other warriors on the deck said with a dark edge to his voice. "It may be the very reason why he was banished was that he didn't live up to his father's standards."

The response given by Hakoda and Bato was a quiet nod their thoughts already having traveled a similar path. Zuko may not have told them where he got his burn from but then again there could only be one person that could have given it to him; his father.

Needless to say, this unspoken undeclared fact made the bile in their stomachs churn with new hatred for the Fire Nation and especially their leader. A man that was cruel enough to horribly burn his own child.

A moment later Hakoda and Bato shook themselves from their thoughts and got to work, there were fish to be caught exiled Prince or not. However as the day rolled on they did quietly observe Zuko. The young Prince worked hard without complaint and in fact without speaking.

Hakoda seriously doubted the young Prince was afraid of them. No the reason why he was being quiet and keeping his head down was because he knew he didn't belong where he was. Of course, it also wasn't hard to see that Zuko knew he didn't belong anywhere anymore.

Bato who had heard somewhere that it was a 'fiery' motivation that enabled a firebender to bend wondered what motivation the Prince had left other than simple survival. Quickly enough Bato realized survival was the only thing the young Prince had left.

The rest of the southern water tribesmen for their parts observed a quiet broken boy trying to hold on to what remained of his dignity and succeeding as best he could. They knew the boy was trying to show them that he wasn't weak, something of prime importance to the Fire Nation. However as the day rolled on and Zuko kept pulling himself up from failure after failure the southern water tribesmen found themselves having to stow their pity more and more. They knew the pity wouldn't be welcome; let alone the reason behind it wasn't the Prince's failures but the very fact the he thought he needed to keep going even after they had told him to stop.

********************

As they arrived at the South Pole and began to unload their catch the southern water tribesmen forgot about him. Not that Zuko could blame them they had more important things to do than give him —an enemy Prince— consideration. For his part, he waited silently where he had been told to. He knew not to arouse any anger amongst the southern water tribesmen that thus far had been surprisingly civil to him. As soon as it was appropriate for him to speak, he would humbly request that somebody show him how to make a shelter of his own. Then once he had learned, he would leave the village and make one away from the village. He refused to burden them with his presence especially since the polar night was coming. Even though he was young, Zuko knew that the likelihood of him living through the polar night were slim to none and he refused to let those that have been so civil to him waste resources on him. After all, they had much more important things to worry about than him.

********************

"Dad?" a 9-year-old Sokka questioned of his father. "Who's that?" as he pointed over to the ship where a boy that looked about his age with raven black hair sat out of the way of the unloading.

"A refugee from the Fire Nation," Hakoda answered.

"What kind of refugee?" Kya questioned as she crossed her arms. She could tell from the way her husband was holding himself there was more going on than he was letting on.

"As far as we can tell that boy is none other then the banished Prince Zuko son of the Fire Lord," Hakoda answered causing his family to gasp. "We found him adrift. He's alive probably only because his firebending."

"Why was he adrift?" Katara questioned as her eyes flitted to the boy for a moment.

"From what he told I got that his mother and uncle put him on a boat and prayed to the spirits that he would be taken somewhere safe after he was burned," Hakoda answered. "He didn't tell us how he was burned but considering the way he spoke of his father..."

"Oh great spirits you don't think that!" Kya exclaimed.

"Unfortunately yes," Hakoda answered before letting out a deep sigh and saying, "As soon as the unloading is complete I need to talk to the tribe as a whole."

"I'll go prepare and call everyone," Kya answered before she ushered her children off with her.

This left Hakoda to glance back over at Zuko was nestled under several blankets and warm skins. His eyes were distant and blank.

********************

Later as the Water Tribe argued over what to do with him one woman said that he would be a burden. Zuko took this chance to speak his intentions to build a home away from the village. The response especially from the woman that had called him a burden was of almost palatable shock but in the end and over the surprising objections of a few good-natured few it was agreed that Zuko would build a home some half a mile away from the village near a fishing spot large enough to support him.

Zuko's response was to kneel humbly and thank Chief Hakoda of the water tribe before starting to leave the roundhouse. However before he got very far the chieftain's wife a waterbending healer by the name of Kya grabbed him by the shoulder and declared that before he was going anywhere she was going to tend to his wounds.

The look of shock on his scarring face must have been quite comical as the Chief's children both laughed at him.

********************

As Katara and Sokka watched their mother tend to the Fire Nation boy, they honestly had to wonder if he was the Prince of the Fire Nation.

"He seems so normal," Sokka commented a little disgruntlely. He really wanted to find something to hate about the boy but the huge burn on his face that his dad said was most likely the work of the boy's father was getting in the way.

"...and very sad," Katara added.

"Hmm, yeah almost like a warrior that knows that he's goin...." Sokka commented before trailing off.

"I know but there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him except for the burn on his face," Katara said after a long moment already getting what her brother was getting at. The Fire Nation boy looked resigned to his own death wherever and whenever it may come.

********************

"I'll scar," Kya put bluntly, as she finished doing what she could for the burn. She knew the best method of giving news to a firebender was to be as direct as possible. Still, she'd been able to save the nerves, regenerate the hair follicles on the brow ridge and make sure the eyelid functioned properly but there was simply too much damage for her to heal everything. This would leave Zuko with a scar, a very prominent scar.

The response the banished Prince gave was a nod.

"Still I've repaired enough damage that you should still retain function in the area, better than nothing I suppose," Kya said crisply more to herself than the Prince before staring at the boy long and hard and questioning, "The reason you don't want to stay in the village is because of the polar night isn't it."

Zuko's response was a nod.

"We could have someone take you to one of the islands beyond the polar circle you know. They're on the normal fishing routes," Kya put forth.

After a moment of silent thought, Zuko shook his head and looked up from the floor.

The look in his amber eyes spoke for him. He was tired of surviving he just wanted to lay down and rest in peace.

"Fine but as a healer I have an obligation to the health of everyone here, even you," Kya said sternly.

Zuko's response was to shake his head a moment before Hakoda entered wearing a slight frown at the young prince's attitude.

"Come on I've gathered the necessary tools," Hakoda finally said before he and Zuko left.

Shortly thereafter Katara and Sokka came out from their hiding place.

"Mom what's going to happen to him because of the polar night?"

"Firebenders need the sun to live," Kya said after a few moments of thought.

"Oh," was the response her two children gave after a moment of silence.

"He's not really building a house is he?"

"Not really," Kya responded sadly as she stood up and looked out at where Zuko and her dear husband were leaving the village. The poor somehow kindhearted boy didn't deserve it, not at all. Sure she would do everything she could but in all likelihood one morning she would find the boy dead —probably on the winter solstice at the latest— in an igloo made more as a makeshift tomb than a home.

********************

By the time twilight had set in Zuko's new igloo had been finished. It was small but Hakoda understood why.

Now all alone with the boy Hakoda questioned, "How long do you think you'll last?" as he looked off into the distance at the ice locked Fire Nation ship near which Zuko's igloo had been built.

"The solstice at the most," Zuko responded quietly surprising the chief somewhat. "I thank you for your hospitality; I will endeavor to do my best not to disturb your tribe in the future."

"Why aren't you still fighting?"

"I have nothing left," Zuko answered.

"Then make something for your self, Prince Zuko," Hakoda responded in turn as he studied the boy. There was something eerily wrong about a firebender with no fire in him. A few moments later, he came to the realization that keeping Zuko alive was part of the Moon Spirit's trial. "For as long as you live you can fight and make something for yourself," Hakoda added in a challenging tone before tossing Zuko the bundle that contained his belongings and walking off back to the village.

If he knew firebenders at all, he knew they always took up a challenge, and at the moment, challenging the young Prince could be the only way to keep him alive.

********************

As Zuko entered his new igloo shortly after the chief had left, he sat aside his bundle of things, sat down and began to think. Deep down he didn't really want to die but he was so very tired.

"Maybe things will look better in the morning," Zuko finally decided before curling up under the firs Hakoda had brought and the blankets that had been with him since he left the Fire Nation. Not a handful of seconds later Zuko was asleep exhaustion taking its toll easily.

********************

As Zuko awoke, he absently sat up and yawned before getting up and going outside to attend to mornings little necessities. When the morning necessities were taking care of Zuko returned to his igloo and realized a simple fact, which was he no longer felt like dying. Maybe it was the dreams he had the previous night or the simple fact he had a full night's sleep free of worries. Nevertheless, he now felt revitalized and ready to take on anything.

*GROWL*

Apparently, the first thing he would have to take on would be being finding breakfast.

Then a moment later Zuko realized one small detail; he didn't know the first thing about surviving by himself.

********************

Later that morning found Hakoda going about his usual morning routine around the village when one of the warriors that patrolled the ice wall jogged up and declared, "Chief, we have a bit of a ...situation at the entrance to the wall."

"What kind of situation?" Hakoda questioned.

"The boy, Zuko, is standing out just outside the wall ... and he just seems to be waiting, Chief."

"You did tell him that he could've come into the village right?" Hakoda questioned. "It's not like we forbade him from entering."

Nodding warrior responded, "Yes, but he said something about it not being appropriate or something for him to enter the village without your say-so since he's Fire Nation exiled or not."

"Well I better go see what he wants," Hakoda commented before he strode towards the entrance to the ice wall and then through it to where Zuko was sitting huddled up under a heavy cloak and a fur. Upon seeing him however, Zuko quickly got up and bowed. "So what is it that you need?" Hakoda questioned amicably.

"I know nothing of how to survive," Zuko began plainly before adding, "...and I have even less to trade with."

Stroking his beard thoughtfully Hakoda said, "I see," before trailing off in thought. He knew from the way Zuko had acted on the ship and what he had said the previous day that making sure the boy got what he needed to survive while at the same time making sure he felt he had no debt to pay would be tricky. "There are quite a few things your firebending will be useful for around the village, drying wood from the forests, regulating smokehouse fires and I'm sure several other things can be thought of. In return for doing these chores and any others you will receive teaching in how to survive and food until you can."

"Are you certain I will not be a burden?" Zuko questioned.

"Another to help is never a burden," Hakoda answered.

After a long moment of silence Zuko nodded and stated, "I will endeavor to do my best."

"Yes I'm sure you will," Hakoda said with a nod. In fact he had no doubt Zuko would try to attain some sort of perfection in whatever task he was given. "Come I'll show you to the smokehouse..." Hakoda said before being cut off by a loud grumble. "That is after we get something for you to eat after all without a full stomach one cannot give a full amount of effort to one's work."

Blinking at the pearl-of-wisdom Zuko stated, "I will remember that," rather uncertainly.

********************

Later when Zuko was shown into the smokehouse by Kanna he found himself in the company of a woman that the previous day had said he was going to be a burden.

"I don't know what the boy can do it's not like he can make fire burn slower," the woman grumbled.

Insulted by the insinuation he had so little control over his element Zuko raised his hand and pushed the nearby smokehouse fire down nearly to the point of stopping.

"It appears that you are wrong," Kanna said with a slight twinkle in her old eyes.

Not even dignifying this with an answer the woman directed Zuko to sit down and raise the fire up enough to generate enough heat and smoke. "Well let's just see how long you can keep this up," the woman finally said.

Zuko's only response was to cross his legs and take up a traditional meditation posture as he began to perform a basic breathing technique. It seemed he was going to get a lot of practice with his breathing exercises that day.

An hour later, the woman finally stopped giving him sidelong glances as if he was suddenly going to burn her.

Then sometime later, she questioned, "So why exactly are you here?"

"Here specifically, I don't know," Zuko responded softly as he maintained his breathing. "I was supposed to end up in the Earth Kingdom from what I remember my uncle saying about currents. However, you're probably more interested in why I was banished in the first place?" Zuko continued to which the woman nodded to as a reply. "A general had a plan of sacrificing new recruits — most probably not even firebenders — against a force of veteran earthbenders, so another more experienced group of firebenders could flank them. I could not sit through the suggestion we would send our own people to such a slaughter and so I spoke out. As the general was one of my father's in speaking out, I unwittingly insulted him and my grandfather. For the insult I was ... punished but I struck back in a panic and for that, I was banished."

Hearing all of this the woman shook her head and muttered, "You were just doing as any good chief would do and your own father," before shaking her head. "Monsters they're just monsters."

Remembering his punishment Zuko nodded as a few tears escaped his eyes.

********************

Later that day Sokka found himself sitting next to Zuko as they both waited for a fish to bite the line.

"So," Sokka questioned without looking away from his fishing line. "What kinds of things did you do back home?"

"Bending practice, studies, etiquette lessons, sit through boring political prater, and watch my back to make sure my sister or somebody else didn't slit my throat," Zuko answered without looking away from his line.

"You ARE joking about that last part right?" Sokka questioned with a slight twitch.

After a long moment of thought Zuko finally said, "I'm not really sure about everyone else but I'm almost sure my sister was out to get me."

"Ok," Sokka said with a forced smile. "So, how do you like the south pole?"

"It's the coldest place I've ever been in my life, I've got no idea how to survive yet, and no one really trusts me," Zuko answered before shrugging and adding, "It's paradise compared to the palace," completely missing Sokka's jaw dropping in surprise. "There no one ever gave you a straight answer or told the truth as a matter of course and all the servants waiting your hand and foot really does get old after a while."

"There has to be something you miss?" Sokka questioned.

"My mom and Mai," Zuko answered.

"Who's Mai?" Sokka questioned.

"My fiancée," Zuko responded. "Well at least until I get banished, I'm not so sure now," the young prince mused completely missing Sokka's eyes bulging. "Anyhow what exactly do we do with the fish once we finish here?" Zuko questioned as she motioned to a neat pile of fish by him.

Fuming slightly at his own lack of fish Sokka began to explain.

********************

Later that day a little bit before twilight found Sokka watching Zuko walk out of the village. He and his dad had taught Zuko everything he needed to know about fishing, from catching the fish to cooking it over a campfire after it had been prepared.

"I don't think it's fair," Sokka heard his sister complain as she walked up beside him. "He's all alone and sad."

Sokka's response was a nod before he smirked. "Well then I say we make it our mission to; Cheer up that grumpy Prince."

Katara's answer to this was a smile.

********************

That night found Zuko curled up with a full stomach absently musing on his journey across the ocean. It was a long and lonesome journey and he had learned a few things from it. Amongst those things were how to be calm and to conserve action in every form. He liked being calm since it gave him great control —especially over his fire— and in learning how to conserve action he'd also learned how to maximize what he did when he acted. Surprisingly these things were already serving him well in making a new home for himself.

********************

If there was one thing Zuko had learned quickly, it was that the South Pole was cold. Unbelievingly so to a boy raised in the tropics whose home was situated in the caldera of a dormant volcano. Even with all blankets and furs piled around him, he was still cold.

An unknown amount of time later, Zuko musings — and cursings— on just how cold it was were interrupted when the Chief's son Sokka poked his head into his igloo.

"Hello," Sokka said cheerfully.

"Hello," Zuko said slowly as he wondered what brought Sokka out of the village in such horrible weather. Then again, Zuko mused for the young tribal prince below freezing temperatures and driving dry winds were probably normal.

"So how're you doing?" Sokka queried as he entered without invitation.

"Cold," Zuko responded simply absently enjoining the fact he didn't have to mind his manners with Sokka.

"How?" Sokka questioned disbelievingly as he looked at the veritable mountain of furs and blankets Zuko was huddled under. "Especially since you weren't that cold yesterday," Sokka added with a musing tone as he sat down near the fire pit in the middle of the room.

"I was using my breath of fire to keep warm yesterday," Zuko answered flatly. "...but I can't keep using it constantly without wearing myself out."

"Oh," Sokka responded with a nod. That actually made sense. Well as much as anything ever made sense with bending.

"Exactly how do you stand the weather around here?" Zuko questioned.

Shrugging Sokka responded, "I've never known any other kind of weather," before curiously tapping his chin and asking, "You know I always wondered why exactly Fire Nation doesn't tan. I mean your great spirit is Agni and he's always shown with the great tan; even better then La and Tui."

"It's not that we don't tan —we do even deeper then water tribe does— it's just difficult for us to do so," Zuko answered.

"Difficult?"

"A tan is sort of like a burn but we —firebender or not— don't burn that easily," Zuko answered with a shrug. "Although once we do get a tan it's easy to keep."

"Hmm, really," Sokka said with a smirk.

********************

Later that day Hakoda, who was standing on the ice wall around the village, looked at Bato who only shrugged before they turned their attention back to what they were seeing.

Zuko apparently having been robbed of all of his clothing but his underwear was chasing Sokka as he cursed with great fervor.

"You know," Bato commented lazily. "It's almost a shame the Zuko's too cold right now to crisp Sokka because he really has it coming."

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that, I have a feeling Zuko will get back at him," Hakoda answered as he nodded his head. His son really WAS asking for it and far be it from him to prevent his son from learning a valuable lesson about playing with fire. "It's still strange though."

"What, them trying to kill each other?" Bato joked morbidly.

"No, the fact they remind me of us when we were that age," Hakoda answered.

"Hmm, that probably means all of this relates in some way to a brilliant plan Sokka came up with," Bato said with a smirk as he remembered some of Hakoda's brilliant plans.

********************

Kya really and truly wanted to scream, both in frustration and laughter. The reason for this was simple as she looked over at her son and Zuko. Her son looked like a cooked crab, which wasn't all that surprising considering Zuko had managed to vaporize a large bank of snow under him. On the other hand, Zuko wasn't much better as he was sporting the beginnings of what promised to be one nasty sunburn. In addition, he was horribly chilled by running around without proper clothing.

Unbelievably to Katara but not to Kya who had seen frighteningly similar behavior between Hakoda and Bato both boys were actually happy.

'It seems that boys will be boys no matter where they're from,' Kya thought as she shook her head while still wanting to scream.

Katara on the other hand was not so restrained.

********************

The next morning, Sokka found Zuko laying on the ground looking up at the sky.

"Is there any particular reason why you're staring off into nothing?" Sokka questioned.

"I can't help but worry about the lack of sun," Zuko answered.

"The whole bending thing doesn't make sense to me but I guess I can give making a plan a try," Sokka declared.

"It does make sense," Zuko insisted. "A bender gathers chi from their element and then adds their own chi to bend it."

"Hmm, so it's all about energy," Sokka mused as he thought on the four elements and what kind of power they held. "Well energy can be stored. A river can be dammed, rocks held against gravity, Air pushed into a small container, and you burn stuff to get fire."

"Chi isn't energy."

"Of course it is," Sokka responded. "Just because something's all mystical and magical doesn't mean it's not energy. After all you still do work with it."

"You do have a point," Zuko stated after a long moment of thought.

"Of course I do," Sokka said with a smirk. "...and since chi is energy there's got to be a way to store it."

"A reasonable idea, but how could it be done?" Zuko mused before the two boys started bouncing ideas off of each other. Sometime later, when Katara arrived she added her own ideas and by nightfall, the idea of mentally envisioning elemental chi stored in the same way as the physical elements were was decided to be the best idea.

It would be days later after much meditation on both Katara and Zuko's parts that the idea yielded terrific results. So terrific in fact that Katara felt like she had the full moon above her even during the middle of the day. Zuko on the other hand felt like he had the noonday sun shining down on him even at midnight.

This level of power was worrisome to Kya whom had the foresight to realize that as the two stored more and more chi they would most likely become exceptionally powerful compared to benders who did not store chi. Furthermore, she suspected that not even an event that blocked the open flow of a certain elemental chi —such as an eclipse— would block their bending as they were now storing elemental chi inside themselves.

********************

"I know how to swim," Zuko declared flatly as he looked over at Katara, Sokka and Kya.

"Good then we won't have to teach you the basics," Sokka said with a wide smile Zuko last saw moments before Sokka implemented his last brilliant plan.

"Why are you here as well today?" Zuko questioned of Kya and Katara.

"Well you DO need to know how to swim around here," Katara said sheepishly as she noticed that Zuko was already recovering from his sunburn.

"Around here?" Zuko questioned somewhere between disbelief and worry.

"Yep and diving as well," Sokka responded with a smile in instant before Zuko grabbed him by his collar with a single deft motion.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Zuko questioned as he glared at Sokka as if it were completely insane.

"I brought my mom along didn't I?" Sokka responded in turn leaving the banished prince to look at the water tribe healer with a pleading look as if to say save me.

Shrugging Kya said, "As crazy as it may sound swimming and diving in extremely cold water are necessary parts of survival around here."

"This is going to be bitter work isn't it?" Zuko questioned rhetorically as he noticed the large bag Kya was carrying.

********************

********************

Later found a number of villagers watching a very determined young man sitting stock still as Sokka threw buckets of icy cold ocean water over him.

"He's doing remarkably well for Fire Nation especially since he's not using his bending," one villager commented as Kya gave a signal to begin the next round of ice diving.

"It is a most respectable showing," a warrior commented.

"Exactly how long have they been at this?" a third questioned.

"Every day for the past week," the first villager responded. "I doubt the cold affects him anymore."

"...and that tan he's got now," the third villager added. "If it weren't for those golden amber eyes I'd never suspect he was fire nation anymore."

********************

"Well I think that's enough for today," Kya said as Zuko hauled himself out of the water. "You can use your bending to warm yourself up now."

"Thank you Sifu Kya," Zuko said respectfully after he had summoned his breath of fire to take the chill out of his blood. Surprisingly it didn't take much to do so anymore. In fact, Zuko suspected that in another few days he wouldn't even have to bother with using his breath of fire to warm back up; a normal fire would suffice.

"It's no trouble at all," Kya said as she checked Zuko over for any ill effects.

********************

A few nights later in the roundhouse found everyone gathered to tell stories and share a great meal in celebration of Zuko finishing his ice diving and swimming training. The story Zuko had requested was something he quickly regretted but all the same, he'd just been told by Kanna the village shaman and mother of the chief why exactly there was a Fire Nation ship near his igloo.

"Has anyone ventured into the ship to disarm the traps?" Zuko questioned a few moments after the story had concluded. His face contorted by a mixture of conflicting emotions; none of them good.

"No it is forbidden for any in the village to go," Kanna responded sternly. "Those traps are dangerous after all."

"I will disarm them myself then," Zuko said before he got up. "The fire nation made this mess and banished or not I have bare responsibility for it," Zuko added before strolling out of the roundhouse his eyes clearly communicating what he was going to do.

The gathered villagers and warriors responded to this by simply watching him go as their respect for him grew quite a bit.

A week later Zuko came back to the village carrying the ship's chronometer and announced he had disarmed every trap he could find and that by the laws of war the ship and everything in it were now owned by the water tribe.

********************

As Katara and her mother arrived at Zuko's igloo early one morning they found the young Prince sitting in front of a campfire that he was lazily bending in intricate patterns around a fish to achieve what he called the flame broiling.

In the two months since Zuko had arrived, he'd expanded his small tomblike igloo by adding two other rooms and a basement carved out of the permafrost. The first room was a round living room with a fire pit. The second room was a storage room as was the basement.

Zuko's appearance had also changed. His burn and faded into a scar that made it look as if he was permanently scowling. Zuko's clothing had also changed, he now wore what could've been mistaken for normal water tribe clothing if it weren't for the fact Zuko's clothing and parka had been dyed red instead of the traditional ocean blue.

He was also much less dour than when he had first come. Although to see that, you really had to know Zuko.

"Good morning Sifu Kya, Katara," Zuko said in his usual neutral tone with a bowed head as he noticed the two approaching.

"Good morning, Zuko," Kya responded in turn as she sat down by the fire and its master.

Zuko was such a dramatic contrast to all of the firebenders she had ever seen or known of. The Prince lived and breathed in tune with his element in such a way it reminded her of a heartbeat: steady, rhythmic, living. On the other hand, the other firebenders she had known of and seen were always angry, raging people. Not that Zuko lacked a fiery temper of his own. No, it was just more rarely seen.

Still, she much preferred the young fiery Prince to his people and hoped that one day he could return to his homeland and change it for the better.

"So what brings you here today?" Zuko questioned as he gingerly ate his breakfast.

"This!" Katara exclaimed excitedly as she showed Zuko in old drawing of Agni, Tui, and the world.

Blinking at this since he had seen such illustrations before Zuko motioned Katara to continue.

"I had an idea when I saw it this morning after looking at that mirror you made from that old piece of metal," Katara rambled. "Agni makes light," Katara said with a smirk knowing that he knew this. "...but Tui doesn't," she added as her smirk grew into a smile.

Blinking at this Zuko slowly nodded and looked over the picture again before realizing the same thing Katara had that morning. "The sun's light is reflected from the moon," Zuko finally said with a small smirk as he wondered why no other firebenders had ever realized this simple fact.

"So you should be able to get all the sunlight you need from the moon," Katara said with a mischievous smirk.

"I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be able to; firebenders have used mirrors for years to direct sunlight," Zuko responded with a nod.

Kya's silent response to this was a gentle smile. However, at the back of her mind she worried, Agni's light may have been reflected by Tui but as someone that had spent all her life around water and ice she knew reflections could do strange things to light.

"Zuko if you're going to try this I want to watch you as you do it. Drawing one element through its opposite may have unforeseen consequences," Kya voiced snapping Zuko out of his thoughts.

After a long moment of consideration, Zuko nodded.

"How bout we try tonight under the full moon," Katara said excitedly.

"A sound idea, please come to the village tonight," Kya responded before she and Katara got up and left leaving Zuko to meditate.

********************

That night when Zuko came to the walls of the village he found Sokka already waiting for him and after a look passed between the two, they started off for their destination in the village.

The village of course had gotten wind of what was going to happen that night. It was a little hard not to actually considering Katara's enthusiasm. So, as they watched Zuko pass they wondered what would come of trying to draw upon Agni through Tui. More importantly, they wondered what would happen if the young Prince actually succeeded. One villager in particular commented that he wondered what he dubbed 'lunar fire' would be like.

********************

As Zuko arrived at the chief's he hut made note of everyone there and what they were doing. Hakoda sat cross-legged as his son sat down next to him. Both were obviously curious, although Sokka was trying not to look so. Katara as expected was practically bouncing up-and-down as she radiated excitement. Kya for her part smirked privately at her children. The last person in the hut however studied Zuko exclusively. That person was Kanna and like everyone else in the village, Zuko respected the aged woman greatly.

"Young Prince, we have time before the moon rises, as such I think a story is in order," Kanna said calmly as she gave Zuko a serving of hardy soup.

As was his normal way Zuko only accepted the soup only after he had given something in return — this night he had brought a large flame broiled fish that was more then large enough to make up for anything he may eat.

"What kind of story Sifu Kanna?" Zuko questioned respectfully drawing a slight frown from Kanna who much preferred being called by her nickname Gran-Gran.

"Hmm, how bout your ocean journey from the Fire Nation?" Hakoda said after a moment of thought.

Literally snorting steam Zuko commented, "It's rather long and boring you know," in his usual grumpy way.

"Come on, there've got to be some interesting parts," Sokka prodded.

"I'm not so sure it's interesting but it was necessary for me to basically relearn firebending on the trip," Zuko said as he stared into the coals of the fire in front of him.

"Relearn firebending?" Kya questioned obviously curious.

"The voyage seemed like it took a month, maybe more," Zuko remembered his voice far too old and serious for his age. "The open unnaturally still ocean, the sun, and moon were my only company and they all bled my emotions dry in the first week. Even with the sun directly overhead, I could hardly bend so much as an ember. Somewhere along the line when I was half-delirious, a vision of someone —a man— I can't quite remember, dragons and a rainbow of fire came to me. It made me remember the sun is the source of all firebending as surely as it is a giver of life and warmth. The next morning I could bend again, yet it was like I was bending for the first time again," Zuko told slowly as his mind drifted back and forth between the past and present.

"A good tale," Kanna put forth breaking the silence that had settled uncomfortably around the room. "...and it sounds as if you were visited by a great spirit."

A quiet nodding of heads was the answer that was given as everyone started to eat silently. No one was sure what to say after a story like that.

Soon enough however, the meal was finished and everyone moved outside were the moon had just risen. Seeing this Zuko found a suitable spot that was in the full light of the full moon and began to meditate. Surprisingly he felt the Chief's entire family sit down next to him. They were rewarded in their own way with a thin twitch of a smile that lasted only a half a second before Zuko fell into a deep meditation looking for the 'heartbeat' of fire in the moon.

This left the water tribe family in silence as they listened to another song of the moon, its push and pull and occasionally the family would speak quietly about their guest.

All in all, they wondered why Zuko had to live apart from the rest of them. He was many things including the Prince of their enemy and a firebender but at the same time he was a kind yet scarred soul that needed a necessity of life one could never hunt for gather for; family.

This singular thought which was confirmed between them all by a silent waving of hands was enough for Hakoda. When the spring came, he'd find a way to make sure Zuko didn't spend another season alone and without a family. Some of the villagers would hate it of course but a boy needed a family.

A moment later when he began to announce this everyone felt a rush of something from Zuko. Instantly all eyes were focused on the young Prince who had a small but visible smirk.

"It's cool like the ocean but I found it nonetheless," Zuko finally said.

"Do you think it will be enough?" Katara questioned to which Zuko nodded silently to before getting up, bowing and leaving. He wouldn't get to his intended destination however as Katara and Sokka were obviously intent on dragging him somewhere else.

This left Hakoda with a small smirk that faded into a contemplative look.

"Is anything wrong love?" Kya questioned.

Waving absently the chieftain of the Southern water tribe jokingly commented, "I thought for a moment his left eye turned blue but it had to be a trick of the light."

The three of course immediately agreed on this. However, at the back of their minds they absently wondered what meaning such an occurrence would have if it was more than a trick of the light.

********************

It was a sight to see for Zuko, a boy that had never been away from the tropics, to see the sun set into a sunset that would last a little over a month or so. So he watched it intently until all that was left was twilight. It was still more than bright enough to see by and there was still enough elemental fire chi to bend by. Still those things didn't matter to him. No what mattered was how wonderful it had been to watch.

"Hey, how you doing?" Sokka questioned glibly as he walked up behind Zuko the snow crunching loudly under his feet as he did so.

A casual shrug was Zuko's answer. As per usual as of late he just was. It was something that the water tribe Prince somehow understood as no one ever had before and it was amicable to Zuko not to have to try to explain just being comfortable with one's existence. Of course, a distant part of Zuko's mind reminded him that before his journey across the ocean he had never felt just comfortable being, but really such a thing wasn't important.

"That's good," Sokka commented as he sat down. "You all ready for winter as far as supplies and stuff?"

A nod was Zuko's response. He figured he was as well prepared as he was going to get as far as supplies went. Still he somehow doubted Sokka had come all the way to his igloo just ask him about supplies.

Sure enough, Sokka finally declared, "I have a plan."

Zuko naturally rose an eyebrow to this statement, after all what was there to plan about.

"We're going to rebuild the village just like it was before the war," Sokka declared with a large smile as he posed against the horizon where the sun had set.

Eyebrows furrowing Zuko wondered how exactly he —as a firebender— factored into rebuilding a city made of ice.

********************

Some hours later found Zuko sitting next to a metal bowl —actually it was part of a fire nation catapult— that he was heating with his firebending so it could boil water. The steam from this water was then used by Katara to create ultra pure ice that was as clear as glass and strong.

Zuko had to admit the plan Sokka had come up with this time really was brilliant. Still it was slow going and after three hours of work, the three had only created 12 feet of ice wall.

Groaning as she stopped waterbending Katara grumbled out, "It's going to take us a season or more at this rate."

"Nothing of true import was built in a built in a day," Kanna put forth as she walked up. The children may have been dodging their regular chores but she could not fault them for wanting to rebuild the village to more than a few igloos and tents.

"Well as much as I'd like to continue, Sokka, we DO have other chores today," Katara said simply as she rubbed her shoulder.

Nodding disappointedly Sokka agreed before the two water tribe siblings walked off. This left the displaced prince alone with Kanna who examined the new section of ice wall with a critical eye as she questioned, "What troubles you young Prince?"

Zuko who hadn't spoken a word that day responded by signing deeply and shamefully saying, "I'm jealous, Sifu Kanna."

Sitting down next to him on a long block of ice Katara had fashioned both for practice and her brother and Zuko to sit on Kanna waited for Zuko to continue.

Sure enough after a long moment Zuko continued, "You have family," his eyes distant and sad. "I only had my mother."

"Was it that bad?"

"That day he proclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear, 'You are a worthless soulless animal not fit to be called human.' right before..." Zuko said in tears before turning to face Kanna. "Of everyone watching —including my sister— only my mother and uncle showed concern. The rest laughed and cheered.

Kanna's answer to this statement was to wrap her arms around Zuko and offer as much comfort as she could to the young prince who was more scarred in heart then body.

********************

Later, at Kanna's insistence, Zuko was found having dinner with the chief and his family. The current topic of discussion between the children was tunnels.

"You know I bet between the three of us we could create an ice tunnel all the way to Zuko's igloo," Sokka said as his eyes became mischievous.

"An interesting idea, but why would you want to do that," Zuko responded.

"Easy if we had tunnels to go everywhere we could get to each other even in the middle of a blizzard," Katara commented as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh," Zuko said in response before they started hashing out the idea.

Watching this from nearby the adults of the family simply smiled.

********************

The twilight had finally abated causing temperatures to start plummeting. However, some two weeks after that found Zuko with a cold.

"I'm really glad we got this tunnel done," Zuko commented to himself as he walked along the length of the ice tunnel he, Katara and Sokka had made. After all, he was already sick, no sense in compounding it by being out in the dead of winter.

Sometime later Zuko finally reached the end of the tunnel, which came out near the chief's igloo. Groaning mentally as he was chilled by the weather outside of the tunnel Zuko quickly decided that the chief's igloo was a better place to go first then the healer's igloo, which was on the other side of the village.

This decision was a good thing as soon as he got into igloo he collapsed before he could even properly announce his presence.

However, such things were not on the minds of the igloo's current occupants: Bato and Hakoda.

"Zuko, Zuko," Bato called out as he reached and shook Zuko first.

"Sorry to be a bother but I appear to have caught a cold," Zuko said in response as his eyes refused to focus.

"By La, you're burning up!" Bato said as he shook his hand after placing it on Zuko's forehead. "Literally!"

"I'm getting Kya now," Hakoda declared even as he grabbed his parka and left the igloo even as Bato used his basic first aid knowledge to do what he could for Zuko.

A short time later Kya rushed into the igloo and began her own examination.

"Zuko, can you tell me what you have?" Kya questioned seriously, as she examined Zuko's Chi.

"Fire fever I think," Zuko muttered half deliriously. "Thought it was too cold down here for it, guess not."

Biting her lip nervously as she had never encountered such a disease Kya questioned, "Do you know the treatment."

Chuckling and then coughing Zuko managed to say, "A healer, bed rest, food and above all else keep cool and away from any other firebenders; after all only firebenders get fire fever," before his breathing became labored for a few moments.

"How serious of a disease is it?" Bato questioned even as he started getting Zuko out of his heavy parka.

"Oh I don't know," Zuko pondered through his fever addled mind. "Most young firebenders get it every year or so though," the feverish Prince finally provided before sleep finally claimed him.

********************

When Zuko next awoke, he found Hakoda looking over him. "How are you feeling?" Hakoda questioned kindly as he favored Zuko with a fatherly look.

"A little bit better," Zuko mumbled dizzily. "I think," he added after a moment of consideration. "How long have I been out?"

Looking over at the chronometer Zuko had salvaged Hakoda said, "About three hours now," before turning his attention back to Zuko. "...and now that your awake it's me and Bato's job to keep you cool," Hakoda said as he held up a ladle full of water that was no doubt ice cold. "Of course this is going keep you quite awake as well," the chief added with a smirk that Zuko more commonly associated with Sokka.

"Wonderful," Zuko muttered somewhere between sarcasm and relief a moment before he was doused water. "So why only you and Bato?" Zuko questioned after recovering from the water.

"Kya's worried that your fire fever may be a variation of the bender flu," Bato put forth as he entered and sat down. "So it's best if only adults take care of you."

"What about Sokka, he's not a bender?"

Shrugging Hakoda said, "He might be a late bloomer as far as bending is concerned. After all it's been known that bending can show up as late as 20 years old," as he mused on the miniscule amount of bending talent he had. He could, if he really tried, levitate a small amount of water. Kya despite her exceptional healing abilities was only marginally better at moving water and could levitate about a gallons worth. However, she couldn't put any significant force behind it before losing control. So while in the strictest technical sense both he and his wife were waterbenders, in practical terms they weren't; especially compared to Katara, who even without any formal training was already very strong. In fact, Hakoda had no doubt that at current his daughter was as strong as five normal waterbenders.

"You do have a point," Zuko mumbled breaking the chief out of his thoughts and back to the sick boy in front of him. A boy that was already exceptionally strong in more ways then bending.

********************

It was the eve of the solstice and Kya was worried. By an astronomical coincidence, the moon was not going to rise on the solstice. It would be total darkness and more then a few of the villagers were worried this was an ill omen or a great trial. Not unto themselves but onto their Princely neighbor who needed the light of the sun even if it was reflected by the moon.

Kya couldn't help but agree. Zuko had been brought to them on unnaturally calm seas from a part of the world that the currents should not have been able to carry him from. In that time, he had had nothing but the moon and the sun above him and now in the dead of the polar night on the eve of the solstice the sun and the moon had turned their backs on him. Even to the most jaded in the community, it stunk of a spirit trial.

Looking up at the young Prince's form that despite its proximity to a huge bonfire was still freezing, Kya only hope he could pull through the instant of the solstice.

She also wondered what the spirits would do in that instant.

"How's the boy doing?" Bato questioned as he strode up.

"His temperature at least has stabilized but it's still as if he's been dumped in the ocean without a shred of clothing," Kya said calmly as she stoked the fire nearby.

"...and what of this aura of frigidness?" Bato questioned as he looked at the bonfire not 3 feet away from him that he couldn't feel any but the barest amount of heat from. "It's not natural for a FIREbender to be making cold let alone enough of it to freeze things."

"I fear it may be the light of the moon that has caused this," Kya said after a long moment of thought as she watched the villagers mulling around, occasionally walking near the bonfire, looking up at it, and who was at its center curiously. "When Zuko found the lunar fire as we call it he called it cool."

Nodding Bato saw where his old friend was going, "If this aura gets any colder I daresay it will burn cold. So, do you think he will survive the solstice?"

"Despite how cold he is his chi flows as strong and indeed as with as much fire as it always has. So yes I believe he will weather the solstice," Kya answered truthfully. "However, I am more worried what the spirits have planned for him in that moment of total darkness. This state he is in, is not natural," Kya said as she remembered how she and Sokka had found Zuko that morning already comatose.

A day earlier, he'd been fine with no indication that he was in any danger.

"Yeah something's going to happen tonight even you're skeptical son feels it, although he won't admit it," Bato said with a smirk.

"How much longer?"

"According to that fancy Fire Nation clock," Bato said with a smirk as he remembered the Zuko dragging the device into the village shortly after he had finished disarming all of the traps on the ice locked Fire Nation ship. "Another five minutes or so," the water tribe warrior finished as he looked around. The solstice festival had ended hours earlier, yet no one had gone to sleep. He couldn't blame them, who could sleep when something was so obviously going to happen at the exact moment of the solstice.

Four minutes later, it started with an arc of lightning. Quickly Kya and Bato ran away from the bonfire and Zuko as more lightning started to arc away from the Prince and into the bonfires before finally traveling upward into the sky.

Then the solstice came and with it the Aurora.

A moment later, the bonfires and Zuko were swallowed by lightning that arced up and down from the Aurora before it vanished. An instant later before anyone had any time to recover from the brilliant light their ancestors had unleashed the entire village was seemingly immolated by unnatural ocean blue flame.

However, as the flash of fire died down everyone found they were fine even if their clothing was still burning with the ocean blue fire. As the Water Tribe put out the small fires on them more than a few vocally noted the fire was 'cold'. In fact, the small flames were no warmer than the warmest summer day. The larger ocean blue fires conversely were as frigid as a blizzard.

In trying to put out those large ocean blue fires the people of the water tribe also found out about it's most unusual property. This cold fire could burn water.

Specifically it was Sokka that found this fact first after he had dumped a bucket of water on one of the larger blazes.

"OK THAT'S IT ZUKO'S GONE FROM WEIRD TO SERIOUSLY FREAKISH!" Sokka complained after he had put out his flaming hair.

This loud statement had the unintentional side effect of bringing everyone's attention back to the center of the village...

... and the desolation there.

It was truly an incredible sight to see, the bonfire that had raged there only minutes before had been tousled and incredibly frozen still golden flames sat in the burning snow.

Chief Hakoda of course was the first to spring into action and he darted deftly around the large cold fires and threw himself through smaller ones, the great timbers they had been burning in the bonfire shattering like ice underneath his feet.

None of the villagers had much hope. After all who could survive such an occurrence; Lightning, the force of the Aurora bearing down on them and unusual fires so cold they caused strongest timbers to become brittle as thin ice.

Moments later, however the chief emerged carrying the boy and shouted, "He's alive!"

********************

As Zuko awoke in terrible pain, he knew he was still alive. After all, the dead don't have to put up with body numbing pain. His uncle had told him so and his uncle had visited the spirit world.

Cracking one eye open Zuko noticed he was in the healer's igloo.

"Ahh your awake," Kya said with a smile as she sat down by Zuko.

"What happened?" Zuko questioned as he stubbornly sat up his muscles feeling like they were half frozen in stiffness.

"The Aurora opened up onto you on the solstice," Kya answered bluntly.

"The celestial lights!" Zuko exclaimed his eyes wide and terrified.

"Is that what you call it," Kya noted more than questioned. "Why?"

"It is made of so much lightning that just hangs in the air and parts the way to the spirit world," Zuko responded.

"I see, that does explain a great many things," Kya said with a nod thinking of both the occurrences of the solstice and the Aurora in general.

"What happened after that?" Zuko questioned.

"This," Kya answered as she held up a bowl of water in which was burning the ocean blue flame. "Washed over the village as wall flame."

Hearing this Zuko's eyes widened as a horrified expression settled on his face. This expression however twisted even more when Kya put her hand into the flame.

"It burns cold and uses water for a fuel," the water tribe healer explained. "A few minor cases of chilblains and some frostbite for those that got overzealous in putting out the larger fires but no serious injuries."

"Frostbite from a fire?" Zuko questioned disbelievingly.

Shrugging Kya nodded, "The larger this 'lunar fire' gets the colder. So much so, that the larger ones are being called blizzard blazes."

"How?"

"Remember when I said there might be unforeseen consequences," Kya said as she put the bowl aside and retrieved a mirror, which she pointed at Zuko. "I believe this and the lunar fire are those consequences."

Zuko's only response to this was to nod distantly as he stared at his left eye.

It was no longer a golden amber but a rich sapphire blue that was rare even amongst the people of the water tribe. In fact, he had heard this particular shade of blue was called ocean blue and was usually a sign a powerful waterbender.

In fact, the only people Zuko knew of in the water tribe with this particular shade of eyes were the chief and his family.

"Zuko bend the lunar fire," Kya ordered snapping Zuko out of his daze.

He did so with as much ease as any other fire.

********************

Later after managing to get up and walk around much to Kya disapproval Zuko was able to stiffly limp out of the healer's tent. As he looked around the center circle of the village Zuko was surprised to see everything seemed normal. Perhaps lunar fire didn't scorch and ruin like normal fire either, or considering how easy it was to make an igloo the water tribe had probably already replaced the scorched blocks of ice.

"Hey Zuko!!" Sokka called out from the other side of the center circle of the village moments before he and Katara ran over to Zuko who was leaning heavily on the side of the wall of the healer's igloo. "How're feeling?"

"Like I got hit with the Aurora," Zuko responded bluntly, as he gave Sokka a glare without turning left side of his face towards Sokka.

The only response the water tribe boy gave was a slightly nervous laugh as he questioned, "That bad?"

"Yes," Zuko grumbled.

"So?" Katara questioned as she tried to get a look at the other side of Zuko's face.

Closing his eyes and turning away Zuko stated, "I assume everyone in the village already knows."

Snorting Sokka bluntly stated, "Of course."

Leading out a steamy grumbling snort Zuko turned to face the two siblings and opened his eyes.

"WOW!" Sokka commented as he took a close look at Zuko's left eye. "I didn't expect it to be THAT blue. I mean, no offense, but there's a lot of water tribe that don't have eyes that blue."

An especially stormy glare was Zuko's response. Sokka as usual was unaffected.

"Maybe this is Agni's way of telling you something," Katara suggested earning looks of disbelief from both her brother and Zuko. "Think about it, Zuko is probably the first firebender ever to create lunar fire and it's known that the spirits did things to the first benders."

This left both boys to open their mouths to object only to cut themselves off and shrug. Katara as usual had a point.

"I'm going home," Zuko muttered to himself a moment later before limping off not at all surprised when Sokka and Katara followed having one of their usual arguments; this time on different members of their family.

However, about halfway to his igloo Sokka's stupidity reached new heights as he asked Zuko about his family.

Turning around Zuko gave Sokka a blank look, a sign that he was really and truly furious. "My father did this to me," Zuko said as he pointed to his scar. "...and my sister is an insane homicidal maniac and prodigy firebender exceeded only by my father."

"Oh," Sokka said with a gulp before stupidity reared its ugly head again. "So what's your mom like?"

Closing his eyes as tears started to flow, "She and my uncle put me on a boat and prayed to the spirits that I would be taken somewhere safe. I hope they're still alive..."

Hearing this, the two water tribe siblings wrapped her arms around Zuko as they continued the trip to his home silently.

********************

As the polar night faded and the sun rose the thoughts of the children turned to ... bending practice. Or, in Sokka's case martial arts practice. This was in large part facilitated by the case of scrolls Zuko had with him when he arrived. The case itself was something mystical as it was apparently larger on the inside than the out; this allowed it to contain a huge library of scrolls.

Apparently, unlike Hakoda had thought it had been a gift from the spirit in Zuko's vision who had said it was fit for the avatar.

At the moment however, it was doing a fine job of giving three young children the information they needed to train themselves all while under the watchful eye of the water tribe warrior Bato who was tending a small fire next to Zuko's home.

Said warrior had only one thought about the three of them and that was they were all prodigies. He'd never imagined some of the things Zuko could do with his normal fire let alone what he was able to do with his lunar fire. Katara for her part was already doing things he KNEW only master waterbenders did with a graceful ease. Also while Sokka couldn't bend he was more then making up for it with his martial arts studies and Bato had no doubt in his mind that in less than a year Sokka would surpass the chief as the best warrior in the village.

A second later, his musings were interrupted by a crack of lightning and the sight of Zuko flying backwards into the water. He'd caught only a glimpse of solar and lunar fire mixing in a new maneuver Zuko was trying but from the surprised and shocked looks on the children's faces it was obvious creating lightning was not the result Zuko was expecting to get. Bato himself was only half-surprised by the lightning after all he'd seen lightning come from Zuko moments before he'd been swallowed by the Aurora.

Walking over to Zuko and hauling him out of the drink Bato questioned, "You ok?"

Looking more num at what he had done then being thrown into the icy cold ocean —quite a feat for a firebender— Zuko nodded before walking over to get a better look at the hole he had wrought in the hull of the Fire Nation ship in the distance.

"Crossing the streams is a bad idea," Zuko finally declared even as Katara quickly bent the water out of his parka. "Well at least until I study some really strong earthbending stances."

This got a laugh from Sokka and Katara. Bato for his part just shook his head. After only a few short months of serious practice not only were Zuko and Katara masters of their own element at the tender ages of 10 and 8 they dabbled and borrowed from the other bending disciplines. The reason for this he heard from Kya was that after reading of a technique Zuko's uncle had come up after studying waterbenders Katara had decided there might be something in firebending maneuvers to let her come up with inventive waterbending maneuvers. The only result thus far was a devastating flood of superheated steam that was as much an attack as a defense. After seeing what the technique had done to a crab, he almost didn't want to see what it could do to a group of armor-clad firebenders ... almost.

********************

Zuko was anxious as was apparent as he looked around the village with a slight twitch to his glare. He'd been asked by Katara to help her and her brother watch the village while the Southern water tribe warriors went out to stop a group of Fire Nation Raiders from attacking the village. It wasn't that he objected to being where he was or even having to take a stand against his own people if they dared attack the village directly. No the reason why he was anxious and slightly twitching was because of Sokka's ramblings as he walked around the guard tower they'd built. Well that and a strange feeling he got that something was wrong.

A moment later Zuko saw exactly what was wrong. A loan firebender —a captain by the looks of his armor— was some 300 yards away from infiltrating the village with a small degree of stealth.

"Not very smart is he," Sokka commented as the enemy leader stood out like a sore thumb against the white background he was traversing.

"No," Zuko commented, as he wondered why the captain hadn't even bothered to bring a spyglass to look up at the guard tower. "I'll take care of this you go make sure everyone's safe."

********************

"Stop right there, captain," Zuko declared as said Fire Nation captain tried to slip into the village by melting a hole through the ice wall. Absently Zuko noted that the man's firebending was pathetically weak. It was most likely because the man had poor breath control and it was obviously related to the fact he was cold.

Looking around the captain was surprised to find a horribly scarred blue-eyed eyed boy stepping out from around one of the pathetic water tribe house's.

"Out of my way boy," the captain declared as he summoned fire to his hand in an attempt to scare the unusually red-garbed water tribe boy who was intent on standing in his way.

"You think a little fire scares me," the boy said before turning to face him completely revealing that the boy's other eye was a golden amber.

An instant later, the captain recognized who he was looking at. Despite his now, blue left eye and tan there was no doubt in his mind he was looking at the exiled Prince Zuko.

"Well, well and here I only thought there was a waterbender here," the captain said with a vicious grin.

Frowning slightly Zuko demanded, "How did you know that?"

"I have my sources, Prince Zuko," the captain said with a cruel smile. "They informed me that was a waterbender here with no training at all. An easy target," he continued with a sneer never noticing the amused look that flitted across Zuko face at the idea of Katara being helpless. With the moon full as it was she'd probably boil the man's blood from the inside out in sheer rage of being called an easy target.

"So you're here to capture the bender," Zuko stated.

"I'm afraid I'm not taking prisoners today," the cruel captain said as he summoned his fire. "...and that includes treacherous banished Princes," he said before shooting out a lance of flame that would have been impressive to a great number of firebenders.

Zuko's only motion was to casually grab the fire with a simple modification of a waterbending stance.

"A coward I see," Zuko declared as the stunned captain backed up a pace. "Leave now and I will spare your life," Zuko added as he added his own fire to the flame he had captured.

The frightened captain's response to this was to look around for anything he could use as leverage against the rogue Prince. An instant later, he found it in a water tribe woman off to his side that was watching the battle. He moved to attack her to distract the Prince.

An instant later, he was swallowed by a second long tempest of lightning that struck out faster than any fire bolt.

When the blackened smoke cleared there wasn't even a body left.

"Are you ok Sifu Kya?" Zuko questioned calmly as he turned his attention away from where the coward had stood.

A simple yes and a nod were her only responses as she tried to wrap her mind around what had just happened. If Zuko hadn't been so quick, she would have ... no that did not bare thinking of.

"Good," the young Prince of the Fire Nation said before he dusted some soot off of his clothing while giving it a disdainful look.

"Are you ok? After you know..." Kya said only to trail off as she tried to come up with the right word to use. "...had to destroy one of your men?" Kya finally settled on. Somehow, kill didn't seem like a significant enough description of what had happened.

Blinking the young Prince said, "He was an honorless coward preying on the weak. Not at all one fit to wear that uniform," before walking off back in the direction of the guard tower.

Holding her hand to her chest Kya collapsed to the ground breathless.

Moments later the other women and children of the village gathered around her while casting looks of awe at Zuko. If there was ever a doubt the young boy was in fact the Prince of the Fire Nation that doubt was now completely and utterly as banished as the Prince himself was.

Furthermore, the Prince carried himself with a regal grace and a merciful hand in battle. He had given the enemy captain a chance to leave of his own accord but when the man cowardly tried to attack Kya, no doubt to trick the Prince into making a foolish move, Zuko had dealt with him in an instant. Moreover, none of the villagers had illusions as to what would have happened if Zuko hadn't obliterated the captain leaving behind nothing; not even the man's armor remained.

********************

About halfway back to the guard tower Zuko was bowled over by Katara who was half-screaming half-crying how thankful she was.

Despite his Princely grumpy demeanor, he blushed at the thanks.

********************

Some hours later after the rest of the raiders had been pushed back Zuko found himself sitting in the roundhouse of the southern water tribe. Currently he was listening to the already Sokka embellished tale of how he had vanquished 5 ... no 10 evil firebenders in one swoop by calling upon Agni's wrath; as his lightning had come to be called in stories."

"Sokka," Zuko broke in with an impatient edge to his voice. "Save the grand embellishments for later."

"Spoiled sport," Sokka grumbled comically before clearing his throat and giving out a much more concise and military report of what had happened.

"Wait you mean he really did obliterate someone?" One of the younger warriors from another one of the southern water tribe villages questioned disbelievingly.

All those present to see the event in question nodded their heads.

Bato who had seen Zuko bending lightning, something the very scrolls of his people said was impossible, added, "Would you expect anything less of the Prince of the Fire Nation?" with a great snort of disdain at the young warrior.

"Those were just rumors there's no way..." the young warrior said before being cut off by the Chief's wife giving him a withering glare.

"I clearly heard the enemy address him as the banished Prince Zuko," Kya said with a cold cutting tone that dared anyone to speak out against her savior. She would not have anyone speak ill of the Prince after what he had done for her and her family that day. "He also was intent on killing Zuko."

"A futile attempt," Sokka put forth; he'd seen stronger firebending from Zuko when he was nearly frozen after learning how to swim in the ocean.

"Son, keep in mind your perceptions of the strength of firebenders are greatly skewed," Hakoda commented before turning to the young warrior that had joined their ranks just that spring. "As for you young warrior you still have much to learn about when to speak."

"Yes chief," the young warrior said before glaring over at Zuko. At least, the young 'Prince' was not sitting in a place of honor next to the chief. In fact, the young warrior observed that he wasn't sitting in any particular place of importance at all. Still he did sit with the Chief's respected children and that was already distasteful enough for him.

"Now that we have multiple accounts let us move on to the issue of what we will do in response to what has happened today."

"I say we give him the Mark of the Trusted," one warrior said.

"That much he's earned," another agreed, to which many added their agreement to, including very begrudgingly the young warrior. To him Zuko could have been a great number of things but the simple fact was he did save the Chief's wife.

"Very well if no one else has..." Hakoda said only to be interrupted by his wife.

"I put forth adoption into the tribe and my family," Kya said shocking everyone including her husband and children unconditionally to say nothing of Zuko whose eyes had become comically wide in surprise. "His actions today insured I will be able to remain with my family for a long time to come. In that action, he not only saved my life but he saved my family. By the ancient ways, I am indebted to him for those actions and although the debt of life is already evened by the tribe saving him, the debt of him saving my family is not. However as he has no family —either through being disowned by one part of his family or more than probably by the death of the family that saved him from certain death— I put forth that by making him my family I will pay my debt to him."

"My daughter-in-law speaks wisely, by the ancient ways debts must be paid and I see no other way for such a great debt to be paid," Kanna interjected wisely after a long moment of stunned silence.

"True enough," Hakoda finally said before turning to his people. "What do the rest of you think?"

Slowly but surely everyone else nodded. It was a great debt to be paid and none of them would have the honor of the water tribe soiled by not paying it.

Even the new warrior who knew next to nothing about Zuko agreed. He'd lost his family to the Fire Nation at an age younger than even the supposed Prince had. Moreover, looking at Zuko's wide dazed eyes at the offer of gaining another family he knew in his bones that despite being Fire Nation himself Zuko had lost his family to his very nation. A crueler thing he couldn't imagine unless he really was the Prince. No, such a cruelty as that couldn't be the truth; surely, even the Fire Lord would not be so cruel of a man to his own son as to burn him and kill his mother for saving their child.

In the coming years, the young warrior would learn how wrong he was about the depths of cruelty the Fire Nation was capable of.

"Well if there are no disagreements from the tribe," Hakoda questioned of his people once again to which they all shook their heads. They had none after what had happened that day. "What about you Zuko? Do you have any objections?"

The young Prince who was still mostly in a daze tried to say something, anything but all that came from his mouth was a dry gasping so he finally settled on shaking his head.

"Very well, Son," Hakoda said with a smile.

********************

That night, Zuko was decidedly uncomfortable as he found himself ushered into the room Katara and Sokka shared.

"You ok?" Kya questioned softly as Sokka and Katara argued over where to put his things.

"Why?" Zuko asked.

"Because everyone deserves a family," Kya said with a smile as she gave the young prince a hug.

"...and despite where you come from Young Prince the southern water tribe is now your family," Kanna said as she walked in holding a red and blue tunic.

Nervously taking it Zuko nodded stiffly.

********************

sometime later that night Hakoda found Zuko sitting outside with a blank expression on his face that no one his age should've had.

"Why?" Zuko questioned in a tone Hakoda knew all too well.

"War," Hakoda responded as he sat down to put his arms around his newfound son who almost immediately started crying.

********************

As time rolled on...

It had all started innocently enough Kya mused to herself. Her three prodigious children had come up with an idea to set a water whip on fire with Zuko's lunar fire and see if Katara could maintain control of it. The idea had worked flawlessly until Sokka challenged them to do something bigger. The results while spectacular were also disastrous and Katara had been burned before running off. This was the reason she was now trudging through the snow alone to a place she knew her daughter would retreat to when angry or hurt.

A few minutes later, when she found her daughter Kya was surprised to find her sitting ankle deep in snow looking at unblemished hands that according to Sokka and Zuko should have been burned.

"What happened?" Kya questioned as she handed Katara pair of mittens.

"I don't know really I heated up some water but it started to glow and... it was just like what you do mom," Katara said distantly before being pulled into a hug.

"So you do have the gift," Kya said with a smile. "I was beginning to wonder if you did and now that I know you do I can teach you everything I know. There may not be a waterbending master for you to learn from but I am a Master of healing."

Smiling radiantly Katara nodded as her mother began to talk about her own special brand of bending.

********************

"I don't know if I should show you this," Kya said as she sipped some tea while looking at the scroll Katara had found. "It was hidden and sealed for a very good reason."

"Why?" Katara questioned.

"Because it is a horrible technique invented by a traitor to our tribe," Kanna said as she entered the healer's igloo and sat down.

"A traitor!" Katara gasped.

"Yes," Kya said with disdain. "She was a waterbender but she had a wicked heart and lied about everything with a frightening and disturbing ease."

"This technique of hers is just as wicked but I thank Tui she was never strong enough to actually perform it," Kanna added as she took the scroll.

"Then how do you know it works?" Katara questioned.

"A matter of simple knowledge really," Kanna said as she broke the seal and unfurled the scroll revealing its contents to Katara for the first time. "The human body is 70% water after all."

"By the Great Spirits!" Katara explained as she quickly read the scroll horrified at what she saw there. "Why, why would anyone ever..."

"She was evil, perhaps even as evil as Fire Lord Sozin," Kanna said sadly. "To invent a technique that only...."

"It could be used for good, I think," Katara said shakily as she desperately tried to come up with an idea. "If somebody was poisoned you could use this technique to remove the poison," Katara finally said as she remembered what her mother had told her about the blood poisoning.

Smiling brightly Kanna gave Katara a hug and said, "You can always find a bright spot even in the darkest places," before handing Katara the scroll. "I will not object to you learning this if you promise only to use it for good or under the most dire circumstance what it was intended for."

"I hope I only have to use it for good," Katara said sincerely.

********************

Zuko, Hakoda mused was actually looking and behaving like happy normal child as he played with his siblings. Considering where he came from and what had happened there that was quite a wonderful feat.

Still for all his happy playing Hakoda noticed that Zuko still tried to maintain a certain amount of distance from water tribe traditions and ceremonies. He'd always state that he didn't want to intrude. Katara and Sokka would have nothing of it of course and gently reminded him that he was water tribe as well now ... as they forcibly dragged him along.

On the other hand, there was no one to help Zuko celebrate Fire Nation traditions. Moreover, despite everything that he had been through Zuko still celebrated those traditions. To this Hakoda silently prayed to the spirits that his adopted son would one day be able to return to his homeland and change it for the better, because he knew in his heart that Zuko had a kind and good heart that was perfect for a leader.

********************

One day in summer, an odd occurrence took place.

A small apparently unarmed Fire Nation ship perhaps half the size of a fishing vessel was sighted by the guards patrolling the ice wall. Even Kanna who was long in the world had not seen such a vessel personally. However, she did remember details of such ships from her grandmother. They were floating houses used in the times before The War by Fire Nation merchants.

Hakoda's response was to tell his warriors to be at the ready but not attack.

An hour later, the ship, which was belching surprisingly clean white steam pulled silently up to a suitable place for weighing anchor. Once the ship had done so a plainly dressed yet somehow still elegant lady stepped off of the ship and started walking towards the ice wall where she stopped and addressed the ranking guard there with a quiet respect even though he was pointing his weapon at her ready to strike. "Good day, noble southern water tribe warrior, might I be allowed to enter your fare village to purchase and trade for supplies."

The ranking guard in question was the same warrior that had objected to Zuko responded to the Fire Nation women's demeanor by blinking a few times and straightening himself out and stating, "That will be for the chief to decide," before he motioned to one of the guards on the ice wall.

"Very well," the woman responded elegantly as she walked to the side of the small trail that led to the village and started to wait.

Unknown to the woman more than a few of the guards on the ice wall were staring at her not because of her beauty but because of her poise and demeanor at entering the village.

Not three minutes later Hakoda strode up and stopped just beyond the gates to the ice wall; a carefully blank look adorning his features.

The elegant Fire Nation Lady responded to this by walking over to him and stating, "When I asked for the chief I did not expect Hakoda the high chieftain of the southern water tribe to be the one to respond," as her hands easily performed the proper sign of greeting.

After rather clumsily responding in turn with the proper Fire Nation sign of greeting Hakoda stated, "You have me at a loss Lady..."

"I am Ursa; the former wife Ozai, banished for high treason against the crown," The Lady responded with a calm yet somehow steal infused tone.

The response the exiled ex-wife of the Fire Lord received was not what she expected. Instantly waves of whispers went through everyone she saw gathered including the guards. Even the high chieftain was not unaffected as was apparent when his eyes widened greatly.

She did not catch much from the whispers but there were two words that told her enough: Zuko and mother.

As the din of noise died down at her startled mortified look Ursa took a deep steadying breath and questioned, "You know of my son Zuko?"

The high chieftain's only response was to point behind her. An instant later, she had turned around and found her looking into the eyes of her son.

"Zuko," she breathed joyously as she fainted.

********************

"Humph," Ursa groaned as she regained consciousness to find herself looking at a beautiful Southern Water Tribe women that was in turn looking over her. Distantly she noted that whomever had managed to put that choker on her was a very lucky man. "Might I inquire as to who you are?" Ursa questioned politely even through her faint state.

"Kya, Water tribe healer," the woman answered as she helped Ursa to sit up. "...and I am Zuko's mother."

Ursa's response to this was to go through several emotions very quickly as she exchanged a steely glare with the water tribe women. A moment later, she nodded as she saw reflected in the woman's eyes what she had seen in her own eyes many times before. The questions of how and why would come later when more appropriate.

"So where is our boy?" Ursa finally said as she accepted a cup of tea from her newfound water tribe ... sister.

As if on that cue, ranting was heard outside.

"Being forcefully restrained by his siblings, as it seems he's gone temporarily insane with worry," Kya answered with a smirk that gave a clear communication.

After smiling rather mischievously, Ursa cleared her throat and loudly declared in a tone that brokered no argument or disobedience, "ZUKO."

The silence that followed was broken only by a stiff Antarctic wind and a tense moment after the wind died down Zuko walked into the healer's igloo looking quite red and made an apology for his actions.

Ursa who was about to address her son was cut off by a young water tribe boy laughing. With lightning-like precision her gaze snapped to the boy who froze, "You there, are you Zuko's brother here?"

Not daring to speak the boy nodded rather woodenly as Ursa looked him over thoroughly determining from his parka that he was the high chieftain's son.

"Laughing at the misfortune of others is poor form, even poorer when it is your own brother, to say nothing of the fact you are the high chieftain's son and as such should be setting an example of dignified action that befits your station. A station that would be in the Fire Nation; Prince," Ursa declared as she stood and strode over to the boy towering over him with a presence not unlike a great polar bear. "If you were my Zuko your punishment would be swift and meaningful for soiling your position so disgracefully," Ursa continued before turning to the young lady next to the now slightly cowering boy and questioning, "Young lady what punishment would you suggest for such poor form?"

Containing her laughter and mirth to answer with good form the young lady in question responded with, "Laundry duty so he may clean what he has soiled, and sewing duty so he learns how to mend the same."

"An interesting but still apt punishment to restore the grace of his position in the village," Ursa said before adding to Zuko, "Come, Son, we have much to catch up on," and leaving.

This left Sokka to breathe out a sigh of relief before turning to his mother as she passed.

"Laundry duty starts in five minutes," Kya said simply as she passed and left with Katara.

Now all alone and twitching slightly Sokka had an aberrant thought about now knowing where Zuko got his discipline and manners from.

********************

After much, much ... much very hard work Sokka dragged himself home only to collapse feet away from his destination. After a long few moments, he was hauled up by his shoulders by his father and Bato.

"Come on Son," Hakoda declared in obvious sympathy.

"You sound like you know what this feels like," Sokka said weakly. He'd never imagined how tiring laundry duty was or how much sewing duty could hurt.

Giving his son a few hard pats on the back Hakoda said, "Let's just say Gran-Gran is another bear that isn't to be trifled with."

"Oh," was the only reply given or needed to such a declaration of fact. "You know as much as I'm glad to see that Zuko got his mom back I can't help but feel a little sorry for him," Sokka added as he leaned heavily on his father wherever he was going.

The only reply Hakoda and Bato gave was a nod.

********************

Elsewhere in the village, Katara was found smiling brightly at the sight of Ursa and Zuko leaning against each other while they talked in quiet tones, warm smiles adorning both of their faces.

********************

"Let me look at you," Ursa said suddenly as she held Zuko at arms length. A moment later however, she blinked and questioned, "What happened to your eye?" as she noticed Zuko's left eye was now a piercing sapphire blue.

"It's a long story," Zuko said before he started to tell the tale.

When he finished Ursa quietly tapped her chin in thought before nodding and saying, "I do believe Katara was correct when she suggested Agni has something to do with this."

"Why?"

"It has to do with an ancient mural of Agni. I've never actually seen the whole thing but from the scroll copy of the first part of the mural I do remember that Agni was depicted with eyes that are exactly like yours are now."

"I wonder what it means," Zuko mumbled sleepily.

********************

"I still don't see why I can't go along with them," Katara complained to Ursa as she sat in the banished Fire Nation noble's floating home.

Smiling at the spitfire of a girl, she had come to see as her own daughter in the past two months Ursa replied, "You must understand that men need their time together just as we women do."

"Why can't they just say that then," Katara said with a glare that rivaled one of Zuko's own.

"Because they are not in touch with their own needs and feelings they are inarticulate about speaking of them," Ursa replied with a smile as she sipped her tea.

"I guess..." Katara relented as she fidgeted with her choker.

"Might I ask who the lucky boy is?" Ursa questioned.

"Boy?" Katara questioned before her eyes widened slightly and she said, "It's not from a boy my mother gave this to me like Gran-Gran gave it to her."

"Ahh," Ursa said with a nod before her thoughts became distant. "You know its something of a hobby of mine; making jewelry."

"Ahh really!!??" Katara said excitedly before quickly adding, "You know the old Fire Navy ship has lots of kinds of different kinds of metal. I'm sure we can find something to use there," and eagerly starting to drag Ursa off.

Ursa's response to this was to smile obligingly to being dragged off, even though she had more than enough material already. After all, it was the water tribe way to gather what you need and then use it.

********************

Sometime later after searching through the abandoned ship for what they needed Ursa and Katara sat down just inside one of the large holes in the side of the ship.

"So what now?" Katara questioned excitedly.

"I work the metal with my fire," Ursa said before placing scraps of silver into a crucible which she then heated by creating a dazzling hot sky blue flame.

"Wow I've never seen fire so hot," Katara explained.

"Fire of this kind is difficult to make and even more so with fine control," Ursa explained as she finished heating the crucible to such a degree the metal within became liquid and fluid.

"Liquid metal," Katara breathed in awe. She'd never dreamed such a thing was possible yet here it was being poured out into a sheet and then cooled by the chill air.

"Most anything can become liquid," Ursa said calmly as she used an extremely tight pinprick of sky blue fire to cut the sheet of silver after it had cooled enough.

"Amazing," Katara said as she shook her head. "I only ever thought water could do that."

Chuckling brightly Ursa said, "Before I found my son again I never thought fire could freeze either."

Giggling in response Katara nodded before a thought struck her and she started meditating.

Seeing this Ursa raised an eyebrow slightly before returning to her work. She was making a simple silver choker through which Katara could thread the ribbon of the one she already had through. Into the silver choker, she would set two rare and beautiful golden-red padparadscha. Stones that had belonged to her mother and as she thought of Katara as her daughter now Ursa was more than happy to give them to her.

Some hours later Ursa finished the fire etching of the choker just as Katara blinked and opened her eyes. Absently she wondered what the girl had been meditating on but pushed the thought aside as she presented her finished work to Katara.

"Its absolutely beautiful," Katara breathed as she held it up to the light.

"Go on put it on," Ursa encouraged to which Katara eagerly agreed to.

"So what are these stones? I've never seen anything like them."

"There are natural padparadscha a very rare form of sapphire found only in the Fire Nation; they were a gift from my mother," Ursa explained calmly before quickly cutting Katara off with a shake of her head. "As you have become Zuko's sister in his heart you have become my daughter same respect."

"Thank you ... mother," Katara said with a shy blush.

"Now tell me what push and pull exactly you have been meditating on, especially as it is the new moon," Ursa stated with a curious gleam in her golden amber eyes.

"It's incredible I found that the sun..." Katara began only to be cut off by the screams of warriors.

An instant later, a Fire Nation mercenary appeared projecting a huge gout of flames.

In the next instant Ursa had placed herself in front of Katara to take the full brunt of the blast. A blast powerful enough to knock Ursa back at least 10 feet.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Katara screamed as she instinctively reached for the push and pull around her while sweeping her arm around at the soldier.

As the push and pull around her answered, everything that was like ice became like water as a searing pain shot through her left hand. Then a moment later, Katara's eyes widened in horror and instant before she fainted.

********************

"KYA!!" Ursa screamed as she ran as she safely could while holding on to Katara.

"By Tui what happened!" Kya shouted as she noticed the huge burn on Ursa's back and her delirious daughter.

"Mercenaries," Ursa said as she tried to catch her breath. "I protected her —took a fire blast— but then she did SOMETHING. By Agni whatever it was she bent METAL like WATER and threw it at the mercenaries," Ursa said in a panic. "...but she's been delirious with fever ever since," Ursa continued as Kya took her daughter from her arms

"Come on," Kya said as she quickly ushered her Ursa along.

********************

Some hours later Kya finally managed to get her daughter's fever under control.

"Is she going to be okay?" Ursa questioned as she tried not to move too much. Her burn wasn't that serious and Kya's healing hands had already reversed the vast majority of the damage leaving her with the equivalent of a sunburn, not particularly dangerous but still plenty painful.

"This fever isn't natural," Kya said with a surprising amount of calm. "I've managed to bring it down so it's not dangerous but..." Kya said as she looked at her daughter's left hand, which now had a burn that looked like a stylized tattoo of the Sun. "You said she was meditating on something about the sun and pushing and pulling."

"Well I'm the one to suggest that she was meditating on some kind of push and pull but she did say something about the sun right before the mercenaries attacked."

"I wonder? Could this be similar to what happened to Zuko when he first used lunar fire," Kya mused as she remembered talking to Zuko about it a few days after he had woken. Especially the detail that Zuko had related about despite learning of how to draw power through the moon he had not created actual lunar fire until the night before the solstice.

"I'm not following."

Stroking her daughter's hair absently Kya said, "If the Sun pushes and pulls just like the moon or even if the moon pushes and pulls the Sun. I think it stands to reason that a waterbender could draw power through that just like Zuko now can draw power through moonlight. All the same, I think the same kind of ...inversion... I guess you can call it would probably happen to the waterbender as happened to Zuko's firebending."

"...but how does that explain how she melted metal?"

"Remember you told me that metal has a crystalline structure and ice has a similar structure," Kya answered causing Ursa's eyes to widen. "...and any waterbender can freeze and thaw ice. In addition, when Zuko first started bending the lunar fire he became incredibly cold. Just like Katara is now incredibly hot. Then of course, a marking has appeared. For Zuko it was his blue eye but for Katara it seems to be this perfectly sun shaped burn."

"Will she be okay?" Ursa asked again.

"That I'm sure of it," Kya said with a smile before noticing Ursa's downtrodden look.

"They were after me you know."

Sighing deeply Kya nodded and said, "You're going to leave aren't you."

"Yes, I can't endanger anyone here, especially the children," Ursa answered.

"Well then we better get another healing session started to you can leave by morning," Kya declared as she started to prepare what was necessary. "I will always remember what you did for us today."

"Any mother will do anything they can to protect their children," Ursa responded to which Kya nodded as a reply.

********************

Some years later when the warriors went off to war along with the tribe's elder healer they did so in warships with a great and ferocious bears carved on their prows.

********************

As she awoke with a groan, she found herself looking her mother who was looking down at her with a smile.

"Don't try to move," Kya said with a stern voice.

"What happened?" Katara questioned as broken memories of what had happened in the past few days flitted through her mind's eye as she attempted to move a muscle even against her mother's wishes. However, her body was so tired she could hardly move her head let alone anything else.

"I'm not entirely sure but do you remember what happened on the ship?" Kya questioned.

Closing her eyes Katara nodded. The past few days may have passed in a haze but she remembered all too vividly, what had happened when she reached for the push and pull of the sun and what had happened when it responded to her. "When I drew on the sun's push and pull the ship became ice to me so I melted the ice and threw it. I didn't realize... not until..."

"It's okay my beautiful little moon," Kya said soothingly as she ran a hand over her daughter's cheek.

"...but but..." Katara cried as she remembered that horrible moment when molten liquid metal had struck the unsuspecting mercenary.

"Shh," Kya said soothingly as she held her daughter close. 'Oh Tui, why must she carry such a burden?' Kya thought to herself.

********************

A few hours later Katara managed to stumble out of bed to the disapproval of her mother. However, she desperately needed to get up and move around to clear the stiffness from her muscles before it drove her crazy.

As she exited the healer's igloo Katara felt a strange sense of déjà vu wash over her as Sokka and Zuko strode up to her.

"So how are you feeling?" Sokka questioned.

"Stiff as a block of ice," Katara answered before she questioned, "Was I really out for a week?"

"Yeah just like I was," Zuko provided as he and Sokka helped steady Katara's uneasy steps.

********************

Later after Katara had worked the stiffness out of her legs she sat down in an isolated spot alone as she looked up at the sky where both the waxing moon and the sun were visible. In her hands, she held a small scrap of metal and after a long silent moment, she gingerly rubbed the top of her left hand and let the sun's push and pull enter her.

As before, the metal in her hands became like ice to her senses and with a thought, it became liquid.

Only this time Katara was in her right mind and after about 15 minutes of absently toying with the metal she coalesced it into three spheres.

"Maybe it won't be so bad after all," Katara whispered even as she tried to block out the image of that day.

********************

It was a mildly cold antarctic day that found Sokka, Zuko and Katara, out fishing in their canoe. More precisely Zuko was lazily lounging near a fishing pole while Sokka rambled on about how spear fishing was the way to fish. Katara being a waterbender just lazily used her bending to grab the very fish her brother was trying to spear out of the water in a bubble of water.

"Hey look Sokka!" Katara said cheerfully although Zuko could plainly see the mischief in her blue eyes.

"Shh, Katara, you're going to scare it away. Mmm… I can already smell it cooking! Flame broiled fishy goodness!" Sokka said as he intently looked around for his quarry.

"...but Sokka, I caught one!" Katara exclaimed cheerfully as she floated the fish directly over her brother's head before letting go of her hold on the water.

As usual, her aim was perfect and she not only drenched her brother but the fish slid down the back of his parka before managing to get back to the water.

"Ugh! Why is it that every time you play with your magic water I get soaked and slimed?" Sokka complained.

Her mischievous grin going flat in an instant Katara said, "It's not magic. It's waterbending, and it's..."

Cutting in her brother sarcastically continued, "Yeah, yeah, an ancient art unique to our culture, blah blah blah. Look, I'm just saying that if I had weird powers, I'd keep my weirdness to myself."

"You're calling me weird? I'm not the one who makes muscles at myself every time I see my reflection in the water," Katara called out sardonically even as her brother was doing exactly as she said.

Zuko who was all but forgotten by his bickering siblings smirked as he enjoyed his favorite form of entertainment while waiting for the perfect moment to insert some teasing of his own.

An instant later, however the canoe lurched as it was grabbed by a strong current. Frantically the three siblings jumped into action as they were tossed around between the current and ice flows. In the end, however they found themselves stranded on an ice flow their canoe squished despite Katara's effort to save it.

A moment later Katara and Sokka started arguing again leaving Zuko to shake his head. An instant later however when Sokka blurted out, "I knew I should have left you home; leave it to a girl to screw things up," Zuko backed away from his brother as Katara demonstrated that her temper was worthy of any firebender.

"You are the most sexist, immature, nut brained..." Katara screamed angrily as the iceberg behind her began to crack. "Ugh, I'm embarrassed to be related to you! Ever since mom left, I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier!"

Noting the cracking iceberg Sokka weakly said, "Uh ... Katara..."

Oblivious to her rogue powers Katara continued with even more anger, "I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you, NOT PLEASANT!"

Now practically begging Sokka sputtered out, "Katara! Settle down!"

"No, that's it. I'm done helping you. From now on, you're on your own!" Katara screamed as her anger reached its peak finally causing the huge iceberg to crack right down the middle. Turning around with wide eyes' Katara gulped an instant before a wave of water washed at them. An instant later, a crescent arc of lunar fire struck the wave of water freezing it and sheltering the three from being tossed right off of the ice flow they were on.

"Okay, you've gone from weird to freakish, Katara," Sokka commented.

"Opps," Katara said with a blush, as she knew it was at fault for cracking the iceberg before looking up at Zuko who was smirking.

"...and here they say firebenders have the worst tempers in the world," He commented teasingly.

Katara's only response to this was a slow burn.

This however was interrupted when everyone saw some sort of eerie blue white glow from underneath the water.

An instant later, a mostly spherical glowing iceberg emerged from the depths leaving the three siblings to stare at it in awe until all three noticed a glowing figure within the depths of the iceberg. Then he opened his eyes.

"He's alive! We have to help!" Katara screamed as she grabbed the weapon off of her brother's back and ran over the a few small ice floats to the large glowing iceberg, which she started to hit despite both of her brother's warnings.

On the fifth swing, the iceberg erupted with hot steamy air as it cracked completely open leaving a beam of blue white energy more powerful than even Zuko's lightning to lance into the heavens where it created its own Aurora.

********************

Some distance away on a small but fast Fire Nation ship a calm looking gray-haired man sipping tea looked up from the game he was playing. He sensed tremendous spiritual power being released by the column of light on the horizon.

After a long moment of consideration, he motioned a soldier that was standing guard on the deck to him.

"What are your orders General Iroh?" The soldier questioned with a salute. "Do we head a course for the light?"

"No, head a course for the Southern Water Tribe village nearest to us," Iroh responded as he returned to his game only to pause and comment, "...and you really should be working on your breathing young one."

Nervously stuttering the soldier nodded before practically running off.

Smirking gently Iroh returned to his game, pausing only briefly as he wondered what he might find at the source of the mystic light. If indeed, the avatar was the source of the light things would most likely get complicated.

********************

As the steam cleared, the three southern water tribe siblings waited for what was to happen next. A tense moment later a boy with glowing arrow like tattoos emerged a few moments before the aura of light around them faded. As it did, the boy stopped glowing and suddenly collapsed. Katara of course gasped and ran forward to catch him before he hit the ground.

A few moments later Sokka started poking the unconscious boy in the head even as his sister held him.

"Stop it!" Katara said sternly a moment before the boy in her arms gowned prompting Katara to sit him against the side of the iceberg.

"I need to ask you something," the boy groaned out weekly as she opened his eyes.

"What is it?" Katara questioned as she moved closer to him.

"Will you go penguin sledding with me?" The boy questioned excitedly.

"Uh... sure, I guess," Katara responded taken aback.

Smiling at this the boy somehow sprang to his feet with a burst of air. Seeing this, Zuko's eyes widened even as Sokka let out a surprised gasp.

"What's going on here?" The boy finally questioned as he looked around.

"You tell us! How'd you get in the ice?" Sokka demanded before poking the boy with his spear. "...and why aren't you frozen?"

Batting Sokka's spear away absently the boy answered that he wasn't sure and before anyone could ask anything else, a low animal grown was heard. Hearing this sound the boy scrambled up the side of the ice where he had come from.

The three siblings took a much more leisurely way by strolling around the outside of the ice wall. What they found once they came around the wall was something they had only seen in scrolls: a flying bison.

"Is that a flying bison?" Katara asked in awe as Sokka tried to reel in his jaw while Zuko just blinked disbelievingly.

"Yep this is Appa," the boy said with a large smile.

"Right," Sokka drawled.

Completely missing Sokka's sarcasm —quite a feat in and of itself— the boy started to reply only to cut himself off as Appa sneezed. The boy ducked quickly avoiding a large glob of snot.

Sokka wasn't so lucky and after a disgusted exclamation, he began to try to wipe the snot off of himself completely oblivious to his smirking siblings.

The boy encouragingly said, "Don't worry it'll wash right out."

As Zuko watched his brother pull a hand away from his face with thick streams of snot hanging between his hand and face he was understandably unconvinced.

"So, do you guys live around here?" the boy questioned cheerfully.

"Don't answer that! Did you see that crazy bolt of light? He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy," Sokka said as he pointed his spear at the boy never noticing Zuko putting his hand to his face and shaking his head.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure he's a spy for the Fire Nation. You can tell by that evil look in his eye," Katara said sarcasm dripping from her voice.

The boy's response to this was to give a large wide-eyed toothy and quite ridiculous looking grin.

"I'm Katara. The paranoid one is Sokka and the one that likes to imitate ice sculptures is Zuko, they're my brothers," Katara introduced before pausing and adding the question, "You never told us your name?"

"I'm A..." the boy said before trying to unsuccessfully stop himself from sneezing ... and flying by Zuko's estimate at least 20 feet in the air. A few moments later, the boy drifted down and said, "I'm Aang," before wiping his nose.

"You're an airbender," Zuko declared while Sokka again tried to reel in his jaw.

"Yep," Aang said with a smile to which Sokka started rambling about having midnight Sun madness to before declaring he was going home.

As they were standing on an iceberg quite literally in the middle of nowhere Sokka didn't get that far. He however did notice the smirk plastered across Zuko's face.

"Not a word, Mr. Ice sculpture," Sokka said as he pointed a finger at his brother who just smirked a little bit wider.

A moment later Sokka's glare at his brother was interrupted when Aang offered to give them a lift.

Sokka of course objected to this even as Katara quickly took Aang up on his offer.

Zuko being his usual sarcastic self commented, "Well I'm sure some other kind of monster will come along and give you a lift; say maybe a dragon," as he started walking over to Appa.

An indignant glare was the only response Sokka gave before he followed.

After everyone had settled down in Appa's huge saddle Aang made a quick quip before snapping the reins and shouting, "Appa, yip, yip!"

Appa responded to this by leaping into the air ... only to come crashing down into the ocean.

"Come, on Appa yip, yip!" Aang encouraged.

Somewhat disappointed Zuko quirked an eyebrow even as Sokka let out a sarcastic quip that again was completely missed by Aang who merely responded that as soon as Appa got some rest he be soaring again. Zuko's silent reply to this was to share a glance with Sokka before the two shrugged to each other. A moment later, the two brothers' attention was brought to focus on Aang when they heard Katara questioning him why he was smiling at her. Aang's response was more than a little lame and left the two brothers to look at each other and roll her eyes at Katara and Aang's clueless flirting.

********************

As Iroh silently stood on the bow of his small ship, he contemplated a great many things including the fact that the avatar was the world's only hope to regain balance.

A moment later, he resigned himself to a task that was distasteful but ultimately necessary. He'd pursue the avatar to the ends of the earth, dogging him at every turn. He would do so to make sure the avatar grew strong enough to defeat his brother and bring balance to the world. He'd also do this to make sure other more zealous and ruthless influences would be kept to a minimum until the time was right.

'It is a good thing my foolish brother still thinks I'm still loyal to him,' Iroh thought to himself with a slight smirk.

********************

"Hey," Katara called out as she leaned over Appa's saddle.

Aang who was lounging on Appa's head responded in turn with "Hey. What're thinking about?

"I guess I was wondering – with you being an airbender and all – if you had any idea what happened to the Avatar?"

"Uhh... no. I didn't know him... I mean, I knew people that knew him, but I didn't. Sorry," Aang responded with a certain amount of nervousness.

"Okay. Just curious. Goodnight," Katara answered.

"Sleep tight," Aang responded before turning away from Katara to hide a look of fear.

Zuko who was watching from nearby merely closed his left eye. He was ... unconvinced.

********************

The next morning found Zuko out by his old igloo doing his usual morning firebending exercises. However as he finished his thoughts turned to whom had been found the previous day and despite what Aang had said Zuko was confident in saying that the young airbender had to be the avatar. The question now was; why had he not only been trapped in an iceberg for 100 years but denied who he was. Perhaps it simply was because he was young, frightened and didn't know the comforts of family.

'Well my dear avatar...' Zuko thought his face looking somehow sinister, mischievous, and caring at the same time. "You may not know it but you have a family now," Zuko added.

********************

"So you're the only waterbender at the South Pole?" Aang questioned disbelievingly.

"Yeah, and if it weren't for Zuko's scrolls I'd know nothing," Katara responded. "Still, it's better to know something about my element then nothing at all."

"Still this isn't right, a waterbender needs to master water. What about the North Pole? There's another Water Tribe up there, right? Maybe they have waterbenders who could teach you," Aang responded.

"Maybe but we haven't had contact with our sister tribe in a long time. It's not exactly ‘turn right at the second glacier.' It's on the other side of the world," Katara answered.

"Ahh, but you forget: I have a flying bison. Appa and I can personally fly you to the North Pole. Katara, we're going to find you a master!" Aang said with a cheerful enthusiasm.

Smiling happily at this Katara began, "That's..." only to trail off and add, "I don't know. I've never left home before."

"Well, you think about it but in the meantime, can you teach me to catch one of these penguins?" Aang said as he turned his attention to the penguins that were waddling around them.

Smirking Katara began with an overdramatic teacher like tone, "Okay, listen closely my young pupil. Catching penguins is an ancient and sacred art. Observe."

********************

A little later, as Zuko finished another one of his routines, he saw his sister and Aang emerge from the penguin sledding tunnel laughing and cheering. "From the looks those two giving each other already I'm guessing before my clueless about her own feelings sister can get a hint me and Sokka will be helping Aang carve an engagement necklace," Zuko declared as the two came to a stop a short distance away from the old Fire Nation ship.

"No argument there," Sokka said as he strolled up. "Well unless Aang is as girly as he seems."

Zuko's only response was a wide smile and a snort of a chuckle.

********************

"Whoa... what is that?" Aang questioned in awe as he looked up at the battered Fire Nation ship.

"A Fire Navy ship, and a very bad memory for my people," Katara answered solemnly as she placed her hand, that Aang noticed that a unusual sun shaped scar on it, on her left eye before Aang started to walk towards the ship. "Aang stop! The ship is too unstable!" Katara called out just as the ship creaked and groaned ominously.

"Oh," Aang responded a little nervously. That creaking sound really didn't encouraging ... and now that he thought about it neither did all the holes in the ship's hull. "I guess you're right," Aang added before walking back over to Katara and sitting down as he gave the ship a closer look and especially the largest hole in the ship's side. It looked almost as if the metal had been washed away ... like so much water. "So how long has this ship been here?" Aang finally questioned.

"Since my Gran-Gran was a girl..." Katara began.

********************

"I'll give it a season, a season and a half tops," Sokka said with a smirk as he and Zuko used the old Fire Nation ship's spyglass to ... well spy on their little sister. "I mean really she didn't even brag about her bending earlier back in the village."

Zuko silent response to this was to smirk and file away that bit of information away for further use. "Seems like a good guess unless they're going to be incredibly thickheaded with each other," Zuko responded to his brother's prediction as he wondered what the two lovebirds were talking about.

"This is true, this is true," Sokka mused with faux thoughtfulness.

"They're heading back," Zuko said after a long moment of looking through the spyglass.

"I better get back to then, I'm still worried that a huge light beam thingy Aang did is going to call every Fire Nation ship within 100 miles to our doorstep," Sokka grumbled.

"More like 200 maybe even more, that thing was brighter and higher than any signal flair," Zuko commented.

Shaking his head Sokka started off only to pause and question, "You staying here?"

"Sense nothing seems to be happening at the moment I'm going to go diving for a few fish," Zuko responded as he patted his old dagger. "...and who knows maybe some crab."

"Mhh crab," Sokka said as he walked off already imagining all the delicious ways to cook said mouthwatering delicacy.

********************

"So you think your new boyfriend was stuck in the iceberg for a hundred years?" Sokka questioned with a tone that was somehow between thoughtful and disbelieving while pointedly ignoring Katara's protesting outburst. "Feh, I suppose it's possible. Speaking of which, where is he?"

"He took Appa out to try to find something for him to eat," Katara answered with a shrug as she and her brother sat on the ice wall of the village.

"Yeah it can't be easy finding food for a 10 ton fluffy snot monster," Sokka responded with a slightly musing tone to his voice before he picked up the spyglass by his side and scanned the horizon. "You know sometimes I really hate it when I'm right," Sokka said a moment later before he gave the spyglass to his sister.

"So do I ...and don't you dare go blaming this on Aang," Katara grumbled after she had cited the Fire Nation ship through her brother's spyglass.

Rolling his eyes for more than one reason Sokka stood and said, "Go find Zuko and hurry back; he said he was going to go diving."

Nodding at this Katara ran off briefly passing Aang —sans Appa— who she told to go help her brother.

********************

After almost a mile of frantic jogging a slightly out of breath Katara found Zuko who had just gotten done with his diving.

"Zuko a Fire Nation ship is heading to the village!!" Katara screamed.

Cursing angrily Zuko quickly grabbed his parka before the two ran off back towards the village

However, by the time they got there it was obviously too late as evidenced by the fissure in the ice wall. As they slowed down and then walked into the village, they found Sokka and Gran-Gran waiting for them.

"He gave himself up to protect the village," Sokka explained while rubbing his shoulder.

"...but why would they want him?" Katara questioned.

Closing his eyes as she remembered Aang walking into the belly of the Fire Nation beast Gran-Gran answered, "He is the avatar."

Hearing this Katara gasped while Zuko muttered a curse. A moment later Katara shouted, "We have to go after him, he saved the village and now we have to save him!"

Opening his eyes as he smirked Sokka said, "I've already got a canoe ready with everything we'll need."

Hearing this, Katara gave her brother a flying hug as happily thanked him. Zuko for his part shared a smirk that carried more than one meaning with his brother.

"You have a long journey ahead of you," Gran-Gran said with a smile. "It's been so long since I've had hope but you two brought it back to life, my little benders," Gran-Gran added as she hugged Katara and Zuko in turn before turning to Sokka and continuing, "...and you, my brave warrior, be nice to your sister and look after your hotheaded brother," before she gave Sokka a hug.

"Yeah ... okay Gran," Sokka said with a slight bit of embarrassment.

"Aang is the Avatar. He's the world's only chance. You three found him for a reason. Now your destinies are intertwined with his," Gran-Gran said sagely to which the three nodded to.

"Still there's no way we're going to catch a war ship with a canoe," Katara interjected a moment before everyone saw Appa walk into the site from over a nearby hill. Seeing this Katara excitedly called out as she ran towards the flying bison.

"You just love taking me out of my comfort zone, don't ya?" Sokka mumbled.

"It's her job," Zuko added coyly.

********************

Later once everything had been secured to Appa everyone got on and Katara took the reins of the great sky bison and guided him forward into the water.

That was 15 minutes ago and in that time, Sokka had been rambling off different things to try to get Appa to fly.

"What exactly did he say?" Sokka said sometime later as he started rattling off different things as he tried to remember exactly what Aang had said.

Zuko however interrupted this and said, "I think it was yip yip ..." before being cut off as Appa gave a great lurch and launched himself into the air.

Sokka was of course immediately impressed by this and started shouting excitedly about how Appa was flying. He however cut himself off abruptly and said, "I mean, big deal, he's flying," while trying to sound indifferent when he noticed his siblings smug looks.

Some 5 minutes later, the group spotted the Fire Nation ship on the deck of which was Aang who backed up against the ships prow surrounded by firebenders.

Seeing this Zuko gave out a growl and launched himself into the air where he brought his lunar and solar fire together creating a thunderclap of force that propelled him backwards through the air to land perfectly in front of Aang.

"Show off," Sokka grumbled even though he had a slight twinkle in his eye.

********************

"So?" Zuko questioned as he took a basic firebending stance while craning his neck from side to side. "Who's first?"

The five firebenders responded to the question by attacking.

"Bad move," Zuko commented as he fluidly shifted into a waterbending stance and calmly redirected all the attacks back to their source. "My turn," Zuko said before taking a deep breath and breathing out a great plume of fire that forced all of the firebenders back.

That is except for the sixth person on the deck who countered with a huge breath of fire himself.

"I must say," the general said as he stroked his gray beard recognizing the teen standing across the deck easily because of his scar, "I'm most surprised to see you here nephew."

"It's been a long time Uncle Iroh," Zuko said after he recognized the man before him. "Why are you here?"

"I was sent on a mission to find the avatar," Iroh responded as he slid into a firebending stance.

"I don't want to fight you uncle," Zuko responded.

"Neither do I, nephew, but I will if you stand with the avatar," Iroh responded. "So, what allegiance do you choose?"

"I will stand with the avatar and save the world from my father," Zuko declared. "So it appears we are to be enemies," Zuko responded.

"It appears so," Iroh responded before looking Zuko over more thoroughly and questioning, "So nephew would you care to explain how you survived here at the bottom of the world?"

"Gladly," Zuko stated as his blue eye twinkled with mischief and he summoned his lunar fire in a concentrated lance of flame.

Iroh of course easily dodged this but was distracted a moment later when he heard a cracking sound. Turning around he was just in time to witness the bulkhead door behind him shatter like glass.

The distraction was all Katara needed and she quickly blanketed everything in mist allowing Zuko and Aang to escape.

"All hands fire!" Iroh bellowed to which all of the fire benders on deck responded to by summoning their fire and attacking in a combined attack ... that the avatar deflected into the ice cliff nearby causing the ship to be half buried in snow and ice.

Iroh however wasn't interested in that. No what interested him was the fact that the unusual blue fire his nephew had used had frozen an inch thick bulkhead door to the point it shattered like glass. Even now after the fire dissipated, he couldn't get close to remains of the door without being burned by the intense cold.

"I've heard of cold-blooded fire ... but this is quite ridiculous," Iroh mused before remembering exactly how his nephew had arrived. "I wonder..." Iroh commented with a raised eyebrow as he looked at the dot on the horizon.

********************

"How did you do that: with the fire? It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen," Aang exclaimed at Zuko.

Shrugging modestly but inwardly puffing up proudly Zuko calmly said, "It's just something I do, avatar."

His mood instantly dropping Aang sat down on the saddle horn as a silence settled over everyone.

"Why didn't you tell us you were the avatar?" Katara finally questioned.

Looking even more downtrodden Aang answered, "Because... I never wanted to be."

"...but Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and finally put an end to this war."

"How am I going to do that?"

"Well according to legend..." Katara began.

********************

"So that was your uncle?" Sokka questioned of Zuko that night after everyone else had gone to sleep around the camp they had made.

Continuing to look up at the sky Zuko nodded.

"He seems like a real nice guy," Sokka commented his voice somehow conveying equal parts sarcasm and sincerity. "He even complimented me after I knocked out a couple of his firebenders. Then he calmly handed me my ass without so much as bending a fingertip of flame before he and Aang went at it."

Again, Zuko merely nodded.

"So do you have any clue what his game is because from what I know of the Legendary Dragon of the West he could've easily beat all of us," Sokka finally demanded.

"I have no idea whatsoever," Zuko responded with a shrug. "I have clues aplenty but no idea how to put them together."

"What kind of clues?"

"Wordings mainly," Zuko answered. "Like when he said 'apparently'."

"Hmm, your mom said that word was sometimes used as code speak for I'm going to look like your enemy to everyone else."

Again, Zuko merely nodded.

"That means he's going to be an annoying yet somehow polite pain in our side doesn't it," Sokka stated disgruntlely after a long moment of thought.

Once more Zuko nodded.

"Yeah I was afraid of that," Sokka grumbled.

********************

"So," Iroh stated as he played a game of Pai-Sho with the captain of the ship. "Do you understand the plan?"

"Yes sir," the captain answered.

"Good," Iroh answered as he played the white lotus tile.

********************

"It wasn't that funny you know," Sokka grumbled at a smirking Zuko while he ate some blubbered seal jerky.

"Yes, it was," Zuko answered as he thought about what the avatar had done that morning to get Sokka out of bed. "I'll have to remember it myself. Prickle snake in the sleeping bag."

Hearing the tone in his brother's voice Sokka twitched a few times. He never could tell when his brother was joking when he was like that.

"The Batola mountain range, we're almost there!" Aang called out excitedly.

********************

"Ahh Captain Zhao, what a pleasant surprise," Iroh said with an easy smile.

"Actually its Commander now," Zhao responded. "So what brings you to my harbor?"

"My ship is being repaired," Iroh answered plainly as he glanced over his shoulder at his ship.

"That's quite a bit of damage," Zhao commented as he looked at the damaged ship.

"Yes it's quite amazing what a ... disagreement with an avalanche can do," Iroh put forth with just the right amount of hesitation.

"An avalanche you say," Zhao responded already sounding suspicious. "You must regale me with all the thrilling details. Join me for a drink?"

"Do you have ginseng tea?" Iroh questioned.

********************

"This place used to be full of monks and lemurs and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds," Aang said sadly as he overlooked what he called an air-ball court. "I can't believe how much things have changed."

"So..." Sokka began only to be cut off by Zuko.

"Aang," Zuko began as he placed a hand on the young avatar's shoulder. "No matter what we find here we won't hide it from you, no matter how bad it is we're here for you. Understand?"

Swallowing Aang nodded.

"Good, now I think Sokka wants you to show him how to play air-ball," Zuko said with a smirk.

********************

About 10 minutes later Sokka found himself face down in the snow for the seventh time.

"Making him feel better is putting me in a world of hurt," Sokka commented while obviously in pain. A moment later, however Sokka noticed something in the snow. "Katara, Zuko, check this out," Sokka said as he pointed to the Fire Nation helmet he found in the snow.

"Fire nation," Katara said her ire rose.

"We have to tell him," Sokka said sadly to which Katara responded by calling out to Aang who rapidly started to run over.

"Katara," Zuko whispered as he noticed his sister's indecision rising. "It's better to tell him now then letting him stumble into where the main battle took place."

Katara's response to this was to flash Zuko an angry glare just as Aang arrived and saw the helmet.

"Firebenders? They were here?" Aang said as his eyes widened and he dropped the ball he was airbending.

Zuko and Sokka's response was a quiet nod. Katara on the other hand walked over to Aang and pulled him into a comforting hug as he began to cry.

Some unknown amount of time later Aang stopped crying and mumbled, "Are you sure it's just not a helmet somebody misplaced?" with false hope.

Zuko's response was to pick up the helmet, while carefully making sure only he saw what was underneath, revealing a skull. "Yeah I'm sure," Zuko commented dryly before putting the helmet back down.

Despite his low and depressed mood, Aang had to chuckle at Zuko's dry deadpan humor. "Your sense of humor reminds me of Kuzon," Aang said with a weak smile. "Dry as a desert."

Zuko's response to this was a smirk.

A few moments later Aang stood up and dried his eyes before saying, "Thanks for not hiding it from me."

"...but." Katara protested her eyes easily communicating she didn't like seeing Aang in pain.

"It hurts a lot," Aang said while trying to steady his emotions. "...but like the monks used to say 'life goes on' and so will I."

"Aang we've all lost things but by sticking together as a family we've made sure we haven't lost more," Katara began as she gave Aang a hug from behind. "So we may not know how it feels to how it feels to lose somebody like you have but we're all a family now."

Smiling as his spirits were lifted by Katara's support Aang said, "Come on we have a whole Temple to see firebenders or not," before he started to walk off with the thought, 'I won't let this get me down; the spirits of my friends would never let me hear the end of it if I did.'

A moment later Aang felt his shoulders being squeezed and looked up to find Sokka and Zuko both smiling at him, which lifted his spirits even further.

********************

Later after Aang had told them of his air bending teacher monk Gyatso they made their way to the Temple's sanctuary and after Aang opened the sanctuary door with his air bending the group found themselves staring at a large collection of statues.

"Who are all these people?" Katara questioned.

"I'm not sure, but it feels like I know them somehow," Aang said uncertainly before pointing to one statue and exclaiming, "Look! That one's an airbender!"

"...and this one's a waterbender," Katara added as she looked at another statue.

"This one's a firebender," Zuko commented before looking over the statues again and adding. "They're arranged in the pattern of the avatar cycle; Air, water, earth and fire."

"That means they have to be your past lives Aang!" Katara exclaimed.

"Wow there has to be at least 1000 of them," Aang said excitedly as he started to look around more enthusiastically while Sokka and Katara argued about the issue of past lives.

Zuko of course ignored this and followed Aang until he stopped in front of seemingly the last statue in the room and the only statue that depicted a figure Zuko recognized; Avatar Roku.

Unusually Aang stopped and stared at the statue as his eyes started to become dazed. Seeing this Katara started to walk over to Aang to find out what was wrong. However, she was stopped by Zuko who said, "Don't," in a whisper.

"Why?"

"He said he had to talk to someone right," Zuko whispered back. "That's Avatar Roku."

"Come on you don't talk to a..." Sokka began only to be cut short when Aang's tattoos and eyes flared with power. This was followed shortly thereafter by every statue in the sanctuary doing the same. "What is going on?" Sokka questioned with a squeak as air started whipping around Aang.

"I think this is the avatar spirit, seeing his past lives like this must have triggered it somehow," Katara guessed in instant before Aang went back to normal and now drained of all energy he also nearly collapsed to the floor if it wasn't for Katara catching him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I got a vision but I couldn't really make any sense of it, it was all jumbled up," Aang responded as she sat up. A moment later however, everyone heard something and they quickly hid behind the statues. A few moments of tense silence later Sokka jumped down from his hiding place to attack what you were sure was an evil firebender.

What was found was an animal Aang quickly identified as a winged lemur that was going to be his new pet and Sokka identified as his next meal. This disagreement resulted in a chase straight out of the sanctuary leaving Zuko and Katara to shake their heads.

"By Tui I swear all he ever thinks of is his stomach, I mean this morning he ate all of the blubbered seal jerky," Katara said as she shook her head.

Zuko's response to this was a shrug as he walked out of the sanctuary with Katara.

********************

When Zuko and Katara finally found Aang and Sokka, Aang was crying openly as Sokka supported him.

"What happened?" Katara questioned as she ran over to Aang and embraced him.

"He found monk Gyatso ... and a lot of firebenders," Sokka responded sadly as he looked back at the small building behind him.

"Come on let's go make camp," Zuko put forth to which everyone agreed to.

********************

That night after everyone had gone to sleep Aang got up and started to walk off only to be stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulders.

"Where're you going?" Zuko questioned.

"I have to know... about the rest of the Temple," Aang said quietly. "...and if I find anyone else it's my duty to give them a burial, just like I'm going to do with Gyatso."

"I'll come with you. I may be exiled but I have a duty to cremate all of the firebenders that were left here," Zuko said simply.

"Why exactly do you have a duty?" Aang questioned.

Smirking slightly Zuko said, "Let me tell you a little about myself."

With that, the two walked away from the camp absently chatting and into the Temple where they looked through every room.

"You did say there were hundreds of monks that lived here, right?" Zuko questioned after they looked through what had to be the hundredth room of the night to find nothing, not even a trinket or so much as ash in the room: to say nothing of remains.

"Yeah and I know these rooms were used," Aang said while looking confused. "Do you think they could've left before the attack?"

"How would they know about it?"

"I don't know but the only bodies we found are the head monks," Aang responded.

"It's as if they just simply vanished ... into thin air," Zuko mused.

"Not even in airbender can do that," Aang said in turn.

"How many air nomads were there?"

"I don't know maybe 1, 2 hundred thousand scattered throughout the world," Aang responded after a moment of thought.

"According to the Fire Nation records there were a lot fewer than that killed," Zuko responded.

"Where are the others then?" Aang questioned.

"Maybe they just stopped bending and they're really still around but they've lost everything including the ability to bend."

"Still even if you're right and the air nomads are still alive, I really am the last airbender," Aang said sadly.

"Come on let's get back," Zuko responded only to be cut short when the winged lemur from earlier ran up with a bundle of food which he offered to Zuko before scurrying onto Aang's shoulder. Smiling at this Zuko questioned, "So what're you going to call him?"

After a moment of consideration Aang finally said, "Momo."

"Well Momo welcome to the family," Zuko said as he scratched the lemur behind the ear to it's obvious delight.

********************

As Iroh returned to his ship around nightfall, he found the captain of the ship waiting for him.

The captain who looked like he had taken quite a beating simply said, "All went according to plan Sir, he knows what we want him to know."

"Good..." Iroh said as he boarded. '...and while Zhao is off creating a useless blockade, I will continue to follow the avatar and my nephew northward,' Iroh added mentally as he smirked.

********************

"So what are we doing again?" Aang questioned.

"Workout day," Katara answered as she held a scroll case. "Twice a day every week —more if we can— we all work out. Me and Zuko practice our bending after studying bending scrolls from the scroll case and Sokka practices his martial arts."

"That sounds like a lot of work."

"Of course it is," Zuko answered.

"Think of it as a kind of balance, Aang," Katara added with a smile. "Work and play."

"I guess that makes sense. So how many scrolls does that thing hold?" Aang considered.

"We're not entirely sure," Sokka commented. "A spirit gave it to Zuko. Said it was worthy of well... you."

"You don't think that..." Katara said suspiciously.

"With spirits its a possibility..." Zuko responded. "Anyway the case seems to be somehow bigger on the inside than on the outside. Still at any one time there're only one or two scrolls in one chamber and they're always the scrolls you end up needing."

"A lot of time without even knowing it," Katara added. "Also if you don't need a scroll from one of the chambers you can't open that chamber."

"Weird," Aang commented before looking at the symbols on the chambers of the scroll case. "I get the first five ... the 4 bending arts and martial arts but what's that last one?"

"We have no idea; maybe it has stuff in there only the avatar can learn."

"That's not the symbol of the avatar," Aang responded after a moment of thought. "I don't know how I know that but it isn't."

"Then what is it?"

"Some sort of lost art I guess," Aang commented. "I don't even recognize the symbol but it sort of looks like symbol for spirit energy."

"I'm sure we'll figure it out when the time comes," Katara said with a smile before sequentially testing the chambers to see if they opened. "Hmm that's odd, I only got a scroll on flexibility training," Katara said after examining the only scroll she was able to receive.

"Hey I know that scroll every airbender has to learn this before they can even start on the basic airbending forms," Aang said as he looked over Katara's shoulder while Katara handed the scroll case to Zuko.

"Flaming weapons again for me," Zuko commented before handing the case off to Sokka.

"A set of basic martial forms I know already ...and a weapon scroll on a handheld fan?" Sokka said before he shook his head and replaced the scroll back into the case. "Even if I thought a fan could be used as a weapon, I don't even have one," Sokka snorted before handing the case off to Aang.

"Hmm, two air bending scrolls one about the basics and one about mastery level techniques," Aang said after he had checked the case. "Ahh and I was hoping for a water bending scroll. So what exactly do we do now?"

"Well when a scroll you already know comes to you with that symbol on it we've found that it's a sign you're supposed to teach everyone else what's on the scroll," Katara explained as she pointed to the symbol of a scroll being passed between two hands that was on outside of the basic airbending scroll Aang was holding.

"When there's no symbol we figure your supposed to learn it yourself," Sokka added.

"...and lastly when you get a scroll that you don't know but you're supposed to have somebody teach you the symbol on the outside of the scroll looks like somebody offering somebody else a scroll," Zuko finished.

"So I'm supposed to teach you all basic air bending forms," Aang said curiously. "Why?"

"Well in the past we've all borrowed things from the other bending arts to enhance our own."

"Oh ok," Aang responded with a nod.

"...and apparently I'm supposed to teach you these basic martial forms," Sokka added.

"How do you know that?"

"I know everyone else knows them already," Sokka answered.

"Oh ok. What about Katara's flexibility training scroll? It has that go get somebody else to help you symbol on it,"

Katara's simple answer was to hand the scroll to Aang who blinked a few times before nodding.

"We better get started it's going to be a long day today."

********************

That night a very exhausted Aang leaned against Appa with a smile on his face. The day had been full of absolutely exhausting work that not even the elder monks training back at the Temple could equal in intensity, but somehow doing it all with his friends made all that work ... fun.

'Maybe this is what they mean by work hard and play harder,' Aang thought with a smile as he drifted off to sleep already looking forward to the next workout day.

********************

"That's all three of them," the leader of four green clad warrioress declared.

"Wait weren't there..." another said before her eyes widened and she fell over unconscious.

"Curses he picking..." another said before falling leaving two standing back to back.

"You know," Zuko said as he stepped out from behind a tree brandishing his Dao swords. "Ambushing people isn't very nice."

"Neither is invading someone's home."

"...and how is enjoying the beach —albeit with the odd activity of riding a giant koi fish— invading somebody's home?" Zuko questioned curiously. "Furthermore a moment before you attacked we said we were leaving. Again not exactly something you relate to an invading party."

"You noticed us."

"True but I wasn't going to do anything unless you did," Zuko answered with a shrug. "Now we can finish this one of two ways the hard way or you can untie my family and we can all go have tea."

"There are still two of us."

"... and I'm a firebender and not a shabby warrior," Zuko answered as he sheathed his swords in fire. "So do you really want to do this?"

"Cut'em loose."

"...but."

"He could've already killed us yet instead he only knocked the others out."

Scowling at Zuko the warrioress did as her leader instructed and freed the prisoners one of whom quickly jumped up with a gust of air.

"An airbender but that means," the leader of the four warrioress said as her eyes widened. "That you're the avatar!"

"Yep," Aang said with a smile.

The response the two warrioresses' gave was a humble apology.

"Hmm okay, apology accepted," Aang said with a smile as Zuko put away his swords.

********************

A few hours later found Aang, Katara and Zuko gathered around a table of sweets and treats. Aang for his part was chatting happily with Katara as he stuffed his face. Katara was slowly munching on one of the treats as she warned him not to get too enamored by all the attention he was getting.

Zuko for his part just smirked and said, "Hey Sokka what's the problem why aren't you eating."

Sokka who was grumbling in the corner mumbled, "Not hungry."

Katara being as predictable as the cycles of the moon started teasing her brother about being beaten by a bunch of girls and after a short argument, Sokka left.

********************

Sometime later, found Zuko relaxing alone in an open meadow when he heard someone walk up. Looking up he found the leader of the Kyoshi warriors Suki staring down at him.

"So," Zuko said conversationally, "Exactly how badly did you humiliate him?"

Blinking Suki questioned, "How exactly did you know?"

Snorting Zuko said, "I know my brother well enough to know how he thinks and I can tell you that he'll be back later after he manages to choke down his full course meal of humble pie."

Despite her reason for seeking out and Zuko, Suki couldn't help but giggle at Zuko's statement.

Still she had a few questions she wanted to ask. "Is what Sokka said true are you really The Prince Zuko?"

Zuko's response was a quiet nod.

"Then why are you helping the avatar shouldn't you be chasing after him to restore your honor and reclaim your throne or something."

"Maybe in another lifetime," Zuko answered with a shrug. "In this one he's family. More of a family than my father ever was to me."

"How can you say that?"

"This is part of the reason why," Zuko said as he traced the outline of his scar.

Eyes widening in horror Suki weakly said, "I see."

"So," Zuko said abruptly. "Exactly how green eyed and monstrous is Katara right now?"

Laughing outright Suki responded, "Very."

********************

Later as Zuko returned to the village he encountered Katara who stormed by him looking absolutely furious. His response to this was a smile.

"It seems she has quite the crush on the young avatar," Zuko heard the village elder Oyaji say.

"Yep they started falling for each other the moment they laid eyes on each other," Zuko commented as he noticed a forlorned looking Aang being dragged away.

"Perhaps it was destiny that brought them together."

"Well destiny is going to need a really strong earthbender to get through their thick heads as well," Zuko said with a smirk.

Chuckling in response the village elder nodded, before going quiet for a moment. "So why are you distancing yourself?"

Shrugging Zuko commented, "I'm not really. As a firebender at the South Pole I've always had to conserve my energy until the time is right to act."

"It's given you a very cool personality," Oyaji commented as he studied Zuko's arctic blue eye.

"Which my sister takes great pleasure in reminding me of every time she can," Zuko said with a smirk as he turned to face the village elder fully. "...but make no mistake I'm still as hot-blooded as any firebender."

"If not more so," Oyaji said after a moment of study. "Your passion is palatable in the very way you hold your self."

A simple nod was Zuko's only answer before he walked off.

********************

About 10 minutes later Zuko found that his brother was just finishing his full course meal of humble pie.

As such, he had to conduct this brotherly duty and comment, "Nice dress, Sokka," as he gave a wide smile from where he was leaning on the wall of the training hall.

Sokka's response was a look worthy of any angry firebender.

Zuko just smiled a little wider in response before walking off leaving Sokka to deflate almost comically and Suki to giggle as she realized that in spite of the fact the two boys weren't related by blood they were still brothers.

********************

As Zuko strolled back towards the main part of Kyoshi village, he absently took note of the fact he was still being followed 3 Kyoshi warriors who probably thought they were following him undetected. Smirking Zuko decided it was time to subtly let them know he knew about them and thusly he tossed a small bit of lunar fire over his shoulder. A second later, he was rewarded when he heard a loud crash and several curses.

"That smug son of a monster," Suki's second-in-command Sakura cursed her eyes blazing with anger. "We have to find a way to take him down a peg, girls."

"How it's like he has some sort of super sense when it comes to sneak attacks."

"It's probably because he grew up in the Fire Nation. I mean really they had to be at each other's backs all the time," Sakura responded.

"Hmm, then why don't we try another one of Kyoshi's techniques," the third girl said as she slid out her fan.

"NO!" The two others replied.

"Ahh but he's so cute and rugged all at the same time," the third girl said dreamily while sounding disappointed leaving the other two girls to give their friend a look of disbelief.

"How bout you try the direct approach?" Katara said as she walked up. "Just go up to him and ask what you want to ask," Katara added before she walked away. Bad enough Aang was acting like a jerk now people were badgering her brother.

Now relatively alone on the street the three looked at each other before shrugging and walking off to try the suggestion.

When they next found Zuko he was practicing a bending form a little bit out of the village but still within sight of the statue of avatar Kyoshi.

As Zuko finished 30 or so minutes later he looked over at the three girls and questioned, "So are you finally ready to ask me what you want to ask?"

"Yes..." Sakura began only to be cut off when she noticed something in the distance. That's something being a Fire Nation ship. Sakura of course immediately assumed the worst of Zuko and accused him of calling the ship.

Zuko's response to this as he hefted his swords was to roll his eyes, "...and since I got here when exactly have you three NOT been watching me?" before he replaced his swords on his back.

"He's got a point."

Sakura's only response was to grumble loudly before ordering the other two to go ready the village.

"Do you have any idea who could be on that ship?" Sakura demanded as Zuko gave to shift a grim look.

"My uncle," Zuko answered simply.

"Can't you be a little bit more specific than that?"

"I'm the son of the Fire Lord and his brother is..." Zuko began.

Eyes widening in a fear Sakura stuttered out, "General Iroh the Dragon of the West."

"...and the man sent to find the avatar," Zuko stated. "Get back to the village I'll hold him off as long as he feels like toying with me."

Nodding distantly Sakura ran off leaving Zuko to wait.

Several minutes later Iroh alone arrived on a Komodo Rhino.

"Hello, nephew," Iroh said conversationally before he looked around and commented, "Where is the avatar?"

"Not here," Zuko responded coyly as he slid into a relaxed stance.

"Oh I'm sure he's around here somewhere," Iroh said with a warm smile.

"You're not getting by me," Zuko declared as he summoned forth his fires.

"What exactly is that cold blue fire of yours, nephew," Iroh questioned conversationally before he dismounted and calmly strolled over to a proper fighting distance.

"Agni's reflection visible even on the darkest day," Zuko responded after a long moment of silence.

Iroh's response to this cryptic reply was a raised eyebrow until he noticed the moon in the sky visible even though it was daytime. "Ahh, moon light, most ingenious nephew," Iroh said with a smile before he slid into a loose stance himself. "Let's just see how far you've come," Iroh added before he attacked with a simple fireball.

Sliding into a stance Zuko pulled out his water tribe mace, wrapped it in solar fire and hit the fireball right back where it came from.

Dodging swiftly Iroh commented, "I see you've learned one or two things about redirection, nephew," before he quickly attacked with several fires streams which Zuko wrapped around him like water. "...and waterbending as well."

Zuko's response to this was a smirk before he compacted all of the fire he had gathered into a small fireball, which he then tossed into the air and swung at with his mace that was now wrapped in lunar fire.

Seeing this Iroh's eyes widened in fear, an instant later mace and fireball made contact with a thunderous crack that sent the fireball screaming by Iroh who didn't even bother to dodge.

"You messed, nephew," Iroh said while looking slightly disappointed.

"Did I, now," Zuko commented with a smirk before an explosion was heard in the distance.

Whipping around Iroh immediately saw that his ship, visible from the village, now sported a new hole in the deck. A few seconds later Iroh's attention was drawn back to what was in front of him when a 10-ton sky-bison slammed its tail down and blew him off his feet. In short order after that, Zuko climbed aboard and the avatar and his comrades took to the skies.

"Note to self, nephew puts holes in ships with regularity," Iroh commented to himself as he got up and dusted himself off before remounting his Komodo Rhino and riding off leaving the warriors of Kyoshi Island to come out from their hiding spots.

"We were lucky this day," Oyaji said as he walked up behind the warrioresses. "I fear if that man had not been so focused on the avatar and his nephew that our whole village would have been lit ablaze."

The reply the warrioresses gave was a nod while Oyaji walked off fingering a white lotus tile and smirking to himself.

********************

"So what's got you looking so happy," Aang questioned as he noticed Sokka's grin.

"Suki kissed me," Sokka said with a smile as he touched his cheek dreamily in instant before he puffed up. "She's totally in love with my manly self."

"So says the guy wearing a dress," Katara quipped.

"You'd have better luck romancing the moon, then a girl that far out of your league," Zuko added.

Fuming as his ego was mercilessly slaughtered by his siblings Sokka grumbled out, "Shut up," as he started to sulk.

********************

"What're the damages?" Iroh questioned as he arrived back on the ship.

"Other than the large hole sir surprisingly superficial," the captain said.

"Then let's be on our way," Iroh said before the captain ordered the ship to depart. "Captain, what would you say the fireball that hit the deck looked like?"

"It didn't look like fire at all, Sir. More like a ball of —and I know how crazy this sounds— lightning," the captain of the ship answered.

"I see," Iroh responded before walking over to the damage and examining it himself. "It certainly does look like it was hit by lightning doesn't it," Iroh commented as he thought on what it took to generate lightning and what he had seen his nephew do. 'Two kinds of fire one cold and one hot, yin and yang, positive and negative, Bring them together and their conflicting energies would merge instantly to create lightning. However neither one of his fires is imbalanced by itself and with the balance maintained so would control.'

"How exactly did Prince Zuko do this sir, I mean I know the Royal family knows the secrets of lightning generation but he hit us from over a mile away."

"Zuko was never taught that."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm not quite sure yet," Iroh responded before walking off to his cabin

********************

Late one night, Iroh was found sitting in his cabin looking over a scroll that depicted the first of the ancient and wordless murals of reflections. The ancient mural, which was a secret known only to a select few, was a paradox; it depicted Agni in a way he was depicted nowhere else. On the left side of the mural, Agni was depicted as he always was as a golden amber-eyed man standing below the rays of the sun bending fire. On the right side of the mural, however a blue-eyed Agni was depicted under the rays of the moon bending ocean blue fire that would light water ablaze.

The full meaning of the right side of the mural had never been really understood as everything that happened on the right side of the mural was seemingly in contradiction to how fire behaved; fire did not burn water, it did not require the light of the moon to bend.

However, in meeting his nephew again, Iroh saw those things happen. Furthermore, as Agni was depicted in the mural Zuko's left eye was as blue as the deep ocean.

"You've stumbled ...no you've been guided... into something very powerful nephew," Iroh commented to himself before he moved on to the next scroll.

This scroll depicted Agni bending the blue fire to do things he'd only seen his nephew do and a few things that he hadn't seen his nephew do. Finding out whether or not his nephew could do all of these things was a matter of provoking him to use his fire in the necessary manner.

The last scroll however was the one Iroh was the most interested in for it depicted that when the energies of the two fires were brought together outside or inside of the body, they would create lightning. The techniques of lightning generation had come from studying this depiction, but lightning generation and even redirection lacked one key element he had seen his nephew demonstrate; control.

'He has lightning in his blood,' Iroh finally concluded as he set the scrolls aside. 'Only the power of the avatar could exceed that and there could not be a better person to teach the avatar of fire. Oh yes the spirits answered our call all those years ago but they had much greater plans than simply giving Zuko a safe place to be.'

********************

"Well that certainly was an interesting episode," Zuko commented blandly as he munched on a bit of genemite while he toted a bag full of the stuff on his back.

"Not exactly the words I'd use," Katara responded in turn although she did have to admit the creeping crystal they had been encased in for the past few hours was tasty.

"I say let bygones be bygones," Sokka said with a smile amicably as he glanced to the huge bag of food on his shoulder.

Rolling her eyes at her brother Katara questioned, "So how much longer do you think Aang's going to be?"

"He said no later than nightfall but..." Zuko began only to be cut off by a loud explosion and a scream in the distance.

"MY CABBAGES!!"

"You don't think they would..." Katara questioned as she turned around. "I mean Bumi is..."

"...a mad genius that's missing more than a few screws," Sokka put forth causing Katara to snap her jaw shut.

With that, the three siblings continued their walk back to where they had left Appa.

However, along the way Sokka questioned, "So when exactly are you two going to tell him all the details about your special talents?"

"When the time is right, Sokka," Katara finally said as she rubbed the scar on her left hand.

"Ok, just don't wait too long," Sokka responded.

********************

********************

"Nice guy. How long has the Fire Nation been here?" Sokka questioned of the earthbender and his mother moments after they had been robbed by Fire Nation soldiers.

After glancing over at Zuko nervously, the mother answered, "Five years. Fire Lord Ozai uses our town's coal mines to fuel his ships."

"They're thugs; they steal from us, and everyone here is too much of a coward to do anything about it," the earthbender replied which quickly started a heated debate that revealed the earthbender's name to be Haru and that if his abilities were revealed to the Fire Nation he would be taken away like his father was.

"Agni, curse him to ash," Zuko growled as Haru's mother backed as far as way from Zuko as she could while Haru put himself in front of his mother.

The strangely blue-and-red-garbed firebender had been all but literally smoldering in rage ever since the soldiers had left. He visible rage made it obvious had no love for the Fire Nation, which was not all that surprising considering the scar on his face.

Finally, Haru had enough and demanded, "Why exactly are you, a firebender, not with them."

A moment later, after the firebender had taken a deep breath that seemingly released all of his rage in a subtle wave of dry heat, he responded by saying, "I spoke out against a plan to sacrifice new troops against the most elite earthbending troops all to gain a slight flanking advantage. Speaking out like that was considered an insult to the Fire Lord. So I was punished and then because I fought back banished for treason."

Hearing this Haru clenched his fist and said, "You mean to tell me that ... the Fire Nation sends its own people to be slaughtered," before trailing off he simply couldn't believe it. He knew he should feel glad that the Fire Nation made such stupid mistakes but the sheer depravity of sending out your own people to die like cattle made his stomach churn. He hated what the Fire Nation had done to his family but he never imagined the Fire Nation was that evil, but in looking at the scar the firebender had pointed to when he said punished, he knew it had to be the truth.

"Monsters, they're just monsters," Haru heard his mother say as she came up behind him. "To sacrifice their own people in such a manner for something as meaningless as war. I never thought I'd say this but I pity them."

"Save pity for those that deserve it like the mothers, fathers and children of those sacrificed," the firebender said calmly his eyes communicating experience in such matters. "Disgustingly, there are plenty in the Fire Nation military who seek only to destroy, burn and pillage," the firebender said, his eyes now blazing infernos of golden amber and ocean blue as he looked outside.

********************

Later that day around sunset found Haru and Katara sitting on a small hill overlooking a valley. Haru had just finished talking about his father and how Katara's words, earlier that day, reminded him of his father.

"So how exactly did a firebender become your brother? I mean he's obviously not a blood relative."

"He's my brother because he saved my mom's life during a Fire Nation raid," Katara said as she fingered her blue choker and the carved blue moonstone that hung from it. "If he hadn't I fear this necklace would be the only thing I'd have left of her. Still ever since she left with my father two years ago..."

"It's not enough is it?" Haru questioned to which Katara responded to by merely shaking her head. "What about the other necklace?"

"Zuko's birth mother —who was banished just like he was— ended up coming to the South Pole by coincidence one year. She was a kind but very stern Lady. We only had two short months with her before mercenaries found her and she had to move on but on the last day —the last few hours— she made this for me and..." Katara said before trailing off for a moment as she remembered that horrible day. "She said that I was her daughter just as much as Zuko is my brother. A few moments later —not even a minute— mercenaries attacked and she threw herself in front of a fire blast to save me. My memory of the few days after that are mostly a blank but the one thing I do remember is her leaving saying that it was too dangerous for her to stay anymore. We haven't heard from her since..."

"Great spirits," Haru whispered as he shook his head. He'd never imagined the Fire Nation would be so cruel as to ruin their own people with their war.

Sometime later, an explosion was heard from nearby.

********************

The next day after a very convincing performance from Zuko and Sokka, Katara was arrested as part of her plan to rescue Haru.

For his part, Zuko carefully put Katara's two chokers away. They were both far too valuable to risk the Fire Nation guards taking away. "Come on let's get moving," Zuko finally said.

********************

A few days later after a few inspirational speeches and a good amount of coal, Katara stood beside Haru as she put her two chokers back on.

"That's him, isn't it? The Avatar," Haru questioned to which Katara nodded as a reply before Haru glanced at his father. "Katara, thank you for bringing my father back to me, I never thought I'd see him again. I only wish there was some way..."

"We may not know if she's still alive," Katara said simply as she ran her finger over the silver she had seen become liquid so long ago. "... but she's a survivor and a master firebender."

Hearing this Haru nodded before his father Tyro questioned, "Who exactly is she; if we ever come across her we could do something anything to help her."

Katara's response to this was to look over at Zuko who shrugged before hopping onto Appa. "You may not believe this, but it's the truth. Zuko's mother is none other than Lady Ursa," Katara provided.

"Wait a minute you don't mean THE Lady Ursa?" Tyro questioned as his eyes widened. "As in the banished wife of the Fire Lord?!"

"Yes," Katara provided before she hopped onto Appa and added, "I hope we can meet again someday," as Appa took to the skies.

Waving goodbye the reunited father and son remained silent for a moment. "So the avatar has the very son of his enemy on his side; a true sign of hope if I ever saw one," Tyro finally said as he smiled at the departing form of the sky bison.

"It is isn't it?" Haru said after a moment of thought as he remembered Zuko's story of why he was banished. "Do you think Zuko will make a good Fire Lord?"

"I didn't get to know him that well, son, but those eyes of his burn hotter than any firebender I've ever seen. Still there's no evil or cruelty in those eyes; just an endless wells of fire."

"Like the sun," Haru said a moment later. "Full of heat and warmth but at the same time..."

"I know what you're saying son and I truly pity that boy's enemies because even —or more probably especially— his father won't escape him as anything more than ash."

********************

"...and those hot Springs was so relaxing," Iroh bemoaned as he and his crew returned to the ship. "Ahh well what's the latest information we have on the avatar, captain."

"His flying bison was last seen heading towards the forest of HeiBai," the captain responded.

"They've been having some trouble with the HeiBai spirit lately haven't they?" Iroh commented.

"Yes Sir and I doubt the men would want to go there right now with that kind of trouble happening."

"Very well I'll go there myself."

********************

"Next time, I listen to the clichéd wise old man and not jump in were only the avatar is supposed to," Sokka grumbled as he found himself sitting in a clearing in a field of bamboo. Looking around he wondered where exactly he was before he shrugged and pushed his way through the bamboo.

Soon enough Sokka found himself in a place he had had only heard his brother tells stories about, The Fire Nation Royal Palace.

"Ok what am I doing here?" Sokka questioned as he looked up at the impressive building before them. "...and where the heck am I. I mean I can't really be right in front of the Fire Nation Royal Palace."

"You're in the spirit world," Sokka heard a powerful voice say from behind him.

Slowly turning around and looking up the Sokka found himself staring at an edifice of a man. He had streaked red and black hair that looked like fire. One of his eyes was golden amber while the other was a deep ocean blue. The man's clothes and armor were a mixture of reds, gold, and blacks accented with vibrant purples.

His identity was plainly apparent by his facial features that were known even in the southern water tribe.

He was Agni the Great Spirit of the Sun.

"Bout time you showed up, hope that silly panda didn't rough you up too much," Agni said with a smile as he gave Sokka a hard but friendly pat on the back.

"Hmm, no offense but shouldn't I get a water tribe spirit," Sokka commented nervously.

"Normally yeah, but since you've been looking after Zuko down at the South Pole the least I can do for you is the mystical mumbo-jumbo guru thing. Well that and since deep thinking isn't my style Tui figured I'd be a better spirit guide for you than old triple-speak riddle spouting La," Agni said with a smile as he ushered Sokka along. "...and don't worry about Zuko, Tui's getting old La take care of him. He may be a stuffy fish face about most things but if there's any Great Spirit that can loosen that kid up La can."

"You mean at this moment Zuko is being subjected to one of the Ocean Spirit's legendary spirit parties," Sokka said with a wide grin.

"Complete with an unlimited supply of La's personal brew. Cold like a blizzard on the way down and like molten metal when it settles," Agni said with a smile before the two started laughing rakishly.

"So what mystical mumbo-jumbo guru stuff are going to lay on me?" Sokka questioned as the two walked along.

"Well when that flitty friend of yours went and got himself turned into an ice cube, old Gaia got to thinking about the whole avatar thing."

"Wait who's Gaia?" Sokka questioned causing the Great Sun Spirit to pause in his walk and let out a steamy grunt.

"I forgot no one remembers that name except us great spirits anymore," Agni finally said before shrugging. "Well you do know the avatar a the incarnation of the planet's spirit right."

"Right," Sokka answered with a nod.

"...but the avatar is not the planet's spirit."

"Hun?" Sokka questioned.

"Yeah I know doesn't make much sense at first but think about it if the avatar was the entirety of the planet's spirit he'd just be someone sitting on a mountain."

"So what you're saying is the avatar is only a little bitty piece of the planet's entire spirit."

"Exactly," Agni said with a smile as he gave Sokka a pat. "...and since the piece is small enough its mortal."

"So there's a Great Spirit of the planet somewhere?" Sokka half questioned before he blinked and smiled. "...and that spirit is Gaia right."

Chuckling Agni said, "Tui was right, you do catch on quick," before he absently popped his knuckles and continued, "Yeah Gaia is the spirit of the world and the avatar is her manifestation in the world. Beyond that, believe me it gets really complex and if you want to know the details, you're better off asking Gaia herself. Anyhow, back to your flitty friend. After he went and got himself turned into an ice cube, Gaia started thinking about the whole avatar thing and she realized that it would be much better if the avatar had some help. Therefore, Me, Tui and La, Atomos —he's the spirit of earth by the way— and Ang —she's the spirit of Air— and Gaia decided to create other Chosen Avatars. Sort of, kind of, like the avatar of the world only different."

"Ok," Sokka drawled as he tried to wrap his mind around what he had just been told.

"Now we were all ready to put everything into motion when old Gaia throws us for a loop."

"What kind of loop?" Sokka asked somewhat nervously.

"She wants to bring back energybenders," Agni responded as he sat down on the steps of the spirit world Fire Palace. "They were called a lot of things in the time before the avatar but energybenders all do the same thing. They bend the energy of their own soul —and a lot more dangerously other people's souls— to do things benders today can't dream of."

"That sounds kind of dangerous."

"There's no 'kind of' about it," Agni responded. "Still with the exception of bending other people's souls, energybending is something we shouldn't have taken away for mortals, even though we did give them the other kinds of bending in return."

"Why?"

"You'll learn the why for yourself when the time comes," Agni answered after he had cleared his throat theatrically and put on his best mystical guru face.

Two seconds later the two started laughing rakishly again.

"Anyway Gaia dropping the whole energybending thing on us through us for a loop but we recovered easily enough —infinite wisdom and all that stuff— and came up with a slightly modified plan. At any one time we decided that there would be three Chosen Avatars for each of the elements the avatar hadn't been born into and then one Chosen Avatar energybender."

"Wait a minute, if there hasn't been an energybender in ... well since only you know how long... how we are supposed to find this chosen energybender."

Agni his reply was to create a mirror right in the middle of the path Sokka was pacing.

"I really should have seen this one coming," Sokka commented as he rubbed his nose and looked at the mirror to which the Great Sun Spirit only responded to with a smirk.

"You're not going to be bending another people's souls; Gaia's reserved that kind of energybending for the avatar of the world forevermore but when the time comes, you'll be learning how to bend your own from those old energybending scrolls."

"But I'm not a bender, energy or otherwise," Sokka complained. "I mean I'm just the guy with the boomerang."

"No one ever said you wouldn't still have it," Agni said amicably before he pointed to something behind Sokka.

Turning around Sokka found himself staring at a white-eyed spirit with shimmering hair that seemed to shift between every color in the rainbow.

"Hello Sokka," the greatest of the Great Spirits said with a smile as she bent down to Sokka's eye level.

"You wouldn't happen to be Gaia would you?" Sokka questioned with a nervous smile even though knew the answer since the power he was feeling from spirit was just like what he felt from Aang.

"I would," Gaia said pleasantly before she reached out and placed her hands on Sokka's chest and forehead. "Receive again what has been lost, chosen of the element of spirit," Gaia said before the power of the world was invoked.

********************

"Humph," Sokka groaned as he sat up with a splitting headache. "I really hope that was all just some really crazy dream."

"No such luck, kid," Sokka heard from behind him.

Turning around and sitting up Sokka did a quick mental checklist before scratching his head and commenting, "I don't feel any different."

"You will when the time comes and all that. Oh also you won't be remembering much of this little encounter until the time comes either," Agni responded simply before pulling out a large bottle and a couple of large tankards. "Come drink with me until your friend can get you out of here. La's stuff is so good it doesn't even give you a hangover."

"Do you have food as well?"

"A delicious and unlimited medley of meats," Agni responded with a smile as he produced a large drumstick of meat from nowhere.

A few seconds later the two were happily gorging themselves.

********************

Meanwhile elsewhere in the spirit world La had managed to coax a rare but true warm smile from Zuko.

********************

Sometime later or to be precise 24 hours after they had entered the spirit world Sokka and Zuko found themselves back in the village they had been abducted from.

Both were slightly disorientated since only moments earlier they were enjoying the company of great spirits.

"What happened?" Zuko questioned himself as he shook his head to clear it not entirely sure his disorientation was purely an effect of being instantly dropped back into the physical world. In fact, he was almost sure La had somehow managed to slip him something.

"You were trapped in the Spirit world for 24 hours. How are you feeling?" Katara questioned as she threw her arms around both Zuko and Sokka.

"Like I seriously need to use the bathroom!" Sokka answered before running off.

"What about you Zuko?"

"I somehow got invited to one of La's parties," Zuko responded as he shook his head again. "I'm still a little disorientated."

"Whoa, you got invited to a party thrown by the great ocean spirit!" Aang said half in awe, half in worry.

"Yeah," Zuko said as he unsteadily walked over and sat down on the nearest object that looked stable enough to hold his weight. "...and let me tell you the legends have nothing on what La really does. I can't even begin to think of a place to start describing what I saw. Still it was fun," Zuko said with an open smile causing Katara to blink before she placed a hand to his forehead.

"You've been drinking," Katara said worriedly. If there was one thing her brother didn't handle well it was alcohol to say nothing of spirits made by spirits.

"I think La slipped me something in that drink he called ... a cool ocean's delight. He said it was a traditional drink to refresh the body."

"Oh Zuko," Katara said as she shook her head and sat down by Zuko. "This is why you shouldn't skip out on the traditional feasts even I know to avoid that drink," Katara added as she helped Zuko into a more comfortable position on the ground.

"Yeah so do I," Aang added as he sat down. "Monk Gyatso gave me one of those drinks one time."

"Your air bending master gave you a highly intoxicating drink."

"Well we were celebrating my mastery of air bending and he said I should have a taste of the water tribe," Aang said with a sheepish smile as he scratched the back of his head. "...and it was really small one."

"Oh," Katara responded simply not exactly sure what she should think of Aang drinking. Of course, as she and her brothers had snuck into the storeroom where the tribe's liquor was stored at a younger age than Aang she really couldn't object to him drinking without being a hypocrite.

"Ahh I feel much better now," Sokka said as he walked back from where he ran off to.

"So what was your trip through the spirit world like?" Zuko questioned as he sat up.

Sokka's response to this was to open his mouth before blinking a few times and shutting it, "I don't remember much but I got the strangest feeling I should."

"Sometimes the spirits give you visions that are only meant to be remembered when the time comes," the wise old man said.

"I don't think I had a vision ... but the whole remembering when the time comes thing seems to be ringing a bell," Sokka commented.

"So what do you remember?" Katara questioned.

"I was at the Fire Nation Palace and Agni was yammering on about what I know I should be remembering. Then there was this flash or something and then I woke up and Agni pulled out an unlimited supply of La's special brew and a medley of meats and we had a good party."

"So let me get this straight; you and Agni talked about something that's important to the fate of the world and you can only remember the party afterwards," Katara said with a dangerous tone to her voice.

"Yeah but it's not like I don't remember what happened it's like there's something that's stopping me from remembering," Sokka responded before shrugging his shoulders and adding, "it doesn't matter anyway when the time comes. I'm sure it'll come to me."

"Aang can't you do some avatar thing and knock some sense into him."

"No ... well I don't think so," Aang said as he scratched his head. "Anyway I need to talk to Roku and I think I've found a way to contact his spirit."

"That's great," Katara said with a smile.

"Creepy but great," Sokka added.

"There's a temple on a crescent shaped island, and if I go there on the solstice I'll be able to speak with him," Aang informed.

"...but the solstice is tomorrow."

"... and if I'm not too badly mistaken that crescent shaped island is in the Fire Nation," Zuko put forth to which Aang responded to with a reluctant nod.

"Gee, great, now all we need is Zuko's obsessive yet polite uncle to chase after us and we'll have a grand time," Sokka grumbled sarcastically.

Watching from the shadows nearby said uncle smirked before slipping away.

********************

"Only a fully realized Avatar is powerful enough to open this door alone," Shyu the only fire Sage loyal to the avatar said as he looked at the sanctuary doors. "Otherwise the Sages must open the doors together with five simultaneous fire blasts."

"Five blasts eh," Sokka said with a grin as he leaned against an equally grinning Zuko. "Well Zuko here can do three at once the real question is can you do two."

"Yes I can," Shyu said with a smile.

"Then let's open this door up before company arrives," Sokka said.

With that said, Zuko and Shyu took their positions and fired; Zuko using both of his hands and his foot while Shyu merely used both hands. A few moments later, the doors opened and the two stopped.

"This is where we must part ways, good luck avatar," Shyu said before running off.

Smiling to themselves everyone else entered the sanctuary the doors of which sealed behind him just as a man was seen running up to them.

"Zhao," Zuko cursed.

"So who is he?" Sokka questioned as Aang walked up to the stature of Roku.

"A ruthless unscrupulous man," Zuko responded. "He gets along well with my father."

"Why do I get the feeling him being after us is worse than your uncle being after us."

"My uncle has honor, Zhao, forget it," Zuko said before they walked over to the statue.

"The light hits the statue and I talk to Roku. So why isn't anything happening?" Aang questioned.

"You may have to wait until it hits his face," Sokka postulated as he studied the statue and the sanctuary in turn.

"Why do you say that?" Katara questioned.

"Well last time Aang's eyes glowed," Sokka said with a shrug before sitting down and waiting.

********************

"Where are we?" Katara questioned as she found herself and Zuko standing in a circle of unusual material that was surrounded by what appeared to be representations of the four elements.

"You are where you need to be," a white-eyed spirit with shimmering hair that seemed to shift between every color in the rainbow said calmly as she simply shimmered into existence in front of the two. "You two must be made aware of a fact about your selves," the spirit said calmly her white eyes sharp with intelligence yet soft with kindness.

"What kind of fact?" Zuko questioned.

"As of right now because of your storage of chi and your use of opposing elemental chi your power is near that of Aang's when he does not invoke the avatar state. This means you are at this very moment approximately 100 times as strong as a normal bender. You'd do well to remember this and find a way to exercise the fullness of your powers so you may use them with proper temperance. You mustn't dally in this exercise either for as your journey continues you will become even more powerful," the spirit said before vanishing shortly before the spiritual world the two were in followed.

********************

That night as the avatar flew away from Crescent Island where an avatar-induced volcano was now erupting Iroh frowned. He genuinely hoped the young avatar was ready to face Zhao.

"Sir, I have a report that the fire sages have been arrested for treason for helping the avatar."

"This does not bode well, Zhao will certainly be promoted because of an incident like this," Iroh said.

"Sir the man is an arrogant fool."

"That makes him the most dangerous kind of man to be in power."

********************

"I don't care what she says Katara is a Sifu," Aang moaned as he tried to sit up after he had gotten done with his first waterbending session with Katara.

"Well you are the one that asked her to teach you what she knew," Zuko said without the least bit of sympathy. "Besides you did learn 10 new moves."

"The first three were easy like basic airbending moves," Aang muttered.

"I know they were easy for me to," Zuko mused as he remembered exactly how jealous Katara was of him learning those moves so quickly. Of course, he'd been jealous that she'd learned basic fire bending moves just as quickly. Sokka of course had defused both of their jealous rages by informing them that since they both learned intermediate and advanced moves before they tried to borrow moves from each other that of course they were easy after all the moves were basic.

The embarrassment the two had shared after realizing Sokka was right was still embarrassing years after the fact. However, it did serve in making sure Katara didn't embarrass herself with jealousy when Aang easily learned three waterbending moves in the span of that many minutes. Unfortunately, for Aang after seeing that her new pupil was a quick study Katara quickly started on harder and harder things. This was why the young avatar was at present soaking wet and exceptionally tired.

"Are you sure she's not a master?" Aang finally asked.

"She's completely self-taught and I've never seen a formally trained waterbending master so I don't know but I wouldn't doubt that she already is," Zuko responded.

"What about you?"

"I know I know all kinds of mastery level moves but I haven't had formal training at that level either so I'm definitely too rough to be called a master."

"So you're both self-taught masters but you don't want to call yourselves Masters until you get formal training?" Aang questioned.

"There's only so much you can learn from scrolls," Zuko responded with a shrug.

"True," Aang responded as he remembered all the things he learned from the monks. "So when do you think they'll be back?"

"Probably by nightfall," Zuko answered before cracking his knuckles and saying. "...and break time is over so hop to it," as he smiled rather malevolently.

Aang's prompt response was to this was to start practicing his waterbending again before Zuko decided he needed work on dodging fire again.

Zuko's response to this was a smirk before he added, "...and later were going to spar."

Aang's response to this was a gulp.

********************

Later that day Sokka and Katara returned to find a slightly singed avatar laying on the ground.

"I see you've been playing with Zuko again," Sokka said with a grin before he presented him with a gift that instantly raised Aang's spirits.

"A bison whistle!!" Aang said excitedly as he leapt up and ran over to Appa.

"So did you get everything you need?" Zuko questioned as he got up from where he was lounging.

Katara's answer was a nod before she walked off leaving the two brothers talking to each other about what kind of supplies they would need next. This left Aang who had finished showing his bison whistle to Appa bite his lip a little nervously before he decided to go see what Katara was doing.

********************

A little later Aang found Katara sitting near the waterfall they had practiced by that morning absently rubbing the top of her left hand as she looked at the sun through the waterfall.

Cheerfully Aang made his presence known by showing Katara how far he had come in his practice.

Disappointingly, he didn't get much more than a small smile.

"What's wrong?" Aang finally asked as he sat down.

"Nothing really," Katara answered as she fingered her chokers. "...or nothing that can be helped anyway," Katara added before she stretched out and seemed to consider something for a moment before she favored Aang with a small smile and opened the bag that sat next to her to reveal a myriad of metal scraps.

"What are you going to do with those?" Aang questioned curiously.

"Zuko isn't the only one that's discovered something amazing by looking to the opposite of where a bender usually gets their power," Katara said before she raised her left hand over the scraps of metal and used her power to pull.

The crystalline metal responded instantly and became a glowing hot fluid that Katara bent and shaped into a few articles of jewelry before pushing the heat away and letting the metal become crystalline again.

"You can bend metal!" Aang shouted in awe.

"No not metal specifically," Katara said absently. "More like anything that's like ice —or crystal— when it's solid and surprisingly there are a lot of things that are like ice when they're solid. Of course all metal I've ever come in contact with is crystalline so in a way I guess you could say I bend metal but probably not like a real metalbending earthbender would."

"So what else can you do with it?"

"Well let's just say there's another kind of the ice I can make," Katara said as she picked up a piece of charcoal and bent it into a diamond. "This is why we don't have to worry about money. A little metal, a little charcoal and a bit of time and we have something valuable to sell."

********************

"Hi," Katara responded flatly to the boy in front of her that had just managed to nearly single-handedly take down a troop of Fire Nation's soldiers.,

"I'm Jet and these are my freedom fighters," Jet said before introducing his ragtag bunch.

"Not too shabby," Sokka commented as he walked up next to his sister while Aang exclaimed how awesome Jet was.

Zuko for his part just rolled his eyes and absently waved his hand to dismiss the fire the careless Fire Nation soldiers had created.

An instant later Jet and his freedom fighters were on guard and Jet practically growled, "Your a firebender!"

"Yeah," Zuko answered with a shrug.

Blinking at this rather blasé response Jet turned to his freedom fighters who shrugged before he questioned, "So what are you doing here?"

"Relying on my knuckle brained brother's untrained instincts," Zuko commented as he smirked at Sokka. Sokka's response to this was to fume.

"That'll get you killed you know," Jet commented before giving Zuko a calculating look. "So how exactly does someone from the Fire Nation become brother to someone from the Water Tribes?"

"It's quite a story," Katara responded as she gave Jet an examining eye. Her trained instincts as a healer told her there was something off about him. Most likely because of what he was chewing.

"I'm sure it is," Jet responded before he walked off after giving one last glance at Zuko.

********************

"So what's his story?" Jet questioned later as everyone walked through the treetops encampment of the freedom fighters.

"Zuko," Katara said to which Jet nodded. "The short story is: My father found him adrift when he was about 10. He refused to stay in the village at first and he only came around to learn how to survive on his own but me and my brother wouldn't leave him alone out there. The South Pole is no place to be alone after all. Then the spring after he arrived, a Fire Nation raid occurred and I asked him to come to the village help while the warriors were away. The captain of the raiders snuck away from the main battle and into the village but we spotted him and Zuko went to confront him while me and Sokka got everyone to safety but I couldn't find my mom. It turns out she was real close to where Zuko was confronting the captain. Since Zuko was used to the cold at that point his firebending was way stronger than the captain's. Because of that, he didn't have any trouble holding his own against him. In fact Zuko didn't even have to try to hold his own."

"Wow," Jet commented he may have hated Fire Nation with a passion but the idea of a 10-year-old standing up to a Fire Nation captain and not even having to try was impressive.

"I know it was pretty incredible. Anyhow, Zuko gave the captain a chance to leave of his own accord. Just to walk away. The captain instead tried to attack my mom," Katara said before looking up at Jet with deadly seriousness. "Zuko didn't give him a chance to do more than twitch before he let loose with everything he had."

"What happened to the guy?" Jet questioned to which Katara merely shook her head to. "Oh," Jet said in response as he gave a slight nod.

"Still If Zuko hadn't been quicker or worse he hadn't even been there I've always felt that..." Katara said before shaking her head and trailing off. "After that my mom pushed for Zuko's formal adoption into the tribe and my family."

Hearing this Jet nodded as his mind tried to grasp what he had been told. "So what's the long story?"

"Later."

********************

For once in his life, Sokka was actually grateful for all of the etiquette and poise lessons Zuko's mom had shoved down his throat. They kept him from laughing his head off at what was going on around him at the moment.

Jet obviously hated fire nation with the passion of —quite ironically— a firebender and was making it his personal mission to infuriate Zuko to the point of exploding in rage by insulting the fire nation in every way possible.

Jet of course didn't know Zuko was the prince the fire nation. Still, more importantly to what was happening at the moment, Jet didn't know that Zuko was almost impossible to get raging mad. The reasons for this were; A: His brother not only imitated ice sculptures but in fact was so cool real ice sculptures burned with a jealous rage when they got near Zuko, B: Zuko knew more about the depravity of the fire nation than Jet did, and lastly, C: compared to Zuko, Jet was sorely lacking in the ability to fling insults.

Actually, Jet sounded like he was reading from a broken and out of date propaganda scroll.

********************

Later that evening after the celebratory feast and the full story of Zuko's origins in the water tribe, Jet found Zuko leaning against a tree absently relaxing underneath the light of the moon.

'Odd behavior for a firebender,' Jet mused to himself. 'Then again everything about this guy is off,' Jet thought with a smirk. Of all the Fire Nation thugs and riffraff he'd ever come across all of them had had tempers that were ... well combustible. Zuko's responses to the barbs and insults to the Fire Nation were calm, intense and interesting.

He'd defended the everyday people that didn't participate in the war and added that even in the Fire Nation lives of everyday people were horrible. Jet didn't know whether or not to believe him but if Zuko was telling the truth it would change things.

On the other hand, Zuko denounced the Fire Lord and all those that were like him with an intensity Jet doubted HE could match. The look in Zuko's eyes when he spoke of the Fire Lord was so intense it was akin to looking into the heart of a forest fire.

Jet may have faced off against firebenders before and seen rage and anger in their eyes but the look in Zuko's eyes was like nothing Jet had ever seen before in his life even in the mirror.

'It's like looking into burning pools of hot and cold both of which will burn you alive,' Jet finally thought as he pictured Zuko's unusual eyes. A moment later Jet shrugged to himself before walking out of the shadows and over to Zuko who acknowledged him with a nod. "So what do think of my freedom fighters?" Jet questioned with a friendly smile.

"From what I've seen they seem to be a good group, with good hearts," Zuko answered before giving Jet a hard look. "You however strike me as the type that resorts to unnecessary things."

Eyes narrowing dangerously Jet said, "It's war."

"Be careful you don't become a monster in chasing after them," Zuko answered as he looked at the vista of the Earth Kingdom village in the valley nearby that was visible through the canopy. "Take that town for instance. If you were just as monstrous as the Fire Nation in their thinking about justifiable losses you might think wiping out the whole town by say blowing the dam over there would be acceptable but if you did that you'd kill mothers, fathers, women, and children just like the Fire Nation has done throughout the war. Of course, maybe a few children would survive just like you survived. Tell me Jet exactly what would those children think of somebody that wiped out their entire home and killed their family. Do you think they would care about anything else but getting revenge?"

As memories of what had happened to his family flashed through his mind Jet swallowed and finally said, "No but I'd never think to do anything like that. No one deserves to suffer like I have."

"Good, just keep in mind you're fighting for peoples freedom and happiness and you'll make a great leader. Maybe someday you'll even become an Earth King yourself," Zuko said with a nod while knowing for a fact Jet was lying about never thinking about blowing the dam. "Coincidentally you know there's only one person in that village you would have to remove —by whatever means— to free the entire village."

"Who's that?" Jet questioned rather curiously.

"The one in charge of course," Zuko responded. "This valley isn't very strategic from a Fire Nation standpoint and with the leader out of the way the remaining troops would withdrawal and it'd be very doubtful the Fire Nation would come back here."

"So it would only take one person?" Jet questioned disbelievingly.

"If that," Zuko answered. "If you can say make them believe they had orders to fall out of here they'd leave and with a bit of knowledge the Fire Nation wouldn't be the wiser that the town wasn't occupied by their forces by any longer. I'm sure you can think of something to do with that."

"That's triple faced you now maybe even more," Jet responded even as a grin crept onto his face.

"It's war you do what you have to do. You just make sure you do the right thing," Zuko said before getting up and handing Jet a small book. "This is the codebook from the enemy camp. I found it while you were moving that blasting jelly. Put it to good use. Make living in freedom and with hope your revenge; because I assure you that's exactly what the Fire Lord doesn't want people to have," Zuko added before walking off.

Now alone Jet pondered what he had been given before shrugging and letting out a whistle to which Longshot responded to. "Longshot see if you can figure out if this thing's legit. If it is let's see if we can get the Fire Nation out by bamboozling them with their own bureaucracy," Jet said before adding, "What do you think of him?"

Longshot's response was to hold up a few partially burned leaves.

"He did stop the fire didn't he," Jet said with a nod. No other firebender Jet had ever known had ever stopped a fire. Let alone with a casual gesture that indicated he thought it was something matter of fact to do. "Do you think I was wrong that not all Fire Nation are bad?"

Longshot's answer was to pull his ear and point to Zuko's retreating form.

"Listen to what he says eh..." Jet said with a slight smirk before frowning. "That means their cruel and unusual to even their own people and in a lot of ways that makes them worse than before."

Longshot's response was a nod before he traced an outline on the left side of his face before pointing to where Zuko had vanished into one of the treehouses.

"Can't argue with that," Jet responded with a shrug. "Still I want to test him in my own way."

Longshot's response was a nod before walking off.

********************

The next day around noon after Jet had tested Zuko in his own way —specifically a sword fight— he found himself regaining consciousness in his room.

"What hit me?" Jet questioned as he sat up holding his head.

"The tree you fell into," Katara informed helpfully.

"Oh yeah," Jet commented. "Note to self watch balance without swords," Jet added before noticing Katara glaring at him.

"You know what this does don't you," Katara stated as she held up one of the twigs he was partial to chewing. "It's a very dangerous thing to be chewing on," Katara continued without even waiting for his answer. "It blocks chi flow and because of that it impairs judgment, causes delusions and hallucinations, is toxic, blocks bending but you know the worst thing it does? It ages you prematurely and if you don't stop using this stuff for every year you use it you'll lose two. I've used my healing to reverse as much damage as possible but you've already cut your own life short by at least five years."

"Five?" Jet whispered in horror. "...but that old healer said all it did was block bending," Jet added in a whisper.

"No healer would ever recommend this," Katara said flatly.

"...but I remember," Jet said before trailing off as his eyes flashed with anger.

"What's wrong?"

"When I thought of the healer that told me about that stuff all I saw was some old man waving something in front of my face and feeling numb all over," Jet responded.

"Sounds like somebody used hypnosis and probably some drugs on you. My healing session probably revealed the true memories of what happened," Katara said after a moment. "...but seeing as I've only heard about that kind of thing I'm not 100% sure."

"I am," Jet said angrily before Katara got up and started to leave.

"We've got to leave now but I'll give you one piece of advice. You can't keep denying yourself forever," Katara said before leaving.

Now alone, Jet let out a deep sigh before feeling Longshot's hand on his shoulder.

"You're our leader, no matter what."

"I know I just wish I wasn't so cursed," Jet said as his hand became wreathed in a dim flame. "I'd thought I'd found a way to escape it."

********************

********************

Some days later after the fire nation troops left the village Jet smiled as he and freedom fighters celebrated in the village. As he looked around, he noticed that the few fire nation civilians that were in the village were celebrating just as heartily as everyone else if not more so.

'I guess that Zuko kid was right they do treat their own people like everyone else,' Jet thought as he looked around at the happy faces. '...and to think I was actually thinking of destroying everything just to get rid of 25 troops,' Jet mentally added as he shook his head and decided to get back to the party at hand.

********************

"You made the whole thing up?" Zuko questioned with a shake of his head as everyone got on Appa after hiking through a canyon.

"Yep," Aang said with a sheepish smile.

Zuko's reply was a rare chuckle before he sat back and questioned, "So where to next?"

********************

********************

"Well that was another fine mess you got us into," Zuko grumbled to Sokka after Aang and had to rescue them —using his avatar spirit no less— from being drowned on a fishing boat in a typhoon.

Sokka's response was to grumble loudly although he didn't shift out from underneath a blanket that was draped over Aang, Katara, Zuko, and himself. After all, he didn't want to catch pneumonia from being too wet and cold as result of being out in the storm.

"Well at least we're not going to catch a cold," Aang said brightly as Zuko used his firebending to keep them all warm.

"Yeah knowing our luck that would be an adventure in itself," Katara said with a smirk before they started imagining how such an event would turn out.

In the end they conjured up with the idea of Aang being captured by Commander Zhao and having to be rescued by Zuko who would disguise himself as 'The Blue Spirit' as not to be recognized by the Fire Nation.

********************

Elsewhere Commander Zhao had just received words of his promotion to Admiral: a promotion given to him directly by the Fire Lord.

********************

"I see complicated troubles in your love life," Aunt Wu said as she looked at the bones in front of her. "The one you are destined for is carrying a blade to strike you with that has your name on it —metaphorically of course."

"If you're talking about who I think you're talking about I doubt there's any metaphor about it," Zuko interjected causing the fortuneteller to blink and nod as other things about her vision became clearer.

"There shall also be great conflict between your sister of blood who leads the one you are destined for and your sister of heart."

After thinking for a moment, Zuko nodded as he thought, 'Great conflict is probably going to be an understatement.'

Really, in quite a number of ways his two sisters were frighteningly similar, although Katara was decidedly more sane and kind.

"However there is hope if you can mend what has been lost between you and your destined."

A small smile was Zuko's response to this.

"Be wary however of your blood sister. The bones speak of great evil from her."

Quirking an eyebrow Zuko deadpanned, "I last saw her when I was 10 and I still have nightmares about her."

Blinking the fortuneteller re-examined one bone only to have it crumble into dust as she tried to pick it up. "Ah my mistake, she is almost unimaginable evil contained within a deceiving façade that only makes her seem like a great evil."

"Yeah that's her," Zuko responded.

********************

"Who's there?" Sokka demanded as he stood up and directed his attention to where he had heard a sound from a nearby forest.

A moment later, a man Sokka hadn't seen in two years walked into the clearing and questioned, "Sokka?" his face clearly showing surprise.

"Bato!?" Sokka called out disbelievingly waking everyone else.

"Bato!!??" Katara called out even as Aang muttered something sleepily in the background.

"Sokka! Katara! Zuko!" Bato called out as he was enveloped in a hug from Katara and Sokka. "It is so good to see you three! Oh, you've grown so much."

"Its good to see you again," Zuko said with a smile before he patted Aang on the back and said, "This is Avatar Aang."

"It's an honor to meet you avatar," Bato said with a smile. He'd heard the rumors but now he was certain of whom those rumors spoke.

"Please just call me Aang," Aang said modestly to which Bato chuckled as a reply.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" Sokka asked suddenly.

"Your father and the other warriors should be somewhere in the eastern Earth Kingdom by now."

"...and mom?" Katara questioned.

"Around," Bato said with a smirk.

Looking over Bato's injuries Katara said, "You're not supposed to be out of bed are you."

"No, but I was getting sick of..." Bato said with a smile before a chilly wind picked up for a moment. "She just walked up behind me didn't she," Bato said with a nervous tick as the kids moved away from him.

The response the kids gave was a nod.

"This is no place for a reunion. Let's get inside," Kya declared in a tone that was colder than the weather.

********************

Sometime later after a short explanation of what had happened to Bato and an introduction to the residences of the abbey Bato and Kya were staying at, found everyone sitting in a water tribe tent while Kya prepared a meal as Sokka rubbed his head. Earlier he had cut Aang off when he had smelled food. This rudeness promptly earned him a cuff on the head from his mother.

"Don't give me that look young man. You know it's not polite to interrupt your friends," Kya said as she noticed the Sokka grumbling to himself. "Now Aang is there anything particular you'd like to eat?"

"As long as its not meat I should be fine with it," Aang responded even as Katara, Sokka, and Zuko started chatting with Bato.

Nodding at this Kya returned to her work as the children continue to talk to Bato. A few moments later, however Sokka again rudely interrupted his friend. "Son where are your manners!" Kya declared as she stormed over to Sokka. "Not only do you interrupt your friend but you ignore him," Kya hissed as she swung Sokka around to face Aang who Sokka noticed had a sad hurt look on his face.

Wincing Sokka nervously pulled his wolf tail as he said, "Sorry Aang I guess I got a little carried away," before his face brightened mischievously as she realized that HE now had some crazy stories to tell. "Hey, why don't we tell my mom and Bato all about our adventures!?"

"Only if I get to hear some of the stories you were talking about!" Aang responded as his spirits lifted.

"Oh how about the great blubber fiasco!" Katara said with a smile.

"It's kind of a long one," Bato said with a nervous chuckle.

"Those are the best kind," Zuko put forth mischievously.

"Yeah I know," Bato grumbled before he started telling the tale.

********************

The next morning Katara slipped out of the tent to find her mother absently humming a tune.

"It's good to see you again," Katara said sincerely as she sat down next to her mother. "I just wish we could stay longer."

"As do I but your destiny is obviously with Aang," Kya said more than a bit of mischief as she noticed the young avatar not so covertly watching.

"MOM we're just friends!" Katara protested as she caught the innuendo in her mother's voice.

Nodding graciously Kya said, "I'm sure you are at the moment but I have a feeling that will change in time."

"MOM," Katara practically growled.

"I don't think you should worry, dear," Kya said pointedly ignoring her daughter's anger and the mortified look on the young avatar's face. "After all me and your father where friends for a very long time before we fell in love and despite what silly overdramatic scroll writers write a friendship is not ruined just because your in love. In fact, in my experience they make each other that much better," Kya continued for as much Aang's benefit as her daughter's.

Now blushing rather fetchingly Katara questioned, "How did you know?"

"I just did but I can tell you that real and true love is a lot like the four elements. It is like water because it ebbs and flows between those who are in love. It is like Earth because even if you let go of your love it still remains strong and true. It is like fire because it gives you warmth but if not treated with respect can burn. Finally, it is like air because it although it attaches you to others it does not limit your freedom."

"That's one big giant paradox," Katara voiced unknowingly echoing Aang's sentiment perfectly.

"Exactly but when it all becomes clear than you'll know you're in love," Kya said with a smile as she walked off.

********************

Later that day found Kya looking over the rendezvous map a messenger had delivered the previous night while Bato was telling one of his stories— the great blubber fiasco was indeed quite a long tale to tell. As she finished however she shook her head a little guiltily at not telling the children of the map. It was best however, that they weren't distracted from the great spirits given quest to aid and guide the avatar.

In fact, in looking back on what had happened since Zuko arrived in the village that day so long ago Kya had little doubt the great spirits always had great plans for her children.

"Still," Kya mused as she thought of exactly how her children related to each other and the avatar. "There must be another chosen child out there; one who is an earthbender already worthy enough to teach the avatar," Kya continued absently as she rolled three small balls of metal around in her hand. Looking down at the balls, which had been crafted by Katara as she first learned how to control her solar powered waterbending Kya commented, "I wonder what will develop when earth and air look to their opposites as fire and water have," before she looked up at the lunar fire burning in a bowl of water. A fire she had kept lit since it had been started by Zuko on the solstice all those years ago.

Most would have found it unusual to keep a fire burning for years but the Southern Water Tribe were a deeply spiritual people and almost all of them had lunar fire they had kept burning since that intensely spiritual day so long ago. In addition, everyone kept metal worked by Katara's solar waters. How they did so however was varied. Some left the metal in balls, ribbons or other aqueous shapes because of its unusual beauty of being able to mix fire and water. Most however had fashioned the metal into tools or weapons. In fact, all of Sokka's weapons, his spear, his boomerang, his club, and his machete were made not of traditional materials but of metal Katara had bent and Zuko had forged with the assistance of their father.

********************

Zuko was really and truly furious as was indicated by his left eye twitching erratically as he loomed over the avatar like a vengeful spirit. This looming was enhanced by the fact he was wearing a blue mask.

"I told you," Zuko said with a calm voice as he removed his mask to reveal his grave and serious face. "Not to airbend at the festival," Zuko continued his voice flat while his eyes simmered with molten rage.

Aang's only response was to start apologizing rapidly.

Letting out a steamy grunt Zuko turned his attention to Chey the man that had helped them escape the festival Zuko had just mentioned. "I thank you for your help. Still I'm surprised you left the military."

Bowing deeply Chey responded, "There is no need to thank me my prince. Please if you would follow me the great Jeong-Jeong is waiting to meet you."

********************

Later found Zuko sitting across from the first man to ever desert the fire nation military and live: Jeong-Jeong.

"You walk like a master yet you are rough," Jeong-Jeong said as he looked over Zuko.

"I've only had scrolls and experience with a single similarly taught waterbender to teach me since my exile," Zuko answered.

Nodding Jeong-Jeong responded, "Tomorrow at sunrise we begin."

"What of the avatar?" Zuko questioned.

"He has not mastered water or Earth, he is not ready. When he is you shall be his Sifu."

"It may be true he hasn't mastered the other elements but starting on the basics is still a good idea."

"True enough," the old master said with a grumble. "However are you sure he will not try to do more than he should?"

"I'm sure he will and when he does he'll be burned but at the same time he'll learn to respect fire as all firebenders do."

"That is a harsh lesson."

"...but a necessary one for those of us that walk in the fire."

Grumbling loudly Jeong-Jeong nodded in agreement.

********************

The next day found Jeong-Jeong drilling Zuko relentlessly after showing the avatar the basics.

Finally, after five hours of tiring work Jeong-Jeong declared, "There is nothing more of validity I can teach you that you don't already know. Keep in mind what I have said about form, breath and balance and with practice you're natural talents coupled with what you have already learned will let you polish your skills to that of a Sifu in no more than a month."

Nodding Zuko bowed deeply while Sokka commented, "I'm surprised how little you had left to learn."

The old master's response to this was to say, "A prodigy needs very little tutelage and much knowledge."

A moment later, a shrill scream was heard causing both Zuko and Sokka to jump into action and run off. The old master responded to this by shaking his head sadly before walking off to get his medical supplies.

Some few minutes later, he found the young girl Katara sitting by the river rubbing her hands, which he was surprised to see weren't burned except for the unusual scar on her left hand that was obviously old.

"You have healing abilities," Jeong-Jeong said as he approached Katara from behind. "The great benders of the water tribe sometimes have this ability," the old master said as he sat down and continued, "I've always wished I were blessed like you — free from this burning curse."

"Fire isn't a curse," Katara said simply as she scratched her right wrist absently moving the large metal bangle she wore on it as she did so.

Shaking his head Jeong-Jeong responded, "Water brings healing and life but fire brings only destruction and pain. It forces those of us burdened with its care to walk a razor's edge between humanity and savagery. Eventually, we are torn apart."

As Katara was about to respond to the old master, fireballs started exploding around them and even as Jeong-Jeong told her to flee Katara reached out with her power and pushed the river not into a wave of water but a torrent of steam.

Feeling this kind of savage heat from water the old master turned to Katara even as he prepared for the next attack.

Katara's only response as she took a ready stance was to say, "Water can burn just as fire can," at the same time her shroud of steam was burned away and the others arrived.

A few moments of tense silence, later Zhao who was covered in scalding burns stepped forward with his soldiers.

"I don't know how you did that master Jeong-Jeong but you will pay for it," Zhao grumbled angrily.

"I doubt that very much Zhao," Jeong-Jeong responded calmly as he slid into a relaxed stance.

"It's Admiral Zhao now," Zhao declared boastfully.

"That title will not help you against these children. You are no match for them; their power is like nothing else I have ever felt."

"I can handle a bunch of children," Zhao said boastfully.

"Then I won't be a problem for you," Zuko declared as he stepped forward.

"Is that a challenge?" Zhao questioned tauntingly.

"Yes an Agni Kai right here right now," Zuko declared.

"Very well," Zhao said with a cruel smile as everyone cleared the area immediately around the two. While this was happening, Sokka and Zuko shared a covert look. To which Sokka's response was to stealthily sneak away while no one was looking.

A few moments later, the two combatants faced each other both holding a basic fire bending stance. After a few moments of tense silence, Zhao attacked with a series of three fireballs, which Zuko dodged at the same time he took control of them and flung them back in Zhao's direction without appearing to even bend. This reason he was able to do this was because of a special form he and Katara had created after an episode one year when they got stuck in some ice so thoroughly they weren't able to able to move their arms or legs. After that, they had firmly decided to come up with a mental bending form that didn't require them to move. Both of them being prodigies they had succeeded.

"With wild shots like that Zhao you couldn't hit the broad side of a Komodo Rhino," Zuko taunted causing Zhao to become infuriated and fling even more fire at him all of which Zuko directed right back in the direction leaving Zuko to smile rather mischievously before he stretched his neck and said, "My turn."

With that declaration, Zuko charged forward with incredible speed by creating jets of fire from his feet and struck out with a flaming fist right to Zhao's diaphragm. The wind knocked out of him and therefore his breath of fire disrupted Zhao tried to defend himself only to feel a solid and fiery blow to the back of his neck and with that the great Admiral Zhao went down to the ground quite unconscious.

This left Zuko the obvious victor of the Agni Kai and the battle at large as all of Zhao's redirected flame had torched the riverboats he had arrived in. Turning away from the blaze on the river Zuko looked at the soldiers Zhao had brought with him and declared in royal tones fit for any fire lord, "Take him and leave now."

The soldiers complied with the utmost expedients even as Sokka arrived with Appa.

Jeong-Jeong for his part stroked his beard thoughtfully as he vanished into the forest. He, unlike his formal pupil Zhao could tell what Zuko had done and wondered at the young prince's ability to make fire flow like water briefest moments.

********************

War Minister Qin was not a happy man. His defeat at the Northern Air Temple had been absolute. His soldiers had been bombarded with smoke, slime, fire and, by Agni, the absolute worst stink he had ever encountered in his life. His gyrotanks had their grapple lines melted clean through before they could even get to the summit. Then there was the horrible explosion that shook the entire mountain, an explosion that was set off by the rogue Prince Zuko from the only working prototype war-balloon in existence. A war-balloon that he didn't even have the slightest idea how to re-create and that The Mechanist would no doubt give to the Earth Kingdom.

"This defeat is the beginning of the end for the war," War Minister Qin muttered to himself as he looked around at what was left of his forces. "The avatar has the skies."

The sight of the Northern water tribe was truly an incredible thing to see. A city of ice and snow that rivaled the other great cities of the world and upon seeing it Zuko sincerely hoped that someday the southern water tribe could attain this kind of glory.

A few moments later, however Zuko was broken out of his thoughts when Sokka walked by him and off of the saddle in a daze as he looked at a white-haired girl that was passing them in the canal. His response to this was to share a smirk with Katara. The girl their brother was staring at this time was so exceptionally far of Sokka's league that she might as well be the moon and they were going to take great pleasure in teasing him about it.

********************

"Greetings avatar I am Chief Arnook," the chief of the Northern water tribe said as he bowed to the avatar as he dismounted from his sky bison.

"Call me Aang," Aang responded to with a smile.

"I am Katara, daughter of Hakoda leader of the southern water tribe," Katara said as she stepped forward and bowed properly as she absently thanked Ursa for her lessons.

"I am Sokka, son of Hakoda leader of the southern water tribe," Sokka stated as he stepped forward and bowed.

Then as Zuko stepped forward to make his introduction he found the warriors around the chief tense and ready themselves. Zuko ignored this and introduced himself. "I am Zuko, exiled prince of the fire nation and adopted son of Hakoda leader of the southern water tribe."

The silence, that followed this introduction was deafening and reached out through the entire dock area as the warrior waterbenders of the Northern water tribe tensed and waited for an attack. The silence was finally broken when Zuko offered his swords hilt first to the chief.

Not taking the swords, Chief Arnook's simple response was to question, "Why should we trust you?"

"You shouldn't, trust is earned," Zuko responded as he held eye contact with the chief.

"Sifu Pakku," the chief said to the man next to him. "What do you think?"

The response the old waterbending master gave to this was to circle the Zuko a few times before questioning, "What do you know of our traditions?"

"I know the traditions of the water tribes as taught to me by Sifu Kanna," Zuko answered missing Pakku's look of surprise at the mention of the name Kanna. "Such as you cannot turn away the avatar or your sister tribe when they are in need of help."

"...and what kind of help do you all need?" The chief questioned generally.

"My sister —the last waterbender of the southern tribe— and the avatar need a waterbending master to study under," Zuko answered plainly.

"We do no..." Pakku began only to be cut short by his chief who walked over to Katara.

"Are you truly the last waterbender of your tribe?" The chief questioned seriously.

"Yes my mother may be able to heal and there are others that can do small tricks but I'm the only real waterbender left in the entire tribe," Katara responded.

"...and how have you learned to waterbend?" Pakku questioned.

"Bending scrolls that were given to Zuko by a great spirit," Katara said as she produced the scroll case.

"So you have had to teach yourself all you know from scrolls," the chief questioned to which Katara answered with a nod.

"Scrolls are no substitute for a real master," Pakku declared succinctly. "However the fact remains our traditions..."

"...are at an impasse," the chief interrupted. "On one hand by tradition we must help our sister tribe especially when they are in dire need. On the other there is the tradition we do not teach women waterbending only healing," the chief began pointedly ignoring Katara's look of indignation. "As chief I must make a decision upon this for one exception is enough to break tradition completely," Arnook declared before walking off adding only that the avatar and his guests should prepare for a formal introduction party that night.

On the other hand, Pakku walked over to Katara and studied her closely for a few moments while she glared at him. A few moments into his examination, however he noticed her choker and his eyes widened as he breathed out, "This is my necklace!"

Backing away and taking a defensive stance subconsciously, Katara put her hand over her choker and declared, "No it's not, it's mine!"

Looking sad and forlorned, Pakku said, "I made this necklace sixty years ago – for the love of my life— for Kanna," as his eyes started to glisten with unshed tears.

Disbelievingly Katara questioned, "My Gran-Gran was supposed to marry you?!"

The only response the old master gave was a nod before he walked off obviously deep in thought.

********************

Elsewhere in the world, found Iroh standing on the deck of his ship absently observing things when the captain walked up behind him.

"I've just received word that Zhao is on the move," the captain said.

"Then it is time to end this farce. He will no doubt try to assassinate me before moving on to the northern water tribe."

"What is the plan sir?"

"We will have an engine accident that will totally obliterate the ship leaving only one casualty," Iroh declared. "Then we will part ways captain just try not to be on the ships going to the Northern water tribe. I feel as though it is a mission that is doomed already."

"Very well sir and I hope to play a game of Pai-Sho with you again someday," the captain said before walking off.

********************

Katara was in a rather foul mood at what had happened and was still happening.

"You need to relax," Zuko declared as he entered the center area of the large guest suite they had been shown to. "Getting angry at them won't solve anything and there are better things to be doing then fuming angrily."

"Like what!" Katara snapped.

"How about a few rounds up at the practice field," Zuko suggested before he smiled a little viciously, "If we hurry we can get their just as Sifu blowhard finishes his daily classes."

********************

She was quite a bit like her grandmother Pakku mused as he observed Katara and Zuko fighting on the practice field their elements mixing in a deadly dance, which Pakku's trained eye could tell was reserved in some manner. As if the two were still holding back, the lion-turtle's share of their skill and power.

"A wonderful show!" Pakku finally declared as he clapped theatrically and strode over to the two while pointedly ignoring their indignation and his student's awed looks. "Now why don't you stop the show and show me what you're really capable of," Pakku continued before crossing his arms tauntingly.

"Are you challenging Katara to a ... La Kai?" Zuko questioned curiously, as he took a neutral position while everyone but Pakku and Katara started to whisper.

"La Kai; a challenge between waterbenders. Just as an Agni Kai is a challenge between firebenders," Pakku mused with a smile. "There is no such name for a dual between waterbenders in any water tribe; still it does have a nice ring to it. So yes a friendly La Kai."

Leaving the practice field Zuko conveniently forgot to inform the old master that in her current mood Katara would not be friendly about anything. Of course, he doubted the old master had any delusions about the match being friendly either.

A few moments later, the dual began when Katara shot out a stream of icicles. The attack was the equivalent to a fire lance and had been inspired by such. It also caught Pakku slightly off guard. Although true to his form as a Sifu, he quickly dodged and redirected the attack back at its source. Katara in turn vaporized the icicles before Pakku sent a wave of water at her. This Katara forced to her sides before sending it back at Pakku with even more water added to it. The old master in return gathered the wave into his control and surfed it all the way back to Katara. Her response was to pull the master towards her with a great amount of force as she sidestepped. Eyes wide Pakku froze the wave and slid down it before he pushed himself forward to land gracefully at a standoff distance waiting for the next move to be made. Katara for her part made her next move quickly and raised a column of ice, which she then flung razor thin ice sheets off of. The attack was of her own invention and quite efficient especially since it could be used as an attack by itself or a distraction.

"Well, I'm impressed. You are an excellent waterbender," Pakku commented before shifting his stance and summoning up a huge torrent of water, which he quickly spun into a midair whirlpool and transformed into a series of huge ice rods that he flung at Katara trapping her immobilizing her arms and legs. "...but raw power is no," Pakku commented to himself before trailing off as he noticed the razor-sharp knife right above his head. It wasn't very large no bigger then a simple dagger but it was hovering there and it was made entirely of glass like ice. It's unusual structure and form had obscured it from his senses as he thought it was some sort of aberration. After all what kind of waterbender could create such a detailed object in the middle of battle and maintain it while not being able to move. As if to answer his last thought, the knife suddenly liquefied showering him with cold water. "...substitute for skill and innovation," Pakku finished belatedly.

"A draw then," Katara said with a smirk as she used her mental bending form to melt the ice rods around her.

"A draw," Pakku responded in turn after he had wiped his face free of water. He had once again underestimated due to outer appearances.

"But you still won't teach me will you," Katara added.

"The question of tradition is up to the chief," Pakku responded in turn before he turned his attention to where the chief was standing and observing.

In response, Chief Arnook walked closer examining the devastation to the practice field as he did. "I have spoken to Yugoda and she has no objections either to this or the contrary."

"I never suspected she would," Pakku responded calmly as he fashioned a chair for himself to sit on.

"What about you?"

"As always I will not teach anyone not worth my time," the old master said with a stern smugness as he noticed Katara giving him a strange look. "In that I will not yield even to you."

"As expected from you," Arnook responded. "What do you think of the tradition?"

"The arts of war are La's domain," Pakku quoted pointedly ignoring Katara's look of indignation. "However, Tui was the first waterbender," the old master added plainly.

"Yugoda said as much herself," Arnook responded in turn. "Do you believe balance in this is correct?"

"Balance is very rarely, not correct. The question is how the balance is attained," Pakku answered his tone casually indifferent.

Nodding at this Arnook closed his eyes and began to think. "Henceforth the ban is lifted, let merit and master be the arbiters," the chief finally declared before walking off.

"A quicker decision than I expected," Pakku commented obviously to himself before turning and facing Katara. "You are a healer as well correct?"

"Yes," Katara answered flatly.

"...and the avatar?"

"I don't know one way or the other," Katara answered. "...and I doubt Aang does either."

"Bothersome that but one way or another we shall see," the old master stated before standing and straightening his parka as he declared, "Tomorrow morning at sunrise all of you. Including you Young Prince Zuko, if you want to borrow waterbending moves then you shall learn them properly as well," while walking off.

********************

That evening after the party welcoming the avatar, Pakku found himself at the practice field tidying up when he noticed Katara walking up nervously.

"Is there anything wrong?" Pakku questioned neutrally as quickly fashioned a couple of chairs. There was something about the girl's step that told him the girl had something of import say.

"No," Katara answered as she sat down. "I just need to tell you about this," Katara continued as she fingered the sun shaped scar on her hand.

The old master responded to this by waiting patiently as he absently studied the scar. It was too precise and elegant to be some sort of crude branding let alone an accidental or training related burn and he had been curious about it since he had noticed it.

"Zuko and I have looked to our opposite elements but borrowing moves is the least of what we've done," Katara finally phrased raising Pakku's curiosity. "I found Tui is not the only one that pushes and pulls," Katara continued as she raised her right hand at the same time the metal bangle on her wrist liquefied and floated into the air.

After regaining his composure at the sight of metal becoming liquid Pakku walked over to the blob of metal careful not to get close as he could feel the intense heat. "This is something entirely new isn't it?" The old master finally questioned although more to himself than Katara as he studied the amalgam of fire and water that was liquid metal. "...and you need a great amount of assistance in perfecting this."

"Yes, I've tried my best but..."

"Say no more your skills and power may be great but do not yet know how to think like a Sifu and something such as this will require a mindset and form as unique as it is," Pakku responded with a nod before he stroked his small beard.

"Zuko's waiting for you," Katara answered before pointing the way and walking off.

Raising an eyebrow at the presumptuousness of his newest student Pakku walked over to where she had indicated and found the prince of fire calmly lounging against an ice totem pole as he stared up at the moon.

"So what exactly have you discovered?"

Zuko's answer was to pick up a handful of snow and light it ablaze with his lunar fire.

"Interesting," Pakku commented as he studied the fire that burned cold.

********************

Hahn, Zuko mused hated him, and it wasn't simply because he was the prince of the fire nation. The night of the avatar's welcoming party Zuko had made a fool of Hahn right in front of the chief and his daughter Princess Yue when he pointed out that Sokka was not a peasant but the son of the chief of the southern water tribe and therefore a prince even if he hadn't been recognized as such yet. Hahn of course denied this and insulted Zuko as well; stating that he was a half-breed and not truly prince of anything. The chief —who was well known to have taken a wife that had fire nation blood —had not been happy with the insults and had simply stated that something was off before walking away. Ever since then, Hahn had been stalking him at every turn so he could make a fool of Zuko. Zuko for his part calmly let Hahn try. After all, Hahn's attempts at court espionage and subterfuge were quite entertaining. Furthermore, as long as Hahn was busy with him Sokka was free to court Princess Yue. Surprisingly the Princess actually enjoyed Sokka and Zuko sincerely hoped that his brother would be able to put an engagement necklace on her by the time they had to leave for the Earth Kingdom.

Of course, at the moment Zuko was relatively sure Hahn's hatred of him had reached an all time high. The reason for this is that started a few hours earlier...

********************

As Zuko walked through the streets of the Northern Water Tribe about a week after they had arrived he absently wondered how Katara and Aang were doing at the healer's hut when he encountered Hahn.

"Well, Well if it isn't the half breed Prince of nothing," Hahn taunted.

Zuko's response as usual was to do nothing but continue to walk along. Although, he did notice that the two guards assigned to him were trying not to smirk under their masks. Zuko couldn't blame them Hahn made a wonderful jester.

Hahn of course was unaware of this fact and assumed the guards were laughing at Zuko. Encouraged by this delusion he jumped in front of Zuko and proclaimed, "I challenge you to a wolf warrior's trial!"

Knowing what this entailed Zuko responded, "I accept the challenge."

********************

The first part of a warrior wolf's trial was to endure frigid arctic temperatures for longer than your competitor. All while wearing nothing but one's underwear and in full view of an audience of other warriors.

...and quite a number of water tribe women.

Hahn for his part strode out into the middle of the trial arena head held high to the ohhs and ahs of a more than a few women. For all his boasting, Hahn was a warrior trained and had a physique to match. Of course, Hahn spending all of his time in court or training indoors had a light tan unlike most of the water tribe's warriors.

Then Zuko strode out onto the field of challenge casually: causing more than a few of the women watching to swoon in the process. The exiled Prince after long hard days of bending, martial arts, and chores had a physique that could only be described as chiseled and to compound that physique the prince had long since been tanned a golden bronze by working under the midnight sun.

If the women that were watching were the judges, Zuko would have already won.

"Begin," the warrior chosen to arbiter the challenge stated before a clock was started and the two started doing exercises and various other things to keep warm much to the entertainment of the women watching.

"You'll never last 15 minutes firebender!" Hahn declared boisterously.

As it turned out Hahn was right Zuko didn't last 15 minutes, or rather he didn't need to last 15 seeing as Hahn only lasted 10.

********************

The second part of the warrior wolf's trial was to swim in icy cold seawater for longer than your competitor. This competition was held in the main canal and was therefore privy to quite a significant amount of the population of the Northern water tribe.

At current Zuko was casually doing the backstroke in the freezing ocean water of the canal. He'd been doing so for the last 15 minutes and he was beginning to wonder if he should reveal the small detail that his lunar fire bending allowed him to stand extreme cold just as well as any waterbender could.

'Naa,' Zuko declared mentally as he finally decided to get out of the water and let Hahn have a hand at swimming.

To his credit as a tribesman, Hahn did last 5 minutes before having to be hauled out of the drink.

********************

...and now the third and final trial of a warrior wolf's challenge was underway.

That trial was something Zuko had been introduced to years ago. Having buckets of ice water dumped on you repeatedly.

In fact, Zuko was familiar with all of the trials, as he'd experienced them all before.

Earlier in his life he'd always wondered why the southern water tribe had celebrated the fact he could take being doused by gallons of cold water, ice swimming and running around in his underwear. About a year after being adopted by the tribe he'd found out that Sokka's idea of toughening him up was to run him through one of the most difficult warrior trials the tribe had. Needless to say, he'd already had his revenge on Sokka.

Still as he'd finished the trial for the first time when he was ten and without the assistance of lunar fire bending, Zuko now had absolutely no trouble being doused repeatedly by gallons of cold water while looking perfectly calm.

This calm look was the singular reason Hahn looked ready to murder Zuko.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?" An older woman that was accompanied by Katara and Aang thundered as she strode up.

More than a few of the spectators watching proudly declared exactly what was going on to the woman they called Yugoda.

"You fools you know this challenge has to be overseen by a healer," Yugoda declared to the warriors overseeing the challenge before she turned to the two combatants, one of which was quite obviously freezing. "This challenge is obviously already over, bring them both immediately."

Shrugging at this Zuko stood and after Katara had kindly bent the water away from his clothes he put on his parka and followed the old healer under his own power. Much to her obvious surprise considering Hahn had to be carried along.

********************

"You’ve gone through the trial before?" Yugoda questioned Zuko as she examined him.

"When I was 10; Sokka thought it was an excellent way to get me acclimated to the South Pole," Zuko responded pointedly ignoring Hahn who was lying in a tank of hot water cursing Sokka for more than one reason.

"...and quite insane but I see you had a good healer," Yugoda said with an approving nod as she noticed Zuko didn't have any signs of long-term damage except for his scar.

"Yeah, mom is pretty amazing," Katara said with a smile. "Still not even she can heal everything."

Nodding Yugoda looked at the scar on Zuko's face before her face turned thoughtful. "Drink some warming tea I will come to your suite this evening to look you over again," the old healer said before leaving without another word.

"I wonder what that was about," Zuko questioned absently before starting to make tea with his firebending much to Hahn's surprise and displeasure.

********************

"You want spirit oasis water to heal his burn scar?" Pakku questioned rhetorically as he considered his sister's request.

"Yes," Yugoda answered.

"I don't see any reason why not to," Pakku responded simply after all tradition said that the water was to be used to heal those that needed it. "Still I suspect you have another reason in mind as that water will only work to the fullest of its powers for certain people."

"Katara and the avatar are both that kind of person," the old healer replied knowingly. "They are both wonderful healers already even though it did take some coaxing to find the avatar's healing powers."

"Of course they are and I've already commissioned amulets for them both," Pakku responded before thoughtfully adding. "Although I suspect anything made from Katara's solar waters would be able to contain the power of the spring as well," the old master said before picking up a beautifully crafted metal container called a thermos that Katara had made for him in demonstration of the detail she was capable of with her powers. "Try this and see if it works. If not you can take them directly to the spirit oasis tomorrow morning."

********************

A little later Yugoda smiled as she left the spirit oasis. Her brother was correct; Katara's manipulation of the metal with her waterbending had made it the perfect container to hold spirit oasis water without it losing its power. It was also the largest singular container ever created that could hold spirit oasis water without the water losing its power. If her estimate was right, the beautiful container held just over 32 ounces of water from the spirit oasis.

The usual dose needed to prevent somebody on the brink from dying was 2 ounces. 4 ounces was enough to restore a crazed mind. 8 ounces was enough to cure paralysis. 16 ounces was enough to regenerate entire organs damaged beyond all other repair. 32 ounces was enough to correct defects of birth even years after the fact.

********************

An hour later, a very surprised Yugoda walked away from the suite were the avatar and his comrades were staying as she shook her head somewhat in confusion yet at the same time understanding.

The prince had refused to be healed by the spirit oasis water saying that his scar was a reminder to everyone of what kind of monster his father was and until his father was dealt with, he would bear the scar.

Still she had insisted Katara keep the spirit oasis water. If not to heal Zuko's scar, then as insurance against the coming trials they would no doubt face.

'She really doesn't let a guy rest,' Aang thought to himself as he rubbed his shoulders while covertly sneaking a glance at Katara. 'Still I can't really argue with her point about being here to train. However much I want to just to sit back and have fun,' Aang added as he bent some water onto his shoulders and started healing himself while being eternally thankful that the traditions of the northern tribe had been changed in such a way that anyone that was capable of both healing and waterbending was now required to do both. If the traditions hadn't been changed in such a way Aang was sure that Katara would still be the only one in the group that knew how to heal injuries. Injuries that his masculine pride, didn't want him to admit he had.

...and despite what Sokka and Zuko said, he did have masculine pride; thank you very much.

Then again, Aang thought with a sly grin, it was nice to have Katara put her hands all over him to heal him.

Watching Aang covertly from nearby Katara smiled slyly as well. Did Aang really think she didn't notice that underneath his monkish tendencies that he was a regular guy, albeit a lot more sensitive and mature then other guys his age?

...or three times his age for that matter.

Still his monkish tendencies combined with his regular but mature guy nature was why she loved him.

At least she felt she was starting to love him; for as her mother predicted she could now feel a certain ebb and flow —a push and pull— between herself and Aang now. So much so that if he where to openly display his evasive masculine side to her she'd show him the feminine side she kept hidden underneath a thick layer of ice.

********************

"So how goes it?" Iroh questioned as he sipped some tea.

"Your nephew is truly remarkable," Pakku responded as he sat down at his table and accepted some tea.

"A prodigy I have not seen the likes of before," Iroh agreed before signing deeply. "I will have to be leaving shortly for the Earth Kingdom."

"Do not worry," Pakku said with a rare smile. "They are more than ready for what is coming. Between the four of them I have no doubt Zhao will fall."

"Oh I have no doubt of that myself," Iroh said with a nod and a smile. "However, I fear who my brother will send after them after this. They may be more powerful than anyone but my brother but there are other ways to be dangerous."

"How very true. I wish you safe travels Grand Lotus."

********************

Pakku supposed it was fairly cruel letting students that couldn't yet even defeat a sea sponge fight Katara —whom he now readily admitted was a Sifu at 16— but really who could blame an old man for wanting some good entertainment. After all Katara loved to play with his other students.

For that matter, Young Prince Zuko and the avatar did as well but at current, they were busy sparring with each other and thus were unavailable to help him ... tutor his students.

Looking around absently Pakku wondered where Sokka was. After noticing a sky bison taking off down by the docks he guessed the southern Prince was giving the Princess the ride of her life. Smirking at this the old master mused that if the ceremony of royalty had already been performed for Sokka the chief would have already engaged him to Yue.

'Well when the war is over I'll make sure both of them are recognized as the royalty they are,' Pakku thought to himself with a smirk.

A few minutes later, Pakku's musings on the wondrous children around him ground to a standstill when he saw black snow falling.

'Tui, La, I pray to you that everyone makes through this battle in one piece,' Pakku thought before everyone started preparing for the siege.

********************

As the first volley approached, Zuko craned his neck and summoned his power to unleash a concentrated lance of fire that destroyed the incoming boulder of flaming coal.

Following this Katara took a deep breath and summoned up all of her power to create a jagged barrier of ice. Following this Zuko lit the barrier ablaze with his lunar fire and Katara then pushed with all her might causing the barrier to shatter into millions of flaming icicles that were hurtled like arrows over the horizon even as Aang and Appa took to the skies.

A moment later, two more flaming balls of coal were seen incoming.

"It's going to be one of those days," Sokka grumbled even as he ordered the Warriors on the wall to scatter. Zuko and Katara couldn't be everywhere at once.

"Warrior Sokka!! Prince Zuko!!" a warrior yelled as he ran up onto the wall. "The chief requests your assistance on the secret mission."

"We're a little busy here!" Zuko shouted as he leapt high into the air with the assistance of his jet feet technique to destroy another flaming ball of coal.

"I'll go I'm not much use around here right now anyway," Sokka offered before he and the warrior ran off without another word.

"This is going to be a very long day," Katara grumbled as she launched a huge javelin of ice at another flaming boulder causing it to careen away from its intended trajectory.

Grumbling Zuko nodded, "We may have the power of 100 benders but there are probably over 200 warships out of there," as they prepared to return another volley.

********************

As twilight fell and the avatar returned to the city Princess Yue shook her head sadly. The three of them were her age just children yet between them, they had taken out a dozen ships each.

Still it had taken its toll and now despite their great power the three were absolutely exhausted.

********************

A little later found Sokka laughing as left the room where the northern water tribe warriors were preparing for a secret mission to infiltrate Zhou's capital ship.

"Oh, La ...or ... no AND Agni, this is going to make Zuko's day," Sokka laughed as he remembered the sight of Hahn in an 85-year-old fire nation army uniform. "Not only was it out of date it was for the Army instead of the Navy," Sokka chuckled as he smiled. Really, that Hahn was a never-ending source of laughs.

"Sokka," Chief Arnook said as he walked up. "I need to speak with you privately."

********************

"Is he okay?" Princess Yue questioned of Katara as Aang's eyes and tattoos started to glow.

"He's crossing into the Spirit World. He'll be fine as long as we don't move his body. That's his way back to the physical world," Katara answered.

"Maybe we should get some help?" The princess responded as she started to walk away.

"We're perfectly capable of defending him you know," Zuko responded from where he was sitting on a nearby bridge absently taking in the beauty of the Spirit Oasis.

"...but you're both drained."

"We store the power of the moon and sun within," Katara said as she closed her eyes and placed a hand over her heart. "So even though we've been bending all day long we've still got tremendous amounts of power left. It just takes us a little while to recover our stamina."

"Still it would probably be a good idea to go get Sokka. That way when we have to return to the battlefront tomorrow morning there's still someone here to watch Aang," Zuko considered to which Yue agreed to with a nod before she ran off.

Looking at each other after she had left Katara and Zuko shared a smirk.

"So what kind of teasing do you think we should plan before we have to go?"

********************

"It does not feel right telling him a lie," Roku said apparently to himself as Aang ran off.

The response gained from this was two spirits —a man and a woman— appearing behind him.

"Nevertheless it is necessary, the time of my avatar's ascension draws nigh," the spirit of the moon Tui said as she turned around revealing herself fully and the fact she looked identical to Princess Yue. "It is destiny and fate that she dies as she does and while even I do not wish it to be; it must be. One way or another Zhou will kill my mortal aspect and Yue will willingly sacrifice herself to restore and become her namesake," the ancient spirit of the moon said before she walked away leaving her partner La alone with Roku.

"What are you going to do?" The former avatar questioned.

"Make preparations for our guest," La said with a smile as he stroked his long whisker like beard.

********************

"ZHOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Zuko thundered as he caught up with a murderous admiral that had moments ago killed the spirit of the moon.

Stopping and spinning around Zhao attacked even as in the background, the fused form of the avatar and the spirit of the ocean wreaked havoc on the fire nation forces. "I will enjoy killing you," Zhou proclaimed as he threw wave after wave of fire at Zuko who didn't even bother to move.

"It is you who will die tonight," Zuko said from within the flames that had been cast around him and that he had complete control over. "You will die a horrible and freezing death," Zuko said as he dismissed the flames revealing that his eyes were glowing ever so slightly in the dim starlight. The glow was nothing compared to that of the avatar and did not at obscure any detail of Prince Zuko's gravely serious stare.

"What ... what is this," Zhao said as he backed away from the exiled prince. "It has to be some kind of trick," Zhao added quickly before attacking with everything he had only to have it dispersed by Zuko who didn't even make a single motion. Still not knowing Zuko could bend without moving Zhao became panicked, as it appeared to him his foe was invulnerable.

Of course considering the true difference of power between the two Zuko might as well have been invulnerable.

"Is that all you really have?" Zuko questioned coldly as he stepped forward slowly yet assuredly. He was going to make sure that this pathetic excuse for a man died in a way devoid of all heat.

The response was more and more fire until the moon suddenly appeared in the sky.

"It is my turn," Zuko proclaimed with as much ice in his voice as in the entire city before he raised his hand and shot out huge gout of lunar fire.

Zhao of course thought he could bend the fire but as a lunar fire was fueled by the energy of the moon, Zhao was powerless to so much as force the fire away from him as it burned him with temperatures cold enough to freeze the very air to his skin.

Then an instant later, the fire was gone and Zuko was standing over Zhao with his hand inches from Zhao's face. The hand was crackling with electricity that lit the entire area aglow and the only thing Zhao could see beyond Zuko's hand was his left eye; his blue eye, an eye as blue as the deep ocean. In that moment, Zhao understood what the exiled prince's blue fire was.

In the next, Zuko had turned away from him and started to walk away as he said, "A simple death is too easy for him."

Zhao was understandably confused by this until he noticed the glow he had thought had been coming from Zuko's lightning was still all around him. Looking up he saw the form of the personification of power the spirit of the ocean La had taken towering above him. An instant later the towering creature had picked him up and encased him in a sphere of ice with what Zhao swore was an evil smile. Then as he futilely struggled against his prison he was dragged into the ocean never to be seen in the world of the living again.

However, when he next awoke in the spirit world he found himself in front of the palace of his great nation and lo, the great Agni himself was there to greet him.

The words with which he was greeted with however were, "You tried to kill my little sister."

********************

Meanwhile back in the world more than a few people were mourning what had happened.

They all knew nothing could have been avoided.

Zuko and Katara knew that if they had stayed at the spirit oasis instead of going to the battlefront they could have been there to stop Zhao. However, they also knew if they hadn't gone to the battlefront, many more lives would have been lost during the battle.

Sokka knew that Yue had done what she had done to save the entire world but that still didn't make him feel any better.

Aang knew that if he had gotten back from the spirit world sooner he could have stopped Zhao from getting into the spirit oasis but he also knew he went as fast as he could.

However, none of this knowing mattered. Princess Yue was still gone ... not dead at least not in the traditional sense. Still she was still gone. She had still sacrificed her life to become the moon: the link between the Great Spirit Tui and the world.

The battle had been won, yes, but they had all lost a dear friend that had already become family in her own way.

********************

Fire Lord Ozai was not pleased as was apparent to his daughter Azula. "I have a task for you," the Fire Lord finally said as he smiled cruelly through the scar on the right side of his face.

********************