Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hello to all the readers... I hope you are well... well here I bring you a new project that I am working on, I liked watching the series What if?? from Marvel, so I said to myself, why not make my own? Well, here are the results, here I will publish my chapters about what I have prepared, I liked writing this one.

The Avatar Universe is very extensive and as was said there are many possibilities, of which I chose the ones that I will publish over time, I only ask for your patience so that you can have a better enjoyment of these.

To clarify, the stories won't focus much on well-known topics, such as whether Zuko joins the Gaang at the end of book two, the victory of the Fire Nation, or any related topics.

Another topic that I seek to clarify is relationships. Remember this is a universe of possibilities, and relationships can vary, they are not only romantic and if they are I only ask for tolerance in your opinions, well these are things that could become due to the circumstances in which they occurred, I know them well. the characters and I am aware of the couples there are so if there is a couple you don't like, I just hope they don't take it the wrong way.

I am also open to your suggestions, if you have an idea of something you would like to develop, you can tell me and I will be happy to do something with it.

Well from me that's all for the moment... I hope you like this, I wish you the best, and have a happy new year 2024.

See you in the next chapter.

Thank you

Chapter Text

Time

Space

Reality

It is more than a linear path... it is a prism of unlimited possibilities... where a single choice can be divided into infinite realities and create alternate worlds to those you already know... I am Xiànshí the spirit of reality, your guide in these new and vast ones. realities, follow me and consider the question…what if??

Every journey has a beginning... but a simple change can have a very different destination...

At the South Pole in an unknown location, two human figures on an ice platform observe, impressed, how a strange light emerges from the ocean that begins to get bigger and a large block of ice emerges from it, causing their platform to move backward. see a large piece of giant ice that contains two black silhouettes inside, one small and one large, one of the people, a brunette girl, with brown hair and blue eyes cautiously approaches the new iceberg that is slowly approaching while seeing the two silhouettes of the person inside, a person sitting in a lotus position and a creature on top of her, the girl was wondering what could have happened for her to end up there when suddenly the person on the iceberg opens his eyes. which are completely white.

The girl and her partner gasped in surprise at such an act.

-He's alive... we have to help him- the girl quickly jumps from the platform towards the iceberg while the other person comes out of her stupor.

-Wait!...hey! Come back here... we don't know what that thing is - the other person exclaims but that doesn't stop the girl from jumping to reach the iceberg.

"That doesn't matter, we have to help him, so move your butt and help me, will you?" he says, turning to put his hands on his hips and look at the other person with a frown, who resigned, sighs and nods to make a statement. Waterbending posture and start breaking the Ice

-Good time for you to involve me in your acts of good charity Ka...- before I can finish speaking, a pressure from the iceberg pushes the two of them to the ground, the iceberg splits and a light emerges that illuminates everything. heaven.

When everything seems to calm down, the two people look at each other worried and cautious about what may happen now, they get up and one stands in front of the other prepared for whatever appears when a human figure with an arrow on its forehead emerges shining just like Its eyes and arrow are white.

The person in front steps forward to confront this strange being.

-Stop! ...- she says with an authoritative voice only to see how the other person stops shining and collapses to the ground, while the alarmed girl goes to help that person who turns out to be just a child with strange clothes.

The other person approaches cautiously, inspecting for any red flags.

The girl sees that and just waves him away, then she just settles the boy to see if he can recover, only after a while is she when she begins to slowly open her eyes and see the same girl as when she saw that She is fine, she smiles with relief.

Once she sees it well the boy says.

"I need to ask you something..." she says quietly, still recovering from the previous faint.

The girl nods and approaches him- What?? What's going on??

When she gets close enough, the boy, already feeling better, opens his eyes more to smile - Do you want to go sledding with me?

Of all the questions, the girl wasn't expecting that one, so just seeing him confused, she walked away to answer- Ah... sure... I guess

The boy then gets up quickly to the surprise of his two companions.

The person behind composes himself from what he has just witnessed and gets up to question the child.

"What's going on here?" he says, confused, looking around at the place where he is.

You tell us... how did you get on the ice?? and why aren't you frozen??

When asked questions, the child only says indifferently

-I'm not sure.

The girl gets up to get a better look at that boy who was wearing an outfit that she had not seen before but that she was familiar with in some way. When they hear the sound of a beast the boy reacts to this before the incredulous look of his companions who see that he begins to climb what remains of the iceberg gets inside and then throws himself at a giant white creature.

-Ah... Appa, are you okay??... wake up friend??- the boy tries to wake Appa up by trying to lift him by his mouth, while the other two walk around to find the boy and see in amazement the enormous figure of Appa who wakes up and He gives the boy a lick to shake him off and eventually get up.

The companions slowly approach Appa without knowing how he will react.

-What is that thing??

The boy turns to see them- This is Appa, my flying bison.

One of the companions just crosses his arms and rolls his eyes in amusement - Yes... and this is Kanna, my flying friend - with her head, she points to the aforementioned who only rolls and sees her with a face like "serious??"

Suddenly the bison makes gestures of sneezing, to which the boy crouches down and alerts Kanna and the other person who makes an ice barrier between them and the sneeze.

Aang, impressed by that, approaches in amazement.

-Are you a Waterbender??!!!

The now water bender comes out of her barrier smiles at the boy and nods proudly

-Wow… and you live around here??

Kanna approaches, nodding to her question.

-The Waterbender is my friend Hama and my name is Kanna- she says introducing her and her friend to turn to the boy once again- you haven't told us your name...

Remembering that, the boy was just going to tell them when it seemed that he was also going to sneeze and he did it only for him to fly into the sky...

While she is in the sky and begins to fall, the intangible image of Xiànshí appears...

…

As I said, each journey can be altered by a crucial change... or in this case at a different time... as you well know, Avatar Aang, woke up just after 100 years of the Fire Nation's War against the other Nations, for two children from the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka and Katara, who joined him on his journey to end the Hundred Year War and eventually bring hope to the world, where together they created Team Avatar who others would eventually join, but In a multiverse of possibilities everything is possible...
In this Universe... it is the year 45 DG, right in the reign of Fire Lord Azulon, who seeking to realize the dreams of his Father Fire Lord Sozin, began raids on the Southern Water Tribe to capture everyone the Waterbenders and weaken the Water Tribes, after years of incursion and many water benders captured, Hama, a talented Waterbender from Wolf Cove, angry about the events, goes out angrily to take out her frustration, being followed by her friend Kanna...
So it was that in a fit of rage, she destroyed an Iceberg in the middle of the ocean that, without knowing it, was where the Avatar and Last Airbender were...

…

-Amazed by what the child did, they see how he falls as if nothing had happened in front of them with a smile.

"I'm Aang!" Aang said now, shaking his nose to avoid another sneeze.

Hama, without believing it, says - You sneezed... and flew 20 meters in the air - he said the last thing pointing to the sky.

Aang looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Right?" I thought I could fly higher

Kanna, who only continued to see him, began to put together everything she had seen since she met Aang, from how she dressed, the arrows she brought with her, the bison Appa, and the sneeze that raised him too high, concluding.

-You are an Airbender.

-That's how it is…

Hama, who was only still watching, took a big breath to say, "Well, today has been a day full of many... surprises, but I think the best thing will be to go home." Without further ado, he turns around and starts walking to the platform. of ice- Very good Aang… it was really fun and all but Kanna and I must return.

"Wait... if they don't have a way to go, Appa and I can take them," she says to propel herself with air control to fall gently on Appa's back.

Kanna nods in agreement- We would love to, thank you

-Come on Hama, you may be a water bender, but even you have to admit that getting from here to Wolf Cove will take you too long.

Hama was going to raise her hand to protest but then lowered it seeing that she was right, and it was already late, so it wasn't a good idea if she arrived late at night. Resigned, she climbs onto the saddle and takes space next to Kanna.

…

It was already getting dark when Hama began to notice the first stars in the air, she fixed her gaze on Kanna who was already asleep on one side when she saw her she gave a slight smile to her friend, the most rebellious girl she could meet, the one who came from her Sister Tribe in the North, from the other side of the world to come here to the South, that girl who rejected the lifestyle of her Tribe, Hama must admit that hearing about that life upset her very much, she could not see herself as a woman of the Northern Water Tribe that the only thing they could do was practice the art of healing, get married and have children, Oh no! She couldn't look like that; In fact, maybe that's the reason why she hasn't gotten married yet besides not seeing it as a priority in her life, she's happy with what she has, but she could only hope that things don't get any worse. as they are now.
It's been five years since the raids on the Southern Water Tribes began and everything is very bad, counting her, there are only a handful of water benders left in the entire South Pole, several of their cities have already been destroyed and many of their Culture has been lost, Wolf Cove is no longer what it was many years ago and if it continues like this the same thing that happened with the air nomads may happen here.

And talking about them.

Today it seems she and Kanna found the last airbender still alive. A simple child.

Who took them on a supposed “Flying Bison” named Appa back to Wolf Cove?

However... suddenly she remembered another important thing.

That was why Hama got up and peeked her head out to see if Aang was asleep, luckily she wasn't, she just looked a little tired.

-Hello…

Aang sees her with a tired smile. "Hello... what are you thinking, Mrs. Hama?"

-Tell me Hama, this is how she is "Okay," Hama said with a raised eyebrow.

Aang without leaving his posture said- Sure.

"Well since you're an airbender... do you have any idea what happened to the Avatar?" she said curiously and with a calm expression.

But the question seems to have completely woken up Aang, who composed himself got a little nervous, and responded too quickly.

-Ah... no, I didn't know him... I mean, I know people who knew him but I didn't believe me- when he finished saying it he gave a small smile.

Hama saw his actions, which seemed strange to her but decided not to delve too deeply into the subject. She just sighed and nodded. "It's okay... it was just curiosity." She looked up to see where they were and got an idea of how long it would take to get there. Wolf Cove- you should get some sleep, there is still a long way to go to reach our destination...
and after everything today I imagine that you are tired.

Aang only responded with a slight yawn.

Hama took that response from him and nodded. "Good night..." With that, he went on to retire to rest a little.

"Sleep well," she heard Aang say before resting and starting to think about how she and Kanna were going to explain to the new guests they brought with them.

…

A couple of hours later the sound of some men and women and Appa's growl woke Kanna up from her nap to get up and see what was going on.

When she looked up she saw that there were several men and women of the Tribe and they were just outside of Wolf Cove and they were preparing to attack them.

-Get ready… this beast will fall this day!

Alarmed by this, she quickly looked for Hama who was asleep next to her, and shook her nervously to wake her up.

-Ya Thod... I already told you... that I didn't...- he was about to continue when he heard the screams around him and he started to wake up with luck, the members of the Tribe were going to start attacking Appa when Kanna immediately got up from where he was. was.

-Don't attack him!... it's us! The bison comes with us…

Several members saw Kanna and recognized her immediately, the good thing about living in a Tribe is that everyone knows each other, and that is why they stopped her attack.

Kanna sighed with relief because the problem had passed, but at that moment another one began.

-Kanna the Northerner... I should have known that you had to do with this.

Hearing that, Kanna just rolled her eyes in annoyance, to see the figure that was beginning to approach.

-Gilmak... stop relating all the problems to me.

The aforementioned just ignored her comment and continued - It's not enough for you to come here, but now you bring more with you, this... thing.

-It wasn't she who brought him Gilmak... it was me- Hama's figure stood up to be seen before everyone present, and then went down and faced Gilmak.

-If you have any problem, it's with me- they looked at each other for a moment with their brows furrowed to see how this would end. When Gilmak didn't say anything, Hama took it as a victory and separated to start saying- We found this bison not far from here. , he was lost and also... - he quickly passed to the head of Appa who was still hostile towards the members of the Tribe, by the time he saw her and recognized her as one of Aang's new friends, Hama gestured for Kanna to come and helped her with Aang who was very asleep, so did Kanna who reached Appa's head and took Aang in her arms and carried him so that everyone could see him - that he was not alone.

…

Although many things may be different in a multiverse of possibilities, others are not, one of these is the reality in which Kanna finds herself, who lives in a Tibru Agua del Sur and resents her sister tribe for their abandonment of her. they…

- A Child??

Kanna nodded- That's right, we found him and the bison alone and they couldn't stay where we found them.

-So we better bring them here and give them the good hospitality of the Water Tribe... or are you against our values Gilmak?? Hama asked Gilmak, crossing her arms, who, without any objection, lowered her head with resignation and to the liking of Hama and Kana.

-Well... without further ado, we went to retire and rest- that's how they passed the rest of the members of the Tribe while they entered Wolf Cove followed by Appa who followed them to rest.

Gilmak just sighed as he heard someone say.

-The boss would like to know this...

The next day…

A calm Aang was still asleep under the supervision of a Kanna who was warming herself next to the Fire, while Aang began to move from one side to the other having a nightmare, Kanna quickly got up to wake him up, which resulted in Aang screaming. When he wakes up…

"Aang, calm down, we're home now... come on, get dressed, everyone is waiting to meet you," she proceeds to get up to give him space.

Aang hurries to put on his clothes that he didn't notice that he wasn't wearing and that he found next to his staff, they must have taken them off to sleep, while he puts them on; br//> Kanna observes fascinated by the arrows that he has all over his body, when Aang finishes and gets up With his staff in hand, Kanna urges him to follow him.

As they leave Kanna's igloo, Aang sees that they are indeed in one of the cities of the Southern Water Tribe, made up of several Igloos of different sizes and other snow constructions.

Kanna seeing Aang's amazement at the place says - Welcome to Wolf Cove!, which could be said to be the capital of the Southern Water Tribe... And they are all the people of this city...

Aang takes the staff from him and bows respectfully.

He makes a gesture to point out all the people gathered there to see the one who is considered the new visitor to his city, among the crowd is Hama who approaches to stand next to them.

Then Kanna turns to her side so that everyone can see Aang better - everyone, let me introduce you to Aang...

Some children present try to approach him, curious about him, but are stopped by his parents who grab them to keep them away from him.

-Ah... why does everyone look at me like that?? Did Appa sneeze on me or something?

Then a man older than Hama and Kanna by many years steps forward to start the conversation.

-No one has seen an airbender in more than 40 years, we thought they were extinct until Hama and Kanna found you...

Aang, upon hearing what the man said, had a slight shock. "Extinct?"

Kanna, knowing where this is going, quickly decides to change the subject - Aang, meet Qanitt, the Chief of Wolf Cove...

Qanitt gives Aang a slight smile. “You can call me Chief Qanitt or Qanitt.”

Hama then decides to approach him - So what is this? - she takes Aang's staff and looks at it carefully - he has never seen anything like it.

Aang smiles and asks for the staff to which Hama returns it to him.

-It's for Airbending- with the staff in his hand he activates a mechanism that causes the staff to transform into a glider to the astonishment of the entire tribe.

Several amazed children come closer to see it better.

-It's magic!... do it again...

Aang just shakes his head. "It's not magic, it's air bending... it allows me to control air currents and my glider to fly."

One of the distrustful members says - Yes, men can't fly!

Aang, not agreeing, takes his glider from both ends and looks where he heard the voice - Well, sir, find out carefully - without further ado, he makes a jump that propels him high to the surprise of everyone who looks at the sky in amazement at how Aang is flying, doing pirouettes. in the air to the amusement of several spectators, then he descends to pass between several people to rise again, fixing his gaze to see Kanna. Hama and the Chief are also surprised by what he is doing, however, this distracts him so that he does not see what he has in front of him, which is a wall of snow in which he crashes and falls to the ground, destroying part of the wall.

Kanna rushes to help him up. “That was incredible.”

Several people come forward agreeing, but others do not.

-Great what we were missing, first a Northerner and now a foreign child...

Knowing the voice, Kanna looked angrily at Gilmak who was in the crowd.

-Leave him alone Gilmak... he doesn't cause any harm.

Gilmak however does not back down- Oh no?? He destroys one of the City walls that are part of our defenses to keep us safe and you say that's no harm.

Hama also approaches- I have to agree with Gilmak on this Kanna, he can't be here doing damage...

Kanna sees her upset for not being on her side - We can't let him go, we don't know where he lives and if she knows, she can't cross the entire South Pole until she returns to her
home... letting him go like this is not right...

-Very well, then what Are we going to do with him, Mrs. Moral Superiority?? - says Hama, staring at Kanna, showing that she was opposed to her idea.

-Well... since you were responsible for bringing him here Hama- says Qamitt Head of Wolf Cove, to which Hama lowers her head- you should be in charge of taking care of him-Hama raises her head without believing what he suggested.

Without believing it he just points his hand to see if he heard correctly- Me??... about this child??

Kanna just rushed to take her hands with a smug smile- Uh, that's good! problem solved, congratulations Hama…

Hama just stood there still not believing what happened, she just turned to look at Aang once again who, noticing that she was looking at him, gave her an innocent smile.

An act that only made Hama snort in resignation. "Great... come with me, let's prepare everything," she said to Aang, leaving the meeting place to go to his Igloo where Aang would now stay for the moment.

-Boss, are you sure about this? He is a foreigner and we don't know anything about him... - a member of the Tribe approaches the Chief, somewhat worried about his Chief's decision.

-I am aware of that, but Panuk, look at him, he is just a child, what do you want him to do?? That I sent him back to his people?? As far as we know he may be just the last one, if we return him the Fire Nation will hunt him for being what he is.

-But if he stays here, that will attract more attention from the Fire Nation to us and we can barely defend ourselves.

Qanitt just lowered his head, knowing well that - I am very aware that it can happen, but we still have to do what we can for Aang, he is just a child who has no one, he is more alone than we even are.

-Qanitt just shook his head with a smile and then fixed his gaze on Aang who was leaving with Hama- Maybe this will also help Hama, she doesn't want to get married and has no main interest except in defending the Tribe, the loss more water benders undoubtedly affect her too much... maybe this will also help her- without further ado she joins her hands and addresses everyone else- Well... once this is handled, it's time to continue with today, there is much to do yet...

...

"This is it... from a Waterbender Warrior to a babysitter of a 10-year-old child," she says with some bitterness.

-I'm 12 years old...

She pauses for a moment to turn to Aang and remember that he was also following her to her house.

-True... I must remember that for the moment you will live with me...

Aang nodded with a smile - Not just me... Appa too... - At that moment Appa appears growling as a way of confirming what Aang said.

Hama, who turns her attention to Appa, nods again - right... okay, follow me, we're not too far from her - she resumes her path, making a gesture with her hand for them to accompany her.

Aang nods and encourages Appa to follow him, while he does so he looks around to see more of the city, but when he does so his smile begins to fade, as he sees several igloos destroyed, some being rebuilt, others abandoned

Maybe they are remodeling- Aang thinks.

-Well we're here... home sweet home- she says so that Aang looks where she says, to see a medium-sized igloo in good condition- well don't just stand there... come in he hears Hama say to see that now she is entering her room. igloo.

Aang quickly does as he is told and quickly enters, while Appa also tries to follow them, remembering him, Aang leaves for a moment to see him- Stay outside for the moment Appa, I promise I will bring you something to eat soon.

Without further ado, Aang re-entered a dissatisfied Appa who gave a resigned grunt.

Inside the Igloo Aang could see the decoration that was there, from animal skins in various parts, some utensils, weapons, and other things made of bones, and in the center, there was a hole that showed that something was being cooked.

"You're lucky I haven't had breakfast yet..." he says as he takes a couple of bowls and fills them with what looks like parts of caribou meat. Once he serves one he passes it to Aang. "I usually try to make it as soon as possible, but with your welcome, I had to postpone it - finish filling the other one to start eating by the fire.

-Don't you have something that doesn't contain meat?? - says Aang to look at the food with some displeasure - it's just that... I'm a vegetarian.

Hama sighed to get up and check his provisions have Seaweed Bread and some cookies… if that's okay with you.

Aang, encouraged by this, nodded. At that, Hama takes enough and passes them to him. Aang gratefully begins to eat some while he saves others to give to Appa later.

-Okay, what are we going to do today?

-Well, in the meantime I have to help repair fortifications and help with some houses before the next attack... you for the meantime- he started to think of something for himself- well, you can go play with the children.

-And why are those walls so necessary?

-Hama returns to his place to continue eating- They are our best defense against the Fire Army, although not very effective I'm afraid... but it is the best we have to defend ourselves from attacks...

-And why do they attack them??

-Ah you know, the typical thing, the Fire Nation wanting to demonstrate its superiority to the rest of the world, and the best way to do it is through war says Hama with irony and annoyance.

However, that only confuses Aang-War. Which War??

-You know, The war... - Hama said now confused by Aang's reaction - are you playing a joke on me??

Aang just shakes his head not knowing what he's talking about.

That only causes more confusion in Hama, but before he can say anything, someone enters his igloo, it's Kanna.

-Oh, how good they are still here...

Aang and Hama turned to see her enter the Igloo, he was about to join them by the fire when he noticed Hama's dismayed expression, something was happening to her and he confirmed it when he saw her with an expression that he thought said: "We have to talk, it's urgent." ”

-Aang now that I remember... Appa still hasn't eaten anything, maybe we should see about that.
Just as he says it Aang gets up quickly.

-It's true, luckily I saved some food for him- at that, Aang takes out all the cookies and bread that he had saved, Kanna smiles when she sees the consideration she has for her bison, something very nice.

-Yes that's fine, but here we have some stables near the entrance of the city where I think you can get something to eat for him, I would just go check - Aang smiles gratefully and immediately leaves to do that, leaving Hama alone and Kanna

"Okay... what's wrong Hama?" she says sitting down and looking at her friend.

Hama, however, sees her a little worried- It's Aang, he... doesn't know about the War...

That catches Kanna off guard, looking at Hama to see if she's not making it up. - That can't be... -But like... how long was he in that iceberg??

Kanna suddenly comes up with an explanation as to why that is - You don't believe that... he was trapped in it before the war started??

Hama, listening to her, considers it - But then it means that he was not there when...

I don't have to finish her sentence for both of them to understand it and see the truth of the situation.

Aang was frozen in that iceberg throughout the war, before the Air Nomad Genocide.

As the days go by, Wolf Cove begins to get used to the idea of having Aang roaming the streets. He is usually seen playing with the little children who also have fun with Appa, using him as a means of entertainment. Aang mentions several times that he would take them to fly in it, but Hama says again and again "That bison will be able to fly just as I will be able to make someone do what I want" which he does not believe will happen, neither one nor the other. other.

What does cause shock is that Aang is interacting too much with the children, which is something that many have come to scold him for once they found out that she was taking care of him, the fact that he is a foreigner and for being who he is makes Let them think that it will bring them bad luck, when that happens she only sees them in disbelief and only calms them down by saying that he has no bad intentions and that she will talk to him.

She just hopes this isn't permanent and he can eventually return to his home.

But in the end, it turns out that he doesn't dislike his company.

If he is a vegetarian getting him to eat is more difficult, if maybe he has a huge bison that can't stay in the stables and now he also has to stay with her, if even his innocent and mischievous nature sometimes drives her crazy. nervous, but in the end he tries to do the best he can.

Hama must admit that his nature makes it almost impossible not to get attached to him.

Well, that only explains why he has not yet gone out to Kanna's house asking her to take care of him. Maybe because he likes having him with her living in her house.

But he knows he can't get used to that thought.

Well, sooner or later Aang will return to his home, of course, if he has one.

She has listened to many of the stories that he tells her, about the life of the Air Nomads, about trips he made to various places, and about friends from other Nations that he made along the way, and all of this has left her surprised, by the pleasure of Aang for traveling and curiosity about what the rest of the world will be like.

The only thing she knows is what she knew from Kanna, but it's only based on what she was able to observe on her way from North to South, so it's not much.

She also sees Aang's excitement about going to those places and even visiting the Air Temples and that's when things start to worry her because she has to change the conversation.

That is something that she has also avoided.

Tell Aang the truth about her situation, after she and Kanna had well established why Aang did not know about the war, they had to find a way to tell him, Kanna decided that she would be the one to tell Aang since she was the one Aang lived with.

She has tried to do it, many times, but then she sees Aang's face happy to be here and she simply doesn't want that happiness she has to be taken away from her by telling him the truth and then make it worse when she is later told about the genocide.

That's why she hasn't told him yet.

But she knows that she can't avoid the topic forever and eventually, she will have to discuss it with Kanna and she knows from the expression she gives him that day that it will be right then.

-Hama seriously, there is something very important we have to talk about- Kanna stops her to see her seriously.

"That you're finally going to accept that you like Arlok?" she says with a mocking look.

At the mention of her name Kanna she turns alarmed and blushing in the direction of Panuk who is on the other side with some other warriors, quickly relieved that she had not heard, she turns to see her friend and gives her a murderous look.

-Don't even mention that again, understood??

However, she had already managed to change the topic and she was not going to let it go.

-Why not?? I mean it's been several years since you arrived here and it seems like he likes you a lot - Kanna sees her looking away also knowing that fact - plus you know that he doesn't care if you come from the North, he's a decent person.

Kanna looks down to say in a low voice - But... Pakku...

Hama just closes her eyes and shakes her head - Kanna... seriously there is nothing wrong with wanting to accept it and move on, you told me why you left your tribe, and your ex, Arlok is different from him, someone very good For you, I'm not telling you just because it would be the best, I've seen how you look at him and I know you like him too... just get to know him and see where they go, you don't necessarily have to get married.

Kanna just sighed - Not necessarily a marriage... maybe I'll think about it - she smiled slightly, while Hama smiled at her knowing that he convinced her more than she wanted to let on, soon Kanna shook her head slightly - but that was not what we have What to talk about... it's Aang's theme

Hama looked away worried and nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, that... right... about that..."

Listening to her ramble, Kanna had an idea of what was happening. "You haven't told her, have you?"

Hama just shrugged.

-Hama we agreed that you would tell him as soon as possible!

Hama raised her arms to calmarla- I know! But I haven't found a way to do it, how do you tell a 12-year-old boy who was frozen for decades and everything he knows and knew is no longer there and then tell him that his entire culture disappeared?

Kanna granted that there was no good way to deal with that.

-Look... I know we have to tell him and I was planning to do it... after today, I just have to go look for prunes for the cooks today... why don't you come with us so it can be faster...

Kanna only looked at her skeptically.

You're sure you will.

-Yeah!

...

Hama expected a scenario of a sad child at the end of this, one that she or Kanna would have to comfort, one that would have to figure out how to make him forget her mood later.

However, that proved difficult when Aang for some reason seemed more focused on convincing her to keep her promise.

She had asked him to go penguin sledding last night, she had been very insistent about it and he had to end up accepting.

She didn't expect him to insist, but then she saw those penguins near her and started begging them to come.

Her insistence on that, plus her task of picking the raisins and how to reveal to him what he had to tell her, was making her stressed and if he didn't do something soon she would just explode.

And in the end, she was.

When he accidentally threw a jet of water at him, it was not intentional, he had been nervous all day and that's why he reacted like that. Aang, however, quickly fell into the ocean, so shocked that he didn't have time to swim fast enough.

A few moments passed and she didn't come out, which started to worry them, she was about to dive in to get him out when suddenly a large whirlwind of water came to the surface.

Astonished, they watched as Aang propelled himself in that whirlwind of water with his eyes and his arrow shining white.

Then Aang, having a feeling that he was safe, seemed to come back to himself because his eyes returned to normal and he began to fall, so he used airbending to land well.

Once safe, he turned around to Kanna and Hama who were looking at him in shock.

-You... did Waterbending... are you??

Aang understanding what he meant was alarmed so he started to run not wanting to have to face the situation, he couldn't face that, not now that he felt like a child again.

-Aang wait!

He heard them say but he didn't stop to see them because he continued running somewhere far from there...

...

Inside a large igloo stood by the fire Chief Qanitt and several older men who showed a serious face as they listened to their Chief speak about a particular topic.

-And what do you think it's about?

The council of Elders looks at each other, nodding silently when one stands up to look at the Chief before they can tell him what they have arrived at.

...

-We have to separate to cover more area!

Kanna heard that suggestion and immediately dismissed it.

-We don't know where she went. I don't think that's the best option. How will we know that the other one found her then?

Hama just screamed in frustration - I don't know!!!, I don't know where he went, or if he's okay, he just ran away... I guess he should be fine after all he is...

-Hama!- her friend called her and saw her to see her calm but also very worried- We have to calm down, we will not solve this if we act like this- Hama understood it herself, and she took a moment to calm down and be able to act more rationally- we have to Think, Aang, because of how we reacted to discovering what he was hiding from us, he should have gone to find a safe place, he doesn't know here, so there aren't many places to go... where would he go if he wanted to be somewhere safe??

They think about it for a moment and then see themselves directly having the same idea.

Appa.

...

In Wolf Cove or more precisely in Hama's igloo, nearby there was an ice construction spacious enough to be able to keep a certain bison there because after being told that he would have to take care of Appa too, Hama at the request of Aang built him a stable where he could rest.

That's where Aang was hiding in his fur, wanting to avoid the whole situation.

It shouldn't have turned out like this.

They had discovered it.

And now he will have to face the same thing again and he is not ready for it.

-Aang, are you okay?

He heard Kanna's voice at the entrance, it also seemed that Appa recognized her because he gave a happy growl when he saw her.

-Appa what did I tell you about licking my parka?

She wasn't alone either, she could hear Hama's voice too, they quickly started looking for him when they finally found him.

-Aang??

-Yes I am- despite her words, the tone of her voice and the way she feels says exactly the opposite, which makes Hama come closer and sit next to her to comfort him.

While Kanna gets in front of him to see him better.

"Why didn't you tell us that you were the Avatar?" he asks to begin to help you understand the whole situation.

"Because I never wanted to be," he says, shrinking further into place.

Hama just approached and spoke to him - If you don't want to tell us now, that's fine, we're not going to force you, we didn't come looking for you for that reason, we did it because you worried us... you can't go out like that.

Aang nodded in understanding.

Hama then sighed, wanting not to regret the following - You know now that I remember, there is something that I know I owe you, you asked me when we could go and well... right now there is nothing important to do so why don't we go there??

Aang, listening to her, was surprised by what he said. He didn't expect her to do it now, but he wouldn't complain or waste the opportunity, so he quickly smiled and nodded.

...

Of all the things Kanna expected Hama to suggest to make Aang feel better, this was certainly the last one she would expect it to be.

She said to herself as she glided on an otter penguin across a hill of snow, this was fun, she had heard of children doing this but had never done it herself before.

Next to her, she could hear Aang's excited screams, no doubt enjoying this as well.

Behind them was Hama who was laughing amused.

"I haven't done this since she was a little girl but it's certainly as good as before," Hama said out loud for both of them to hear.

"I don't understand how you never brought me to do this before!" Kanna complained but she didn't sound angry at all.

But I know how it can be better - she just like that she started water bending through the snow, which moved to turn them into ramps, which made everything even more exciting.

After that, they entered an ice cavern that took them through a tunnel that soon took them to the frozen sea. Once they were there they decided to stop and then get off the penguins.

Excited to repeat it once again, Aang was going to mention it when he saw a very strange silhouette in the distance, then he started walking towards his direction, Kanna and Hama realized where he was going and they began to follow him, but they didn't realize of what he was seeing, it was only when he stopped that they saw what he came to see.

-Wow... What is that??

He turns to look at them, but as he does so he can see that Hama's face becomes gloomy while Kanna looks worried, Hama quickly composes herself to be able to respond.

-That is a Fire Navy ship and a very bad memory for the Tribe, several Water benders put it there a few years ago when the raids started...- Hama said in a neutral tone.

Curious about that ship, Aang begins to approach curiously to see it better, while Kanna tries to stop him.

-Aang, stop! We are not allowed to get close, the boat can be very dangerous.

Aang just turns to look at her- I don't think anything bad will happen, this ship looks like it was abandoned a long time ago...

-Aang no!... this is not a good idea, that ship may have been abandoned, but it may be full of traps...- he hears Hama say who has a more serious tone this time.

Aang continues on his way to enter the ship, while Kanna debates what to do, whether to accompany him or go find help, the second is not a good option, because doing so can have serious consequences.

Making a decision he advances to catch up with Aang and see that something bad doesn't happen to him.

-Kanna!-Hama scolds her in an attempt to stop them from continuing with this madness and when she sees that no one stops, she curses under her breath and prepares to follow them to prevent them from getting hurt.

As he gets closer, Aang sees a huge crack in the keel of the ship formed by large spikes of ice, he begins to climb them and then helps Kanna to do so, however, they stop when columns of ice form so that reaching the crack is more difficult. easy, when they look to find out the reason for that, they see that Hama was also there following them.

They immediately went inside, Hama seemed serious for some reason that he did not understand, and she continued like this while they looked at every part of the ship.

Aang wanted to see it to understand that with this Fire Nation warship here, something must have happened for him to be in this place.

Does it have something to do with the War that everyone mentions?

No!

No, that cannot be, a war cannot be happening, otherwise the monks would have told them, of course, they said that something bad was coming, but it cannot be possible that in just a few days a war would have started.

But then the three of them arrived at a room that was full of weapons, several of which looked very old.

-This ship is one of many that have tormented the tribe for five years... it was part of the first attacks of the Fire Nation...

Aang worriedly sees the room that is full of many weapons while Kanna tells him the above and that completely confuses him.

-Very well... wait a minute, I have friends in everything in the world, even in the Fire Nation and I have never seen a war.

Kanna however sighed, looked at Hama and they knew that they should not delay it any longer, because they remembered something that had to be done this morning and they knew that it was necessary to talk about it with Aang because they could not keep him in the dark forever.

-Aang, how long were you in that iceberg??- Hama said, starting cautiously.

-I don't know, maybe some days- the question confused him because he didn't understand what he had to see and he turned to see Kanna.

Kanna however shook her head - No... listen to this what Hama and I wanted to talk to you about this morning... you were on that iceberg for more than forty-five years...

-What?! That's impossible... I don't look like an old man, do I??

Kanna just shakes her head to say carefully- Just think about it... the War has been going on for 45 years, you don't know it because somehow you were inside that iceberg all this time.

Aang finally understands what he means and sees the evidence fall on his back still in shock from this revelation- Forty-five years...I can't believe it.

Kanna drops to one knee while Hama stands on her side and puts a hand on her shoulder - Sorry for saying it like that, we wanted to find the best way to tell you - seeing that he still didn't react I added - but hey, maybe something good came out. of all this... - Aang turned to look at her with the hope that there was something good - that we were able to meet you - she gave Aang a smile that showed that she was sincere with what she said, Aang saw her and returned the same one - Come on ...let's get out of here- he got up to help Aang get up and so they both left through the door...

While they were looking for an exit they continued to wander around the ship in the hope of finding a way out, however, the ship was very big so they had to check every part of it until they found one and they did so until they reached the Bridge.

-If we don't find the exit, we better go back the way we came...- Kanna said at the moment they were entering the Bridge when Aang without realizing it stepped on a trap in the ground that immediately released a grate on the ship.

-Is this what you meant about the traps?

Before he could answer the ship's pipes began to react one by one until a flare shot from the outside of the ship into the sky.

-Oh no...

That was the best way to describe their situation…they had to go now.

Aang quickly looked for an exit when he noticed a hole in the ceiling, quickly calling Kanna's attention to come closer.

-Let's get out of here- Kanna nodded having an idea of what he would do, so she quickly held on to him and Aang pushed himself with air control to get out through the hole.

Quickly seeing the snow that was there, Hama used it to help her get out.

Once outside, he used the same movement to return to the mainland and leave there, while Aang made great jumps in various parts of the Ship to finally reach where Hama was.

Once on the ground, they proceeded to run back to Wolf Cove.

Without knowing that they were being watched.

...

Elsewhere at the South Pole, near where the Frozen Ship was located, a Fire Nation fleet was lurking around.

One of the lookouts was watching for possible attacks when he noticed the flare that marked the distress signal. He quickly set his sights there and that's when he saw a strange movement. Two figures were coming out of the ship. He didn't recognize one, but he did know how to recognize them. To a person from the Water Tribe when he saw them, and if they moved like that it could only mean one thing.

Water Master

He quickly hurried to get to the bridge where his commander was, he had to find out about this.

-Commander!... I have to report something urgent.

The Commander turned his gaze from the horizon to see one of his lookouts, a rookie who had been with them for a few weeks.

-What are you doing here Yon Rha??... you are supposed to be at your position.

Yon Rha stood at attention to be able to say the following - I know sir... I was at my lookout position when an unexpected event happened - the Commander saw him intrigued now - a distress signal sir, one of ours - now the Commander and several officers were very interested - looking for where it came from I saw one of our ships in the middle of the ice and figures came out of it that I am sure were water benders who then fled to their base which is not far from here.

-I see... So these savages are putting up resistance- he said the last thing in a low voice and then addressed the helmsman- Set a route to that nearest city... if those water savages want a fight we will give it to them and in the end we will fight. We will take all their teachers... they must learn not to challenge the Fire Nation

Chapter Text

The flare could still be seen from the sky... where everyone in Wolf Cove could see it very well.

Aang, Hama, and Kanna were returning to the entrance to Wolf Cove, Hama was in front urging the group to quicken their pace.

-We can't stop now... we must get to the city as soon as possible.

They immediately and without saying anything continued walking when they could finally see the entrance to Wolf Cove in sight, only to see several people pacing back and forth while several members of the Tribe stood at the entrance, preparing for a battle.

They quickly approached the entrance to be greeted by the warriors at the entrance.

Before anyone can ask what's going on, Gilmak who was among the warriors at the entrance notices his presence and rushes to the front.

"I knew it, that boy raised the alarm to the Fire Army?" he shouts so that everyone present can hear him, being then supported by many.

Chief Qanitt soon arrives with other members and observes what is happening before wanting to intervene.

Kanna immediately rushes to defend Aang- He didn't do anything Gilmak, it was an accident.

Aang nods - Yes, we were on the ship... and there was a trap and... - he started to talk to try to explain what happened but when he saw Hama and Kanna's faces he saw that he wasn't helping much - we fell into it.

-It's better not to talk anymore...

Qanitt just shakes his head in disappointment - Hama, you know very well that that ship is prohibited, you were part of those who caught it and you know how dangerous they can be... now we are all in danger.

Several tribe members nod in agreement.

-Please don't blame them, I took them there, it's my fault- he lowers his head accepting the blame.

Such an act seems to satisfy Gilmak - Aha! ... the boy confesses - he turns to see Qanitt - Chief, there is nothing to discuss, he must be banished.

Hama, not tolerating this, moves forward angrily - Gilmak, you can't try to propose that to the Chief.

Gilmak, however, does not back down. "If I can... I'll take care of protecting our tribe... something that other people don't seem to do." Hama stops and looks at Gilmak, hoping he doesn't say what he thinks he's going to say. "You As an example, you hang out with foreigners who do not belong to the Tribe - he points to Kanna and Aang - and you divert your attention from protecting our people, and as a consequence, we have lost many of our people...

Hama was going to launch herself furiously to make Gilmak swallow her words, but first, she was held by Panuk and Arlok who intervened and held her down to prevent her from doing something crazy.

Qanitt, not supporting this, took a step forward - Gilmak, who stays in our tribe is not your decision, but mine! If you have problems with my leadership you are more than welcome to fight for it if you think you can defeat me - he saw it seriously while Gilmak did not make any objection, so he decided to continue - Hama has participated in all the defenses of the Tribe since he was of age to participate, everyone here knows it and has always given her all like any other warrior, and we welcomed Kanna even with the knowledge that she belongs to our Sister Tribe in the North like many others before her and has led here long enough to be another member of our Tribe...

Some nodded in agreement with their Chief, because Gilmak, more than distrustful and only looking out for the good of the tribe, is resentful because the South was practically abandoned to its fate while the Fire Nation invaded them.

Hama stopped fighting and urged Panuk and Arlok to let her go, which they did, and directed her gaze to where the Chief was confronting Gilmak.

Before they could continue discussing the topic, everyone began to see a kind of gray snow beginning to fall from the sky, several looked at the sky to see the amount that was falling.

While Aang raised his hand to try to touch it, he had never seen anything like it before, he wanted to touch it to know better, but when he touched it it dissolved very quickly, so seeing it better he knew it wasn't snow.

It was Sooty.

Aang was going to ask what was happening when Qanitt addressed the entire Tribe - The Fire Nation is near!... warriors prepare for battle!

Immediately several men and women began to move from one place to another, taking weapons, climbing the city walls, and going into the city beginning to evacuate the people.

Qanitt only saw Aang for a moment- You must get out of here!... now!

He immediately went elsewhere to prepare his warriors for the tough battle that was coming.

He turned to see Hama asking what was happening when he lost sight of her, not knowing where she was, he began to look for her among all the chaos that existed at that moment.

Kanna immediately snapped him out of her thoughts when she grabbed his arm and urged him to follow her.

"You must leave here as soon as possible!" She said in a tone that Aang could not identify and could only conclude that she was angry with him

-Kanna I...

Kanna however didn't let him continue - The Fire Nation is approaching and they can't find you here, if they do you will become a target for them.

When they finally stopped he saw that they were at Hama's house, where Appa was already outside and ready for the trip.

Hama quickly left his Igloo with several things he brought with him.

-I packed everything you need for your trip, food for you and Appa, some blankets... Are you sure you have everything??... maybe I'll have to check again...

Surprised, Aang saw that they were provisions for him and Appa, and then he understood that they did not want him to leave because they were angry with him, they were worried that something would happen to him.

Hama only stops when she is surprised with two small arms around her legs.

-This is more than enough... I, I thank you for everything you did for us Hama- Hama all she did was nod.

When they separated Aang went to Appa to get on and start his journey, Kanna then decided to approach to give him all the provisions... Aang took them and put them on Appa's saddle, once he finished she stood next to him. Hama.

-And where do you plan to go?

"I don't know... maybe I'll go back home to the Southern Air Temple, I'll go see how things are... hell, 45 years and I haven't cleaned my room," she says to try to lighten the mood.

They just laugh nervously without knowing how to respond to that.

-How about you just hide nearby and then when everything calms down we'll go for you...

Aang sees them excitedly - Do you still want me here?

Kanna just shakes her head - Of course yes, the only thing we want is for you to be well, that once all this is over we will solve this problem... right Hama?? - Turns in his direction looking for support.

However she doesn't answer anything, she doesn't know exactly what to say.

That on her part seems to discourage Aang- It doesn't matter, I think it would be best to continue on my way...

Kanna looks at Hama urging her to say something but she doesn't say anything, then she looks at Aang- Wait...

-Goodbye Hama, Kanna, and thank you for everything... after that, she returns her gaze to the front and takes Appa's reins ready to leave- Appa yip yip!

The Bison gets up and begins to walk, but not before looking back at Kanna and Hama to give them a sad grunt as a farewell.

And without further ado, they both begin to walk away.

Furious Kanna turns to see Hama- Why didn't you say anything??

Hama only looks at her before answering - Maybe he should continue alone...

When Kanna hears it she can't believe it- Hama...

Hama however shakes her head - Kanna this is the best, we can barely stay standing with each Fire Nation incursion, we don't even know who will still be here once it's over, how will we be able to protect them? It doesn't matter if he is the Avatar or not. Will that only make him more of a target for the Fire Nation or have you already forgotten what they did last time to try to get to him??

Kanna only fell silent, understanding her point of view better, but she still refused to give in on this- But we could...

Hama only gave him a sad smile as a sign that she didn't like this either. "It's the only good thing we have for now... then if we survive, if you want we'll go look for him... only this time he'll stay with you," she says. the last in a joking tone.

Kanna gives him a grateful hug to separate and return the joke - I think it will be difficult if you have already assumed the role of his mother if you are willing to put him away to keep him safe, if you have his bison you have him living under your roof and you take care of it as such...

-What?! Hey!... I don't...- before she can reply, Kanna walks away from her, leaving her dismayed by her statement.

...

Passing through the tundra, Appa continued walking in no direction, while Aang was still depressed by what had happened, Appa growled at Aang.

-Yes... I miss them too- he decided to look away hoping to find something to distract himself, but when he did he saw, surprised, how several ships similar to the one he had gone to explore with Hama and Kanna were approaching Wolf Cove.

-It just can't be...

He quickly finds himself thinking about Hama and Kanna, who could be in danger, he couldn't leave them alone.

Then he stops Appa - Appa stay here! - He gets off Appa to run in the direction of Wolf Cove and hopes it's not too late.

...

The warriors were waiting outside their walls and protecting them as well.

For the first time they were prepared for an attack, instead of receiving it when they are taken by surprise, they find themselves looking towards the sea where they wait for the enemy.

Hama is on the outskirts waiting with more waterbenders for the battle to begin, Kanna decides to stay with several others to help care for the wounded.

Then in the distance, they saw several silhouettes appearing from the horizon and they grew as they got closer There were more, from which fireballs began to emerge and began to reach the city.

Waterbenders try to deflect all possible attacks but their efforts are not enough, soon the ships begin to reach the edge of the ice, the floodgates open and Fire Nation soldiers begin to emerge from them.

The Water Tribe warriors, seeing that the hour has arrived, run to confront them and soon a battle ensues.

Of the Water Tribe is briefly shown to be overcome because once the soldiers arrive they begin to capture waterbenders while the firebenders repel non-benders to prevent them from coming to help their companions.

Soon Hama and two others begin to be surrounded by soldiers who brought nets with them, no matter what happens today, they will not fall.

As the soldiers began to advance, Hama suddenly heard a scream behind her, and not only did she hear it, but everyone who was nearby quickly turned to see what it was when out of nowhere a yellow and orange figure passed by. An otter penguin immediately arrives and proceeds to knock down all the soldiers

-Aang??-when she sees him she can't believe it so she rushes to him and scolds him for having returned.

Immediately Aang continues knocking down several soldiers until he reaches where Gilmak is fighting with him, he seems to be the leader, he passes quickly to knock him down and he falls far away from there.

"Hello Gilmak," he greeted her as she got up and went to see the commander.

When the commander saw him, she couldn't believe it, she would recognize those tattoos wherever they were.

-Impossible... are you an airbender?? It is assumed that there are no more of you

"Think again, sir," he said, pointing his cane at him.

However, the commander smiled evilly. "I can't believe it... imagine my luck when I take you to the Fire Nation, you... the last airbender, I will be promoted to admiral for that."

He quickly began to attack him with firebending, immediately Aang tried to repel him with his staff, but the commander did not give up and continued with his attack, causing the flame attack to intensify, so that Aang could not control them all and began to lose. the control of them and that they go to other parts, affecting several people.

Then he quickly stopped to stop the attack and put his staff aside.

-If I go with you, do you promise that if I surrender you will leave this City in peace?

The only thing the commander does is smile maliciously and nod.

-Soldiers!-He launches a fire attack into the air that catches everyone's attention fighting, let's retreat now! and take the Airbender with us.

Several soldiers seemed confused by their commander's words, but remembering the command statement, they obeyed and began to return to the ships.

At that point, several Fire Nation soldiers approach Aang take him prisoner without resistance, and take him directly to the ships.

She is furious when she sees what she is planning to do. She approaches, furious and worried. "What do you think you are doing?" Aang!!!

Aang just turns to look at her- Don't worry, Hama, I'll be fine... at least with this you'll be safe.

Hama just stops and sees him understanding why he turned himself in.

-Take care of Appa for me...

-Well, well... let's go! heading to the fire nation - says the commander mockingly... but he soon approaches a soldier and whispers... when we go up, restart the attack and capture all the water benders.

-But sir...

-I gave my order soldier- I went to see him with a smile- fulfill it...

The soldier just nodded and proceeded to warn the rest of the men.

Aang is then taken onto the ship with several of the soldiers.

Hama, shaking her head, begins to run in an attempt to stop all this.

But before she could do anything about it, a net of it reached her and caught her, sending her to the ground, at which point the Fire Nation soldiers restarted the attack, to Aang's surprise.

She turns to the commander. He promised to stop the attack.

The commander only sees it as mocking - The Fire Nation does not lower itself to making deals with inferior beings...

Then the ship starts moving...

Once he reaches the deck, the Commander approaches Aang and snatches the staff from him.

-This will be a great gift for the Fire Lord, I don't think you need it anymore...- he addresses the men who were holding Aang captive- Lock the child up the soldiers nod and proceed to take Aang away, then the baton to another - and take this to my room.

After that, he went on to retire.

Aang saw all this as soldiers took him below deck to the ship's cells.

"Well, I guess you've never faced an airbender before," Aang tells the soldiers in an attempt to intimidate them so he can get off the ship. "I bet I can beat them both with my hands tied."

-Silence!- Said the one in front of him.

Okay, that didn't work.

They soon arrive at what looks like a cell and the soldier who is The one in front starts to take a key to open it, Aang quickly takes a breath through his mouth and lets out a blast of vacuum that crashes the soldier in front of the door and sends him and the one behind him backward until they collide. against the ground, he quickly pushes himself with air bending to leave through the same stairs he entered to reach the deck, surprising everyone who was there, before anyone reacts, he does an air bending kick to open the door and go through it quickly.

-The airbender has escaped!

...

Back in Wolf Cove, the battle has been dragging on, it seems that this time there will be no respite, the Water Tribe warriors are doing everything possible to resist, they free all the waterbenders they can with all their efforts. It is not enough and they begin to take away several waterbenders.

The warriors do everything possible to break through and help their friends, but it is becoming impossible.

Kanna, who was nearby and witnessed everything, tried to make her way through the Fire Nation soldiers, as she saw what Aang had done and then saw Hama run towards him and try to stop him, only to be captured later.

Wanting to help her, she tried to advance among all those who were fighting, however, she was intercepted by several enemy soldiers who cornered her and were about to attack her.

However, a large gust of air sends all the soldiers flying and falling in different parts.

Kanna, amazed by this, turns to see what happened when she finds herself at Appa's tail.

She then turns around to start charging at more Fire Nation soldiers who are passing her way. Several Fire Nation soldiers head towards him to stop him, the non-benders use their weapons when Appa uses his tail to send several of them flying, while the fire benders decide to use fire bending to deal with him.

However, before anything else, Appa makes a big leap forward and with his tail sends them crashing into the snow.

Kanna looked at Appa in surprise because she didn't think Appa might have done that.

He had single-handedly dealt with several Fire Nation soldiers and that had turned things in his favor, because when the Fire Nation's numbers began to dwindle the Water Tribe warriors began to gain ground, making their way through them and starting to free the waterbenders who were being captured.

Among them was Hama.

Appa noticed that Hama was being taken to a ship and that was why he decided to make his way to free her from her, breaking the barrier that the soldiers made to resist and reach Hama, getting rid of her captors.

Hama fell to the ground while dazedly watching Appa through the nets - Appa... thank you very much for saving me - using a little snow he turned it into the water to start freeing himself - but now I'm not the one who matters more... Aang is still there - pointing to the boats - you have to go help him.

Appa grunted in agreement and began to head there, Hama only hoped that he was swimming fast enough to be able to arrive in time... but suddenly she was taken by surprise when Appa instead of swimming jumped and then began to fly.

...

Aang continued running to avoid any soldier trying to catch him, he turned the corner of a corridor believing he had lost his captors, and he turned to continue on his way when he saw several enemy soldiers pointing swords at him.

-Have you not seen my things here?

The soldiers seem not to hear him as they begin to advance, so Aang quickly begins to run, propelled by his airbending to escape from them.

He continues running until he reaches another hallway where he is stopped by a Firebender who is aiming at him. When Aang shoots him, he makes a great leap forward, dodging the attack by passing over the firebender's helmet, which when doing so through the tips of a part of his helmet breaks his restraints and sends the firebender to the ground.

When he lands he continues running forward until he reaches the cabins.

He goes through each one of them looking for one in particular until he reaches what appears to be the commander's cabin where his things were found.

-My things...-he enters quickly without seeing if there is danger around to take his cane and the rest of his things.

When he passes the door it closes immediately and when Aang turns around he sees that the commander is there.

-I see that I have underestimated you.

Immediately the commander begins to attack him by launching fire attacks, which Aang dodges, the commander then corners him in a corner and launches another attack that Aang dodges again, he turns to get behind the commander who attacks him from behind but Aang continues dodging his attacks, the commander turns to face him to attack him with his close-range fire reach, Aang uses his airbending to put out the fire in his hands, then tries to move away using an air bending sphere to keep more distance between him and the commander who begins to throw fire at him again without success, the commander seeing that he continues like this. would not work, he begins to shoot bursts of fire with his hands and feet to distract him and then with a sweep of his leg he knocks Aang down and shoots him once more, Aang, narrowly dodges and then heads to the bed takes the sheet that was there and begins to surround the commander to hold him which turns out, believing he was safe, he quickly proceeds to take his things and get out of there, but the commander burns the sheets and frees himself, Aang began to move to the side and The commander began to follow him in circles, he was going to attack him again when Aang noticed that the commander was near the bed and an idea occurred to him.

Before the commander acted, Aang moved the bed with his cane with air control to send it to the commander and they both crashed against the wall, leaving the commander unconscious who fell on the bed, but to be safe, he sent the bed and the commander. commander to the roof to prevent it from preventing him from escaping.

...

Having insight from his adventure on the old ship, Aang was able to find a route that would lead him to an exit, as he soon found himself on the bridge of the ship which had the door open, he ran towards it and reached the shore, he quickly opened it. He used his staff and pulled himself up for air before anyone realized he was escaping.

Once in the air, he prepared to return to Wolf Cove, he hoped to return and see that everyone was safe.

That is the most important.

However, it seems that he was not going to do so because he soon saw that the attack on Wolf Cove had not stopped, the Tribe was still in danger.

-Oh no!-He quickly looked at the boats that were near the shore and saw that several Fire Nation soldiers were boarding them with apparently water benders.

Waterbenders. Hama.

Fearing that Hama might be among those captured, Aang quickly headed to the nearest ship.

Several soldiers notice him coming towards them, so they begin to launch several fire attacks, he begins to dodge the attacks, and he lands where he finds some soldiers surrounding him ready to attack him, Aang quickly uses his staff to launch a powerful blast of air that launches all the soldiers out.

He quickly sees a catapult and climbs on top of it, more soldiers notice him and try to attack him, Aanlos dodges by retreating to the highest part of the catapult, there he notices that the soldiers are cornering him, they have hammers with them determined to crush him.

One by one they begin to do it, dodging each one, hitting hard the cover of the catapult, Aang makes a great jump and sends an explosion of air that knocks them and the catapult down, he propels himself to fall somewhere else, and he soon sees another catapult and runs towards it, he takes a hammer of the same ones used to fire catapults and jams it in the mechanism that releases the ball, he is soon noticed by two soldiers who run towards him, but Aang repels them with a burst of air sending them flying.

The catapult fires but as the mechanism is stuck, the ball hits the floor of the deck destroying the catapult as well. The remaining soldiers notice this and run straight towards Aang who runs in the direction of two more catapults, he ties them at the ends and runs. to activate one that raises the other, colliding with the first and destroying both.

He was going to cause more damage when a larger soldier with chain hammers started to attack him, Aang proceeded to dodge it, but the chains on the hammers ended up trapping him, before the soldier could do anything else, he was suddenly captured by a large claw that takes him to the side and breaks the chains that held Aang captive and releases him into the sea.

Free Aang looks at his savior very happy to see him.

-Appa! ...- once freed he goes to him and hugs him- Thanks for the rescue friend.

More help arrived soon because several waterbenders, once freed, appeared and began to fight, also helping a lot, destroying the ship and causing the Fire Nation to begin to retreat.

...

-How could a simple child have escaped them??!!

He yelled at the officers who were present, who came to look for him and found him standing up after Aang had knocked him unconscious and were reporting to him what had happened.

-Sir, that child is an Airbender...

-And you are experienced soldiers of the Fire Nation...- he replied still furious.

He then proceeded to leave his cabin to start going out on deck and see the progress of the Raid. While he was doing it, his officers kept trying to justify himself for failing to protect the Airbender.

By the time he left, he found a lot of activity on his ship, the crew was moving from one side to the other preparing everything for a retreat.

Well, the catapults have stopped attacking and some boats are returning only to be sunk several times.

He quickly addresses one of his lieutenants. "What is the meaning of this?"

The lieutenant quickly stands firm so he can answer nervously - The resistance of the savages of the Water Tribe is stronger than we imagine, we are being surpassed...

The commander is taken by surprise - How could that be?? Those savages have never been able to resist us in every attack we have made...

"Sir, but this is true... our forces on land began to be overwhelmed and have already begun to attack our warships," the lieutenant points out in a direction where large structures are raising a fleet ship so that it does not escape.

The commander then looks at the big picture, the savages of the Water Tribe are outnumbering them and are about to defeat them.

-Sir, we must retreat now that we can, the water benders are beginning to capture our ships. If we don't leave, they will capture us too.

The commander can only watch helplessly as the rest of his fleet which has not yet been affected begins to retreat.

-This is not going to stay like this...

Before he can say anything else an explosion is heard from one of his ships, his men get nervous and begin to act faster regarding the retreat.

The Fire Lord will not be happy with this at all.

...

One of the Tribe men after the explosion looks stunned at the remaining Fire Nation ships, which upon seeing the Tribe's advance and seeing that the battle is lost begin to move away in a hurry, leaving many of them. his behind, that incredulous man turns to shout.

-THEY ARE FLEEING!!! THE FIRE NATION IS WITHDRAWING!!!

The statement is heard by many on the battlefield who, seeing the situation now, consider today's encounter decided.

Some of the Southern Water Tribe began to cheer while the Fire Nation soldiers who remained, seeing the new circumstances and seeing that they were surrounded, put down their weapons and kneeled, accepting defeat.

While Kanna rushes to find her friend Hama, who finds her trying to free herself from her while she watches in shock at what has just happened, Kanna in a fit of joy runs to her friend to hug her.

Once freed, Hama hugs Kanna in disbelief at what had just happened, but then she looks around her again and confirms it once again...

Had won.

They defeated the Fire Nation for the first time.

And she's not the only one not believing it.

But that only lasts a moment as sounds of celebration echo throughout the tribe as they free the captive waterbenders.

While several run towards Aang and surround him to thank him for his help.

-Aang is someone very special- Hama hears Kanna say with great joy as she approaches the crowd.

-Yes Yes it is...

Suddenly Chief Qanitt appears along with several of the Tribe elders behind him, they approach, making their way through the people to be in front of Aang.

Qanitt waits for everyone to calm down before speaking - You didn't have to come back and save us after we threw you out like that - he says in a tone that indicates that he regrets having done that - but you still came back and helped us... Thanks to you, all our water benders are still with us and we have been able to resist and drive away the Fire Nation for the first time... - the tone shows joy - houses and buildings are easy to replace, but our people, our culture are not It is and today you have helped save them and for that, we will be forever grateful Aang Master of Airbending.

The crowd, agreeing, gives several shouts of celebration.

-But you're not just a simple airbender, right??- Chief Qanitt looks at Aang with a questioning look, who only sees him as if he's been scolded and lowers his head as an apology before the eyes of the entire tribe, but that just makes the council of Elders look at each other, nodding at each other to look back at Aang and bow respectfully.

-It is an honor to be able to be in his presence and also to be able to thank him for saving us Avatar Aang...

What the Chief said causes a shock to all those present who imitate the elders and bow before Aang, an act that is done by both members of the Water Tribe and by some captured soldiers of the Fire Nation.

Kanna and Hama meet for a moment to approach Aang and stand on either side of him.

-Aang, what you did today is something we have no way of thanking you for...- he says, putting a hand on his shoulder and smiling at him.

Hama just sighs- But still... maybe we only won today, but the Fire Nation will not be happy with what happened today, eventually, they will return and to have a chance to face them we need your help...

Aaang worriedly looks at Kanna who closes her eyes and nods in agreement with Hama- But not just us Aang, the world has been at war for decades, the world needs to regain balance and only the Avatar will be able to achieve that.

-But all that is a lot to do and I don't think I can do it alone- says a low voice.

Kanna smiles understandingly- That doesn't matter, we will help you and accompany you in everything you need.

Aang raises his head surprised and happy about that, he goes to see Hama who only nods with a smile in agreement.

-But how am I going to do that?

Aang then changes his expression to a worried one.

Kanna starts thinking about the best way to do that- Well... according to legend you must first master water, then earth and fire, right??

-It was what the monks told me...

-Well... it's a very good thing that we have several waterbenders here who are willing to teach you- he says to show Aang all the Waterbenders of the Tribe who give them several smiles and nod in agreement with the idea.

Aang smiles back at them- Thank you all... but I think I know who I want to teach me...

Then he says the following looking at a specific person.

"I would like you to be my Waterbending Master," she says as a request, directing her gaze at Hama, who, surprised by her request, looks at her friend for a moment to see if what Aang requested was true. Kanna nodded with a smile standing or agreeing.

-Hama, he is right, only you can teach him... I don't know anyone as passionate about water bending and with a sense of protecting others when he sees them in danger as you...

He then sees his entire tribe who also seem to agree and then looks at Aang once again processing everything.

Aang, the Avatar, looking for a waterbending teacher from all the teachers present in the Southern Water Tribe, chose her.

"You certainly know how to leave me speechless, Aang," she says, shaking her head, smiling, while she puts a hand to her head, then removes it and looks at Aang again.

Then she bows respectfully to respond - It will be a great honor for me to teach you the ways of Water...

Aang imitates her gesture before the eyes of the Tribe who celebrates this event. When he finishes the greeting, Aang immediately throws himself into Hama's arms and hugs her, while Hama, surprised by what he did, only responds by hugging him too and smiling at him. affectionate.

All this is witnessed without anyone realizing it by an intangible Xiànshí who observes from the sky.

...

Every trip brings things that no one ever expects but that somehow change us in some way, in this case, you can say what happened to Hama, thanks to Aang's intervention, the Southern Water Tribe now has a chance to survive the terrible fate that is normally known in the original story, along with the fact that the southern style of water bending and much of its heritage is not lost, in addition to the fact that Aang's journey from this universe has a new perspective that is interesting to see... but that's another story...

Chapter Text

Time

Space

Reality

It is more than a linear path... it is a prism of unlimited possibilities... where a single choice can be divided into infinite realities and create alternate worlds to those you already know... I am Xiànshí the spirit of reality, I am your guide in these new and vast realities, follow me and consider the question... what if??

Ba sing se, the capital of the earth kingdom, the famous city of the great walls, in the eyes of the spectators the last safe place that is beyond the reach of the Fire Nation in the hundred years war, but for me is where I see countless stories within that city... but in a multiverse of possibilities your destiny is determined by your nature or the nature of your home.

A red-haired girl is hiding behind a house in the lower ring of Ba sing se, looking cautiously at the shore making sure no one is following them.

-I think we lost them for the moment- she turns to see her companion, an older man with dark hair and brown hair with beads in his hair and blue eyes, dressed in water tribe clothing.

The man just nodded - Well we have to keep moving forward... those guys could come back.

The girl nodded and they began to advance cautiously and ready for anything, they couldn't let their guard down, otherwise, those men with metal hats could return.

She quickly crosses the street to go to the other side, hoping that it has not caused any noise, she quickly turns to look cautiously in various directions, verifying that it is safe, when she confirms it, she turns and gestures for the man to move forward, he nods, He does the same as her and advances to reach her position.

-The lower ring should not be too far away, hopefully, we can cross it more easily during the day- says the red-haired girl.

- I don't want to doubt this Suki but the best thing would be to look for shelter.

Suki looks at him without understanding - It is necessary to continue moving forward if we want to reach Aang and the others.

The man nods- Believe me, I want to see my children more than anything but at this rate, we won't get there.

Suki looked away to have to analyze the situation, because, he was right, they couldn't cross the lower ring like that, with the pace they were taking they wouldn't get there and if they did, nothing would tell them that those guys weren't waiting for them at the exit of the lower ring.

After all, they know that they want to get to the Avatar and his friends, so they will do everything possible to stop them.

And besides, they can't waste much time, not if they want to stop her but because she's already here, they have to do this right.

-I understand, Mr. Hakoda, but we can...- just when she was going to ask, she saw in the distance how those guys found them, as they ran directly towards them.

Hakoda notices his expression and turns in his direction to see that they have found them.

-We have to run... fast!

At that Hakoda and Suki proceed to run in front of the pursuers, while Xiànshí appears but no one can see him.

...

Although it is hard to believe, one's nature leads you to make unexpected decisions.

As you well know... in the original story, the Kyoshi Warriors inspired by the Avatar and his team left their island and decided to support the war, where they ultimately found an Appa who was in very bad condition, deciding to help him. They did everything possible to gain their trust once again, once their objective was fulfilled they decided to take the bison with them only to be stopped by Princess Azula leading to Appa's escape and the capture of all the Kyoshi warriors... but in this universe the situation is different.

...

The Kyoshi warriors are surprised by the newcomers, because although they are from the Fire Nation, two do not look like the common soldiers they have faced before, and only one wears armor, only this one is more ostentatious with black details and golden

"Wow, how easy it is to find you," says Azula, who was in the middle holding a lock of Appa's hair and then throwing it to the ground. "I don't understand why my brother hasn't been able to do it yet."

Suki and her warriors immediately prepare their fans and get into a defensive position.

"What do you want from us?" Suki, who is in front, asks hostilely.

"Who are you admirers of the Avatar?" she says with a mocking tone.

One of the girls next door, one dressed in pink, says- Oh, I get it, good joke Azula.

Suki while she continues to be defensive- If they were looking for the Avatar then they are out of luck.

Appa growls hostilely at the girls, as if he could identify them or out of mistrust, Suki doesn't know very well but there was something about the girl named Azula, that imperturbable calmness that told her that she was dangerous.

Disappointed Azula sighed in defeat - I knew we were wasting time... so they were not with the Avatar - she shrugged her shoulders indifferently - don't worry... any friend of the Avatar is too my enemy - quickly jumped off his mount and launched a powerful burst of Blue Fire at them.

The girls quickly join their shields together to block the attack together. Soon Azula's other two companions join her and the Kyoshi warriors split up to face them.

Two Kyoshi warriors go straight to the girl dressed in pink and the other one who has a gloomy expression.

However, without taking too long, the shadowy girl nails her opponent into a tree with knives. While the pink girl hits her body a few times and sends her to the ground, she crosses her arms and says.

- They are not prettier than us...

Suki saw her surprised by that comment but she left it aside because now she is in her fight.

As Suki stands facing Azula, blocking every attack she launches, soon one reaches directly into a tree that was behind Appa and begins to catch fire.

Appa upon seeing the fire immediately begins to get scared, growling and acting hostile.

Azula, however, does not seem disturbed and sees Appa- I see that you are afraid of fire...perfect, you should be afraid of it.

Suki was going to take out her sword to face Azula head-on when she was stopped by one of her companions.

-Suki... there is no time, you must go with Appa!

Suki, upon hearing what she proposed, instantly objected. "You're crazy!" I'm not going to abandon them!!

Her partner just shook her head while she looked at where her teammates were still trying to confront Azula's team without any success.

-You must go, someone must make sure that Appa does not fall into the hands of the Fire Nation, those girls came following him, they will not stop until they catch him, if they catch him who knows what they would do with him.

Azula, amused, just tell them - Don't worry about that, I will take you all prisoners - she began to fire another fire attack that was repelled by another Kyoshi warrior who advanced to fight Azula.

-Suki now!

Appa, agreeing, urged her to accompany him, more because she did not want to be alone any longer. Although Suki did not want to admit it, she was right, they were defeating them and there was no guarantee that Appa could escape from them, she knew of Aang's desperation to get Appa back and she was sure that to get him back he would do anything... it was a difficult decision, but it was for the greater good.

Suki only saw her partner who smiled at her. "We will resist everything so that they escape boss... don't doubt that we will do it and we will see each other again...

Suki only took her by the forearms - I will come back for you, no matter where you are, even in Koh's lair I swear I will come for you.

-We do not doubt that you will do it- just then they hear a dull noise and see how two of her classmates have already fallen for two of those girls. Azula directs her gaze to them and Suki and her friend notice that. of her-now! go! go! go!

Suki nods and climbs onto Appa's back quickly. Her companion takes a piece of wood and sets it on fire to scare Appa and urge him to flee.

-Go now!... find Aang! "We'll be fine," he gives one last smile for reassurance, to which Appa finally agrees and pushes himself into the air with Suki holding on to him.

In the skies, Suki sees how the last of her girls begins to confront Azula when the others have already been incapacitated.

-I'll come back for you... I promise...

...

Already far from the place where the fight occurred, Suki notices that Appa has flown aimlessly and now they are lost. She quickly sits on her back and tries to get her attention.

-Appa! We have to go to Ba Sing Se, Aang is there.

Appa luckily hears her and grunts in agreement.

She immediately changes course directly to Ba Sing Se, hoping to finally be reunited with her owner.

Suki while thinking about her girls, hoping that they are okay, she should have stayed with them, she feels like she has abandoned them, but then she remembers how they told her to go with Appa, they know that this is more important and they know that she will not leave them behind. , he would return for them, he would fulfill his mission and then he would look for them.

...

Her mission may take longer than expected...

They were crossing the sea near Chameleon Bay, from there the route to Ba Sing would be easier, if not outside when they were suddenly caught in a fierce storm.

The rain certainly doesn't stop Appa, causing her to shiver and Suki to almost fall a few times.

She was about to suggest the idea of finding a place to rest when she suddenly heard a voice.

-Sokka! Katara!

The mention of the two, especially Sokka, takes Suki by surprise and Appa too because she soon stops to look for the origin of that voice.

-What do you think that was??... do you recognize the voice?

Appa growls that she means no or that's what she thinks, she was about to say that they better go back when...

-Sokka! Katara!

There she was again, and when Appa noticed where her voice was located, it didn't help much because when he did, he moved quickly to her, which wasn't a good idea.

Suki then taken by surprise by her reaction begins to fall from Appa's back, upon realizing this hurries to go with her, but before arriving she has already fallen into the sea, so she begins to submerge and rises to the surface. when Appa also submerges and Suki takes advantage of holding onto him to come to the surface faster.

-Thank you Appa...

Just after thanking him, he sees boats approaching, which were crewed by several men who, based on their clothing, were from the Water tribe.

-Sokka?? Katara??

The voice again caught her attention to find an older man with beads in his hair and blue eyes that looked familiar.

-Oh...sorry we confused you with someone else- says the man while a slight touch of disappointment showed in his eyes.

Suki however shakes her head - Maybe, however, I am looking for the same group that you were looking for sir.

That catches the attention of the man who crosses his arms and looks at her, intrigued.

-Do you know Sokka and Katara?

Suki nodded her head. "I'm on my way to meet them, I have to take Appa to meet Aang."

The man nods as he looks at Appa.

-Hakoda, what's taking you so long?

A new guy appears, thinner but taller than the one who is now interrogating her, but who has burn marks on the left side of her body.

-This girl claims to take the Avatar's bison and meet with him, Sokka, and Katara.

The man examines the situation by fixing his eyes on her and then on Appa, then when his eyes are on Appa the subject seems to recognize him.

-Yes, if it is Appa I can confirm that...

Hakoda looks curious - Are you sure, Bato?

The one who now knows it's Bato nods. "I would recognize him easily, you don't see many flying bison these days."

Hakoda just nods and then looks at Suki- you said you knew the Avatar and the two boys who accompanied him, how do you know them?

Suki, without appearing disturbed, responded - They appeared on my island one day, Aang wanted to ride the koi fish but we captured them believing they had bad intentions when we later clarified everything...

Bato puts a hand to his chin to think - Sokka told me that when I saw him, an island of girls with makeup, great warriors who helped him, Katara and Aang.

-So you are part of those warriors??

Suki nodded - My name is Suki, leader of the Kyoshi Warriors.

Hakoda nodded and then offered her a hand - Any ally of Sokka and Katara is our ally - Suki took her hand with a smile and Hakoda helped her get on the boat and then headed to Bato - Bato we have to be alert when we get to Chameleon Bay, then look for a shore to rest, we have to take shelter and prepare.

Bato nodded and left.

-Sorry I forgot to introduce myself before... I am Hakoda from the Southern Water Tribe, the father of Sokka and Katara, and who is by my side is my right-hand man and best friend Bato.

Bato gives him a wave

-Wait, Southern Water Tribe...- upon hearing him say that, the thoughts of a certain boy from the Water Tribe begin to appear in his mind they are on their way to meet them.

In that instant Hakoda and Bato's eyes open, and she can swear that she sees a glimmer of hope in Hakoda's eyes.

-Meet with them??...

Suki nods and with that Hakoda begins to question Suki.

-Do you know where they are now?

-Were you heading with them?

Before he could say anything else, Bato calmed his friend down before stunning the girl with more questions.

Yes, Sokka's father.

-Forgive my friend, it has been two years since he had the opportunity to see his children...

Suki looks at them in disbelief.

-Two years??

Hakoda sighs and then composes himself- Yes, we left our home in the South to come help in the war, we have to do everything possible if we want to have a chance to end this war.

Suki nods understanding that point - It's the same with me... I come from Kyoshi Island, for a long time we remained neutral, but after an attack by the Fire Nation we decided that we could no longer remain that way, that and other things....

Bato nodded. "So what led them to leave their island and join the war?"

Suki smiled remembering - It was Aang, Sokka, and Katara... they came to our Island and helped us defend our island... they inspired us, and they inspired me.

Bato especially Hakoda smiled with pride when listening to her, hearing how his children inspired others made her know how far they had come.

-So you were heading to meet them??

Hearing the question, Suki became discouraged. "Something like that... my Kyoshi warriors and I were heading to Ba sing se, that is where the Avatar and your children are heading now." Hakoda nodded and urged her to continue. We found Appa - he pointed to the Bison - he is the Avatar's bison, not long ago they captured him and took him away As far as I was told, when we found him he was in very bad condition, it was clear that he had been tortured and we did everything to help him, once we managed to do so we were going to resume our way to Ba sing se... when we found ourselves intercepted by a group of Fire Nation soldiers...

Hakoda and Bato nodded in understanding, knowing very well how it must feel, they have been through the same thing many times before.

-Don't blame yourself for anything, things like that usually happen once we have to leave Bato behind because after a battle he was badly injured...

Bato nodded.

Suki however gave a tired sigh - I would feel better if the group we fought wasn't three girls my age who beat us very easily.

That information undoubtedly caused intrigue in Hakoda and Bato.

-Three girls??

Suki nodded - If one made movements that left you out of combat very quickly, another threw knives, and the leader... a fire bender named Azula who shot blue fire...

Suki didn't know what she wanted to get by letting that out but she certainly didn't get the worried looks from the two men.

-What's happening??

Hakoda took a moment to say - That last girl you talked about is someone very well-known herself... she is nothing more and nothing less than Princess Azula of the Fire Nation.

That took Suki by surprise. Wait, how do you know she's the princess?

-Princess Azula is quite well known, after all not all fire benders are capable of making blue fire- said Bato explaining the situation.

Suki begins to remember her meeting with the princess and her friends, remembering something crucial.

-She said she was looking for the Avatar...she is after Aang.

Hakoda then starts to think- Then we must assume that he is heading to Ba sing se.

Suki immediately sees Hakoda.

-These are not assumptions, when I confronted her it was clear that she was looking for Aang! She then if she would go to Ba Sing Se...

-If it even happens that she manages to arrive- says Bato in a cautious manner.

-If she managed to arrive?? She may already be heading there!

-I don't think the princess will be able to enter Ba sing se, the city is supposed to be impenetrable, no one has managed to overcome those walls- Hakoda says in a confident tone.

-Oh really?? What about the Dragon of the West?? "He managed to get in," Suki said, crossing her arms, and asking the two older men.

On his way to Ba sing se, he heard the stories of the Dragon of the West, the elder brother of the Lord of Fire who besieged the city for 600 days and managed to break through it, fortunately he was defeated, but even though he was defeated that does not mean that someone already could tear down the invincible walls of Ba sing se and if the princess set her eyes there then there was a big problem.

-She has a point there- Bato said that.

Hakoda put his fingers to the bridge of his nose, thinking about a possible front of action - Even knowing how we could get there, our ships were still far from Ba sing se, it would take more time to get there, and we haven't even gotten there. Chameleon Bay.

-Why so much insistence on getting to Chameleon Bay??

Bato sighs - Getting there is necessary because we plan to help stop more Fire Nation ships, the rumors of that supposed new weapon that they are supposed to build do not pass us by, also after the fall of Omashu the Fire Nation She is so interested in ending the war this year.

Suki, intrigued, looks at them curiously. Wait, seriously? and because??

Hakoda- We believe that it is due to the return of the Avatar, with him here perhaps the Fire Lord must have realized that he would not be able to win the war.

Suki remembered something important at that - Of course!... - she looked at Hakoda and Bato - The last time I saw them, Sokka told me the other reason for going to Ba sing was because they wanted to go ask the Earth King for help because they have a plan to invade the Fire Nation in the summer...

The revelation of this fact shocked Hakoda and Bato who processed this.

-If that is true then the war could end soon...-said Bato.

Hakoda nodded, thinking everything over.

-But if it's true that Princess Azula goes to Ba se and captures the Avatar, not only would it take away the world's best hope to end this war, but it would also end the best chance of taking the Fire Nation by surprise if it were to happen. finds out about their plans... we must arrive and warn them.

Suki nodded with a smile seeing that she was able to convince them.

-We will have to redouble our efforts...- Hakoda began to make a plan.

Bato stopped by to see her, Hakoda, and then Appa, having a better idea he grabbed her friend's shoulder.

-No!... Hakoda, you and Suki must take Appa and get to Ba sing se as quickly as you can.

The instant Hakoda heard it, he turned to where Bato was.

-Bato is not the best option, I am not going to leave the men...

Bato nodded but did not back down. "Now the important thing is to get there and tell the boys, we don't know How much time we have and because of the distance, as you said, it will take several days to arrive...

Hakoda remained unconvinced.

-Also, at this moment your children are the ones who need you the most,

-I want you to go to Ba sing se and when you arrive, send a word so that I can meet with you.

Bato nodded with a smile - We will meet again my friend, don't have any doubts about that - he took his forearm so that Hakoda could take it which he did, and squeezed it - now go, find your children and give them my regards.

Hakoda just smiled at him as he looked at Suki.

Suki nodded and then the two went in Appa's direction and climbed on top of him. Suki went to get as close as possible so that he could hear her.

-Appa, it's time to go to Ba sing se, it's time to find Aang.

Appa seemed to hear her because he immediately gave a growl and took to the sky once more.

...

Several hours later...

Finally, after a long time there it was, Ba sing se, after a long time it was now in sight, Suko sighed with relief at being able to arrive, things were going well, and she would soon see Sokka and the others, it would only be a matter of time.

Suki looks at Mr. Hakoda who also looks the same because he can see a glimmer of hope in his eyes, when he notices Suki looking at him he composes himself.

-Once we get to the city we have to go directly to the Avatar and my children and put them on alert.

Suki nods but then the question arises - But where could they be, this city is very big - she points to the city that is indeed very gigantic.

Hakoda nods in agreement- We'll have to head to the Earth King's palace then.

Suki nods again and looks straight ahead, but then Appa turns away somewhere else, specifically to a place in the city.

-What's wrong Appa?? Did you manage to find Aang?

However, he does not answer him because he soon reaches a dark alley and lands in it.

Suki and Hakoda go down and when they do they notice how quiet the place is.

"I don't like this," says Hakoda when he sees the place itself...

-Well this is unexpected...

A voice originates from the dark side of a street where a middle-aged man with dark green clothes that look thin and a mustache comes out, emerging from the shadows showing that he is carrying something in his hand.

-I didn't expect to find anyone accompanying the bison.

Suki defensively asks - Who are you??

The man just smiles and bows - My apologies, my name is Long Feng, Chief of the Dai Li and main advisor to the Earth King...

Hakoda lets his guard down a little but not completely, there is something about this situation that he doesn't like. If he is the Earth King's advisor then he should know that the Avatar didn't come here long ago.

Long Feng nods - That's right, he came here in search of his flying bison, I have personally offered to look for it for him.

The way he says it doesn't convince Suki at all, he remembered well Aang's insistence on finding Appa, he couldn't see him leaving that to someone else.

-Yes, I found it and we came here to return it to you, but we didn't just come for that but for something else- Suki says looking at Long Feng who seems intrigued by what she has to say- Princess Azula of the Fire Nation is on Appa's trail, I don't know if he has to know if he is already here in Ba sing se but it is something that cannot be missed, we fear that Princess Azula is on her way here...

Long Feng however doesn't take his last argument too worried - I don't think that will become a problem, after all, there is no war here in Ba sing se...

Hakoda does not agree - Listen to me Long Feng if Princess Azula is heading here to Ba sing se, it is something that cannot be taken lightly, not many years ago the city experienced the same thing with the Dragon of the West and its siege of the city, everyone knows what a failure but if I hadn't done it the result could have been...

"I already told you that you don't have to worry, there is no war here in Ba sing se," he repeats with an imperturbable calm that reminds Suki of when he faced Princess Azula, his instincts normally don't fail him, that's why he knows that You shouldn't let it go if he tells you that you shouldn't trust this guy at all.

-Anyway, thank you very much for delivering the Avatar's bison, I will personally go to deliver it to him if you decide to wait you will be well rewarded for his good deed...

-Actually, we were hoping to deliver it to you ourselves and give you the information we have given you- says Suki.

-It won't be any trouble if you allow me, I will accompany you to where the Avatar and his friends are in the Upper Ring.

Hakoda nods - Okay, guide us, Mr. Long Feng.

Long Feng gives them a smile and gestures with his hand - This way, follow me...

Long Feng takes the lead and they immediately start to follow him, Appa is still suspicious and growls in warning but still follows them.

Suki notices Appa's behavior towards Long Feng and she couldn't agree more with him., the subject does not give you confidence, as you continue your walk through those streets you feel the strange sensation that they are being watched.

He turns to Hakoda who seems to have the same feeling as he looks towards various parts, because in itself the situation does not make sense, this guy, Long Feng appears out of nowhere just when they arrive as if he were waiting for them, rather not for them, to Appa as if he knew he would be there.

-It must be a very difficult job, right? "To be an advisor to the Earth King," he asks, trying to maintain a conversation and divert attention.

Long Feng turns to look at him and smiles. Ensuring the safety and interests of the King and, more importantly, Ba Singse, is a great sacrifice that I am willing to bear...

Hakoda nods- And tell me how you found out that we were there in the place where you found us??

Long Feng narrows his eyes - The Dai Li is in charge of maintaining peace in Ba sing se, they are in charge of security itself.

So they told you that we had arrived - Suki thinks, but there is still something that is not right, maybe they told her but that doesn't explain what Long Feng was doing there.

-They must be very efficient in their work.

Long Feng smiles - They are, they are the greatest Earth benders here in Ba sing se, the first Dai Li was trained by Avatar Kyoshi himself to protect this city.

That takes Suki by surprise, she didn't expect the Dai Li to be like the warriors of her village, but then why didn't she know? On Kyoshi Island, there is information about everything Kyoshi did in her life because then she wouldn't know. Does she have anything about the Dai Li if they were trained by her?

-That is very incredible indeed...

-Yes, of course, it is...- Long Feng crosses at an intersection that leads to a dead-end road, before they can cross it Suki stops when she sees how strange this is.

-Where is he taking us??

-Long Feng turns to look at her- A safe house where you can see because of its protection, the lower ring is very dangerous.

Hakoda upon hearing this becomes more defensive - And why not go directly to the Avatar?

Long is not affected and responds - he was thinking of bringing the Avatar so he could give him his bison so that everything would be easier.

Suki doesn't let herself be convinced- And us??

-You can wait with him if he makes you happy...

-It seems more like you don't want to take us to the Avatar or tell us, what would you have done if we hadn't been with Appa.

Suki's comment seems to have an effect because Long Feng immediately closes his eyes and shakes his head.

-It would have been better if they had accepted in peace...

Taking that as a warning sign, Suki immediately goes on the defensive, grabbing her fans as Dai Li agents appear from the roofs of the buildings and lunge at them.

Appa reacts and prepares to attack them, sending them flying, soon more Dai Li appear and begin to surround them, Hakoda and Suki launch themselves to confront them, when the Dai Li responds with Earthbending, sending them rocks to neutralize them, Suki begins to dodge them to counterattack them. with her fans, managing to knock some down, while with her fighting techniques, she confronts others, but soon something pulls her from behind and takes her to where an agent Dai Li takes him captive and is about to take her away when Hakoda appears from behind and knocks out Dai Li.

-Thank you

-Don't thank me yet- she gets into a fighting position again when she notices that more Dai Li agents appear- we have to get out of here!

Suki nods- Appa we're leaving!

Appa, who was charging at more agents, Dai Li hears Suki and with a growl, he goes to her when something stops him from his feet.

Suki then sees worriedly that Long Feng has trapped him on the ground, she is going to go to stop him but it is too late when Dai Li agents stand at Appa's sides, and with an Earthbending movement, they open the Earth, and disappear Appa.

-No!-She was going to launch herself at the Dai Li when someone stopped her.

-Suki, there is no time... we must get out of here!

- We can't leave it!

Hakoda shakes his head - We won't be able to rescue him if they capture him too - he points out where Dai Li agents are moving towards them after capturing Appa, then Suki understands what he wants to do, so without further ado she huffs in frustration, it's happening again. , is leaving allies behind, who sacrifice themselves so she can escape.

She doesn't like this.

She is going to make those who imprisoned her friends pay.

First to Dai Li, then to Princess Azula.

That's a promise.

She nods at Hakoda to follow him, as they begin to run to stay alive and be able to continue fighting.

...

Current time...

-Mr. Hakoda, we cannot continue like this... watching our backs all the time and at this pace, we will not find them.

Hakoda sighed, accepting the fact, that they must seek shelter, while behind them the Dai Li began to throw rocks in the shape of hands, one almost hitting Suki who narrowly managed to avoid it.

While they continued running he decided to take Suki and turn at an intersection when he saw a man who looked like he was leaving his house, then he had an idea, he quickly passed in the man's path and continued running.

-Hey!

Suki passes it too and apologizes to the lord. They immediately turn but before running Hakoda stops her and urges her to look for a place to hide. Suki does not know what he is planning but nods, climbs a house, and hides, Hakoda does the same by standing under a porch, when they hear.

-Did you see a man and a girl pass by here??

-If those two collided with me and ran away!

-Where did they go??

-They went that way, turning that corner, it was obvious that they were in a hurry because they didn't stop...

-Well... soon they hear footsteps to see the Dai Li appear and they start running until they disappear at the other end of the street.

Seeing that they were outwitted, Suki sighed with relief, Mr. Hakoda was very clever.

He is undoubtedly Sokka's father.

-Suki, you can come out...he's safe.

Suki comes out of hiding from her and stands next to Hakoda.

-That was a brilliant idea, sir.

Hakoda just sighs - He will take them away from us for a while, but I don't doubt that they will discover the deception and be able to find us again, it would be better to move and prevent that from happening.

Suki nods as they prepare to leave that place.

...

Long Feng enters his office followed by two Dai Li agents behind him, to see that someone was there too.

-Ah Joo-dee I see you're back- he approaches a chair while he watches as Joo-dee stands in front of him.

-Please, I beg you, don't send me there again.

-Of course, it won't happen, you shouldn't worry, the only thing you have to do for that does what I asked you, keep the Avatar distracted, and don't disturb the peace in Ba sing se.

Joo-dee lowers her head in submission - Yes sir, I will do it.

Long Feng nods satisfied - Now you can go, go do your task - without further ado he dismisses her to leave, which Joo-dee quickly does, crosses the door, and closes it, however, it opens again to let another person in. Agent Dai Li.

Long Feng notices his presence and asks.

-And good??

-The Avatar's Bison is secured, however, we have not yet managed to capture his companions...

Long Feng snorts at that- They are more elusive than he thought.

-We will redouble our efforts.

Long Feng nods - They should do it, if those two get to the Avatar and tell them what happened then we will be in big trouble.

...

The dawn of a new day has arrived, the inhabitants of the lower ring get up to begin their activities for the day, as well as the middle ring, while the upper ring remains quiet.

The streets of the lower ring begin to be occupied by many who go straight to their businesses, among them two continue walking the streets in a hurry until they stop looking behind.

-I think they no longer follow us...

Suki nodded but she was already tired. "At this rate, I'm going to end up exhausted."

Hakoda can say the same about him - he looks at the street they are on if they can rest when he notices a business that seems to be already open.

-What do you think if we go get some food and something to drink to recover?? Is it worth resting too...

Suki doesn't object because her stomach growls with hunger too and she blushes because of it. But Hakoda doesn't say anything and points to her place.

-That seems to be the only place that is open for now.

Suki looks in her direction and reads the sign of the place - Pao Tea Shop... I'm not much of a tea person, but if I can rest for a moment I consider myself well served.

Hakoda nods without objecting either.

They quickly enter the premises without knowing what they will find next.

They immediately close the door and sigh in relief, but they can't stay here for long if they want to avoid being detected by the Dai Li.

-I'm sorry but we're not open yet if you could come back later...

Suki and Hakoda turn to see who told them that, finding a young man with a pale complexion with hair that reached the tips of his ears, and who had golden eyes, but what stood out most about him was his enormous scar. burn on his left eye.

Alarmed, they put themselves in a defensive position when they recognized that boy, it was none other than Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, who upon seeing them soon frowned ready for any problem that these guys wanted to start.

-Nephew...

The three turned to see where the new voice had come from, finding an older man with the same white complexion, slightly browner eyes, and a teapot at hand.

-Why do you leave these customers at the door, offer them a table...

-Uncle...- Zuko was about to reply but when he saw that he had no point he gave in of course, come with me, please.

Suki saw Hakoda looking for something to tell him what he should do, but he only gave her a look that told her that they better accept.

Without further ado, she nodded resignedly and walked to where Zuko was waiting for them to sit down.

-Sorry for the inconvenience please, my nephew Lee will attend to you.

Suki crossed her arms in disbelief at this- Lee?!

Zuko stood up straight at this and when he and she saw each other's eyes, there was no need to say more...

He knows.

Zuko saw from the girl the man who looked like he belonged to the Water Tribe, something about him seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it, he fixed his gaze again on the girl and it also seemed familiar but he didn't remember where from either. .

He couldn't let them go that easily, not without first checking that none of them left and went directly to tell someone who he and his uncle were, the Dai Li may not let them go this time.

"What tea would you like to drink?" I ask cautiously.

Hakoda, who remained calm the entire time analyzing everything, decided that it would be better to play along, it was either that or make a fuss and attract the Dai Li and that was something that no one at this table wanted.

-I would like a ginseng tea... and my friend here...- he fixed his gaze on Suki to give her a choice.

-Jazmin... jasmine tea.

Iroh nodded with a smile to go to the kitchen. Before addressing Zuko again.

-Nephew, attend to the other tables while I'm in charge of preparing tea for our clients, it will soon be time to open.

Resigned, Zuko nodded to go to another table, but he didn't take his eyes off his guests, he couldn't believe it, someone else already recognized them, first Jet accusing them of being fire benders and now these two, he couldn't take his eyes off them.

Suki notices that Zuko is watching her and decides to watch him too, she has not forgotten what he did in her village.

Iroh nodded and went to retire to the kitchen to prepare tea, and while he began to review the events that had happened, a man from the Water Tribe and a girl who also knew his nephew because of how he reacted to Zuko, appeared in front of him. the tea shop, apparently anxious and looking to hide, it seems that they were fleeing, most likely from the Dai Li and they discovered Zuko's identity, it seems that they did not plan to find them, it is most likely that they try to meet the Avatar in the Upper Ring, according to the information given to him by the White Lotus, it seems that destiny has once again put them on the path of the Avatar...

-Mr. Hakoda, what is the plan?

Hakoda stopped by to see Suki whisper - For now, we will have to wait and see, I do not doubt that that boy is Prince Zuko and that his uncle is the Dragon of the West.

Suki opened her eyes in surprise and without believing it, she did not expect to see the Dragon of the West here and even less that the Dragon of the West was that kind man, he looked very... peaceful, when she imagined the Dragon of the West she always imagined a ruthless guy. and cruel.

-But I don't understand, what are they doing here??

Hakoda began to think - Maybe that is something we will discover eventually, despite being who they are we cannot confront them openly or we risk Long Feng's men finding us and catching us.

Suki nodded, although that sounded tempting and resulted in the Firebender and his uncle being captured, she knew that what Hakoda said was true, they couldn't take the risk and it seemed like neither could they.

Soon Iroh emerges from the kitchen, carrying a tray containing some teacups and a teapot as he approaches his table.

-A cup of my famous Jasmine tea for you miss- she smiles kindly at Suki as he gives her her tea, then goes to see Hakoda- and a cup of Ginseng tea for you my dear sir...

-Hakoda.

Iroh nodded while passing him his cup, while Hakoda was almost in disbelief, the Dragon of the West was in a tea shop serving him, a Man of the Southern Water Tribe, a cup of tea if he could help you. He may have something that could poison them, but the man must have guessed his thoughts because he takes another cup of tea that he brought with him sits with them, and starts drinking from the cup, this convinces him and he proceeds to drink his tea.

Wow, this is a very delicious tea.

It seems that Suki also had the same thought as she quickly took the rest of hers.

Iroh meanwhile gives them a big smile. Then, remembering something important, Hakoda decides to start investigating.

-Then sir...

-Mushi, my name is Mushi- he says calmly as he pours tea, Hakoda nods as he takes the tea from him and looks at him cautiously.

-Mr. Mushi, are you originally from Ba Sing se??

Iroh shakes his head and smiles - it wasn't long ago that my nephew and I arrived here, looking for a new life behind the walls of Ba sing se...

Hakoda nodded.

-And tell me, sir, what brings you and his friend here??

Suki narrowed her eyes, not sure how to tell him that information, this guy was an enigma, she already told him that she had been living here for a while, but that didn't mean that she wasn't planning anything.

Hakoda also has that in mind so he just answers- We came to see someone...

Iroh nods having enough of that, if the man still has a distrust of him, Iroh understands he can't do more for now, but maybe with time, this can change.

-It seems that you, sir, are someone very intrigued- says Iroh as he leaves the teapot on the table and proceeds to sit at the table with them- tell me, have you had the opportunity to play pai sho??

His question throws Hakoda off for a moment, but then he remembers who he's dealing with and sees an opportunity to get answers.

-Not much really, life at sea doesn't give enough time for some things.

Iroh gives a sigh of disappointment, but then composes himself and addresses Zuko. "Nephew, just now we're out of tea, there's more in the kitchen if you could go back...

Zuko gave a groan of frustration but nodded, she had been watching the entire exchange between her uncle and the man she now knows is called Hakoda and the girl, and now she is taking him out of here to bring them more Te!

Now she only finds herself going to the kitchen to get him.

...

Once his nephew leaves Iroh returns to the conversation.

-I imagine that certain friends are not originally from Ba sing se either- Iroh's words do not give anything away, but at the same time they are a statement, one to which Hakoda nods- do not feel insecure about asking what you want or answering cautiously, this is a safe space.

Suki narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "How do we know they're not here as spies for the Fire Nation?"

Iroh only took a moment to pick up his cup and finish drinking his tea. "The Fire Nation considers us fugitives, we wouldn't be safe if we stayed in their territories..."

-And why come here to Ba sing se?? After the... reputation he has here I wouldn't believe her to be his best option.

Iroh became sad at that - I know very well, that he was a different man back then, nothing compared to who I try to be now, I came to Ba sing se to start over, with a chance to leave everything behind...

Hakoda was curious about that- Why? What was it that changed?? "If you can tell," he said the last thing, not wanting to press too much.

Iroh then looked into his eyes and saw something familiar in them, something he had seen many times before, in his children, his men, and many others.

The pain of losing a loved one.

-When I finally realized the weight of my actions, and what they ultimately caused, I was devastated by it and that is why I want to correct my mistakes and guide my nephew on the right path, in a way I see him as if he were my son.

Oh.

So that was why, Hakoda realized and Suki realized too, that the man in front of them was not the Dragon of the West, he was just another person who was affected by the war and who was trying to move on.

"So they left all contact with the Fire Nation behind?" Suki asked to change the topic of conversation, something that Iroh was grateful for when he saw that they were no longer going to interrogate him about his past and he denied his question.

-It would be the most sensible thing, miss, I fear that if we didn't do it we would fall into the hands of my niece, Princess Azula.

Hearing Suki gave her a slight shock, Princess Azula, apart from capturing Aang, was sent to capture her brother and her uncle.

He had already seen firsthand how powerful she was, he couldn't imagine her going after her own family.

Iroh noticed the expression on her face as the next question was directed at her.

-I assume from your expression that you must have already met my niece, miss, and on very bad terms - Suki nodded - rest assured that if you managed to resist her it is due to your great combat ability, Azula is both precise and lethal, that always tells her. impulse to be as it is...

-Only it wasn't because of that that I was able to escape from her- she thought bitterly, remembering what the other Kyoshi warriors did for her to get her here. She felt Hakoda's hand on her shoulder as a sign of support, she knew it still affected her.

-Yes... but that doesn't mean that he's looking forward to revenge against her - Iroh nodded without questioning her - the good thing is that he may have her sooner rather than later...

Now that caught the attention of Iroh, who looked at her questioningly and then at Hakoda.

-And why should that be?

Hakoda only gave a tired sigh, there was no point in continuing to hide this fact if General Iroh was not a threat. Well, we were coming to meet the Avatar and his friends...

-The Avatar is in Ba sing se?!

When they hear Zuko's scream, the three notice that he is coming out of the kitchen with a tray and a teapot to see them with his eyes open.

Iroh immediately realizes what his thoughts seem to be - Nephew, here we can start a new life... but if you cause any trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening to us.

Zuko as he looks at Tio in disbelief is urging him to let go of the Avatar, to let go of his destiny.

-Only good things happen to you!... Hasn't it crossed your mind that I want more than to work serving tea?

Hakoda and especially Suki look at Prince Zuko cautiously, now they study him, perhaps his uncle no longer wants to participate in the war, but they still don't know anything about him, it seems that he has not forgotten his need to capture the Avatar.

-What's wrong with a life of peace and prosperity... I suggest you start thinking about what you want in your life and why.

Zuko just turns him back to the kitchen door - I have a destiny... - at that, he begins to leave.

-But your destiny depends on you.

However, Zuko does not respond and simply leaves the room, but before anyone can do anything else the front door of the door opens, putting Hakoda and Suki on alert believing that they have been discovered.

It slowly opens to show a middle-aged man, wearing an Earth Kingdom hat and clothing, but he is not a Dai Li.

"Mushi, why haven't you and Lee opened yet?" the man addresses Iroh, showing confusion in his tone.

Iroh just gets up from his place and stands on the side of the table.

-These esteemed customers entered before we could do so, they were very willing for us to serve them tea that I could not refuse.

The guy didn't ask whether he found it strange or not because it seemed very reasonable to him.

-I can imagine if it's your Mushi tea- then he turns to Hakoda and Suki- I hope you enjoyed it a lot...

Hakoda just decides to go with the flow so that the story is genuine- Of course... this tea is the latest thing talked about in town so we decided to find out how good it was.

Suki, seeing what she was doing, just smiled at the guy.

Who smiles with emotion - I'm very happy to hear that since you've been here Mushi my business has only gotten better.

-It's always a pleasure to serve a good tea, Pao- Pao just nods his head agreeing with his response.

Suki then shaking off her relief in the face of possible danger, remembers that a certain Prince went out and no one knows where, but he intends to find out and stop him in case he does something that harms them.

-Mr. Mushi, if you don't mind, would you allow me to have a conversation with Lee, your nephew?

Ask politely to Iroh, who nods his head intrigued, partly curious as to how this will end.

Hakoda, also curious, turns to look at her- Suki??

But she just shakes her head - Don't worry Mr. Hakoda, it won't be something important, I just want to talk about a couple of things with him...

Without further ado, he hurries to leave before anyone else says anything.

-First the girl from the other time and now her, I must admit, Mushi, your nephew knows how to attract beautiful young girls... - Pao says surprised as he watched Suki leave through the same door that Zuko left through.

Iroh just gives a proud smile- I instruct him as best I can.

The last thing the two say leaves Hakoda a little off.

Pao turns to Iroh again to change the conversation - I have to go fix the supply of the tea that is needed, that's why I came back earlier, so while I'll leave you in charge, I trust you so that everything turns out well.

Iroh just nods calmly. "Don't worry about anything, Pao."

Pao nods as he goes to the counter takes out some papers and goes to leave, but first, he returns to Hakoda - Come back to visit us soon sir, Pao's Tea House will be happy to assist you.

Hakoda just gives him a smile-Sure, no problem.

Pao smiles back and proceeds to walk out the front door.

Hakoda is somewhat surprised by what happened, but before he can draw conclusions, Iroh's voice brings him out of his thoughts.

-If he says that Azula is on her way to Ba sing se, rest assured Mr. Hakoda that she will find a way to get in... she never gives up and never accepts defeat.

Iroh says calmly as he looks at the man in front of him.

Hakoda just sighed in resignation, he hoped that would result in it not being a possibility, the last thing he wanted was for the Fire Nation to arrive here, the last place the Fire Nation had not reached, but that would eventually happen.

-So what can we do??

Iroh just goes to a table, goes and takes the teapot that Zuko left to return to the table, and pours himself more tea, while he thinks about what to say to him.

-The best thing would be to warn the Earth King about this and see how they can deal with this situation in the best way.

Hakoda finds the man curious because the way he says it makes it sound like he is appropriate, but not ideal.

-I assume that is not the best option.

Iroh just shook his head- I'm afraid not... a few days after arriving I realized that here in the Lower Ring, it is forbidden to talk about war, this is something implemented by the Dai Li, so you have to be careful. If they have you in their sights... if you want to have a chance to confront my niece, I suggest you be cautious, Azula is often unpredictable.

Hakoda nods, grateful for the information. "And tell me, what about you?" If it is true that war is coming here, what will he do?

Iroh takes a moment to reflect - I don't know - his answer baffles Hakoda - I came here to Ba sing se to start a new life, hoping to leave everything behind, I wanted my nephew to have that too, to get him away from everything. conflict that clouds your mind.

Hakoda, however, disagrees, remembering the young man's outburst. I see him as very aware of his actions.

Iroh responds with a sad smile - My nephew has a very complicated past, there is a lot that eats away at him and the main thing is to seek his father's love, he is so willing to obtain it that sometimes that makes him he is now, but He's not a bad person...

The mention of his father's love intrigued Hakoda- Because he says that he seeks the love of his father... I am a father and I would never do that to my children.

Iroh stared at him for a moment, drawing theories and conclusions, while Hakoda still saw him waiting for an answer, seeing Iroh wanting to know, but seeing him debating whether to say it or not, made him wonder how bad Prince Zuko must have it to want to look for the love of his father trapping the Avatar.

Until Iroh decides to tell him.

The causes that led a young thirteen-year-old Prince Zuko to be burned and banished by his father and how he could only let him return by capturing a person who disappeared 100 years ago and who only reappeared a few months ago.

Hakoda, upon hearing it, cannot believe it, the Fire Lord doing that to his son, he cannot believe the degree of cruelty of the man, he would not do that to Sokka, perhaps he would scold him at most, but he would not push him away, he would seek another way, but what the Fire Lord did was cruel.

Iroh just looks at him sadly imagining what he must be thinking - now he understands why he is desperate to capture the Avatar.

However, Hakoda still can't understand it- What about his mother?? How could she allow that to happen??

Iroh just shook his head. "I'm not sure how and no one knows for sure, but after my father passed away and my brother ascended the throne, the mother of Zuko disappeared, no one knows what happened to her, or even if she is alive or not.

When Hakoda hears it, he leans back in his seat, he can't believe it, but now he understands a little better why Prince Zuko is like that, he grew up in a hostile home, with a father who is more than obvious that he doesn't love him if he does. He did what he did to him, a mother who mysteriously disappeared and a sister who was seen to be favored over him, where the only family member who showed him affection was his uncle.

In short, a toxic family.

-Now you understand my nephew and my decision to bring him here a little better- Hakoda nods- I want Zuko to find peace and become the great man I know he can be, but he won't do it until he deals with the confusion. of your mind.

-That is until I accept things as they are- Iroh nodded- Mister... Mushi, I can see that you care a lot about your nephew, but if what you say is true and Princess Azula arrives at some point that means no. you can be neutral forever.

Iroh knew this very well so he nodded.

-Eventually, you and your nephew will have to choose a side...- he says, looking cautious- what I want to know is...

Iroh just smiled at him, knowing what his question was. "Don't worry, I knew a long time ago that I couldn't follow the vision of my nation and that's why I left. If I've gotten involved in something, it's only been to see for my nephew's safety." ...

Hakoda nodded - And his nephew??

Iroh just sighed at that - he trusted me to make the right decision when the time came...

Hakoda just nodded as he finished drinking his tea.

...

Zuko came out of the back door furious. He couldn't believe that his uncle would question what he should do, after all, he knew what he was looking for, he just wanted to go home, he wanted the love of his father.

Even though his aunt likes living here, he wants to return to the Fire Nation, he misses his home, and he wants everything to be the same as before, is it even that hard to understand?

While his pass back to the Fire Nation is within his reach once again, the Avatar is in Ba sing se, it will only be to find out where he does not believe that he could be here in the lower Ring since that child is someone. I would have already talked about him being here.

So he must be in the middle and upper Rings, if he wants to, he can arrive before that girl and her companion reaches him, if so, it will start tonight.

But before he can do anything else, someone takes him to the wall, seeing who caught him off guard, he discovers that it is the same girl from before.

Suki just corners him against the wall.

"I don't know what he is doing here, Your Highness," he says lastly in a mocking tone, "but whatever he plans will not work out."

Zuko doesn't let himself be intimidated so he faces her- Oh yeah?? And what do you plan to do about it?

Suki just gave him a smile having exactly an idea of what to do - Then I'll tell on you and your uncle, I imagine the authorities here would like to know that a firebender is causing riots in their city...

Zuko, upon hearing her, glared at her. "You're lying... Maybe you don't know it, but here it's forbidden to talk about the war and anything related to it. When you say something like that, the Dai Li will arrest you." Try to make her discard her idea. , he knows what will happen to him and his uncle if they are discovered, he can't let her tell on him, that's why he tells her this, if he tells her what will happen to her once she tries her idea he might convince her not to do it.

It seems to work for a moment but then she tightens his grip on her. "Maybe so, but eventually my friends will find out that I'm here and when they do the truth will come out and they'll come for you and your uncle."

Zuko, furious at her threat, tries to burn her or at best scare her, but she seems to guess what he is going to do to her as he takes her head and hits it against the wooden wall to stun him.

-Don't even think about doing it... okay! Doing so convinces me even more to betray you.

When Zuko recovered from the blow, he examined the situation, his hands were almost literally tied, if he fought it would be the end, he only had to give in, but he would never do it to a peasant, he was a prince! He wouldn't stoop to that, but then he remembers that this girl has him up against the wall, threatening to blow his cover, and even if he can get out of this and take care of her, the other guy would betray him and his uncle, it would almost be a relief for him. , this life is not for him, he has a destiny and it is not here, but despite that, he knew that his uncle wanted to be here, he liked his job in this tea shop, if they knew that he was from the Nation of Fire and more so if he was the Dragon of the West himself, then he would lose everything he got here, and although Zuko was not interested in the Tea business he knew that what he did here meant a lot to his uncle, he would never take it away from him. That was why he made a decision.

He addressed Suki once more. “What do you want?”

Suki was surprised for a moment that he gave in but then she composed herself and began to think without leaving his grip, then she turned to him. "You have nothing that I want... but it would be satisfying if you gave up your obsession with capturing Aang...".

Zuko opened his eyes realizing that he was referring to the Avatar and growled in annoyance, "That won't happen...

Suki hummed- Well then... what remedy??

Seeing that he had ruined it, he began to consider his options in search of what to offer him, he didn't have much, just his skills, but he doubted because of how he had him in this position that he would need them, but there must be something, then as if the answer came. From the sky, that's how it was, a poster fell from the sky, one that they both saw fall, where there was an image of the Avatar's Bison and from what it seemed it was lost and he was looking for it, then something occurred to him.

-If I promise to find the Avatar's Bison, you won't say anything??-Zuko proposes using his last good card, it's the best and the only thing he has to offer if he wants this girl to keep her mouth shut.

Suki seems to consider it for a moment, as she lets go of him to see him better from the front, which Zuko appreciates since the position in which he had her arm already made it numb, but then she shakes her head.

-Yes, of course, what guarantees me that you won't betray me and capture Appa to get to Aang?

Valid point, he would do that.

Zuko just puts his fingers on the bridge of her nose hoping that the next thing will count. "If I swear on my honor that I won't do it, will you believe me?" she says, hoping that this will convince her.

Suki looks at him with her arms crossed skeptically. "For your honor??."

Zuko nods - For anyone in the Fire Nation, especially a firebender, honor is everything to him, without it we are nothing...

Suki examines his face and can see in his eyes that there is no malice in them, it seems that what he says he intends to fulfill.

-But what assures me that you won't go looking for Aang once he has his bison??

Another valid point, he would do that too.

Zuko sighed tiredly, he had already risked this once, and he couldn't do it again. "And if with that he also swore not to pursue the Avatar while he is in Ba sing se... would you be satisfied?"

Zuko felt ashamed, if Azula or her Father saw him pleading before a peasant, they would undoubtedly mock him and claim that he was still weak.

This may be a risky bet, but what other option do you have?

But that seems to satisfy this girl, who approves of it.

-Well, you will help me find Appa... - he raises his hand to make the deal, to which the resigned man raises his to take hers and seal this, but before he can take it she removes it and gives him another warning look - and you will honor the deal to the letter... done??

Zuko nodded. "Done."

Suki then took his hand to seal the deal.

Then he let her go and proceeded to return to the two elders.

-Very well, let's go...- he gestured for her to follow her.

Zuko however shook his head - I can't do it now... I have to work, in case you didn't forget, this store was about to open when you arrived.

Suki remembered it and something occurred to her, she crossed her arms and smiled mockingly at him.

-The prince of the Fire Nation serving tea to the commoners of the Earth Kingdom, now I've seen it all.

Zuko snorted at her mockery.

Suki rolled her eyes in amusement. "Okay, when you're done we'll discuss how we can get Appa back."

At that moment he thought of something essential- Wait...if the Avatar also looks for his Bison that prevents you from fulfilling part of the deal if he finds it first.

Suki thought about it and considered it, that was a valid point, there was a good chance of that happening, but if she had to be honest with herself- Aang, Sokka Katara, and Toph may be great in many ways, but if they have been here a long time and They haven't found it yet, I highly doubt that they will find it before us if we know who has it...

Zuko looks at her confused by her response-Us??

Suki just nods- Mr. Hakoda and I know, we were there when Dai Li took him away.

When Zuko finds out who has the Avatar's bison, he starts to think...

-If the Dai Li has it then they won't give it to them, they disappear anyone who tries to talk about the war here...

Suki nods in agreement - Then they will keep it hidden somewhere, the question would be where?? This place is very big and it would be difficult to cover the entire city.

Zuko considered that too, when an idea then occurred to him.

-I think I have an idea... a very good one, but for it to work it has to be tonight...

...

Chapter Text

Later that night...

Suki will admit it, it was a great plan, when at first she told him to wait until night to act, she didn't think it was a good thing, they immediately both returned to the adults who were waiting for them, once they arrived they informed them of Appa's posters and the deal they made and under what circumstances, Iroh reaffirmed the question of honor that Zuko mentioned, which seemed enough to convince Hakoda of this unexpected alliance, then they proceeded to plan the rescue of Appa from the hands of the Dai Li, only to return to the question of Zuko's plan that needed to be made that night.

The questions were asked, but seeing that they would not get anything they did not insist, the only thing they could obtain was the location of Iroh and Zuko's house, a place where they could hide for the moment since the Dai Li was looking for them. , they will not be able to leave the Lower Ring if not with Appa or dragged by the Dai Li themselves.

Accepting the offer, they went to their house, where they waited until nightfall for their hosts to return. Once they did, Iroh was insistent on offering them something to eat, which they had to accept. While they waited, they watched as Zuko went to a room. and he returned dressed in Black and a couple of things with him, some swords and a mask.

After dinner he proceeded to tell them his plan, they would capture a Dai Li to give them Appa's location, the insistence on doing so during the night is because the Dai Li watches the streets "ensuring order" in the Ring Inferior, which will give them a chance to capture one and regarding the disguise he has was to make sure they wouldn't recognize him and just take him as another harmless guy who just likes to create a ruckus.

Suki didn't tell her, but she was sure that wasn't the whole truth about wearing that costume.

But she decided not to dwell on it because Appa was more important.

Just like that, the two of them, like Hakoda who would also participate, left the house stealthily, because what they all agreed on was that, for this to work, they must be stealthy at all times.

And the fruits of that led them to where they are now.

-Do you know who I am??-Suki asked the Dai Li whom Zuko had threatened with his Dao swords on his neck, the Dai Li, although scared, nodded.

Hakoda stood next to him to continue questioning - Then you know what we want and you will help us get it... tell us where the Avatar's bison is.

The Dai Li glared at him - The Bison is out of reach for you...

Before he can continue, Zuko presses his swords even further against his neck which alerts the Dai Li.

"If you want to stay alive, then it's going to answer what we want to know," he said threateningly, to which Suki's back got nervous because of his threat, but it's not like she was oblivious to it before, she's seen things about war. which he doesn't want to mention and knows this is for a good cause.

Dai Li swallowed thickly, seeing the options he would have to cooperate because he was sure that the guy behind would carry out his threat, he did not have another of his own to back him up and he found himself without any help now.

-Laogai Lake...- the three captors of him, upon hearing it, looked intrigued- that was where we took the Avatar's Bison...

However, that didn't seem to convince them - He's lying... how the hell do you put a Bison in a lake??

The Dai Li just shakes his head - I'm not lying, under Lake Laogai there is a network of tunnels that lead to our base there, Long Feng ordered us to lock him up so he wouldn't escape...

-Because?? Why did Long Feng lock him up??

-Long Feng did it because he wanted to keep the Avatar and his friends away from the Earth King, he wanted them away from Ba Sing Se so that they would not influence the king and lose the power he had over him and the city.

Hakoda and Suki narrow their eyes to understanding the situation, Long Feng has the King as his puppet while he rules in the shadows and fears that if Aang and his friends get involved he will lose his power.

An annoyed Hakoda approaches the Dai Li, Zuko removes the swords and Hakoda grabs him by the robe and pulls him to him. "You will tell us where in Lake Laogai they have Appa locked up or I will let my friend make you end up like the doll he is in." there - points to the headless Blue Spirit decoy that the Dai Li shot down.

The Dai Li convinced that they would do so nodded.

...

Agent Dai Li was not wrong about his base under Lake Laogai, this place was huge, as Suki saw the Dai Li did all their operations from there, some more gloomy than others when he saw that women's room.

Having obtained the information, they quickly took the Dai Li out of the way so that it would not cause problems, Zuko drugged him with what was a type of Tea to induce sleep and only said that it would make him sleep for many hours, Hakoda and Suki nodded when they saw that I still woke up.

He gave them a list of all the ways to enter and they entered so that they could not be detected.

Suki trained in the art of the century, made her way through the corridors avoiding the Dai Li patrols, if she found herself in trouble she was assisted by Zuko along with his dao swords, providing support and showing a stealth that rivaled hers.

Hakoda kept an eye on his rear in case they were surprised by a surprise attack.

He must say, the three of them are not doing badly at all, they have managed to enter without difficulty, passing the guards and making their way to the door that agent Dai Li told them to, to indeed find Appa chained and grunting happily at the sight of her.

She quickly approached him to comfort him, Appa noticed the other people and growled hostilely recognizing Zuko, who became defensive.

-What... were you expecting someone else??- He pointed a sword at Appa and Appa growled at him even louder.

Suki just exasperatedly faced Zuko- We don't have time for this, fulfill the deal now!

Zuko just glared at her but didn't question her, immediately using her swords to free Appa. Hakoda, who was guarding the entrance, made a gesture to indicate that it was safe and they proceeded to escape, only that Appa, once free, did not wait and began to advance desperately hoping to get out of there, taking several Dai Li on alert, but no They were able to stop Appa from crashing through a wall and leaving her to freedom with her rescuers on her back.

In another part of Lake Laogai a stone structure with a door rises, the door is then destroyed and Team Avatar runs out of it, hoping to reach Long Feng and recover Appa.

However, soon many Dai Li agents start chasing them.

"Could we go faster?" Sokka asks worriedly.

Aang, who was next to him, looked ahead and said, "I don't think it will be of much use."

At that point he stops and so does the others, because in front of them is Long Feng with more Dai Li who make a rock wall in front of them, then those behind do the same, enclosing them and with the Dai Li agents pointing at them.

At that moment Momo begins to move from side to side which catches Aang's attention.

-What's wrong Momo??- However, Momo soon launches into the sky towards the sun where they lose sight of him, so that Appa's figure appears in sight from there.

-Appa!

Appa goes behind the wall where Long Feng is and knocks it down. However, they soon notice that he is not alone as three figures jump off Appa's back and begin to knock down the Dai Li. Appa then proceeds to destroy the other wall leaving the Dai Li shocked.

-Sokka, Katara, pay attention!

The Water Tribe brothers recognize the voice and immediately look for it to see that it is indeed her father who is fighting two Dai Li agents, but unknown to her, another one in the distance throws a stone hand at her.

-Dad be careful!

Before Hakoda can react, someone else does, a girl dressed in green and with makeup kicks the rock aside and rushes to face the Dai Li who threw it, Sokka recognizing her shouts happily.

-Suki!

Suki quickly defeats the Dai Li and listens to Sokka, turns in his direction, and greets him with a wink.

-Hello Sokka, how have you been?

Long Feng meanwhile recovering from the fall, looks at the situation, several of his agents fled and the rest are being defeated.

He has to get out of there.

However, as he stood up from the rubble, a Dao sword was placed near his neck, and he looked up to see that in front of him, a black-robed stranger with a scar on his face was pointing it at him.

-You're not going anywhere.

Long Feng stands up confident that I can beat him- I don't need help dealing with someone like you.

Zuko however does not back down- Look once again.

When she does so she sees the Avatar and his friends, as well as two others surrounding him, soon the Avatar's bison arrives and stands behind them, and growls at her hostilely.

Long Feng looks at them once more and sighs as he raises his hands. “Alright, you guys won… you got me.”

At that, several of them lowered their guard, including the one who was pointing the swords at him, who was guarding them. At that, Long Feng smiled maliciously, using the rubble at Zuko so quickly that someone would notice, however, Zuko already saw it coming and quickly stepped aside and kicked Long Feng, Suki also reacted quickly and did not let him react when she delivered a strong blow to the head that leaves Long Feng knocked out.

"You know, for a guy who thinks he's very clever, that was kind of stupid," said Suki, who stood next to Zuko.

-And knowing that more people would stop him before he tried to run- Zuko humors him.

Long Feng only responds with a pained groan.

-Appa!

At that, the two hear how the Avatar team directly runs towards Appa to proceed to hug him, especially Aang who quickly runs to hug her head.

-I missed you friend.

While in the distance Suki, Hakoda, and Zuko see them having their reunion.

That doesn't last long because Sokka and Katara quickly remember that they are not alone and separate to run straight to Hakoda.

-Dad!

They immediately rush to hug him, to which he gladly reciprocates.

-Sokka, Katara- he drops to one knee to see his children better, taking each of them by the shoulder to smile at them- You don't know how long I've been waiting to see you again, I'm very proud to see how far you've come.

Sokka quickly remembered the other person who was there, so separating from her family he led Suki to hug her.

-Suki!

Suki happily accepted the arm. "You weren't going to get rid of me forever, sleeveless boy... I told you I'd be back," she said with a flirtatious tone.

Sokka immediately separated from her to see her better.

Aang, noticing his friends who were with those who helped Appa leave, quickly went to them, to see Katara with a lord of the Water Tribe, Sokka with Suki, and also the third who was there, sensing that They were watching him and he addressed him.

Aang could recognize him wherever he went and he couldn't believe it, the third unexpected ally was Zuko. However, he didn't have time to act because after the others left their reunions they noticed him too.

-What are you doing here Zuko?!

That question came from Katara who quickly went on the defensive ready to attack him, Sokka also noticed him so he took out his boomerang and stood next to his sister, Toph just watched everything unconcerned, while Suki, noticing the situation, He directed the two brothers.

-Wait! is on our side

-Wait! We can't let him go... it's Zuko! -Sokka exclaims to the others, however, Suki shakes her head to which Sokka replies - it's very dangerous to let him go, we have to inform the Earth King that he is here to capture Aang.

Suki however responds - No Sokka - she immediately approaches Zuko to the dismay of Team Avatar - Zuko and I made a deal, if he would help us free Appa and of course promise not to capture Aang while he was in Ba sing se, We would not betray him or his uncle.
Zuko nodded.

"Suki, you can't trust him, it's Zuko we're talking about," Katara blurts out, Sokka nods in agreement.

But Suki doesn't back down- Guys, understand that I have to keep my part of the deal, I gave my word.

-How do we know he won't break the deal?

Suki was going to respond, but it's Zuko who does. "I promise on my honor that I won't break the deal."

However, Sokka doesn't believe him- Your honor means nothing to us.

Aang, in this case, is the one who intervenes- I don't know Sokka, in the Fire Nation, and especially for a Fire bender, honor means everything.

-And what the hell does that mean Aang??

-Aang just sighs- That means if you swear on your honor that you will keep the deal, then you will honor it.

Zuko nods.

Sokka however is still not convinced.

-I believe him...- at that Toph advances to the group- I have heard that too and I know that he is not lying.

Zuko is curious about this as is Suki.

Katara just resignedly nods - Well... we won't say anything - Sokka looks at his sister in disbelief, he looks at his father looking for help, but sees that he also agrees, without further ado, he nods reluctantly.

Zuko nods and without further ado goes to leave in front of everyone, but first, he turns to look at Suki to say - Good luck with Azula - Suki nods and, ending everything, Zuko leaves.

-Azula??

Remembering, Suki turns to see his friends. "There is no time to explain now, but you should know that when I found Appa, Princess Azula was on her trail and most likely she knows that you are here in Ba sing se.

Team Avatar ends up surprised by this.

-It doesn't matter if he doesn't get through the walls, they are impenetrable.

"However, Prince Zuko managed to pass them and his uncle already managed to do it twice," Hakoda says, joining the conversation.

Suki nods- Listen, if this wasn't serious I wouldn't be here to tell you...

"We may have to consider this," Aang says worriedly.

Sokka starts to think while he nods- If so then all the more reason we should see the Earth King...

-We already tried it before, Snoozles, what makes you think that this time we will succeed??

-Because this time Toph, it's too important to let go, you'll have to listen to us for this..

"What if he doesn't do it?" Katara asks.

-Then we will make him listen to us.

...

Later...

Zuko opens the door of the house where his uncle is waiting for him, very happy.

-You look discouraged, but I think I know it will lift your spirits, with everything that happened I couldn't tell you... Good news nephew! I have been allowed to open my tea shop and a new house in the Upper Ring, now our luck begins to change.

Zuko just walks past him to go to his room, Iroh notices this and gets up to go see him.

-I assume everything went well.

Zuko nodded as he put his things away. "We found the Avatar's Bison and freed him, then it wasn't much work having to take him, he was there looking for it."

Iroh nods his head but sees that his nephew is not satisfied.

-However, you are not happy...

Zuko just remains silent- I could have found him without him realizing, I could have surprised him...

Iroh sighs- And then what will happen Zuko? If you captured him, what do you plan to do with the Avatar Bison, lock him in our new house?

Zuko confronts him- I would have taken him first...

-And then what??- Iroh interrupts tiredly with Zuko's insistence- You never think before acting, this would have been the same as when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole, you trapped him, but you had nowhere to go!

"Something would have occurred to me," Zuko replies.

-No! If his friends hadn't found you, you wouldn't have known what to do!

Frustrated and seeing that he had nothing to argue with, Zuko says his last argument.

"I know my destiny very well," he turns so he can finish the conversation.

But Iroh decides to continue- Is that your destiny or is it the destiny that someone else has tried to impose on you?

Zuko tries one more time - Stop it, Uncle, it's something I have to do...

Iroh sighs- I beg you, Prince Zuko, it is time for you to look inside yourself and start doing You ask yourself these two big questions… who are you? and what do you want??
Without further ado she walks out of Zuko's room, leaving Zuko thinking about what he said and wondering exactly what.

...

Several days later...

What does he want?

The truth is he doesn't know, or rather he isn't very sure anymore, he has been thinking very well about how to answer that question the last few days, which have come with many changes, how can he start??

Well, after the rescue mission to the Avatar's Bison was over, the Suki girl honored her end of the deal and didn't tell on them, he would be lying if he wasn't relieved about that and hopefully, it would be the last time he would see her or Mr. Hakoda. ...and possibly the Avatar too.

Apart from that, he doesn't know why, but after that adventure, his body went through a series of strange events to which the Uncle related them as part of a "spiritual metamorphosis", which was an unpleasant experience and came with a series of strange dreams that he doesn't want to remember, but well, once he finished that, he feels that something changed in him, he doesn't know what it is, but for the first time he doesn't feel the same pressure on his shoulders that he has always had, he feels more in peace.

He no longer feels the pressure of capturing the Avatar, he no longer feels his past eating away at him, he feels good, better than he has felt in a long time, so comfortable that maybe he can give this life here in Ba sing se a chance. , one that promises good things for him, precisely his uncle's new tea shop, which he decided to call, The Jasmine Dragon.

Yes, maybe this is a new opportunity, a chance to start over and be able to chart your destiny, however, there is still something that gives you a slight doubt, that, if this can last, maybe this doesn't last forever.

He doesn't know for sure and he doesn't want to try to find out, but once again luck is not on Zuko's side and this is shown when after he is about to close the store, Suki appears before he closes the door and closes it at full speed. hurry.

And before she can ask what's wrong she says the following.

-Your sister is in Ba sing se and she is following me.

...

Suki thought this morning that things were going very well.

Once they decided to have that meeting with the Earth King, they entered the palace by force, perhaps causing a lot of destruction to do so, but in the end, it was worth it, as they managed to convince the Earth King that Long Feng and the Dai Li were. Using it, he did what was necessary to arrest Long Feng and gave them his support for the Day of the Black Sun.

Once that happened, the letters arrived.

One of them addressed Hakoda from Bato, where he told them that they were close to reaching Ba sing se and that in a few hours, they would arrive. Hakoda, eager to meet with his men, decided to go to their location immediately and then turned to Sokka. and Katara, wanting them to come with him.

Katara refused and was somewhat evasive towards her father. Suki noticed this but did not have time to ask because she soon said that she would help plan the invasion along with the council of the Earth King's five generals. Hakoda accepted, somewhat discouraged by Katara's decision. his daughter, but he accepted it, Sokka, however happy to accompany his father, quickly accepted.

Then another letter arrived for Toph, one from her mother, she was surprised by that, the letter said that her mother left her father and wanted to reunite with her, Toph if she was nervous or even happy she didn't show it too much, but Suki knew. that's how it was.

The last one was addressed to Aang, where a stranger urged him to go to the Eastern Air Temple, because he told him that it could help him control the Avatar State, saying that it intrigued more than one was not a surprise, and to Despite everything, Aang was eager to go, so they ended up agreeing to let him go.

And as for her, she still doesn't know. If they had managed to free Appa and warn the Earth King, but now she doesn't know what to do, Sokka asked her to travel with them for the day of the invasion, and although the idea of dealing a big blow to the Fire Nation sounded very tempting, she couldn't stop thinking about her girls and the promise she made, she was going to come back for them, she doesn't forget that, so she decided to leave after for everyone to return, the time they needed her here was about to end, she had to keep her promise, but she decided to help them in everything she could before leaving.

That was why he helped Katara by attending her Meeting with her, the advice of the five of her could be described in one sentence, it would be that they were very bitter.

But in the end, everything turned out well, once it was over they only needed the Earth King's seal to confirm the invasion, once they left they decided to take a moment for themselves and catch up on what they had been doing since they separated last night. Once, Katara told him about the Fire Nation's failed attempt to enter the city and that he was detained by them, his arrival in the city and the refusal to see the Earth King to tell him about the invasion and to help them find Appa and all the things that happened until they met her, his father. and Zuko, but Katara was curious how the three of them ended up together.

This led him to tell her about her odyssey from when he found Appa until they found him in Lake Laogai and then rescued them, also making fun of the coincidences they went through along the way.

Before they could continue, they noticed a new tea place that had just opened and decided to enter, only to be surprised by who was there. Katara was nervous and Suki, acting quickly, urged her to leave without him seeing them, Suki. She had not forgotten her agreement with him either and she would fulfill it. Katara was hesitant to leave it there, as she did not fully trust Zuko to keep his deal, but Suki finally calmed her down.

It was then when they arrived at the palace looking for the Earth King and they met the last person they expected to see there.
Azula.

Dressed as a Kyoshi warrior, like her two companions that Suki immediately recognized and became alert, she urged Katara to flee, but the acrobat girl was quicker in incapacitating Katara.

He was going for her, using the same technique to incapacitate her, Suki became alert remembering her training, and began to block her advance to the girl's surprise when she saw that she stopped her advance, Suki gave her a small mocking smile, she had seen little in her last encounter, but it was enough to learn how to counter his chi-blocking blows.

But she had to separate when knives and a blue flame were thrown towards her, she separated and saw that she was at the mercy of the three of them and if she stayed, they would capture her, Suki growled under her breath looking at where Katara was, she couldn't move and If she didn't do something they would capture her too, she had to make another difficult choice.

She regretted doing it very much, but this would not go unpunished, Azula would pay for what she had done, but for her to achieve it she needed allies, most of them were not found now, so she went to the only place where she hoped to find help.

...

Iroh had already heard enough, he had tolerated this for too long, just after Suki arrived and explained what happened, Iroh just sighed tiredly, he knew what was coming and what he had to do, he couldn't hide anymore, it was time to choose a side, but he wasn't afraid for him, he was afraid for Zuko and since this was affecting him, Zuko may have been chasing the Avatar the last few months, but he hasn't had any position regarding the war, which Iroh appreciates, but he knows. that Zuko must make his choice and the only thing he can do is pray to the spirits so that he does not lose his way.

Once he was about to decide what to do next, Dai Li agents came in everywhere and surrounded them, this was not good.

And it got much worse when Azula appeared with them and the Dai Li made way for her, showing that they were under her orders.

"Tea time," she said, looking at the three of them mockingly.

-Azula!- Zuko said, standing in front of her to face her, Suki stood on her back looking at the Dai Li.

-Do you already know the Dai Li?? They are earthbenders, but they have a firebender-style killer instinct.

Iroh knew what would happen to them now, they had to escape, he looked around, they were surrounded by the Dai Li, so he looked for a way to escape when he noticed the teapot that was still not put away, even with some tea inside, in That takes a cup that was there and proceeds to pour tea and then face Azula.

-Tell me Azula, did I ever tell you how I earned the nickname the Dragon of the West?

Suki stops by to see him in disbelief at Iroh's behavior, while Zuko looks at him expectantly and Azula, bored by whatever he is going to say about her, stares at her nails.

-I'm not interested in your boring anecdotes, dear uncle.

-It's a demonstration, niece- With that, he proceeds to drink his tea in front of everyone, while Zuko, knowing what he will do, smiles at him. When Iroh finishes drinking his tea, Zuko looks at Suki and yells at her.

-Back!

At that moment Iroh spits out a large flare of Fire that surprises everyone and gives them the advantage for the moment. Iroh takes the attack to a nearby wall and destroys it, giving the three enough time to get out and start running. but then the Dai Li begin to appear and proceed to attack them by throwing rock projectiles at them that they narrowly avoid, and once they reach a wall with no exit Iroh summons a lightning bolt that collides with the wall, destroying it and creating an exit, first he jumps to fall safe in a bush that caught the impact.

Recovering from the fall, Iroh notices the young people still there.

-Come on!... you have to jump!

Zuko however shakes his head- No! I'm tired of running away, I have to face Azula.

Iroh, incredulous at what she said, shouts at her to stop him-Zuko!

Suki proceeds to see him believing she is suicidal- Are you crazy?! That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say.

Zuko faces her without backing away. "Get away!" You do not understand anything...

Hearing this, Suki looks at him in disbelief. "Believe me, if anyone has a score to settle with your sister, it's me... but I'm not going to jump into what is a trap!"

- I don't care what you do, you won't be able to stop me!

At that moment Dai Li appears followed by Azula, who has that same cocky smile from before, Suki looks at Zuko and understands what he feels, her sister has both her and him on the ropes again, but if they want a chance to beat her, it won't be now.

Zuko launches a fire attack that the Dai Li blocks with a rock wall. Taking advantage of this distraction, Suki grabs Zuko by the wrist, who looks at her surprised and angry.

-What are you doing??!

Suki just puts it in front of her exit and says - giving you an incentive - she simply kicks it outside and proceeds to jump before the Dai Li can capture her, they both fall and land in another bush but unharmed, Iroh, seeing that the two came out, freezes. directs them.

-We have to get out of here!

Zuko composes himself as does Suki, only to refuse- I'm not leaving! I must face Azula.

-Zuko... Azula will not fight with you and even more so having the Dai Li with her, the time will come nephew, but this is not it- Iroh tries to dissuade him from facing Azula, but before he can respond Suki yells at them.

-Let's look for shelter first before anything else!!!-He points to where they jumped, seeing the Dai Li starting to attack them from above, so Zuko, resigned, accompanies his uncle and Suki to seek shelter.

But he makes a promise that he will confront Azula and they will resolve this once and for all.

...

-Katara is fine... there is nothing to worry about.

Aang, Sokka, Hakoda, and Toph listen to the Earth King speak from his throne, but Aang is not convinced, he knows that what he heard and saw in his vision is not deceiving him, that is why he returns from his training with Guru Pathik earlier. After it was over, it didn't matter if he lost the Avatar State, Katara was more important, and that's why he went to
Sokka and his father to alert them and have them come with him, Sokka immediately accepted, not only worried for his sister but also for Suki, Then they went to look for Toph who should be talking to her mother but they found her returning to them saying that there was no meeting and that everything was a trap. They do not ask for more details about it because they soon head to the Earth King's palace to find out what happened. with Katara.

-But, in my vision, I saw that I was in danger.

King Kuei starts thinking about where she could be when she remembers that she and her friend Suki were with my generals to plan the invasion and since then she left with her friends the Kyoshi warriors.

Sokka then sighs in relief and turns to Aang. "You see, they're fine, they're probably at our house, talking about makeup and girl things."

Aang is still not convinced, but he ends up accepting it- Okay, they're right.

Hakoda puts a hand on his shoulder hoping to calm him down, although he also feels uneasy about all of this.

-Believe me, if something bad happened, Bosco's animal instincts would sense it.

King Kuei's bear raises his head at the mention.

Aang just hopes they're right.

But then the main door of the palace opens and Suki appears, accompanied by Iroh and Zuko. Sokka and the others turn in her direction and soon appear confused by her sudden hurried arrival, seeing them as if they had come running.

-We have problems!... Princess Azula is here!

Azula's statement takes everyone in the room by surprise and they react in different ways.

-That??!!

-It's not possible!!!

-How could it happen?

Suki urges them all to be quiet while she and the others recover from everything. Once ready, Suki proceeds to explain what happened.

-She and her friends took the armor of some of my girls and painted their faces so as not to recognize them... that's how they managed to go unnoticed.

-But how??... and where is Katara??- Aang asks this, nervous about this information and even more so about not seeing Katara with Suki, fearing the worst.
Which confirms her suspicions when she lowers her head. When we were returning from planning the invasion, we found out that some Kyoshi Warriors were here in the palace after speaking with the Earth King, I wanted to know if they were okay and how they escaped, Katara had told me. accompanied by seeing my concern and when we arrived we almost fell into Azula's trap when I was able to recognize her and her friends, luckily I was able to escape, but Katara...

She lowered her voice because she couldn't say anymore.

Hakoda goes to her trying to console her and let her know that they don't blame her for that, he knows that it must have been difficult for him to leave her friend at the mercy of the enemy, but if they wanted a chance to To defeat her and rescue Katara, great sacrifices had to be made.

-Oh no!

Everyone fixes their eyes on King Kuei who now appears nervous - I saw those girls and they managed to confuse me, under Sokka's arguments that they were trustworthy, so my friends fear that he will reveal certain information to them...

Team Avatar having an idea of what he revealed, is stunned.

Sokka is then the first to react - Did he tell the Fire Nation about the Day of the Black Sun??!!!

Kuei cringes in shame acknowledging it and offering apologies, Hakoda feels somewhat sorry for the young King and at the same time is nervous about this.

-The day of the Black Sun?? What are they talking about??

Aware that they were not alone, they set their sights on Iroh and Zuko who appear intrigued and curious about this.

Sokka quickly regains his composure and faces them. It's NOT anything you should know...

Zuko, however, does not back down. "If it's something that has to do with the Fire Nation and now my sister knows about it, that makes it my business..."

Zuko faces Sokka ready for answers at once.

-Excuse me young man, but who are you?

Kuei looks at the young man with the scar who was in front of Sokka and must admit that he looks somewhat intimidating.

-Don't worry, Your Majesty, my nephew and I are just refugees who recently opened a tea shop in the Upper Ring and we were about to close after a good day of sales when Miss Suki appeared being followed by Dai Li Agents, I'm afraid to confess to her that they have aligned themselves with Azula and answer to her.

The new revelation of this takes the others by surprise, especially King Kuei.

-No!... that is not possible, the Dai Li are loyal to the throne and Ba sing se, this should have ended with Long Feng, they would not do it- he looks at Iroh trying to show that he was evaded, but then he sees his eyes and He notices that they tell him that what he told him was true.

Hakoda seeing the Earth King's dilemma is approaching - his majesty, the Dai Li have been using you and keeping you in the shadows, who knows the many things they hide from you.

Kuei lowered his head having to accept it.

Suki saw the situation with Sokka and Zuko and rolled her eyes in annoyance, they didn't have time for this, what difference did it make if they found out if Azula already knew?

-It refers to the Darkest Day in the History of the Fire Nation, that day There will be a total eclipse that will take away the ability to use firebending from fire benders- Iroh and Zuko look at them surprised, thinking about this and if it were true would give a great advantage against the Fire Nation - that day an invasion of the capital city of the Fire Nation is being planned...

Iroh already has an idea of his complete plan for them- Thus, he will have the opportunity to take the Fire Lord by surprise, having a chance to defeat him and finally end the war.

Suki nods, proving that he was not wrong, Iroh must admit it, it is a great plan, one that would not have occurred to him before and that would also explain why the Avatar and his friends came here to Ba sing se, they must seek help from Earth. for that invasion, but now Azula is here and has already found out about that, they must stop her before she even escapes, although if she knows her niece at all, she knows that she will not leave without first, capturing the Avatar and conquering the city.

It seems that he was not wrong, because at the moment he thinks that, Dai Li agents appear followed by Azula and two girls who he must have assumed were Azula's friends.
Immediately, I start the fight.

Fragments of earth mostly flew back and forth, as Mai and Ty Lee lunged to face them, Suki lunged at Ty Lee to stop her, while Hakoda and Sokka faced Mai and her knives.
Azula went directly against Aang, before being separated by a Fire attack from Zuko, Iroh, and Toph faced the Dai Li who began to be overwhelmed by the experience and skill of the two of them.

One of the girls, seeing one of them in particular, gasps in surprise when she recognizes him- Zuko!... oh how nice to see you again, how have you been??

Zuko only focuses on the girl, seeing her he can get an idea of who she is if she has that very positive attitude - Ty Lee, I didn't think I would see you again - he fixes his gaze on the other girl, who also recognized him and opened her eyes - Mai, it's been a while...

Mai quickly regains her composure- Zuko...

Before she could answer any of them Azula attacked Zuko again and the fight resumed, but luckily Ty Lee's distraction was enough for Suki to take her by surprise and pin her down.

Mai saw this and was going to rush to help her friend when Earth emerged from the ground and grabbed her, Toph was behind her, trapping her completely.

Azula soon saw that she was being outmatched, but she was not defeated, she still had several tricks up her sleeve, without Mai and Ty Lee her chances of winning had been reduced and shortened, he then dodged another attack from Zuko, when he noticed him and a new plan formulated in his head.

She quickly summoned lightning and sent it to the center of the room and the explosion stunned the Avatar team and allies accordingly, Azula smiled and quickly headed toward her target before she did anything.

When everyone recovered from the attack, they looked around the room and saw that Azula and several Dai Li had left, leaving behind Mai and Ty Lee as well, but the lack of someone was also noticeable, Azula had taken Zuko.

"Azula should have taken Zuko to where Katara is trapped," Suki says, thinking about the situation.

Hakoda, seeing the situation, knows what needs to be done and heads to see Iroh. So we will fight together against Azula to rescue Katara and Zuko.

Iroh agrees and nods. "I can think of who could help us."

There he goes to one of the Dai Li who was on the ground and was left behind, picks him up, and proceeds to wake him up.

Once Dai Li wakes up he looks worried at the situation and is worried.

-Tell us what Azula is planning.

The Dai Li nods nervously - Azula and Long Feng are planning a coup, they want to overthrow the Earth King...

The Dai Li's revelation surprises the Kuei who is nervous about what might happen to Ba Sing se if the conspirators are successful.

Hakoda immediately grabs the man by the shoulder and lifts him to threaten him- My daughter!...where is Katara??!!

-In the Crystal Catacombs of Old Ba sing se, below the palace.

...

"Well, who knew?... there's a city down here," Toph says impressed as she gets up from her position and opens a hole in the Earth.

Seeing two possible paths in the Action Route Sokka thinks of a plan.

-We have to separate- Aang goes with Iroh to look for Katara and the bitter...- then he looks at Iroh- without offending.

Iroh doesn't take it too hard, before Sokka can continue Hakoda steps forward.

-I'm going too- her father's decision takes Sokka by surprise, while her father fixes her gaze on him- Your sister needs me more now, and all the help possible will be needed...

-Dad, are you sure?

Hakoda nodded- While we are gone, Sokka, you, Suki, and Toph must accompany the Earth King, although we have managed to capture Princess Azula's two friends and several Dai Li, there must still be enough of them out there, they have to help him gather together his army and plan an offensive if we want to stop this coup d'état.

-But... you would be better at this than me- Sokka tries to object while Hakoda just shakes his head and puts a hand on her son's shoulder.

-If there is something that I realized, it is that you are more than capable of achieving anything you set your mind to, I am proud of you Sokka, you have come very far and you have done it with your merits, I know that if there is someone who can help the Earth King is you, we are where they need us most, but do not doubt that we will see each other again.

Sokka, moved by his father's words, nods and then hugs his father. Hakoda returns the hug and smiles at his son. After a moment they separated and nodded to each other, and so the groups separated, hoping to save those they cared about and save Ba sing se.

...

Katara was surprised at first when the Dai Li appeared and threw Zuko to the same place as her and then locked them together, distrustful of him, she began to question him about what had happened, letting out all her anger for the Fire Nation towards him, until you reach the point of origin of your anger.

-The Fire Nation took away my mother!...

When she finally let him go she burst into tears, she wanted to scold herself for acting like that in front of him, but she wasn't ready for the context.

-Sorry... I guess that's something we have in common.

Katara didn't know exactly what to say once Zuko told her that.

-I'm sorry for yelling at you before- Katara looked at Zuko regretting what she had said before, when Zuko revealed to her that he had lost the same thing as her, it was then that Katara saw for the first time, not her enemy, but another boy like her. damaged by war, where both are just two more victims.

-It's just that... for so long when I imagined the face of the enemy, I saw your face.

Zuko suddenly thought that she was referring to her scar, instinctively, she brought her hand to where it was- My face, I see.

She quickly turns around so that she doesn't see him and Katara, seeing how her words had been misinterpreted, rushes to fix this.

-No, no, no, I didn't mean that.

Zuko just sighs- Okay, I knew that this scar marked me, the mark of the banished prince, condemned to pursue the Avatar forever... but now I know, that I have the weapons to choose my destiny, although I will never be free myself from this brand.

Katara meanwhile, was listening to him and for the first time since she met him, she saw a different side of Zuko, someone who sees that his scar is a burden he is condemned to live with, I wish I could help him in some way, but then remember something.

-Maybe you could free yourself from her.

Zuko opens his eyes at what he said and proceeds to fix his gaze on her- What?!

-I have healing powers!

That takes Zuko by surprise but he just shakes his head. "I know scars can't heal."

Then Katara puts her hands on his neck and takes out a pendant that she had with her and proceeds to show it to Zuko. This is water from the spirit oasis of the North Pole, it has special properties and she was saving it for something important. Then she proceeds to approach Zuko and look him in the face- I don't know if it works, but...

They stare into each other's eyes when Zuko closes them and tilts his head, Katara raises her hand and touches Zuko's scar and stares at her face, while they both decide to stay in that position for a long time.

When an explosion takes them both from where they were and they turn to see what it is about, when they see that a hole appeared out of nowhere Aang, Iroh, and Hakoda come out of it.

-Dad! Aang- recognizing them first, Katara approaches each one happy to see them, Hakoda arrives and hugs her happy that he is safe, she fixes her gaze on Zuko and is relieved that he is also okay.

Katara immediately separates from her and goes to hug Aang who hugs her gladly, fixes her gaze on Zuko, and remembers how close she had found them, making her look hostile at Zuko.

Zuko stares at her without understanding why she sees him like that, but Before she can ask, her uncle hugs her, happy that she is safe.

Katara looks at Aang and his father again and tells them - I knew they would come.

-Uncle, I can't understand, what are you doing here with the Avatar??

Aang, who still has not forgotten the closeness in which he and Katara were, responds somewhat hostile- Saving you, don't you see?

Annoyed by her tone, Zuko was going to attack him, but her uncle stopped him.

"Prince Zuko... we have to talk," he tells Zuko seriously, then sets his sights on the others, "help your other friends, we will catch up with them." Aang bidden him farewell respectfully, as he and then Katara proceeded to leave.

-Aang, Katara... wait- Hakoda stops them before addressing Iroh- General Iroh, the conversation we had before, he knows that he can't put it off any longer.

Iroh gives a tired sigh and nods.

Katara confused asks- What are they talking about??

But Zuko gets an idea of what they mean and seeing his uncle's expression he already knows his choice.

"Why Uncle??" she asks, looking at him seriously.

Iroh only sighs before answering - You are not the same as before Zuko, you are stronger, wiser, and freer than ever in your life... you have reached the crossroads of your destiny, now you have to choose, it is time for you to choose the good...

Before they can answer, a powerful shock takes them all by surprise, while several crystals form and trap Iroh and Hakoda.

-Dad!

Hakoda, seeing that Katara and Aang are still free, tells them seriously.

-Get out of here! it's very dangerous.

Katara was going to refuse, but Aang quickly took her away as he soon saw that Azula and two Dai Li agents were approaching.

-Katara, there is no time! We will come back for him.

Katara just watches as she is taken away from her father once again, worried about what happened to her, then she sees that she is not alone because Iroh is also trapped there, Zuko is still free but now he is surrounded.

-Wait Aang!...

However, Aang does not listen to her and continues running.

...

-I expected such a betrayal from our uncle, but you Zuko, Prince Zuko, you are many things, but you are not a traitor are you?

-Release him immediately.

Azula just sighs at her brother's stubbornness. "It's not too late for you Zuko, you can still redeem yourself...

Hakoda and Iroh open their eyes in surprise when they see what Azula is planning. Iroh quickly tries to alert Zuko.

-The type of redemption he offers you is not for you!

-Why don't you let him decide Uncle??- she turns to Iroh somewhat annoyed then goes to see Zuko once again- I need you Zuko, I have everything planned for this day, the most glorious in the history of the Fire Nation! and the only way to win is together... and at the end of the day you will have your honor recovered, you will have our father's love and everything you want...

Iroh in another attempt says- Zuko I beg you, look inside yourself and see what you want.

That seems to help because Zuko does that, however, Hakoda is not convinced that he will turn out as Iroh hopes, after all, he knows that what Zuko wants most is that he wants to go home.

-I'm not going to imprison you- he with one hand gives the order to his Dai Li agents to do nothing and they retreat, while he continues on his way in the direction of where Aang and Katara left.

Hakoda, fearing for the life of his daughter and knowing what Zuko's choice will be, tries to make him see reason.

--Zuko... I know very well what it's like to be in your situation, it's very difficult because you have to make a final decision- that catches Zuko's attention who looks at him- when we met you said that all you want is to go home. and I understand it, there is nothing I want more than to return home to my children, but I know that they need me here, your uncle needs you here too, you also said that you knew that your destiny was always linked to the Avatar, right? ? What if he isn't capturing it for your father?? but helping him put an end to this war.

Zuko, listening to Hakoda, looks at him in disbelief.

-I couldn't do that, I'm loyal to the Fire Nation...

Hakoda nodded in understanding - The Fire Nation is not your father Zuko, I know what you expect, if you capture the Avatar he will welcome you with open arms, but what do you expect to get from a father who does not love you?, you, his son, even after doing to you what he did to you...

Zuko immediately freezes, he didn't expect him to imply that, he saw him looking at his scar, so he knew he knew, the uncle must have told him.

-Uncle...why??

Iroh just shook his head.

-Chief Hakoda is right Zuko, Ozai did not even consider that the Avatar was still alive when he banished you...

Zuko then realized the situation- So... he was never supposed to come back??

Zuko still tries to hold on to Azula's words, she tells him that he will return to the Fire Nation, that his father will receive him with honor, that she will finally have his love, she will not cheat on him... but then he remembers...

Azula always lies.

Azula has always manipulated him into doing what she wants, he already did it once before with the promise of returning home only to be lured into a trap. Who says he won't do it again??

Zuko lowers his head.

Maybe it's true and that his father's love is something he can't obtain, maybe he can never return to the Fire Nation.

But then he remembers Hakoda's words, and if helping the Avatar is his way back home, he doesn't know for sure, he never saw it as a possibility before, and then he remembers his uncle's words.

Destiny is a curious thing.

So could it be?? If he helped the Avatar defeat his father, and win the Hundred Year War, he could return home.

But he couldn't turn his back on the Nation from him, he was loyal and proud of it.

But... then he remembers what his Nation has done to the rest of the world, how they are seen in the eyes of others, how even the water bender saw it and revealed to him that she lost the same thing as him, how many others lost someone...

What if that had been his true destiny??

Help the Avatar save the Nation from him from the path they were taking.

He's willing to find out, anyway, what does he have to lose??

Just like that, he raises his head to see his uncle and then Hakoda and then runs off in the direction of where The Avatar, his friend, and Azula left.

And where is your destiny.

...

Azula was now cornered, the Avatar and the peasant girl had her in a stalemate.

They are all at a long distance, them aiming at her, she aiming at them, it doesn't matter, she knows she has them where she wants, the Dai Li is backing her up in the shadows, clearly she has the advantage, she will win today as always.

Then a powerful Fire attack arrives unexpectedly in their midst, turning in the direction from which it came, he sees that there is his brother ready to attack, well it took longer than he expected, what will Zuzu be then? She would lie if she were not curious to know.

He will join her or choose her uncle, it doesn't matter either way this doesn't affect her plans.

Zuko joins the fight and also waits to know who will make the next move, he looks from him to Azula and then to Aang, who stares at him, Zuko knows what to do.

He turns his gaze from her to Azula and launches a Fire attack at her.

Azula quickly intercepts him, but Zuko gives her no respite and fires multiple attacks one after another.

Azula begins to repel and dodge the attacks.

-So you made your choice Zuzu...disappointing as always.

Zuko doesn't answer anything and just continues attacking her.

Aang and Katara end up surprised by what she did, but Katara immediately smiles and also prepares to attack Azula, so she forms water whips around her arms and prepares to attack her.

Now confronted by both her brother and the peasant girl, Azula reconsiders her strategy, it is not like the fight in Tu Zin, clearly the avatar and his friends were exhausted and her brother, she had to admit, was stronger than she thought. what I expected.

Soon the Avatar joins the fight, making a kind of mini vortex of air that concentrates him and sends him directly to her, knocking her down. She immediately composes herself.

Zuko immediately channels his firebending to create some fire whips that he throws at his sister, lengthening them for the attack to arrive, Azula pushes herself with her firebending to dodge them, but then a water whip hits her and sends her straight to the ground.

She stands up once again, she must admit that she is overwhelmed, her enemies are determined to defeat her, but no matter how determined they are she still has the advantage, and the moment she thinks that, her enemies begin to be attacked by the Dai Li. who, upon seeing that she was in danger, rushed to protect her, and several came en masse to attack her brother, the Avatar, and her friend, making them retreat.

They were surrounded.

-Don't make it harder for yourselves- they turn to see how Azula appears in the middle of the Dai Li who steps aside to let her pass- they didn't have any chance from the beginning, but in the end, I always get what I want. ..

Zuko and Katara however continue to remain on the defensive, finding themselves locking glares with Azula.

-Zuzu, you more than anyone should know, after all...

Zuko growls getting an idea that she will say- You were born lucky and I was lucky to be born.

Azula smiles, impressed that he guessed what she would say and pleased that Zuko once again recognizes what a disappointment she is.

Katara was studying the situation, and finding the best route of action.

-If the three of us put our minds to it, we can take down Azula and all the Dai Li.

Zuko just shakes his head. "Even if we get to Azula there are too many Dai Li here, we need a miracle if we want to get out of here."

Just as she says that a part of the catacombs opens and Earth King soldiers begin to emerge from it, advancing against the Dai Li, who quickly begins to attack them.

Soon another one opens and more soldiers begin to appear.

And another one opens where three people are there too.

-Well done Toph!

Toph, Sokka, and Suki also make an appearance, leaving the entrance that Toph made and proceeding to reach the center of the battle, Suki first jumps and lands on her feet, taking out her fan ready for the fight.

-We have to help the troops, as quickly as possible- says Sokka once ready with his Boomerang- very well we will do this...

-You and Toph will go to help the Earth King's army against the Dai Li... Azula is mine- Suki says without taking her eyes off the battle, looking for the princess to confront her, she already faced her friends and She will not be spared, when she sees her she finds her with Aang, Katara, and Zuko who proceeded to attack her again, although they could very well defeat her, she had already made up her mind.

She just charged into battle toward her target, ignoring what Sokka had to say.

When he was running he saw that Azula was beginning to be cornered, while Aang, seeing the situation nervously, locked himself in a glass dome, which surprised Suki when the ground then began to shake, drawing everyone's attention to pay attention to him. The center from which it originated, was where Aang was, who soon emerged with the Avatar State.

Suki smiled when she saw it, seeing that her trip was useful, she wanted to see it r Azula's face when she saw that she would lose, but then she saw that malicious smile on her face and the posture she was making and then she knew that something was wrong and she confirmed it when she saw that lightning began to come out of her fingers and where she intended to direct it. Alarmed, she took one of her fans and with all the strength she had, she quickly threw it at Azula's hand where the lightning would come out, which upon making contact removed the direction of its objective and the lightning changed its objective, passing by.

The rest regained knowledge of where they were and the situation changed when the Avatar addressed them to confront the Dai Li who began to be outnumbered.

Azula was shocked as she saw that she had failed, she never failed, they had made her miss, she looked at the object that diverted her from her goal and saw that it was a fan that looked familiar, she fixed her gaze on who had thrown it and saw that A red-haired girl approached where the water peasant and her brother were and stood next to them.
Once she is in front of them, Suki finds herself looking at Azula, glaring at her angrily.

Azula looks back at her trying to locate the girl and when she does she smiles smugly at her, letting her know that she knows what she remembers her from.
Suki looks at Azula determined to finish her off- This is the revenge I've been waiting for.

Zuko advances to her side and answers - Me too... do you want to help me put Azula in her place?? - He says looking at Suki, who looks back at him and sees in her eyes the same determination to face her sister, He tells her that he wants to help her, and she will gladly accept it.

-It will be a pleasure.

Thus the two rush toward Azula.

While Katara sees how only the two of them have decided to confront Azula, Katara wants to end the fight they were having, but it seems that Zuko and Suki kept it for themselves. She just sighs in resignation, she will have to give in to this, as she directs her gaze towards Aang and his efforts to end the fight, so she quickly summons more water and heads over to help.

While with Suki and Zuko they are slowly advancing on Azula, Zuko in front blocking Azula's attacks and Suki advancing from behind dividing Azula towards whom she should attack first. She can't decide for long, Suki immediately reaches her and proceeds to attack her, she throws blows that Azula begins to dodge, but then Suki quickly moves away and fire blows come at her, she barely manages to dodge them and respond to them with her attacks, but then Suki sweeps her leg to the ground, destabilizing her and making her fall, Zuko immediately jumps with a fire fist in his hand and smashes it near her, sending an explosion of fire that throws Azula into a corner.

-It's over Azula.
Azula stands up and watches as her plans fall apart, the Dai Li has almost been completely captured, the Avatar has almost finished off the last of them and apparently, the uncle and the other guy have freed themselves to join the fight.

And her brother, along with the other girl who remembers that she was with those girls that she captured, has her cornered.

-This won't end like this... I won't allow myself to fail!
In an attack of anxiety and the need to go out to rethink the strategy, Azula cornered and, in a quick movement throws a lightning bolt at her brother before anyone has the chance to act, Zuko seeing this immediately remembers her uncle's technique.

That is why he proceeds to perform it, he receives the lightning quickly, steps back as he feels the energy pass through his body, and immediately releases it, returning it to Azula, taking Azula by surprise by her brother's movement, but he does not have enough time to react, The lightning strikes near her feet, sending her flying through the air and sending her into a glass wall into which she crashes.

...

The decisions made by one's nature undoubtedly take us down many paths, many that were not thought possible, but there are still things that one cannot forget and with that, you decide what is most important to you in life. the moment...

...

Suki was leaving the Earth King's palace, with a saddlebag and several other provisions, she had her armor with her weapons and war paint on her face.

-Then you won't stay...

Suki turns to find Zuko waiting for her at the door.

Suki just shakes her head - The only reason I managed to get here in the first place was thanks to my friends, who decided to distract your sister and her friends and then be captured, all just so I could complete the mission... I have to go and look for them.

Zuko crossed his arms and nodded in understanding. - But will you join the Invasion??

Suki gives him a smug smile and nods. "I wouldn't miss that for anything. When I free my girls we'll head to the Fire Nation for the Day of the Black Sun...don't miss me too much."
Zuko just shakes his head, but Suki can see a smile on her face when she finishes Zuko approaches her.

-Anyway, I wanted to give you this- at that Zuko hands the saddlebag to Suki who receives it and opens it, discovering that they are scrolls, she takes one and realizes that they are maps with various locations...

Zuko just gives him a slight smile. "These maps contain the locations of all the prisons the Fire Nation has, both in the Earth Kingdom, back home, and elsewhere... my uncle still has ways to get vital information." from his friends at Pai sho.

Surprised, Suki looks at the map again to see each of the locations, some of which her girls must be found.

-You know... these are a lot of prisons to search alone, why don't you come with me?? -She looks at Zuko- after all, we made a good team infiltrating Lake Laogai and against your sister.

Zuko crosses his arms and nods - Yes... we did - but then he shakes his head - but I know that they need me here more, the Avatar is heading to the Fire Nation and I have every intention of going with him, my destiny awaits me.

Suki nods in understanding, the two of them are going where they are supposed to go.

Suki raises her forearm- Hoping to see you on the day of the Black Sun and fight at your side, Prince Zuko.

Zuko nods taking her forearm-Me too Suki, me too...

Unbeknownst to the two of them, Xianshi was watching them from afar...

...

A promise made in the hope of a reunion, the trust made from the path taken to get to where they are, Suki now ventures into the unknown to find what she seeks, while leaving her friends with the promise of joining them in the future, who knows what paths lie ahead for our heroes now that their story has taken a new direction, it will be a matter of them discovering it themselves... but that's another story...

Chapter Text

Time

Space

Reality

It is more than a linear path... it is a prism of unlimited possibilities... where a single choice can be divided into infinite realities and create alternate worlds to those you already know... I am Xiànshí the spirit of reality, I am your guide in these new and vast realities, follow me and consider the question... what if??

Each life is a story, one that takes place in a series of events that are transcendent at a point in the general panorama, the path from which they begin has many moments that are vital for a later... but in a multiverse of possibilities each life can find a different path than expected.

In a peaceful environment on an island in the Fire Nation, an older man and his wife are resting peacefully in their bed, when suddenly a tremor wakes them up from their rest alarmed they get out of bed, then horrified they realize that the volcano that was on the island woke up and is erupting, because a great rain of ashes falls from the sky.

The worried man quickly takes his wife by the hand.

-Let's get out of here!- with one hand he summons a vortex of air that opens a path through all the toxic gas smoke, once they manage to get out, they go downhill to get off the island and they are not the only ones, all the people who inhabited the island runs to reach the dock, but then the situation with the volcano worsens and a large avalanche of toxic gas, ash, and magma comes out quickly and begins to destroy everything in its path, a large dragon that was resting perceives the danger and He flies away quickly before the destruction reaches him.

The man, seeing that if he did not do something, all the people who were fleeing would soon die, has to make a difficult decision, he lets go of his wife's hand, who sees her dejected but understanding that he has to do something, the man stays where he is. was there and invoked a large sphere of air bending that stopped the avalanche, allowing the entire population of the island to escape...

...

In the distance hundreds of kilometers from the island the volcano erupts, a man from a balcony looks alarmed when he sees the volcano erupting, the roar can be heard and felt from where he was, he had never seen anything like it before. before.

He knows very well which island that volcano belongs to, that is where his best friend was, who if he guessed right, stayed to stop the threat, but even being a very powerful bender, he alone could not with the tremendous power of the volcano, I had to do something...

...

The man reached the top of the volcano just when the volcano entered its most dangerous stage when lava erupted from the interior and began to come out in large quantities, the man quickly pushed himself backward to avoid the magma that came out until he fell on a rock. distant, there he opened a large trench on both sides to redirect the flow of lava, which seemed to solve all the danger until the volcano erupted again, he quickly jumped out of where he was and headed up once more but He still did not reach the top because the upper surface was covered with lava, so he made a great jump upwards and before falling he exhaled a large amount of air that cooled the lava until it became the solid rock on which he landed safely, but he was not yet at the top. The toxic gas and lava began to leak, so he repelled them with gusts of air, but the volcano began to enter its most critical stage when more lava came out along with lightning bolts that appeared.{

The dragon tried to approach the man because he was his master and wanted to help him, to end the threat of the volcano, or to get him out of there, but the bursts of lava prevented his passage, the man noticed what the dragon wanted to do and stopped him.

-It's okay, Fang! -He shouted as he continued avoiding the toxic gases that began to affect him- get out of here, I'm fine!

He immediately made a series of movements when his eyes began to glow white to direct his next attack right at a part of the volcano that destroyed it and filtered the lava to a new direction, faithfully controlling the situation so he could breathe a sigh of relief.

When suddenly the other volcano on the island also erupts. The man looks stunned at the situation, this is beyond him, he is not strong enough to stop both volcanoes, he is no longer as young as before and he could not do this alone.

-Do you need help old friend??

The man opens his eyes surprised by the person who appeared, he did not imagine seeing him now, under these circumstances.

-Sozin??!!!-Fire Lord Sozin who was in his blue dragon nods to his friend.

-There is no time to lose

The man quickly gets on Sozin's dragon and they proceed to go to where the second erupting volcano is, the man quickly begins to begin controlling the lava, while Sozin makes movements with his fingers to redirect the heat of the volcano to remove it and cool the lava.

The situation has finally calmed down, but the lightning is still in the air and the volcano begins to tremble, throwing Sozin off balance, who almost falls if it weren't for the man who made a column of rock so that he could regain his balance. Seeing that he is safe, Sozin looks at his friend and nods, but soon the volcano explodes in a large ash cloud, and the two quickly proceed to escape in a hurry.

-Do not breathe the toxic gases!- The man uses airbending to stop any leakage of the gas, they proceed to run down the hill when the gas hits the man in the face, inhaling it and falling affected by it.

-It's too much... please- the man looks at Sozin, hoping that his friend will help him, but Sozin just stands there watching his friend die.

-Without you, all my plans would be possible...- the stunned man looks at his friend, knowing what he planned to do- I have a vision of the future Roku.

Sozin's Dragon quickly appears behind him, Sozin immediately gets on it and proceeds to escape from the island, but before leaving he gives Roku one last look, letting him understand that he regrets doing this to him.

Roku watches angrily as Sozin escapes on his dragon, moving further and further away, but soon his vision begins to fail, soon he looks back and sees a large cloud of ash heading toward him.

Fang alarmed by the turn of events, looks at his master who is suffering not only from having breathed the toxic gases, but also from the betrayal of what was his best friend, then Fang looks as a large cloud of ash is heading towards him. to his master to kill him, Fang can feel the master's desire to die, but he also feels the fear and anguish of leaving his partner, of leaving him, of leaving everyone under the ambitions of his best friend.

Xianshi looks specifically at Fang from the sky...

...

Each life is unique in itself, the bonds that are formed in each one, say that lives can pass... or in other cases do everything possible to help that loved one... as you well know, 12 years before the arrival of the great comet that would later be called Sozin's Comet, Avatar Roku met his end after he attempted to protect his loved ones from the fury of a volcano with the help of his best friend Fire Lord Sozin, but after being knocked down, Sozin abandons Roku to his fate upon learning that without him, he could fulfill his ambitions of conquering the world, Roku's faithful companion, the dragon Fang joined his master to share his destiny... but in This universe reality is different.

...

Fang then, with the desire to protect his master, quickly launches himself to grab him, put him on his back, and quickly leave the island that becomes consumed by ash.

Roku, who is still coughing, clings to Fang to keep from falling, while he watches as his home ends up being destroyed.

-Fang...- Roku says weakly, while he looks at his partner who looks back at him, Roku sees that he is worried and decides to calm him down- I'll be fine Fang...don't worry...

Before he can continue he coughs badly again, which worries Fang more and she tries to contact his master to ask her what to do when he starts to lose consciousness.

-The sages of fire... take me to the sages of fire...- says Roku losing consciousness afterward, while an alarmed Fang complies with the order of his master to rush to Crescent Island.

...

The Fire Sage Kaja stands at the center of his ceremonial altar, praying to Agni and asking for light and prosperity for the Fire Nation when someone else rushes in.

-Kaja, you have to come quickly!

Kaja growls annoyed that they have interrupted him and tries to ignore him to continue with his prayer, however, the other insists.

-Kaja the Avatar Roku appeared here! ... he is in very bad condition!

Kaja then opens her eyes surprised and alarmed, quickly gets up, and proceeds to follow her companion, to find the Avatar, meanwhile, she wonders what could have happened to him, Roku should be with his wife on his Island, they would not see each other until within a few weeks, whatever it is, something serious must have happened if he came here.

Immediately, he and his companion arrive at a room where the rest of the Fire Sages are treating a bedridden Roku.

He quickly goes to his side to see what happened to him.

-Roku! ... Roku responds - before he can continue, one of the wise men separates him so he can explain.

-His dragon brought him unconscious and in that state, we assume that it is because he was facing the volcano on his island...

Kaja reacts surprised - The volcano erupted??!

The other wise man of Fire nods - You could feel it from here... we went out to see what was happening and from here we could see the volcano, we were about to look for you but then his dragon arrived, and the others are attending as we speak...

Kaja nodded understanding what happened, then another fire sage came in with everything necessary to treat and save the Avatar.

Kaja looks worried at his friend, wishing with all his heart that he does not die that day.

...

Several hours later...

Screams of panic are heard everywhere, while sounds of uncontrollable flames are heard, and then you can see how the fire floods the halls of the temples, reaching the inhabitants who are running trying to save their lives.

But then Fire Nation soldiers appear and start attacking the inhabitants, some try to confront them, but the soldiers are too powerful.

Among the inhabitants of the temple, he can recognize one, he looks older than he remembers, he sees himself dressed as an authentic air-bending master, he faces all possible soldiers and tries to help as many of his people as he can.

But the soldiers are stronger and soon corner him, then he sees how the flames cover his friend, and the image changes from the temple to a large comet that is seen in the sky.

...

-Gyatso!-He gasps loudly as the pain drives him back to the bed, and then he coughs again.

-You woke up, what a relief.

Roku opened his eyes to see who had said that, to find a familiar face, who was sitting near him.

-Kaja... I'm glad to see you...

Kaja smiles as he looks at his friend, she gets up to help him sit up - our doctor treated you the best he could, but some parts are out of his control, so don't make too much effort...

Roku nods as he sits leaning against the wall, he looks around to see where he is, finding relief to see that he is in his old room from when he lived on Crescent Island, quickly putting his thoughts in order, he looks at Kaja.

-Ta Min...

Kaja understanding what he means responds - We sent for her as soon as possible, we also sent for your daughter - Roku nodded gratefully - we have not yet been able to notify the Fire Lord, but while...

Roku upon hearing from Sozin immediately stops Kaja- Don't do it... don't tell Sozin...

Kaja confused looks at him- But, he must know what happened...

-Kaja!... he must not find out that I am here... listen to me when I was facing the volcano, Sozin appeared to help me when we did everything possible we tried to escape, but the toxic gases knocked me down, I asked Sozin for help, but he... - Kaja had an idea and put a hand on his shoulder - he left me to my fate to die there...

Kaja nodded but still wanted to know more- But why??

Roku remembering meeting him gave him a smile that showed everything but a hint of joy - he told me that without me here, he would have the opportunity to realize his dream...

-His dream??...does it have anything to do with the colonies??

Roku nodded and proceeded to tell him - The day I married Ta Min, Sozin came to me to talk privately, he told me about his vision of expanding the Fire Nation to the rest of the world...

Kaja, finally understanding, looked worried - So that's what he was looking for all this time...

Roku saw him intrigued by what he said- Did you know about this??

Kaja looked from him to Roku once again. “I didn't want to distract you from this since your Avatar duties are more important, but over the last few years, I've noticed subtle movements regarding the Fire Nation.

Roku narrowed his eyes. "Subtle changes... what changes?"

Kaja just gave a tired sigh - It's no secret that the world is changing Roku, the world is entering a new technological era and the Fire Nation embraced those changes, the expansion of the army and the militarization of the country, the claim of the islands and the propaganda that the Fire Lord created, more and more of these things appeared creating suspicions on my part.

-But I stopped Sozin's expansionism, I warned him that if he did it I would stop it forever- Roku said.

Kaja nodded - But if what you say is true and the Fire Lord left you to die, he will most likely restart those efforts...

-I have to stop it...

Kaja stopped him before he could get up - Roku thinks things through, you still haven't recovered from the volcano, you can barely get up and if you did, you wouldn't be able to face anyone like this.

Roku stopped when Kaja intervened, he considered her words and nodded in understanding, he was right, although he could not even get there, Sozin was very powerful and also had his army, and even entering the Avatar State was very risky if he died.

Kaja, seeing that he stopped, continued - For the moment it is best that he thinks that you are still dead, I will warn the rest of the wise men that nothing should be reported to the capital regarding you...

Roku smiled gratefully - Thank you, Kaja, you are a great friend...

Kaja shook her head. "My loyalty and that of the other Fire Sages is with you Roku, we will support you in any way we can."

-Thank you...

...

Capital of the Nation of Fire...

-Fire Lord... he asked to see us and here we are...

Sozin nods from his throne and looks at the figures of the Fire Sages.

-That's right, what I have to discuss is a matter of utmost importance...

The wise older man sees him intrigued by what he has to say.

-It is with great pain that I must announce that Avatar Roku has passed away...- The Fire Sages react in disbelief at their news- precisely in the early morning of this day the volcano on Roku Island erupted and He would have killed everyone on the island if it weren't for Roku's efforts to stop him, but in the end it was too much for him...

The wise elder sees him skeptically. How does his majesty know this, I dare to ask.

Sozin was annoyed by the insistence of the older wise man but decided to continue. I realized the catastrophe from here, the magnitude of the situation was extreme, so I headed there as quickly as possible to help my friend, but eventually, the situation deteriorated. It got out of hand and Roku was trapped by the eruption of the volcano... I barely managed to escape...

The wise elder nods now understanding the situation - So if you witnessed the situation, it must be true... we will pray to Agni for Roku's soul and begin the funeral preparations

Sozin nodded.

-We must also make this tragic news known to the other nations to begin the search for the next Avatar.

-True... The next Avatar will be born among the Air Nomads- the last thing Sozin said was aimed more at himself than at the sages of Fire, now that he contemplated it, that represents a big problem for his plans.

-If that's all there is to say, then you can go.

The elder Sage was so dismayed by the interruption that he dismissed them immediately, but he did not reply, assuming that the Fire Lord was mourning the death of his best friend, the friendship between the Fire Lord and the Fire Lord was well known. Avatar they shared for many years.

-As you wish my lord.

Without further ado, the wise men proceed to withdraw, leaving Sozin alone with his thoughts.

-Then you may interfere in my way after all Roku, but it doesn't matter, I'm not going to back down this time, I won't let the new Avatar interfere with the vision of the future I have, even if I have to eliminate all the air nomads to achieve it, so be it...

...

Crescent Island Temple.

Later...

Kaja left a long time ago to talk to the rest of the Fire Sages about Roku's decision, leaving Roku alone in the room, while there he starts to think about the dream he had before waking up, it looked so real and Then he could distinguish Gyatso's figure anywhere, he would never forget his friend. That's why she fears that if what she saw wasn't a dream, then it must be something else.

She quickly tries to get on the floor, get into the lotus position, and start meditating.

-Avatar Kyoshi... I need your advice...

Once she said that a spiritual projection emerged from him and she proceeded to stand in front of him to reveal that she was a tall woman, dressed in green and with paint on her face...

-What is happening Roku?? I see you worried about something

Roku nods - I had a strange dream while I was resting, but I think it was a vision, I dreamed about the temples of the air nomads being attacked by fire benders, my old friend being there, and in the middle of all that a comet in the sky.

Kyoshi, without appearing affected, responds - That comet is not just any comet, it is the Great Comet, an event that passes through the Earth every hundred years and each time it does so, the abilities of the Fire masters are improved to levels that you would not believe possible. - Roku nods in understanding - now the Great Comet will return in 12 years at the end of summer Roku, the vision you had is the future that is coming, with you as dead now the Fire Lord fears that his plans will be frustrated by the next Avatar, the next Avatar will be born among the Air Nomads, so for Sozin to succeed in his ambitions, he will use the great comet to exterminate the Air Nomads.

Roku opens his eyes in horror - No... no, Sozin wouldn't be capable of that much...

Kyoshi just shakes his head - The Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Lord's plans, he knows that as long as he is his dream will never be achieved... Roku you must stop the Fire Lord no matter what the cost, you must do everything necessary to protect the balance of the world.

Kyoshi proceeds to disappear while leaving a dismayed Roku about what he will have to do soon, he was able to do it once when Sozin had installed the colonies in the Earth Kingdom, but in the end, he couldn't, after all, Sozin was his best friend, but now he sees no other option for it...

Kaja immediately re-enters the room and sees him on the floor. Seeing how he is, she knows what he is doing. "You were talking about your past lives." Roku heard him, looked at him, and nodded. "What did they tell you?" ?

Roku just sighed sadly- Bad omens for the future...

Kaja nodded, seeing his friend's state he decided not to ask him now, it was better he decided to leave the topic aside - Hey, I came to tell you that your dragon is somewhat anxious about you, the Fire Sage do everything to calm him down but he is still uneasy, maybe If he sees you, you can calm him down.

Roku opened his eyes remembering his dragon- Fang... but are you sure I can move to go with him??

-You are going to calm your dragon Roku, not face an army

...

Capital of the Fire Nation.

"The increase in factory production has been implemented as my lord has ordered," said one of the ministers who were in Sozin's throne room.

Sozin nodded pleased with this news.

-Very well... Minister Han I would like to know about the developments of new technologies.

The minister nodded, and while he proceeded to begin to explain it, someone entered the meeting room, drawing everyone's attention, Sozin recognized him as one of his agents that he had sent for an important mission, he did not want the ministers to find out.

-Leave us now... we will take a break and continue later.

The ministers looked confused but obeyed the order, immediately got up, and proceeded to leave through the main door while talking to each other when finally only Sozin and the man who had entered were left.

-Well??... what did you find out??

-Lady Ta Min has been located as ordered by my lord... however, I must say that her situation has taken an unexpected turn...

Sozin seemed intrigued by the report, so I urged him to continue.

-The Fire Sages appeared shortly after he located her and took her to the Temple of the Crescent Island.

Sozin raised an eyebrow suspiciously- I see...

-My lord... do you want me to continue collecting information?

Sozin shook his hand - It would not be necessary, I think the wise men will be very lenient when it comes to questioning them myself...

...

Temple of the Crescent Island...

As the days went by, Roku's health has improved considerably. In those days, the sages of Fire brought his wife Ta Min to meet him. The happiness was too much for the couple, because the thought that they would not return to find became very clear, also with the arrival of Roku's daughter, Rina, who was very grateful for seeing her parents safe, the family decided to catch up on what they have been doing and the events that happened during the catastrophe. and after that, Roku had to tell them the reality of what had happened, although there was indignation and anger on the part of his wife and his daughter, he urged them to calm down, it was neither the time nor the place for that, also the made him swear not to reveal anything until it was time, Ta Min saw this with suspicion but did not reply.

After a few days, his daughter had to leave, but she asked them to accompany her to live with her, but they both refused, without further ado, Roku and his wife stayed with Fang in the temple of Crescent Island, waiting for news that they would tell him. Roku what to do now, until this day came... when Kaja entered worriedly to where Roku and Ta Min were with Fang in his stable.

-What's wrong Kaja?

Kaja at that moment looks at him worried - News from the capital... Roku has declared you dead

Intrigued, Roku nodded his head, he expected that, but there was something that Kaja was not telling him.

-And what else??

Kaja sighed nervously- The Fire Lord has realized that we brought your wife here Roku...

Roku and Ta Min look at him dumbfounded.

-But how??

Kaja just shakes her head - I don't know, but I know it's serious, the Sages of the capital informed us about this and that now the Lord of Fire suspects something, so he has decided to come here to investigate...I don't know if we can keep you safe for a long time...

-Kaja...

Before he could say anything else the sound of a dragon was present and it wasn't Fang. The aforementioned Kaja just shook his head.

-We have to hide you as soon as possible...

Roku nodded in understanding, he started to think about where he could hide when he remembered something important- The secret passages.

Kaja remembered too and nodded, soon making a gesture urging Roku to follow him. But first Roku saw Ta Min.

-I must leave you two, and stay here with Fang, it is more than clear that Sozin will want to talk to you...

Ta Min nodded- Don't worry Roku, everything will be fine.

Roku placed his forehead against hers, then separated and kissed her forehead, and then left with Kaja...

...

Sozin watched as the Fire Sages were leaving the Temple, as he remembered Roku spent his time here training as an Avatar, so if something strange was happening he was in the right place.

-Fire Lord Sozin, we did not expect his visit...

The older wise man says that he was at the entrance of the temple with the rest of the Fire Sages when he saw the Lord of Fire descend from his dragon, while some soldiers accompanied him, his presence disturbed the Fire Sages, and Sozin approached them.

-I came here to give you the news personally...- he says somewhat seriously- with great regret I must tell you that Avatar Roku has passed away... but you already knew that...

" He said while looking at the Fire Sages who were not very surprised by the news.

The wise elder nodded - That's right, Lady Ta Min, the widow of Avatar Roku, told us firsthand what happened.

Sozin nodded.

-Which leads to my question... I would like to know what Ta Min, the widow of Avatar Roku, is doing here...

The older wise man nodded. "We brought her so she could explain to us what had happened regarding Avatar Roku, his majesty... he spent his time here with us during his training as an Avatar and we wanted to know what had happened." ...

Sozin narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "And how did they find out that something had happened?"

Kaja was the next to respond - That was due to the force of the volcano that erupted, according to what Lady Ta Min said, its force could be felt from our island, I imagine that you must have also felt the majesty of her.

Sozin nodded still skeptical- I would like to see Ta Min...

The wise elder nodded - This way, his majesty...

I motion to guide him to Ta Min's room.

...

-Don't worry, Fang... everything will be fine- Ta Min caressed the back of her husband's partner trying to calm him down- soon everything will get better...

-Lady Ta Min??-Ta Min turned to see the wise elder in the company of Sozin who was next to her Fire Lord wanted to see you and talk to you...

Ta Min nodded at this, soon the older sage left, and Sozin proceeded to enter the room.

-How have you been Sozin?

-Still digesting the news- she said, approaching to be at a safe distance- I can't imagine what state you are in... I remember the great love that Roku had for you in our youth.

Ta Min nodded - I know, it's one that I reciprocated with great love too.

Sozin nodded - I can't imagine how you must feel right now... the loss of a husband who spent a lot of time in your life by your side.

-Haven't you thought about getting married Sozin?

The question surprised him - Never the truth, always being in politics and governing the Nation means that he doesn't have time for other things...

Ta Min nodded and smiled at him - You should try it, I know Roku would have liked you to be with someone, to have what he and I had...

Sozin began to think, considering it - Yes... maybe you're right, the lineage has to be ensured and I'm not getting any younger.

Ta Min erased her smile when she heard it. "I was referring to love and family... I know that the life of the royal family is very tense but it doesn't have to be that way for you..."

Sozin sighed tiredly remembering the experiences he had with his family, the good relationship with his father and the bad relationship he had with his sister Zeisan, the different conflicts they had, he could only give a tired sigh to then respond.

-I don't know, I couldn't see that with my parents, most of the marriages in my family have been political, and life on the throne is very lonely most of the time.

-There's nothing wrong with trying, give yourself a chance and you might be surprised...

Sozin looked at her thinking about her words, he can say with certainty that he does not see it as very likely, however, he cannot rule out the idea of marriage, he knows that he will not live forever and if he wants his vision to come true he will need someone. to continue with his work once he is no longer here.

-You're right, it wouldn't hurt to try- Ta Min smiles at him- but leaving that aside, tell me, what are you doing here?

Ta Min, seeing that she could no longer distract him, sighed - "After the destruction of the Island, I was worried about what could have happened to Roku. When we arrived at a safe harbor, I waited for him to appear. It took several days." I waited until Fang arrived - with a shake of the head he mentioned the dragon - I thought Roku would be with him, but when he arrived without him I had to accept the worst... after that the Fire Sages appeared, they were investigating with the survivors what happened until they found me and recognized me for who I was, once I informed them of what happened... after that, they wanted to move me here so I could rest, I didn't want to stay in that place, there was nothing for me, Fang decided to follow me until we got here.

Sozin nodded in understanding.

-Even so, I think it would not be good to stay in this temple, the memory of Roku is still very present here too, accompany me on my return home, I can help you get to your family.

Ta Min gave him a fake smile of gratitude and shook his head. "I'm fine here for the moment. The Sages help me in every way they can and have instructed me by making prayers to the spirits. I pray that Roku's soul is fine." and I pray for my family.

-Then maybe I should stay with you and do the same.

Ta Min shook his head slightly without leaving his smile. "I wouldn't want to distract you from your duties Sozin, I remember Roku telling me about how dedicated you are to your duties as Fire Lord. He wouldn't want you to neglect them too much, but if you want to be here, you are." more than welcome to join me.

Roku nodded and smiled at him, he gestured to go together to one of the upper sanctuaries, but Sozin did not ignore the fact that throughout the conversation Roku's dragon was looking at him cautiously.

...

Several hours later...

-I wish you would accompany me back to Ta Min...

Ta Min just shook her head as she and the Fire Sages watched the Fire Lord and his entourage prepare to leave.

-Don't worry Sozin... I won't be here long, I'll leave soon... where I'm not sure yet...

Sozin nodded as he climbed onto his dragon.

-Then this could be the last time we see each other.

Ta Min just nodded in agreement and that was what she most expected, she wasn't sure what she would do to Sozin if she found out the truth.

Sozin just sighed tiredly- I wish you the best Ta Min and I hope you find peace.

Ta Min nodded. “Same for you Sozin.”

...

While she watched from a window as Sozin's silhouette with her dragon moved further and further away, Roku began to think about his next step, he has eluded Sozin for now, but he knows that he can have no further contact with anyone else he knows in the Fire Nation and cannot stay with the Sages forever.

He has to do something before Sozin advances further with his plans, the best he can do now is alert the Air Nomads.

Chapter Text

- We can only help you by giving you this...- Kaja said, ashamed of not being able to help more.

Roku just shook his head with a smile as he put a hand on Kaja's shoulder.

-This should be enough to reach the Southern Air Temple Kaja...

Kaja only let out a sigh but nodded.

-I still don't understand, why are you going there.

-I have to go alert the Air Nomads before doing anything, in case something goes wrong if I can ensure that they protect the next Avatar and prevent Sozin's plans then all will not be lost.

Kaja nodded as he returned to the other sages who were there to say goodbye to Roku, soon Roku helped Ta Min up and then got on himself, taking Fang's saddle and fixing his gaze on the sages.

-I thank you for everything you did for me and my wife, I hope to see you again after all this.

The sages bowed in respect while the eldest Sage said - Avatar Roku, good luck on your journey, may Agni and the spirits be with you always...

Roku smiled and then urged Fang to fly in the direction of the Southern Air Temple.

Not knowing that they were being watched by someone.

...

The trip to the Southern Air Temple took several days with some stops at the Earth Kingdom, generally, Roku and Ta Min chose to avoid large towns where someone might recognize Roku, it was like this for several days until they were finally in the Archipelago South, near the Patola Mountain Range, very close to the Southern Air Temple.

-We are close to the Temple... if I remember correctly, the Temple is passing those mountains, but Fang has been flying for several hours, he needs to rest, we can camp here.

Ta Min nodded in agreement, Roku knew that, although she tried to hide it, it was not something she was used to.

-Forgive me for putting you in this situation...

Ta Min just shook his head.

-Roku, when I chose to marry you I knew that my life would not be normal... I knew what I was getting into...

Roku laughed amused, although it was true that he wanted to not put her in these situations, but she was happy that she was with him.

Roku quickly began to set up camp, Ta Min helped as much as she could, either cooking with the supplies they brought or helping to feed Fang.

Once they finished they settled down to sleep near Fang.

But Roku couldn't sleep, for several hours he was thinking about Kyoshi's words, he couldn't deny that he hadn't ruled him out, but then he remembered who he had to take care of, Sozin had been his best friend long time... but then he remembers what he did to her when the two were fleeing the volcano and the feelings of betrayal overwhelmed him, he doesn't know what he will decide in the end, but he knows that whatever he decides he won't like.

But before he could debate this further, he heard something or someone walking nearby, he immediately got up, waking up Ta Min who was sleeping next to him.

-Roku... what's happening??

He turned to her wife to reassure her.

-I heard something...

Ta Min also tried to listen, but I didn't hear anything - It must be nothing Roku, let's go back to sleep...

Roku, however, still did not ignore the noise. He felt someone nearby and confirmed it by hearing footsteps nearby. He quickly got into a firebending stance.

-Whatever or whoever is there, you better back off- However, what was approaching did not seem to listen as it turned to address them, taking it as a challenge, Roku threw a Fireball as a warning so that whatever was coming would decide. leave, but surprised him when what was approaching deflected his attack with a gust of air.

- You always liked making yourself known here Roku...

The voice spoke with such familiarity that it became familiar to him, when he looked up, he found a familiar figure, a person that he had met before when he came here and that he saw in his vision, although the person present was no longer a child, but an older man and was 12 years younger than in his vision.

-Gyatso...

Gyatso smiled at his old friend.

-It's good to see you again Roku, although I would have appreciated it if you had warned me before.

...

Gyatso in the company of his bison, while Roku and Ta Min on Fang accompanied them on the way to where the Southern Air temple was located.

-You're lucky that he had been nearby, he was returning from some business at the Eastern Air Temple, otherwise, I don't know what could have happened...

-You're still as talented at air bending as I remember.

Gyatso smiled at his comment-Yes, the truth is that so much has happened I was accepted into the council of elders not long ago...

Roku looks at him surprised, while Ta Min looks at them confused- Wow, I... I don't know what to say, that must be a great honor.

-It is

-Excuse me, but what do you mean by the council of elders?

-Oh, my apologies...

-Ta Min, Roku's wife- smiled when she saw the curiosity of her friend's husband when asking about her.

Gyatso smiled and nodded - My apologies Lady Ta Min, it is a pleasure to meet you, Roku is a lucky man - Ta Min smiled - okay, as I said, the council of elders is the group of Masters who are in charge of the temples of the Air, in other words, are the leaders...

Ta Min reacted in surprise - It must be a great burden to be in front of your people.

Gyatso just shook his head - It's not that bad, most of the things that are presented are somewhat minor, and the only relevant thing we have seen is the search for the next Avatar...

Roku, who understood that he was referring to him, lowered his head sadly - Then the news of my false death had already spread.

-For the world this is real my friend, it was until now including me, for the moment we have been looking among the possible candidates to see who can be the new Avatar.

Ta Min opened her eyes in surprise as she saw the huge Temple looming over the mountains, it was just dawn, but she could see some people wearing the same robes as Gyatso as they got closer.

-Nothing has changed since the last time I came.

I heard Roku say, while Gyatso laughed amused, he addressed them, especially her to tell them.

-Welcome to the Southern Air Temple.

...

His arrival at the Temple had to be secret at Roku's request, he did not want many to know that he was still alive, and he did not want the news that he was still alive to spread too much and reach Sozin's ears, if he did so he did not know what he would do. the Fire Lord if he found out too.

While Roku asked him to secretly pass him and Ta Min through the Temple and ask for asylum for as long as they stayed, Gyatso doubtfully agreed after Roku's request to speak with the Air Temple's council of elders. from the south.

He is waiting in his living room while he waits for them to arrive.

The council, upon seeing who Gyatso's companion was, gasped in surprise and then bowed respectfully.

The one in the middle of the elders took a step forward.

- Avatar Roku it is a joy to see that you are still alive, we did not believe it when we received the news of your death from the Fire Nation, but when they presented evidence we had no choice but to accept it.

Roku nodded in understanding.

-But seeing you here and completely well is great news, let me introduce myself, I am Monk Pasang, the leader of the council of elders of the Southern Air Temple.

Roku nodded and bowed respectfully to him.

-It is an honor to meet you, but I wish my visit would be on more peaceful issues.

The council saw him confused by what he said.

...

-Then let me summarize what he said... The Fire Lord left him to die on his Island and his dragon rescued him, he hid with the Fire Sages who could not let him stay and he came here to tell us that the Fire Lord attack us in twelve years to prevent the next Avatar from interfering with his affairs, because he saw it in a vision??

Roku nodded- Precisely.

Monk Tashi gave a mocking snort. "Forgive me, Avatar Roku, but I see it as just nonsense." Roku frowned. "The mere belief that he would attack us is simply ridiculous. We have no problem with the Fire Nation...

-That does not interest Fire Lord Sozin... He has the vision of expanding the Fire Nation to the rest of the world and he will start with you...

-And why would he be with us?? Gyatso asked that curiously.

Roku sighed- Because Sozin believes that I am dead, as you well know, upon the death of the Avatar he is reincarnated in the next nation of the cycle and since I stopped his plans before, he believes that the next Avatar will do the same.

The monk Pasang listens to Roku's arguments, wanting to know what to propose.

Tashi, on the other hand, rolled her eyes. “Then simply say that he is alive and it will be settled for us.”

Roku frowned- It's not that easy... even if I did it wouldn't do any good, Sozin would still attack them if there was no Avatar after me...

-How is he supposed to attack us??-Pasang asks.

-That will be because of the great Comet, one that passes every 100 years will pass by the Earth, that comet gives the fire benders incredible power, more than they can imagine... please listen to me, the comet will return in 12 years and he will use his power to attack all of his people...

The council of elders look at each other having various opinions on each other, and then they all look at Monk Pasang for a conclusion, who looks at Roku.

-We must discuss this with extreme care, please let us reflect on this in private.

Roku couldn't say that he wasn't worried about his decision, but he knew that he couldn't do anything else, so he just nodded, bowed respectfully, and stepped away...

...

One week.

It's been a week since he and Ta Min arrived and they haven't gotten a response.

The decision The advice regarding what to do has been to consult the rest of the Air Temples about the course of decision to take, the rest of the Temples, like this one, have found themselves divided on what action to take, which has only generated annoyance in Roku...

Some think about starting to take preventive measures, others just want to ignore it, but Roku doesn't exactly know what they're waiting for.

That it takes twelve years for the Comet to arrive and they are being attacked by fire benders??

This has to be treated now, he knows it, it is something he has to do, but he can't do it, he has already recovered, and his health may have been affected but he is still fine, but he still doesn't want to face the idea.

He needs advice from someone.

He can't ask about his past lives, he knows what they will say, he needs the opinion of someone impartial and who trusts him, that's why he decided to turn to the next person and that's why he finds himself in front of his door waiting to talk to him.

Roku looked from him to Gyatso and was surprised by the bundle of blankets he had carried with him, he didn't have to dig too deep to know that it was a baby. Gyatso noticed that and laughed lightly.

-True, I haven't been able to introduce them before... Roku would like to introduce you to Aang, my protégé.

Roku fixed his gaze on the sleeping child and remembered something he learned in his time living in the Temple, many children often had a primary guardian to whom they were not related, although they knew their blood relatives and often, they had close relationships with them, I didn't expect Gyatso to have one, but life is full of surprises.

Aang woke up, and as he began to move and rub his eyes, Roku could see that his gray eyes focused on him and smiled at him.

Roku approached him to greet him- Hello Aang, it's a pleasure to meet you...

Aang gave what seemed like a laugh as he tried to reach his hand towards him, Roku stayed where he was to see what he was doing when he suddenly grabbed a part of his beard and pulled it very hard.

Roku opened his eyes and screamed at that, while he tried to remove his beard from his hand, Gyatso who was just watching started laughing.

-He is a very energetic little boy.

Roku who finally took his beard out of his hands walked away a little- Yes it is...

Gyatso laughed again as he urged Roku to come in to sit on a cushion, soon Roku sat on another one that was nearby, between them was a table that had a Pai sho board.

-I didn't know you played Pai sho...

Gyatso sat Aang on his lap and gave him a toy to entertain himself, which he took and once he was distracted he looked at Roku giving him a smile - Well... sometimes Pai sho is more than a simple game...

Roku just nodded and looked at him on the board, immediately placing a token to start the game. Gyatso looked at the token and meditated for a moment to place his own.

-Something is bothering you...

Roku just added another piece to the board and then responded-"I'm worried about a lot of things"

Gyatso nodded making his next move- "But mainly??"

Roku just sighed tiredly, moving a piece - I'm worried about what will come soon, the decision I will have to make...

Gyatso left his gaze on the dashboard and looked at his friend.

-The weight of a decision is very great, not only because of the seriousness it entails but because of the consequences that one must assume, although as an Avatar you have always assumed that burden, you do not necessarily have to take it all at once...

-And what can I do?? Let Sozin continue with his plans?? to start a genocide and then attack the rest of the world?? - says Roku, somewhat annoyed and starting to get impatient.

-No.... but you must clear your mind and think, I can see that Sozin's betrayal affected you too much, you must not let emotions cloud your judgment Roku, or else when you make the decision and feel that you were wrong, you will live the consequences with guilt

Roku proceeded to calm down and nodded in understanding.

He began to meditate on what he had to do, although it pains him to admit it, his old friend was no longer the same, his ambitions for power had dominated him and he did not know how far he was capable of achieving them, someone like that is too dangerous, he knows what Sozin was planning until he stopped him and he already has an idea of what he will do even if he is absent, he knows what he has to do.

-Gyatso... just promise me one thing, if I don't survive it is a fact that the next Avatar will be in danger, and not only him, but all the air nomads...

Gyatso nodded in understanding - I will do everything I can to save mine and your future reincarnation Roku, if it is within my reach, do not hesitate that I will do it...

Roku nodded in thanks as he turned his attention back to the game...

...

The next day Roku notified Ta Min of his decision and so they began to pack, soon they were outside the Temple getting everything ready to travel back to the Fire Nation, Fang was already ready to leave when Gyatso appeared with Aang to see them off as did the rest of the elder council.

Roku smiled kindly at Gyatso to which he respectfully bid farewell.

-May our paths cross again my old friend...

-Rest assured that this will be Avatar Roku, even if it is in this life or the next we will see each other again- Gyatso takes Aang to show him to Roku- that also applies to him, something tells me that he will miss you...

Aang laughed at Gyatso's pampering of him, while Roku just shook his head, but his smile didn't disappear.

-I'll visit you too, Aang, I promise...

Aang stopped by to see him and then smiled and started applauding.

Roku and Gyatso laughed at how he reacted.

Monk Pasang now stepped forward to say goodbye to Roku.

-Avatar Roku having you here again was an honor, I regret with all my heart that we were not able to help you with what you were looking for, but I assure you that your warning will not be left aside.

Roku smiled gratefully for that- Thank you.

Monk Pasang nodded and said goodbye- May the spirits accompany you on your journey.

Roku went to say goodbye to Monk Pasang and then returned to his wife.

-It's time.

Ta Min nodded, Roku helped her get on Fang and then climbed on, she took one last look at the monks, especially Gyatso who nodded, Roku returned the gesture, and then urged Fang to start. to fly back to the Fire Nation, with a location first, Ember Island.

...

Ember Island...

Rina, the daughter of Roku and Ta Min, was observing the horizon from where she was waiting, as her father had told her in the letter she sent him that she should be here to pick up her mother. She's not sure how her father sent it, just a strange old man came by to leave the letter, she couldn't trust it because it could be a trap, but when he showed her proof that it could be trusted and that the letter was authentic, Rina didn't trust it. thought to come here.

When he looked at the horizon he expected to see his father's Dragon, he did not know why they had decided to come, he could only assume that his father had made a decision regarding the Fire Lord and it may not be what he expected, but it was the best, he decided. Whatever he decided, she would support him.

Then he heard a familiar roar, he looked to where he had come out and witnessed Fang's figure approaching, he stepped aside for him to descend and when he did he saw his parents on Fang's back, soon his father got off him to help her mother who, upon seeing her, ran to her, just like Rina did to her mother.

-Fight!

-Mother!

Mother and daughter immediately hugged each other.

-I was worried, I was afraid that something had happened when I received the letter.

Ta Min separated from her daughter to take her from her arms. "We're fine...

Rina nodded and looked from her to her father, caressing her to Fang and then seeing them and then he was slowly approaching...

-Fight...

Her daughter did not let him respond because she immediately hugged him, an act that Roku responded to instantly.

-Take care of your mother... I will return I promise- soon she kissed her daughter on the forehead as a promise to her while she separated and then saw her wife.

They just looked at each other for a moment, there was nothing to say, for everything had already been said, only Roku rushed to hug her for a long time, he could feel her trembling, so he reinforced his hug by promising her that he would return, Ta Min returned the hug. and they stayed in that position for a long time.

Knowing that it was time to leave, Roku separated from her embrace and kissed her with all the love she could convey to him.

When they separated they brought their foreheads together.

-Take care of yourself...

Roku nodded, kissed her again for the last time, and then separated from her and immediately went in the direction of Fang to get on it and begin her journey towards the capital.

-We will see us again...

Soon Fang got up to start flying, while mother and daughter watched disconsolately as Roku was going to face the Fire Lord.

...

At all the speed he could, Fang crossed the Fire Islands Archipelago, while Roku determinedly looked at an exact point ahead where the capital was located.

But before he could continue on his way, an unexpected attack took him by surprise, balls of fire appeared in the sky in their direction.

-Fang!

The dragon quickly began to dodge the attacks and perform evasive maneuvers, Roku momentarily looked down to see what was happening when he saw several warships that were aiming at him, that was new, he had never seen ships like that before, then he remembered the Kaja's words.

Sozin hadn't wasted his time- Roku thought.

Angered by this, he intercepted one of the airbending attacks and destroyed it with a powerful blast of airbending.

-Fang down... if Sozin wants a confrontation we will give him one.

Fang gave a roar at the command of his master and headed down to engage the ships, attacking with a large burst of air At one, Fang flew to distract the ships by moving further into the distance, while Roku launched himself into the sea to enter the Avatar State and immediately summon a large wave that destroyed all the ships, sinking them or knocking them off course, once done. Fang went to pick up Roku when the danger passed to take him on his back and resume the path to his final destination.

Roku felt tired, but he had to regain his strength quickly, something told him that this was just one of the surprises that Sozin had for him.

Fang flew quickly when he could see the capital city in sight.

- Fang, don't land in the ports, straight to the palace...

Fang roared in agreement and started flying in that direction.

...

-My Fire Lord, the ships that secured the perimeter were breached...

-I already expected that... General, I sent troops outside the palace, he will come here, I'm sure, we must receive him...

The general bowed - Yes, my Fire Lord...

The general stepped away as Sozin watched from his throne room at the entrance.

-You may have survived, but I was waiting for you, I won't let you interfere anymore Roku...

...

Immediately when he arrived at the entrance of the palace, he was greeted by a large number of soldiers who were pointing at him from different directions, but who stopped doing so when they recognized who it was.

-Avatar Roku! - one of those who was in front, Roku determined that whoever was in charge knew how to identify him - I... - he immediately composed himself and bowed before Roku - it is an honor to be in your presence and know that you are alive, everyone believed that you had died fighting the volcano on your island.

Roku cautiously approached calmly- Thank you, however, you have already seen that I am alive, if you allow me to come in I will have an audience with the Fire Lord.

The leader immediately remembered why he was there and blocked the way - Avatar Roku, please forgive me, but the Fire Lord has ordered us to block the way to anyone riding a Dragon.

-I have no problem with you, The Fire Lord has abused his power and now he plans to conquer the other nations by declaring war... I won't let that happen...

-I'm sorry Avatar Roku, but we won't let you pass - he immediately put himself in a position to face him as did all the soldiers Roku immediately prepared to respond - unless you defeat my men so quickly before we realize it.

The suggestive tone caught Roku off guard, and he immediately looked at the guy in confusion. “Excuse me what??” You're telling me to defeat all your men...

Immediately the guy looks back quickly and looks back at Roku worried.

-Avatar Roku, you may be telling the truth, I have seen these new reforms that the Fire Lord makes and they make me uneasy, if you can stop him it would be the best, but all the soldiers there will not allow it...- he said pointing to everyone the soldiers who began to get confused as to why their commander did not attack.

-You're sure??

-Yes... but I would suggest that you hurry before they start alerting the Fire Lord...

Roku only gave an incredulous sigh but did not reply, he immediately summoned a Burst of air that sent the commander flying and colliding with several soldiers, the alarmed soldiers prepared to attack but then Fang began to fly in the direction of the soldiers, knocking down higher and rising higher into the sky to start throwing fire from above, several fire benders began to do everything possible to repel it, while the others began to attack Roku, Roku immediately did Earthbending to move the rock tiles and with them stop the army, making them stumble and fall and then trap them on those same tiles.

Once done, he headed to enter the city when a large number of Fire Benders threw multiple streams of fire at him. Roku quickly, to repel the attacks, entered the avatar state, creating a large tornado of fire with them, which then returned all the fire. attacks in multiple directions, the soldiers in disbelief and fearful of seeing the figure of Avatar Roku began to flee in fear while the fire began to impact in various parts.

Once done, Roku began to advance towards the front while Fang defeated the remaining soldiers with powerful Blasts of Fire or by knocking them down as he flew past and rammed them. When he finished with them he landed near Roku, who approached him to pet him.

-Fang...don't let anyone come to interrupt us, he trusted you.

Fang roared to obey his master's order, as he watched as he began to enter the palace, where he would put an end to this once and for all.

...

Sozin was looking ahead towards the door with a frown, he was waiting for his arrival, he knew that the soldiers wouldn't hold Roku for long, but if they had exhausted him by the time he was here, he knew that Roku would confront him from the moment he found out that he was alive, he did well to leave his agent on Crescent Island to monitor the wise men, when he immediately sent the best elements of his army to entertain Roku...

He is in his throne room, after Roku destroyed the previous one when I confronted him the first time he ordered a new one to be built, now he is here, because he knows that Roku will come, and most likely it will need to be rebuilt again after this, but the most important thing is that this time he cannot go back with his plans, soon noises of fighting, tremors, sounds of fire and others begin to be heard and increase as he assumes that Roku gets closer and closer.

Soon the wall is torn down from the foundation, creating a large screen of smoke that is instantly dissipated by a gust of air, debris is thrown to the sides and the Roku Figure finally appears.

-You have gone too far this time Sozin!... this is my last warning... go back!

Sozin just looks at him with a frown- You should know well that that is impossible now Roku, I have no intention of stopping now...

-I was hoping you would say that...

Having said that, Roku begins to launch fire attacks at Sozin, Sozin despite his age is still strong enough to endure, he repels the attacks by blocking or deflecting them, he jumps from his throne to send strong streams of fire and upon landing on The ground sends an intertwined, charged and more powerful stream of fire. Roku uses airbending to stop Sozin's first attacks, but he doesn't have time to stop the last one, so he creates a rock barrier from the ground to slow the attack. impact, which resulted in sending Roku to the ground but unharmed, he quickly stood up, and with the debris everywhere, he used it as projectiles to attack Sozin.

Sozin began to dodge them and counter them with attacks, but the projectiles were too many so they managed to break through his defense and one hit him squarely, sending him crashing into where his throne was, causing it to be destroyed.

Roku stopped his attack and gasped from exhaustion, he had to regain strength and end this as soon as possible, Sozin however stood up from the rubble, hurt and tired, but his look at Roku showed determination and hatred.

-You have betrayed the Fire Nation by challenging me Roku, this will not go unpunished.

Immediately Sozin resumed the attack with a new cross blast, Roku only remained calm as he concentrated his fire to create a gap that split the blast and left him unharmed, he took another breath concentrating more fire.

-You have forced me to act Sozin and I told you last time that there would be consequences.

An angry Sozin used his anger to enhance his attacks, launching powerful blasts of fire, Roku created a wall of fire to protect himself from the attacks, and from the wall, he began to launch several fire attacks, Sozin decided to use jet propulsion to move around the room and attacking Roku from different sides, Roku acting quickly redirected the flames to protect himself, he immediately propels himself with air bending and launches an air blade that destroys a column that obstructs Sozin's path, Roku finishes off with a blast of air that hits directly and sends Sozin to the ground, believing that he can now do it, Roku enters the Avatar State, stomps on the ground that opens the throne room and destroys it, causing part of the room to end up destroyed, burying Sozin under a lot of rubble.

A large amount of dust appears in what remains of the throne room when it dissipates, you can see that the destruction left, Roku remains unaffected by the destruction, he only stares in the direction where Sozin was supposed to be, who begins to emerge carelessly and with efforts, Roku's last attack left him badly injured, so much so that he had lost his crown and his hair fell on his back, his robes were torn and he covered one side showing that he was injured.

Roku shook his head - There is no point in continuing with this Sozin, I will not allow you to carry out your plans, if you have honor you will accept defeat and definitively give up on your crazy dreams.

Sozin huffed angrily as he breathed heavily. "You can't stop the future Roku."

- Maybe not... but I can stop you and your ambitions, I didn't get involved enough before but I won't make the same mistake...

Sozin glared at him, he wouldn't let that happen, he still had a hidden card up his sleeve, he immediately calmed down and began to contain his emotions, Roku thinking that he had accepted under his guard, Sozin then knew that it was time to attack, he quickly summoned lightning that went straight to Roku.

Roku didn't know that his old friend could do such a thing, so he could only react on instinct, using air bending to immediately step aside, acting alone, Out of instinct he used a considerable piece of debris and threw it directly at Sozin's chest, which hit his chest squarely, more specifically in the part of his lungs and his heart.

Sozin then felt the loss of air and something else, he felt his lungs being hurt, and he fell to the floor with his breathing failing, surprised by Roku's attack he looked at him dumbfounded.

-You attacked me unprepared with a lethal attack - with all the strength he had left, I accused Roku - you turned your back on me and the Nation, and now it will plunge into chaos.

Roku furiously replied - It wasn't me who turned my back on his best friend to let him die for conqueror fantasies... the Fire Nation will survive Sozin, I will make sure to maintain balance and the Fire Nation is part of it. ...

Sozin just kept glaring at him as he felt his strength begin to disappear, Roku soon saw that Sozin's breathing was beginning to slow down, and he lowered his head solemnly for the fate of his former friend, but it was already done, no. there was nothing to do.

-I'm sorry Sozin... I wish it had been another way...

Sozin couldn't respond, he watched in amazement as his former friend looked at him sadly, there was nothing to do, the only thing Sozin could do was just nod while he felt like he was taking his last breath, and then he could only close his eyes so that there was only darkness.

Roku lowered his head sadly at the result of this, but he couldn't do anything else, so the only thing he did was get up and look at the horizon that showed the sunset of the capital city, one similar to the one Roku and Sozin witnessed when he left. After knowing that he was the Avatar, now he was alone while thinking about what was to come...

Behind him, without Roku realizing it, was Xiànshí looking at him somewhat solemnly.

...

The decisions we make in life can influence future events and this universe will not be immune to this, Roku's great decision brought with it the end of something, but with each end, comes a new beginning, and from the ashes of this great battle something new may emerge, the next generations will live what will be part of the most important changes in the world, but how they will live that world, what will be of that world, will depend on them...

...

9 months later...

-My lady is almost here, just one more try...

The woman moans and screams in agony while in a last effort, she pushes so that the cries of a baby can finally be heard, the midwife quickly takes him in a blanket and passes him to the new mother so that she can see her son. she.

"It's beautiful..." the woman says in a whisper.

-He is a strong child my lady and he will be a powerful fire bender...- immediately says one of the fire sages who happens to see the newborn and sees in his eyes the spark of the fire benders.

The woman nods as she looks at her son once more- Azulón...her name is Azulón.

...

However... that's another story...

Chapter Text

time

space

reality

It is more than a linear path... it is a prism of unlimited possibilities... where a single choice can be divided into infinite realities and create alternate worlds to those you already know... I am Xiànshí the spirit of reality, I am your guide in these new and vast realities, follow me and consider the question... what if??

We have observed how a moment or a decision can reverberate in space, and time and give birth to new stories, Heroes, entire universes... But what if it is the wrong decision, What if the best intentions would bring very strange consequences . ??

...

Fire Nation - Hari Bulkan

A man from the Fire Nation was walking calmly in the darkness of the night, wearing fine robes he found himself walking through the red corridors of the Royal Palace of the Fire Nation, his step was slow but determined because he was not in a hurry. objective and he feels very sure of himself, everything he had coveted is finally within his reach, he just has to get to his father's room and he will finally get everything he wanted, and think what if he had not had it for his wife He would never have obtained the key to his rise to power...

...

Retrospective scene

-Ozai, you can't do this! -A woman from the Fire Nation with royal robes enters the room where her husband is, angry, but above all worried about what her husband is planning to do.

Ozai just looks impassively through the window, from the tone his wife is using he assumes that he already found out what he is going to do, he doesn't know how he did it, but there is no point in hiding it. which is inevitable.

-I have no choice, denying the Lord of Fire would be betrayal... but I am a merciful man, I am waiting for him to be asleep, he will not feel anything.

Hearing Ursa's husband's cynicism she growls- Listen carefully...let's make a deal.

Ozai fixes his gaze on the window once again and says condescendingly, "You have nothing I want."

But Ursa shakes her head, maybe she doesn't have it but she knows what he wants- You want the throne.

Ozai takes a moment to consider it and after a moment he says- Continue

- I know how to make a poison that is colorless and tasteless, impossible to trace, that makes a person die silently as if they had simply fallen asleep... I'm going to give it to you in exchange for Zuko's life... Once the poison is in your hands, do whatever you want.

His proposal is very tempting and when he thinks about it he can see an opportunity - Where has he learned to make that substance?

-My mother is a master herbalist.

-Very intelligent wife, very intelligent.

Imagining the results in his mind, Ozai's face has a sinister smile - I accept your plan - Ursa, hearing it, can feel the relief that runs through her body - but with one condition... once we have made our exchange, you must leave the capital city to never show your face again.

The weight of his words leaves Ursa stunned by what they imply.

-With you around it's only a matter of time before a colorless, odorless poison is used against the new Fire Lord.

Accepting her treatment, Ursa nods in agreement and approaches hers to make something clear, while Ozai turns to face her knowing what she will say.

-Fine... but I'm taking my children with me.

Ozai just looks at her mockingly - No, the children are my guarantee, as long as you keep your word, nothing will happen to either of you - he gets closer to her to make one more thing clear to her - but if you try to take your children with you, I will kill them anyway... just like I did with your precious lover.

The memory of her beloved generates pain in Ursa's heart, after all, after all those years the memory of Ikem still overwhelms her, knowing that he is no longer alive generates a lot of pain, she just hopes that he has not suffered. a lot, because even after a long time she still loves him.

A tear runs down her cheek as she falls before the cruelty of Ozai's words and the weight she will have for leaving her children, but she remembers why she does all this, to protect her children.

Ursa nods at her once more with tears in her eyes, accepting her treatment.

Fin Flashback

...

After that Ursa went to a room and prepared the poison, once it was ready she gave it to her husband and Ozai took it, once he had it in his hands he contemplated it, he had in his hands the key to obtain all the poison. power he wanted, he would occupy the throne of the Fire Nation and be the new Fire Lord.

Now was the time to make his move and dawn would be the beginning of his reign, so now he was walking to the Fire Lord's rooms, where his father must have been resting, when he arrived he saw the guards stationed outside the room. the room of the Firelord

-I'm going in, I want to see my father.

I kept them They spent a moment, debating whether to grant permission to the prince, but then remembered the Fire Lord's order not to let anyone in.

-I'm sorry Prince Ozai... but Fire Lord Azulon does not like to be disturbed.

Ozai didn't even bother to reply anything, he just passed through the guards and entered without permission, the guards tried to stop him in case the Fire Lord said something, but when they didn't hear anything they just stood there.

While Ozai just stared at the figure of his father resting in bed, finally, he would finally get what was rightfully his.

-And to think that all my life I tried to get you to notice me so that you would see that I am the one truly worthy of being the next Fire Lord... but you will always have Iroh in high regard...- the last thing he thinks with resentment as he looks at the figure of his father - now everything is about to change and I will finally get what I have always deserved.

He simply approaches his father's bed to begin his sinister plan by taking out the poison that was given to him by Ursa.

...

The guards outside, after they let Ozai through, took a moment in silence, while one, wanting to satisfy his curiosity, addressed his companion.

-What is Prince Ozai doing with the Fire Lord?

His partner just shook her head. "I don't know, but I don't know if I want to know. The royal family is involved in many mysteries, so the less we investigate their lives, the better it will be for us."

However, the conversation stopped when a scream of agony was heard inside his father's room, which made the guards alert and they immediately entered to find out what was happening. When they entered they saw Ozai who, without understanding what was happening, looked and found a scene I didn't expect to see.

His father, Fire Lord Azulon, was in his room lying on his bed gasping and writhing just when he got next to him, he didn't understand what had happened, he hadn't even been able to get the poison out when this happened. happened.

-Go get help!

One of the guards said to the other while he nodded quickly and went out to look for a doctor whom he found.

The other guard quickly pulled Ozai away to see what was happening to him, when Azulon's body began to convulse and eventually spit out blood, he felt as if his body was turning, he was choking on his blood and heart. of him was contracting.

-What is happening??!- Azulon was trying to say but he felt as if his body was going through agony, until finally, he could feel that they were twisting his heart and as if they were crushing it, squeezing the life out of his body, it was like that. He spent his last moments when his heart stopped beating and he stopped moving to remain inert in his bed.

The alarmed guard tried to look for signs that he was still fine, pulse, heartbeat, breathing, anything that would deny what was beginning to seem evident.

However, the guard shook his head and lowered his head solemnly, then turned to look at Ozai who was looking expectantly at the doctor but he only gave him a solemn look - Fire Lord Azulon is dead...

From the window you can see Xiànshí watching in the night sky

...

During this night a fundamental event occurred, a situation that no one could foresee but that was the trigger for many events that arose later, what is known as the rise of Fire Lord Ozai to the power of the throne of the Fire Nation, in search to satisfy his ambition for power, was what happened in the universe that you know... but here this did not happen.

...

At the other end of the palace. The corridors were silent as an unknown figure walked through them.

A woman with a hood was walking quickly to her son's room, she didn't have much time left, she had to leave soon, but she wouldn't do it without first seeing her son one last time, she had already gone to see her daughter and said goodbye as best she could. , now she has to see her son, and she knows that she cannot completely trust her husband, who knows what he will do to her son once he is gone, who knows what he will invent about her to affect him?

She can't leave without stopping that from happening, not before making it clear to him first.

Once she enters the room she tries to wake him up, once she succeeds, her son rubs his eyes, gets up from his bed, and tries with his eyes to see what is happening.

-Mother??

She carefully takes his arms with her hands and lifts him.

"Zuko, please, my love, listen to me... everything I have done, I have done to protect you." He proceeds to hug him with all his strength, hoping that with that he can transmit all his love to him, however, he soon hears footsteps that are close and He knows he doesn't have much time and immediately releases Zuko from his embrace and looks him in the eyes again. "Remember this, Zuko, no matter how things seem to change, never forget who you are."

Zuko nodded and began to fall asleep again without understanding what was happening, Ursa fixed her gaze on him one last time, hoping that he would be fine without her, she was about to leave when hurried footsteps sounded coming in her direction, Ursa, alarmed, was ready to leave. already, but her escape was thwarted when imperial firebenders entered the room followed by a group of servants who entered to wake Zuko, Ursa then saw that she was surrounded.

"It can't be, what are they doing here??, they shouldn't be here... unless... Ozai!" She thought, worried but then angry at what Ozai had done.

She was enraged because Ozai had betrayed her, he surely invented that she murdered Azulon, the worst thing is that she couldn't defend herself, Ozai would soon attack her and no one would come to her defense, the only thing that justified the poison she did was to protect Zuko, but she knows that that's why they will lock her up or, more likely, they will execute her.

But she didn't have time to delve further into her mind, because one of her guards took her out of her thoughts.

-We are sorry Princess Ursa, but we must take you and the princes safe, the palace is not safe.

Whether or not the guard noticed Ursa's concern when he heard it, he must have assumed that it was due to the possibility that her children were in danger and not due to a plot in which she was involved.

-What...what happened??

-There was an attack my lady, an attack against Fire Lord Azulon- upon confirmation Ursa began to fear that Azulon had discovered what Ozai was up to and that now she, especially her son and possibly Azula was also in trouble. danger.

-How...how could something like that happen??

-I don't know, my lady... but you can't stay here, we have orders to take Prince Zuko to a safe place, if you are with him then you must come too.

...

In a matter of about two hours, the Royal Palace was filled with guards who guarded each hallway with extreme security. They also began to examine and interrogate each of the servants to find out what had happened.

Meanwhile, Ozai was not happy, his best opportunity had slipped through his hands, he didn't even know what happened, he was about to get everything he wanted when the opportunity slipped before his eyes. of.

He couldn't even try to do anything to remedy it, because just after this guard confirmed his father's death, several more guards had arrived to secure the area and several had quickly taken him out of there, no matter the orders, threats or even the attacks that left burns, these idiots didn't let him stay.

And now they had him here, escorted by a squad of Imperial firebenders who were at each end verifying that he reached the safe room.

-I want you to leave me alone while I meet my children- she did not bother to mention his wife, because if there was at least something salvageable from all this, it would be that Ursa had already left the palace.

The guards nodded and stood on either side to protect the room, while Ozai only sighed to enter with all the confidence in the world to see what the best course of action would now be.

So while he would prepare Azula for what was coming, his prodigy was still very useful to him, as long as he continued molding her as he was doing until now she would soon be worthy of being heir, on the other hand, his son, the disappointment of which As he tries, Ursa may have saved him from death, but it doesn't mean that that child is still a failure, one that needed to be removed sooner or later.

However, when he entered all his thoughts were put aside when he found the last person he expected to find there, sitting in a chair looking him directly in the eyes and with a frown as a sign that she was angry...

-What are you still doing here Ursa?? I thought I was clear when I told you to go away - he got dangerously close to her demanding to know about her because she had still left.

Ursa only saw him with half-closed eyes, as she stood up from where she was sitting, glaring at him.

"Well, excuse me, Ozai, I didn't have time when the guards came in and asked me to accompany them here for my protection and that of the children, who are asleep, so I would appreciate it if you didn't raise your voice so much now..." she said sarcastically. What I want to know is, what the hell did you do? I thought you would be discreet about this.

I was a little offended that he thought he was too stupid to make a mistake.

-I couldn't even use your poison, before I could even open it Azulon was already having an attack that led to his death.

Ursa opened her eyes surprised by the revelation, the two stared into each other's eyes without saying anything, until a light laugh came out of Ursa's lips, which she Then he grew stronger as he began to understand the situation.

-How ironic life is, the moment of your greatest ambition is frustrated seconds after you achieve it.

As he continued to point out that fact, Ozai growled under his breath and frowned, not at all liking that Ursa was making fun of this.

-I don't find it funny Ursa, remember that your son is not completely safe yet.

The mention of her son and what she had said made her so serious again that she faced him again with renewed vigor.

-What happened had nothing to do with what we agreed to, Ozai, I gave you the poison, and in exchange, you didn't kill Zuko, I was ready to leave when this happened, and I can't leave now or else I will become the main suspect. ...

That had been coming to Ozai the same way, she didn't care and he was willing to let her know.

Before they could continue arguing, the doors of the room opened and a group of the Fire Sages entered in two rows, in front of them was the tall sage who looked at the two of them with a serious expression.

-Your Highnesses, my apologies for interrupting... but we have come to prepare the final rites for Fire Lord Azulon...

-And what about the succession??- Ozai asked almost instantly, interrupting the High Sage, he could still get what he wanted if he hurried up and convinced the Fire Sages to appoint him instead of Iroh as the new Fire Lord before even his brother found out what had happened.

-Now we have sent for Prince Iroh, his highness, his presence in the capital is extremely urgent now, let's hope that he arrives as soon as possible and we can do the coronation, in the meantime, we will prepare everything for the funeral procession.

Ozai grunted in agreement, but he was angry, they were faster than he anticipated, now Iroh would most likely return if he heard that the family had been attacked.

-Prince Ozai... we have determined the cause of death of Fire Lord Azulon...

Snapping out of his thoughts he urged the captain to speak with whatever he had to say.

-Nothing that caused his death was natural... it's as if someone was killing him from the inside, the organs were crushed, the veins seemed to have been cut with something sharp and the lungs had been destroyed...

The mere description of the dead woman made Ursa dizzy concerning hearing that horrible death...

-What does that mean??

-We believe that Fire Lord Azulon did not die of natural causes, he was murdered... As we still do not know for sure, but we have never seen an illness that ended like this and the Fire Lord was in good health.

Ozai narrowed his eyes trying to understand the situation- So you're implying??

The Captain shook his head - No, Prince Ozai... we don't think it was you, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the murderer could still be out there, we haven't even been able to find his trail, that's why we must. take measures to ensure the safety of members of the royal family.

-And for how long will they be taking care of us?

-When we manage to find the murderer and have him in custody, although we also wait for the return of Prince Iroh so that he can exercise the crown of the Fire Lord... let's hope it doesn't take too long...

...

One month.

It's been a month and there's been no response from Iroh yet. A month has passed and they are still under surveillance by the guards. It's been a month since Azulon's death. A month has passed since anything was heard about the murderer since he has not appeared again.

Now the only thing Ursa could do was if there was someone watching her and all her movements. Now she was in the palace garden while a pair of guards were near her entrance watching her closely. This in itself was already becoming uncomfortable, but what else could be done?

The investigations were frozen and there was no trace of Iroh.

The only good thing that came out of this was that he could still be close to Zuko and Azula. At the end of everything that happened, Ozai soon understood that no matter how much Ursa wanted to, she couldn't leave because that would raise a lot of suspicions that could fall on him and that wouldn't happen. It suited him, so he annoyedly agreed that she should continue in the palace.

"Don't worry, my Lady, everything will be resolved soon... it's only a matter of time before everything returns to normal," said an old woman who handed Ursa a cup of tea that she had just served her, immediately aware that He had company, he took his eyes off the parchment he was reading.

Ursa gave him a slight smile in gratitude- Thank you, Ming.

Ursa decided to drink the tea that she had been provided by the old lady. Since she arrived at the Ming palace she had been one of the kindest people he had ever met and he could tell that he maintained a kind of friendship with her, the old woman was very kind and attentive, according to him who knew through her, had come to work here for several years and had served the royal family since then.

-Azula return that now!

Hearing the screams of her children, Ursa gave a small sigh as she watched as Zuko and Azula ran, or rather Zuko chased Azula very annoyed while Azula mockingly refused and ignored Zuko's protests.

-Oh yeah?? and who is going to force me?? you??

Zuko trembled with anger and was going to lunge at her when one of her hands took what Azula had in her hand and lifted it from her so that whoever had it could see what that thing was. Zuko and Azula soon realized that someone else was there, Azula turned around and Zuko looked up to see that the one who was now the object of their argument was his father who had entered without Ursa noticing and was now standing. watching Zuko and Azula upset.

"What are you doing playing with this thing?" He emphasized what he had in his hand, which now that it could be seen was a dagger.

"It's a gift from Uncle Iroh to me... from his siege in Ba Sing Se," Zuko said, looking down when he said the last thing, noticing his father's frown.

-And why would you have a gift from Iroh regarding that failure Zuko? Iroh's failure in Ba Sing Se is a great dishonor that will be engraved in the Fire Nation and if you accept this gift it is like having a reminder of the humiliation that my brother puts us in... I would say that I am not surprised by coming of you.

Azula smiled at her father's words directed at her brother and smiled superiorly.

-And what were you doing with this, Azula? Now Ozai happened to see her daughter, looking equally questioning the reason for this.

Azula only thought for a moment and then gave a not-so-innocent smile. She took it away from Zuzu because she wanted to make him understand once and for all that he was being a fool for trying to follow in Uncle Iroh's footsteps of being a soldier.

Zuko looked up at Azula, his cheeks flushed and furious with her.

-A soldier?? Please Zuko, you could never even become a good soldier, if you are already very pathetic being a firebender you would be even worse being sent to the front- said Ozai looking with disdain at his son.

Ursa, upset by those words, stood up - Ozai!

Listening to her wife, he rolled his eyes in annoyance and kept the dagger in her tunic. "Don't get involved, Ursa... this child must understand the pure truth."

Leaving aside the place where he was and Ming who witnessed it, Ursa approached to start a discussion, but a servant quickly entered, drawing the attention of Ozai and Ursa.

-Your Highnesses... excuse me for just entering like this- the servant bowed to apologize- but I come with news of great importance...

Ozai narrowed his eyes curious at this- Did they finally catch the murderer??

The servant shook his head. "Prince Iroh made contact an hour ago... he is heading here and will arrive in a few hours at First Lord's Harbor."

...

Later that night...

First Lord's Harbor
In the port, a middle-aged man was getting off a large ship, dressed like a Fire Nation general. The man could see the entire place, although it was night, he could see the entourage that had come to see him. , a group of imperial fire benders were in various parts, protecting the area and the others who were there, among them the other members of the royal family who had come to receive him, the man let out a slight smile when he recognized the faces of each of them, it was good to see familiar faces.

-Prince Iroh...welcome back to the Fire Nation, Your Highness, I hope his trip has not had complications.

Iroh's eyes inspected the two in front of him, he recognized them instantly, they were the captain of the imperial fire benders and the High Sage.

-It's good to be back home.

The truth was not like that, if it were up to Iroh he would not have returned now, the death of Lu Ten, his son still weighed heavily on his conscience, he is still grieving for having lost his only son in the war, he could not helping him and knowing that he died because of his ambition is something that he knows will eat away at him for the rest of his days.

Then there was when he found out the news of his father's death, he did not expect this to have happened, but this only made his pain worse, he knew what they were summoning him for and the truth is that he could not do it and he would not have even come to fight for the throne.

But then the mention of his father's murder and that the rest of his family was still in danger was what made Iroh decide to return, he couldn't fail them, Zuko, Azula, Ursa, and also Ozai was his family and he needed

-We were only waiting for you, we will begin the funeral ceremony first thing tomorrow morning, and then the coronation will begin to take place, my lord...

Iroh nodded at the High Sage's words as he realized They led the palanquins parked near the royal plaza that would take them to the palace, in the meantime, he just wanted to try to rest and save his strength for what would be the days to come.

-There is a lot to do High Sage... so while I wait...

However, he couldn't finish responding when several agonizing points hit him from the back, as he fell to the ground beginning to die, and with blood coming out of his mouth, he looked back to see his attacker who looked as surprised as he was.

-What?!-Ozai, without understanding what had happened, stepped back looking at what had happened, he didn't know how, but suddenly he had stabbed the knife that he took from Zuko into Iroh's back several times.

Neither Iroh nor Ozai looked away from each other, still processing what had just happened, but this soon ended as Iroh began to succumb to his wounds and collapse to the ground bleeding out.

-Catch him!

At that moment several Imperial Fire Masters surrounded Prince Ozai, all in position to attack him, several at a distance, others at close range, while the High Sage and the rest of the Fire Sages quickly ran to help Iroh who was barely there. breathing.

The Captain of the Royal Guard immediately ran to Iroh's side to help him and began to examine him and then the situation.

-Get the rest of the Royal Family out of here! - With a shout he ordered a group of guards who quickly took Ursa, Zuko, and Azula from there, back to the Royal Palace and sheltered them to protect them - and bring a doctor now!

Frustrated, he saw how he couldn't do anything for the injured Prince, he didn't have enough medical knowledge to be able to do anything, however maybe he did as a guard, so he got up and walked to where Ozai was surrounded by all the Royal Guards.

-Arrest him!-The guards obeyed the order instantly and proceeded to start chaining Ozai who was still processing what had just happened- Congratulations your Highness, you have just murdered the New Fire Lord.

He said with a hint of contempt and fury when he saw what had happened, but that was enough to make Ozai react, who seemed to come to his senses, he noticed that they were chaining him,

...

Later...

Capital City Prison...

-I don't understand... I killed him, but I didn't plan to... not now, but I did...

Delirious, Ozai sat against the wall of his cell while still trying to think what had happened, he didn't even know how it happened, he just walked towards Iroh and stuck a knife in him, he barely had time to react, before he realized his brother was already looking at him in shock, he wasn't planning to do any of that, he did want the throne and power, but he was aware that trying something against Iroh now was not the best time and he doesn't understand what happened. that forced him to murder him in front of everyone in the open air and the middle of the night.

Meanwhile, a group of imperial firebenders looked at Ozai's figure, trying to figure out what had happened.

-And what happened to Prince Iroh??

The captain who was present just sighed tiredly and shook his head - He died... now he is in the glory of Agni, next to the Fire Lord Azulon.

One of his companions lowered his head as a sign of respect, Iroh was someone very loved in the Nation, and his loss would be a very strong blow, all because of his younger brother, who they had locked up.

-First Fire Lord Azulon and now his firstborn, the two who were before Prince Ozai on his way to the throne and who surely killed them both in less than a week.

The captain nodded in agreement - And now we must prepare for the coronation ceremony.

Several of his men saw him in disbelief at the words of his captain... they could not believe that they were going to place the prince locked up on the throne.

-Captain, this is crazy... the murderer of the Fire Lord and Prince Iroh... we can't let him get out of here!

The captain agreed, but they had nothing more than conjectures regarding whether he murdered the Fire Lord, but the murder of Prince Iroh was more than enough, but this no longer concerned them, several members of the court and the war council requested his release and no matter how much he disagrees, they cannot leave the Fire Nation in the middle of a war without a leader.

-But you forget one important thing Qin Lee, Prince Ozai may have killed Prince Iroh, but he is the next in line of succession, now he is our next leader and we have orders to free him.

Without further ado, he takes the keys to the cell and goes to the one containing Ozai. When he opened it he noticed that he was in the same position as before, only now he was resting his head on his knees and was not moving. he had to assume that what was overwhelming him must have tired him out mentally.

-Prince Ozai wake up... I have an order to get him out of here and direct him to the palace.

Seeing that he didn't respond, she reached out to take his shoulder and shake him a little so that he could wake up. She knew that she was taking a risk by trying to wake him up like that. Most likely, she would burn him for daring to touch him, but what other option does she have? ? she has to wake him up somehow.

But what she didn't expect was for Ozai's body to collapse to one side, falling limply to the ground. When the captain could see him better, he saw that his complexion was very pale. Alarmed, he began to shake him to see if he would react.

"Prince Ozai... Prince Ozai!" He quickly turned his gaze to the door and shouted, "Guards!"

The guards, including Qin Lee, rushed in ready for anything, but they looked at the situation in astonishment and disbelief and just stood there.

-How is that??

-Who the hell did they let in??!!!- the captain shouted furiously, but the guards denied having done such a thing, they did not understand what could have happened, the captain only turned his gaze towards Ozai-Prince Ozai, stay with us! stay with us!

However, Ozai did not react and just stared at the ceiling with his lifeless eyes.

...

Royal Palace of the Fire Nation...

She had decided, that now was the best time to get out of there, Ursa had not wanted to leave before because any attempt would make her look like the main suspect in Azulon's murder, she believed that things would calm down when Iroh came to occupy the throne, but Then her husband did the stupidest thing that anyone in their right mind would do, but it helped him in the end because a few hours after arriving at the palace he heard from the servants that they would free Ozai to occupy the throne of the Nation. of fire. Therefore, the moment she had the opportunity, she gathered all the possible belongings and began to plan her escape, that of herself and her children. If before she was forced to abandon them to protect them, now she was not willing to leave them here, not with their father. being a threat to theirs.

He was planning it carefully, but he knows that now that it is night he has the perfect opportunity to escape, he will use the same plan he had before, it simply now includes Zuko and Azula, he will take a boat to escape, and hide, he will start by visiting Hira'a seeking asylum with his parents, they will house them and allow him to introduce Zuko and Azula to his grandparents, but he knows that they will not be able to stay long, he will have to find a way to get out of the Fire Nation as soon as possible. As soon as possible, he could ask Master Piandao for help, and Zuko's teacher could help them, despite everything he held his son in esteem and knew that he was trustworthy, not even Azulon dared to pursue the sword master afterward. from the first time.

Yes, he would help them, hopefully, they could escape to the colonies where they could pass as simple refugees and go unnoticed for a while.

It was the best she had for now, but even if it was something she was willing to execute her plan if it meant they could get out of this horrible place.

But before they could even leave, the doors to the room opened and imperial fire benders began to enter and take positions around the entire room, this immediately alarmed Ursa, beginning to fear that they had discovered her, when the guardians had secured the entire room. the room, two more people entered the room, they were the High Sage and the captain of the imperial Firebenders.

-What's happening here?? "Why are they stopping us?" she asked, staying on the defensive and hoping that they weren't here to stop her escape plan.

The elder sage along with the leader of the imperial firebenders stands in front of her, soon the elder sage bows in apology.

-Apologies, Princess Ursa... but we cannot let them go, now more than ever, ensuring the protection of the Royal family is of vital importance and the highest priority.

But her words could do nothing to convince her.

-My husband asked you to leave us locked up here.

The High Sage just shook his head, Ursa looked at him in confusion as the captain was now the one speaking with a tone that showed that he was taking care of her words.

-The situation has changed Your Highness, given the latest events regarding the last few hours we have to take action.

The High Sage nodded in agreement and sent her a solemn yet sad look that gave Ursa a bad feeling.

-We don't know what happened but Prince Ozai was murdered in his cell when we proceeded to free him we found him already dead, we tried everything but in the end it was useless... he had already left this world.

-That??!

-Of course not... you are lying, my father is not dead.

The situation left Ursa speechless, as she listened to Zuko's cries and Azula's despondent and furious voice, denying that her father had died, but Ursa did not know exactly how to be, for a long time she spent her time wishing for the day that Ozai would be gone. He wasn't close to her or her children, but now instead of feeling relieved, she felt more terrified than before.

-So if Ozai is dead now that means...- Ursa's voice was mortified that she couldn't finish the sentence, she just happened to see her son who was next to Azula, and they were still digesting the news of Ozai's death. his father.

The wise elder and the captain of the guard nodded at what Ursa was going to say, they turned to see Zuko who looked back at them and they bowed respectfully like the rest of the guard members.

-Prince Zuko... you are now next in the line of succession, you must now be crowned as the new Fire Lord...

Zuko was stunned by the High Sage's words, while also digesting the news, while Ursa feared for her son's life, what was happening was not a coincidence, every candidate for the throne was being eliminated, first Azulon, then Iroh and Now Ozai, and most likely now Zuko is next... I wouldn't let that happen -How can you tell him that, Zuko is just a child? "How can you think of crowning an 11-year-old boy as the leader of a nation?" she exclaims angrily at the two men who were in front of her.

The High Sage bowed respectfully to her, but she was sure that was more because Zuko was with her.

-My apologies Princess Ursa but we must make the reality of the situation known... most of the royal family is gone, and you and your children are the ones left, if we do not crown a new ruler soon the Fire Nation will fall into the chaos.

The captain nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, my lady, her son's sight will not be taken away. The squad that accompanies me has orders to protect Prince Zuko with his life if necessary."

But Ursa couldn't feel calm, whatever killed Azulon, Iroh and Ozai will surely come for Zuko now and most likely for Azula too, she may be a girl but she is still part of the royal family and the one who follows after Zuko.

No, her children were now in danger range, and the murderer could now come for them, she had been right, the palace was no longer a safe place and she should have left when she could, now she only had to pray to whoever could hear her prayers. May no tragedy reach what you love most.

Chapter Text

Several days later...

Luckily the murderer decided that it was not wise to continue his murder career, at least for that night.

Once dawn arrived, preparations began to say goodbye to the deceased members of the royal family of the Fire Nation, first with the late Fire Lord, it was a great ceremony if it were allowed to be said, as the Nation honored its leader. fell and mourned greatly for him, later came the turn of Iroh and Ozai, who were received in different ways, although the Nation mourned for Iroh and expressed their best wishes for him in the next life, Ozai's funeral did not It was like his brother's, some showed their respect for his status as a prince, but many others, knowing what he had done before dying, were a special case.

Then the next day came the coronation.

The coronation ceremony was not very ostentatious, given the time of mourning that was still in force and the need for the Fire Sages to have a new Fire Lord, Zuko was crowned at the end of that week, with a final goodbye ceremony. For the deceased members of the royal family, the High Sage crowned Zuko in front of a small audience that had been called to witness that the Nation's future was assured.

But the one who was least calm about all this was Ursa, Zuko was now in the mouth of the world as the leader of the Fire Nation, a position that she was sure would have many enemies, no matter how much the Fire Sages wanted to insist that this was The best thing, the truth is that it was not like that, Zuko's position was not very strong and it was only a matter of time before they found themselves facing a civil war.

Ursa had to act quickly, that is why she decided to bring someone to help her deal with this, Master Piandao, sent a letter hoping that the person would come to her aid, she knew that he was an experienced warrior with a mastery of the difficult sword to overcome, plus his perspective of what is happening can help solve all this, I just hoped he would accept.

And it was lucky that her letter was answered.

...

Ursa was in her room while she was preparing some herbs and with a molcajete, she proceeded to crush them, she was preparing a new insurance for the lives of her children, and the first had mysteriously disappeared, she did not know what happened to him, but she had to assume that Ozai gave it to her. She had brought it and now it must have been forgotten, so she had to prepare another one for a future occasion. She was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't notice when someone knocked on the door and proceeded to enter.

-My lady??...

Ursa jumped slightly in surprise as she looked at Ming's figure who was looking at her kindly.

-Oh Ming, you scared me, I didn't hear you coming...

Ming nodded and gave her a slight smile in understanding - Don't worry my lady, I just came to tell you that Master Piandao has just arrived... she is waiting for you in the tea room.

Ursa breathed a sigh of relief as she stood up.

-Thank you, Ming, I'm going out to receive him right now- with one hand she said goodbye to Ming as she left her room and headed to the place where her guest was waiting for her. As she walked through the hallways she thought about the situation, she just hoped that with the arrival of Piandao, she would be able to help with efforts to find the killer, or else fear what would happen.

Once she reached the door, she slid it open to see that in the middle of the room, an older man with dark skin and gray hair was drinking a cup of tea calmly, while he had a sword sheathed at his side, Ursa immediately smiled and approached. to sit in front of him

-Master Piandao... it's good to see you.

The aforementioned put down his cup of tea while he gave a slight smile to Ursa. "The feeling is mutual Lady Ursa, however, I found it curious that Fire Lord Zuko did not go to my estate to continue his training.

Ursa only sighed, preparing for what she was going to say. "The situation is very serious, the security of the palace does not allow my son to leave the palace, guaranteeing his well-being is the highest priority at this moment..."

-But...

-Ursa just looked down at her hands- I'm afraid Piandao... whatever happened here, will now haunt my children, please I ask you to help me protect them, you are possibly the only ally I have to guarantee your safety...

Piandao just stared at her for a while, soon he examined his tea and proceeded to finish drinking it, once he did he continued reflecting and then gave a sigh and nodded his head.

-Don't worry Lady Ursa... I will help you.

...

That night...

In the royal chambers of the Lord of Fire, a young man was meditating in his bedroom with a row of candles in front of him, with his breathing he tried to control the flame of the candles while trying not to think about the events that had followed his family.

This was already rotten going, he wanted this to stop, he didn't want to lose anyone else, and he didn't want to think about that possibility anymore.

He was so immersed in his meditation that he did not realize that someone had entered his room, he opened and closed the door quickly and walked in his direction to push him with all his strength causing him to end up on the floor, leaving his meditation, he opened the doors. eyes to see what had happened, when he looked up to see Azula who was looking at him with a frown and arms crossed.

-You will never be like a father... he deserved to be the Fire Lord, not you...

Zuko frowned at Azula's words.

-You don't deserve the Zuzu crown, it is deserved by someone who is a powerful fire bender, someone who does not regret such simple things, someone who makes father feel proud by following his example... someone

"Someone like you??!" Zuko replied furiously as he narrowed his eyes, glaring at her.

"Yes..." she said smugly, when she saw the crown on one of the tables in the room, she quickly grabbed it while trying to put the crown on until Zuko was faster and took it out of her hands. "Hey, give me back my crown!

Zuko just walked away while putting distance - This is not your crown Azula, it's mine, it's me who is the Fire Lord and it will continue like this!

The two brothers stared into each other's angry eyes, they wanted to see who would make the next move to avoid it, however, something distracted Zuko's mind when he noticed a part of the room had opened, which generated intrigue.

-That wasn't like that before- he thought, his thoughts went in that direction that he didn't notice that Azula had advanced towards where he was, she had pushed him and taken the crown from him, when Zuko reacted he was already on the ground looking in disbelief as Azula held the crown. crown and looked at him with mockery.

-You are a fool Zuzu, that is why you will never be worthy of being the Fire Lord... I on the other hand...

He was about to put it on when he heard a faint sound, Zuko quickly turned and saw that something was coming out of the direction where he had fixed his gaze before, what came out looked like some kind of liquid that shot toward Azula.

-Careful!- Zuko quickly launched himself towards his sister, leaving the range of the surprise attack that had arrived, what seemed to be a cut reached the candles that were in Zuko's room that soon fell to the ground, however, whatever it was that cutting only fueled the fire that quickly spread. We have to get out of here!

He quickly took Azula by the hand to leave the room when he heard again the sound of the cut heading upwards, the same liquid had come out from somewhere that landed near the other candles and began to spread more and more, which also began to affect the structures of the room, the attacks had also affected them, causing the room to begin to be consumed by fire.

However, Zuko had to act too quickly, which is why he quickly pushed Azula away, pushing her enough for her to get out of there. Azula, shocked, was going to start yelling and complaining to Zuko when she noticed his relieved look. She was going to ask what had happened when the walls of the room began to fall leaving Zuko trapped.

-Azula!- She turned her head at the voice that had called her, she quickly saw her mother who was accompanied by Zuko's teacher who was on par with her, in addition to the imperial guards who tried to put out the fire that was now too powerful.

-Where is your brother??

-It's inside, the...

But she couldn't finish when the sound of a large explosion was heard coming from where the room was, the force of the explosion sent mother and daughter flying, causing them to briefly lose consciousness.

When they began to recover it, Ursa was the first to get up, she opened her eyes remembering where they were, and watched in horror at what had just happened. Tears began to appear while guards and servants arrived in a hurry to try to put out the fire, but Everyone was oblivious to the cries of a mother suffering from the death of her son.

...

A few days later...

The Fire Nation was on the brink of chaos.

Their government was about to be destabilized, the tragic death of their recent Fire Lord was another devastating blow.

The only hope was found in the young royal princess, the last one with access to the throne and the only member of royalty who could prevent something bad from happening.

Said Hope was in her room, ready to sleep while her mother was tucking her in, since the day that Ursa did not even want to mention, she had not left Azula for a second, fearing that her daughter would be taken away at any moment. Azula, receiving her mother's attention, took it well and wanted to show it when she asked her mother the following question as if It was a casual topic.

' Mom, if Zuzu is gone now... then now I will be the Fire Lord?' - Azula said the last thing with a small tone of emotion.

Ursa, on the other hand, did not see it the same way she did.

-Azula, don't say that... your brother is barely gone, we must mourn him- Azula just thought about it for a moment and sighed, nodding to her mother- right now it's not safe to make those assumptions, daughter, not while we're gone. insurance.

-But mom, I'm a prodigy firebender, if anyone can defend themselves better than anyone else it's me, that murderer will regret messing with me...

Ursa just shook her head - Don't worry about that, love, you shouldn't face anyone, hopefully, we'll get out of this... now sleep, tomorrow will be another day.

Without further ado, she kissed his forehead and proceeded to extinguish the candles in her room. While she left the room, she found Piandao who was waiting outside the room. Ursa had summoned him here to tell him something important.

-I'm going to go investigate, no matter what they say, I must find something that will tell us the whereabouts of this monster, I have to do something to stop it or else... I already lost my son, I only have Azula left if I lose her too ...

She didn't finish because tears began to flood her eyes and soon Ursa collapsed and fell to her knees not wanting to finish the sentence. All of this happened under the gaze of Piandao who grabbed her shoulder with his hand and squeezed it as a sign of support.

-Ursa will not pass.

-Thank you Piandao...- Ursa wiped away her tears and gave a slight smile to the older man, she stood up to look at her daughter's bedroom for a moment and sighed- I must go, now is the best time... listen for Please, you are the only one I trust to be able to protect Azula, please don't leave her side until this whole nightmare passes...

Piandao just nodded looking at Ursa- Don't worry, nothing will happen to him.

Ursa gave a quiet sigh as he put her hand inside her tunic and took out a small container. "Take this..."

Piandao looked at the jar intrigued, he looked at Ursa wanting answers.

-It is a very special poison...colorless and tasteless, untraceable, that causes a person to die silently as if they had simply fallen asleep...

Piandao opened his eyes looking at the bottle. “Why are you giving me this?”

Ursa just frowned and looked at him with great determination. "It's an extra measure. I once made the same poison to protect one of my children. Now I make another one to protect the other. I'm not going to risk something bad happening to him." to Azula...

Piandao was going to reply but he better refrain when he saw Ursa's determined look that she gave him if he could describe it that was the look of a mother who was willing to do anything to protect her children and who would not accept a refusal from her part. Without further ado, he just closed his eyes and sighed tiredly while he took the poison and proceeded to put it away.

Ursa sighed in relief- Thank you.

Without further ado, she proceeded to leave in the direction of the Fire Lord's old bedroom to discover what was happening.

-Lady Ursa- the aforementioned turned to look at Piandao who saw her somewhat worried- be careful...

Ursa nodded as she proceeded to leave.

...

When she entered the room, she could smell the smell of burning wood, and soot was everywhere, it took a great deal of willpower not to break down in the room that had been her son's.

She walked carefully, scanning the room as she noted how Zuko's few possessions that had survived were scattered throughout the room, some badly damaged.

But then she almost tripped over an opening that she had not seen. As she tried to compose herself, she observed how there was a scream on the floor that looked deep. eyes with surprise when he saw that he had found a secret door.

-The passageways... but of course!

She quickly gets up and tries with all her might to open the hatch. She was heavy and after several attempts, she was finally able to move it enough for her to get in. When she did, she found something on the wall. barely noticeable.

-It was a very precise and efficient cut... but how can someone do this and go unnoticed... unless??

When she looks for some indication, Ursa then notices that the surface is wet as if some liquid had been passed on it. But what was most curious to her was her smell, it seemed too familiar, but then she noticed something else that left her speechless, it was a blanket.

However, she could not finish investigating because a noise from outside filled the passageway. Ursa soon recognized them as footsteps, so she quickly went out to see who was there when she encountered the least expected person.

-What are you doing here?? No one should be able to enter, like Did you achieve it?

However, the person in front of her did not say anything, but Ursa continued to be intrigued that she was there. It made no sense that at this time someone was wandering around this place. She had left specific orders that no one should enter. It made sense that he was here, the only reason he could think of would be... he immediately remembered why that fabric and that smell became familiar to him, he looked again where he had looked before.

.-It can't be... it's you, so it was you all this time, you were the one who murdered them.

Then suddenly Ursa's body is thrown back from her causing a series of falls, trying to get up her body once again she is thrown somewhere else crashing into various pieces of furniture, over and over again like a doll.

Ursa ends up more and more injured with each blow, then she once again falls to the ground and instantly she notices Zuko's dagger that Iroh had given to her son.

She knows that she will not get out of this, but at least she can leave a message before this murderer can finish what he has started, there is no way out for her, but with this sacrifice, she can protect her daughter, she is willing to take the risk.

She immediately takes the dagger with difficulty, her body is severely injured and the murderer knows that he took care hurting her a lot so that she does not escape, quickly with all the strength she has left she tries to scrape the surface of the floor to be able to scribble what she is trying to say. say.

-Piandao, please... I hope you solve it... ah!!!

However, Ursa could not finish because just at that moment she felt her body feel pressured and immediately dragged backward.

A terrified Ursa tried to scream even one word but she couldn't, only muffled screams could be heard as she was led to the dark part of that hallway never to see the light of day again.

...

The next day...

The corridors of the Royal Palace were silent because they were largely empty, the numerous deaths of part of the royal family had caused much terror on the part of the servants many resigned and fled for fear of being the next victims, Only a few were those who continued to inhabit the palace, among them the three figures who saw the terrible scene that was shown in the pond of the royal gardens, in the pond of that peaceful place was the lifeless body of Princess Ursa, floating in the middle of it.

One of those present closed his eyes not wanting to see that anymore and put two fingers on his nose in frustration.

- This is worse now...

Another of those present gave a tired sigh - You don't have to say it twice Captain... one would believe that the death of her son was what forced her to do this... but given the way the situation has been, I wouldn't believe it. same.

-Has Princess Azula been notified?

The two who were talking looked at the third spectator... while the captain shook his head.

-Not yet Master Piandao, I don't think there is a way to explain this to a child...

-Not to mention what this entails, Princess Azula is the only one left... I fear we are now in a desperate situation.

Piandao nodded at that statement - The High Sage is not wrong, but so is the murderer... now that there is only one member of the royal family left, I am sure that it will not take long for the murderer to want to eliminate him as well.

-Then we have to do something

Piandao looked from side to side, making sure that no one was around.

-Please follow me...

The captain and the High Sage watched him, intrigued by what he had said as he proceeded to leave.

-What are we doing here??

Piandao looked at the destroyed and burned room they were now in, as he examined the room he noticed that the room was more destroyed than before.

-This place has changed, there was a fight, someone came in looking for something and when they found it they decided to get it out of there.

Looking at the room he found that one part was open, which gave a view to a secret passageway. The three immediately decided to see where it led when they saw that the hallway was dark. The captain summoned a flame to illuminate the place, and once he did so he proceeded to enter.

First, he entered, then the High Sage, and finally Piandao, but the latter immediately stopped them when he noticed something and called the other two to see what he had found on the floor at the entrance to the passage.

Then both the Senior Sage and the captain gasped in surprise at what was written on the ground, it was not very marked but if you squinted you could understand what was written.

A name.

They turned to see Piandao who nodded at them in confirmation.

-The murderer has almost fulfilled his purpose, if what I think is correct he will soon decide to go for Princess Azula and it will be tonight. What I am sure of is that this time he will decide not to hide anymore and that is why I have an idea of how to act to catch him once and for all...

...

Later that night...

They prepared their plan as best they could, between the three of them they meticulously planned each step to follow, now what follows is waiting.

Now Piandao finds himself in a room that contains a funeral pyre that will be used at dawn to say goodbye to Fire Lord Zuko, he decides to spend a few moments in the room while he thinks and remembers the young man he had trained, if he was stubborn and too stubborn. But that boy showed great potential to become one of the most skilled swordsmen he could ever train.

He was only thinking about the promise he made and since he failed to protect it, he knew he had to do more and he had to do it, there is no point worrying about the past and what could have been, he must focus on what is going to happen today and he must be mentally prepared for it. not fail again.

He looked in front of where he was looking at the hooded cloak that belonged to Princess Azula and he was looking towards where the pyre was.

.Master Piandao, what a surprise to see you here... I thought Princess Azula would be alone.

"And why was she looking for Princess Azula?" He looked at Ming cautiously while Ming's figure was surprised by the question.

-Well, I am still on my duties as a member of the palace staff, I must attend to my duties, that is why I came to see Princess Azula and...

However, he couldn't finish because Piandao changed his position and confronted her.

-We no longer have to continue with these performances... it's time for you to drop that mask, Lady Ming

Ming, upon seeing Piandao's seriousness, was looking at her with a defensive posture, moving to obstruct her path to the Princess. She looked him in the eyes and that was when she discovered it. Being in this situation, she sighed and began to laugh.

-Master Piandao, you have guts knowing the truth and coming here to confront me- Ming says the last thing with a chilling smile.

-Considering everything Lady Ming has done, it is incredible that she finally came forward to admit what she did.

Ming hums in agreement. "That's true, but you're also right that there's no need to hide anymore, so you should know that my name is not Ming... it's Hama, the last water bender of the Southern Water Tribe..."

-A waterbender?? Now everything makes sense, all this was for revenge... but I don't understand, how did she do it?? -He says with a raised eyebrow when he sees that she finally hasn't put the whole puzzle together yet.

Hama smiles at her question and diverts her gaze to a window where she can see the full moon. "For generations, the Moon has blessed water benders with its radiance... allowing us to do incredible things, under its light I have never felt more alive, thank you." It was to her that I was able to free myself from my confinement in the Fire Nation prison that kept me prisoner...

She turned to see Piandao who was looking at her cautiously.

-The guards were always careful to keep the water away from us, they filtered dry air and kept us suspended far from the ground, before giving us a drink they tied our hands and feet so as not to use the power, any problem we caused was cruelly punished. .. and yet I could feel how the full moon filled me with power, there must be something I could do to escape, and then I realized that wherever there was life, there was water, the rats that ran fast through My cage was nothing more than skins filled with liquid and I spent years developing the technique that would give me freedom... blood bending.

Piandao, upon hearing her story, is stupefied while he continues listening to Hama with a twisted satisfaction that emanates from her as she continues telling her story.

-By controlling the water of another body and imposing your will on them... once I controlled the rats, I was ready for the men... and during the next full moon, I walked free for the first time in decades, my cell opened by the men. own guards in charge of watching me... once you perfect this technique you control whatever or whoever...

Now understanding everything, Piandao decides to finish his sentence himself- And what better way to use his technique than to use it to attack innocent people...

His words are like an insult to Hama who reacts furiously to what she has said.

-They threw me in a cell to rot with my brothers and sisters... they deserve to suffer for what they did!... when I freed myself I swore that I would make those responsible for doing this to us pay, so when I had the opportunity to be near The most responsible person would not let it pass, I spent years planning this, observing, studying and knowing everything I could use to achieve my revenge... when the opportunity finally presented itself, when that naive Ursa gave me the opportunity on a silver platter, wanting to protect her son and making that deal with her husband... they thought no one was listening to them but I did it and that was my signal to act by killing Azulon.

-And so you think that permitted him to murder the rest of the Royal Family, Prince Iroh, Prince Ozai, and Lady Ursa??

Hama changed her expression to psychopathic and furious.

-The Fire Nation took everything from me, I wanted to repay them for everything they did to me, what they dared to do with entire families that were affected by them...

...

In one of the secret passages of the Fire Lord's rooms, Hama discreetly opens the door while she sees Prince Ozai approaching her father who is sleeping. Given the perfect opportunity, she uses her blood bending to control Azulon's body for the purpose. to kill him.

...

-Brothers who lost theirs...

...

Nearby but at a safe distance from the entourage that was receiving Prince Iroh for his return, Hama was hidden without the possibility of being found. She squinted her eyes in the direction of where the royal family was. She must be precise, she will not have a long time and must be fast enough to escape.

Once her target is close enough, she begins to use bloodbending to control Ozai who is not paying attention, to the point that he grabs the knife that he took from his children, the same one that she witnessed and knew was still there. , then when his target is close to his puppet he proceeds to execute his plan

...

-Fathers and mothers who lost their children...

...

Being silent thanks to years of experience Hama infiltrates the Capital City prison, following the captain of the Guard who had entered and who he knew was leading him to his next victim, once he was close enough, he began to feel Ozai's blood and begins to lower his heartbeat quickly so that he dies slowly.

...

Spying on Ursa who was looking for clues to find out what happened to her son, Hama stays there waiting, she can't clear her tracks, but now she knows that she must get rid of anything that could unmask her, that's why she decides to enter. the room and get rid of loose ends.

...

-Children who were taken from their families...

-And what about Prince Zuko?? "He was just a child!" says Piandao, frowning and looking directly at Hama, not believing the lengths she was capable of going to.

Hama just gives a mocking snort- The Fire Lord child?? He would eventually grow up to be the same as the rest of his family, he also deserved to die... that's what all of you from the Fire Nation deserve...

However, Piandao, not satisfied, approaches to confront her, drawing her sword.

-That's all?? You killed them because you could?

-Their deaths were a favor to the world!!!... without anyone to lead this Nation it caused the nobles to fight among themselves for power and destroy themselves from within, and eventually end up with themselves... the last step to That's getting rid of the girl - he says the last thing with a joy that shows how much he wants to do it.

-That won't happen...- Piandao immediately raised her sword to face Hama- tonight is not a full moon so you won't be able to use your blood bending, and as long as it continues like this I won't let you get away with it.

Taking it as a challenge, Hama immediately summoned water from the air and began manipulating it to form ice spikes which she immediately launched.

Piandao began to dodge each one or destroy them with his sword while he began to approach Hama to stop her, but before it happened Hama attracted the water from the ice spikes to use it and turn it into a powerful jet of water that he sent directly to Piandao, while he dodged the attack and split the stream of water with his sword.

Soon Hama continued attacking, summoning more water from the air, creating tiny spikes of ice that he threw at Piandao before he composed himself, several of them impacted him, causing him several wounds, grunting from the pain, he tried to endure it while he positioned himself again ready to fight. attack, he looked down and noticed small pieces of debris, so with a slash to the ground he threw debris that he sent directly at Hama.

Hama summoned more water to absorb the fragments and throw them out of her direction, Piandao immediately stepped forward to use the hilt of her sword to hit Hama, the blow knocked her off balance causing her to almost touch the ground, then she resisted and stood. balanced as he extended his hands to move the water to freeze Piandao's feet.

Piandao soon used his sword near his feet to break the ice, having experience in situations similar to this he knew where to hit to break the ice.

However, Hama did not allow him to continue because, with the water that had not been used to catch him, he used it to create a jet of water with which he hit Piandao to send him flying into a wall.

Seeing that he had stayed there, Hama advanced toward him, summoning more ice spikes to finish him off once and for all.

However, a burst of fire came out of nowhere, and Hama barely dodged it, she turned to see where it had come from and saw how the captain along with several imperial fire benders appeared to confront her, they soon surrounded her, aiming at her from different positions, Hama immediately summoned two rings of water that surrounded it.

The captain who was in front of her confronted her - It's over! You are surrounded... give up!!!

All Hama did was smile evilly when she started attacking all the guards.

Meanwhile, Piandao began to regain consciousness, remembering where he was, and trying to compose himself.

Piandao soon tried to get up to see the situation, they were not going well, although they were on par, Hama was still powerful enough to repel them enough, this could not last any longer, he soon saw how Hama sent another guard into the air, deciding To finish with this, he began to look for the bottle that Ursa had given him, however, he did not have it with him, he searched the room where it could be.

-Oh what?? - with a gesture of his hand Hama showed the bottle that Piandao was looking for, Hama then gave him a mocking smile - good try, but this won't work, I know what it is and I won't let you use that poison on me.

-Hey witch!

Hama heard the childish voice of the beautiful Azula and turned to be able to but then gasped when she felt that something had entered her mouth and looked in disbelief at the container that contained Piandao and that she had destroyed a moment ago, how there was one just like the one the princess had. Azula with her hand, uncovered that the same girl had thrown it at her

-That's because of what you did to my family- I narrow my eyes looking at her angrily- the night you killed Grandpa I found this container and I kept it to find out what it was... I discovered it the day my mother gave one just like it to the teacher. from my brother and I explained to him what it was, no one noticed me when I was there...

Hama was soon enraged as she began to feel the effects of the poison starting to take effect. She couldn't get it out by blood bending. It wasn't a full moon so she had to get it out of her body, but she couldn't do it instantly when Azula started attacking her.

Hama backed away quickly as she felt her body begin to fail. The more she tried to get rid of the poison, Azula attacked with a new burst of Fire. The flames were so full of determination that if you squinted you could see shades of blue that made her fire more powerful. She soon began to gasp for air when another attack hit her squarely, sending her to the ground. She soon began to feel tired and was breathing more slowly.

However, Azula, seeing that she was no longer a threat, stopped attacking her. She soon noticed that several guards began to get up, recovering from Hama's attacks, among them was her captain.

"Take this old woman... get her out of my sight," Azula said with an authoritative tone, looking at the Captain who saw that the girl was pointing to where she was barely moving.

The captain nodded and with several of his men surrounded Hama and picked her up to take her away and proceed to lock her up. As he left, Piandao stood up while observing what had happened. He soon remembered that Azula was there and addressed the girl.

-You didn't have to put yourself in danger like that, Princess, but I must admit that without your help we wouldn't have made it.

-They were where they should and they played the roles very well, all of that served so that she could arrive without her noticing.

-But I still have to ask you a question... did you keep that poison all this time?

Azula just shrugged her shoulders. "I planned to get rid of him eventually... but when I found out what that witch did to my father I knew she had found a use for him." The last part was said with a fury that made Piandao a little uneasy. , but decided to leave it aside.

-Okay, we'll discuss that later... so while you've been through a lot and I think you should take some time to process everything, we'll delay the coronation until when you're ready...

However, Azula just shook her head while a smile adorned her face. "In fact... I have made a decision, which is that the inevitable should not be delayed...

...

At dawn...

-Zuko... Lord of the Fire of our Nation during our darkest moment, you were a determined leader when you saw that your beloved nation was in danger, you were the grandson of Azulon and Ilah may they rest in peace, son of Ozai and Ursa who in May they rest in peace, nephew of Iroh may he rest in peace, cousin of Lu Ten may he rest in peace, brother of Azula - all those present bow their heads as a sign of respect and with the feeling of honoring those who are no longer here, the wise elder soon he heads to where the central pyre is located, in front of it was the crown of the Lord of Fire, takes it and raises it high - now you can rest, may Agni receive you in his glory - at that moment the wise men of Fire who were near all the pyres summon bursts of fire that they send to the pyres and proceed to burn them , while a little Azula dressed in white leaves her place and goes to the front of the ceremony, quickly in front of the Elder Sage and gets down on her knees, the Elder Sage turns to stay behind her and begins to walk until he is close - and Now as a surviving member of the Royal Family we crown you as our leader - he simply puts the fire lord crown in Azula's hairstyle and steps aside, Azula stands up and looks towards the crowd with an expressionless face - Long live Fire Lord Azula!

Once she says it, all the attendees kneel before Azula, while the crowd follows her steps, bowing before the new Fire Lord, Azula smiles maliciously at that and as she looks at them she mentally says to herself.

-I swear I will make you proud Father, I will make the Fire Nation the most powerful civilization in your name.

...

Elsewhere, far away and from a safe distance, two hooded figures watch the funeral of the Royal Family and the Coronation of the new Firelord.

-This won't turn out well at all...

-My friend, I agree with you on this... I don't even know what will happen now...

-This changes our plans Piandao, I know you wanted to avoid anything that would lead us to that situation but now we can't avoid the truth... that girl can't be running the Fire Nation...

One of the men raises his hood to show the face of Piandao who only looks solemn at the figure of the girl who stands proudly as the new ruler, showing a posture that reminds him of her father.

-As much as I wanted to avoid it, now it is inevitable...

While the ceremony ends, both Piandao and the hooded man retire so that they do not have the opportunity to be seen by anyone, after all, the less they are seen the better.

At that moment, without anyone knowing, Xiànshí was watching them.

...

I believe that in this universe as in any other, hope never dies... as long as someone is willing to look beyond it and see the whole big picture.

...

Several days later...

Piandao and his companion arrive at the former's farm, as they go to the door it is opened by a middle-aged man.

-Master... it's good to have you back.

Piandao nodded while he addressed the servant. "What news do you have for me, Fat?"

-The healer has made progress, in fact, she still surprises me that she agreed to this...

Piandao nods and looks at his partner who grunts in agreement.

-He is not the only one who surprised me that he agreed.

Piandao and his companion pass by Fat who closes the door and heads inside the farm to go to one of the rooms, where there is an older woman from the Water Tribe who is applying healing to a person lying in bed, who at the same time Paying attention to the two of them, the healer gets up and addresses them.

-They have returned and I see from the expressions on their faces that they do not bring good news...

Piandao just shakes his head- Unfortunately, the Fire Lord's crown is now on the head of a girl who is not well influenced... we couldn't stay long to investigate especially because of the risk Pakku would run if he was discovered.

The now-mentioned Pakku removes his hood and reveals her face.

-What progress have you made Yugoda? I hope it is better than what we have to report.

Yugoda only smiles slightly as he looks at the young man for a brief moment and addresses the two members of the White Lotus.

-There is not much to report, but I must admit that this boy is strong, he clings to life.

Piandao looks at the young man again and makes a slight smile.

-I remember that he once told me that he always had to fight, now he is doing it once again but I do not doubt that he will overcome this.

Yugoda smiles at him as he takes the small empty flask that he brought with him - Although I had my reservations, the water from the oasis of the spirits worked very well... he responds well and seems to be recovering, but it is still too early to give a result of when will wake up

-Please take the time you need, it is vitally important that he recovers, if we have a better chance of ending this war once and for all, it is with him.

Yugoda nods in understanding and heads back to the bed ready to continue the healing. He summons more water and makes it shine to continue healing the bedridden young man.

-He's been through a lot... I'm afraid he won't be the same after he wakes up.

Pakku nods in understanding and looks at his colleagues.

-I still have my doubts about how he will be different from his family, we don't know for sure how he will react once he wakes up.

Piandao only nods slightly. mind while looking at the young man Yagoda is serving - He was always different from what his father wanted from him, but I know that if we show him that there is a better path than the Fire Nation he tries so hard to instill, he will solve this.

While the two members of the White Lotus look at Yugoda tending to the new left scar that the young man had and covering much of his face, still unconscious and clinging to life.

...

But that is another story...

Chapter Text

Time

Space

Reality

It is more than a linear path... it is a prism of unlimited possibilities... where a single choice can be divided into infinite realities and create alternate worlds to those you already know... I am Xiànshí the spirit of reality, I am your guide in these new and vast realities, follow me and consider the question... what if??

The 600-Day Siege of Ba Sing Se was one of the most important battles at the end of the Hundred Years' War, not only because of its importance as the capital of the Earth Kingdom but also because of the events that happened as a result of it. this.

...

Ba Sing Se...

In a Fire Nation medical tent a Fire Nation soldier is resting, and next to him is an older man dressed in his General's uniform.

He finds himself looking at the soldier waiting for him to wake up, it's been days but it feels longer and he hasn't done it yet, he just hopes he can wake up and recover, he wants to share this, his greatest achievement, he has achieved what no one else in the world has done. history has made.

But, he must admit that after what had happened he had almost lost his sense of continuing with this. What good would he have if he lost one of the most important people to him?

He now just waits for his soldier to wake up.

It seems that Agni and the spirits are on his side because immediately the soldier begins to move and moan with discomfort, signs that he is waking up, soon he begins to move from his place slightly, to eventually open his eyes with difficulty and see the surroundings. around it.

Once he does he gets to see a very familiar figure. Remembering the protocol he tries to get up and show respect to his superior officer.

-General Iroh, sir...

Iroh shakes his head as he puts a hand on the soldier's shoulder.

-Don't worry about that now Lu Ten, just rest my son, you fought well and you earned it...

Xiànshí intangible and unnoticed by anyone was watching from outside the tent.

...

As you well know, during the 600-day siege of Ba sing se, General Iroh, the Dragon of the West had managed to break through the walls of the Impenetrable City, but on his way to victory, he suffered his most regrettable loss... but in a multiverse of possibilities the results are so diverse due to all the circumstances, because in this universe Iroh's son, Prince Lu Ten, although he barely survived alive in the end, General Iroh assisted his son, saving his life and during the following days, the Dragon of the West completed the siege advancing towards Ba sing se, ring by ring until eventually reaching the royal palace.

But what happens once the most important city in the Earth Kingdom is defeated? That question is answered now...

...

As if that were some kind of signal, the memories of why he was in bed seem to return to his body, because immediately the pain is present, enough to lay him down on the stretcher once again, he takes a moment to process the pain and then look at his father once more.

-What happened?? The last thing I remember was that ambush...

Iroh nodded- It was an attack by a group of Earthbenders, you and your entire squad fought bravely as we finally broke through the outer wall, you had been seriously injured... I did everything in my power to save you.

-I see... what happened to my squad??

Iroh just sighed with regret - That ambush was almost effective, I almost lost you there my son, you were the only one to survive.

The news of the result shocked Lu Ten who stared at his father in shock as he continued to process what he had said.

-The... The only one?? It just can't be...

The only thing Iroh does is carefully place a hand on his son's shoulder so that she does not respond with so much pain and show him support. Throughout his military career, he has seen similar cases to what Lu is now experiencing. Here.

-I know, I know Lu Ten... we will give them and all those who sacrificed their lives for this mission the respect they deserve.

However, Lu Ten could hardly believe it, his entire unit, the soldiers with whom he went through many things, with whom he fought shoulder to shoulder, were all gone.

-For now, you should only focus on your recovery... -having an idea of what Lu Ten will say, he opens his eyes- I have already made arrangements for you to be transferred once you are well enough to travel... once that happens you will be back...

Immediately decides to cut him off before he can continue.

-Father!... wait... I can't leave, the siege is very important, we came here to take the city... I can't leave.

While he tried to continue arguing he noticed that Iroh only gave him a sympathetic smile and shook his head.

- You are a loyal soldier Lu Ten, I like that, it makes me feel proud, but don't worry about the siege, during all the time you were in bed, he was able to complete our mission... we won my son, Ba sing se, The capital of the Earth Kingdom is now ours...

His father's words surprised Lu Ten, he stared at his father without being able to believe what he had achieved, he remembers the stories that Iroh told him, about how as a child he had a vision that he would take Ba sing se one day, such It seems like that turned out to be true and he has accomplished what no one in history has ever been able to do.

-Then it means that we did it... we won

Iroh also nodded in agreement - This is so far and I think it will be the greatest victory for the Fire Nation... we have already sent the news to the capital and with that, while we are waiting for what comes next...

Lu Ten nodded in agreement - I still want to be here father... I'm a soldier, like everyone else who came here... I want to help finish what we started.

His request was heard, while Iroh only saw his son in silence, seeing that his father still did not say anything he continued to insist.

-My recovery will not be quick, but I will make every effort to make it effective so that I can be reinstated in service... as you said, I am a loyal soldier to my Nation and I want to continue being one...-so that his argument could convince him more, he tried to get up to Looking into his eyes, despite the pain he was beginning to feel from the effort he was making, but before he could continue Iroh's hand stopped him, while he got up to help him lay him back on the stretcher.

-Don't push yourself too hard Lu Ten...- he gave a tired sigh as he finished laying him down while he stood to one side- no doubt you are stubborn... but it's okay, I will respect your decision to stay here, I just hope that this I will help you recover... I will have our best doctors take care of you, so while I have to take care of the occupation of the city and rebellions do not arise, when you recover you can resettle, until then rest...

Lu Ten gave a satisfied sigh as he nodded, also mentally promising that he would give his all to come out of recovery soon... so in the meantime these days would help him reflect on what had happened and everything he experienced just when he saw death. into the eyes and miraculously eluded her.

...

Several days later...

With uncertainty, the days quickly passed, and as Lu Ten's recovery progressed, so did his father's visits, to see his progress, which although slow there were signs of improvement with each new visit to the point that was expected. Lu Ten could return to service, for the moment the doctor has allowed him to walk again.

That's why taking advantage of that opportunity, Lu Ten with the help of some drowsiness, I managed to leave the medical face in the direction of a specific place.

Walk the streets of the conquered city.

-Remember Prince Lu Ten, do not push yourself too hard, although his recovery is progressing, it is still too early to reinstate him to service.

Lu Ten looked from him to the doctor who was treating him and nodded. "Okay, anyway, I'll settle for being able to get out of this room."

The doctor hummed at his response in response. "If it's only for that, I hope you can enjoy your walk."

-Thank you.

With that said, he then proceeded to leave the room in which he had been installed, the next day he woke up he was transferred to one of the rooms of the palace, despite his objections in this regard he could not win that argument with his father. So he had no choice but to accept, so he was in one of those luxurious rooms being cared for so he could recover. His father came to see him sometimes when he had the time, but he could see that the work of maintaining this city was exhausting him...

Even so, they enjoyed the time they spent together.

So with those meetings she learned about his progress and allowed him to go for a walk when his condition has recovered enough, which is possible now.

But if you have to be honest with yourself, you asked to do this walk because you wanted to see and get to know what was once "the impenetrable city."

To begin with that goal, he first toured the royal palace and its surroundings in the Upper Ring, as he did so he noted how the buildings of the Upper Ring are generally huge walled complexes, much like small versions of his own. He sees a lot of wealth within these walls, the upper class lives close to the monarchy and in some ways, this view reminds him of Hari Bulkan.

As he continued walking he noticed the people who lived there, most of them stayed locked up or fled in his house when they saw him passing by or someone who was from the Fire Nation.

...

Royal Palace of the Earth Kingdom - Later...

In one of the many rooms of the palace, Lu Ten was waiting for his father. They had agreed to have a meeting at the end of the day because while Iroh was busy with war meetings and keeping the city in order, he devoted himself alone to recuperation.

Even so, despite everything they continued to maintain an informal relationship as father and son.

While they had their meetings, they talked about many topics, such as plans and strategies or even things they would do at home with the rest of the Family.

And speaking of family.

The faces of his family waiting at home soon came to Lu Ten's mind, he thought of his grandfather, the grumpy old man who must surely be satisfied with this result, and also of Uncle Ozai who without a doubt, even if it is not much of this, must feel some emotion for this victory, in his aunt Ursa, that kind woman with whom he has maintained a cordial relationship, there is also Azula who, although she maintains a complicated relationship with her, well, she has hope, but there must be a special mention with Regarding his family, that must be because of his cousin.

Zuko.

A smile appeared on his face when he thought about him, he always had a good relationship with Zuko, since they were younger, he and Zuko along with their father used to play on Ember Island to build sandcastles and it was always good to catch up with them. When they returned home, I always asked him for details about what was happening here in the war and it seemed that he was very interested in becoming a soldier.

The thought of that last thing made Lu Ten sigh as he erased his smile, the idea made him a little uneasy, although he is still very young, in a few years Zuko will be old enough to be able to enlist in the army and others to come here. to fight, although the idea of fighting for your Nation is a very attractive idea for any young man from the Fire Nation (since he also enlisted for that same reason) the memory of what happened just when he was injured still haunted him. mind.

He didn't have time to continue thinking about it because soon the door to the room opened to reveal that his father was now entering.

-I was thinking about home... or rather about a person- he decided to start casually so he could address the topic.

However, it seems that his father interpreted something else because he raised his eyebrows in surprise and a sly smile appeared on his father's face.

-Oh I see... some girl caught your attention that I haven't heard about Lu Ten??

-That?? No - the question did catch him off guard but he still shook his head - not yet... I was thinking about Zuko, about how in a few years he could be here too...

-Zuko is a good young man, in fact before knowing what happened to you I sent him a letter about what we had achieved here along with a knife that belonged to the general who surrendered when we took down the wall exterior, I am sure that when we return he will ask us for every detail of what happened here... I am also sure that just as you wanted to join the army, I also believe that he will want to do so and be a soldier just like you Lu Ten

-Yes, I also believe that he will be a good soldier... but...

However, they could not finish their conversation when an imperial firebender entered the room and bowed respectfully to both of them.

-My apologies, Your Highnesses, but I needed to tell you this urgently - both Iroh and Lu Ten looked at him expectantly while the guard recovered from his position to stand firm again - news has arrived from the port... our ships are disembarking there...

...

Later...

Near the ports of Ba Sing Se, there was a lot of activity, soldiers were going from one place to another while they watched how some Fire Nation warships began to dock, soon several groups of soldiers began to descend, while those who were in the port began to gather to see the situation, while all this was happening a contingent of Komodo rhinos began to arrive at the docks as well, in which was General Iroh, Lu Ten, and along with them several of the officers. commanding the Dragon of the West.

"What's going on here?" Lu Ten asked himself as he got off his mount and you could see that he was now wearing his Fire Nation prince's armor. What he had asked was directed at his father who was getting off. also.

He just shook his head without knowing what was happening, he just urged his group to follow him to go to where the ships were and talk to someone who would explain what was happening.

Without further ado, they began to approach the crowd in front, or rather the newcomers, but while that was happening Lu Ten stayed looking at them thoughtfully.

He didn't know exactly what he was expecting, but then he soon noticed an officer who seemed familiar to him, he had served with his father in several campaigns, and from what he could see he had been here for a long time, surely with him he would find some answers...

That was why Lu Ten changed course and headed to the next person.

-What is happening Lieutenant Jee??

The aforementioned turned to see who had called him and looked at Lu Ten dressed as a member of the royal family, which is why he immediately stood at attention and greeted each other more respectfully.

-I'm not very sure my Prince... these ships simply docked and soldiers began to get off.

Lu Ten nodded and went on to see the Fire Nation ships from which soldiers were coming out and beginning to advance towards them. As he continued looking he noticed that in front of them was his father who was talking to a couple of officers who were about to appear. They had also come with the boats.

He soon watched as one of them handed a scroll to his father, who began to unroll it, took a moment to read it, and just gave a tired sigh but eventually nodded to the officers who bowed respectfully before him and moved on. backing out.

Taking advantage of the moment, Lu Ten approaches to question his father and obtain answers.

-Father... what is all this??

As Iroh looked at the ships, he thought about what to say to his son as he sighed.

-This is necessary, Your Highness, it is for the glory of the Fire Nation.

The voice took both Iroh and Lu Ten a little by surprise, who did not expect that someone had approached them like that without first noticing. They turned to see where the voice had come from while looking at the officer in front of them, without saying anything. However, Lu Ten was surprised and also partly curious.

But above all, he was intrigued by the man who had said that, when he looked very closely at that person he was able to see an older-looking officer, who stood firm in his position, wearing Fire Nation armor, His eyes were a little lighter brown, he also had large sideburns and was somewhat robust.

As he watched Lu Ten tried to locate him, trying to find out if he knew the guy, but not being able to do so, he couldn't help but blurt out the question.

-And you??

The officer smiled slightly as if he had just told some joke. He didn't like that attitude at all, but the officer decided to answer his question.

-I am Captain Zhao, Prince Lu Ten, I served under the command of General Shu- he says with a tone that shows a hint of arrogance as he looks at Lu Ten, then he turns to look at Iroh and bows more respectfully- General Iroh, the great hero of our nation, I place myself at your service...

Iroh returns the greeting. "It's good to have soldiers like you, Captain Zhao, but tell me what are you doing here?"

-I was sent along with several other ships by orders of the Fire Lord, we are here to help him hold the city and avoid any uprising, after all, there are new orders that were sent from the Capital to you...

Iroh nodded - Yes, I received those orders from the commander in question, therefore we will begin planning once you all settle down.

Planning??

That's what I didn't expect, planning, but why?? No one could notice the young prince's grimace of confusion that he knew how to hide very well.

But that did not mean that the mere word left him intrigued, it could be that the soldiers stationed here will soon be changed by those who are arriving and the troops will soon return home, it is what is most expected right at this moment by many of those who participated in the siege.

However, given the seriousness of his father and the satisfied smile of Captain Zhao, he does not believe that it is about that.

-It's good to hear from you, I'm going to leave Your Highness, I must help my men disembark but I hope we can talk again- without further ado, he bowed to Iroh to say goodbye, then he went to see him and performed the same action although he felt that I could hear the condescending tone.

When he finished, he walked away before taking one last look at them, although he also swore that he saw him as if he were evaluating him, which made him annoyed by Zhao's disdain, he decided to leave it aside if he didn't see him again. to Captain Zhao again.

-So what was it that they gave you, father?

Iroh then seemed to remember something and then looked at him with an expression that he was thinking about what to say to him.

-These are orders that come directly from the Royal Palace, the Fire Lord has sent reinforcements that will be necessary for the following months...

-Fire Lord Azulon sent you that with a commander??

-The truth is that I am also intrigued by that, my father did not write the letter himself, it seems that he used a scribe to write it and it is more formal than it normally is... maybe he wants to make all this more formal for himself. the circumstances in which we are and because he wants to continue maintaining the importance of this conquest... - without further ado, Iroh kept the scroll inside his armor - I must meet with the commanders, both those who were already here as well as the new ones who arrived to start carrying out the Fire Lord's orders... it may take a while...

Lu Ten nodded in understanding - Don't worry father, we'll see you later...

Iroh went on to say goodbye to his son and then retire, so while Lu Ten watched as his father left with several members of the contingent, while he watched his comrades in the port, although only for a while until he too decided to go.

...

The next day

The middle ring is certainly not like the upper one, this one presents a more humble life, in fact if you take away the colors of the Earth Kingdom and add those of the Fire Nation it could almost look like one of their cities, even within this ring There is a wide variety of shops and restaurants, although the people of this ring have been wary of their presence and the Fire Nation has found this place very pleasant.

Yes, it could be relaxing and gave the feeling that people were living well.

-You heard it, right? The main reason why so many troops are coming?

He heard the voices of a couple of soldiers who were patrolling the city, so he decided to stop so he could hear the conversation better.

-Yes, it is because they want to mobilize us to Omashu...

Lu Ten, intrigued by the direction of the conversation, decides to get into it to find out if what they were saying was true - Omashu??

The soldiers, seeing who was now with them, try to stand firm; several manage to do so while others do so with difficulty.

-Prince Lu Ten!

However, Lu Ten just shakes his head, while he finds a seat next to them and proceeds to sit down. "You don't need to do that, here like all of you I'm just another soldier...

At his words, the soldiers lowered their guard but still maintained a degree of respect for his person; after all, whether he wanted it or not, he was still a prince.

-Well, what did they say about mobilizing us?

One of them sighs tiredly and nods - That's correct my prince, I heard some senior officers talk about it, it seems that the Fire Lord has given the order for General Iroh to start organizing attack plans towards Omashu.

Lu Ten raised an eyebrow blankly.

-But why?? I don't see the point... I mean we conquered Ba sing se, the capital of the Earth Kingdom, this should be a clear indication that we won the war.

However, the soldiers frowned slightly as they asked new questions.

-If so, then why are we still here? Why aren't we getting ready to go home?

-And we understand it, Prince Lu Ten-He other soldier said- but also understand, this is for us...

Before he could continue answering, his partner interrupted him.

-How much longer will we have to continue doing this?? we have spent more than a year and a half here besieging and conquering the city, several of us hope to go home, but we only receive the news that we must go fight somewhere else, you said it yourself Prince Lu Ten, we conquered Ba Sing Se, that should serve to give the clear message that we won... but it is not like that, it seems that we still have to continue fighting.

Lu Ten just gave a tired sigh as he also thought about what to say.

-Listen, I know how you feel, but remember that we are soldiers, loyal and proud of the Fire Nation, we have the mission of showing the greatness of our Nation to the entire world.

-Yes that is true... but we have fought for many years and after all, we are still here... just waiting to die so that later the next ones can replace us.

-It's true... my grandfather, as well as my father and my brothers, have fought in these lands only to not return to the shores of the Fire Islands, now there only me and my children will be able to join the army next year.

-While I have lost my brother during the taking of the inner wall to enter the city.

As he listened to them, Lu Ten soon had memories of what happened to him and his squad, the simple fact that he could have died at the entrance of this city and what happened so that he could be saved; but even the fact that he had passed if he did not manage to survive, would his father have mourned him or would she have completed the conquest??

What would he have happened at home?? He was sure that nothing would be the same and the truth is he doesn't know what to think.

At that, he just gave another tired sigh and looked at the soldiers.

-Just keep doing what you know, keep serving your Nation... and do it with great pride.

He simply retreated, leaving the soldiers behind. What he heard and what he was beginning to see certainly could not be ignored, but at the moment he did not know what to do and he did not know who to turn to.

His father was very busy and he was completely out of the question, any Fire Nation officer too, and after what he heard he didn't believe the soldiers would help.

Maybe it would be good to know the opinion of someone else and know the point of view of another important figure.

With that in mind, he headed back to the palace with one goal in mind.

...

Earth Kingdom jail.

Entering the complex Lu Ten walks in his prince's armor as he stands in front of the gates where two Fire Nation soldiers are stationed on guard.

When they immediately notice and recognize him, they make way for him to let him in.

Once there he meets the warden installed by them along with a contingent of guards standing around.

-Prince Lu Ten... we didn't expect it...

-I came because I wanted to interrogate the prisoners, I wanted to see if I could collect additional information for my father.

The warden nods and bows respectfully towards him.

-This way, his highness...- with a gesture with his hand he indicates two guards to accompany him while he guides Lu Ten through the facilities.

Lu Ten didn't know what he was doing here. He just knows that he wants to satisfy his curiosity, he doesn't know if that's enough, but anyway, he's already here.

As he walks he admires the built prison, much of it is made of metal.

Several of the cells are occupied, both by criminals who were locked up for causing trouble, by officials and by war criminals who surrendered when the city had been conquered.

He also thought he saw a bear in one, which seemed strange to him, but he didn't know if the part about them also keeping a bear locked up or the part about that bear looked very strange, he had never seen a bear like that before.

But anyway, he's getting off-topic, he didn't come to see any of them, no.

He came to see someone else.

That's why he's walking to the most secluded cell of all.

-I wish to speak with this prisoner alone...

The warden looks at him curious about the request - Are you sure, Your Highness? We don't know what might happen and we won't be able to protect him.

Lu Ten just shook his head - It won't be necessary, warden, I'm capable of defending myself if necessary, and if the prisoner has any common sense then he won't do anything.

The warden nodded and ordered the guards to remain guarding the door. He soon opens the cell at the door, while Lu Ten nods his head in gratitude, and he proceeds to enter, preparing for what he will find, after all, he does not know as he is the Earth King and he doesn't know what to expect.

Or maybe he had too high expectations.

Well, what he did not expect to find was a young man who could be his age sitting on the floor of his cell, with humble clothes and apparently with the appearance of never having fought in his life.

-So... you are the Earth King??

The figure who was in the cell raised his head to look at whoever was visiting him. He began to get up to try to look imposing and with a frown or ruched to mark your authority.

-I am the 52nd Sovereign of the Earth Kingdom, King Kuei... -but then remembering what had happened he lowers his head discouraged- or at least I used to be.

Lu Ten then nodded.

-And then, who do I have the honor to speak with?

-I am Prince Lu Ten, son of Prince Iroh, the Dragon of the West and grandson of Fire Lord Azulon.

-So you're from the Fire Nation... tell me why are they doing this?? Why are they here in Ba sing se??

-What do you mean why are we here?

-Well, why did they invade Ba sing se? We haven't done anything to them.

It was with that statement that Lu Ten asked the next question somewhat impulsively.

-We invaded the city because it is the capital of the Earth Kingdom, this invasion was the most crucial to achieving the victory of the Fire Nation, this invasion would make it possible for us to win the war!

-War?? What a war??

At the last question, Lu Ten raises his eyebrows in surprise and then is in disbelief to see that Kuei's question was because he had no idea what was happening.

-Is this some kind of trick? Or do you just want to play dumb? Because once and for all I tell you that that won't work...

Kuei then shook his head. "Believe me, what I'm asking you is because I want to know, plus it couldn´t be useful for me to do that in the situation I'm in...

Lu Ten examined him once more and soon confirmed that there was no malice in his words.

-By war I mean the war that is present in the world, the war that the Fire Nation has launched to share its greatness with the rest of the world.

-And then??

-Then what??

-What do you plan to do to my city and the Earth Kingdom?? You got me, they conquered the city, which is what will happen to us now.

-For the moment we make sure to keep the city under control, once done we will install someone to govern here... then we will leave for Omashu...

-Omashu?? Because??

-Omashu is the next target, it seems that your king refuses to surrender to us even though we already took this city... and as for you, you serve us as a prisoner of war due to your status as leader of the Earth Kingdom, with you as a hostage we may continue occupying the city until you are no longer useful, then we will transfer you to a maximum security prison.

At Lu Ten's response that describes what his fate will be, Kuei lowers his head with regret.

-I see... but I have a question... Will Bosco come with me??

-Bosco??

Kuei nodded - Yes, Bosco, my bear, I cannot leave him alone and I know that he would like to accompany me... he is someone very precious to me...

As Lu Ten continued talking he then remembered that he had seen that bear previously and that left him in disbelief... of all the things that the Earth King can ask for the only thing he asks is for his bear to accompany him??

If before he wasn't sure now he was sure that this guy couldn't have led any defense against them...

-Besides, after all, I don't think it will be of much use to them, it was my secretary Long Feng who was in charge of these things...

Lu Ten stopped his train of thought at the former King Kuei's last statement, so he raised his eyebrow seeing where things were leading.

-I see... so where is this Long Feng??

Kuei thought, bringing her hand to his chin, trying to remember, only to then shrug.

-I'm not very sure, what's more likely is that he escaped along with his Dai Li agents, I'm sure of that, after all when all this happened I couldn't find Long Feng or any Dai Li.

Brilliant.

So what they had was a puppet king, while the true authority of Ba Sing Se was still free there.

Chapter Text

Several days later...

-It was time for him to be reinstated... don't think that because he was royalty he would escape his duties.

Lu Ten only stood at attention as he looked at the officer in front of him, today was finally the day, after a few more days of recovery, today was finally the day that he finally returned to duty.

-Believe me, Lord, I have no excuse not to continue serving and if I had one I wouldn't even use it.

The officer nodded satisfied, while he inspected Lu Ten, who had left the prince's armor and fine clothes to replace them with those of a Fire Nation soldier.

-Good, now report to the rest of your division, you will be taken to the shift change in the Lower Ring.

Lu Ten nodded - Colonel... if it is allowed to ask... what is the situation there??

The colonel only grunted at the question, Lu Ten couldn't tell if it was his answer or if the colonel was upset that he had even asked when he hadn't been told if he could do so.

-Just concentrate on carrying out his orders...now leave.

Taking the hint for him to get out of there, Lu Ten stood at attention and bowed respectfully to his superior.

-Understood, Colonel Mongke- Without further ado, Lu Ten went on to leave the tent he was in. They were currently on the outskirts of the city, in the Agrarian Zone where a large part of the Fire Nation Armies that had been besieged and conquered the city, but the new troops that had joined several days later were surrounding the exterior.

-Corporal Lu Ten...

The mention of his name in that tone, plus the familiarity of where he knew the voice made him give a heavy sigh as he stopped to turn to see Captain Zhao who was looking at him with a cocky smile, he knew what he wanted, now that he was He had been reinstated to the service. Zhao surpassed him in rank and consequently he was his superior, so he expected him to show him respect for the position he had.

It was thus that only Lu Ten took a moment to bow, showing his respect to his superior officer.

-It's good to see you here Corporal, after days in recovery it must be gratifying to serve the Fire Nation again.

-You said it yourself Captain, there is nothing I want more than to serve my country.

-Yes, I imagine that, however, I know that even though you are recovering you still want to do your duty... after all, with you getting more information that we can use from the Former Earth King whom you are interrogating.

Lu Ten just stared at Zaho without making a single movement, but the tone of his words and the way he said them made him uneasy, it was no secret what he was doing but there was something about Zhao that he didn't like.

-Captain, I must leave, I must report to my division and continue with my assigned tasks.

Zhao nodded in agreement. "If that's true, be careful, Corporal. I've heard that the streets of the Lower Ring are very dangerous."

Lu Ten only said goodbye to him, but without as much respect as he should have, so once done he left there hoping not to see Zhao for at least several days.

Zhao just said goodbye to him and continued on his way but not before giving him one last look with his eyes half-closed.

The consecutive visits of a prince to the former Earth King were too much to be a coincidence, something was happening and he would discover it.

...

Of his visits to the Ba sing se rings, this has undoubtedly been the most impressive, one for the upper class, another for the middle class, but this one was undoubtedly for the lower class, which was very overpopulated.

Wherever he looked, he saw that the citizens of the Earth Kingdom were looking at him in different ways, with fear, with anguish, with despair, but also with anger and hatred.

Also of all those he saw, what he saw the most were women, children, and even the elderly.

The lack of men, mostly young or who can fight, was very noticeable.

Men who surely went to fight against their nation and many of them will never return

He averted his gaze and tried to ignore them to continue on his way, then he noticed other parts of the city, many of these people looked hungry and somewhat hurt, then he realized that they were refugees, surely coming here to escape the war, only to end up being subjected to the Fire Nation and what they had gone through to get here was in vain.

Then he felt someone kicking his leg, and he looked down to see two children who were not kicking with Fury.

Thanks to the fact that he had no armor, the blows did not cause him pain, which made him focus on those two children.

-You are bad!!! You took away our home!!!

-I...- but he couldn't finish speaking when he saw what he could say are the parents of these children come running and separate them from him.

Look at the children, especially the older one, because of the age they are It says he must have been Zuko's age.

A child who could be her cousin living here in fear and terror, because of the Fire Nation.

They were afraid of him.

And then he wondered how many more like them there were in this city, how many there were here who lost their home, how many there were here who lost someone.

And it wasn't just here, who says that this is not happening elsewhere.

How many have suffered because of this war?

He doesn't want to know the answer to that question, he just looks at the couple that was in front of him, protecting his children with the fear that he will do something to them.

The only thing he did was take a sack of coins that he had with him and leave it in front of that family that was still there and continue on his way, hoping that those parents would at least allow themselves to take them for their children.

...

Later...

Royal Palace of Ba sing se.

-So how is the search going? Have you found anything that reveals Long Feng's whereabouts??

Hearing this, Iroh erased his smile and gave a tired sigh. "Nothing yet, we have interrogated the prisoners for hours, but no one gives us the information we request... but I don't worry about that, sooner or later we will capture him."

Lu Ten nodded but his answer did not satisfy him, the fact that this guy has managed to escape can represent a potential danger, which means that their fight and the war have not ended as they expected when conquering this city.

-However, there is something else you have in mind.

Turning his attention to his father who was looking at him with a slight smile, one that he returned, his father didn't miss anything.

-It's about the orders you received from the capital... is it true that the Fire Lord wants us to attack Omashu now??

Iroh only gave a tired sigh and then nodded. "It is true, the orders I received are because the king of Omashu has not yet surrendered, but it is not only for that, rebel groups have settled in various occupation places, we need control of this immediately and that is why we have held several meetings, from here we will send groups to put an end to these insurgents

-It can't be... one would think that we finally won by conquering this city, but it seems that is not the case...

-Do not be afraid Lu Ten, when we take charge of the acts of insurgency the people of the Earth Kingdom will begin to understand that we are now their leaders.

At that moment an imperial firebender enters the room and bows respectfully - General Iroh, I was sent to inform you that the war council has met, they are waiting for you now.

Iroh nodded as he stood up from his seat, said goodbye to his son, and left.

After his father leaves him, Lu Ten takes a sip of his fire whiskey hoping that it can comfort him somewhat, and thinks that what his father thinks can be fulfilled.

However, the memories of what had happened in the Lower Ring a few hours ago tell Lu Ten that that will not happen. In what he has seen of all the refugees who were there, he has been able to verify that the people of the Earth Kingdom are proud and strong, they are capable of resisting anything if they have hope.

What his father proposes may be achieved, but how long will this last? weeks, months, or years, and for that to happen how many more of your people will have to die?? Many of the soldiers are tired from the siege that occurred here, morale has begun to falter in several of them.

And in him too.

-This is a lost cause...- he says to himself, finally saying what he had started thinking several days ago.

What's the point of him continuing to deny it? It will almost be 100 years of war, they have taken the capital of the Earth Kingdom, but even so, this war does not seem to have an end.

This can not go on like this.

But what can you do? He cannot go against the Fire Lord, his father, and against his nation.

He is not a traitor, he is from the Fire Nation and is loyal, what he does he does for his nation, for his good, and his safety.

-I hope I don't regret this...

...

Ba sing se Royal Palace Prison.

-Let's go

Kuei looked up from the ground as he looked at Prince Lu Ten outside his cell with the door open and him standing to the side.

-What??

Lu Ten just rolled his eyes- What does this look like?? I'm getting him out of here... we'll get out of here

As if that were enough Kuei gets up and leaves his cell to address the others.

-I won't leave without Bosco!

-And without your generals, I imagine too- he crossed his arms, looking at Kuei who was in front of the entrance to Bosco's cell and checking that the bear was okay.

Although his words made Kuei reason and he raised his head- True, we have to free them too.

Lu Ten just gave a tired sigh and mentally asked himself "Is it too late to turn back now??", he already knew the answer to that, so he just shook his head and with the same keys with which he opened Kuei's cell. He began to release Kuei's generals along with any useful officials in the government... in addition to Bosco at Kuei's insistence that he would not leave without him.

-Stop there!... what is this supposed to be?? What is the Fire Nation playing?

Lu Ten turns to see one of the Generals who was in the group, he was facing him with a fighting stance, ready to attack if necessary.

-It seems like he is a General. I'm getting them out of here

-General How is right, Prince Lu Ten... Why are you doing this? Why did you free us? I'm not saying I prefer being locked up, but it's certainly caused me conflict.

Lu Ten only turned to the group of newly released prisoners while thinking about what to say, he had to be convincing if he wanted to make them see that his actions were genuine, so he decided to speak from the heart so that they can understand how he feels.

-Because doing this is the right thing not only for the Earth Kingdom but also for the Fire Nation, now that I know the truth I cannot sit idly by and ignore the real problem.

As Lu Ten and the others left, they observed in surprise how several guards were unconscious, showing that there was a fight and that their escape was more than genuine.

Continuing on their way they arrived right at the doors of the main corridor of the palace, the one that led to the exit.

-If we are stealthy, we can get past the guards and leave the door without being seen. You use Earthbending to move quickly and be able to leave before they realize you are gone.

He didn't wait for them to agree, he just continued on his way while the rest proceeded to follow him out.

But then they stopped when they saw that firebenders were waiting for them right at the main exit of the palace.

The one who was at the center of everyone was none other than Zhao.

Seeing Lu Ten specifically, Zhao smiled maliciously - Just what I thought... - he immediately turned to his men who were surrounding them - Ready!... Fire!

His soldiers follow his orders and intend to shoot, Lu Ten and the group with him immediately disperse to evade the attack and immediately start a fight, the generals begin to do Earthbending to combat the fire benders, while Lu Ten begins to Use his fire to counter any attack that may come to him and with his hands he dissipates other attacks, Kuei meanwhile takes refuge with Bosco behind How who created a barrier to protect him and Bosco.

Seeing where Kuei is hiding, Zhao advances towards him accompanied by some of his men with nefarious intentions.

-It´s enough! -Enraged by this situation, Lu Ten summons a great stream of Fire that makes all the soldiers of the Fire Nation retreat, however, Zhao does not retreat, with his hands he opens a gap to let the fire pass and thus remain unharmed. Once Lu Ten's fire fades, only Zhao is left in his position to face the Prince.

-You are a traitor "Prince Lu Ten"-Zhao said through clenched teeth- How kind of you to stop by. But you can't defeat all of us, much less the entire city. "You have no chance to get out of this, save yourself all the humiliation and give up."

Lu Ten only squints his eyes to look at Zhao specifically.

-I don't need to defeat all of you and even less the city to be able to escape Captain- He adopted a defensive posture- Agni Kai... here and now.

Zhao's eyes widened for a moment before a sadistic smile appeared on his face and she began to remove the parts of his armor and the upper part of his clothing leaving him naked from the torso up.

-Very well... If you want that then nothing will give me more pleasure than giving a proper death to a traitor.

Lu Ten soon proceeded to do the same, removing the same parts of his armor that Zhao removed, as Zhao's soldiers cleared the place, moving away a good distance, Kuei and his Generals decided to opt to do the same for whatever would happen, once this was done, both Lu Ten and Zhao take their respective positions to begin the Agni Kai.

While the audience was present, Kuei couldn't help but ask the following question.

-What is an Agni Kai?

At that moment, both Lu Ten and Zhao get up from their positions, volleying to face each other, and begin launching powerful fire attacks.

One of Zhao's soldiers who was near Kuei stopped by to explain - An Agni Kai is a fire duel, a traditional duel of fire benders that is centuries old. It is a fight for one's honor and is only won when one opponent burns or kills the other.

Returning to the fight, Zhao begins to advance step by step, throwing several bursts of fire at Lu Ten in a row that he only concentrates on deflecting.

-That... isn't it a bit excessive??

The soldier only snorted at Kuei's response, and then continued - Honor is everything to a citizen of the Fire Nation and more for a fire bender, however, they are also used to arrange arrangements, as in this case, Prince Lu Ten challenged Captain Zhao so that you can escape.

Lu Ten immediately reacts and with a skillful maneuver knocks down Zhao, which gives him the advantage, and begins to brutally attack the captain, making him retreat.

Seeing the new events, Zhao tries to recover his posture but Lu Ten's consecutive attacks prevent him from taking a correct posture. Lu Ten's next attack, with his leg, generated a burst of rotating fire that was enough to knock Zaho down and send him to the ground. floor.

Taking it to his advantage, Lu Ten approaches at a sufficient distance to deliver the coup de grace to Zhao, who upon seeing the result looks at him determinedly.

-Come on! Do it!

However, Lu Ten stands there without leaving his fighting stance, no matter how much he wants to do it, he simply cannot do it, he has already lost many comrades and he does not want another Fire Nation soldier to die because of this, even if This is someone like Zhao, so he charges the next attack and changes the direction making it hit the ground away from Zhao's head.

-That's all?? Your father raised a coward!

However, when he finished saying that, Lu Ten grabbed him by his arms and Zhao could feel how that part of his body that the prince had grabbed him began to burn.

He was burning him

-Make no mistake Zhao, I may let you live, but that doesn't mean you won't get out of this unscathed- the tone of his voice is cold and devoid of emotions as he proceeds to put more pressure on his grip and burning more of Zhao's arm. Zhao, who immediately starts screaming from the pain of the burned flesh, tries to remove his arm to get rid of the pain, but Lu Ten's grip doesn't budge as he continues burning him, until he thinks it's enough and removes his hand.

Once he does so, Zhao falls to the ground in an agony of pain while instinctively bringing his hand closer to where the burn is, which is already visible. You can see the shape of a hand from the burn on Zhao's arm, his men seeing They immediately run to help their fallen captain, passing Lu Ten who steps back and watches from afar.

Taking it as the resolution of the encounter, he goes back to Kuei and his generals who were left watching the encounter and were left speechless, he just passes by them and proceeds to put on the parts of his clothing and armor. him to be able to continue.

-We must hurry, even if I win, I highly doubt that those soldiers will let us escape.

When they go to see what is happening outside, everyone's eyes are wide open as they see how the stairs of the palace began to be occupied by Fire Nation soldiers, the lower part was full of some tanks and soldiers carrying mounts.

They had surrounded the exit of the palace.

"Zhao," he growled, annoyed as he began to see what had happened, "all this was a trap, he knew I was meeting with you and surely when the whole fight happened he sent one of his men to raise the alarm about a prison break." .

Kuei fearfully sees the Fire Nation army taking positions, starting to target various parts of the palace. Now what will we do?

How immediately steps forward proposing what everyone knew was going to happen.

-We'll have to fight, Your Majesty... it's the only way we can get out of here, or at least guarantee that you'll get out of here.

-But... what would happen to you?

How just shook his head - Right now guaranteeing your survival is the most important thing... if you are still alive there will be hope that the Earth Kingdom will survive and can fight another day.

-No... we won't do anything like that, this is what I wanted -Lu Ten turned to the group to be able to talk- let me talk to them, they are my comrades and they don't want to be here any more than you think, I know I can reach them.

"Yes, of course," he said in a tone that showed that he didn't believe him. "We still don't completely trust you, you may not have freed us but you serve us more as a hostage to be able to guarantee the safety of the Earth King."

Lu Ten only scoffed at his plan- Oh yeah??, and tell me, General, how far do you think they will go before a city full of Fire Nation armies, I highly doubt they will be able to get out of the Upper Ring before they are recaptured. .. no, that won't help, I released them for a simple reason, to show my people that there is no point in continuing with this, I know what you must think, you think that what I am trying is mere nonsense, but I know many of those soldiers, I fought with them on many occasions and I know I can reach them...

General How was not convinced and reiterated his point when he crossed his arms and saw Lu Ten not very convinced- What if not??

At his response Lu Ten closed his eyes and just sighed to head to the door.

-If that is not the case Close the entrance and escape, I'm sure this palace has enough secret exits for all of you to get out.

Without further ado, he proceeds to walk to the entrance to go outside where Zhao's reinforcements are ready to arrest the fugitives. When he comes out and can see everyone present, he notices that there are several soldiers from his division, firebenders, non-benders, some officers, and in addition to everything his father is leading the offensive.

-Lu Ten...- Iroh says surprised to see his son leading the group that flees with the former king Kuei.

However, Lu Ten just stands there as he looks at the Fire Nation army, before standing in front of the stairs near the entrance of the palace to face all his comrades, who look at him surprised to see that he was involved in the escape of prisoners when that happens the soldiers stay in place waiting for General Iroh who only looks at his son because he knows that the next decision he makes will destroy him.

—Brothers... what are we doing here? What are we doing here, fighting a senseless war? I'll tell you why. Since we were born, we've been taught that the Fire Nation is the greatest civilization in history and that, somehow, war was our path, our way to share our greatness with the rest of the world... What a big lie. When I faced death with the rest of my platoon, I began to see the truth...

...

Flashback...

-Forward! Faster Faster!!!

They were achieving it, the enemy was retreating from their positions and as they did so their attacks intensified, soon they would have broken the wall of Ba sing se and it would be the first step to victory.

Lu Ten and his squad were helping in the offensive and were facing Earthbenders who had stayed to confront them.

-Take those civilians to a safe place!!!

While he looked at what was happening in one direction he discovered that a group of Earth Kingdom civilians was there, they must be from one of the nearby villages that they had taken over and fled to this place, it didn't matter, that won't stop anything.

-Them!!!

His sergeant's shout was enough for his entire unit to move to face the enemy, which began a fight, however, the rubble of the wall due to his bombardment attacks began to fall.

Such led him and the Earth Kingdom soldier he was facing to bolt from where they were until they reached a location far from the battle.

As he tried to compose himself he failed to notice that the same soldier who had knocked him down now had a rock pointed at him.

-High!!! Why are you attacking us? what have we done to you??

Lu Ten just stares at him with a frown, trying to recover enough to be able to act, because he has seen that the enemy soldier has him on the ropes, one wrong move and it will be his end, so in the meantime he will have to follow his lead. current while the conversation continues.

-We do this to share the glory and greatness of the Fire Nation with the rest of the world, that is our goal, our mission...

-Greatness?! Look around you —he quickly moved the rock aside and gestured with his hands, prompting the Earthbender to show him the battle scene— This is your greatness?! Friends, comrades, brothers, parents... how many more will have to die before it's enough? The lives of so many innocent people affected just because of your greatness?

Taking advantage of his distraction, Lu Ten recovers and attacks him with his fist in front of him ready to deliver the fatal blow, but not before emphasizing an important point.

-This is because of the greatness of the Fire Nation, our Nation is the most advanced on the planet, is it wrong to want to share this with the rest of the world? Whether you decide not to accept it is up to you, when we pass the wall and conquer this city you will begin to see it.

-Ah yes... let me tell you something, what enemy do you think you will find there?? -He pointed to the wall but in fact, he was pointing to the city of Ba sing se- I will tell you who will be there to confront you, hundreds of refugees, children, mothers, old people, people who have never picked up a gun in their life and who only came here to escape from you... but what are you going to know?? You are from the Fire Nation, war and destruction are in your nature, no matter who you take with you.

-That's not true, if you weren't so stupid and gave up we wouldn't have to do this, it's your fault, not ours!
He shouted the last thing to show that guy that they were what was wrong, not him and his Nation, however, the soldier just shook his head.

-If that's what you believe... then there's no point in continuing with this... end it.

That's just what it will do.

He immediately starts summoning fire ready to shoot and shoots take on this guy, but his words echo in his head and he wants to ignore them, he has to do it, he is a soldier of the Fire Nation, and he is loyal, this is what is expected of him.

However he cannot do it, he lowers his hands refusing to do so.

-No... this... this is not right... I

But then a huge explosion followed by the sound of a collapse can be heard and both Lu Ten and the soldier watch as the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, falls...

End Flashback...

...

When he finishes his story, Lu Ten looks at all of his compatriots as they and the group behind him don't know what to say after hearing what he just said.

- We have terrorized the people of the world... They don't see our greatness, they hate us and we deserve it, how long have we been away from home only to die here or somewhere else, only for those who follow to replace us? If not here in Ba Sing Se, then in Omashu??, in the Northern Water Tribe??. Even if we conquered all of those cities, they would not accept us for having become what we are now, for what we have done... we have created an era of fear in the world, as a legacy... I do not want that, the world should not be left with that vision of the Nation that I love, I do not want to have that perspective of my Nation and I do not want any more of us to continue risking our lives for nothing... and that is why I can no longer be a part of this for more time... —although his statement is not direct, everyone knows what he means,Prince Lu Ten has just deserted the Fire Nation Army- Who is with me?

When he finishes his speech, Lu Ten looks at the rest of his comrades waiting to see what their decision will be. He hopes that they will join him or at least that they will understand his point and stop fighting. He does not want to face his people and that more lives are lost in vain

However, one of the fire benders, one who looked like a young man his age, begins to question Prince Lu Ten's words and lowers his head in reflection, then makes a decision and abandons his fighting stance and stands still while He nods at Lu Ten.

Soon more firebenders follow his example as do several non-bender soldiers who throw down their weapons and nod to their prince, which brings a slight smile to Lu Ten as he sees how many more join him, supporting him to stop all this, soon turns his gaze to his father who still can't believe what his son has done.

-Lu Ten why??...

-Father... what the Fire Nation has been doing, this war... is wrong, we have done great damage not only to other nations but to ours as well, this world has already suffered enough, and if We do not want it to be destroyed on its own, it is necessary to change this era of fear for one of peace and kindness... I do not want to fight with your father, but if that is what has to be done to end this, so be it.

Iroh only gave him a look that Lu Ten did not know how to recognize, first he defected and now he has publicly classified himself as a traitor, he knows what he has to do, but he cannot do it because doing so knows that it will destroy him, for that same reason is that looked at him with a fusion of pity, confusion, and strangely pride.

-That time when I saved you, I thought that you would die, that in the end it was my ambition that would have taken you away from my side my son... and now I am seeing it once again... I cannot fight with you Lu Ten and I will never I will do that...

Without further ado, he lowered his arms and stood to see what his son had done. Meanwhile, Lu Ten smiled as he saw that even his father began to see that it was not good to continue with this, somehow, and his decision also seemed to be what his people needed most so that they could also lay down their arms and end this once and for all.

Maybe he got too caught up in his speech and his intention to convince his comrades that he didn't notice that someone else had joined.

-You are a traitor!!!

Zhao's voice was heard from behind and he tried to turn around but it was too late as a burst of fire hit him from behind and wounded him, sending him to a corner of the palace.

Iroh and several of those present saw what had happened without being able to believe it. At that moment, Zhao and his men appeared. Iroh saw that Zhao had a bandaged part of his right arm, which made him intrigued as to what had happened to him. But all that was left behind when he saw that he was going to attack his son who was unconscious after the fall.

On his corpse.

-You won't do it Zhao!!!

-I can't believe it... will you, General Iroh, side with this traitor?? He is a coward without honor who deserves death.

Iroh just ignored his words as he prepared a fighting stance toward Zhao who was already close to his son.

-Whatever you do to my son Zhao, rest assured that I will do the same to you multiplied by ten times! So Now get away from him...

Zhao looked at Iroh and saw that he was very serious, for a moment he seriously considered his threat and lowered his hands, Iroh then abandoned his posture as he looked at his son, at that moment Zhao smiled maliciously and launched a new attack at Lu Ten. only for a rock wall to prevent him from his purpose.

Stunned he looked at what had happened and to everyone's surprise it had been General How himself who saved Lu Ten.

Iroh, while witnessing everything, looked stunned at Zhao who soon gave orders to his men that they would take care of this as if they were more than capable.

How wrong Zhao was.

If it were another time and he was a different man, he may have held back a little, but for him none of those rules apply, he is General Iroh, the Dragon of the West, and he will bring down his wrath on those who dare to attack his son in such a dishonorable way.

He immediately took a breath, concentrating a lot of his energy and then releasing a large burst of fire that he released in the direction of Zhao. The captain, seeing the attack force, tried to counteract it but the attack was too powerful.

At that moment all hell broke loose.

Iroh unleashed his power against Zhao and his men who tried to repel the attacks, but then some soldiers from Iroh's side stood up to support him. Zhao, no matter how much he wanted to attack, was wounded and if he was left alone he would be defeated. , so without further ado, he urged his men to create a smoke screen to guarantee their escape and start fleeing before they were captured.

One of the soldiers who helped Iroh approached him waiting for orders.

-General??

-Lieutenant Jee, I want several search parties with orders to bring me Captain Zhao and his men.... but I want them alive -his last sentence was spoken in a whisper, but the seriousness with which he said it made it clear to Jee that the Dragon of the West wanted them alive so he could punish them himself.

Jee nodded quickly and began mobilizing soldiers, both firebenders and non-benders, many of whom gladly volunteered to hunt down Zhao after seeing what he had done.

Kuei and his group saw everything and now they didn't know what to do. The generals, seeing that anything could happen, surrounded Kuei to protect him from anything that could happen.

However, Iroh just decided to ignore them, he went to where Lu Ten was unconscious and proceeded to lift him up, soon several other soldiers went with him and proceeded to lift him up and the next thing they did to the surprise of Kuei and his generals was that after picking up Lu Ten, they proceeded to leave the royal palace directly to where their camp was located, the rest of the Fire Nation troops soon followed their example and began to follow them, hoping to save that soldier who opened their eyes...

...

With heaviness and feeling the pain of the attack and the fall, Lu Ten woke up and proceeded to get up carefully to see where he was. When he noticed that he was on the same stretcher as when he woke up weeks ago, he huffed, annoyed and amused.

-Everything to get out of here and in the end end up where I started.

-Hopefully your recovery will be faster this time...

She recognized his father's voice and turned to find him sitting next to him once again.

-Let's hope so, I'm getting tired of every severe attack ending up here.

Iroh laughed in response followed by his son.

-There is someone who wants to see you and talk to you, he was very insistent on doing so.

Lu Ten seemed intrigued with what he said about his with this person's request to see him, Iroh immediately stood up and left the tent for a moment and then returned with Kuei, General How, two other generals, a couple of royal guards and Bosco.

Who upon seeing Lu Ten went straight to him.

-Hey, get off me!

-Bosco does that because he likes you very much.

Lu Ten snorted at the answer and went to see Kuei.

"Prince Lu Ten, it's good to see that you're still alive," said the Earth King Kuei with a smile as Bosco returned to his side.

-Kuei, thank you and it's also good to see you...

Now it was General How who intervened-It's King Kuei...

-Well I have not yet been reinstated as the Earth King, so far the most we have been able to do is recover the city...

-Wait to?? But how??

Now it was Iroh's turn to speak.

-It's all thanks to you, Lu Ten. What you did at the Palace touched hearts, and when the rest of our forces heard about your actions from those who were there that day, they immediately withdrew from their posts and all came here. They all support you in this, son.

General How is next to speak- All of this... has been very shocking, I never thought this would happen if I'm honest.

-That doesn't matter now... Prince Lu Ten, I want to thank you, you have saved this city and you have restored hope to the Earth Kingdom

Lu Ten just smiles and shakes his head- I didn't do it, everything I did was just to convince my people that continuing this war is pointless.

Kuei however shakes his head- That is more than enough for me, I am eternally grateful to you and... I would like to have you as one of my advisors.

The surprise of such a request caused surprise both in Lu Ten and his father and in the generals of Kuei itself.

-Your majesty of him...

Kuei just shook his head- I have spoken, General How... Prince Lu Ten and his father have shown that they can be great allies and that is why I want to ask for your help... I have lived oblivious to all this conflict, to how my people suffered from the war while I remained blinded by ambitious mens... General Iroh, Prince Lu Ten please help us, we know that you no longer want to fight, so help us to end this war, I know that if we combine forces we can put an end to this war Once and for all.

The room was filled with silence once Kuei finished speaking, he stared at the figure of Lu Ten who was still in bed.

However, in Lu Ten's mind he already had his answer, it was the same one for which he did everything he did, he did it for his Nation, he knows that they need this, and that is why he has no doubts in accepting the proposal of Kuei, But he didn't just ask for her help, that's why he looks at his father.

-Father...

-I know what you want to ask me, son... the truth is, I'm not sure, and I'm not very sure what all these soldiers here will decide. Maybe you convinced many of them that continuing the war isn't the best thing to do, but now you're asking them to fight against our people... that's very different.

-I'm not asking you or any of them to fight against the Fire Nation. This is to end the war. Just as it was here, there must be many Fire Nation soldiers out there who, if we convince them, will see that continuing to do this is wrong... They wouldn't become traitors to our nation; they would be helping to save it. Father, you know more than anyone that the Fire Lord will not stop until he wins the war, and while that happens, our nation suffers more and more. As a prince, I cannot stand idly by and watch our nation continue to suffer...

...

Convincing the soldiers was difficult, if not impossible, but when they were told that the objective of this was to end this war once and for all and finally return home, many accepted, others because of the loyalty they had. on Iroh and the confidence they had that he was telling the truth.

It was thus that several days later, Kuei was reinstated as sovereign of the Earth Kingdom, only this time things would be different, starting with his great cooperation to finally end the war, Iroh and Lu Ten, as well as each officer and soldier. Of the Fire Nation that remained, they swore to help end the war once and for all, but as allies of the Earth Kingdom, although the new alliance was fragile, they had a lot of faith that it could give the expected results.

And that was even more expected when a worried Lieutenant Jee hurriedly entered the room of the war council that was being held in the Throne Room of the Ba sing se palace, where King Kuei, Iroh, Lu Ten, the council of the Earth King's five generals and several high-ranking officers in Iroh's service

—Lieutenant Jee... what's wrong? You look worried -Iroh asked when he saw the Lieutenant who was addressing him specifically.

Jee nodded as he entered the throne room to give Iroh the statement...

Iroh examines it and can see the seal of the Royal Family of the Fire Nation, it can only mean one thing, he opens it to read to everyone present what the letter says.

-Through this note, I make public the crimes of treason of Former Crown Prince Iroh and Former Prince Lu Ten, along with the rest of all deserters from the powerful Army of the Fire Nation, who are now considered enemies of the Nation, it is my will that they are captured and brought before me for trial and public execution... by the order... of Fire Lord Ozai...

He says the last thing in a somber tone, partly surprised and incredulous at who had sent it. The room falls silent at the mention of the Fire Lord, who was none other than none other than the younger brother of the Dragon of the West.

-Uncle Ozai?? but... how did he become Fire Lord... and what happened to Fire Lord Azulon??

-I don't know, my son, I just know that now everything has become much more complicated.

"So General Iroh... will we continue to count on his help or will he abstain?" General How asked, wanting to know the answer.

Iroh narrows his eyes as he looks at How- My son and I... just as every Fire Nation soldier who stayed here gave our word that we would help end this war, we will fight with you against the Fire Lord. ..no matter who wears the crown.

"And what will happen to Zuko, Azula, and Aunt Ursa?" Lu Ten asked, worried about his little cousins and his aunt-in-law.

Iroh sighed with regret, fearing the fate that awaits his nephews and his sister-in-law under Ozai's rule. "We will do everything possible to end this war... I will not allow any more innocent blood to be spilled."

Lu Ten nods while his Iroh puts a hand on his shoulder-Don't worry about them Lu Ten, we won't abandon them...

Lu Ten nods as he releases a breath he didn't know he was holding as everyone in the room returns their attention to the map in the throne room, planning strategies for the days to come...

Moving away from the view of the great palace Xiànshí looked at everything with a glimmer of hope

...

Even in the most uncertain of times, heroes are allowed to have hope, even if it takes them down paths they don't want to travel...

...

Mar Mo Ce...

In the calm waters of this place, a large fleet of the Fire Nation crosses the border that divides to advance to Ba sing se and recover the city that had previously been occupied by its army.

In the distance, several kilometers from the sea, from his spyglass Zhao observes the arrival of the fleet together with some soldiers loyal to the Lord of Fire while smiling maliciously to join them...

....

But that is another story...

Chapter Text

Time

Space

Reality

It is more than a linear path... it is a prism of unlimited possibilities... where a single choice can be divided into infinite realities and create alternate worlds to those you already know... I am Xiànshí the spirit of reality, I am your guide in these new and vast realities, follow me and consider the question... what if??

In every universe, love is a constant that is never lacking, love is found in your friends, in your loved ones, in what you have around you, but... even love can be what causes the most tragic stories...

...

Hari Bulkan...

The sky is red, and high above the sight a comet is visible, but the attention is not shown there, but on the battle that is in the capital city of the Fire Nation, as great bursts of fire, blue and red, they become present that even the person furthest away from the conflict can see them.

At the center of the battle is a duel, two brothers, and a throne.

The fight between these rivals is at its climax, their power driven by the comet makes their combat a great spectacle worth seeing, fighting in this duel are the royal siblings, Zuko and Azula.

So while Azula sends another burst of pressurized blue fire against her brother, ready to burn him to ashes, Zuko responds to the attack with the same intensity, in such a way that he manages to deflect it and make it pass by, Azula's attack. It is so strong that it makes him retreat, but he does not give in, he continues forward until they both stop. Azula looks disturbed at her brother's flames, realizing that they are on par.

Angry, she pushes herself forward giving an inverted fire kick so that she falls on top of Zuko, who upon seeing the new attack creates a gap with her fire that divides her sister's attack and allows him to escape unscathed.

Azula looks in disbelief at how her brother seems serene and untired while she is already beginning to exhaust herself.

Zuko, without letting her rest, releases a new stream of fire from the ground that is quickly directed at Azula, who barely manages to dodge it, jumps back, propelling herself with jet propulsion from her fire to attack Zuko, launching two powerful streams of fire, Zuko propels himself up with one, stops Azula's attack that was coming towards him and when he proceeds to fall he creates an explosion of fire that destroys Azula's attack, dodging his attack Azula decides to surround him and attack him from behind quickly, her brother then creates a dome of fire, protecting himself from attacks, then proceeds to go on the offensive, sending bursts and streams of fire, which push Azula away. Zuko sees that she is approaching again and decides to move with his feet to send her a rotating stream of fire. , the attack is impossible to dodge for Azula, who, coming forward, tries to dodge it but it hits her and sends her to the ground, falling backward.

Azula quickly gets up panting, angry with her situation, seeing how her brother is overtaking her and she cannot pass and destroy her defense.

-There is no lightning today??... what is happening?? Are you afraid that it could lead them astray?

An Azula, maddened by her brother, looks back to find the Water Tribe peasant behind him, and then a terrible idea occurs to her.

-I'll show you my rays!

Azula begins to manifest rays from both hands without taking her eyes off her brother, Zuko calmly prepares to receive his sister's attack, propelled by the comet, the rays are larger and more powerful then Azula changes the direction of her brother's gaze towards the back and launches the combined rays.

Zuko opened his eyes and saw the change in his sister, he looked back and then made a decision quickly, he went as fast as he could to reach his sister's lightning bolt, but the lightning was faster and he couldn't reach it.

-No!!!

...

In this universe, during the Agni Kai of the Royal Brothers on the day of Sozin's Comet, Zuko could not redirect the lightning that his sister threw at Katara in time, using the fury accumulated by that matter Zuko defeated Azula, leaving her in deplorable condition, emerging victorious from the Agni Kai, Zuko was crowned as the new Fire Lord... when the Avatar team arrived in the capital to celebrate the victory they learned of the devastating loss, Avatar Aang was devastated by the loss of his great love and in the company of Fire Lord Zuko declared the end of the war...

Seeking solace, Team Avatar dedicated themselves to repairing the world devastated by war, seeking to honor their fallen friend by creating the world she always wanted to see. After several years, the efforts of Team Avatar and their allies have begun to bear fruit. ..

But despite everything, not everyone could leave the past behind...

...

Southern Air Temple...

Five years later.

In one of the air-bending training camps, a young monk found himself He had been meditating, this in itself was a routine for him lately, waking up, checking on Appa and Momo, instructing the Acolytes of the Air in today's activities, and supervising the progress of the repairs, the matter has indeed distracted him quite a bit in Yes, since the other Nations, especially the Fire Nation, proceeded to help him rebuild the Temples, Aang has spent his time watching the progress personally, it also serves because it helps him search for more artifacts and writings that could have survived, he has not neglected his Avatar activities either, he has been watching everything possible to distract his mind, the last thing he did was with the rest of Team Avatar was when he and the others stopped the incident in Cranefish Town.

But once he finished he decided that his attention should be here.

But as he began to spend time here, the memories came back, the moments he had spent here, everything he shared with his friends and with Gyatso, everything that happened when he found out when they told him that he was the Avatar, how he He went and was frozen to wake up and discover that his people were no longer there and that he was now alone.

Because he failed them.

But then, Katara came and she told him that he would no longer be alone, he had found a new love with her, the one he felt when he lost his entire culture, he wanted to be with her, he loved her... but then he remembers what happened ago. Two years later, he left her and that was the last time he saw her.

He had failed again.

They tried to bring her back, they went to the North Pole and tried to use the water from the lake of spirits, they looked for the best healers, but it was too late, she was gone a long time ago.

She has been meditating since then, trying to enter the spirit world and be able to find her, to be able to bring her back, to even be able to apologize for failing him, but he has not found her.

Today she was trying to make one more attempt, maybe that's why she didn't notice the voice of the person who approached him.

-Hello Aang, it's been a while...

A seventeen-year-old Aang comes out of his meditation to see the person who appeared, finding his friend Sokka...

-Hello Sokka...

-How have you been?? I imagine it's very busy, look at this place?? -he says, looking at the Southern Air Temple that was being rebuilt- the repairs have progressed very well, since the last time I came.

Aang smiled at him - Yes, the truth is, the practice fields are almost finished and after that, they will go on to reinforce the columns of the Temple... and what can you tell me about yourself? How have things been going in Cranefish Town??

Sokka shrugs. "Not so bad that when we first arrived, Toph and Suki had helped a lot in setting up the new police force. I think Toph likes being the law a little too much. Anyway, they've joined forces." been organizing plans to see what to do about the city, King Kuei and Zuko will be coming in a few weeks...

Upon hearing the last name Aang lowered his head discouraged, which Sokka noticed.

-You haven't been to the Fire Nation yet, have you?

Aang shook his head, Sokka had an idea why, so he just gave a heavy sigh so he could talk to him.

-Aang is fine, I understand, I know it's still difficult, but you should at least go talk to Zuko... he still blames himself for what happened with her sister and... and Katara, he thinks we all hate him because not being able to protect her.

Aang just gave a tired sigh.

-I don't blame Zuko for what happened, I know he wouldn't have let Katara die... now I know.

Sokka nodded - I know, I don't either, Katara... it was his person who would never abandon someone who needed her and if she believed that he should help Zuko at that moment, I know that nothing would have stopped her...

Both he and Aang smiled at the memory of Katara. Sokka then decided to continue.

-Katara would not have wanted you to be here alone Aang, the war ended years ago and we have to continue...

Aang just gave a sad sigh- It's not that easy Sokka... I... I loved Katara... the last time I saw her, she was there, supporting me despite everything, and I... I got angry with her. , I wanted to repair that and now I know that I will never be able to, I thought there would be a chance to recover it when we tried to use the spiritual water, but when that didn't work I went to the spirit world several times looking for it but... I didn't find it...

Sokka stood next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Just because you didn't see her doesn't mean she's not there and as for the other thing, I know she didn't take it badly because of your outburst, she always believed in you... until the end.

Aang nodded at Sokka's words.

-But that doesn't stop me from wanting to see her again...

Sokka nodded. "Me too, but no matter how hard you try to do that Aang, it wouldn't stop him from dying the way he did... It's not like you can turn back time and prevent his death."

Aang looked up at Sokka's words, to prevent her from dying, perhaps looking for her just as he does is not the solution, preventing her from dying as she did, if only that were a possibility, knowledge that would help him bring her back, it would be like the best opportunity for her to return, but for Unfortunately there isn't, I had been rambling so much that I hadn't paid attention to Sokka's conversation until he mentioned something.

-Maybe you will find Avatar wisdom to help you with this...

Then it occurred to him who could help him with that.

Roku.

If you can advise me regarding this situation, and how to find her, then I will find Katara in the spirit world.

-Aang... Aang! Are you listening to me?!

Going back to her conversation with Sokka he saw that he was putting his hand in front of her eyes trying to get her attention.

"Yes, I'm sorry Sokka, I was thinking about something... but you're right, it's time to do something," he said with his spirit restored.

Sokka, seeing the state of his friend, thought he had convinced him, so he smiled.

-I'm glad Aang, this is something that will help you a lot, believe me, and I also know that with your help the next conference in Cranefish Town will be much better...

Aang nodded.

-So while I have to leave soon, I agreed to go see the Mechanist, I want to see that new project he's working on... unless you want some company??

Aang just shook his head. "I wouldn't want to take up too much of your time. Besides, I'm done here. Maybe I won't stay long here at the Temple either. I'll just take care of some things and then I'll occupy my time with something new."

Sokka looked at him intrigued. "Some Avatar project perhaps?"

"Yes, in fact, yes, but I would like to consult with Roku first so we can start..." Aang said, telling him only what he needed to know, at least for the moment.

Sokka, seeing that it was Avatar's business and remembering his past experiences, decided not to get too involved - Okay, when you finish, come look for us, after seeing the Mechanist I will return to Cranefish Town, and I will stay for a while until the conference, after that I will return to the South Pole.

Aang nodded in agreement.

With a wave of his hand as a farewell, Sokka left. Aang watched as his friend entered some corridors near the Temple, assuming where he was going, he must have come in an airship, which he saw was true when he saw how an airship began. to rise sometime after he said goodbye.

Aang just watched him walk away into the distance, he stayed there for a moment longer and then sighed.

-Very well, it's time to do it.

Returning to his previous posture, Aang began to meditate, concentrating so he could talk to Roku.

-Roku I need your help.

Then suddenly a spiritual projection emerges from Aang to stand in front of him, once he opens his eyes Aang can see Roku who looks solemn.

-I'm here for anything that can help you Aang- Aang smiles gratefully- but what you're looking for can't be...- Roku shakes his head, while Aang looks in disbelief at Roku for denying him this, he decides to insist.

-Roku, please help me, help me find her... there must be a way to find her in the spirit world

Roku just looked at Aang with a sad expression and then began to explain to him.

-I'm sorry Aang but I can't, no one can... his spirit is even more likely that you won't see him again.

-Never??-Aang now looks at him confused without knowing what he is talking about.

-The reality of the spirit world is undeniable... the spirit world is so vast Aang, many have ventured with the same mission as you, and not all of them could have been lucky...

-You can't know that... it could be different with me, I know I can find Katara, I know that if she could come in and stay long enough...

Roku nodded at the statement but decided to continue.

-This is not a simple question Aang, it is about time... By continuing with this you are risking your destiny Aang, you cannot ignore your destiny...

Aang lowered his head in defeat, however, he remembered Aunt Wu's words that she told him when he, Katara, and Sokka were in Makapu Village, he always forged his destiny and knew that he wanted Katara in his destiny, he knew it, The two of them were destined to be together, he couldn't let her go.

-As an Avatar I can forge my destiny, I know I can find it, I just need to know how...

-As the Avatar you have the wisdom of all your past lives within reach, Aang, but none of them have the knowledge of what you are looking for, no one does...- Roku tries a new approach to be able to discern Aang from continuing with this, he doesn't want him to. Aang go that way.

-You don't know that with complete certainty, as I remember Iroh managed to go to the spirit world years ago, he may have that knowledge...

-Don't torture yourself anymore Aang, there is no hope for this to continue... Katara left a long time ago, you have to let her go- he tries once again, wanting Aang to accept things.

However, Aang shakes his head and raises his head with a determined expression, alerting Roku.

-Aang, this path is not the correct one to follow, if you leave it would alter the balance in ways you would not imagine... I beg you not to do it or I will have to stop you...

-I'm sorry Roku, but I already made a decision...- he says instantly showing that he won't stop with this.

Without further ado, he ends his conversation with Roku takes Roku's fire talisman that he brought with him, and proceeds to burn it. He knows that his past lives will try to stop him or try to make him discern, so he will have to cut his connection with them, to prevent them from interfering.

He can't be right, he can find Katara, he is the Avatar, if there is even the slightest chance then he will take it.

The way to get that answer must be with General Iroh, who is most likely in the Jazmin Dragon in Ba sing se.

...

Cranefish Town...

A week later

It may sound crazy but this place looks more guarded than ever since the last time he was here.

Sokka passed through the streets of Cranefish Town, which were patrolled by several Metalbending officers.

Since Toph took over security he has brought in many of his students from his Metalbending academy, who have been very effective in helping maintain order.

What he has also noticed has been the absence of the girls that Suki put in to help the Metal Benders, which makes him strange.

He will have to ask Suki why that is when he sees her. The best thing is before he starts the conference, everyone arrives and they don't have as much time to be together.

It had only been an hour since he had arrived in the city, but he knew that the dignitaries, as well as some world leaders, had arrived a few days ago, from what he knew, King Bumi should have arrived yesterday while King Kuei and Chief Arnook They will arrive in a couple of days, their father will arrive tomorrow, while Zuko should be arriving in a couple of hours.

While he's going to go find Toph and Suki, to say that he's not excited about it would be a lie. He was hoping to spend time with her girlfriend, and now that he has the chance, he won't let her pass him by.

-Hey you!

Sokka turned to see what was happening when he saw two police officers appear on either side of him and proceeded to put something made of metal on his wrists, then proceeded to put him against a wall.

-You are under arrest scum...

Being against the wall Sokka reacted worriedly, trying to understand what was happening.

-That because?? I did nothing.

-You are being arrested, for disturbing the order, for walking in places you shouldn't, and for being an idiot Snoozles!

The appearance of the voice that said it, as well as the nickname, was also accompanied by a laugh which was followed by the guards who were holding him captive, which left Sokka confused and upset, then he saw a girl dressed in the colors The Earth Kingdom and pieces of gray armor, as well as a metal cable tied to his waist, proceeded to approach.

-Toph!

The girl just started laughing at Sokka's situation, but she knew that he was asking her to release him, so she asked her agents to proceed to free Sokka who proceeded to do so, and then Toph ordered them to return to their posts. , which they did while the friends decided to catch up.

-Say what you want but power doesn't change anything Toph

The aforementioned just shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Being one who obeys the Law brings its benefits, after all, who can say no to who is the Law in this place.

Sokka just rolled his eyes, but he didn't contradict her after all it was true, they couldn't remove her from her position because she did a great job maintaining order in the city.

-Hey by the way... what's going on here?? Why so much surveillance?

He looked around, intrigued to see several police officers patrolling, to which Toph just shook her head.

-I need them to be able to ensure order in the city, since Suki and the Kyoshi warriors left for Hari Bulkan I have had to fend for myself.

The last thing Toph said caught Sokka's attention. "Wait what?" Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors are with Zuko??

Toph nodded as they proceeded to walk - Suki received a letter from Zuko where she told her that he needed her very urgently, I don't know why, he didn't want to tell me so don't even ask me.

Sokka nodded. "I see... then it will be a matter of asking them once they arrive."

-Well, let's welcome Sparky once and for all.

With that said, the two friends headed towards the docks so they could be in front and be able to receive Zuko who should already be arriving.

As they walked Sokka looked at the streets of the City once again, he was happy with the good development and growth that the city had, one that combined the four nations, showing that peace and unity were possible.

How I wish Katara could be here to see it.

A tear comes out of her eye as she remembers Katara, she would be very happy to see how far they have come, everything they have achieved.

She hopes that wherever she is, Katara can see this and be happy.

"Something's wrong..." The sound of Toph's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Suddenly I felt the change in your heartbeat."

Sokka wiped away the tears that were falling and she turned to look at Toph.

-I just thought Katara would have liked what we've achieved so far.

Now understanding what was happening to Sokka, Toph looked away with her smile.

-If you're right... Sugar Queen would love this place... it's unfair that she's not here to see it- he said the last thing with a somewhat bitter tone.

Sokka only puts a hand on Toph's shoulder as support, she may not notice it much but she knows that Katara affects her more than she wants to let on.

-We must not forget that what we have done and what we are about to do will be for her... it is what she would have wanted.

Toph took a moment to answer but finally nodded, Sokka gave her a smile believing what she said.

Then a blow came to his shoulder from Toph.

-Ow!... Toph!

-That's for making me emotional... and it will be worse if you do it again.

Without further ado he proceeded to continue, leaving a dumbfounded Sokka.

...

After catching up with Toph for a few brief moments, they finally reached the docks which were already full of people.

Several people were already on the docks waiting, waiting for the ship to finally stop, since this ship was the one that was transporting Fire Lord Zuko and those who accompanied him to the Conference.

Sokka and Toph managed to push their way through so they could get to the front of the crowd and welcome Zuko.

Once the ship docked, everyone waited ready to receive the Fire Lord and his entourage that came with him.

When the platform touched the port the first people began to get off the ship.

-Hello everyone!!!-said one of those who got off the ship, a Kyoshi warrior dressed in her uniform, with a smile she greeted everyone with her hand.

Next to her comes a redhead dressed as a Kyoshi warrior.

The only ones who got off the ship were Suki and Ty Lee.

But there was no time to ask when an enthusiastic Sokka launched himself at his girlfriend.

-Suki!

Suki received her boyfriend's hug with enthusiasm, as well as the kiss that followed after her, they had not seen each other for a long time and due to her responsibilities, they did not have much time to see each other, so every opportunity to do so was always was well received.

When Sokka finished kissing her, he separated to greet Ty Lee, he turned to find Zuko to greet him.

When he noticed that he was not on the boat. Which everyone else did when they didn't see anyone else get off the boat.

Then they saw that only Suki and Ty Lee were in the entourage that was supposed to accompany the Fire Lord.

-Fire Lord Zuko regrets this delay, he has to take care of some unfinished business before he can come, but don't doubt that he will come for the conference.

Suki's words to everyone present seemed to calm everyone down, several nodded while others began to talk among themselves, but Toph just stood by while she turned her attention to Suki when she saw that something was happening.

She was lying about something.

When the crowd began to disperse, Suki hugged Sokka again so he could whisper in her ear.

-We have to tell them something important, but it is not safe here, we don't know who could listen, and we need to talk somewhere else.

Sokka pulled away to look intrigued, but he saw Suki's insistence in her eyes, so it must be something very important, so he just nodded and put on her best smile to hide it.

-That's great! I hope that idiot doesn't take long to come, so in the meantime, we have to go catch up... Toph, do you want to come?

Still crossing her arms, Toph nodded, Ty Lee, happy to spend time with the boys, went on to hug the two again while the four of them proceeded to leave the place, as they did so they proceeded to catch up on several things, Toph telling Suki what What had happened in the city during her absence and about her plans regarding her Metalbending academy, Ty Lee talking about a recent meeting she had with her sisters and a brief visit she paid to Mai to see how she was doing.

Sokka told them in great detail in Sokka style about the Mechanist's progress in his new invention that promises to be a great innovation.

But still, the question remained about what Suki and Ty Lee had to say.

...

They decided that the best place to talk would be in Toph's new office, it seems that being the person who follows the Law gives certain privileges, of which they were giving her her own office, so that place served as the perfect place for friends to catch up on matters that no one but them should know about.

Once they were alone, Suki and Ty Lee stared at Toph and Sokka, who waited for what their friends were going to say regarding Zuko's absence. Suki took a moment to then say what they had to tell them.

-By the way, we wanted to ask where Aang is. It is also vital that he listens to what we have to say.

Sokka just shook his head. "I saw her a few weeks ago at the Southern Air Temple, she said she was going to do some Avatar stuff, but that she would eventually come for the conference."

Toph seemed intrigued by this- Twinkle Toes hadn't been seen here for a few days, not since the dignitaries and representatives started arriving.

-So he's still in the Southern Air Temple??

- I'm not too sure, he said he was going to talk to Roku and take care of that project, once he finishes it he will come here for the conference... maybe he's on his way - Sokka said with a carefree tone the last thing he said. had said.

-Let's hope it's sooner rather than later because we need his help very urgently- Ty Lee said in a very concerned tone.

This caught Toph and Sokka's attention as they saw the normally cheerful girl take on various signs that she was very worried. They looked at Suki to understand what was happening, but they didn't expect what they were about to reveal.

-There are problems in the Fire Nation... and very serious ones.

Her response generated concern among the two Gaang members upon receiving this news.

-More assassination attempts?? Did the rebels go further? Azula came back and did something?? - Sokka asked, worried about any of these scenarios, especially the last one.

Ty Lee gave a tired sigh as she began to explain - The situation is more than volatile guys... revolts have begun in the Fire Nation and not like the previous ones, these are stronger than the others, the citizens of the Fire Nation They are pressuring Zuko to restart the war...

The two Gaang members were surprised by Ty Lee's response, they looked at Suki wanting to confirm it, to which she nodded.

-But why?? I thought the New Ozai Society was more than controlled so far.

Suki nodded again - Yes, but that was before Ozai was killed...

-What??!!!- was the same reaction for both Sokka and Toph who were now incredulous at the news.

-But why??- Sokka asks now without knowing how that happened.

Suki now proceeded to take a breath of air to be able to explain the reason for everything - The situation... is complicated guys... not many were satisfied with the result of Aang's decision, leaving both Ozai and Azula alive, we believed that Just stopping the members of the New Ozai Society and any rebels was the only thing that had to be done to keep the situation in the Fire Nation under control... but we were wrong.

-What are you talking about??

Now Suki and Ty Lee proceeded to see each other, discussing with their eyes, in the end, the two nodded knowing that it was best to say everything.

-A few months before coming here, the prison where Ozai was kept was infiltrated, how?? We don't know, but we do know who it was, those responsible left a written message regarding who murdered Ozai.

-And what did the message say?

Suki looked at them all for a moment, not sure how to say it, but she fixed her gaze especially on Sokka, knowing that this would not be easy for him.

-The Southern Water Tribe does not forget or forgive.

Silence dominated the room for a moment while everyone processed the situation, especially Sokka who did not believe what he heard.

-Zuko at the moment is trying to calm the situation as best he can, the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors stay as reinforcement, right now as we speak Zuko wants to try to appease his people so that he does not retaliate, but it is becoming more and more difficult...

-I don't understand... why are people from the Water Tribe doing this?? Chief Arnook and Snoozles' dad are on good terms with Sparky... or not??

-They are, however, we cannot guarantee anything on their part, Zuko decided not to make this public if it became known that something like this was happening we do not know what could happen, so, for now, we do not know why they are doing this.

-But I think I know... - Sokka's voice caught everyone's attention because it showed a lot of seriousness - although no one here blames him for what happened, there are people from the Water Tribe who do blame Zuko for what happened to him. Regarding... Katara... they blame him for taking our last water bender and further destroying our culture, they believe that he used her in an evil plan to appropriate the throne of the Fire Lord and then let her die at the hands of her sister, obviously this is not true and we all here know it, but that does not change that perspective that is held there and I fear that since Zuko's last visit with the Southern Restoration Program, It only made them stronger.

Toph wasn't convinced, so she crossed her arms to say, "But... we were all there, no one heard those rumors...

Sokka nodded because he was expecting that answer, so he proceeded to explain - That's because we were all more focused on the issue of the Southern Reconstruction Project and the problems that arose with the Northern settlers and the Gilak resistance, plus we didn't They were so strong back then, my father and I, along with others have done everything to undermine them and I thought we had achieved it that's why I didn't say anything.

Once she said it, the girls understood her decision, Suki went in the direction of her boyfriend and hugged him to prevent her from feeling guilty, once she did, she separated to continue talking.

-We understand Sokka... no one expected Water Tribe rebels to do this, but I fear that I don't know how far they are willing to go to be satisfied.

Her statement worried Sokka because he noticed that from Suki's words and tone, there was something more worrying that they had not yet been told.

-Because you said so??

"Because if we don't face rebels who want to dethrone Zuko from power or citizens who want to convince him to restart the war... we are faced with the situation that Zuko has no choice but to do so," says Ty Lee in a tired and with a tone. concern about the last thing.

-Zuko wouldn't do it, he would never restart the war...- Toph was the first to defend his argument, and Sokka then seconded her, agreeing.

-We know Toph, but there is something else that we haven't told you... after Ozai, there were attacks on members of the Royal Family, not only Zuko and his uncle, but also his mother, his husband Ikem, and sister Kiyi.

Both Sokka and Toph were surprised to finally see why, which started to worry them.

-Just as you hear, at the moment we don't know anything about Azula but I don't doubt that they are after her too... now you know why we came alone, in fact, the main reason we came was that we hoped to find them here and ask them. to help us with this.

At Suki's request, both Sokka and Toph accept without question, knowing a situation like this they cannot ignore what is happening, this is risking the fragile peace they are building, so it is their job to do something about it. They also do it for Zuko, he is his friend and they will not leave him alone when they see that he needs them now more than ever.

Both Suki and Ty Lee thank them with a smile as they look at them.

-Thank you, it is good that you helped us, although it is good to have you, we would also like to ask for Aang's help, we hoped that the Avatar would help calm the situation.

...

Later...

They went on for hours talking about what they were supposed to do in the next few days.

For now, as Zuko's representatives, Suki and Ty Lee would fix a couple of things to justify Zuko's absence.

After that, they would prepare everything to travel to the Fire Nation to help their friend. But first, they would go to the Southern Air Temple to look for Aang, they just hoped he would still be there.

They would also have to make an excuse for absence but that would be very simple, everyone knew the friendship that existed between them and Fire Lord Zuko, so they would only take it as a group of young people who were going to bring their friend.

Once everything was resolved Sokka would only go for the things he had brought with him, they were in his accommodation so it wouldn't take long, once he came back, he was processing everything they had told him, he just hoped that nothing would go wrong.

Then he was crossing an alley not far from the Station where the girls were when it happened.

-Do not move.

The stranger said with a hoarse and somewhat agitated voice, but for some reason, it seemed familiar to Sokka. But he didn't have to think when a dagger was put to his neck to prevent him from moving.

Then he let out an unmanly squeal when he saw what position he was in.

-You will come with me and you will not do anything.

Sokka nodded at the stranger and they proceeded to leave, but then a hand grabbed the dagger and bent it, then tossed it aside and pushed Sokka away.

Before Sokka understood what had happened, Suki appeared and proceeded to fight the stranger, who only proceeded to dodge Suki's attacks, he did it too well because he did it very easily, but then the Earth moved where it had stopped. and caused him to become destabilized, which caused Suki to hit him and send him to the ground, from which he no longer got up.

This confused Suki and Sokka, she was very good, but she didn't do it He had hit very hard and because of how he dodged it, the subject should have lasted much longer, only for him to be already defeated.

-That was too easy.

-Can you say it twice- Suki said and then looked at Sokka worried- Are you okay??

Sokka nodded - Yes if it weren't for you and Toph, I don't know what would have happened... by the way, Toph, can you find out who he is? Her voice seemed very familiar to me.

Toph nodded and walked over to find out.

Using his seismic sense, he began to find out who the guy was who had attacked Snoozles, he must have been very stupid to try to do it if he didn't know who was accompanying him.

Then Toph opened her eyes in surprise when she discovered who he was.

-It just can't be...

Suki and Sokka were surprised by what Toph said, who only pointed in the direction of the stranger who tried to kidnap Sokka, when they looked they saw that he was hooded and began to lean against a wall while he seemed to pant.

The three approached to find out who it was, Suki proceeded to remove the stranger's hood, only to step back surprised like the others who were also surprised.

The hooded man was none other than Azula.

But that wasn't the worrying thing.

No.

The worrying thing was that Azula was injured and she didn't go for them, her injuries looked like they had been there for days, which meant that the rebels had gotten to her too.

Chapter Text

Ba sing se- The Dragon Jasmine

The Jasmine Dragon was a tea house owned by Iroh and located in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se. The famous tea room, since it first opened several years ago, has become one of the most popular establishments in the entire Upper Ring. After Zuko's coronation, everyone decided to come here and the Avatar team celebrated their victory against Fire Lord Ozai in this place they also dedicated this victory to Katara, on other occasions one or more of the members would come. here whenever they need advice or to greet Iroh.

But this time, Aang came to hear about the experience of a person who has gone to the spirit world.

While Aang has gone several times on his own, the reason he wants to hear Iroh's perspective is because he is the only person he knows who has gone for a personal reason, he heard it in passing from Zuko once when they were in the Western Air Temple after he joined them, he told them about this trip, although he did not explain the reason well, what he did do was hint at the why, it may not be much, but at this point Aang is willing to try anything.

Now Appa was descending near the place, once on the ground, Aang in the company of Momo descended from Appa and proceeded to enter the establishment, without a doubt, it was somewhat full, and he could see that some people recognized him but he decided not to delay. and get fully into the topic for which he came.

He asks the employees about Iroh, who tells them that he is in the kitchen, once he knows where he is, sure enough, Iroh is in the kitchen near a teapot serving tea, but that is when he notices that he has an audience.

-Avatar Aang!!! ...- he responds with a jovial smile as he approaches to greet him- it's good to have you here, you're in time to try my new Tea recipe.

Aang was about to politely decline, but Iroh didn't give him time, as the old man immediately led him to a table and some chairs that were there and proceeded to give him a cup that already contained the tea. Iroh stared at him expectantly. After trying it and giving him his opinion, Aang couldn't do anything else and proceeded to drink the new invention that promised to be successful most of the new samples he tried had the promise of being very incredible, but others weren't, such was the case this time because he could instantly detect that he didn't like the taste, and his grimace was going to be a clear indication of that, but he decided to restrain himself and not do it.

-It is a great delicacy like the others, Iroh was soberly satisfied and proceeded to pour himself a cup, Aang taking advantage of the fact that he was distracted and that there was a window nearby, he made the rest of the tea for her.

When he did so he put the cup back on the table as he watched as Iroh now joined him. Once he sat down Iroh began to ask him.

-And well... what brings you to my establishment??

-I wanted to ask...about the trip you made to the journey of the spirits.

The request undoubtedly surprised Iroh, he did not expect Aang to come to ask him for this, he imagined that it would be about another matter that he thought he already knew, but no, it was about his own experience in the spirit world, also remembering his reasons. to go and what happened when he didn't have what he expected.

With that he could then guess what he wanted with that information, he wanted a way to find Master Katara, it was no secret that the Avatar had feelings for his Waterbending Master, Iroh himself was able to witness that when he and Aang They ventured to the Crystal Catacombs beneath Ba Sing Se to rescue her and her nephew several years ago.

Although he knew there was no malice in his goals, he had to make him desist from this by remembering his own experience, not wanting him to suffer like him.

-For a person who is not the Avatar making that trip is not very easy... however it is not difficult to make.

Aang continued to listen attentively to Iroh as he continued to explain, that anything could be useful, while he did so he continued to draw his theories, as well as conclusions that he could try and that he could discard.

-... but despite all that, it is not very common for a person to transcend to the world of spirits, there have been few who have achieved that honor.

But Katara was not like other people, she was someone who believed a lot in spirits, and surely she could be able to transcend.

-It doesn't matter, that's more than enough... I better start using this thing you shared with me now!

But then Iroh stops smiling at him as he watches as the young Avatar begins to meditate. He believed that dissuading him from doing something now would be simple, but he underestimated that the young man was very He was determined to do this, he had to do something but it was too late, and now it was out of his reach.

-Oh Young Avatar... I hope you can solve all this before it's too late.

The only thing he can do now is sigh and pray to the spirits for Aang to react. Without further ado, she sat back down in his chair while he watched Aang meditating.

...

Spirit World.

In his first searches to the spirit world, Aang traveled to the places that could bring nostalgia to Katara, he tried from his home to all the places they visited but he had no luck, and every time he did it and failed it caused him disappointment.

There were many things about the Spirit World that Aang still didn't fully understand; The question of whether and how spirits could reside in the physical realm was one of them. But he knew that he could find some spirits here, and so he kept searching.

Aang called again, searching for any sign as he walked down the long path forward without any specific direction. He listened carefully to see if he could hear anything, or notice any signs of finding anyone who might be here, but still he found nothing. He decided to change the scenario but had the same result. Aang's heart sank.

-I have searched many places and I still have not found or seen any sign that it is here. I just do not get it. He was so sure he would be here. What do I do now?

He looked at the landscape, but around him, he simply didn't find what he was looking for in sight, in the mist. Frustration came to the surface.

-Maybe Sokka and Iroh were right... maybe I just have to learn to move on. Although this time it seemed more possible. Now what can I do?

Without conscious effort, his mind brought up an image of Katara, one of her smiling at him, and it was quickly followed by a wave of pain and sadness. He tried to stay focused.

-I can't stay here. I have to do something... anything. Katara wouldn't have given up on me...she would have kept trying. I have to keep looking. But where am I going? Who could help me?...

Suddenly, Aang had an idea. He knew where he had to go next. Determined once again, Aang closed his eyes and focused on his fate. Traveling was another thing that worked differently from the world of the living. He just had to think about moving somewhere and he would travel there. He wasn't sure how long the process took, but he soon opened his eyes and found a new scenery around him.

He remembered this place in particular.

Many years ago when he, Katara, and Sokka were traveling they came to this forest that had previously burned but now looked better than before, but even so the inhabitant of this forest could surely help him. It seems that thinking about him made everything synchronized because soon he heard noises among the vegetation as well as movements that were beginning to be seen until he soon began to appear.

And when he saw it then he smiled.

Hei Bao.

It seems that Hei Bao recognized him because he approached him and greeted him. Aang returned the greeting, happy to see that he was feeling better now than he had been years ago, but he knew that he still needed help.

-Hei Bao I need you to help me... I need to know how to find new souls that come to the spirit world!

Hei Bao did not answer him, he just stared at him for a moment, which began to worry Aang. But then Hei Bao began to move to the side and stopped, with his head he made a sign for him to get on his back, Aang then understood that he was going to help him, and with a smile, he began to get on his back, once he was done. Hei Bao started walking.

...

Later...

When they reached the ground of the place, Aang got off Hei Bao who went on to retreat along the same path they had arrived on, while Aang began to observe the place, it only took him a moment to assimilate where he was.

-I can't believe I'm here again... the Wan Shi Tong Library...

-And I thought I wouldn't have another one of you here...

Aang turns to see the origin of that familiar voice to find the spirit that began to emerge from nowhere, the image of a giant owl with those dark eyes that look at him as if they saw the depths of his soul.

Wan Shi Tong.

-The Avatar... I thought I had made it clear to you and your friends that humans are no longer welcome in my library... at least his old friend decided to stop causing a lot of problems.

Directing his gaze towards a specific place, Aang continues towards where he refers and finds the corpse or almost the skeleton of an all too familiar person, who was surrounded by books.

-Professor Zei...- he says and looks with regret at the professor's skeleton, remembering the man who had brought them here a couple of years ago.

-And good?? Are you going to tell me what you are doing here? Once I know, I will gladly kick you out of here.

Aang remembers the reason for his visit to Wan Shi Tong.

-I came in search of knowledge...

-Oh yeah?? and what will it be this time? Any new war you want to stop? Or will it be like killing a new enemy?

Aang just denied it- I want to know how to navigate the spirit world...

If Wan Shi Tong was intrigued by his request he didn't show it - That's not something that someone has come to look for before, that he wants to find the Avatar with the spirit world??

As he asks her that question, the memory of Katara invades his mind once again.

-I lost someone a long time ago, I want to find them...

Wan Shi Tong, now understanding, laughs and looks at him mockingly - So you want to venture into the world of spirits to find a lost love, that is very dangerous Avatar, what you want to do is not something to be taken as a joke.

Aang nodded in agreement. "I understand, but what I want to do is see someone again... I should be able to do that."

Wan Shi Tong lowers her head to look him directly in the eyes, judging him with his eyes, searching for any indication of his true intentions.

-I can see your determination with this, your interest in this has caused me a lot of Avatar intrigue, so much so that it is fun to watch...

Aang closed his eyes and sighed tiredly. "So... will you allow me to access that knowledge?"

Wan Shi Tong now stood upright again - What you are looking for, Avatar, is one of the oldest and most valuable knowledge in my entire vast collection, even if I allowed you entry to my Library once again, what equally valuable knowledge could you give me? that I don't already have?

-How about this... When I finish my business in the spirit world, I will return and provide you with new knowledge for your collection.

Wan Shi Tong takes a moment to consider it. Aang just hopes that he accepts because he doesn't know what else he can give him since he doesn't bring anything else with him.

-Knowledge of the world of spirits for humans is very scarce but not impossible to find, very few have ventured to investigate this field, my library has all that has been collected throughout history... but If you can expand my collection, I will be willing to collaborate.

Aang sighs in relief and looks back at Wan Shi Tong, then he nods in agreement. "So, do we have a deal?"

Wan Shi Tong returns the gesture - The library opens its doors to you Avatar, feel free to obtain the knowledge you seek... the knowledge of the spirit world is found in the east wing in the first endings... and now you I remember once again, do not do anything to deceive me or take advantage of my knowledge because I will know and you will wish you had not made that mistake again.

Aang nods with a shiver down his spine, of course, he will comply this time, without further ado he decides to walk away from there and start heading to the east wing of the Library.

But without Aang knowing, Xiànshí saw him up close, looked at him disapprovingly, and proceeded to disappear, leaving a slight breeze, one that Aang felt and opened his eyes in surprise, he turned to look and found nothing... but he swore he had felt a presence

...

Several days later.

Physical mind- Mar Mo Ce.

The ship that was carrying Suki and Ty Lee sails as fast as possible directly to the Southern Air Temple, to find Avatar Aang so that he can help them solve this.

In addition to Suki, Ty Lee, and the crew that accompanied them, Sokka, and Toph had joined them, and as an unforeseen surprise, Princess Azula was also sailing with them.

Just now Ty Lee and Azula were on the railing of the ship, Ty Lee was entrusted with the mission of watching over Azula, although she is not entirely alone, lookouts are in various parts, if the princess decides to do something she would not They would leave.

But Ty Lee was by her side for another reason, she offered to be by her side and prevent her from doing something that would get on her friends' nerves, after all the resentment they feel towards Zuko's sister. It is far from disappearing.

You just have to remember how things went last time.

...

Flashback...

To say she was anxious was an understatement for Ty Lee, as here she was as a mediator for both Azula and Sokka, Suki and Toph who were eager to lash out at the Fire Nation Princess.

Well, in front of them and within their reach was Katara's murderer.

But in addition to that, each one has their resentment towards Azula herself, at this moment Ty Lee was the best one to start handling the situation, so now they are in this room.

After the healing that they provided to Azula, they were going to interrogate Azula, who now proceeded to put on the tunic that covered the wound that she had and that had been treated.

Ty Lee looked down from her to Azula's still exposed forearms and that's when she saw it.

Burn marks.

Marks that Zuko himself gave her when she defeated her.

Azula noticed where Ty Lee's gaze was going, so she rolled her eyes in amusement, covered her forearms again, and said in amusement- The most surprising thing about it Agni Kai was that I ended up a little proud of Zuzu for finally facing someone and not show weakness in finishing the job.

Ty Lee only nodded because he didn't know what to say to what she said, but he could see that Azula was genuine with what she was saying.

But the biggest surprise would be seeing Azula after everything that happened.

After the crisis with the Kemurikage matter and the collaboration with Ukano, Azula had not been seen after that. And now here they had her in a healing room being watched while a healer tended to her wounds.

Once he finished, the healer walked away, leaving the five teenagers alone. Now that there was nothing to stop them, Ty Lee decided to venture out and ask first.

-What are you doing here Azula? Of all the unpredictable things you've done, this one has undoubtedly been the craziest.

Azula just rolled her eyes at Ty Lee's disbelief but she didn't deny that she was right, she had never done anything like what she did and even less in the condition she was in.

-I came here to make the Avatar or one of you convince my brother to denounce these misdeeds against the Fire Nation... Zuko cannot let what has been happening to them go unpunished.

That certainly caught Team Avatar's attention.

-I assume that by misdeeds you mean the matter of Ozai's murder?

-What else could it be?? Those peasants wreak havoc on the Fire Nation and my brother is doing nothing!

-I don't understand, why would you want to help Zuko??, after all their history together.

Azula stared at the Gaang members, who gave her an angry look. It was more than clear to Azula that they still hadn't gotten over the peasant girl. Years had passed since that, they had to get over it at any moment! But now She knew she shouldn't say that, so she would have to be fair with her reaction.

-I may differ in how Zuzu does things and that he is such an idiot to start collaborating with people from other nations... but despite everything I am loyal to the Fire Nation and despite everything Zuzu is not doing badly at running the company. nation, however, I believe that with my help he will be much better than he is now and become a better Fire Lord

The Gaang members knew what she meant by that, she wanted to turn Zuko into someone like her and Ozai, but they immediately scoffed at that, their friend could never become like his father and sister and they would never allow it.

-So Rebels from the Water Tribe attacked you and you couldn't get to the palace...- Toph said that with a little mockery and crossed her arms. Azula noticed the mocking tone and narrowed her eyes at the blind and annoying girl. than to affirm that.

-Yes... they were the rebels, but they were not farmers from the Water Tribe... they were soldiers of the Earth King who, according to what they said, came from their King to obtain justice.

-Common soldiers of the Earth King defeated the great princess Azula. Oh, how the powerful have fallen- that mockery came from Suki because, in her history with Azula, there was a lot of resentment after the capture of her and her Kyoshi warriors as well as her stay at The Boiling Rock.

Azula just rolled her eyes. “It's pretty hard to keep up when you're being hunted for weeks on end.

The girl's biting tone did not go unnoticed either and she stared at him urging her to challenge her. They both looked at each other for a while when Sokka, who had been analyzing everything, was the next to ask.

-Wait, you're saying that Earth King soldiers attacked you in the Fire Nation?

End Flashback...

...

It seems that they have been underestimating the extent of the rebels, they doubt that it was Kuei who had sent them, the guy could hardly organize something like that, but they did not doubt that someone within his government had planned this, someone with resentment towards the Fire Nation, which wasn't a big clue, it had been years since the war ended but the list was still too long in terms of people who were still angry about how the war ended.

Now the important thing was to locate Aang and for the Avatar to stop all this before it goes too far.

-Where exactly are we supposed to go?? -Azula's voice brings Ty Lee out of her thoughts and turns to Azula- The Fire Nation is in that direction- now she points in another direction.

-First, we have to go get Aang, we need his help to help Zuko.

-They like to complicate your life, Zuko just needs you to tell him that it's okay to retaliate, plus how he's going to help the Avatar when he doesn't do his job right in the first place.

-Aang does what he can as the Avatar and part of that is tolerating that you are still alive Princess- the biting comment caught the attention of the two, and they turned to find Sokka, Suki, and Toph who also decided to go out on deck, but now the girl is blind. He had a frown on his face as he pointed at Azula - a sense of all of us he may have the most reasons to hate you.

Azula however was not intimidated by the presence, so she just scratched her nails disinterestedly. "I don't care what happens to him or what he thinks, I have proven that I am a superior warrior."

-Aang defeated your father! and he could do it with you in less time

Azula just huffed and now she fixed her gaze on them- If so, then why isn't he doing anything? Clearly, he may have all the power in the world, but he doesn't know how to use it or else he would have already done something to deal with what is happening... but it seems that since what happened years ago he hasn't been able to overcome it.

"You mean when you aimed lightning at Katara to kill her!" Suki now replied, furious at Azula's disdain. That sounded like a warning, which Azula should have heeded, but she decided to ignore it.

-They will say what they want, but she was the one who got involved, that stupid peasant girl was a gullible person who blindly jumped in, if she didn't trust my brother to win at that moment it was her fault, not mine.

Sokka, furious, attacked the princess of the Fire Nation, hearing him talk like that about his sister caused him to put aside all use of reason, so that's why he wanted to silence her, before being stopped by Suki and Toph who stopped him. They grabbed one arm each, and they undoubtedly knew what she was doing, she was provoking them for the simple fact of annoying them, she succeeded but they would not let Sokka fall into her traps.

-Sokka no!... don't do it, she just wants to provoke us, don't be fooled by her... it's not worth it.

Although Sokka didn't hear them well at first, they insisted that he not allow himself to be manipulated by her, in the end, although he reluctantly agreed, that's why when he calmed down he asked to be released, the girls did.

-Azula! behave do you want??!!! Saying those things is not right! - Ty Lee reproached Azula for what she had witnessed, perhaps she had not known Katara well but upon meeting her friends she knew of the great affection they had for her and that they still have for her, she knows that they should not messing with it, Azula however snorts, not taking into much consideration what Ty Lee asked but at least she decided not to say anything.

That seemed to calm things down, but then she and Suki noticed that Sokka was still looking at her with narrowed eyes.

-Sokka...- believing that she still hadn't forgotten what Azula said, she tried to call him.

But the aforementioned ordered Suki to shut up, and she just started walking to the railing where Azula was, he pushed her aside, she was going to demand why he had dared to touch her, but Sokka ignored her, he just took out his spyglass and began to look towards the horizon, this generated confusion in the girls.

-Oh no...- she stopped looking through the spyglass and looked very worried, Suki then decided to stand next to her to ask.

-It is bad??

-Worse...

Sokka handed her spyglass to Suki so she could see what he had, she took it and He looked through the lens, hoping it wasn't anything bad.

When she saw she understood Sokka's concern.

In the distance were Fire Nation warships, which could be seen heading towards Cranefish Town.

...

Wan Shi Tong Library

He can't tell how long he's been in this place, so he just proceeds to take out the next book and start reading it, there are many topics that he can find, some cause him a lot of curiosity, but he knows that he can't waste much time, it's not until he picks up one that It seems very old that you find the topic you are looking for.

He would have to keep searching and something told him that he would be here for a long time.

Without further ado, he proceeded to take the next book, and then another, and another, and another, after a while he had already reviewed several that had nothing to do with what he was looking for, others dealt with the world of spirits but came with incomplete knowledge. or with the same thing that Roku had told him, but he couldn't give up, he refused to believe that Katara was hopeless.

While searching on a shelf, he found another of Wan Shi Tong's books that looked very old, to which Aang nodded and proceeded to take it, he went down and passed several shelves to reach the table where several books were, and he placed the new one which he had on the table and he opened it to see its contents and was surprised to see that it spoke of the most ancient and powerful spirits of which there was knowledge.

-Spirits... of course, the spirit of the Avatar is already powerful, maybe the help of one of them is what I need...

When he opened the book he began to review the different spirits that were found, there was a long list of those that were talked about and he already knew.

Tui.

La.

Koh.

The Mother of Faces

Father Glowworn

General Old Iron

And many more, Aang spent a good time studying the book until he came to a page that made him curious...

-Raava and Vaatu... the spirits of order and chaos...

He was about to read more when a sound from a chair caught his attention, looking in his direction he saw that a spirit had landed in front of him and was looking directly at him.

"Who are you?" Aang asked, curious about the spirit and what it was doing here with it.

-I am a spirit, but that is not the important thing, I came to give you a message

-A message?? Who?? - Now that caused him intrigued, mentally wondering who wanted to contact him.

-From a man named Iroh, he told me to tell you that problems have arisen, and the Avatar has to return and take care of them.

Aang opened his eyes, he didn't expect that, but he didn't understand how Iroh managed to contact spirits, or why it was so urgent to return now, he was looking for clues to find Katara, he couldn't turn back now.

-I understand, but I'm very busy right now, I'm sure it's not something very urgent, my friends can solve it, I'm sure that if he asks them they will help him.

He politely declined, hoping that would have convinced the spirit.

-He also sent me to tell you that the threat is before your friends, who are now trying to resolve the conflict but if you do not appear the result will be very bad.

That caught Aang's attention more which made him a little worried but then he shook his head.

-There is nothing they can't do without my help, I'm sure they will do well.

-If he also thought you would say that... that's why he asked me to do this

Before Aang could react to the answer, the spirit got up from the chair and stood on the table, it instantly went to him and touched his forehead, that movement seemed to leave him off balance as Aang began to lose his balance. knowledge.

-That...??

But he did not finish the sentence, the only thing he could was see the Spirit that was now saying goodbye to him.

As if he had woken up from a nightmare, Aang reached gasping he didn't expect the spirit to do that, it somehow took him out of the spirit world, but then reality hit him and he opened his eyes in disbelief, the spirit had taken her out! can't! He has to go back now, or else Wan Shi Tong might not let him in again!

But then a familiar growl brings him out of his thoughts, and that's when he realizes that his surroundings had changed, he was no longer in Jasmine's Dragon and not in Ba sing se, now he was in the Appa's mount.

-That?? Appa?? How did he get here?

- It is a pleasure to see that the spirit that came to look for you has found you.

Now reacting to the voice calling him he saw that Iroh was in Appa's head, apparently guiding him, now he realizes that they are flying right now, with no apparent direction, as far as he knows.

-Iroh?? What happened?? Why did you call me??

-Come on young Avatar, we are heading to Cranefish Town, I have received disturbing news from the White Lotus that Fire Lord Zuko is heading with troops to confront the summit leaders about crimes against the Fire Nation.

The information takes Aang by surprise.

-That??!!! Why would Zuko do something like that? He doesn't know that doing so could cause another war.

Now Iroh turned to look at him and Aang could see an expression that wanted to tell him something that he was not going to like.

-I am afraid, young Avatar, that this is my nephew's intention. For months he tried to avoid this, but circumstances must have reached the point where he could no longer avoid it.

-Months??

There was something in what Iroh had told him that hit Aang too hard on the head as if something had enlightened him about a certain topic.

This couldn't be.

What he had done! He had neglected his duties as the Avatar and now the world was about to enter another war!

He had to do something before it was too late.

...

Cranefish Town. Several hours later.

From the times Aang had come, I didn't imagine that he would see this. What was once a city that promised to be the metropolis that mixed the four elements was now a place of maximum tension, where anything could trigger the start of a new war.

Just as they descended on Appa, a group of Fire Nation soldiers ran up and surrounded them.

-Don't take another step!!!

Aang immediately went down to calm them down - Please calm down!!!, I'm the Avatar

-Don't move or suffer the consequences!!- However, they didn't listen to him, they just had him in their sights.

-Please...- but before he could do anything else, Iroh's hand rests on his shoulder, which catches his attention and that of the soldiers who recognize who he is.

-General Iroh!-Immediately the soldiers stand at attention in the presence of him, but Iroh dismisses them with a gesture.

-On rest soldiers... tell me how is the situation??

-The leader of the group composes himself- Very bad sir... we have arrived with orders to ensure possible attacks against our ships. Still, tensions increased, and the Lord of Fire went with a delegation to confront the other nations... denounce what they did to us.

-Why does Zuko think other Nations attacked them??

His question seems to offend the leader and other soldiers- Young Avatar, the question that should be asked is why they attacked us. The Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes have attacked us without consideration for months, causing murders, riots, and robberies! and while they wash their hands saying they didn't do it... when they still do it!

Several soldiers grunt and nod in agreement, which only adds to Aang's worries, since he doesn't know what's been happening, he's supposed to keep his balance! But he got so into his thoughts that he forgot his responsibilities.

-Aang!

The person who shouted his name caught his attention, he turned to see who it was to see Sokka, Toph, Suki, and Ty Lee running towards him. When they are with both him and Iroh, they prepare to update him.

-It's good that we found you... the situation is very bad! The police try to appease everyone present... but this looks like a bomb ready to explode...

-Twinkletoes, you have to go to Sparky and the others and convince them not to do anything crazy!

Making mention of the Fire Lord, Aang decides to ask - Zuko!, where is he??

Ty Lee is now the one who answers - In the town hall, with the other world leaders, but Aang you have to convince him, he already rejected all of us to dissuade him... if you don't do it

-There is nothing to dissuade... this is what has to be done!

The voice that joined the conversation caught everyone's attention, both the Gaang, Iroh, Ty Lee and the soldiers who were listening, everyone turned in that direction to find Princess Azula stopping in front of them.

When Aang sees her, the memory of Katara, as well as all the feelings that relate to Azula, invades Aang and he immediately becomes defensive.

-What are you doing here??!!!

Azula, annoyed with her attitude, only answers, "I came here so Zuko can do what needs to be done."

-What you want is for the war to restart!!!

Azula just narrows her eyes- And what if it is like that?? The crimes that were committed against the Fire Nation warrant it...

-Niece...- Iroh now decides to get involved- even though you know that doing so will not bring anything good, the other Nations have recovered enough to be able to resist us, besides our people do not need another war.

-And under no reason will we allow that to happen again- Suki shouts as she rushes towards Azula, who in an attempt to incapacitate her lunges at her, Azula dodges her easily, but then a gust of air hits her and sends her back, causing her to fall to the ground, Toph immediately bends the earth to incapacitate her hands and feet and Ty Lee rushes to block her chi so she can't bend.

Suki in turn commands the soldiers- You! Keep an eye on her, Fire Lord Zuko wants her detained now.

Using her authority as the Fire Lord's Chief of Security, the guards follow her order and prepare to take Azula into custody, Ty Lee decides to accompany them to avoid anything.

-You have to go there and stop everyone now!!!-Aang doesn't know who told him but from the way things are he knows that it doesn't matter.

Without complaining Aang nods, with the glider in his hand he raises it to the wind and lets himself go with it, to end this. Iroh, who sees him, decides to follow him with whatever speed he can have.

...

The summit room was chaos.

Traces of Fire, Water, and Earth came out everywhere, while the leaders of the Nations were at every corner, each one with their group threatening the others, there was Arnook in the company of members of the Water Tribe, Kuei with his bodyguards and the representatives of the Earth kingdom, Bumi for his part threw rocks for fun, while Zuko was ready for anything with his soldiers.

-Now I want the truth??!!! They didn't dare to take responsibility so now I want them to tell me to my face!!!

-I should have known that the Fire Nation would come here with hostile intentions this is a provocation.

-I don't know what they are accusing me of, but I have not ordered any attack to be carried out!

More comments continued to be made, many to confirm, others to deny, but all of them would have the purpose of blaming the others for having broken the peace, Zuko was ready to give an ultimatum, either they would hand him over to the culprits or he would break the peace when Aang appeared. With a gust of air, he caught everyone's attention, landing in the center of the place ready for the confrontation.

-Stop this now!!! This is the peace conference, they are supposed to be making declarations of war.

-It was the Fire Nation who started it, they came here saying that we have attacked them- That was said by an angry Arnook.

Immediately Aang now turns to Zuko to try to find clarity.

-Zuko, I understand how you feel, but you can't destroy the peace we have fought to achieve!!!... you need to calm down!

-Calm down and do not sacrifice peace??!!!, they are the ones who don't want peace, I tried for months to find out why they attacked my Nation when we were at peace!!! I tried to solve it without retaliation... but that was before they entered my palace and murdered people in front of my Aang!!!

-What??

Aang stunned Zuko when he blurted out that statement, while the other only trembled with anger as he began to relate.

-They said that they came from the Earth King and Chief Arnook, that they were doing the justice that the Avatar did not seek!!!

Kuei and Arnook reacted to his accusations and began to deny having done such acts, saying that they were slander against them, but Zuko did not back down, he had tolerated this for too long, waiting for an answer that said that they were not the planned attacks that they should have been. his allies but that time is up.

He would not accept any more abuse from anyone else against his Nation.

But that discussion served as a distraction because they did not notice how several of the groups of Kuei and Arnook took that as a sign. After all, they soon resumed the attack, against the Fire Lord and the Avatar.

-Death to the Fire Nation!!!

Then all hell broke loose.

The rebels proceeded to launch their attack, from which they came out from all sides, all heading towards the Fire Nation soldiers, who, on Zuko's orders, began to counterattack.

A Fire Nation soldier sent a signal into the sky that signaled to the Fire Nation warships parked outside that They began to attack, which in retaliation caused the forces of the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes to respond, but being a minority and because the Fire Nation had come prepared, caused them to begin to be dominated.

Sokka, Suki, and Toph, seeing what was happening, began to act, Toph with her Earth control began to separate the two sides that had been made, while Suki and Sokka took out weapons to do the same, hoping that they could avoid a new war has gone, after this day the war will have started again, now they only have to survive.

Suki, who has had many battles, knows the price of them, knows that not everyone comes out of this free and also that sacrifices have to be made, that is why when she sees an arrow that was launched from any direction and goes in the direction of Sokka, He knows that what he learned applies to today once again.

That's why he doesn't hesitate to jump straight to where Sokka is fighting with a Fire Nation soldier, which is why he doesn't know about the arrow that's coming towards him, and that's why he jumps in to take it for him.

Sokka, who was involved in his fight, felt something pushing him when he felt a body, he had finished defeating the soldier and turned to face whoever was trying to surprise him from behind, but he was not ready for what he was going to witness.

-Suki!- Alarmed, Sokka stopped fighting while he was going to run to be next to his girlfriend, who began to feel that she was getting weaker, it began to be difficult for her to breathe because she was doing it more and more slowly, she was about to fall when Sokka's arms caught her- Hold on! You'll be fine! We'll find... we'll find a healer and you'll be fine... you'll see... we'll move on with our lives... and I'll ask you to marry me...

Sokka said brokenly as he held Suki's body in an attempt to convince her or convince himself that she would be saved. Tears flooded his eyes as he looked directly into her eyes. Suki smiled back as she ran her hand over his face. face.

She undoubtedly loved this boy, the one who had come to her island years ago and who had despised her before for being a woman, how he had changed so much since that time, how the two of them had, but he wouldn't change anything, just maybe, that Things wouldn't have ended like this.

-Sokka... I... I love you... and... I... I would have... liked to be your wife.

He felt that life was draining from her body, and that's why he decided to tell her, he didn't want to leave without first telling her her answer.

-And you will be... you will see, we will get out of this and we will get married, you will see, we will do it on Kyoshi Island in front of everyone, Zuko will finance the wedding, it helps to pay for all the years you spent taking care of him...- In an attempt at humor to make her see why she shouldn't give up, Sokka tried to encourage her, but Suki knew it and he knew it too, there was no hope, taking her last breath, Suki gave her one last loving smile before closing her eyes forever. ...no... please don't leave me... don't leave me too... please don't...

His pleas were not answered, all Sokka did was cling to Suki's lifeless body while he cried inconsolably.

...

Those who were once allies had stopped being allies when they began to seek justice for themselves, at which point things had gotten so out of control, Aang does not know, he only knows that he has to reach the leaders to stop all this. , he lost Iroh a long time ago, so he must be looking for his way to Zuko, while Aang is avoiding everyone who comes across him and wants to confront him, the only thing he knows is that he has to stop this.

Dodging an Earth Kingdom soldier, his hopes rise far away, as he sees that Zuko is in sight, with all conviction, Aang rushes to reach him, only to see something that freezes him in place.

But then he notices that Zuko has stopped fighting.

When a rebel stabbed him with a dagger

-This is what you deserve Ash Maker!!! This is what the Avatar should have done from the beginning.

Zuko without further ado began to kneel before the feeling that he was beginning to weaken. The attacker smiled evilly, took out his dagger, and prepared to deliver what would be the final blow, but then a gust of air sent him flying.

-NO!!!!

The rebel was not going to try anything else when a great burst of fire surprised him, it had not been Aang who had done it, it had been General Iroh who had witnessed the same thing as Aang, furious about that question the old Dragon of the West resurfaced momentarily, only to appease him later and run to his nephew's side.

But that didn't take away the excitement Aang felt.

An angry Aang lost control of his emotions because of what he had seen and that was how he unconsciously entered the Avatar State, with which he began to attack everyone, but no one understood the reasons and with the chaos of the Avatar with The battle inside and outside the city would soon end in ruins.

And it was even more so when Aang, by not measuring his power, caused a ground fault in the town to react and it began to trigger an earthquake.

...

Elsewhere Toph opened her eyes in shock as she felt what was approaching - Be careful!!! - The tremor of the earthquake alarmed everyone who immediately began to run, trying to stop it long enough for the others to escape. Toph used her Earthbending to try to make the Earth stable, but the magnitude of the earthquake was overwhelming her.

With her seismic sense she discovers a couple trying to escape and they were about to be crushed by a rock, she decides to save them instead of continuing with what she was doing.

The strong tremors then end up overwhelming her and she is sent to the ground, when she gets up she felt something strong coming, something she couldn't stop and couldn't dodge.

-I finally found the opponent I could never beat... too bad I'll never have a chance for revenge.

While Sokka continued with Suki's corpse in his arms and instead, he decided to stay in that place and not abandon Suki, then he noticed that Toph was still there in the distance but she didn't get up, curious about what had her. Without moving, he looked in that direction and that's when he discovered it.

-Katara, Suki... I'll see you soon.

Without further ado and resigned to her fate, Sokka decides to surrender to whatever she comes hoping to reunite with her family who is no longer here when he is on the other side.

...

-No!, no, no, this is not what I wanted to happen.

-Aang, what is happening??!!- Zuko screams horrified as he witnesses what is happening around him.

-Aang!- Iroh shouts mortified.

Aang quickly enters the Avatar State, using a combination of all four elements to stop the destruction that begins to surround them, but his efforts begin to be overtaken by the reality that begins to show when he sees the consequences of not getting involved.

Aang desperately searches for something to help him when he sees Xianshi in the distance.

-You!... you can do something, fix it...

Xianshi is briefly surprised that Aang managed to see him, but then remembers that as an Avatar his connection to the spirit world is very strong, but then he also remembers what he asked for, so he just shakes his head. "Just like you were trying to fix Katara?

Xiànshí, seeing that he could see him, decides to make himself visible. Zuko and his uncle, hearing the voice, turn in his direction to see the spirit watching them.

"What?" Zuko says when he hears the name of the person he tried to save before and failed.

Aang lowers his head and accepts that his statement was correct- ... I...

- I warned you!

-I know!... but the world, the world should not pay for my mistake... I read about you in the Library, I felt your presence, you are a spirit as powerful as it is ancient, at the level of Raava and Vaatu, you can undo this...

Xiànshí just shakes her head, reading his despair and saying with regret.

-I'm not like them and you can't do anything either... you may have the Spirit of Raava, but you can't stop what has happened here.

Aang, more desperate, shouts - Well, punish me! not to the world! not to my friends!

Zuko approaches- Please don't do this to us...

-If you are capable of doing something, please help us...- Iroh now begs, imploring and trying to convince Xiànshí so that he can help them.

Xiànshí looks at them both sadly and then looks at Aang- Believe me, if I could fix it and only punish you, I would... but I can't interfere, more than anyone should know that playing with what's already established only causes greater destruction...

Without further ado, Xiànshí walks away from the place as the three look on.

Aang just shakes his head in despair - No... no! - He looks from him to Iroh who sees him dejected and just shakes his head - I didn't want this to happen!

The destruction begins to dominate him, locking him in more and more, until it overcomes him and only darkness remains...

...

In the great darkness of the night sky, where a great trail of destruction is witnessed, a large crater is found in the middle of the city destroyed as a result of the confrontation of the new war that began, inside it are the last living beings of That battle that began, two of them however are about to die too.

Iroh is near his nephew and Aang, dying, feeling that life and everything in itself are beginning to fade, while Aang only watches the destruction that his decision has caused, now everyone finds themselves in a deserted and lifeless wasteland, as a result. After this great battle, he looks to the side where Zuko is dying, because he is in the same state as his Uncle.

-Aang...

The whisper is barely perceptible but Aang hears it and raises his head to see Iroh who is fading but before giving him a look that shows many emotions that Aang cannot read all of them...

Sad for the loss of his friend, closes his eyes and fixes his gaze on Zuko who, upon seeing him, sees helplessly that he is also about to leave.

-Zuko I... oh no, I'm sorry...

Zuko can recognize Aang's voice and looks at him, gathering the last of his strength, he says.

-Aang... what did you do??

Without further ado, he ends up surrendering to death, joining everyone else before a helpless Aang who, once again aware of everything he has caused, throws himself to the ground crying in pain when he sees that once again he has lost everything and everyone. all that he loved because of his own mistakes, only this time he has been left completely alone.

...

One life, one choice, and one moment can destroy our entire universe.

Chapter Text

Time

Space

Reality

It is more than a linear path... it is a prism of unlimited possibilities... where a single choice can be divided into infinite realities and create alternate worlds to those you already know... I am Xiànshí the spirit of reality, I am your guide in these new and vast realities, follow me and consider the question... what if??

In every universe there are heroes, we find them in the least expected places, and possibilities are always tied to them, marking who they are, marking their destiny... however even heroes are capable of making bad choices...

...

Mar Mo Ce

In a room on a Fire Nation warship, there is a young woman from the Southern Water Tribe, wrapped in a red cloak. The room was decorated in the style of the Fire Nation, however her attention was not drawn. She was nowhere, sitting on a cot, all her attention was focused on a cane she had in her hand.

The sound of the metal door opening filled the room, but the girl decided not to turn around to see who had entered, she just waited for him to announce himself and recognize who she was.

-Katara.

Katara heard the voice that called her but she did not turn to see the person who had entered, however, she knew who it was, her gaze was still on the cane, which she began to caress.

-Katara, please.

At the voice's plea, she only let out a sigh and then said, "What's wrong Sokka?"

Her brother let out his sigh as he looked at Katara, he had been like this since they had started sailing, he refused to leave the room, he didn't go out to eat or train and if he did it was in here, but almost every time he The wine always found her with that cane.

Aang's Glider.

-Everything is ready... the others are waiting for us outside for the ceremony.

Katara nodded as confirmation that she had heard, it was finally time, time to say her last goodbye, the memories of what had happened began to fill her mind as she closed her eyes to avoid shedding more tears than she had and she squeezed the cane with force.

This was noticed by Sokka who immediately rushed to sit next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

-You don't have to go out if you don't want to... I know how much it still affects you.

Katara just shook her head as she put an arm around her to wipe away the tears that still wanted to come out. "No, I want to do this, I have... I have to be there to say goodbye."

Sokka wanted to say something to console her but decided to just tighten the grip he had on her shoulder as a sign of support. That seemed to help Katara because she soon nodded and proceeded to get up. Sokka imitated her actions and both brothers proceeded to leave the ship's cabin...

The warship had been taken by them after their meeting with their father and the warriors of the Southern Water Tribe, in itself it has helped them a lot to be able to go unnoticed by the Fire Nation patrols, as well as to house allies who decided to join them for their plans.

But for now, this is more important.

When they come out onto the deck of the ship they are surrounded by several Water Tribe warriors, all keeping solemn glances, some bowing their heads in a sign of respect, as the brothers advance the warriors make way for them, and they continue walking until they reach the shore of the ship. where Toph, Appa, and Momo meet.

Next to them are two Freedom Fighters. Pipsqueak and The Duke, plus his father Hakoda and his friend Bato next to him. And even next to them was the Earth King Kuei and Bosco.

When they are already on the shore Katara notices that Toph has a container in her hands and instantly knows what it is. He squeezes the cane he had in his hand harshly, reminding himself of the situation they are in and how they got there.

Sokka puts a hand on her shoulder. "It's time."

Katara nods and turns to the rest of her Tribe- Avatar Aang was a brave young man, always willing to give hope to people... but above all, he was a teacher, student, and friend, today we gather to say goodbye to him... and Although he is no longer with us, his teachings, his moments and his sacrifice for our world are what will last... - Toph at that moment stands next to Katara and gives her the container that contained Aang's ashes - now he transcends and Meet up with the rest of your people...

They did not have time to organize a dignified funeral and none of them knew the traditions of the air nomads, they could not say goodbye to him like someone from the Water Tribes, so they devised this because although they carried out their funerals returning those who were no longer to the sea, they believed that Aang would have wanted to be returned to his element.

That's why Katara opened the Urn and headed to the Shore of the Boat.

-Goodbye Aang... I hope we meet again in the next life...

Without further ado, I let go of the ashes that began to come out waving to be lost in the wind, everyone who was on the platform watched as the ashes of the remains of Avatar Aang was lost in the night sky.

Everyone witnessed the departure of The Last Airbender.

In front of everyone present was Sokka, Katara, and Toph who just stood there, Toph lowered her head and let out some tears, Sokka made a farewell gesture in the style of the Water Tribe, promising to the memory of Aang that they would meet again. see, while Katara was grabbing Aang's Glider and squeezing it helplessly.

But without her knowing, Xiànshí saw her sad from the sky.

...

Heroes are not born... they are forged by darkness... they are shaped by battle... they are defined by sacrifice... but in a multiverse of possibilities, heroes can take different paths that lead them to be consumed by darkness.

In another universe, during Team Avatar's escape after the fall of Ba Sing Se, Katara did everything in her power to bring Aang back to life, successfully bringing him... however Relief did not last long... unfortunately Aang succumbed to his injuries ultimately led to his death... with the death of the Avatar, the world would be about to enter an age of darkness... and with the loss of his greater hope, someone else was lost...

...

Several days later.

In the helmsman's room a meeting was taking place about what was going to be done now, without the Avatar and with the capital of the Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se under enemy control, the war had practically been won by the Fire Nation. , which is why they were heading to what was now the last stronghold outside the reach of the Fire Nation, the city of Agna Qel'a in the Northern Water Tribe.

For this meeting, there were Sokka, Katara, Toph, Hakoda, and Bato, as well as King Kuei.

-Now what will we do? How can we do this without the Avatar?? - That question is said by Bato in an attempt to start the conversation.

However, Katara seems to take it personally, as if it were some kind of recrimination towards her. That response was answered by Hakoda who took a step forward to put a hand on Katara's shoulder and calm her down.

-We have to continue... without the Avatar it is now up to us to stop the Fire Nation.

Instead of her father's gesture reassuring her, soon more opinions of the others begin to circulate the room, but in Katara's mind, this does the opposite because she immediately decides to answer.

-Of what use will it be to us in the end, without the Avatar there is no hope...

Silence fills the room as everyone is surprised by her comment, especially that it comes from her.

-Sugar Queen that is not true, we can...

-We can't do anything! It was Aang's duty to stop the Fire Lord.

-Yes he was but he is no longer here, now it is up to us to manage without him!

-We won't be able to do anything like that!!! We are not strong enough, we couldn't even keep Aang alive!!! What opportunity will we have without him after failing the last time!!!

A tense silence now fills the room, no one dares to break it, even Toph refrains from saying any comment, so in the face of all this, Sokka decides to get the attention of the others.

-Can you give Katara and me a moment... please??...

-Katara...- he tries to call her to listen to him.

But she doesn't look at him, she feels like a warning, she knows what she plans to say and she won't allow it. - Don't say it Sokka... I know what you mean...

-Look, I understand how you feel...- she is now angry so she raises her head and faces her brother.

-You don't know what I feel, Sokka! I stood there and couldn't do anything. He Died and I couldn't do anything to save him! They killed him! What good am I if I can't save my friend? What's the point of being a water bender if all I do is paint a target around those around me?!

It's her fault. She was not strong enough to save everyone she cared about, first her mother and now Aang, nor can she allow her loved ones to suffer again at the hands of the Fire Nation. She has to get stronger

-Katara is not your fault, you did everything in your power to save Aang, you were not responsible for anything, it was Zuko and her sister's fault that this had happened.

Zuko and Azula. She is right, they were, and they are to blame for all this having happened.

"You're right," she agreed in a dull voice.

-I'm right- Sokka nodded as if this closed her discussion but there was something that didn't convince him- ... are you sure you'll be okay?

"I'm fine, Sokka," she assured him, still looking out the window. "In a way, you're right, I can't blame myself when the real people responsible are still out there," she continued, remembering golden eyes and a confession under bright green glass and his expression He steeled himself to face Sokka again. "I look forward to the day of the invasion... I have some pending business in the Fire Nation."

Sokka nodded again - Good but first, we will go to the North to ask for help, their forces combined with ours and those of the Earth Kingdom will be enough to help us.

Katara just nodded and walked past her brother to go to the door, without looking at Sokka who just let out a sigh as he looked at his sister, worried about her, hoping he wasn't wrong about this. He decides to follow her to open the door, but only when he opens it he sees that his father and Toph are arguing with the Earth King, which confuses the two brothers. When the others notice them, they stop arguing, but that doesn't mean that he is having a hard time. forget.

-What is happening??

-The Earth King says that now that he no longer has resources, it makes no sense for him to be here, he wants to leave...- Toph says in a bad mood.

Sokka and Katara open their eyes in shock, not believing it, Sokka starts to reply.

-He's crazy!!! We don't take him out of Ba sing se and then he tells us that he won't help us, how can he think of that?

Kuei lowers his head in shame - I won't be of much help to you, I have no authority or troops, plus Bosco and I will travel throughout the Earth Kingdom, it will serve as an experience.

But Toph, to everyone's surprise, is the one who decides to make him see reason because he grabs him by his tunic and forces him to look at her.

-You can't leave just like that, not when your Kingdom needs you more than ever, as long as you stay alive and keep fighting your kingdom will follow you, in the Earth Kingdom we are persevering, Ba sing may fell, and what?? As long as our people continue to have hope then they will continue to resist, don't take that away from them just because you want to be a coward.

Without further ado, she lets him go and he proceeds to leave in front of everyone's faces. Once he is gone Kuei straightens up awkwardly.

-I... I have to think about it...

Without further ado, he proceeds to leave in the company of Bosco before the eyes of the members of the Water Tribe.

-I don't know what happened here, but I just hope that Toph's words convince him not to leave.

-I also hope that.

...

The arrival to the Northern Water Tribe took a couple more days, between the discussion that Kuei and Toph had, the first had to become aware of the words said by her, after an afternoon of reflection, Kuei accepted that he could not stay. sitting without doing anything, no matter how, but he would look for the form and support for the day of the invasion, believing that he could still find soldiers who would still be free and willing to fight, Kuei two days later set out in search of troops who were still be at his disposal, Pipsqueak and the Duke offered to accompany him, Hakoda sent a few of his warriors to assist and protect him.

After that, the remaining members set course for the Northern Water Tribe, where they stayed for almost a week. Toph was not comfortable in the cold and, arguing that she would not be able to see anything if she stepped on the ice, decreed that she would not go out at all. from the ship, so Hakoda, Bato, and the brothers were the ones who entered to ask for support for their mission.

During their stay, they learned that Master Pakku and other members of the Tribe went to the South Pole to help members of their sister Tribe rebuild, which filled the Southerners with joy and gave them hope that they would help them.

However, that would not be the case.

-Our best hope now is to resist as long as we can and wait for the next Avatar to emerge so we can finally end the war.

Although the argument was valid, Sokka and especially Katara did not like it very much, although she was able to bring Aang back from the dead momentarily and save the Avatar cycle so that now a new Avatar that is from the Water Tribe emerges. , that does not mean that now they fold their arms and do nothing.

And she would let him know.

-I know the reason why they don't want to support us... afraid, they are afraid and I can understand it, but we cannot let our fear dominate us... -making that clear now he addressed the rest of those present- this war was the Fire Nation's way of telling the world that they can take what they want and that no one will stop them, they believe that the world belongs to them and that they are above us, our values, our culture, our identity... Well, because I'm tired of being afraid, I'm not going to let the Fire Lord think he can enslave us - she now addressed the rest of her people who saw her in amazement - we are the Water Tribes, we are brave, we are warriors. , we have survived this frozen Earth and we have done so with our merits, with our strength and our will... - he turned to Arnook again to say the following - we cannot afford to lose that!

Some members of the council as well as several of the Northern Water Tribe nodded and agreed, while Arnook only saw Katara unfazed, KataAra stared at him hoping he could convince him, after a few minutes without speaking, Arnook responded.

-But what do you want us to do Katara?? We are still recovering from the Fire Nation attack, our resources are limited in the face of a campaign against the Fire Nation, and the best we can do is wait for the arrival of the next Avatar...

Several members of the council nod in agreement with Arnook, but Katara lets out a slight sigh of defeat but does not let herself be defeated, so she then decides to use his last card.

-But we have to do it... whether we want it or not, the war will end soon... - That argument caught the attention of everyone present, except for Sokka who had an idea of what his sister would say, but he agreed that it was needless to say - at the end of this summer Sozin's Comet will return and when it does it will give the fire benders immense power, the last time they used it they destroyed the air nomads, who say that the Fire Lord will not use it with the same purpose against another nation??... if that were to happen, everything we fought for, everything we sacrificed... - his gaze now turned to Arnook and only Arnook - and everyone he We lost, in the end, everything would have been in vain

You didn't have to be a genius to know who he was referring to in particular. The memory of Princess Yue and what she had done was still very present in the Tribe, she was brave enough to sacrifice her own life to save the Moon Spirit, a feat that not only saved the tribe. her tribe but possibly to the world.

The indirect mention of the princess hit Sokka deeply, and he looked down as the memory of Yue flooded his mind, causing feelings of sadness, guilt, and nostalgia to also arise.

-Chief Arnook. I know that you lost your daughter during the siege, just like her, many lives will be lost if we don't do something... Please help us, this is for all our people. With your help and that of the warriors of the Northern Tribe, including those allies we have to help us with the invasion, we will have a chance to defeat the Fire Nation once and for all.

The members of the council discussed among themselves the best course of action, there were many positions for and against helping, just as there were all over the place, so all the northerners fixed their gaze on their boss to see what he had. What to say, surprised to see tears in his eyes as he nodded at Sokka and Katara's words.

He would help. He would do it for Yue.

...

Fire Nation - Eclipse Day

It had finally arrived, today would be the day that would decide the fate of the world. How could anyone miss it?

In the distance, he could see the other ships in the fleet, a mix of the blue of the Southern Water Tribe and the deeper blue sails of the Northern Water Tribe, there were many of each, and with the Swamp Masters Also on their side, they had enough Waterbenders to give the Fire Nation a tough fight.

The Earthbenders and their non-bender friends were also there, and Sokka had talked over and over again about the Mechanist's latest inventions, which were submarines that would make it easier for them to reach the port and begin the invasion.

It didn't matter much, today the Fire Nation would fall.

The first step of the invasion had gone as planned, while the abandoned ships had been destroyed, some of the other ships had turned around, feigning a retreat, hoping to draw the outside patrols into a chase and get through. without problems, giving the port guards a false sense of security.

Katara was alone on the bow of the Submarine. Members of Team Avatar had passed through the Fire Nation after convincing the Northern Water Tribe to help with the invasion.

And here they were now.

They all knew the dangers of the mission but were willing to risk their lives anyway. Her reunions with old friends like Haru, Pipsqueak, The Duke, and Teo were welcome distractions, but they had done little to melt the layer of ice Katara had built up around her heart. Everything seemed to remind her of Aang and how she had failed him.

Her innocent smile, her willing laugh, her warm hugs. The fact that she always had a positive view of things. He missed his friend.

There was one thing she promised herself as she looked up at the sky. Only one blessing she sought from Tui. No matter what happened to the Fire Lord, no matter what happened to her, she prayed to the spirits that the next time they met, her enemies would be the ones to fall. She pleaded with the ocean and the spirits of her ancestors.

She begged them that when the Fire Prince and Princess took her last breath, the last thing they would see was her face and that they would know that That was the reason they lay dying.

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself, trying to center her emotions before the battle. When she opened them again, she could see the port in the distance, but something in the air made her shudder, she immediately turned around, summoning water ready for anything but she found no one around her, but she still felt as if I wasn't alone. As if there was someone else there with her.

She wasn't scared, but rather she felt comfortable, as if there was something familiar about that presence.

"Aang?" She whispered, but suddenly, the sensation disappeared, the presence was gone.

She quickly composed herself, it wasn't the time to have hallucinations, so she just climbed onto Appa while the submarines began to submerge. Soon, with her water bending she created a bubble for Appa, the effort it took to keep an air bubble around Appa didn't leave her much of a chance to think about what had happened, they kept moving forward when the alarms started ringing, Katara had to fight. to prevent harpoons and chains from destroying their submarines before they could reach shore.

Soon the submarines began to resurface and open and the tanks powered by Earthbending came out, followed by warriors from the Water Tribes, Waterbenders, and Earthbenders who began to attack by throwing water and rocks at the guards. of the Fire Nation that began to emerge to confront them, as well as the towers that were everywhere. In the middle of it, all were Sokka and Hakoda, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with Fire Nation soldiers.

Soon Appa descended, terrifying the Fire Nation soldiers who had never seen a Sky Bison outside of a history book. As she neared the ground, Katara jumped off her back, cushioning her fall with a wave of water drawn from the harbor, before sending her crashing into a tank that was approaching her.

War had finally come to the Fire Nation.

...

They had managed to pass and secure Harbor City, and now they were on their way to Hari Bulkan to reach the palace, even though the eclipse had not started yet, everything was going according to plan.

"The whole city is abandoned," Toph said then when he unexpectedly realized how unusual he felt no presence other than the members of the local guard facing them. That's when Sokka opened his eyes realizing something.

-They knew it.

Those present who had listened to Sokka began to assimilate the situation when they realized that they had fallen into a trap. They had to change strategy.

Analyzing the situation, they determined that the Fire Lord must be hidden not far from the city, the only place that could assure him of that was the volcano.

As the invasion continued on the ground Sokka, Toph, Katara, and Haru (who volunteered to accompany them) flew with Appa into the skies, planning to get ahead of themselves while the troops caught up with them while securing the palace and directing reinforcements to secure the Lord's hideout. of fire.

Once they were on the side of the volcano, Toph discovered an underground bunker that made a hole in the ground, connecting them with a natural tunnel just below the surface. The three minus Haru entered, he decided to return to help bring in reinforcements and tell them where to enter while they secured any enemies and hopefully, Fire Lord Ozai before the eclipse ended.

So the three continued, running quickly following Toph who led the way, hoping to find Ozai. They were not lucky.

They found Princess Azula first, just as the eclipse began. Not even the absence of her element dimmed her smile, nor did she seem relaxed in the presence of the Avatar's companions.

-So in the end it turned out that the Avatar was not alive... it's a little sad, I wanted to see his expression when I told him that I had known about the invasion for months, but I'll settle for you- he said it all with an arrogant smile on his face. etched on Azula's face as she looked at them.

The memory that she had been the one who killed Aang served to motivate the Gaang to act, but above all Katara, who wanted to make her pay.

"This will be easy," Katara thought before she was quickly proven wrong.

The Dai Li appeared out of nowhere and began to confront them. Dodging the rising earth, Katara was unable to maintain a water-bending stance long enough to lash out at Azula, who ran through one of the tunnels.

They pursued her, fighting off the Dai Li agents as they went.

Toph managed to incapacitate one of them, trapping it in a metal support beam. Katara watched him struggle for a moment before she was sure she couldn't escape. Becoming friends with the inventor of metal bending was certainly helpful.

The princess kept moving and they chased her.

Sokka was the first to realize the trick- Stop! Don't you see what he's doing? She's playing with us. She's not even trying to win this fight.

-Is not true. "I'm giving it my all," Azula drawled.

Toph's brow furrowed in understanding. “You're trying to keep us here and waste all our time!”

"Um, right, I think your friend just said that, genius," Azula said with a condescending and mocking tone. "And since you can't see-"

Katara was ready to close his mouth when footsteps were heard in the distance that took them by surprise, they turned to the place where they came from, including Azula, because whoever was coming towards them was not brought by her.

Katara, Toph, and Sokka went on the defensive ready for anything, but soon Toph let her guard down and became relieved, Sokka and Katara didn't understand until they soon found out why.

Those who came were soldiers from the Water Tribe along with some from the Earth Kingdom.

Among them was his father and, somewhat of a surprise, also Haru.

-Sokka we will keep Princess Azula at bay. "You go and find the Fire Lord." Katara, taking that as confirmation that the situation was under control, grabbed her brother's arm and pulled him in the opposite direction to which Azula had been leading them. The remaining Dai Li agents stood by doing nothing, they stayed with the princess.

-They are loyal to Azula- Katara thought- Maybe the Fire Lord doesn't have those reinforcements.

As they ran, Katara tried to calculate how long they had been fighting the Princess. She couldn't be sure, but she feared that the eclipse was almost over.

They reached a point where the tunnel divided into two directions. Maybe they should have questioned Azula about where the Fire Lord was.

"Where are we going?" Katara asked, internally cursing her decision to look at Toph.

Toph's eyes flickered between the two options, looking panicked.

Suddenly, there was a flash of blue light in the tunnel on the left.

The presence of lightning at the center of a volcano meant that they had found the Fire Lord but it also meant that the eclipse was over. They ran down the tunnel anyway.

Katara tried not to think about how she left her father and the others alone with the Princess of Blue Flames who could now fight back.

When they turned a corner they saw that it was an open door that was where the Fire Lord should be, they proceeded to enter to confront him, then Katara almost collided with another unexpected member of the royal family.

When she saw him her anger began to rise in her. Well, it was about Zuko.

Zuko's hair was standing up in a way that would have made Katara laugh if she wasn't preparing to freeze him against the wall.

However, before she could, Sokka stopped her with his hand and pointed with the other to make her look where he was looking. When she did, she was surprised to see that the Fire Lord was getting up from the floor with a shocked expression. fury that went straight to his son.

"Firebending has returned," the son of the Fire Lord warned, and then got into position, ready to fight when he saw that escape from him could no longer be possible. "Eight guards are here too."

Katara and Sokka shared a bewildered look, but Toph was the one who decided to act and launched into battle, the brothers only shrugged their shoulders and also launched themselves to be on par with Zuko at the sight that they would now face the Lord of the Fire Ozai.

-Listen to my former son, children- Ozai spoke, preparing to counterattack towards them- At least you still have the chance to surrender... but I'm curious, which one of you is the Avatar?? Unless you're coward enough to confront me.

However, none of them responded, which alarmed Zuko, wanting to ask where the Avatar was. He needed to be here or they wouldn't get out alive. He turned his head for a moment to be able to ask in a low voice, but then he noticed the gloomy looks that the brothers had. the Water Tribe and the sad expression of the Earthbender, then he realized the sad truth.

She did it at the same time as her father who started laughing.

-So in the end Azula did kill him- laughing cruelly he turned his gaze to Zuko- even your hopes failed you Zuko, without the Avatar no one can oppose me, in the end, your attempt to rebel against me was of no use to you, now They will be punished for trying to oppose me!

-Not on your life, fire freak!- Toph shouted, using her earth bending on the floor, a large piece of the ceiling rose and headed towards Ozai, Toph then ran in his direction followed by Zuko and Sokka, also with a Katara determined with her. Once they made it to the rock that Toph's throw was destroyed by the power of Ozai's firebending, he began to attack them while letting out a scream of fury, Toph raised a wall under her feet, taking them through the opening in the ceiling, allowing them to escape from the Lord. of fire.

The shout that Ozai let out seemed to have summoned a group of angry firebenders, who appeared at the entrance to the palace, seeming surprised by the motley group of teenagers running towards them. Without wasting any more time, the group of four went straight to confront them.

Much to the disgrace of the Imperial fire benders, Toph and Katara felt very uncharitable at the time, as the fire benders were held in place by Toph's stone prison, while Katara's ice spears separated them. all.

Zuko, reluctant to fight against his people, also joined the fight, facing his father's guards with his swords and his fire bending separately or combined, managing to knock down several of them. Sokka, who was not far behind, drew his sword and also jumped into the fight.

However, the fight was difficult with Ozai launching attacks at the four who were very powerful, the main threat was him, if the guards took care of Ozai then they would lose their courage, and overcoming them would be easier, with that in mind Katara then launched herself alone to end this.

Even though the eclipse is over Katara can still feel the full moon calling to her. And with that backing her up then she had no limits to what she could do.

"How bold of you, peasant," Ozai mocked, looking very amused. "How do you think you can take care of me?"

-How about... like this?- Katara didn't hesitate anymore. She released all of her rage and hatred into her bloodbending, focusing on Ozai standing next to the throne, managing to take control of her body with relative ease.

Ozai soon opened his eyes in shock as he felt a pain that he had never felt before.

"What...what are you doing?" Ozai gasped in pain, screaming when Katara slammed her roughly against the wall.

The blow somehow seemed to stop the chaos that was occurring around, as all the fire benders stopped fighting when they saw a peasant girl from the Water Tribe making the Fire Lord suffer.

"That girl... that damn girl... she's a witch!" One of the imperial firebenders realized.

-That... I can't believe what I see- Zuko was more than shocked when he saw what the water bender was doing, he knew that she was very powerful, but this, given the shocking feeling that she had stolen control of him. his own body to his father, it was another level - Stop... if you continue you could kill him - he shouted when Katara slammed Ozai against a pillar once again.

But Katara didn't listen to him, she was only focused on Ozai who was writhing in pain, as it turned out, blood bending was very helpful, and she would remember to thank her Sifu for having taught her the technique, she still remembers when she met her several weeks ago.

...

Flashback...

During their stay in the Fire Nation they had come intending to know the terrain before the eclipse and during that several things happened, she decided to impersonate a spirit to help a town, and Sokka found a master of the sword to teach her, the appearance of a guy who made explosions with his mind as well as Toph deciding to scam people.

But she would never forget the day she met her Sifu.

Hama of the Southern Water Tribe, a survivor of the Fire Nation incursions to the South Pole who lived in hiding in the Fire Nation.

They met Hama when they passed through the town she lived in and discovered that she was from the Southern Water Tribe, in fact, a waterbender who had managed to escape. She believed that she was the last of her people but she saw that she was wrong...

Hama taught her what she knew, she was ecstatic to learn the southern style of water bending, her brother had been skeptical and distrustful of Hama, but she didn't think it was that big of a deal.

Hama was a great teacher, she taught him that she could draw water from places that she didn't even imagine, this would be useful for him to become stronger, and it would be even better when Hama told him that she would teach him her ultimate technique.

She was right, it was the definitive technique since it was something that Katara had never thought of controlling before.

-Bloodbending.

A shiver ran down Katara's spine as she watched Hama continue talking about this technique.

-Katara, we cannot waste this gift that we have, if we do not use it the Fire Nation will continue to make the world suffer, the more they will have to suffer for them, the more they will lose their loved ones, their friends, their families... you have You have to learn to use this power.

She had never craved power beyond her autonomy. But then she remembered seeing Aang fall in Ba Sing Se. He remembered that for agonizing minutes, he had carried his lifeless body, not knowing if he could revive him and since in the end he was not strong enough to keep him alive, that could not happen again, he needed to get stronger and then the power that Hama hung in front of her he suddenly seemed irresistible.

-Teach me.

End Flashback...

...

They told her about the invasion they would make and Hama with a renewed sense of fight agreed to join the invasion, in fact between her and Katara it occurred to them to share the bloodbending technique with more waterbenders, although they would not be ready for the invasion. , Hama's teachings would help them a lot.

Hama had been right, bloodbending came easily to Katara. The healing had increased Katara's understanding of the thousands of pathways within the human body. Calling them felt natural and so it wouldn't be difficult for her to finally put an end to this.

"Did you think I didn't have something to fucking use against you?" Katara shouted, tightening her grip on Ozai, as he was struggling considerably against her grip. Once Katara was satisfied with the control he had over hers, she began to force the same move that Hama had taught her, trying to break his neck.

"Idiots...don't stand there and help me" Ozai screamed desperately, tears streaming down his cheeks as he was helpless, unable to escape from his situation, feeling his neck about to break as his life from it hung in balance.

-Katara! That's enough... we have it- that was what his brother said but Katara didn't pay attention, she only had her eyes on Ozai who growled, fighting Katara's attempt to break his neck every inch of the way. Katara just needed to finish him off.

Ozai could hear the sickening crunch of his bones as his neck came within half an inch of breaking and killing him. Too scared to listen to anything else and defend himself, he could do nothing but wait for Katara to deliver the coup de grace. It was like this that Katara without further ado finished turning her hand and Ozai's neck turned unnaturally and stopped fighting, two loyal firebenders who had not fled immediately ran to hold the body of their leader and look at him without a doubt. They had killed, and at that sight they wanted to retaliate, moving to attack Katara, who was forced to abandon her blood-bending and defend herself.

Sokka, who had stood at the same distance as Zuko, watched everything, but the prince seemed to be in bad shape, clearly, he wasn't expecting to witness that, and honestly, neither was Sokka. Toph had finished taking care of several remaining fire benders to also look at what had happened and was speechless, but still moving to help Katara with the two fire benders who were with Ozai's body.

Ozai's guards took a good look at the shadowy waterbender in front of them, in front of the corpse of the Fire Lord when they noticed that she turned to look at them, and a deep shudder took over them.

Therefore, several fled the place for fear that the water bender would now direct her anger at them.

-What...what did you do?? You shouldn't have killed him!... you don't know what this could do...??

But he didn't have time to continue arguing or react when Katara decided to go against him, using Bloodbending him and the same grip she used with Ozai now with Zuko.

"Did you think about stopping before killing Aang, Ashmaker?" Katara shouted, intensifying her grip on Zuko, who unlike his father did not even try to fight her grip, Katara was satisfied with the control she had over him. As there was an emotion that she could see in Zuko, there was fear, she liked that, she liked that Zuko feared her, that she saw that she was the one who had the power now, so she began to force more control of her body, imagining what What could I do with it?

-Enough!

The movement of the Earth destabilized Katara to make her fall, she winced in pain when she reached the hard surface of the ground.

-What the hell Toph?!

But the blind girl crossed her arms and looked at Katara. "What's happening, Sugar Queen, is that you're letting your anger get the best of you. I don't care what history you have with the prince, but in case you forgot, he- with her hand." He pointed to Zuko's motionless body which was still breathing. He helped us with his father he was already facing him when we arrived.

Katara just stood up ready to reply but then Sokka put a hand on her shoulder and started to comment as well.

-Katara... it's just not right, when we got here we prepared for any scenario, this was clearly not what we expected but it still helped us, we can't let this consume us... you killed the Fire Lord with your own hands, doing the same thing again would not be good.

Katara was ready to reply but then she saw her brother pleading to look for her not to, to which Katara had to give in to him, not wanting what he had done to affect her in a worse way.

At that moment her reinforcements had arrived so she could no longer do anything else, they proceeded to take Zuko and all the fire benders who were shot down, while some of them watched in amazement at Ozai's lifeless body and what condition he was in.

But there was the thing.

She didn't regret killing Ozai and she didn't regret killing Zuko.

Katara was enjoying it

Chapter Text

In the days following the fall of Fire Lord Ozai and the plans for peace in the Fire Nation, a lot happened to take in.

For decades, the world only knew war. Generations had dedicated their lives to stopping the Fire Nation, the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom built walls to protect their cities, armies fought many battles, and groups of insurgents planned insurrections. Overthrowing the seemingly invincible Fire Nation was so astonishing that few could imagine what was now about to happen.

But, without an Avatar to guide the world forward, it made it very difficult to establish what would be done now and even more so if it had not been an Avatar who had killed the tyrant who subjugated the world and put an end to an endless war.

But they knew something had to be done. Once they had officially secured the capital, a call was made to world leaders and various representatives so that they could attend what would be the peace negotiations.

Between those days they learned several things.

King Bumi's liberation of Omashu during the eclipse, where he defeated all the soldiers who had occupied his city.

The brother of the Fire Lord, General Iroh had escaped from his confinement in very mysterious matters as told by the guards who had witnessed everything.

Without Ozai and any of his children, Iroh was soon crowned Fire Lord for negotiations to represent the Fire Nation.

Once all the parties that should be involved arrived at Hari Bulkan, the Peace Summit began. The beginning of a new chapter.

...

-The Fire Nation can say all the good things in these negotiations. They can even return the land they stole from us and pay reparations for everything they did. But at any moment things could change, they could change their minds and decide to plunge us back into an endless war. The Earth Kingdom will not withdraw its troops or release our Fire Nation prisoners until concessions are made that ensure lasting peace.

That was said by General Fong, one of the few Kuei generals who had not been captured and who they were able to find to help them with the invasion.

Next to him was King Kuei in the company of another general that they had also found and Bosco, who, Katara still cannot understand how they allowed a bear to be part of the negotiations.

Representing the Water Tribes were Chief Arnook, her father Hakoda, Hama, Sokka, and her.

Preliminary agreements had already been drawn up for the withdrawal of Fire Nation troops from the occupied territories as well as the Colonies, and the release of prisoners of war from Fire Nation prisons. The reparation agreements were still in the early stages, but Fire Lord Iroh was receptive and they were making progress.

After two hours of back and forth over the agreements, tensions began to become more noticeable as demands began to be made, which the Fire Nation refused to accept.

-Tell us what other concessions you expect- Iroh said, politely despite the accusatory tone of Fong's words.

Fire Lord Iroh sat before them with his council of three advisors to the left of him.

-You cannot continue being the Fire Lord- Hama said suddenly and then turned to the rest of the representatives, frowning at the surprised expression of some. -Today we are seeing you as a kind old man. But we must not forget that he was the general who led unimaginable devastation for decades. The general responsible for 600 days of bloodshed in Ba Sing Se.

His and Arnook's father, as well as the generals, nodded and murmured in agreement at that question, Bosco just started playing with a forgotten piece of paper, while Katara was left bewildered as to where the situation was going.

-He's right... no man, much less the Dragon of the West with so much blood on his hands, can be the Lord of Fire- Fong concluded, crossing his arms.

Some of Iroh's advisors gasped.

One of them spoke furiously- Do you want to exile our Fire Lord and leave us without a ruler? You don't want peace! His true goal is to turn us into his waterbending witch puppets and be able to control or kill us if we don't comply with your demands.

Katara laughed inwardly. Rumors about bloodbending had spread like wildfire since the invasion, and while she had never considered herself a witch, the word coming out of a Fire Nation man's mouth made the title seem appealing.

Back to the negotiation, Iroh nodded thoughtfully and Katara could have sworn she saw his lips move upwards before addressing Hama- I'll consider this... but my advisor is right that we can't leave the Fire Nation without a ruler, so... Would you accept Prince Zuko in my place?" Iroh asked.

Faced with this proposal, several representatives began to talk among themselves, discussing Iroh's proposal, but Katara was indignant with them when she saw that she was considering it.

-Ozai's son cannot excuse himself for not having blood on his hands...don't forget that he was one of those responsible for the death of Avatar Aang- he stood up to stop the nonsense of Zuko being chosen for this.

Katara didn't trust Zuko, but the others had discussed it at length and she had been rejected. Compared to the war that Iroh led, Zuko's aggressions against the Avatar seemed childish and insignificant. In addition, Sokka had told Water Tribe Chief Arnook and his father that Zuko had supported them in defeating the Fire Lord during the invasion, which made the idea seem less crazy.

Iroh must also have known that fact if he proposed that Zuko be his replacement.

But Katara was not convinced, she did not believe that Zuko seriously wanted to leave the war behind, he was a member of the family that had sowed chaos in the world for generations, and in his eyes, he had done nothing to contradict her.

Arnook looked at Iroh with a neutral expression. - Although Ozai's son is not a desirable alternative, we understand that it is the only option. We will accept it as long as the current Fire Lord agrees to leave the capital and not influence Fire Nation politics during the government of his nephew.

Katara would allow that first comment, Zuko was a better option than Azula, but she couldn't believe that others accepted Zuko as the Fire Lord. However, she did not allow herself to object any further, as they soon followed up with other agreements.

...

Later.

Fury rose within Katara like flames. How dare you put them in this situation? Iroh was forcing them to choose between him and his treacherous nephew, whichever option was the same. He had already been through the death of his mother, the annihilation of his tribe, and a war. And not just her, there had been too many who had suffered enough at the hands of the Fire Nation.

-I can't believe it... how could they agree to free Zuko to become Fire Lord?... after everything he did?

Katara, who was currently walking with her brother through the corridors of the royal palace, both were heading in search of Toph, the negotiations had ended for that day and would continue the next day, but there was still Katara's displeasure at Iroh's proposal.

-Katara I'm with you, I don't like this either...but we can't forget that we do this for peace.

-They do not seek peace, they only seek to conserve their power and then eventually stab us in the back.

-I don't think Iroh would do that- He seems committed to renouncing much of the power of the Fire Nation- Sokka said, drawing his conclusions regarding what he had seen in the last few days, his instinct told him that they could trust him.

Katara snorted in derision at his brother's naivety- That's just an act.” Nobody in that family does anything that goes against their interests... Where is Dad?

-He stayed behind to talk to Iroh after our meeting ended... he wants to talk about a personal matter with him, don't ask me he won't lose it.

Katara saw that he was telling the truth, so she didn't insist, but she couldn't deny that she didn't like that her Father was meeting with the Fire Lord after she didn't trust that Iroh had any interest in helping them and he didn't like it. What direction is this peace conference headed?

...

Later that night...

Katara was in her tent near the capital city, she had refused to stay in the Fire Nation Palace, Fire Lord Iroh had granted rooms to all the representatives of the peace conference as a gesture of hospitality but She rejected him, she did not feel comfortable in that hostile environment. So she decided to stay near where the Invasion troops were camping.

But she couldn't rest, that night there was a full moon and she felt restless, add that and everything that had happened at the conference that day, and it bothered her that they were willing to give in to what was a Fire Nation ploy. and they couldn't see it!

She didn't know what was going through their heads.

But she couldn't continue with her angry thoughts because someone was calling her from outside her store when she came out she was surprised that it was Hama.

-Sifu...- not wanting to be rude, I invite her to come in and sit down so I can talk about what is happening.

- I'm sorry to interrupt you at this hour, Katara, but I heard that you were upset about something- she said as she proceeded to sit in a space in Katara's store. Katara soon sat in front of her, embarrassed that her anger was being noticed too much.

- It's okay, it's just that..." she sighed, trying to control herself for what she was going to say- Everything they said today, the Fire Lord's proposal... how can they allow Zuko to be the ruler of the Fire Nation??!!! It's a lot of nonsense and that won't solve anything!

-His uncle suggested it and argued that his nephew did not want the war, otherwise he would not have stood in favor of you to fight his father.

Katara just rolled her eyes in annoyance - This is his way of persuading, first, he shows you that there is some humanity in him, you let your guard down and then he will betray you! - She said that last thing with anger remembering what happened in the crystal catacombs - They can't believe him when it's obvious that he will follow the same path as his family!

-And what do you think, Katara, should be done?

The question catches Katara a little off guard, so she starts to think about what they should do, but only one resolution comes to her - I don't think others see what I see, Zuko is not like his sister but he is very bad, I don't think we will find peace with him.

-Maybe you're right Katara, but your father, Chief Arnook, and the others are convinced.

-We have to do something, we can't let it happen!

Katara stared at Hama hoping to stop this, Hama just stared at him for a while without saying anything, evaluating her mood and thinking about what she should say, after several minutes of silence, Katara began to despair, and was about to say something else when Hama decided to speak again.

-You know, I came in the first place because I wanted to give you some news that you might like... the training has been successful, some of my students have managed to master blood bending... and like you, they are dissatisfied with this situation.

His statement took Katara by surprise- Really?

-Yes... Katara, I'll be honest with you, I don't like this either because I think the same as you, those ash makers should not be taken lightly, but it is necessary to do this... it is for peace, unless, force them to accept peace...

-And how do we do that??

Hama then gave him a wicked smile as he said- Just follow me, my dear, help me and together we will bring what must be true peace, we will make the Fire Nation accept it once they understand the consequences of wanting to underestimate us and challenge us.

Katara saw Hama's hand as she processed the offer, her Sifu had a point, the Fire Nation will not accept peace nor take responsibility for what they have done, so they have to take matters into their own hands, they have to do it, otherwise all this It will happen again, what with his Tribe, what with his mother, what with Aang.

No.

That will never happen again and she will take care of it, if she has to do whatever it takes for that then she will do it.

That's why he takes Hama's hand agreeing with her.

...

Capital City Prison.

-Stand up Your Highness!

Confused by the call, Zuko raised his head to see who was speaking to him. He saw that it was a person from the Water Tribe, who looked at him with displeasure, but he decided to ignore that.

It seems that the guard was not in the mood because he soon called two others who entered his cell and proceeded to remove him roughly and push him to make him hurry.

They took him out of his cell and made him walk through the hallways, as he passed he saw the other cells there were, many full of Fire Nation guards as well as nobles and war officers who were captured, but others were empty but with signs that there was someone who used them.

This gave him a feeling that he was about to know what was about to happen to him. They soon arrived at what seemed to be a room in which they ordered him to enter, without replying, so he did so.

Zuko looked at the other sets of chained handcuffs around the rest of the room. This prison could hold a dozen people. And in the middle of the room, there was a person.

-Prince Zuko, It's so good to see you chained- Hama said with a sinister smile.

Zuko frowned at him- I don't know what you're up to, but you won't get away with it.

-I thought you would be easily manipulated much easier than your sister, at least - Hama continued as if she had not spoken - But they convinced me that she was wrong. I guess she better know now before he makes the mistake of installing you on the throne.

Zuko watched her with narrowed eyes. The light from the torches drew severe shadows on his face. He didn't understand what he was talking about, the guards here weren't very talkative, they just passed by on their rounds to feed them and Occasionally they threw jets of water at them, others were beaten, and several had been taken away and were never seen again.

-But do not worry. You are still useful to us. Your uncle seems to value your life more than his own.

The new voice that appeared caught Zuko's attention, and he turned to see Katara who was walking with her arms crossed, staring at him.

- Is my uncle alive?- Zuko couldn't help the childish hope in his voice. He hadn't been able to find him since they brought him here. He had asked the others who had been locked up with him, but he didn't know his whereabouts...

-For now.

As he walked towards them, Zuko noticed that other people were also entering, they seemed like a large group, then when their silhouettes began to be more visible, he could see that they were some Earth Kingdom soldiers, a few members of the Water Tribe, and Azula.

His sister was chained and it seemed that she did not look in good condition, she was shivering from the cold, as if she had been in the tundra for a long time, he also saw that she did not have handcuffs, and was walking strangely.

His sister was soon at his side, both of them surrounded by the members of the Water Tribe while the soldiers were now frozen unable to move, he also saw a couple of the Water Tribe who were there with them and had their hands in a posture that he only saw once and it was of the girl who was now in front of him and who had killed his father.

Zuko hesitated and then asked- What did you do to the Fire Lord? In the bunker... You didn't use water... there wasn't any water down there.

Hama and the others around proceeded to laugh at Zuko and Azula's confused faces. Katara smiled mockingly at the royal brothers' faces.

- I did it- Katara said in her firm voice- I took over the water inside him. We are composed mainly of water. There is water in the skin, the lungs, the heart...

The color had drained from Zuko's face, while Azula's face, which was reacting to his surroundings, showed genuine surprise- How…how did you learn to do that?

-My new Sifu taught me the night we met. She calls it blood-bending.

Zuko stood his ground while Azula was now on the defensive- So that's how they overpowered us so quickly. That's how they managed to get all these prisoners...

-Yeah.

Zuko looked around at everyone only to meet Katara's eyes- You killed our Father and they defeated us, my Uncle must be negotiating peace... there is no reason to keep us here.

At his words, one of those holding him hit him hard in the face. Hama then approached him to smile evilly.

- You're wrong about that, Son of Ozai...- Hama laughed humorlessly- Do you think that after a hundred years of war and genocide, we would be satisfied with miserable reparation agreements and low taxes? Are you so naive?

Several of those there grunted in agreement. Hama then approached him.

-The Fire Nation took everything from us- he whispered angrily- They decimated my tribe, killed my family, and many more. They need to suffer, as I have suffered. How the world has suffered.

At his words, Azula begins to understand the intentions of the Water Tribe, and when she does so she narrows her eyes.

- They never intended to seek peace... they want to destroy our Nation- said Azula, beginning to realize his true intentions.

Katara just rolled her eyes.

-We'll leave them something so they don't die- Hama said, waving a hand disdainfully- As much as we hate them, the Fire Nation is part of the balance... The good thing is that we don't need all of you for that, you won't be needed if a few more disappear, rather we may help the balance even more.

-So, you plan to incite rebellions? Make the Nations turn against our people?

-We can crush any rebellions they make. I plan to take your precious country into a war they won't win. If they are too destroyed and completely submissive, they will not be able to wreak havoc on the other nations.

Zuko couldn't hide the horror in his voice- Hundreds of thousands will die. First because of war, then because of hunger. They can't do that!

Hama looked at him as if he were a cockroach that he wanted to stomp on- Nothing would make me happier than seeing your people die, Prince Zuko.

Zuko however tried to avoid it by trying to make them see reason - Civilians will die! Innocent people-

Katara, already tired of hearing him talk, raised her hands and proceeded to close his mouth and control him with bloodbending- My people and Aang were innocent!- Katara shouted, her shoulders shaking with rage.

Azula wanted to do something to escape seeing what they planned to do with them when he felt the control he had over his body slipping away.

-You will regret this!-He shouted in response.

Hama's lips lifted into another evil smile. Katara took her eyes off Zuko and looked at Azula., but his control over Zuko persisted but not completely, allowing Zuko to regain control of his mouth.

-Do the others know your plan? I highly doubt their leaders or your friends would agree with this- Zuko asked, hating how his anger seemed to fill them with joy.

-They were easily deceived by their uncle. The way they talk about peace and cooperation you would think that they haven't been fighting a war all these years... however they will soon understand that this was what had to be done from the beginning.

-And for this, you will help, you will be the key to what we want- in that Katara, using control of Zuko's body, manipulates him at will in the direction of the Earth Kingdom soldiers who had also heard what they were planning and They showed in panic.

And even more so when a controlled Zuko approached them.

...

Royal Palace of the Fire Nation

The next day.

The Fire Lord smiled at the Water Tribe leaders with a frown- We'll move on for now." About your most intriguing proposals. I am prepared to step down as Fire Lord, leave the capital, and allow Prince Zuko to take my place. I think he will do a much better job than me.

Several people's eyebrows were raised in surprise that he accepted that, they didn't expect him to accept that easily, but they didn't say anything.

They were ready to continue with the negotiations when one of the servants entered urgently to the surprise of everyone present. He immediately bowed to apologize. Iroh apologized to her kindly.

-Don't worry about that... tell us, what's happening??

But then the servant swallowed heavily and his expression was gloomy, not to say terrified, which left everyone in the room a little worried about what he was going to say.

...

The scene seemed straight out of some nightmare.

Some bodies looked burned and that only stopped when the bodies stopped breathing, they were scattered throughout the room, and the set of cells was full of people from the Fire Nation who were terrified by what had happened.

Most of the corpses belonged to soldiers from the Earth Kingdom and some from the Water Tribe, but there was one more, one with a smaller figure and with features of a person from the Fire Nation.

The corpse belonged to none other than Azula.

Now, it would take Katara less time to convince others that this was Zuko's work and that this has not been caused in the custody of the Bloodbenders. At the moment Iroh was trying in vain to convince the other representatives that his Nation should deal with these crimes.

-These crimes were on Fire Nation soil. We have the right to prosecute in the Fire Nation courts- Iroh said, not for the first time- I believe him when he says they had nothing to do with it that will be taken into consideration by our judges, as well as the revelation from the testimonies of imprisoned Fire Nation soldiers.

-Delusional- Katara thought to herself, seeing that everything was going according to plan, he knew that these soldiers wouldn't say anything, they took care of that, and now she just needed to do his part.

- He will be responsible for his actions for doing these acts during peace talks, it was also against our people- Katara said, with her shoulders straight. Beside him, Hakoda nodded.

However, that wasn't entirely true. The corpses of the Water Tribe that were found belonged to warriors who had fought on the Day of the Black Sun and lost their lives fighting against fire benders, now they were more than unrecognizable but they still helped set up the scene they did.

- Katara is right, there is no other verdict to discuss... we demand the capture and execution of Prince Zuko for his crimes- Chief Arnook said, with a deep and authoritative voice.

Katara had a slight smile when she heard those words, satisfied that the others finally saw the truth, although of course with a little help.

-I know my nephew very well... I know that he wouldn't do something like this.

Katara snorted mockingly- I didn't see you convinced of that in Ba Sing Se when Zuko joined his sister... what else is there to discuss, that whole family is rotten to the core."

Hakoda, upon seeing Iroh, decided to take pity on him a little- I can assure you that the same standards will be applied to them as any member of the Water Tribe who has violated our laws.

Katara watched as his father hesitated and knew that he couldn't question her there. Continuing to fight meant admitting a lack of trust in her father's and the Southern Water Tribes' commitment to his position as Chief. Iroh sighed.

-I trust that it will be so, Chief Hakoda- Iroh said with resignation and a grateful tone.

...

Back at the crime scene, Sokka was checking the cell area, inspecting each part as well as the place where Azula and all the guards were murdered, according to what they told him, they had already removed the bodies because they were in such a state that it was not good to continue having them in sight and he internally thanked and cursed at the same time, now he had no way to investigate.

Among what was sought, they wanted to find some clue that could lead to Prince Zuko's location and be able to prosecute him for what he had done.

-Nothing Toph??

The aforementioned gave a huff of annoyance as she remembered what had happened when she was asked for help interrogating the prisoners.

-No, those guys' hearts race too fast when I question them, it's hard to know if they're lying or if it's out of fear.

Sokka sighed as he saw that they would get nothing from the prisoners.

-There has to be something, I was checking and I didn't find anything... and honestly I don't want to keep doing it if I have to walk around the place and imagine what happened there.

-Yes, one would not believe that the little prince would be so ruthless as to do something like that.

At that argument, Sokka gave a sigh that showed that she did not completely agree.

-I don't know Toph, Zuko is an idiot who has done bad things, he burned Kyoshi Island, he chased us with pirates, he attacked our home at the South Pole, not counting all the times he chased us and what happened in Ba sing se. ..

-But...

-I have also told the fact that he is part of the family responsible for this entire war... but about Azula and everything that happened here... this is too much, even for him.

-Not if it's a firebender, it's in his nature to be ruthless.

The duo turned to find General Fong in the company of Hanh also entering the place, Sokka narrowed his eyes when he saw the pair who had arrived.

-Come on Sokka, the general is right, also according to what you and your sister told us, Prince Zuko was seen during the siege of Agna Qel'a, he participated and was responsible for everything that happened there- The last thing Hanh said It was with a tone of anger and disgust.

Knowing that, Sokka gave them a little reason, just a little because they were not being so objective, they were just assuming what they had been told, more than anyone else in that room knows better what Zuko is like, yes, he could be a jerkbender, but the guy seemed to maintain some decency, remember the fact that when he went to find Aang the first time he kept the promise that he would leave and do no harm, he also seemed to have more humanity than his sister remembering the confrontation in Tu zin, how he reacted when his uncle was hurt.

-I just don't see the point... Zuko was going to be freed to be crowned Fire Lord, so why would he run away and murder his sister??

-According to what I heard, the princess was more powerful than the prince and more of a threat than hers, he surely murdered her to prevent her from taking the throne.

-Then she must be very mediocre and weak if a woman is our greatest threat- the last thing Hanh said was with mockery because, from the point of view of the Northern Water Tribe, women do not fight.

Sokka instinctively put a hand on Toph's shoulder to stop her, as a precaution, and squeezed her shoulder to ask her not to do anything. Toph got the message but didn't say anything. She didn't like that guy's comment.

-I would like to see you face her- Toph thought that with mockery at Hanh who was still making comments to Fong about how to deal with Zuko once they found him.

-It doesn't matter, in the end, this is better for us, we have the capital occupied and we are looking for him everywhere, we have the Dragon of the West under surveillance, without him, Prince Zuko has no allies, it is only a matter of time before he falls.

Sokka wasn't going to deny him that, which only made him more doubtful, if Zuko had done this it would have been a very stupid thing to do, it would only have been a matter of time before he was recaptured, he had nowhere to go and there weren't many places to hide.

The question here would be where could Zuko go to evade security?

It seems that question was answered when Bato entered with the next news to tell.

-We have received reports that Prince Zuko has been seen touring the cities around the capital.

...

Immediately after learning about the report of Zuko's sight, several search groups formed to go in pursuit of the wanted fugitive, soldiers from the Earth Kingdom as well as warriors from the Water Tribe left in the direction of the villages that could be sheltering the Prince. Zuko

Toph and Sokka accompanied Hahn and Fong along with several others for the mission they were carrying out. Among the contingent that accompanies them are several earth benders as well as water benders, and some non-bender soldiers as well.

They soon arrived at one of the closest villages. Thanks to the waterbenders, they didn't take too long. When they did, a delegation of allies welcomed them to accompany them.

While they were getting off the boats, Sokka noticed that there were also Arnook and Tyro.

Arnook was at the head of the group to ask for reports.

-Well??... what did they find out??

-Boss, we have blocked the roads to prevent anyone from leaving, if Prince Zuko is here then he will not leave.

Arnook nodded- Okay, let's go in.

With that order, the group prepared to advance in the direction of the village they were entering. As they did so, Toph could feel multiple presences of people who were in the distance, from what she could assume were the villagers, who When they saw them they started running.

-Don't let them escape!

Then both members of the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes advanced towards the village with instructions not to leave the people.

Although they also began to enter the houses and remove people who were inside them, they also began to destroy the premises and threaten the villagers.

-I know you're lying, Fire Nation...

Although she couldn't hear herself well, Toph managed to hear him, she was intrigued but she soon seemed alarmed when she noticed that it was an Earthbender pushing a young girl.

Furious, she headed to that place.

-Hey!-She moved the earth with her feet to knock the guy down and give the girl time to flee.

-What the hell are you doing??!!! I was interrogating her...

-No, you didn't!!! You were taking advantage - he used his Earthbending to move the man in front of the square and because of everyone - I don't care if they are from the Fire Nation if I see someone tormenting the villagers they will deal with me!

-What is happening here??! -Fong and Tyro approached to find out what was happening- Miss Beifong, what do you think she is thinking when she is attacking our soldiers??

Toph crosses her arms without feeling intimidated- I don't care who it is, I don't tolerate people being taken advantage of...

-They are the Fire Nation! They did the same thing in our nation for decades! Why did they deserve consideration?

-Those who attacked them were soldiers... these people can't even fight, they flee from us because they know that we are stronger than them, they don't even put up resistance, please!

Toph pointed out shrewdly, that not even Fong could be against her, it would be going against Kuei who held her and her friends in high regard, and also against her last name, it wouldn't be foolish to question it.

It seems that Fong also told this because she could feel in her heart that she was more than upset about this.

Tyro, on the other hand, decided to pacify the situation to avoid what could become a fight between the two.

-General, our main mission is to find information on the whereabouts of Prince Zuko, if these villagers do not have it then there is no point in continuing here, we have to move.

Fong grunted but didn't argue with that, they had more important things to do.

-I still can't believe that they don't know anything, if it's villagers then it must be some authority here...- while she looked around she noticed that a few villagers were watching them- you guys!

The villagers panicked when they saw that they were now coming towards them, they tried to escape but soon a rock wall blocked their way.

-Who is in charge here?

Soon Sokka and Hanh along with some of the Northern Water Tribe joined them, soon they arrived at the house of who should be the Chief of the village, they proceeded to enter and search everywhere, they found the Chief, a middle-aged man. age that was with his family as if he were hiding them.

The water benders acted quickly and cornered them, separating the Head of the family from him, who desperately tried to go after them, Fong then approached to interrogate him.

-Are you the Chief??- the man nodded- well then you can answer us, has Prince Zuko passed by here?? And tell us the truth we can know if you lie.

The Chief seemed scared, in the same way that the prisoners they had locked up were, Toph noticed, she couldn't know for sure if he was lying or not, the Chef started to deny it, but then some more of those who had entered with them appeared and took out gold coins, as well as some valuable objects that in the view of many belonged to the Fire Nation, in addition to the symbol of the Royal Family of the Fire Nation.

- It was Fire Lord Iroh!...- the Chief said unexpectedly- he... took Prince Zuko out of the capital and brought him here but he left a long time ago!- he said with some difficulty but it was understood well. , which generated disbelief on the part of Toph and Sokka.

-Because?? Why do this? - Sokka was the next to ask because he found it difficult to believe.

-It was part of his plan, to make them believe that Prince Zuko was here to get them out of the capital and thus gather a defense and drive them off our shores...

-That is...

-Something the Fire Nation would do, they wanted to turn their backs on us from the beginning and were not looking for peace!- That was said by Hanh who began to rant about how the Fire Nation had betrayed them.

Fong decided to join to him to say- That would be something Azulon's son would do, he deceived us all this time, I really shouldn't be surprised.

Soon the other soldiers began to agree, but concerning Toph this did not convince her, she met Iroh, maybe it wasn't much but the time she spent with him didn't seem like a bad guy, she just wanted to be there for her nephew, and he was someone respectful and kind, and from what Sokka told him he wanted peace.

She did not have time to continue thinking because soon Fong approached the Chief and ordered him to know where Zuko was going.

The Chief then fixed his gaze on the waterbenders who were there and swallowed without anyone noticing, those guys were also bloodbenders, who came here to give him instructions on what to say next and what would happen if he didn't do it.

-Hari Bulkan... Prince Zuko goes to Hari Bulkan to meet the Fire Lord.

-So that's where we're going, we have to make sure the Fire Nation doesn't think they can take us for fools...

Whoever said it seemed to embolden everyone else to retaliate for what had happened and Tophno was liking what they were proposing.

-We will attack the capital and demand the justice we truly deserve!

Both Sokka and the Chief had their hearts pounding, both concerned about this that was being raised.

Soon the troops began to go straight to the ships heading to Hari Bulkan.

But Toph then noticed that the Firebender's heart rate was beginning to return to normal, more or less, when the Water Tribe subjects along with Sokka began to leave, which caused her intrigue.

Something else was happening here.

...

Later...

Not far from there, a fleet of the Water Tribes was sailing towards the capital, the messenger falcons were indeed effective, and thanks to them they received the information that Prince Zuko was on his way to meet his Uncle, perhaps It seems that he had been in cahoots from the beginning.

Now they had a reason not to trust, it was clear that the Fire Nation had intentions other than peace and they had to stop them at any cost.

That was certainly far from reality.

On the Flagship ship, there was Hakoda as the leader of the fleet, at his side were Bato, Katara, and Hama along with water benders trained in bloodbending, they had gone out in search of Zuko like everyone else, but they were not going to find anything, that is. The bloodbenders knew it.

The plan was to spread the rumor they had put about Zuko's false appearance so that they could also blame the Fire Lord and convince the rest that the Fire Nation was not worth considering. Now they had decided to attack Hari Bulkan again and demand the surrender of both Iroh and Zuko, if they encountered resistance that would be much better, they would give the message to the Fire Nation that if they did not behave it would result in serious consequences.

At the moment they were planning the course of action that would be carried out for the attack that would be in a few hours. When they finished and had how everything would be carried out, those present began to leave, once her father left Katara went to her teacher to stand next to her and observe the moon that adorned the night sky, while doing so he managed to hear Hama humming.

-You did well Katara... we managed to convince you that this path is the correct one, and now we will finally get what we have longed for.

Katara smiled at that fact making him wish he could take his time when it was time- Zuko is still locked up where we have him?

Hama nodded - He is still guarded on the ship, and when it is finally time it will be his turn to pay... I assume you want to be the one to do it.

Katara nodded, wanting to make Zuko pay for all the harm he had done since she met him and in all the ways he would.

-Very well, when you do it, let him know that what you do does not compare with all the damage that our people and the world have suffered...

-Of course, it will be a great pleasure Sifu.

Hama nodded satiate- Now I must see the others and establish what we will do... unless you want to come with me to do it.

Katara considered it for a moment but in the end, he just answered- No, I'll stay here, I want to enjoy the calm before tomorrow when we're finally done with all of this.

Hama nodded and proceeded to leave, once she did so Katara stood at the bow of the ship looking at the Moon, she felt fulfilled, they had achieved it, they had the Fire Nation on their knees, ready to accept anything they wanted, once they take care of tomorrow they will finally be able to put an end to this...

-We did it Aang... we have won and now we can finally start to leave all this behind.

However, either by instinct or by the amount of light that emerged behind her, Katara turned defensively when she noticed someone She had taken her by surprise, but her surprise was great when she saw that whoever was there was nothing more and nothing less than the spirit of the moon, who saw her disappointed.

- Yue...

-Was it worth it??... Did you get what you wanted with what you did Katara??-Yue tells her without allowing her to answer, just looking directly into her eyes.

-Yes... I did what I had to do- Katara answered without hesitation, believing her words.

In her response, Yue can do is look at her disappointed at the person she is now.

-For what??... a settling of accounts??

Katara can't deny that she was bothered by the disappointment in Yue's eyes so she decided to make her point clearer.

-For revenge... for Aang, for my mother, for you, Sokka, my father, and all those who have suffered at the hands of the Fire Nation, this was what had to be done.

-Do you think that the cure for the suffering of the world... is more suffering??-Yue went from looking at her with disappointment to looking at her with pity, believing that what she was looking for was good.

-The cure is justice... and finally, we will obtain it.

She now just lowers her head and shakes slightly at her attitude, to raise hers once again and look at her with a warning voice.

-Because they took it by force... what is not earned honestly can become an unstable force Katara... sooner or later it will take over you and everything else... whether in this life or the next. The next.

Without further ado, Yue vanishes without anything else to say. Her words leave a conflict in Katara who then fixes her gaze on the moon while he thinks about her last words to her.

...

Several hours later.

On one of the islands near the capital of the Fire Nation, a large number of ships from the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom were preparing to leave, several warriors were walking while they saw the ships being prepared for the next attack.

Among the main groups were Chief Arnook, Sokka, Hahn, General Fong, and Tyro.

-The troops and ships will soon be ready, tomorrow morning the Fire Nation will finally give back everything it owes- says General Fong with a tone of pride and satisfaction for tomorrow to arrive.

Sokka then looks worried at Tyro who shares a look with him, this was already getting out of control, they had already taken care of the National Army, and General Iroh was expected to declare his surrender, but now they wanted to carry out a massacre in an unprotected Capital City...

-Chief Arnook, is it a good idea to continue with this??, several people there are just innocent people who have not seen the war he asks, hoping that this will bring out the rational side of the man, that he can see that they will not be facing soldiers, but innocent citizens. who have already suffered too much.

Unfortunately, Arnook misinterprets his tone and just stops by to look at him and grab his shoulder giving it a comforting squeeze.

-Don't worry Sokka, by tomorrow that won't be a problem anymore.

Without further ado, he begins to walk while Fong and Hanh follow him, discussing more parts of the plan and what will be done in a couple of hours when they arrive at the battle, but Sokka stays behind, deciding to make his point of view known.

-This is wrong... I can't believe they seriously think...

But before he can continue he is interrupted by Tyro, who all he does is take him by the arm and take him to a remote part of the camp so that no one can hear them arguing.

-You have to watch your words Sokka, if they hear you say that, it won't be good for you.

Sokka notices Tyro without knowing what he means, but he is soon able to understand that what he is doing is warning him to think better about what he does.

-Then you don't agree with this either.

At what Tyro said he just snorted in disbelief and shook his head.

-Agree??, I joined this invasion to help end the war and achieve peace, not for what they want us to do tomorrow... a massacre of people who don't know what will happen to them in a few hours. ..

Sokka gave a slight sigh of relief to see that he was not the only one who did not agree with this madness.

-Tyro... we have to do something, if we let this happen it won't end well at all.

Now only Tyro let out a sigh and closed his eyes to just shake his head.

-I hate to tell you Sokka, but we can't do anything, I'm just a leader of a group of Earth benders, my authority is surpassed by Fong here and the other leaders are convinced that this path is the correct one.

-Not all leaders... my father, I know he will support me in this, maybe with his help we can make the others reconsider...

-And can you make Katara reconsider? Whether you want it or not, she will be the main one who is going to oppose you when you want to make it public that you want to stop this- Tyro said, interrupting Sokka to make it clear where and with whom he would find opposition.

Faced with that argument, they both remained silent, remembering how Katara no longer Seemed to be the same, after Aang's death, Sokka noticed that something had changed in his sister, he didn't think it was serious, but that maybe got worse after meeting Hama, however, although he believes that something about the person he was your sister before Ba Sing Se, stay there.

-I know... but I think that if Dad, Toph, and I can convince her that this is no longer necessary, she might listen to us.

-Do you think so??- Tyro asked her, not believing that she could do that, in her own opinion Katara would not allow her that.

-I must try...

Tyro just sighed as he gave him a squeeze on the shoulder- Very well... I wish you luck then.

Without further ado, he retreats towards his group of Earth benders and prepares them for the battle that will take place and is ready for anything. After all, he is not the only one who is not comfortable with all this, but they are soldiers and they have to follow orders.

Soon Sokka decides to also leave in the direction of his store, while he looks in the direction of the ships that will be ready to set sail shortly, he must hurry.

When Sokka enters his store, he quickly decides to send a letter to his father to ask for advice and tell him about his plans, but then he is surprised that there is someone in his store, someone he had not seen a few weeks ago.

-How long Sokka...

Sokka opened his eyes in shock, the one who was in his tent was none other than Master Piandao, the one who instructed him in the way of the sword, the one who was calmly having a cup of tea, as if he did not notice that he was I was in the middle of a camp among people who would kill a Fire Nation person just by seeing them.

-Master Piandao...he cannot be here, if anyone finds out that he is here they will kill him- he enters in a hurry to urge his old teacher to get out of here, however, Piandao shakes his head.

-At my age the only thing expected is death... but I didn't come looking for it now, there is something you should know- he quickly takes out some scrolls that he had in his saddlebag and hands them to Sokka, who takes them.

When he opens them he can read that they are confessions from several people who witnessed an event and who explained every detail of what had happened.

-I knew... I knew that something else had happened that night than what they told us, so it was a bloodbender who caused Azula's murder and who framed Zuko...

Piandao nodded still very seriously.

-Not just any blood master Sokka... the one who did it showed more fury when it came to killing when he went for Princess Azula, as if he wanted her to suffer, I think you already know who he was...

Sokka just sighed in resignation and nodded.

-I didn't want to see it as a possibility... I don't want to believe that Katara participated in all this... it's my fault that it was like that, I should have taken her away from Hama's influence when I had the chance.

Piandao leaves his serious expression for a moment and looks at Sokka with pity, he knows that this will affect him greatly but they cannot afford to have compassion.

-There is no point in regretting what happened and thinking about what would have been, the present is what matters to us now, and you know very well what to do now, Katara cannot go unpunished for this and you know it...

Sokka, as much as he wanted to disagree, had to nod in agreement, whether he liked it or not Katara crossed the line a long time ago, and only as far as he knows, who knows what other things she did to get them to where they are now.

-But what can we do Master?? Neither her side nor mine want to see the truth nor will they want to hear it...

Piandao nodded in agreement.

-Then together we will have to open their eyes...

Sokka gave a sigh and nodded his head slightly, this will undoubtedly be the hardest thing he has done so far, but this is what has to be done...

Xiànshí looks at Sokka from behind with a slight smile.

...

Heroes don't go away... they live forever, as do those they inspired to continue the fight. Sokka's fight may become more difficult, but there is still faith that at the end of this dark tunnel, light can be found.

However... that's another story...

Chapter Text

Time

Space

Reality

It is more than a linear path... it is a prism of unlimited possibilities... where a single choice can be divided into infinite realities and create alternate worlds to those you already know... I am Xiànshí the spirit of reality, your guide in these new and vast realities, follow me and consider the question... what if??

The hero's path is full of events, decisions, and stories... in each universe, this is no different, but in a multiverse of possibilities the hero's path is full of many battles that define it...

...

Earth Kingdom- Tu Zin

From the hills you can see how a mongoose lizard was quickly approaching the abandoned town of Tu Zin, on top of it it had a rider looking ahead, it was chasing its target, and he and his team had been following it at a fast pace for hours, without possibilities of rest and hoping to agitate him until it occurred to his enemies that they could distract them with a false trail they were divided, so he decided to advance here to where the trail was leading him, something tells him that what he is looking for came in this address.

When he sets his eyes on the town he can see that this town is in ruins, it must have been abandoned a long time ago, the ideal place to hide, then he can see that the trail is ending but when he sees what is at the end, he can see that he was not wrong.

He examines the person in front of him, according to the descriptions he obtained then it is him.

The Avatar.

He stops his mount and gets off it to walk and see the Avatar in front and when he gets a better look he can't believe what he sees.

-Very well... you already found me... now tell me who you are and what you want??

While the other cannot believe it, when he arrived he undoubtedly expected something different, not what he was seeing.

-You are the Airbender?? You are the Avatar??

Seeing it better, Aang stands up in a defensive position, pointing his staff at him.

The one who confronts him just shakes his head in disbelief - I received reports of the Avatar causing problems for the Fire Nation, I spent weeks, practicing and meditating for this moment... and in the end, you are just a child??!!!

Aang neglects his position for a moment to examine the one facing him. He was a young man from the Fire Nation, with clothing that did not belong to Fire Army soldiers, he wore an ornament in his hair that made him stand out and had eyes of molten gold.

-And you're just a teenager...- he reiterates to make her understand that he is also very young.

The aforementioned only denies and smiles with some arrogance to immediately present himself with a straight posture.

-I'm not just a simple teenager, Avatar... my name is Zuko, son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai, prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the Throne

-And now that??

-Now??... - Zuko was a little annoyed by Aang's attitude towards him, but he decided to put it aside to focus on his mission and make the situation clear to him - now it's over, you're tired and there's nowhere to run and Even if you run I'm going to catch you.

-I'm not going to run away... others have tried to capture me and failed.

Zuko just shakes his head without leaving his smile - Those who tried Avatar are not like me, you faced Fire Nation soldiers and high-ranking officers and defeated them... I admit it, you are powerful and you may count. with the help of more than one element, but I didn't come here to fail... so if I were you, wouldn't I make this more difficult or do you want to fight me??

He got into an attack stance ready to fight.

Aang stands ready for any move from Zuko, who only has one fist in front of him, still not making a move.

They stay like that for a while, when Zuko smiles when he sees that he has not retreated, at that moment he shoots a burst of fire at him that Aang blocks, barely surprised by his speed, he immediately sends a burst of air with his staff to distract him, quickly taken advantage of. to open his glider and fly out of there.

But Zuko, seeing the attack, only propelled himself upwards with his firebending, jumping towards a terrace, and with two fingers he fired several small burst shots in the direction of Aang.

Aang turned to see if Prince Zuko was still chasing him and shouted in alarm at the attacks that were directed at him, he closed his glider and tried to repel the attacks with air bending, turning his staff so that it also cushioned his fall, once in the air. The ground began to rise to see Prince Zuko running towards him, launching himself from the roof and landing on his feet in front of him ready to continue.

Aang quickly backed away so that Prince Zuko attacked from the ground making a rotating burst of fire, Aang jumped to keep his distance, and then Zuko continued firing bursts with his fists, Aang dodged them as he quickly passed through much of the square, he moved Quickly the bursts did not even get close, in another attack Aang jumped high enough which Zuko took advantage of to charge a powerful cross burst of fire that hit Aang squarely who tried to block it with air bending but it sent him to a high part of a home.

Trying to get up, he saw how Zuko was quickly following him up the stairs. He quickly got up and headed inside the house. He almost fell when he saw that there was no floor because it was destroyed and to the back of the house. Then he used his air skateboard to levitate and stay at a safe distance, Prince Zuko entered and then he realized the lack of floor, he could not maintain his balance and fell but before reaching the ground he managed to hold on to a part of the ruins.

He looked at the Avatar who was mocking him, waving from where he was, he growled, annoyed by that, so looking down and seeing a place where he could land safely, he let go and landed to instantly charge a new attack towards Aang, who, surprised by what he did, decided. Better to run away before the attacks reach you.

Zuko, seeing where it is, heads towards the wall to be able to get out. With a kick, he manages to break the weak structure and manages to get out. When he does so, he sees Aang in the square and runs towards him to attack him again, using his airbending. Boost to jump across two buildings to gain more distance.

Zuko seeing that she was planning to flee from his attacks and takes a deep breath, concentrates on his internal chi, channeling the fire within him to launch his next attack, which is an intense burst of fire that crashes into the base of the house in where Aang was, which destroys it and causes Aang to fall around the rubble and trapped by it.

Trying to free himself, he then notices that Prince Zuko appears again, summoning fire that expands in a circle and prevents him from escaping, Aang worriedly tries to free himself, when he sees Zuko in front of him.

But before he can do anything, a water whip takes him by surprise by grabbing his arm from behind, throwing him off balance, soon that whip heads to where Aang is, freeing himself from where he was captive, seeing who had freed him, he smiles in relief.

-Katara!

Zuko, seeing that someone new appeared, fires another burst of fire, and the girl runs away to avoid his attack.

Zuko was able to see her even a little and may know who she was, the reports also talked about her, the Avatar was not traveling alone, and two children from the Water Tribe accompanied him, one of them a water bender.

He runs to where he is to prevent him from continuing to interfere, he sees that he is turning to go in another direction when someone new tries to surprise him, he dodges the attack and before he realizes he takes him by the arm where he has the weapon, he takes it and kicks him hard. , the attacker groans in pain, at that moment he sends him to the ground, but before he can knock him out, the same water whip appears to attack him, he quickly moves away to a safe distance to see that they are surrounding him, the same attacker He gets up sore but eager to continue fighting.

Seeing that they are surpassing him, he retreats until they have him surrounded in a circle, and then he smiles when he sees what they are planning, he turns in the direction of the Avatar to attack him with a burst of fire, and when he sees that he dodges it, he sees that they are trying to hit him with water from behind. behind, he stops the attack and runs towards what he can see are the brothers of the Water Tribe, he shoots the boy who jumps back to avoid him and jumps to give an inverted fire kick to the girl who he sees is the water bender, The water bender stops her attack and both begin a series of attacks from their elements to knock the other down, Zuko can see that the girl is good, but she is still tired, she dodges her next attack and crouches and sweeps the floor with her leg, knocking down the girl who falls

Aang, seeing Katara in danger, runs to help her. Zuko notices this and dodges the blast she launched. He stands at a safe distance and sees that the girl's brother and the Avatar are after him. He prepares to face them when a slide in The earth on his feet sends him to the ground, he uses his hands to avoid falling forward.

-I thought they would need my help.

Surprised he looks at the voice that said that and looks at a girl who from what he sees is blind there, if I used that move to knock him down then she must be an earth-bending master, that was new, she was not in the reports.

-Thank you

He looks at where the Avatar and the Water tribe children are, in front of him. Taking advantage of the proximity to his feet, he generates a rotating stream of fire that sends the four of them to retreat. When he gets up, he looks in all directions when he sees that he is outnumbered. He must change location if he does not want to be defeated, so in that it is an alley he sees a person waving to him specifically without the other four having said it noticed, he gestures with his head for him to hide in the alley, having an idea, the person nods and quickly starts running in the direction of the same alley, the Avatar, and his friends follow him, he looks back when he sees that he is already They were entering, he looks at what remains of a destroyed wall and decides to stand there, soon the Avatar and his friends surround him from four directions, pointing from each one making him see that they have trapped him.

Seeing that they have him surrounded, he smiles slightly.

-But look at this, even tired they were able to bring me here - with a gesture he lowers his head as a sign of respect - it was entertaining but I can't with all of you - he raises his hands in a sign of surrender - you have me... A prince knows when no need to fight...

The Avatar and his friends remain at a distance, still ready, they still do not trust that Prince Zuko will not do anything, and he only looks ahead, when he sees his ally who is hidden in the rubble, waiting for him. signal, Zuko nods at him in confirmation.

Her ally nods quickly jumps out of her hiding place and runs quickly towards the closest target, the waterbender. Somehow the earth bender noticed her and tried to do the same thing as him to knock her down, however, it didn't work because her ally with a somersault she composed herself and made a great pirouette jump towards the water bender, touching a part of his shoulder that takes her by surprise but somehow leaves her immobilized, when she finishes she jumps to Zuko's side in a perfect posture, The Avatar and his friends see with surprise the new person who joined the fight, a girl dressed in pink and very smiling who greets them with her hand before they can act they hear a dull noise that falls to the ground and then they look disbelieving and horrified that it was Katara and that she was not moving at all.

Zuko smiles satisfied to see that they lost concentration, he soon charges a cross attack against the earthbender, who raises a column of earth to block it but Zuko's attack is stronger and destroys her column and sends her backwards, knocking her down.

The girl dressed in pink goes towards Sokka who with his machete tries to make her retreat but the girl jumps forward before Sokka's gaze, he turns to face her but before he can she hits him on parts of his arms causing them to collapse. He shouts worried about what happened, but before anything else, the girl hits him again but this time in the body so that Sokka then falls too.

-What a shame... you are a very nice person... did you know that?

Aang soon realizes the turn of the situation and looks worried as Zuko is now in front of Toph, pointing right at her face.

-I have your Avatar friends, if you value their lives you will surrender voluntarily.

Aang soon sees Katara, Sokka, and Toph dejected, the first two out of combat and the last in the line of fire for the Fire Nation prince, he has no choice, he raises his staff and throws it to the ground as a sign of surrender.

Zuko nods at him and then looks at his ally and gestures towards Aang.

The girl nods with a smile and with a somersault stands next to Aang and hits parts of her body that cause her to also fall to the ground.

-This was fun Prince Zuko...

The aforementioned picked up the Earthbender who grumbled angrily as they held her arms.

-It was still a challenge, but it doesn't take away from the fun, the reports were somewhat outdated concerning who was accompanying the Avatar, and I certainly didn't expect there to be one more with him- he addresses the girl- could you please?

With a gesture he points to the Earthbender, the girl nods with a smile, and hits two places on her body, knocking her out and causing her to collapse to the ground.

-Thank you, Ty Lee

Ty Lee nods at his thanks, puts her hands on her hips, and looks at the Avatar's group.

-So, what can we do now??

Zuko looks at the Avatar, and then at his companions.

-How long will it be until they can move again?

-Ty Lee starts to think, remembering which places he touched and when he was late to which place.

- The little girl and the Avatar won't take long, the cute boy over there will take a little longer... but the waterbender is unconscious, so that will take a few hours.

Zuko nodded in response. "Then we better make sure they don't try anything and escape. I have handcuffs on my mount. They'll help enough until the rest of the Team gets here. I'll go get them... we have to keep an eye on them until then."

Ty Lee makes a military pose and obeys his order, Zuko looks at this and rolls his eyes back in amusement at his posture, but he knows that Ty Lee will do what he asked, now he just has to go to his mount. for the wives.

While Xiànshí watched him leave from the sky.

...

More than the battles one wins or loses, what truly defines a hero are his relationships, The people who shape them, and their stories...

Zuko and Azula... a brotherhood as unique as it is complicated but fundamental for their participation in the history of their universe, their childhood was what started Zuko to be the person he ended up becoming in the end, but in another universe, the Mother of Zuko, Ursa, lost Azula almost before she was born due to a terrible accident, her condition at the end of that loss also prevented her from having more children... without a sister who had much... impact during her childhood, Zuko grew up as a very different prince.

...

One month ago.

Fire Nation - Royal Palace

In a training arena, a group of fire benders from the royal procession are surrounding a young man, already in an attack position, the young man is just standing, waiting, and in a corner, a group of people are looking at him. That is about to happen.

One of them, seeing that it is better not to delay this, decides to start - Start...

Several firebenders begin attacking at the same time, the young man using a stream of fire propels himself forward, dodging the attacks, and runs forward in the direction of several of his rivals, the imperial guards begin to attack him with everything they have, but the young man dodges the attacks with great skill, others repel them with his hands.

The guards who were in front of him decided to carry out a joint attack that the young man decided to receive fully, redirecting the joint attack to several parts, dissipating it, he immediately sent streams of fire to one of the guards who knocked him down, the others upon seeing this decided to continue. attacking, the young man dodges an attack, with his fist he dissipates another and does a somersault to avoid the others, once done he runs forward to continue facing the guards, who are determined to defeat his rush to face him, one jumps to throw a stream of fire with his left leg, the young man smiles as he pushes down with a swing, pushes himself forward with his arms and knocks down the guard using his feet to destabilize him and send him to the ground.

In the stands, one of the spectators nods proudly at that movement.

The young man resumes his attack when he sees that two guards have him cornered, so he prepares to attack them at the same time, using his attacks he redirects them, attacks them with his own, others he repels, and others he dodges, several guards end up affected and they fall defeated, seeing one who has not yet defeated, the young man decides to show off, breathes deeply and approaching him charges an explosion of crossed fire that the guard cannot dodge and sends him several meters back, directly to the stands where the Spectators watch him.

The same one who saw him before smiles proudly - He's strong...

Another nod in agreement - And his katas are more precise...

With only one guard left, who approaches with a powerful stream of fire, the young man smiles and throws himself at it, puts his hands in front of him, and easily passes through it, taking the guard who stops by surprise, before the young man can react. He uses it to jump across him and shoots a burst of fire with his legs to distract him and finishes off with a charged stream of fire that is received by the guard, pushing him back and falling to the ground breathless and with slight burns.

The young man falls to the ground standing panting and in position, ready for the next one to come when he notices that he has already defeated them all, the adrenaline does not allow him to capture that, only when he hears a slight cough, he looks towards the spectators, because from there He came out, only now they are approaching him, especially an older man shorter than the young man and with a smile on his face while he applauds.

-Excellent demonstration Prince Zuko, I can say with great pride that you passed the test with honors.

Zuko leaves the position and bows respectfully to his audience. "Thank you, Uncle, it is a great honor coming from you, I would not have been able to get to where I am without you and everyone present."

One of the spectators shakes his head. "Don't take away your pride, Prince Zuko, your discipline and determination have taken you to this level," he says, looking at the training field. "Not only did you face a squad of elite fire benders alone and you resisted.", but you also defeated them using a great display of fire and that is something to recognize...

Zuko turned to the teacher who told him this and bowed respectfully - Thank you Master Kunyo...

Kunyo bowed to Zuko in response.

Iroh nodded in agreement and continued - Not only that, but you have very well implemented the basic knowledge of fire bending that I taught you with great efficiency nephew... with great pride I can officially declare you a fire bending master.

Kunyo and the others nodded in agreement, and soon two of them advanced simultaneously.

-Prince Zuko, although you are a recognized fire-bending master...

-Once again we insist that you must resume the discipline of lighting bending...

Zuko sighed, looking at the pair. "Lo, Li, I appreciate his concern, but do you know why I decided to postpone it?"

Lo and Li nodded.

-Your experiment has shown progress, Prince Zuko...

-But perfecting this will make you more powerful...

-And you must remember that your father...

-Fire Lord Ozai told you to finish it...

Zuko, remembering the conversation with his father, had to agree, his father has ordered him to master the lightning now, and he doesn't know why, there wasn't so much insistence Previously, when he mentioned what his experiment was about, he agreed to postpone the domination of lightning, but now he made it a priority.

-They are right Prince Zuko, my brother is not someone who considers himself very patient.

Zuko nodded to his uncle, then went to see the last one who had not yet said anything, his last teacher, addressed him and bowed.

-Master Piandao, I apologize... I know we agreed that I would focus more on training with my Dao swords once I finished this, but I will have to postpone it.

Piandao only gave him a slight smile and shook his head. "Don't worry, Prince Zuko, I still have to leave for some business, but we will resume your training when you are fully available."

Zuko smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Master."

Piandao nodded and went to see Iroh- I'm going to leave, General Iroh, but we will be in contact...

Iroh smiled and shook his head. "I hope we see each other soon, old friend."

Both men bowed respectfully to each other as farewell and then Piandao walked away.

Kunyo only saw Zuko say - I'm also leaving, Your Highness, for my part, your training is complete, I know that the next thing you do you will achieve it...

Zuko smiled and went on to say goodbye to Kunyo, who also showed respect to him and then did the same with everyone else and then left.

Seeing that Kunyo was gone, he stopped by to see Lo and Li.

-Okay, let's finish this.

They were about to start when a servant appeared.

-Prince Zuko...- his entrance caught the attention of the four, seeing the servant, Zuko recognized him as one of his father's messengers, and he quickly urged him to say the message- The Fire Lord requests your presence in the room of the throne, he says it is with great urgency.

Intrigued, Zuko nodded, he would have to postpone the training of lightning bending a little longer, in the meantime, let's see what his father says...

While apologizing to his uncle and the remaining two, Zuko proceeded to enter the palace to get ready for the meeting with his father...

...

Zuko got ready with the help of the servants who helped him put on his prince's armor as he approached the throne room, where he knew his father was waiting for him. Once he was dressed, he stood right in front of the curtain that would take him before his father. father.

Zuko took a sigh to get ready and proceeded to enter with all the confidence he could muster, immediately entering he looked towards the front where the great wall of fire separated the Fire Lord from those who came to see him, Zuko remembers when his grandfather Azulon met him. sat on that throne, those were simpler times than when he didn't have the burden of the crown prince when his father didn't pressure him so much, or at least until he started his fire-bending training when his Mother was still here.

He doesn't know what happened, but after his grandfather died, Ursa, his mother, disappeared. He asked his father what had happened to him but he never told him. Zuko has his theories but he doesn't dare ask because he doesn't want to face the truth. his father's anger and because he doesn't want to know the answer.

Meanwhile, he proceeds to reach a safe distance to pay his respects to the Fire Lord.

-I found out that your sparring duel had excellent results... your fire bending is strong and you have been able to perfect it very well, I can see the enormous change that you now have compared to how you were at the beginning... you are meeting my expectations, my son.

-Thank you father...- Zuko lowers his head in gratitude and a smile, showing the happiness he has when hearing those words.

-However, I know that you can be even better, I hope that your training in lightning bending is progressing...

Zuko stood up to look ahead.

-Of course yes Father, I am taking it back now and it will be a priority just as you requested.

Zuko couldn't see it but he thought he saw his father nodding.

-Good, because you will need it later...- Zuko was confused by that, Ozai noticed that and decided to update him- the reports have arrived regarding the siege of the North.

Zuko nodded his head, he remembers that very well, during one of the war council meetings Admiral Zhao's proposal to invade the Northern Water Tribe was presented, although his participation in the war was almost non-existent, it did not mean that The Fire Nation sought to reach her as well and with the recent reports about the return of the Avatar she can understand why it is necessary to invade, the Avatar cannot be allowed to master water bending, there are no teachers left in the South who can teach her so The North was his only option, Zhao's idea regarding assassinating the Moon Spirit was also postulated, he was not much of a believer in spirits but he knew that Zhao was getting into dangerous territory, he had heard Uncle Iroh say, you don't play with spirits, he tried to reason with Zhao but his father had the last word, which approved Zhao.

He had no choice but to accept it, Zuko informed his Uncle hoping that he would know what to do, to which he just smiled and told him not to worry about anything, that had been days ago and he didn't know what had happened with it, I just hoped that Zhao hadn't done something crazy.

-Zhao failed me... he abandoned the siege like a coward without honor when the savages of the Water Tribe began to defend themselves...

Zuko nodded, the only thing he could do with that information was ask - What happened in the end?

He heard the sound of disappointment and annoyance from his father - Zhao lost his entire fleet and the siege failed, the worst thing is that I will not be able to punish him for this failure, after the great promise he made me - Zuko saw him waiting for the answer. - He ended up captured so at most we consider him dead... but his failure in the siege is not the worst, he failed in the other objective, he could not capture the Avatar or bring him here.

He had also heard that, since the Avatar appeared and Zhao found out he made it his mission to find him, he doesn't know all the details but his search ended in a chase around the world with no results and now knowing this he had an idea of what he wanted. his father.

-Then we must assume that the Avatar by now must have mastered two elements- he says as a confirmation.

-You are not wrong, Prince Zuko... the Avatar has now become a more dangerous threat to the Fire Nation...

Zuko nodded - So most likely he is now heading to the Earth Kingdom to find an Earth bender to teach him...

-It is also true and that is why you will see why I will send you to capture the Avatar... I can only entrust that mission to you, with your level of firebender you should be able to do it.

Zuko opened his eyes when he felt an emotion from his father's words, but he decided to hide it to avoid something, he only bowed again when he entered. "I am your humble servant, Father, your will is my order."

Pleased by his response, Ozai continued - I have already made arrangements for your departure, a ship is waiting for you in First Lord's Harbor.

Zuko, although he appreciated it, wanted to show that he was capable of doing it, so he composed himself to look at his father. "Father, I am your humble servant, I will do everything to fulfill what you ask, and as your servant I want to request of you." He remained silent to see. to his father, hoping that he would allow him to continue, and seeing that he had not said anything that showed opposition, he continued - I will carry out the capture of the Avatar as you requested, the only thing I request is to assemble a team on my own to help me in this mission. ..

-Do you reject the help I give you??

Zuko quickly shook his head to make his point clear so that his father would not feel offended. "No Father, I value your help very much, but I want to assemble a team that is specialized in the terrain in which I will venture... the Kingdom." Earth is large and diverse, the Avatar could find someone to teach him Earthbending anywhere on it, it would be difficult to move with a group of firebenders who have been stationed here in the Fire Nation.

He finished to look at Ozai, hoping that he was satisfied with his answer, seeing that he hadn't said anything he could see that he was considering it.

-And who would be part of this team?

Zuko had a slight smile that he soon removed from his face. "I would like to add my Uncle Iroh, his military history is diverse and I know that he would be willing to assist me, some officers who have experience like him, his long history of war They have someone with a lot of experience in various places... - While Zuko was saying it he could notice his father's displeasure with several of his proposals, so he added the following - Also a squad of imperial fire benders, and while I proceed with the capture of the Avatar I will continue my training in lightning bending.

With what I had said, I hoped that this was enough for his father to be pleased, now he was waiting for what he would say, the silence is tense, where the only thing that can be heard is the sound of the flames that surround the throne, Zuko He hopes his father will at least say something but the only thing he can do is stay on his knees waiting for his father to agree.

-Well... I will allow it, Prince Zuko, it seems that you are very confident that you will achieve it, and I hope to see those results when you return with the captured Avatar.

-I will not fail you, Father.

...

First Lord's Harbor - Later.

-Uncle, this is my big opportunity!... this mission is what I need, from all the firebenders he asked for me! He recognized that I was a powerful firebending master! Walking next to him, Iroh was walking next to his nephew as they proceeded to board his ship.

Iroh saw his nephew's face and could tell how happy he was, he was having his tea in one of the rooms of the palace when his nephew entered with a smile on his face saying that His father had entrusted him with a great mission, not long after that they started planning preparations and now here they were boarding the ship that Ozai had given Zuko for the mission.

He must admit, he is surprised by Ozai's support in carrying out this mission.

-You certainly are, Prince Zuko, no one can say otherwise now.

-And now I hope to capture the Avatar, this is the first step, if I succeed I will finally have earned the title of Heir Prince.

Iroh only sighed, his nephew's quest to earn his title, in Iroh's eyes Zuko is demonstrating it, he knows the basics of being a good prince and is a great fire bender, but what his nephew wants is recognition of his father.

-Maybe, but finding the Avatar will be very difficult, the Earth Kingdom is very large and weeks have passed since the siege of the North.

His words in themselves did not discourage Zuko. "It doesn't matter, the Wani was able to find him before, I'm sure they can do it once again..." but then he remembered something he hadn't thought about in weeks. "By the way, what happened to the crew?".

Iroh began to remember what had happened and what he had done, he knew that his nephew was not going to like him, so he decided to explain to her first.

-Well, it's curious that you ask about them Prince Zuko, Zhao recruited them for his siege of the Northern Water Tribe, and they were one of the few who were able to return, however, given what happened I felt the need to give them a rest.

The answer I was waiting for soon arrived.

-Why did you do that??!!! I need you now more than ever for this mission!!! We have to bring them back!

Iroh then stopped to make his point clear, Zuko noticing this also stood still, while the two stood looking into each other's eyes on the platform of the ship.

-Prince Zuko, those men sailed for three years since you sent them to search for the Avatar and spent a season on his trail, add that to what happened in the siege of the North... no, those men have had enough, you must leave the rest.

-But...

-Part of being a good leader is taking care of those under your charge nephew, knowing when people have had enough action, the rest I gave them they earned, you have to recognize it.

Zuko had to reluctantly agree with that, his uncle had a point, the Wani Crew had been in his service for over three years, of course, he promised them that they would be rewarded for their service and maybe now it would be better to keep it.

-We must locate them so that they receive their payment for their services, while I want the reports they made in recent months to be taken to my cabin... I want to read them personally.

Iroh smiled and nodded.

-In the meantime, I promised my father that my training in lightning bending would not be interrupted, I need to learn the technique, and it may be very useful to help me with the capture of the Avatar.

Faced with that argument, Iroh decided that it was time to speak as his nephew's teacher.

-Prince Zuko, the lightning should not be taken lightly, it is a very advanced firebending technique, and only a few have managed to master it.

Zuko, seeing the seriousness of his uncle, nodded. "I understand, but I know I can do it, all the fire benders in our family have done it, I won't be different."

-And what will happen to your experiment?

-I will continue perfecting it, although now it will not be a priority but it may be useful... in the meantime, I want to start my training as soon as possible.

Seeing his nephew's insistence, Iroh sighed - Good... - but then all seriousness left and he smiled - but that will be tomorrow, today we will celebrate a night of music!

Zuko just watched in shock at what his uncle was proposing to him. He was about to reply but his uncle didn't let him because she soon went on her way without letting him protest. Before Zuko, he only gave an annoyed groan and continued on his way.

He hoped this wouldn't affect any of his training and his mission.

...

Once everything was ready, the ship proceeded to set sail towards the Fire Nation colonies, where it would be the first step to begin the mission. As his uncle said, that night the crew had a night of music, the truth is his uncle tried to include it but he refused, instead, he decided to practice his breathing with a row of candles in your room

The next day, Iroh decided that Zuko should go on a tour of the ship and learn from it, as well as each of the crew members, so he spent the entire day doing that.

The following days, his uncle proposed that he continue continuing his training so that he would not get rusty, Zuko agreed and performed his kata, from the basics to the advanced that he already knew.

But that didn't take away from what he wanted, like being able to generate lightning.

Zuko was now on the deck in the company of his uncle and the captain of his guard as they looked towards the horizon.

-This will be a great experience for you Prince Zuko, you have never left the Palace before.

Zuko nodded in agreement. "You're right, it's my first time going out."

At that recognition on his part, Iroh smiled jovially.

-And as such I hope you can have a good morning on what this trip will be like.

Any idea that his uncle might have had about him, Zuko was quick to dismiss it. "We're not going on vacation, uncle. I have a mission and I'm going to complete it as soon as possible."

His uncle seemed to get a little discouraged - Yes, you say so, but how are you going to be able to find the Avatar, the Earth Kingdom is huge, plus we don't know anything about it.

For that, Zuko already had a plan to face this problem. Well, first of all, I would like to inform myself about the Avatar, the reports from the officers who encountered him are not very reliable, they do not give me what I need.

Now his uncle came to see him questioning - If so, then how do you plan to know what you will face Prince Zuko??

-I want to obtain information from people who have already fought with the Avatar, who know what I am going to face, how many elements he masters, and how he fights, I have to prepare for what I am going to face.

His uncle put a hand to her chin, thinking about a possible solution. "Well, in that case, I recommend the reports of the soldiers who confronted him, they may have what you are looking for."

Already having a course of action, Zuko turned to the Captain of his guard.

-Well, then we have to send letters about this, I want the reports of the soldiers who were involved in any confrontation with the Avatar since he appeared.

The captain nodded and bowed. "This is what his highness will do."

Without further ado, he proceeds to leave so he can begin the assigned task, leaving Zuko in the company of his uncle.

-Well now that we have that settled, let's move on to other topics that I know may interest you, Prince Zuko.

The mention of that caught Zuko's attention, and he turned to look at his uncle and discover what he was going to say.

-Today I will explain to you the basic concepts of lightning generation- his uncle announces with a touch of pride- As I promised.

Zuko's mouth drops.

"Really?" He asks, unable to fight the hint of emotion that enters his voice.

Uncle Iroh nods- I think you're ready.

Soon Uncle Iroh orders a table for tea, as well as cushions, cups, and his teapot, as well as some leaves to prepare tea so he can start the lesson, once they are set, he urges Zuko to sit on a cushion, which he does. which he does while Iroh proceeds to prepare the tea.

- Lightning is a pure expression of the power of fire, without aggression, because it is not fueled by anger or emotions like other fire bender techniques... some call lightning cold-blooded fire, it is precise and deadly and to master this technique peace of mind is required.

He proceeds to pour tea for the two of them and pass a cup of tea to Zuko.

Zuko nodded slightly. "I understand... that's why we're drinking tea... to calm our minds."

Iroh stops drinking his cup to look at Zuko smiling. "It's true, you're right... that is, yes."

Zuko was slightly taken aback by his uncle's response, but he did not have time to reply, because moments later he decided not to question, his uncle had his teaching method, so he should not question it, it helped him a lot to learn the basic concepts, I could help you one more time.

-Energy is everywhere Prince Zuko and energy is divided into Ying and Yang... positive energy and negative energy... only a few fire benders can divide these energies, this is because it breaks the natural balance and Energy tries to restore that balance and the moment in which the positive and negative energy crash against each other is when you are the channel that guides the creation of the lightning.

To prove his point he decides to get up and head to a remote part of the ship, once he does so he takes a moment to clear his mind, and then he begins to make movements with his arms and fingers and lightning begins to be generated, Zuko looks expectantly and excitedly at the technique, then Iroh finishes the movement and lightning comes out of his fingers.

-I want to try it

-Remember, after separating the energies it no longer depends on you, you become a simple and humble guide... he breathes first.

Zuko nods and gets up to stand at a distance as well. Once done, he inhales deeply and then exhales. He closes his eyes to concentrate and proceeds to perform the movements that his uncle said.

I can do this, everyone else in the family did it, so I should be able to do it too... but what if I can't?? No! I shouldn't think like that, I should be able, should do it for my father, he expects great things from me, and I should be able to make him proud!

With that thought in mind, Zuko proceeds to make the final move and wait for the lightning to come out, but nothing comes out. Zuko opens his eyes when he hears no sound and sees that he did not generate any lightning.

-You must have mental clarity, Prince Zuko... only then will you be able to dominate him, again.

Zuko nods and proceeds to repeat it but the result is the same, Uncle Iroh urges him to repeat it one more time and Zuko tries again but the same thing happens again and he tries again, each time he tries and fails it causes increasing annoyance followed by mild despair.

He continues like this, spending several hours, several attempts to review the technique, and failing in the result causes tension in which the next time he tries he charges with everything he has repressed, which causes an explosion to be generated instead of a lightning bolt. and I sent him back, throwing him to the ground.

Frustrated, Zuko gets up Why can't I do it??!!! Instead of lightning, the last one exploded in my face!

-I was afraid that this would happen, you will not be able to master the lightning until you are in complete balance with yourself.

-How to master balance??!!

-Zuko, you need to put your priorities in order and be clear about what is essential to achieve them.

-But I am clear about what I should do, I have always been clear.

-Prince Zuko, priorities are not always what you should do, they are also what you want and what you think is important, being honest with yourself is the first step.

-I have always been clear about what I want, to be a recognized firebender and be considered worthy of my position, what more could I want?

However, Iroh just shakes his head. "That's an answer that only you can answer, nephew... until you're clear about it, I think it's essential that we postpone the training fpr generating lightnings."

-That?? No! I must learn it, if I want to face the Avatar I have to know how to generate lightning- Zuko protested, not agreeing.

Iroh, meanwhile, did not back down with what he said. "It's too risky nephew, I don't think it's convenient, with your firebending master skills and your experiment you should be able to... which reminds me, that days have passed since You tried it last time, maybe a review wouldn't hurt.

Zuko wanted to reply, but seeing that his uncle would not give in, he had to reluctantly accept, however, he had a point, it was better to continue reviewing the experiment, so he accepted and sent for imperial fire benders so they could help.

...

Several days later

Although the lightning bending training was suspended for the moment that did not mean that Zuko had nothing to keep him distracted, the continuation of the experiment kept him busy, he was showing significant progress, and if he continued like this they could move on to the final phase very soon, too. Reading the reports from the Wani's crew kept him busy, as well as the others he requested from the points where the Avatar had been sighted.

Among what he found, he found a lot the Avatar was not traveling alone, two boys were with him, belonging to the Water Tribe, a water bender and a non-bender.

The Avatar and his group tended to get into trouble, you can read that they were even seen in the Crescent Island Temple during the solstice, how can that be?? They had a blockade!

The next thing he discovered justified the above, a flying bison was transporting the Avatar and his friends, one that was very visible from the sky.

"That could be very helpful," Zuko questioned as an idea began to occur to him.

So he proceeded to get out of his bed and leave his cabin. The guards stationed at his door immediately followed him. Zuko was heading towards the exit, rather than to the port. Right now they were stationed in one of the colonies of the Nation. Fire, partly to order supplies and ask for news of what was happening.

Now he was going to go directly to the nearest military base and give instructions to the commander on what he needed.

And he was about to do it when he discovered upon leaving that a large part of the port was hindered by the cargo of another ship that was disembarking. Zuko opened his eyes not because of the size of the cargo, but because next to it people who were not sailors or soldiers, were getting off the ship, they had clothes similar to those worn by the theater actors of the Fire Nation, in addition to the fact that the charges toward animal sounds.

-Oh how wonderful, it seems that the circus has come to the city- the sound of Uncle Iroh's voice caught Zuko's attention because soon he was next to him and saw with a smile what was happening in the port.

-The circus??

-Oh of course, sometimes I forget, Prince Zuko has not had the opportunity to know about this... the circus is an artistic spectacle, where actors delight the public with their skills.

As his uncle proceeded to explain in more detail about what a circus was, Zuko decided that he didn't have time for this.

-That's fantastic uncle... but that doesn't mean these people are slowing me down! I have to get to the nearest Fire Nation base now, how long will this take?

The captain of his imperial guard, seeing that Zuko and Iroh had joined, bowed respectfully before them - My apologies Prince Zuko, we do not know how long it could take, it seems that this is going to take a long time.

-It can't be... I don't have all day for this...

Without further ado and without caring who followed him, Zuko entered the chaos he wanted to reach the port to cross it and get to where he was going.

While he continued walking, he did not pay attention to what was happening around him, he had the goal of reaching the nearest base and that would be it, he was so immersed in his thoughts that he did not notice when someone arrived or rather stood in his way. accident and ended up crashing.

"Oh, I'm sorry, forgive me," the female-sounding voice was quick to apologize. Zuko turned around for a moment to see her, but then the person gasped in surprise. "It can't be, you're Prince Zuko!"

Intrigued because he knew him and recognized him quickly, he turned to see the person, who was a girl with a pink tutu, brown hair, gray eyes, and a smile on her face.

-Amm... and you are??

-Oh sure, where are my manners??... My name is Ty Lee, Prince Zuko.

At that moment Iroh had also arrived with him, while Ty Lee also recognized him and bowed respectfully to his uncle, which his uncle soon discarded and proceeded to ask about the girl that Zuko had bumped into.

The name became familiar to Zuko, rather than the last name, examining the girl who was in front of him he looked for something that could tell him where he knew the last name from, and then an idea arose in him about the girl's name.

-Ty Lee?? like the septuplet daughters of...

Ty Lee didn't let him finish, as she soon decided to confirm his answer.

"Yes, one of those," he said with a smile as he looked at Zuko.

Her answer only left Zuko even more confused. "What is the daughter of a nobleman doing in a place... like this?" he said the last thing, pointing and seeing the various tents, all the people walking from one side to the other, and the animals that were around.

-Oh well, thanks to this place I am very happy, my aura has never been more pink- Ty Lee put her hands together with a big smile while he hoped to make it clear how he felt.

This only generated confusion for Zuko and joy for Iroh. What's so special about a place like this?

Zuko questioned without being able to understand Ty Lee, if it were him, he would never be in a place like that. Iroh, seeing his nephew's interaction with the girl, then had an idea.

-Prince Zuko, this place makes Lady Ty Lee very happy, I don't think it's appropriate to question that... maybe she could show us why it makes her happy after all being outside the palace allows you to get new experiences of life. things you have never done, this may be one of them.

Zuko was ready to reply, he didn't need new experiences, he had a mission and he had to complete it, his father trusted him, but then Ty Lee gasped in surprise at that question.

-Wait, have you seriously never been to a circus?? then you must stay. If you want, Your Highness can stay and watch the show.

He approached him with a smile to see what he was saying and this whole situation threw Zuko off.

-Oh... eh, I would love to but, I'm on a mission... a very important mission.

Iroh let out a light laugh to touch his nephew's shoulder and stand next to him.

-Nephew, we cannot be rude to an invitation that this young lady gives us... - having said that he addressed Ty Lee with a jovial smile - it would be a great pleasure to be able to stay.

-Excellent, let me go get the master of ceremonies and be able to prepare everything.

Without further ado, Ty Lee runs off in search of the master of ceremonies, leaving Zuko speechless and even more so when he sees that now she couldn't go back on her word if her uncle had already accepted for both of them and he didn't say no.

-Uh, yeah, okay.

...

Later

-We feel deeply honored to have the son of the Fire Lord in our humble circus... tell us if there is anything we can do to make it as pleasant as possible for you.

A moment after he left, it seemed that whatever Ty Lee did rushed everyone who made up this circus, as they soon moved to the outskirts of the city to set up several tents and proceed to prepare to perform their show. before their guest of honor, after all, they couldn't always count on the presence of the Royalty of the Fire Nation.

Zuko honestly didn't know what they did in circuses, as a child he wasn't used to leaving the palace, in fact, he never left the palace.

-Uh... do what you've always done.

Next to him was his uncle eating sandwiches and drinking tea that he had ordered to be brought from the ship, she was also saying how wonderful it would be to see the acts they would present, while Zuko was skeptical, he didn't know what he was going to find. of interesting.

The master of ceremonies only agreed to his request and asked that the performance begin. And the first actors began to appear, who were a pair of jugglers in the company of platypus bears.

They began to perform tricks that caught Zuko's attention. He soon saw how the animals began to perform their tricks that complemented what the jugglers were doing. A group of firebenders came together to create rings of fire through which other animals appeared and began to jump over them, while that was happening trapeze artists appeared from above and began to swing from one side to the other.

Zuko began to look impressed with everything he saw, he saw forms of firebending that he had never seen before, the actors performed and showed very impressive skills just like the animals.

Then it was Ty Lee's turn, who was at the top of a rope in a very risky pose. She was dressed differently than when he first saw her, clearly showing that she was part of the act, but she didn't look disturbed or worried. He was going to fall, so he began to move performing pirouettes across the tightrope, a jump he made and fell without losing his balance.

Ty Lee's acrobatics amazed Zuko, seeing how easily he could move and the agility he showed was something incredible, he could not have achieved that mobility and ability easily.

Where could he get it from? Most likely he was at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, he knew some officers who had attended the palace and who had attended although he was never able to see what skills they carried.

-You seem impressed nephew.

Zuko looked from her to her uncle for a moment and then directed it to the whole spectacle in general.

-Yes... I am... I never imagined seeing something like this before.

...

Ty Lee was in her dressing room getting ready after the performance she had done, without a doubt it must have been a great act, she still remembered Prince Zuko's expression when he saw each of the acts, without a doubt she was not lying when she said that she had never seen anything equal

It's a little sad, from his time when he lived with his parents, he remembered some comments about the affairs of the palace, how Prince Zuko grew up with a lonely life being the only royal infant, and how after his father ascended the throne and His mother disappeared, he was practically an orphan.

And now he's stepping out into the real world for the first time and of all the places he could be, he's right here. Maybe it's a sign.

She didn't have time to continue reflecting because soon Iroh and Zuko entered her dressing room while she continued taking off her decorations.

-That was an incredible act to see, Lady Ty Lee, you are a very talented young woman.

-My uncle is right... if we come again one day it would be incredible if we could see you one more time.

Ty Lee smiled and bowed gratefully for her compliments, she saw the pair once more and made a decision, then she took off her headband and proceeded to hang it up.

-I'm sorry, Prince Zuko, but that couldn't be... the universe has given me indications that I need a career change... if you accept me, I would like to join your mission.

Zuko certainly wasn't expecting that.

Chapter Text

Ty Lee's request to help in the mission undoubtedly took Zuko by surprise but also Iroh, the only thing she was looking for was for her nephew to be distracted for at least a moment, to forget about his father's mission and act as a simple teenager, but then he emerged.

Although Ty Lee is such a skilled acrobat, she doesn't know how she could be of much help. That was until she performed a demonstration where she faced some of Zuko's guards and showed what she was capable of. It seems that Ty Lee masters the blocking technique. of chi, which combined with her great agility makes her a formidable speaker, Iroh has to admit that.

Zuko also did it because he gladly welcomed him to the mission when he saw how the demonstration ended. After that, his nephew, remembering what he had to do, was sent to ask the Fire Nation base that was in the port. They were to report any sightings of the Avatar.

He hopes that the Avatar is cautious and can hide, the last thing he heard about him was that he had left Chin Village after facing the Rough Rhinos, but nothing more until that, he only hopes to guide his nephew well on this journey.

But he knew of his nephew's enthusiasm for this mission, for years, just when his father, Ozai, became Fire Lord, Zuko lived with the mentality of proving his worth as crown prince and as his father's son, he dedicated All his time learning everything he needed as a prince and perfecting his firebending, he left his childhood behind and focused on growing up.

Zuko was also trying to follow in the footsteps of his father and his grandfather, whether in how to behave, performing firebending moves whenever he could see them, or in doing his quest to find the Avatar.

He had asked Iroh for everything he knew about the other nations, and soon his nephew formed a crew with a ship and funds to carry out the impossible mission. He had to admit that Zuko could be very persuasive when he wanted.

For three years he sent this crew to travel the world to find someone who had not been seen in 100 years, he hoped that Zuko would eventually see that this was a waste of time. Until the message arrived that the Avatar had reappeared at the South Pole, right where Zuko had sent the Wani the last time, and it also turned out that the Wani crew made first contact with the Avatar.

Zuko had achieved the impossible. Well, technically he did but he was still the one who ordered the mission. When he found out he was ready to leave to face him but Iroh stopped him, telling him that he couldn't stop his training at that moment, Zuko was close to obtaining the title of teacher, and if he left he wouldn't be able to do it for who knows how long, Zuko didn't know. He seemed very dissuaded, but luckily the news arrived that Admiral Zhao would take charge of the task.

Zuko wanted to protest but Ozai told him that he would do nothing and stay in the capital, Zuko reluctantly agreed but asked his father that if Zhao failed, send him to capture the Avatar. Ozai scoffed at the idea and sarcastically said that Zuko could do it if Zhao failed and managed to convince him that he was a talented firebender.

This led Zuko to reveal his experiment. A new firebending technique that he was perfecting and that would help the army, Ozai was interested in the progress and the demonstration that Zuko gave him and told him to continue developing it.

With what Ozai said, Zuko used it as motivation to finish his training, and while that was happening, Iroh supervised his training. Still, on the other hand, he watched the Avatar's steps, his position in the White Lotus gave him the means to prevent him from getting into trouble, which he must add was too much. Still, luckily they were able to help him, and with Zhao hot on his heels, what happened in Pohuai had been the most difficult. Still, they were able to get someone in to get him out, and from there it was commissioned to watch him more closely, the last one had been when the Siege of the North happened, he knew that what Zhao was planning was crazy when he presented it in the War Room, he tried to object cautiously, but his brother had the final decision. Still, He was pleased to know that his nephew also disagreed and even more so that he asked him to do something.

He knew that there was goodness in Zuko, outside of all the influence of Ozai, Zuko was more like his mother in morals, it was a shame what happened to him, remember that when he arrived at the palace after Ba Sing Se, which took a while. Much found a letter from Ursa in his room urging him to protect Zuko from Ozai.

Iroh already knew what he meant and he did it, he stayed by his side for the next few years for that reason, he supervised his firebending training and his lessons for that reason, but also because he knew that Zuko could become a great man, no. I doubted that he would be a great Fire Lord one day, but for that, he had to get away from the influence of the palace.

And just his prayers were heard when that servant appeared that afternoon.

...

When traveling with Aang, Katara had gotten used to the fact that he was not always going to find the best comfort, between constantly traveling either to find a teacher to teach Aang or to escape from the Fire Nation, she had learned that.

But this was not compared to other times, because now she felt very numb.

With great difficulty she began to move her limbs, they felt cumbersome, as did her eyelids, she let out a moan from her body while she tried to continue moving her body and be able to compose herself.

-Katara! Are you awake

She couldn't quite make out who had said that, she just put her hands on her head while she tried to adapt to the environment in which they were now, she slowly opened her eyes to be able to see clearly where they were.

"What, what happened?" she said while she saw her friends who soon began to get discouraged when they saw that she was asking, remembering her situation.

-They captured us... that jerk bender left us out of the game after a friend of his appeared and incapacitated you- Sokka was the one who said it with a little anger for remembering what had happened.

Hearing that, Katara then opened her eyes more and regained consciousness completely. It was then that she realized that they were in a cell in a metal room. You could hear the sound of machinery outside, exactly on the other side of the door...

-What?? -She tried to get up to improve the situation when she noticed something that she had not noticed before, she was handcuffed- how?? how did this happen?

-Seriously, Sugar Queen, you don't remember, a friend of the guy who was chasing us arrived and incapacitated you from behind, don't ask me how it was but you couldn't move anymore after they overtook us before we realized it.

Then it was that he remembered what had happened, that strange vehicle was chasing them all night through Appa's fur that was falling out, once they fixed that they separated to confuse the Fire Nation and that their pursuers would be deceived and their pursuers guessed their strategy, as they faced the fire benders who were chasing them when they defeated them they went to look for Aang who was facing some Fire Nation officer.

-Who was the Fire Nation officer we fought with? "I've never seen one like him," Katara asked, remembering the confrontation they had.

Sokka started to think about an answer, but he couldn't find an answer, because of how he was dressed, he must have been some high-ranking officer, but because of his age he didn't see it possible I would say that he was even his age- I don't know, Maybe he worked with Zhao, as you said we haven't seen him since the siege so it may be related to him.

Then Aang remembered when Zuko found him and what he had told him about who he was.

"He's not an officer like Zhao was," Aang said quietly, capturing the attention of his friends who turned to look at him, "when he got to where they found me he told me who he was."

That caught the attention of Sokka, Katara, and Toph who now turned their attention to Aang.

-Wait, if he is not a Fire Nation officer then who is he??

Aang was ready to respond when the hatch opened and Zuko appeared in the company of Iroh and Ty Lee who were behind him, they arrived while listening to part of the conversation.

Zuko then smiled and proceeded to introduce himself.

"I am Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, son of Fire Lord Ozai and heir to the throne at his disposal." He said the last thing with a bow but his tone said he said it with a lot of humor.

Both Sokka and Katara stared at him as they processed what he had said.

-The prince??!!!

-Son of Ozai??!!

Both Sokka and Katara reacted to the sight of who they were in front of, which was not a good thing.

Zuko looked at the Water Tribe brothers and responded somewhat condescendingly.

-Yes, I think I had already made that point clear when I introduced myself, in addition to the fact that the clothes and the crown in my hair would also say it by themselves- he gestured to the robes he had as well as the hairpin he had in his hair- well, what we were going to at this moment, the Avatar and all his allies are arrested for crimes against the Fire Nation

-What??, she came back only to be arrested by the Fire Nation?? If he had known, he wouldn't have even returned.

Zuko only saw Toph with a raised eyebrow and then saw Aang- Well, I'll be honest, I didn't expect to find an earth bender with you, Avatar, but I guess it's good that we also catch him, that will give any earth bender an idea of what can happen to him if he decides to associate with you, I can't allow you to learn earth bending.

-That after you Are they finally afraid of us and are recognizing us as a Jerkbender threat?? - Sokka mocked Zuko while Katara and Toph also mocked, but Zuko only smiled at Sokka's response.

-You could say... more like yes, that's the reason- he turns to see Aang- you are becoming a threat Avatar, what happened in the Northern Water Tribe was what made me be called to capture you.

The indirect mention of what happened caused reactions in both the Avatar and the brothers of the Water Tribe, Aang looked nervous, Sokka began to look sad and melancholy, while Katara frowned and looked directly at him.

-So you were one of those who accepted that attack?? The Fire Nation cannot fall any lower, with everything that happened in the siege.

Zuko then looked at Katara as she frowned back at him. "I didn't agree with Zhao's methods and I still don't, but that doesn't mean that it was the Fire Lord's will for the Northern Water Tribe to surrender... now. What I have to do is take the Avatar to the Fire Nation.

"And what does his highness plan to do with us?" Katara said it with a sarcastic and hostile tone.

Zuko put a hand to his chin as if he were thinking about it, but from the smirk he had on his face, it was clear that he already knew what to do with them. He turned to them with the answer.

-Right now, you serve me more as pressure points, I know that the Avatar could sink this ship or defeat my entire crew if he wants to do it... that's why you are here.

"You want us as hostages," Sokka said, narrowing his eyes.

-That's basically what I said, but I like that they already know what will happen to them, so I expect good cooperation from them.

Toph, upset by the situation, stands up to challenge Zuko. "We could defeat you on our own."

Toph's words only made Zuko laugh, causing a slight annoyance in the group to see that he was too arrogant. When Zuko finished laughing he just said the following.

-Yes, I am very aware of that and I could make threats and a lot of other things to make them decide to stay here... but I won't do that.

Then he takes out a wooden object that Team Avatar is stunned to see since that object was the whistle they used to call Appa.

"What, what are you doing?" Toph asked, being the only one who couldn't see what was happening.

Katara was the one who answered him without being able to take her eyes off the whistle in Zuko's hand. "He has Appa's whistle."

Zuko only looked at them satisfied to see that he had them where he wanted. You know, while they were incapacitated we went through their things, and among the many things I found this.

Without further ado, he puts it in his armor. You will also notice that we took his objects... including his furry friends... after all, they didn't put up much resistance after knowing that we incapacitated you.

He now turned his gaze to Sokka and Katara who frowned at what he was implying. But what no one expected was Aang's outburst as he launched himself furiously to face Zuko.

-Where is Appa??!!!

Everyone was surprised by the Avatar's actions, especially the brothers from the Water Tribe. In all the time they had known him, they had never seen him like this. Katara tried to get next to him to calm him down, but that didn't work. He kept glaring at him. Zuko, as if he were going to enter the Avatar State.

-Prince Zuko...- Iroh stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder to dissuade him from following this path, as he feared what could happen if he continued to provoke the Avatar like this.

But Zuko knew he had touched a nerve with that provocation so he decided to tread carefully.

-He's safe and secure, I promise you, no one has done anything to him so you don't have to worry... okay?? - That seemed to calm Aang down but he wasn't like before when he first appeared in his cell, I could see that he was holding back, it seems that Zuko must take other measures - now that you have calmed down we will also take other measures, they will have guards watching them so that they avoid anything stupid, those of you who are benders we will incapacitate them and keep them separated so that they do not do stupid things...

-And what makes you believe that we will let you do that to us- Now the one who responded was Toph with her arms crossed.

Just when he said it he felt a puncture in a part of his abdomen, he began to feel around in search of what had been the puncture, it was a dart.

The rest of the alarmed team tried to help her but soon more darts went towards them, Katara and Sokka were also hit by them, Aang with air bending managed to deflect the ones that were going at him, but he didn't count on Zuko grabbing him when he couldn't see and hitting him. one that I had hidden.

-True, I forgot to mention it so that they don't cause problems it is better to keep them unconscious, they will wake up in two hours, and by then we will no longer be here... sweet dreams.

That was the last thing I heard Aang when his eyesight was now heavily focused on his friends who were soon unconscious and soon he was the same as them.

...

Once they left, the hatch was closed while Zuko looked ahead to where they had Appa still on loan to prevent him from causing problems, he approached the captain of his guard who was monitoring that the transport of the bison was as fast as possible.

-How are things going captain?

The aforementioned, upon seeing that Zuko had appeared, bowed respectfully towards him and proceeded to explain - The bison is secured, immobilized, and yielded, long enough to allow us to transport it to the ship.

Zuko nodded - Add security and care for his transportation, the Avatar showed a lot of fury when it was mentioned that we also had his bison, let's be as cautious as possible.

-Yes, Your Highness- the captain bowed and proceeded to carry out the order.

-A wise decision, although you may have gone too far when you mentioned the Bison, Prince Zuko-Iroh said it as an observation as he and Ty Lee walked towards him.

Zuko nodded and did not reply. "I'll be honest, I didn't expect him to act like that, but I admit it happened to me... now let's look at another topic, the Avatar is secured, we have to move now."

"Where are you planning to take them, Prince Zuko, we are very deep in the territory of the Earth Kingdom, and we will not find a Fire Nation base close enough to where we left the ship," Iroh asked as he looked at Zuko expectantly.

To which Zuko gave a long sigh- I know that Uncle, that's exactly why I asked for this vehicle, it's fast enough to take us further down directly to the South Sea, we'll pass through there directly to the nearest colony to supply ourselves, hopefully, we'll be there. in Omashu in no time.

The mention of Omashu caused excitement in Ty Lee- Are we seriously going to Omashu?? Oh great!!! My friend Mai lives there, it will be amazing to see her again!

-Visits from old friends don't sound bad at all. Perhaps we can take a more scenic route. Prince Zuko, we are not in a great hurry to return to the capital.

-You know Uncle... maybe you're right, a panoramic route would be helpful...- Iroh smiled when he saw that he had convinced Zuko, he assumed he was going to reply a little- especially if we go to Gaoling, it's one of the few cities In this whole part of the Earth Kingdom that is not yet under occupation, perhaps a visit would be good

Iroh then gave a long sigh when he saw that instead of convincing him he had given his nephew other ideas.

-By the way, where were you uncle? You disappeared when we found the trail of the Avatar's Bison.

Remembering that, Iroh left his seriousness and went on to take something out of his tunic - I took the opportunity to take a detour and complete a mission of my own - with that, he showed Zuko some leaves of a plant that he had taken with him - Since we are traveling the world due to your mission, I made a promise to myself that I would expand my tea collection, I was delayed because I had met a traveler with whom I sat down to have tea, but in the end, the trip was worth it because the leaves of this bush make a very exquisite tea... it's either that or it's leaves from a poisonous bush.

Zuko looked at Ty Lee who shrugged and gave him a slight smile, to which Zuko only responded.

-Check it with something other than yourself or one of the men, we don't need someone to end up poisoned now... I'm going to talk to the engineers to start moving.

With that he headed inside the vehicle, while Ty Lee decided to go explore the place a little, leaving Iroh with his choice of what to do.

Iroh just stared at the flowers exploring his options- Mmmmm, exquisite tea... or deadly poison??

...

In the end, they shouldn't have left him alone, Iroh decided that it would be a good idea to try to see if it was tea, unfortunately, it turned out that the leaves were poisonous and caused a rash, but that wasn't the worst, the guy made tea to try it and a little more which he decided to share with some imperial fire benders, who also felt the effects of the poisonous tea, the only place the medical team had to treat them well enough was the ship, so they had to move faster to be able to treat those affected. .

While this was happening they kept the Avatar team asleep long enough so that they would not cause problems, as well as the Flying Bison, who only woke up dazed but it gave the guards enough time to act, after a few hours at dusk they were already arriving. to the coast of the South Sea.

Where the ship was parked and ready to leave.

However, as predicted, they did not have the medicine to treat the poisonous plant that Uncle Iroh used to make tea, so Zuko sent Imperial fire benders on mongoose lizard mounts.

Right now Zuko was on the deck of the ship waiting for the guards to return, while he did so he heard the sound of footsteps across the metal floor, he turned to see who it was and saw that it was Ty Lee.

-Your uncle and the guards are stable, what they gave them will help them for now, it is not the remedy they need but it is something to deal with the effects of the poisonous tea.

Zuko sighed slightly in relief. "I'll feel better when the effects of the poison have worn off and we're on our way to the colonies."

-The guards you sent haven't returned yet?

Zuko just sighed- No, they haven't, we are in a remote area, the closest town is to the west towards the mountains, and it will take a little longer than we expected.

Ty Lee, seeing how serious he was, decided to say something to cheer him up - Don't worry, I'm sure everything will be fine, soon we'll leave and start sailing.

-Yes, soon this whole mission will be over.

At that moment Ty Lee noticed the strange tone that his voice had, she looked once more at Zuko and she noticed something that she had not seen before - Your aura is a little gray because of that, you don't look happy about the fact that you have fulfilled the mission.

Zuko looked at her in disbelief when she said - That's nonsense because I wouldn't be, I captured the Avatar, the Fire Nation's biggest threat, I have him locked up and ready to hand him over to my father, why wouldn't he be happy.

-Well, maybe it's not about the fact that whether you're happy or not, I think it's more that you're dissatisfied with the result.

Yes, of course, it couldn't be that either, everything went as expected, he captured the Avatar, what his father wanted and he had expected a great battle to recognize his power, a battle with a powerful master and instead he had a scared child. , it did not matter.

-This is for the Fire Nation, the Nation that one day I will lead, fulfilling this is only the first step to finally earning the title I have, this will earn me the recognition of being the crown prince and that I will always be there to support to my father, to always support him and that he can notice me instead of continuing to mention ghosts from the past.

He said the last bit with a bit of resentment, one that he soon regretted saying, but that didn't go unnoticed by Ty Lee.

"You mean... Lady Ursa and the princess, right?" Ty Lee says carefully when Zuko's expression becomes more serious when the images from so many years ago come back to her mind, the times she saw her mother. sad for the loss of what would have been his sister. Immediately close your eyes and let out a long sigh, after that, you walk to the side of the ship to be able to see towards the horizon - if you know that you were not to blame for that, at least your mother had you and was with you, they say that the Only children always get all the attention, you must have had a very good childhood - I try to leave the sad side of the conversation and try something a little happier.

-Only it's not like that... - Zuko only clenched his fists but took a deep breath to control himself- but I don't think you understand it Ty Lee, but I live under pressure that you can't imagine if I became a powerful firebender and Everyone seems to believe that the attention I receive as a prince is very good, but sometimes I don't want it... my father says that my sister was not born because she was not lucky and that I was lucky to be born, so I must show why that is. I deserved that luck... I don't need luck, I don't want it, I have always fought and fought to get to where I am and that made me stronger... that templed me

Ty Lee just nodded as he approached to stand next to him. "You're right, I don't understand it completely, but I can agree with you a little."

Zuko gave her an incredulous look that said he didn't believe her but Ty Lee still didn't back down. Memories of how she went through her childhood ran through her mind and some tears began to fall on her face because of what she remembered.

-Do you know why I joined the circus? Life at home was not easy at all, growing up with six sisters exactly like me... I didn't even know my name! I joined the circus because the idea terrified me. of being part of a puzzle for the rest of my life but now I'm different, I am who I am because that's how I decided, no one else influenced what I wanted and I'm happy like that... maybe that's what you feel you're missing, you never feel They allowed you to show who you are until now, but now that the mission is about to end, you are like this because you haven't done them yet.

Zuko just saw her without being able to believe what she had hinted at him - I know who I am, I am Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, the son of Fire Lord Ozai...

-Yes, but... what else, what else are you?? What else can you be apart from Prince Zuko??

Zuko had no answer for that, he just stared at the horizon thinking about what to say, he didn't notice that Ty Lee had left after saying that, and now he was left alone.

But the questions were still running through her mind, Who is he other than Prince Zuko?? He doesn't know why but that question persists inside his mind because he only knows, everything related to being a prince.

But he can't help the feeling that is generated by that prospect.

A feeling of being dissatisfied.

...

In the darkness of the night, many things happen, the rise of the moon, the appearance of the stars and the end of a day, many things can be seen and others cannot and one of those things that cannot be seen could be a squad of Earth Kingdom soldiers who were following the guards that Prince Zuko had sent in search of the remedy for the poison and who were now approaching Prince Zuko's camp.

...

Sokka was groaning in annoyance as he regained consciousness, he began to move so he could get up and see what was happening.

-It's good to see that you're awake now Sokka.

Sokka turned in the direction of who had said that seeing Aang's always kind and smiling expression, he turned his head to see Katara and Toph also already up and fully conscious.

-You know part of me hopes that this is a terrible dream I'm having and that when Katara wakes up she will say it's time for breakfast.

At that Katara rolled her eyes in annoyance - Concentrate Sokka, this is not a dream, this is real and we have to figure out how to get out of here.

-Oh yeah?? and go where?? The prince of the Jerkbenders had us unconscious for who knows how long, we don't even know where we are, we could even already be in a dungeon in the Fire Nation.

-Aren't you the guy with the plans? Something must occur to you.

Sokka just sighed- Look, even if we manage to get out of here we have no way to escape...

-That is not true! Appa is still out there somewhere - Aang was quick to contradict Sokka as long as they didn't rule out the Bison, to whom the others went to see him and be able to know how to tell him what was most likely to have happened to Appa.

Katara cautiously tried to explain to Aang what was most likely - Aang, I don't think...

Aang however dismissed anything she might say- No! Zuko promised that Appa would be safe so he would have to honor his word.

Sokka wasn't very sure about that, this Zuko guy threatened them indirectly, and he might have done something to Appa... but then the memory of Aang being furious appeared in his brain, if he didn't know better Sokka would say to make him a little more angry. He could have made him enter the Avatar State, so Zuko has no choice but to... Oh, that gave him an idea.

-Listen, I have a plan... very good, this is it, you saw how Zuko reacted when Aang attacked him furiously, he knows that he can enter the Avatar State and sweep the floor with it, so he must go carefully, so if we inhale afraid of the guards telling them that Aang is very angry like entering the Avatar State.

Toph only gave a mocking snort at his plan. "Yes, of course, that's never going to work Sokka."

Sokka saw her and challenged her with his gaze to contradict him until he remembered that she couldn't see what she was doing, so he went straight to ask - And why wouldn't it work Toph?

-What do you think about the part where the guards watching over them are listening to your plan?

The voice that joined caught the attention of the Gaang who turned to see that there were indeed two guards stationed in the corners and watching them. True, they had forgotten that Zuko had put guards to watch over them, Toph saw her with a mocking expression.

Sokka, remembering that, wanted to hit himself hard in the face. "Yes, that could be a big problem."

One of the guards grunted in agreement - Don't bother trying to escape, outside of this there are more guards ready to keep you here if possible and the only means to escape is secured on our ship.

Katara was then intrigued- Wait... So we're still in the Earth Kingdom??

One of the guards nodded - Yes, but not for long, we are only waiting for the return of a group of ours, once they return we will be heading to the colonies and from there to the Fire Nation.

-Shut your mouth, we don't have to report anything.

-Oh come on, what could you do?? We've had them here almost all day and they're not going anywhere.

...

-Prince Zuko, the guards you sent have returned.

Zuko turned to see the captain who had come to tell him the letter, without wasting time he left his room and headed to where his guards were, the captain as well as some other guards headed to accompany him, leaving the interior of the ship to the deck to see that the guards were indeed returning.

The mongoose lizards were approaching at a good speed so that they would soon reach the entrance to the camp and settle in, the guards left their mounts and headed towards the ship to arrive with it.

-Your Highness... we managed to find a village not too far away where they could provide us with the remedy I requested.

Zuko nodded satisfied, this was almost over.

While in another part of the ship, Ty Lee was walking as she headed to her room, however as she walked a flash of something in the distance caught her attention, she turned to see what it was, curious she squinted her eyes to see what it was. It was, only to open them when noticing that it was a rock that was heading towards the ship, the rock hit the ship, calling everyone's attention but it didn't end there, because soon more rocks were thrown and began to fall.

The guards ran for cover, but then earthbenders began to appear and began to advance towards them.

The guards, seeing that, immediately went to confront them, the fire benders shot bursts of fire while the non-benders took up weapons, however, the advantage of the terrain was held by the earth benders, they were deeper into the earth compared to the others who Their space was more limited.

When Zuko saw that the air attack ended he immediately went to the shore to see that the enemy had them retreating, at that sight he frowned.

-What's going on here??

Uncle Iroh's voice caught the attention of everyone there, despite everything he had gotten up from the infirmary and had come here.

-What are you doing here uncle? Are you still not recovered?

Iroh just let out a sigh. "It's difficult to rest when we seem to be under attack, Prince Zuko... from what I see, we are being overwhelmed."

While saying that Ty Lee had also come running in a hurry, but Zuko refused to accept defeat

-I'm not going to allow myself to lose to these Earth Kingdom soldiers- he looked at some guards he had with him and an idea occurred to him- Two of you, take out the prisoners and put them in front of the Earthbenders, let someone else take care of them. watch my uncle

The guards, upon hearing their prince's orders, immediately went to carry them out. After that Zuko turned to look at Ty Lee.

-Come with me, I need someone to create distance between us and them.

Ty Lee nodded - How far away?

-Enough.

Ty Lee nodded and both she and her jumped into battle. As they ran across the platform, Zuko noticed that the guards were beginning to take out the Avatar and his friends, to which he smiled. They would be the distraction because at the moment they were put in front of the guards, the Earth Kingdom soldiers noticed them and stopped the attacks for a moment, creating a gap to act, Ty Lee ran faster to follow Zuko's order with her agility she began to dodge the attacks of the earth benders, in some they used the same rocks that they threw to be able to propel themselves and be able to arrive faster, soon they began to immobilize them with chi blocking, managing to incapacitate the closest ones, it was fast enough for them because by the time they noticed that they could no longer be moving would be too late.

Zuko, while he arrived at where his guards were facing the soldiers, helped with the defense while waiting for Ty Lee to create the distance he needed, while doing so his side was recovering ground, enough to make the enemy retreat and eventually Gather all the soldiers in one place. But without anyone seeing, one of the guards had moved close enough to Sokka, to be more precise, one who had the keys to what were precisely the keys to the handcuffs that had them trapped, smiling at the opportunity he quickly moved. He took them from the guard who was more focused on continuing the battle than on Sokka himself.

Zuko, as he looked forward, smiled at that prospect, he was ready, he quickly turned to his guard.

-I want five of you to throw bursts of fire at me, the strongest you can produce.

He said it loud enough for the guards to hear it and appear surprised by his request, but they were not the only ones who had heard it, as so did the members of Team Avatar who turned to look at him as if he were crazy, while Iroh He also heard it and started to face it.

-Prince Zuko, what do you think you're doing??!!

Zuko knew that his uncle wasn't going to like it but there was no other way.

-There is no other option Uncle...- at that, he gave a slight smile that Iroh didn't like at all it's time to try the experiment!

If he was right, Uncle Iroh didn't like it, because he soon counted how many fire benders he was going to use, they were more than the ones he normally used for tests.

-Prince Zuko, do not challenge yourself by wanting to test your limits, you know how risky this is with more fire than you can withstand.

-We have no other option!

-Zuko!

Zuko ignored him as he looked at the fire benders who had stepped forward for this, as they did not understand what their prince was planning with this, they had heard about the experiment, but they could not see it and those who helped him carry it out During the trip they were not allowed to say anything, but in short words, it was something incredible.

-Do it now!

With that as a starting point, the imperial firebenders got into position and immediately charged and fired five powerful bursts of fire in the direction of Prince Zuko.

The Avatar team watched in disbelief, they did not expect that Zuko had seriously ask his guards to shoot him with fire, but then they noticed how the fire began to spin around, the fire benders continued with the bursts but they did not reach the place where he is Zuko was spinning around him and soon Zuko's figure became more visible and then a familiar image came to Sokka's mind and also to Katara's.

It was similar to when they were in the Temple of Crescent Island and Avatar Roku through Aang had appeared, receiving the attack of Zhao and his men and responding with a great wave of heat.

Zuko, while he was tense, controlled his breathing very moderately and concentrated on keeping the flames around him in control, he could not waste even a single fraction of fire, his uncle had told him that this was a complex technique and that it was not It was easily achieved but he had found a way to make it smaller and more accessible, only now it would not be the case.

But he was ready and would prove that he was worth it as a firebender.

Then Zuko's next move leaves everyone shocked, the attacks sent by the soldiers are absorbed by Zuko's fire tornado, which then concentrates it more so that it looks like a stream of fire that continues to revolve around him while he makes rotating movements. with his hands, then with his hands, he ends up turning it into a powerful attack that he directs at the Earth Kingdom soldiers.

The frightened Earthbenders create a large wall of Earth that would be able to resist, however, once the attack hits the wall is destroyed, sending the soldiers flying and leaving a large trail of destruction.

Meanwhile, Team Avatar witnessed (or in Toph's case, felt) what had happened, while still seeing the trail of destruction created by Zuko's attack, Toph was the one who decided to break the silence.

-I must admit, that was interesting to see.

Her words made Aang, Katara, and Sokka react so that Sokka began to ask without coming out of surprise.

-But what the hell did he do there?? He received five shots from five firebenders created a more powerful one and killed all the soldiers.

Zuko then fell to his knees as he saw what he had done.

-Haha, by Agni, it worked! I mean I wasn't sure he would make it but look at that! Good heavens! It was very powerful!

Iroh just shook his head, but he turned his attention to the Avatar and his friends to respond.

-That was the fire cannon... A new type of attack that Prince Zuko is developing, redirecting the attacks of other fire benders and is capable of charging them to create an advanced burst of fire that a conventional fire bender would find difficult to create by itself. If only.

Ty Lee as she went to help Zuko who was trying to get up but failing a little.

-That was certainly incredible!

He said as he helped Zuko up, Zuko accepted the help because of the difficulty he had standing, but he only took a moment to rest for a moment and be able to stand to walk slightly.

-It was too much to bear, but it was a success in the end... the bad thing is that he ended up tired, it doesn't matter, he is ready after all when I present him to the army he will be a great addition.

As they both returned, Zuko saw that Team Avatar was soon being surrounded by his guards who were waiting for his orders. True, he still had to take the Avatar to the Fire Nation.

-What do we do with the enemies, your highness? Let's go after them?

Zuko stared at the enemy soldiers who were still within reach, they could pursue and capture them, plus they could be of some use, but he immediately dismissed it.

"There's no point, we're just here to capture the Avatar, and we don't need to waste time with more nonsense." The captain nodded, and then Zuko looked at his uncle. "Return my uncle to the doctor's room, let him rest.".

The captain bowed respectfully to begin the order. But before leaving he asked her one last question.

-What will happen to the prisoners? Do you want us to put them to sleep again?

Zuko then looked at the prisoners once again, Team Avatar looked at him expectantly, and he directed his gaze at each one of them, studying them and seeing the level of threat they could represent, in the end, he looked at Aang who He stared at it, he stared at it for a little longer, deciding what to do, until it occurred to him what they would do.

"No, keep them awake, I want them to be awake so they can see this land that is not under occupation by the Fire Nation, when they see land the next time it will be when they are in the Fire Nation itself" he smiled at that last bit.

The gang stood up at what he was implying, while the captain ordered Team Avatar to be taken to the Ship's prison, while Zuko headed to his chambers to rest as he had told them, as he went to retire, he gave Aang one last look. before seeing the others frowning at him, especially Sokka and Katara, without paying them much seriousness, took his eyes off them to retire.

Sokka grumbled but she gave a slight smile when she saw that he had not been discovered, she pressed the keys to the handcuffs that she had just hidden, and now that they were taken away fully conscious they had a chance to escape.

They just had to wait for the right moment. He said to himself mentally as the guards came to take them away.

However, what Sokka didn't notice was that someone had noticed that he had taken the keys.

...

The plan was simple, make Zuko believe that they had accepted the inevitable, take them to the cell and lock them up, and free themselves from the handcuffs without the guards watching them noticing, once free they took the guards by surprise. which they put to sleep with the same darts that they used on them, so their escape would be silent, with all the stealth they possessed they made their way through the ship.

Checking the rooms, as well as dodging and taking care of the patrols, they set out to find their things, Sokka decided to check the armory, which was difficult to find on this huge ship, it was very different from the ships on those who had sneaked in before, but after trying many times, they managed to find it and indeed their things were there.

They quickly took everything and prepared to escape, now what they had to do was find Appa, Aang, in true air-bending master style, started running to find Appa, drawing the attention of more guards, of which Sokka Katara and Toph had to take charge.

Fortunately, they were able to find Appa locked up in the place where they kept several animals that the Fire Nation used for their campaigns. They didn't have time for other things, they had already discovered them and in a short time they would call the Prince and the Acrobat Girl and the battles would begin. issues.

They opened the hatch to get Appa out and headed to escape.

By the time the guards found them, Appa was already rising to the skies, rising higher and higher until it was soon impossible to be shot down.

The four of them began to celebrate.

-We did it!

-I knew we escaped in the end!

-Yes!, that Prince Jerkbender is not as skilled as he thinks, we were able to escape and elude him easily.

Yes, he had been very easy.

However, Aang had this strange feeling that something was not right, he turned his head towards the ground looking for something and found Zuko and Ty Lee on the deck of the ship watching them leave, Ty Lee waved them goodbye and a big wave. smile on his face, while Zuko was with his arms crossed watching them leave, when he noticed Aang's gaze, he fixed his gaze on him and gave him a mocking smile.

That's when he understood that they hadn't escaped from Zuko. Zuko let them escape.

The revelation left him confused and speechless.

Below where they watched them leave, Ty Lee lowered his hand and looked curiously at Zuko.

-Why did you let them escape?

Waiting for that answer, Zuko sighed and looked at the sky. "What you told me before... who am I apart from my father's son, besides just being the prince of fire... I spent a lot of my life just dedicating myself to improving my firebending and just focusing on my duties as a prince that I never knew anything else...

Ty Lee smiled as she had an idea of what Zuko was going to say in response. "So you want to..."

Zuko gave him a slight smile and nodded. "Yes... I want to find out... I don't know where it will take me but it seems that the Avatar will be part of that path..." He said the last thing, looking in the direction of where the Bison The Avatar had fled.

Ty Lee then nodded to herself- I see... so if you need help I will accompany you on this path Zuko

At that Zuko shook his head. "You don't have to do it, Ty Lee, what you did today is enough, I don't want to take you away from the life you've made..."

Ty Lee liked the consideration but shook her head.

-I told you before, the universe wants me to accompany you... it seems that we will become travel companions.

Zuko just shook his head as he closed his eyes but he didn't erase the smile he had, he just nodded to open his eyes again and look ahead with determination.

-The Avatar and his friends fled towards the north, I don't doubt that they tried to keep distance between them and us.

-So where are they supposed to go??

Zuko began to think and evaluate the options they had to evade them. "They won't go west because doing so would mean crossing paths with the Fire Nation and I don't think they're still wandering on this side of the Earth Kingdom. If I had to bet, I'd say they're heading to the North, to the Si Wong Desert, and possibly Ba Sing Se, if so then we have to make sure we receive them on the other side.

Ty Lee nodded at what he said.

-Well, at dawn, we will start moving, we must arrive as soon as possible and be ready.

-It's okay, well if that's the case I'll start preparing my things.

With that said Ty Lee walked away while Zuko allowed himself a smile, they will see how things will turn out, but he will not allow himself to fail in his mission. He looked back at the horizon wondering what would happen in the days to come.

But without Zuko noticing, Xiànshí saw him with a smile.

...

A purpose to follow, a blossoming friendship, how the ties that unite people are formed do not matter, together they will discover the path that awaits and what else they will discover in the future... what is that?

...

While looking ahead, Zuko thought he saw a mirage or some type of illusion. He rubbed his eyes to confirm what he saw and saw that what he witnessed was true. A kind of portal was created and dark spirits began to appear from it. that were advancing towards him.

...

Oh no!... maybe I spoke too soon.

...

Although the spirits were in the distance, Zuko knew that their presence meant trouble, so he narrowed his eyes ready to face them.

The spirits began to move to the sides to make way for whatever was about to happen, as they did so a sinister laugh could be heard from inside the portal so that the figure of a large black spirit with red and one eye was observing this universe.

Vaatu.

Chapter Text

Time

Space

Reality

It is more than a linear path... it is a prism of unlimited possibilities... where a single choice can be divided into infinite realities and create alternate worlds to those you already know... I am Xiànshí the spirit of reality, I am your guide in these new and vast realities, follow me and consider the question... what if??

We've seen this before... a world devastated in its darkest moments, but... this story fills me with so much sadness.

...

Northern Water Tribe- Agna Qel'a.

The once great ice city, the capital of the Northern Water Tribe, now lay in ruins, the great ice wall was in pieces, while the buildings, as well as the ice constructions, were now just rubble.

And in the streets there was ice debris everywhere and there were no people anywhere.

However, a platform of ice soon appears as he travels through a channel of water, a burst of fire helps him propel himself forward to facilitate progress. On the platform, you find three old men who were fleeing from what was chasing them.

One of them looks back to see that his pursuers are not far away - Here they come...

Another of them was in front, with his concentration, from his clothing you can see that he is a member of the water tribe, he looks back to see the imminent confrontation that is coming because the dark spirits are approaching - No. We have a lot of time, we have to be quick.

The third nods in agreement and releases a large burst of fire into the sky, signaling to begin the plan.

From a distant view, someone with a spyglass sees that his companions are being chased, then he looks away and turns his head to see someone next to him.

It was King Bumi and Master Piandao.

-Now Bumi.

The aforementioned nods, and then the Mad King of Omashu puts himself in an earth-bending stance and throws several large rocks in the direction of the dark spirits.

The rocks impact, hitting some and preventing others from passing, causing them to have to find another way to pass. One of the elders on the platform takes the opportunity to launch bursts of fire at the spirits, which he does to get rid of several, however it is not enough.

One of those on the platform sees that they are putting distance between themselves and the spirits, so he breathes a sigh of relief.

-How much more is Iroh missing?

Now Iroh turns his head in the direction of the water bender in front of him.

-Not much Master Pakku, however, if we want to go further we have to lose those spirits.

However, that was far from reality as more spirits were flying over towards him, something that Bumi noticed and threw more rocks in his direction to get his attention.

The dark spirits react to this and launch themselves in the direction of the two members of the White Lotus, approaching to attack them. Piandao draws his sword and prepares to defend himself from the attacks. Bumi breaks it into discs with a rock that he throws in the direction of the White Lotus. the spirits while Piandao finishes off by slashing them to get rid of them.

-That was not a pleasant thing.

While Pakku, Iroh, and Jeong Jeong they were crossing under an ice bridge, several spirits soon arrive but before they cross Iroh fires a burst of fire at a weak part of the structure that collapses the bridge.

Pakku, while still looking ahead of him, soon fixed his gaze on the half-destroyed structure of the Agna Qel'a Palace.

-We are close!

Iroh turns his head forward and sees the same thing as Pakku and nods - Master Pakku, let's go as quickly as possible in that direction! Fast!

Pakku nodded and directed them to the stairs of the Palace, once they arrived they got off the platform and headed up them, until they reached the entrance and entered the ruins, any way of escape was hindered when the dark spirits arrived. and they also got involved, destroying everything that remained of the Palace and causing it to fall into pieces, something that could be noticed from very far away.

The fall of the Palace was seen by Piandao who, upon seeing what happened, made a quick cut to the spirit he was facing and went on to see Bumi.

-Bumi let's go!

The aforementioned turns and nods in a last movement with his earth bending, he brings all the rocks close to him and with his strength he destroys them all, creating watt projectiles that he launches towards the dark spirits, the limes retreat from that and taking that as a distraction Bumi and Piandao They proceed to withdraw.

When the spirits recover and get up to continue fighting they notice that their opponents are gone.

...

In a far part of Agna Qel'a in the part of the freezing ice, a part opens with a lot of pressure, and from the inside a tunnel secret, from which Pakku, Iroh, and Jeong Jeong emerge, who were exhausted from having gotten there.

One of the elderly people was recovering from the fall, he was getting up with difficulty, and he was no longer of an age to do these things.

Jeong Jeong composed himself and turned to see that his other two companions had arrived with them, Piandao approached him, to which Jeong Jeong just said.

-Don't say it...

Piandao just shakes his head as he rushes to help him up - Please Jeong Jeong, none of us are like that, you should know that by now...

Jeong Jeong lets out a soft grunt and nods in agreement, giving Piandao his hand to lift him so he can stand up.

As the others found themselves standing up as well, Iroh stood up and proceeded to help Pakku, while Bumi just watched with mild amusement that soon faded.

Although they soon become alert to the sound of the roars of the spirits, they must continue searching for them in the city.

Iroh just looks in the direction of Agna Qel'a and shakes his head, soon urging the group to proceed and that they must move quickly. Soon Pakku creates an ice platform so they can move, Jeong Jeong helps by giving propulsion so they can move faster.

"They were too close this time," Bumi says as he looks at the city where they had previously escaped.

-I agree with you Bumi, although luckily we were able to take care of them in the end it is better not to stay too long, a little longer and they could have called more of them.

Pakku who was in front of everyone just looked back to ask - And where are we going exactly??

The only thing Iroh answers is the following - he continues forward, towards the heart of the North Pole.

All the elders remain silent at last, already understanding Iroh's plan, so they decide to follow his plan without question, at least until they get there. They continue like this for a couple of hours, until they soon see a yellow light in the sky, a great indicator that they have arrived, they decide to stop and get off the platform, after all, they must pass stealthily, they walk cautiously in the hostile territory until They arrive at an ancient forest in the middle of the North Pole, Pakku is impressed by the forest, he had never been here before, but he heard from him, as well as several members of the Tribe, this place is prohibited as well as considered a sacred place, because this place has a great spiritual energy, and the further they go into it they soon reach where they were supposed to go.

At the entrance to the North Pole Spiritual Portal.

In such a situation Pakku is the one who asks the question - Are you sure Iroh that we will find help from the other side??... we will be in his domain and we will not be able to escape this time.

Jeong agrees and decides to contribute as well. Besides the fact that nothing ensures that we will find any spirit far from his influence, many came here with him when he entered our world.

Iroh nodded in agreement, his comrades had reason to be nervous, and he was too, but what other option did they have? let his world drown in chaos?? No, this may be his last chance to make things right.

-The spirit world is very vast, and I highly doubt that everyone is supporting it, if we can go unnoticed for long enough then it would be possible to find help.

"And preferably before they find us," Bumi said in a somber tone that sent the entire group of elders thinking, they knew who they were referring to.

Iroh sighed once more. "Then we better not waste time."

His companions nod and proceed to enter the spiritual Portal.

As the White Lotus entered through the spiritual portal, Xiànshí watched them from the sky.

...

The end of the world came to this world with something simple... a promise...

As you well know, Vaatu would not be freed until 70 years after the end of the Hundred Year War, aided by Chief Unalaq in his escape during the Harmonic Convergence and eventually in the creation of the Dark Avatar to be defeated by the Avatar's successor ultimately. Aang, Avatar Korra...

But in this universe, Vaatu, noticing the lack of Raava during a hundred years of war and what has caused the balance, decided to intervene in search of an opportunity to escape from his confinement, during the solstices he manipulated dark spirits to wander the Earth and find assistants who would serve him faithfully... in the end, he managed to find three, three humans who felt the weight of despair, who would be very useful to him and who would belong to the elite of the most powerful benders in the world, three benders who were in a point of desperation in his life...

...

The figure of Vaatu was locked in the tree of time while he saw from a distance the child that his lackeys had brought him.

- I have felt your desperation... I can help you find the comfort you seek, I can give you the strength you long for and make you more powerful than you can imagine, you just have to help me

-Help you with...

-Help me get out of here...

...

The three accepted and so it was that over the next few years, these benders became Vaatu's pupils, contaminating them with his influence. Vaatu influenced their beings so much that these benders were changed forever...

They would become the bane of this world...

...

Ba sing se- Crystal Catacombs.

What was planned as a rescue had been successful, Aang and Katara were looking for a way out of Ba sing se, however, they were soon intercepted by Princess Azula.

Determined to defeat her, Aang and Katara brought Azula to a stalemate where they had the advantage, however, Zuko soon arrived and tipped the balance by siding with his sister. Now Aang was facing Zuko while Katara faced Azula, surpassing her. For a moment, only for Zuko to intervene and separate them.

Azula smiled at her brother, impressed with her, she soon saw Aang appear and run to confront her, while Katara and Zuko stood at a distance, each with whips of her element.

-You haven't changed!- Katara responded in the direction of Zuko, angry that he had betrayed her, she would never forgive this.

Zuko only saw her narrowing his eyes undoing her fire whip to say- I think I did it!

And they were about to launch the next attack against each other when they heard it.

-The time has come my disciples... it is time for you to fulfill your mission...

The sound of a sinister voice was heard in the minds of Zuko and Katara who stood up to hear it and looked into each other's eyes to confirm their teacher's order when they looked into each other's eyes they saw that they had both heard the same thing and Surely their missing member also heard it, the moment they had been waiting for finally arrived.

Katara saw Zuko and nodded, when Zuko saw her he nodded too.

With a movement of her hands and concentrating on her forehead, he revealed a tattoo of an engraved eye on her skin and the scar on her that she had kept hidden with makeup.

Then they heard a loud noise, something had crashed and they saw that it was Aang who was sent straight into a wall by Azula.

He directly went to attack Katara and believing that he had cornered her, he went straight to her, sure that Zuko was supporting her, however, she was stopped by a firebending blow to her back and sent her to the ground.

Katara saw Zuko and smiled, then directly with a new posture she created a vortex of water around Azula that caused her to be unable to dodge it, the force of the water sent her backward, and quickly recomposing herself Azula stood up, narrowing her eyes when she saw that Zuko he had taken the peasant girl's side, now the two were against her, giving them mocking smiles.

She seemed intrigued, but then she ruled out anything, she hoped that Zuko would have agreed and simply backed her up, but she had very high expectations for him, well there was no remedy, her brother was always a disappointment and today he made it more than clear. , but on the other hand, this is better for her, now nothing stops her from being the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation.

She already imagines when she returns to the Fire Nation. She will be decorated as a war hero, as the display of the Fire Nation's power, and as the true heir of the Fire Lord, the one who not only conquered Ba Sing Se but also captured her useless brother and her traitor uncle and his best achievement, capture or best get rid of the Avatar.

Everything was going better than she had expected.

However, suddenly Aang reappeared, he left where Azula had left him and with a great displacement of land he approached them, although he was momentarily stunned when he saw that it was Azula and not Katara who was surrounded, he was happy about that. and he looked at Katara when he saw that she was okay, but he felt something strange when he saw Katara's eyes, the warmth and kindness that were always directed at him were suddenly gone and replaced by something he couldn't understand.

However, they did not have time to respond because soon the Dai Li appeared, one of them knocked him down and sent him to the ground and many of them began to surround them, they began to surround them, Azula only began to walk with her hands behind her back, the Dai Li became aside for her to pass.

-Zuzu I seriously thought you would make the choice that benefited you the most, but I shouldn't be surprised, you have always been a useless good for nothing, but after all, I can't believe that you seriously believed that Father was going to forgive you, after being a great failure that you are.

Azula said it knowing how Zuko would react and she was ready for it, however, the next thing that happened was that Zuko just commented.

-I'm not you, Azula, who lives to please someone who praises them as a superior being... how needy of attention are you, didn't mother give you affection?? Or better yet, how idiotic is Ozai for seriously believing that after what he did to me, I would follow him faithfully?

Azula just narrowed her eyes, she didn't expect that from her brother, although of course, she was a little upset by talking about her father in that way and Ursa's insinuation.

Katara gave a slight scoff, she directed her gaze and saw how Aang had just gone into a small glass dome, which caused him to look at him with annoyance.

-So he decides to hide?? Coward- she said to herself mentally.

Turning his gaze back to Dai Li, he examines the situation, there may be so many of them but they won't be a problem, now that the teacher has determined that it is time they no longer had to pretend, now they were free and would begin with the mission for which they went. chosen.

Then the crystals in which Aang had enclosed himself began to shine, drawing everyone's attention. Soon they broke and the figure of Aang in the Avatar State emerged, rising so that everyone could see that all-powerful being and know that he was the most powerful being.

This generated discomfort among everyone present, Katara and Zuko looked at each other for a moment to know how to act, incapacitating him would be difficult, but they could handle it, they were trained to do this.

And then the lightning came and with it the fall of the Avatar.

Katara was surprised by what happened, then she looked in the direction from where the lightning originated and saw Azula smiling victoriously when she saw that she had killed the Avatar, although without knowing it she had made everything easier for them, she had the water from the spiritual Oasis. that the naïve Pakku had given him and that now had a purpose.

Katara, seeing an opportunity, launched a wave of water with the help of the water from the canals in the direction of the Dai Li to keep him away. Zuko, seeing that, reacted in time to jump and not be affected by the wave.

Once done, Katara got up and went straight to Aang, where his inert body was and she began to examine him.

-You killed him...- Katara said in an indifferent tone- it would be very difficult to bring him back.

The revelation of that information surprised everyone, especially Azula, while the Dai Li began to get up and prepared to attack the waterbender.

But before it happened Iroh appeared and became defensive, to give them a chance to escape.

-You have to get out of here! I'll stop them as long as I can!

However, she just ignored him and continued examining Aang, Zuko only saw her sister and her uncle and started walking as if nothing had happened.

-However, this is beneficial in another way...- Iroh and Azula are surprised by the tone of Zuko's words, and begin to approach Katara calmly. Iroh stood in the way to stop her from passing, but he saw that and Zuko saw him. He forcibly moved aside and without even giving her another glance he approached Katara to stand in front of her- So we don't have to worry about taking him with us.

Katara nodded in agreement as she took out the water from the spirit oasis she had been given a long time ago.

Remembering that they had an audience Zuko turned to Azula and looked at her with her scarless side, Azula looked into her eye and saw something she had never seen before, something she said she couldn't read from her brother. her.

p-Ah! And by the way, maybe I forgot to mention something to you before Azula... I stopped believing in the idea of ​​the greatness of the Fire Nation a long time ago.

Zuko's words were slow and lacking in his usual tone, then a slight smile appeared, but Iroh saw his smile and felt that there was something wrong, something that felt dark and beginning to emerge from Zuko.

-After all, the only way for the world to reach its true splendor will be through the vision of the master...- he fixed his gaze on Katara- take the time you need to heal it... I will take care of all the pending matters- Katara gave him a confident smile.

-Don't defeat them all... I haven't had real fun in a long time.

Zuko smiled back and looked at the Dai Li, he didn't know how many there were but there were enough to capture them if they let themselves.

Iroh had seen his nephew all this time, he believed that he had lost him when he joined Azula, but now... he no longer knew what to say about him, something had happened to him.

Before turning around, Zuko concentrated his chi from his fire chakra and proceeded to bring it to the center of his forehead. At the moment he did so, a beam of compressed fire shot out in the direction of the center of the Dai Li army, which received them fully An explosion took them by surprise, sending us flying, affecting everyone who was nearby, killing them.

Iroh and Azula reacted instinctively and separated to take cover from the explosion, looking for what could have caused it, when a snowy explosion came nearby, and then another, and then another.

Azula saw how her Dai Li began to be reduced while they searched for the origin of the explosions, she then heard a mocking laugh when she turned her gaze to where she came from and found Zuko, and then she saw something terrifying in her brother, His expression was that of a psychopath and he had a tattoo that looked familiar, but before he could investigate he saw how Zuko then took out a beam of compressed fire from that same tattoo and opened his eyes.

Zuko continued his attack heading towards his uncle, Azula, and any Dai Li who was nearby.

While Katara was uncovering the spiritual water pendant and water bending it, she used it to begin healing Aang, she knew it wasn't much but she had faith that it would work.

Once he saw that he woke up, he took his body in his arms, lifted him to where there was water nearby, and threw him into the water channel, once there he used his healing technique to heal him, while doing so he heard the explosions behind him. and he smiled, he knew that Zuko was taking his time, so he had to finish this quickly, with that he proceeded to heal Aang's body, while he did so he repaired the tissues of his body as well as anything that could be counterproductive to his body, Then he reached the part of his spine and noticed something there.

-A concentration of energy that was blocked... interesting, in the end, Azula helped more than we expected.

When she finished, she pulled out Aang's body while she put him away and covered him with some ice. Once he finished he launched into battle, he saw that the Dai Li were trying to defend themselves while Iroh and Azula tried to get closer to Zuko, he smiled as he summoned water from the canal and created ice icicles that he threw in his direction.

The new attack took many by surprise and they rushed to avoid it, but several could not do so and were impaled by the icicles. Without time to think, Katara created two water whips and launched them at full speed while Zuko was behind her, launching more explosions. Katara did not let herself be fazed by the explosions around her. She hit every Dai Li in front of her with her hands. whips and sent them back with force, in others he did it with the tips that he had turned into ice so that the impact was more painful.

Azula, angry, prepared a bolt of lightning that she shot towards Zuko who noticed it and only prepared himself in the posture that Iroh taught him and received it and then returned it to Azula, although it did not hit the target, it close enough to knock down Azula and send her to the ground injured.

Iroh saw that and couldn't believe that it had worked, although, of course, he didn't expect Zuko to use it in such circumstances, he didn't know what to call it, the point was that he had to approach the Avatar and get him out of here, something wasn't right, suddenly The energies of Zuko and the Avatar's friend had changed strangely, he had to get out of here before something serious happened.

But any possible new attempt was impossible when a wave of lava appeared before them.

...

Later

Sokka was regaining consciousness while she moaned in pain, she also opened her eyes with difficulty and she began to notice a couple of things.

To begin with, he was trapped on a metal plate in the same prison cell they had escaped from.

He didn't know exactly what had happened, he and Toph were there, with the Earth King looking for Bosco with them, however, Toph had stopped but soon had recovered and had renewed the effort, they arrived at the throne room where the bear, in addition to Zuko's sister's friends, Toph immediately incapacitated the two, covered them with dirt so that they could not escape, soon the Earth King approached his bear, however, something soon happened, it seems that he They trusted because they were soon attacked and locked in those same stone structures, it seems that the Dai Li was behind them, which I did not understand how they took Toph by surprise and he did not have more time either because they also knocked him out.

-Oh good, you're awake now- the indifferent tone caught Sokka's attention, who turned around slowly and squinted to see that there at his side was Mai, Ty Lee, the Earth King, all chained, all of them except Toph.

-That?? What happened?? Where we are?? What are we doing here??

Mai snorted in annoyance. "What does it look like?" We are prisoners now, and nothing more and nothing less than your friend the earth bender...

Sokka was incredulous at Mai's response, and he soon began to reply: "What??" What are you talking about, it was the Dai Li, surely when they saw the opportunity they betrayed them and locked them up with us.

Mai rolled her eyes - That's impossible, the Dai Li are now loyal to Azula after they betrayed her leader who didn't offer much of a challenge he is also here.

Sokka, impressed, looked at what Mai was saying and sure enough, there was Long Feng who was chained and looking at the ground. He looked defeated, which in effect proved what Mai told him was true.

-Okay, I believe you, but I highly doubt that Toph was the one who put us here...

Then Ty Lee decides to join in and support Mai's argument. Mai is telling the truth, I saw it too, she put them here and she was the one who knocked you out.

Sokka saw her and saw how discouraged and worried she was, well that was a little strange, although then he remembered something he had said, he had said "los", so he turned his head to look and saw that she was somewhere else. the Earth King with his wrists chained and looking down.

It couldn't be that Toph had done that, she couldn't be, but then she saw the way he'd been trapped and Toph's newfound ability to bend metal.

Then the cell doors suddenly opened, drawing the attention of everyone there, which soon turned into surprise when Azula was thrown there in the center of them, but there was something else, something that felt strange, not just because she was dressed Earth Kingdom clothes that looked dusty as well as torn, Azula looked like she was still breathing and conscious but she wasn't moving, but then in an almost mechanical and somewhat gloomy way she got up and when she did she didn't have her steady look. superiority that she always had, she looked scared.

-Do you like my technique??- Katara then appeared, entering the cell, and had a grim expression when she said that, while Mai and Ty Lee watched in horror as the Water peasant controlled Azula like a puppet, her hands and fingers making movements. movements that coincided with the movements of Azula, who soon stood there challenging Katara with her gaze.

-Walk grandpa... fast!

Toph's voice caught the attention of Sokka, Mai, and Ty Lee, they directed their gaze to the door and soon saw Iroh enter in the same conditions as Azula, Mai Ty Lee were more than shocked, not only by the conditions in the conditions. in which he was, but also because the one who led him like a prisoner was Zuko.

Zuko now when they saw him, was dressed in Earth Kingdom robes, as well as he had his scar on his left side but then they saw that he had a tattoo on his forehead, which undoubtedly confused them, he was just putting Iroh in the ground, when Toph arrived and approached too, putting chains around him so he couldn't escape. Afterward, she knew where they had left Azula, who still did not move, although Katara soon threw her towards the wall, which Azula felt, and while that was happening Toph took the opportunity to immobilize her as well.

While Zuko looked at the people who were also there, especially two people in particular.

-Mai and Ty Lee, so you are here too

Ty Lee was speechless when she saw that Zuko was part of what was happening- Zuko?? What are you doing?? Azula was supposed to convince you that helping her was the best thing to do.

Zuko snorted mockingly while he unexpectedly grabbed Ty Lee by the neck, starting to suffocate her, and looked at her with an angry expression. "I would never join Azula... what's more, I will enjoy her defeated expression when she sees that she will have no way out of here."

Mai opened her eyes but anger immediately arose in her - Zuko let her go now!

However, Zuko ignored her and instead forced his grip on Ty Lee, which angered Mai, but before she could say or do anything else, Katara got involved.

-Zuko we don't have time for this, let her go, we have work to do.

Her contribution seemed to convince Zuko who soon released Ty Lee, allowing her to catch her breath, while Zuko only turned away from her to look at Katara with his arms crossed.

-It's been many years of acting, but it's finally over, and we can reveal ourselves. You know, Katara, out of us, you were the one who wanted to act the most. Or are you perhaps softening up...?

He couldn't finish when Katara raised her hand and began to twist her control over him, which prevented him from speaking and he only looked at Katara seriously, who was giving him a look that said "Dare to say it one more time and I'll tell you will regret it."

Then a landslide knocked her off balance, loosening her grip on Zuko, who gasped and allowed himself to recover, but they both knew who was responsible for her, it was Toph, who was now looking at them with her arms crossed.

-Do you both want to calm down??... don't forget that we have to fulfill the teacher's mission, finally after so much is happening, so let's stop the nonsense and finish here!

Katara and Zuko nodded in agreement. Sokka meanwhile could only watch everything without knowing what to say, she was looking at her sister in a way that she had never seen in her before, something unknown that she didn't know what it was.

-Mission??... Master??- Sokka said now without understanding what they were saying- Does someone want to explain to me what is happening here?? Where is Aang?? Why does Zuko have that tattoo? And most importantly... why are we chained?

-So that they are not inconveniences that we do not need- Toph's response completely threw Sokka off.

Zuko rolled his eyes, amused but agreeing with her - The Avatar is safe, he is recovering from a lightning bolt that Azula threw at him... he will live.

The revelation of this information worried Sokka a lot, he saw her sister wanting to know more but she didn't seem concerned and that made him angry.

-Katara, how come you don't worry about this?? You more than anyone should...

Katara just rolled her eyes in annoyance- Should what?? I'm not the Mother of the Avatar, plus you heard that he will live, that's the only thing you should care about, don't make drama...- her strange tone to Sokka, it sounded somewhat insensitive.

She looked at Toph expecting something but she only saw that Aang's situation didn't matter much to her.

-What's wrong with you two?? - He narrowed his eyes, he didn't know what was happening, something had happened to them and he didn't know what it was - especially with you Katara, you're not like that!

Katara then allowed herself to laugh at that statement, she directed her attention at Sokka and only at Sokka- Oh, Sokka, you have no idea what you're talking about, the Katara that you think I am, the one that is your sister, died the day that His mother did it - at that her expression hardened as she dug her hands into Sokka's cheek and applied pressure - then that was the moment when I emerged, when the teacher found me and promised me to be stronger than I could imagine. if he served him faithfully.

Katara's grip on Sokka's cheek increased more, to the point that it began to bleed from the strong marks that Katara's hand was leaving, to which Sokka groaned in pain, but then Katara's hand moved away as he watched. his hand with his brother's blood.

-He rewarded me by giving me training to be stronger, the ability I showed throughout our trip is humble compared to what I do, especially the technique I learned, bloodbending...- at that, he fixed his gaze on Kuei and I demonstrated the power I had - by controlling the water inside one's body, this technique allows me to control whatever or whoever.

However, Katara did not release her grip, she continued to make it deeper until Kuei moaned in pain. Katarra then decided to end this. With her hand, she made a movement that exploded his heart and left him lifeless. Zuko, to top it off, threw fire at him and concentrated it. so that it would burn little by little.

King Kuei was dead.

-Very efficient burn marks...no doubt no one will question that a teacher with Fire did not kill him- Katara said when he walked away, she saw Zuko with a smile, showing that she liked how he had turned out.

But the others were in complete shock, including Long Feng and Azula themselves, who opened their eyes and couldn't believe what they saw.

"Nephew...what have they done..." Iroh said, mortified by what he had just witnessed.

-What had to be done... that pathetic king was an obstacle, without him things themselves do not change we are doing the balance a favor by getting rid of it.

Iroh did not seem to agree and shouted with fury - What they are doing does not help the balance at all! Without the Earth King, the entire Earth Kingdom could collapse, resulting in chaos and discord.

-This is exactly what we are looking for and instead of worrying about a dead King, you should worry about yourselves.

Such a hint took the prisoners by surprise, but all Toph did was approach Iroh.

-The point is Grandpa, you won't stop us -Toph just grabbed him by the shoulder and brought him close to her face while giving him a malicious smile- after all, we won't let a great member of the Order of the White Lotus divulge our plans.

Mai and Ty Lee watched them without understanding what they were talking about.

Iroh then opened his eyes dumbfounded when she revealed that- No... I don't know what she's talking about...

Katara just rolled her eyes in annoyance- Save it, "Grand Lotus", we know everything there is to know about you and several other members that we found on our way - she got close enough to see it better- so let's stop playing games, shall we??

-I don't understand... how do they know? I highly doubt that any member would tell them.

Katara smiled smugly - Our teacher knows many things... he has informed us of everything we need to know, and he prepared us for this...

Mai narrowed her eyes- Prepare?? prepare for what??

Zuko now decided to answer - For what's coming, Mai, the world is about to change like you can't imagine.

-Are you stupid Zuko??, the Fire Nation is already doing that, making you do these things is a lot of nonsense, Fire Lord Ozai would not like you to turn against him and he will retaliate for this...

Toph crossed her arms and now said - Not when we repeat the same thing in the Fire Nation when we give Fire Lord Ozai his last day in this world... after all, the banished Prince Zuko is expected to return with the Avatar captured for his father or not??

Sokka as well as Iroh saw the direction things were going and they didn't like it at all.

-But first, we have an important mission to carry out, our direction now is the Nothern Pole.

-You are a traitor brother, I can't believe you dare to betray our father.

Zuko looked at Azula after she said that to him. “Why wouldn't I?” The Master freed me when he came to me at first I was insecure... but then this came - he pointed to the scar on his left eye - he showed me truths and helped me become stronger, he also helped me achieve such an ability. Powerful that you wouldn't believe what I did to get it, but after seeing the results it was completely worth it.

Azula narrowed her eyes, remembering her brother's abilities as she saw, that something had changed somewhere in the duel and then everything she thought she knew about Zuko wasn't like that, then she had an idea what was happening.

-You were pretending all this time, you were maintaining a facade... just like them.

-What??- Sokka, upon hearing what Azula said, was shocked, although something in Zuko's eyes told him that this was the absolute truth, as well as that Katara and Toph were part of it.

-Please Snoozles, you really thought I would join you that easily, it was part of the plan all along, all so that we would go unnoticed...

Sokka looked at Toph and then at Katara who just gave him a mocking smile. Which only made him angry.

-So all this time, nothing was real??!!! Was all this to get closer to Aang and be able to eliminate him?

-The Avatar?? - Zuko asked incredulously and mockingly when he saw that they did not understand the situation - of course not, it's very simple, we need it for something in particular, our teacher needs it...

Already tired of hearing those things, Sokka started to ask - So who are you and who is that teacher you talk so much about??!!!

Katara then broke her composure to respond - We work for the Spirit of Chaos, Vaatu, we are the servants of our master here in this world as we prepare everything for his return.

A spirit. Did they work for a spirit??!!

"If and when we free him the world will return to chaos as it should have from the beginning," Toph said as she stated his plan lightly.

Some, especially the girls, thought that these three had gone crazy, while Iroh was very worried, these three could be telling the truth and if so this could be something more sinister, they had to be stopped.

-Why are they telling us all this? When we free ourselves...

-When they are freed, we will no longer be here, but of course, first, they will have to get out of here...

Before they could react Katara controlled the blood of all the prisoners, making them freeze and slowly back away, Zuko and Toph followed her until they were soon out of the cell, then they closed it and Toph created lava which she threw out everywhere except for one part so they could escape, once outside, Toph destroyed the foundation of the Palace as she proceeded to create lava from the floor and let it spread throughout the place.

-That will be enough... it's time to go...

...

One month later.

With difficulty Aang found himself opening his eyes while groaning in pain, although the sensation of being next to a campfire also invaded him completely. As he did so, he looked to the sides and saw that he was in a tent. He noticed that he was bandaged. Also, he stood up with difficulty although he could still feel dizzy, he shook his head to concentrate.

-What happened to me?

Then he heard the sound of someone trying to enter the tent, when he looked in that direction he saw that it was Katara, who had a pair of bandages as well as a bowl of water with her, plus she was dressed in her parka

-Aang! you woke up!

Aang rubbed his eyes as he nodded. "Yes, I think so."

Katara smiled as she put the items she was carrying on the floor and rushed to hug him, Aang reciprocated the hug.

-You finally woke up... come, we have to check your wounds- Aang nodded with difficulty, as he proceeded to let Katara carry him to sit him down, she brought the bowl of water, removed the bandages, and drank water to proceed to heal his body- tell me when the pain is more intense

Aang, upon feeling the water, groaned in pain - Not that far down - Then images of what had happened flooded his mind as well as the lightning that had hit him - Wow, you're definitely in the right area.

Katara nodded - I feel a lot of energy accumulated in this part, let me see if I can... - However, Katara remained silent when she saw Aang's reaction, which made her suspicions confirm, that must have been the point.

"They defeated me... they didn't just hurt me, right?" Katara nodded, ignoring the fact that she rolled her eyes, although, of course, Aang couldn't see it. "No, I just didn't survive, but you brought me back."

-I only used the sacred water from the North Pole, I don't know what happened- In fact, that was a total lie but this was something that Aang should not know.

The aforementioned turned to look at her with gratitude and adoration - You saved me.

Katara wanted to get that expression off his face, she had had enough of that for a lifetime, but she ignored that and just put a hand on his shoulder to tell him with her best smile - You better rest... you're exhausted and there's a lot to do. do for now...

-Wait to?? What are you talking about?? And by the way, where are we?

Katara just sighed- After Azula attacked you we had to leave, Iroh sacrificed himself so we could escape, we had to leave Ba Sing Se, we had to get to safety... we went to Chameleon Bay where we found my dad and the rest of the Water Tribe warriors, Sokka stayed with them to plan the invasion, while we now head to the North Pole.

-Wait to?? Why are we at the North Pole??

It was time for the act, Katara entered the character of the Katara that Aang thought he knew to convince him, so he just looked away and grabbed his forearm with one hand. "We thought it would be the best for you since you didn't wake up and we needed you." back...

-So we are in the Northern Water Tribe??

Katara then just shook her head - No, we are going to one of the most remote places in the world, it was a recommendation from the elders, it is one of the largest spiritual centers of the North Pole and is located in its epicenter.

Aang was impressed with that - Incredible, but why not go to the spiritual Oasis? It could still be very helpful.

Katara just denied it again - We tried Aang but... - at that point, to make everything more believable, she started crying - you didn't wake up, we had tried everything and it hadn't worked, besides that, you needed more special help, so they suggested that we let's come here...

Aang, as expected, was worried about her - Katara is fine, I'm fine now, so now we don't have to worry anymore... - Katara just stopped crying and saw him with a smile - now what we have to do is head over. with Sokka and the others...

Katara interrupted him before he continued - No Aang... you are not fully recovered yet, it will take longer for that, but there may be a solution for that, the place we are going to can help you with that, you will recover quickly...

-But...- he was going to say something else but the feeling of dizziness took over him and he would have fallen if Katara hadn't held him.

"Don't worry, Aang, we're going to solve this, you'll see... when we get there you'll see that it's for the best," he laid down Aang, who didn't object at all, "so while he'll bring you something to eat, you must be hungry."

-If I could eat...

Katara nodded as he stood up and proceeded to leave the tent, one who did so let out the sigh that had been wanting to go for a long time, without further ado he approached the camp while he observed the two figures that were there.

-I hate ice... I can't see anything!-Toph said that while he was arguing with Zuko, both of them wearing more clothes to withstand the cold.

-Hopefully, you don't have to wait any longer, we're almost there, We will just have to wait for the Avatar to wake up.

Now seeing that it was his turn to say something - We shouldn't worry about that, he's already awake - Zuko and Toph turned in his direction - he is stable but will need to regain his strength.

Without further ado, he went to where there was a pot of broth, took a bowl, and poured food into it.

-If so, then the moment is almost near, we must prepare to arrive as soon as possible then...

Katara nodded as he looked at them. "How far away are we?"

Zuko then directed his attention to where he had the map and began to look for where they were and smiled - We are not very far, the trip will take a few hours to be able to be excellent.

Those words undoubtedly encouraged Katara who showed a smile- Very well... then it's time to go...

Zuko was caught off guard when she said that- What?? Because??

Katara rolled her eyes in annoyance. "We need a way to convince the Avatar to open the portals... luckily Prince Zuko is still on our trail wanting to capture the Avatar, so it won't be such a surprise if he finds us in the forest when We believe we are safe.

Zuko grunted but there was no object, so the only thing he did was nod as he got up from his place, took his things, and headed to the mounts they had, some yak buffaloes that they had stolen from the Northern Water Tribe when no one saw them. , that had been a couple of days ago, however, everything they did was calculated, calculated so that when they arrived everything would be perfect.

They just had to do this to the letter, with that in mind Zuko untied a yak buffalo and proceeded to take it to the front to mount it, he directed his gaze to Toph and Katara who nodded as well, without further ado he proceeded to retreat towards the location of the North Pole, where Vaatu was waiting for them.

....

Convincing Aang was not very difficult, luckily he had that blind trust in Katara, which she took advantage of to make him do what she wanted, so after a few hours, almost at dusk they were already at the entrance, the spiritual forest. which had the Northern Spiritual Portal. Luckily, after many healing sessions, Aang's body was able to withstand the trip and everything that appeared along the way.

-Okay, we're here, now what?

Katara just gave him a look while she made a gesture that she was thinking - According to the elders we must go deep into the forest, there we will find what we need so much to help you...

Aang nodded somewhat unsure what to make of that, but he didn't have time to object when Toph walked over and punched him on the shoulder.

-What are you waiting for Twinkle Toes?? Do you want to recover or not??-Toph crossed her arms as he focused her attention on his.

Aang let out a sigh and nodded slowly, however since he woke up many things had happened that had him baffled, for starters the fact that he had been in a coma for a month and that during that time he had grown hair, but he still had questions, which step in Ba sing se?? What did his friends do the entire time he was unconscious? And why so much insistence that he come to this place??

The good thing is that Toph was also here, so she didn't feel so bad after all, although she would have liked Sokka to be there too, she hoped he was happy with his father, although she couldn't deny that his absence was noticeable, because in everything On the way Katara and Toph were more serious than usual, well although Toph still showed sarcastic comments and her great personality from time to time, it still seemed strange to her, she would have to ask later.

Only he didn't reply as he followed Katara and Toph who commented on how nice it was to be able to see here, Aang agreed, not because of the seeing part but because of the part where there was land and vegetation in this part of the North Pole, You can only imagine as well as feel how much spiritual energy there is in this place.

They continued their path until they reached the inside where it was surely what they were looking for, a large sphere of red and white energy that was half-buried in the middle of the forest.

"It's here," Katara said as he gestured to where the sphere was.

Aang nodded - Very good, and now what do I do?

Katara just approached him and grabbed his shoulder. "You must trust yourself... like I trust you."

Aang smiled as he nodded, he wouldn't disappoint Katara, how difficult could it be to make this orb do what he was supposed to do??

-So here you were.

He spoke too soon, as Zuko suddenly appeared and began to attack them, Toph raised a rock wall to have a place to take refuge, while both Aang and Katara proceeded to attack him with air and water, Zuko did not retreat he faced them with new movements and firepower greater than what he normally used to attack them.

He didn't have time to examine that further when Zuko breathed and charged a very powerful cross-attack that destroyed the wall in the part where Aang was taking refuge.

Taking it as a signal to act, Katara turns some of the water that was there into ice. She had carefully studied the wound on Aang's back and if he threw it in the exact place with the exact pressure then it would be enough.

Zuko, for his part, charged a powerful fire attack that he sent towards the rock column, destroying it, however, that was the perfect distraction because at the moment it happened Katara stood behind him and threw the piece of ice at the wound. on Aang's back that hit the target and achieved the necessary pressure. Toph while covering herself from the rubble noticed what Katara had done, then to finish the job, she moved the earth where Aang was to send him in the direction of the closed portal.

Aang fell to the ground dazed while he felt his rivers of chi flowing again and with it he felt the Avatar spirit again, the sign of this had been that his eyes and his arrow unconsciously touched the portal to be able to get up, but that caused the portal to open, releasing a great crimson and white light straight into the sky.

Seeing it as the perfect opportunity Katara Toph and Zuko stopped fighting to see Aang's body, so Toph just said.

"Katara, take Aang, I'll be in charge of stopping him!" He said it with a smile so that they both understood what he wanted to do.

Zuko and Katara smiled and nodded, Katara proceeded to take Aang by the arm and walk with him to where the portal was and go through it together, towards where his teacher was.

...

The Avatar opened his eyes to observe a most surprising landscape. He had expected anything once they reached the spiritual center of the North, but what he faced instead was a rugged, barren wasteland as far as the eye could see, and he was even more surprised when he could see another closed portal not far from where they had emerged.

The only other feature of this steep wasteland was a large, gnarled tree, roughly midway between the two portals. Aang instinctively felt something strange, as if he had been in this place before, and then Katara's hand placed on his shoulder.

-You did it, we have arrived at the spirit world.

-Aang opened his eyes without believing it- But... how is it possible?? It is assumed that no human can enter it if it is not through meditation and with great spiritual energy.

-Yes, we also believed it, but the elders showed us writings that said that these portals are entrances that connect both the physical world and the spiritual world...

-Wow... it's incredible- Aang admired the portal to the North while he couldn't believe that something like that could exist, then remembering something, he looked forward and noticed the same thing he had seen there- By the way, what portal is that? ??

Katara looked in his direction and smiled. "It's the spiritual portal that connects the South Pole with the spirit world."

Aang then understood - So if I opened it we could reach the South Pole in a matter of minutes.

Katara nodded- Yes... but we don't have time for that, we must heal you now.

However Aang could see the longing for his home in his eyes, he knew how that felt, even if he couldn't get his home back, he could help Katara see hers, so he decided that He had to give her this.

-Katara wait, let me open it so we can make a stop by your home.

Katara just shook her head - Aang, you don't have to, it's not important right now, we have more important things to do...

However, Aang didn't back down. "No, I know how much you and Sokka miss home. Besides, this might help. I want you to have this and don't worry. Once we're done, we'll come back here so it can be healed."

Katara smiled and hugged Aang, who happily returned it to her, however, given the position they were in, Katara's expression had changed and he looked at him maliciously when he saw that he had gotten what he wanted.

-Thank you Aang, you seriously don't know how much I appreciate this.

They separated and Katara's features softened so that Aang would not be suspicious, so they both began to walk in the direction of the Southern Spiritual Portal.

As they approached, Aang could see that there was a large gap in the tree, sealed by what at first glance appeared to be another inactive portal, similar to the previous one he had already opened. Behind its opaque surface, Aang could see a vague, dark shape with bright red spots.

This caused him concern, he didn't know why but there was something inside him that told him that this was not right, he just didn't know what, but soon Katara took her eyes off the tree so that she could see the spiritual portal of the south again .

Once they arrived, Aang proceeded to advance alone, as he did so he looked at the portal, undoubtedly different from the one they had entered through but at the same time Similarly, he didn't know what to do, he turned in the direction of Katara who gave him an encouraging smile, so he knew that she believed in him.

Then Aang gave a long sigh as he put his hand on the portal and closed his eyes with the desire to be able to open it. It seems that the portal reacted to him, as he soon entered the Avatar State while a great release of energy came out of the portal. creating a shock wave, with the portal open a new shock wave was generated through the tree of time and followed by an evil laugh.

-Thank you for coming Raava- Aang heard the voice in his head, he turned to see where it had come from, he instinctively looked towards the tree and began to approach it- you have done a good job, now you just have to free me.

-Who are you??

-That?? You seriously don't know who I am? Seriously, what has become of the world in my absence?? you must have done things wrong, it makes me wonder how far you, my other half, have fallen for us, two Great Spirits to die, back to back.

-I do not know what you're talking about

-Of course not, you are nothing more than another simple pawn in Raava's game of reincarnations.

-Reincarnations?? You mean the Avatar spirit?

- Yes, only your inner spirit, the one you call the 'Avatar Spirit', It's about Raava, the Great Spirit of Order.

Aang opened his eyes in shock. The spirit of the Avatar was a great spirit??. He couldn't believe it, but there was still something that intrigued him.

-How can you know that?? Who are you??

At that the spirit's laughter returned as he fixed his gaze on Aang - because I am Vaatu, the Great Spirit of Chaos, The Dark Half of Balance - Aang then understood that before him was an evil spirit and the danger it can present - and now What you have to do is free me, do it and I can walk free in the world once again.

-No! I won't do it, I'm not going to free you for the world! - Aang shouted at Vaatu who was inside the tree.

Vaatu just laughed at that. "Silly boy! Even if you refuse to free me, you have already weakened my prison enough for me to escape on my own!" Vaatu roared. A massive force was thrown against the barrier, Aang took steps back as he watched in horror as a large crack appeared on its surface. "I will soon be free!"

Seized by a sudden panic, Aang turned around and ran directly towards the southern portal, he must find Katara and get out of there as soon as possible. However, a jet of water unexpectedly comes out and knocks him to the side to fall to the ground.

Composing himself Aang focuses his gaze on what attacked him and opens his eyes when he sees that the one who did it was Katara.

-Katara??!! What are you doing??!!

The aforementioned only gave him an evil smile as she continued with her attack, this time launching several smaller but equally powerful jets of water. Aang screamed in panic and with airbending he created his air skateboard and prepared to flee, he looked back while Katara's figure, using the water around her, moved quickly in the direction of Aang.

Aang didn't know what was happening and he didn't have time for that when an explosion took him by surprise and sent him rolling to the ground, the impact was painful and even more so, adding that he wasn´t still fully recovered, it was not good, he raised his head and He saw that Zuko was approaching too when he saw that he had a tattoo on his head, he concentrated a lot on that when he saw that a beam of compressed fire came out of him, with all the strength he gathered he got up and jumped back, while he He stopped Zuko's explosion with one hand, the force of the explosion sent him flying into a mound of rock and using earth bending he made sure to cushion the impact.

Zuko ran to look for him once he arrived, when Aang arrived he jumped and released a large burst of air in the direction of his opponent that sent him flying, but he did not have time to breathe because Katara soon arrived with a jump and with two long whips. on each arm, Aang quickly dodged them but Katara did not stop when she landed, she turned the whips while hardening the tips with ice to hit Aang, who narrowly dodged them, Katara's speed was greater than what he was normally used to as was His techniques, in a panic Aang broke the tips of each of the whips and sent them to the ground, but Katara had already guessed what he would do so she launched ice projectiles that although Aang tried to dodge he could not do so and they sent him to the ground.

He tried to compose himself when he felt the floor hot, he looked down and saw that the ground was heating up, he jumped quickly and soon lava erupted from where he was, he saw in shock what had happened.

-Not bad TwinkleToes- at the mention of the nickname Aang turned to find Toph in a bending position, implying that whoever had taken him by surprise was her - but don't worry, I'm going to correct that.

Then with a movement from Toph, the lava rises and heads towards Aang who dodges it.

-Toph, what are you doing? Why are they attacking me? I don't understand anything.

Toph then decided to start laughing, which disconcerted Aang, once he finished the only thing he did was point at him- What do you think it looks like?? We keep you busy so that Master Vaatu can be released without you interfering!

Aang was speechless at that answer - Master Vaatu??

-True, you don't know- the answer now came from Katara who was slowly approaching without leaving her mocking smile- You see Avatar, given the pathetic work you have done for the balance of the world, Master Vaatu saw the need to interfere. and for his mission he recruited us - Aan opened his eyes and was about to ask when Katara did not let him - since no other being besides the Avatar could open the Portals our mission was simple, find you and use you as the key to the liberation of the Master.

-What...what are you saying??

Katara only narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. "I mean, all this time, since I took you out of the iceberg, it was with the intention that you would bring us here, the fight in Ba Sing Se was the moment to act, where we finally left the façade and we were able to reveal ourselves as we are...

Aang couldn't believe it as he continued to look at Katara, he refused to believe what she said, she wouldn't be able to do things like what she said, she couldn't have been cruel just to get something from him.

-Believe it, Avatar- Zuko's voice also came closer, while he was behind her- the only thing you were was the means to an end, one that by the way is quite annoying, I seriously still don't understand how it is that neither of the two didn't nothing to you given the resentment and hatred they have for you.

Zuko's argument caught his attention and he turned to look at Toph and then at Katara. When he did so with the latter, she smiled harshly and saw him with icy eyes that showed anger towards him.

-You have no idea how much I dreamed about those images, many times I was tempted to do it, but I couldn't do anything until you did what we needed... seriously, Avatar, you have no idea what I plan for you now that we no longer need you. .

-Get in line Sugar Queen! He'll be mine to kill first," Toph said with a malicious smile as he prepared to attack.

-Calm down, both of you- Zuko raised his arms to stop them but he didn't remove the smile from his face- Why should we alternate to start??

Katara and Toph liked that idea, the three of them were now against Aang, who worriedly alternated positions, ready for whatever came.

But then a shock wave occurred in the tree of time, for the barrier that kept Vaatu trapped had collapsed and now he was free once again. Katara, Zuko, and Toph looked toward where Vaatu was and smiled with joy at seeing their master completely free.

-Raava, nothing stops me now and when I finish with you, my power will be unlimited...

Aang narrowed his eyes at Vaatu who didn't notice that Katara, Zuko, and Toph had turned away to watch the fight from a distance. "I won't let you do it, I'll return you to your prison."

Vaatu just laughed at him- And how will you do it?? You are very worn out, you can't even stand up properly, admit it, you can't do anything to stop me!

With that said, Vaatu charged another beam of spiritual energy from his eye in the direction of Aang, who only raised a rock wall that did little to stop Vaatu's attack, sending Aang flying backward, who groaned in pain from the impact. fell, however when he started to get up Vaatu approached him and launched a new attack that sent him further away and more hurt than before.

-Hating me is encouraging me, fighting with me is giving me strength, now prepare to face oblivion!

Vaatu immediately launched another attack that Aang with great effort could barely dodge, jumping to a safe distance with airbending only to fall in great pain. Then Vaatu buried his tentacles in the ground and soon vines emerged around Aang that began to trap him. Seeing him captured, Vaatu prepared himself with a new attack, but then Aang, seeing the danger he was in, entered the Avatar State, releasing a large burst of air from his mouth affected Vaatu, making him retreat. With that as an opportunity, Aang, with his hands-free and with water within reach, used it to cut the vines and free himself. He soon advanced to fight Vaatu using Air, Water, and Earth. damaging him considerably and leaving him stunned, using that as an advantage, Aang launched himself into a whirlwind of air and then encased Vaatu in a sphere of air followed by a ring of water and earth, but before he could finish any new step, Katara entered into scene and with his bloodbending he made Aang's body freeze without being able to move momentarily, but it was enough for Vaatu to escape and launch a more powerful energy attack, one that turned out to be more fatal and hit Aang squarely with no chance for his body to resist it this time.

Ending the Avatar cycle.

...

The era of the Avatar may have ended. But the era of Vaatu was just beginning

...

Seeing that he had succeeded and that Raava had disappeared now that he had finally won, he immediately set out to speed through much of the spirit world, encountering a large number of them and corrupting them, this is how it goes for several parts until he returns. to the tree of time and next to it a large number of dark spirits, when he stopped in front of the tree of time, Zuko, Katara and Toph were already waiting for him there and they were soon joined by the dark spirits that surrounded the figure of Vaatu.

-Now I must do what should always have been done, spread chaos everywhere... go ahead my dark spirits, go, enter the physical world and unleash chaos, take it to all its corners, and destroy any opposition you find.

With that as an order, the dark spirits run away in the direction of the spiritual portals.

...

A great multitude of dark spirits emerge from the northern portal, heading at full speed to Agna Qel'a.

When they are close they jump off the cliff fall on the city and begin to spread chaos everywhere, while more spirits continue to arrive Katara arrives walking, and she throws herself through the city supporting the spirits against the inhabitants of the city. Northern Tribe, who are running everywhere, the warriors try to resist but the spirits are overcoming them, while Katara reaches the great ice wall and using her fury to help her, destroys the ice wall, from which more spirits appear and They are in charge of helping to destroy the city.

The spirits then suddenly begin to leave, allowing the stragglers to retake the City, Chief Arnook leads the counteroffensive, and soon only Katara is left who smirks at them to jump and be caught by a dark spirit that takes her with him, Believing that they had survived, the people of the Tribe are relieved, however, Arnook notices that the spirits stay at a distant distance and stay there, waiting for something.

He soon discovers what it is, because Vaatu appears with his emerging figure from the cliff, accumulating chaotic spiritual energy, he shoots a beam of spiritual energy from his eye directly at the city, destroying everything and everyone.

...

Ba sing se.

From the outer wall, you can see that dark spirits are coming to the city, earthbenders try to stop them, only for their efforts to be in vain as the spirits soon reach them, either climbing towards them or helping to destroy the wall, as well. They continue until the outer wall is opened and they enter the city to soon reach the rings of Ba Sing Se, where Hakoda, Bato, Smallerbee, and Longshot, accompanied by soldiers from the Earth Kingdom and warriors from the Southern Water Tribe, attempt to confront them, but the spirits soon dominate them, destroying everything in their path and everyone they encounter.

With them is Toph using lavabending to destroy the rings and getting rid of everything and everyone, so that nothing can impede their progress.

...

Omashu.

Dark spirits climb the great walls of the city until they reach the top and thus enter the city, they prepare to destroy everything in their path, and the stationed soldiers of the Fire Nation as well as the Omashu Resistance, upon seeing what is happening, start. They go to defend the city, but they are soon overpowered, King Bumi, upon seeing what is happening, decides that he cannot stay there and see what happens to his city, he immediately frees himself with the help of his psychic Earth Bending and prepares himself. to help, but a great spirit intercepts him and takes him out of the play.

...

South Pole

From the Southern Portal, more dark spirits emerge and head towards all parts of the South Pole, searching for the remains of the Water Tribe settlements in the South, passing through each village, destroying everything, and hunting all the humans who live there. They find them, eventually reach Wolf Cove, and destroy it as well as its inhabitants.

...

Capital of the Fire Nation.

From the horizon dark spirits began to emerge, aiming towards Harbor City and Hari Bulkan. Dozens of spirits invaded the city and began to spread chaos, the local guard, as well as the stationed soldiers, began to confront them, managing to appease many but the spirits were too many so they began to be overwhelmed, soon the chaos took over the people common that began to run terrified for her life, without them knowing it next to the spirits, Zuko walked calmly towards the royal palace, using his firebending helped destroy any resistance he encountered.

Only to be greeted by a large blast of fire, Zuko intercepts it, effectively deflecting it and when he notices who is throwing it he sees that it is her father, Fire Lord Ozai.

-So my useless son has returned

Zuko just looks at him and fires a beam of compressed fire that ends in an explosion near Ozai. Ozai stops it with his firebending and upon seeing Zuko's audacity to attack him, he shoots two rays with his fingers.

Zuko just stands still while he applies the redirection, pointing it at Ozai who is stunned by what Zuko did, but all he did was deflect the redirection and send his father's rays into the sky.

Seeing what Ozai had done, he laughed cruelly. "Even with the opportunity to eliminate me, you chicken out and fail??!!!! How pathetic!

Zuko smiled as he shook his head. "No... I just want the Master to get his moment of triumph."

Ozai was confused and frowned without taking his eyes off Zuko.

At that, Vaatu's laughter was present while the same act of presence, with his tentacles, sent them in the direction of Ozai, who immediately counterattacked with large bursts of fire to destroy them. Vaatu, upon seeing that, approached to see it better or rather stood up. headed to attack, Ozai immediately responded by launching charged fire attacks in the direction of Vaatu, who did not seem very upset by them, seeing that he was heading towards him Ozai with an unorthodox version of fire propulsion stepped aside before Vaatu reached him and threw two lightning bolts at Vaatu who could not dodge them and received them squarely.

"I see you have a fighting spirit," Vaatu said, amazed by Ozai's persistence.

-You are not going to stop me! I am the Lord of Fire, the master of the entire world and I am the most powerful being in the world!

However, Vaatu's tail grabs him by the leg and spins him around until he is thrown several meters away from the city, hitting the throne room. Ozai groans in pain, getting up and as he does so, he opens his eyes in horror as Vaatu was not affected. for his attack and that he is concentrating energy in his eye which means that he is going to launch a powerful attack.

Vaatu then gives him one last comment - But I already won...

Launching the attack, Vaatu destroys much of the Fire Nation Capital, including the Royal Palace as well as several surrounding islands. Leaving a large column of smoke.

When the smoke clears, Vaatu looks at what is left of the capital, seeing that, like all other cities, villages, and human settlements around the world, they have been destroyed and free of humans.

This world now belongs to chaos.

-I have achieved it... now there is only chaos.

While Vaatu witnessed everything that had caused his victory, Xiànshi appeared intangible behind him.

...

Now finally aware of his actions, Vaatu saw the reality of what he had caused, devastating this world and filling it with only chaos, there was nothing left of the balance he could take, and lacking purpose, Vaatu was destined to spend the next ten thousand years with that perception...

...

Then, Vaatu, intrigued, tried to search for the sound of that voice...

-Who??... who said that??

...

Thanks to the plenitude and complete attunement of chaos, Vaatu ascended to a level of consciousness that no one had reached before, he felt the presence of someone else... he felt the presence of...

...

"I can see you," Vaatu says, looking at Xiànshí's form even from where he was observing...

...

-Xiànshí, surprised and alarmed, steps back, aware of what was happening, now looking at Vaatu with fear.

...

-So the legends were true and there are universes beyond this...- his voice sounded with a great sinister level as he began to approach...

...

-Xiànshí immediately stops the flow of that energy, closing it while he tries to reconsider what has happened-

I... I have seen what happens, what has happened before, everything that will happen and could happen... but this... where did this come from??... if a Vaatu with that power ran free through the multiverse ...not even I would know what he would be capable of doing... no, he is not invincible as he believes, there is still hope, a last hope...

...

Chapter Text

A mother was cradling her baby, while her husband hugged them both to protect them from what was happening outside, the mother was lulling her baby to sleep so that he would not be disturbed by any noise I could hear.

-Don't make a noise...don't make a noise, we'll be fine, we'll be...- However, it can't end because a big explosion is heard from outside, which wakes the baby who starts to cry, the terrified mother tries to calm her down, while the cautious father looks towards the door, hoping they haven't heard her out there.

However, this did not go as he wanted because soon, the door where the screams came from is destroyed and a dark spirit emerges from it and growls when it sees that he found it.

The scene soon changes to where a small human establishment, one that contained straggling survivors of the Nations that were attacked a few months ago, was being attacked and destroyed while dark spirits assaulted from all sides, some brave people trying to confront them so that others could escape. Still, they were easily overcome, because soon their limbs felt numb and their bodies moved on their own.

Alarmed by this, they saw how the spirits no longer paid attention to them and went to hunt down those who were trying to flee. They were terrified, so they shouted at the spirits to not go for them and confront them better, but they soon ignored them. The humans began to beg and the grip they had on them tightened.

-Don't worry, you won't be left aside- the soft voice that said that caught the attention of the group, several looked in the direction where it had emerged and saw a brunette girl with blue eyes who looked at them with a terrifying smile, it was about from Katara- after all I will be the one who takes care of you.

It was with that that he released his grip on them and using water that the camp had there, he used it to create icicles of ice that he threw at his enemies, some reacted and dodged them but others were not so lucky, those who dodged them moved. Due to adrenaline or negative feelings about everything they had been through in the last few months, they launched themselves to confront Katara.

Katara smiled when she saw that, using more water she created ice whips that she reinforced by making the tips of ice and throwing them towards her enemies, using her whips to repel fire attacks, thrown rocks, or even the water that someone tried to throw. , but everything was useless, Katara was faster than them, she got close enough and created ice blades that buried her enemies, she used the water at her disposal to freeze her enemies or drown them, she even drowned them with their liquids inside their bodies.

-I miss this, it's still a shame, seeing them fall like this because they couldn't accept things as they are now, how sad- although his words were pitiful, his tone did not share the feeling- oh, so one of you continues with life-Soon there was only one left who tried to advance, but he was badly injured

-Evil witch, go back to the hole where you came from and take your monsters with you- Katara only responded with a mocking pout, while the other, growling with anger, prepared to launch a last attempted attack against Katara, which She was unfazed, waiting for what she was going to do because stopping him would not be difficult for her, the other therefore tried to throw a rock at her, when some stone stalactites emerged from where she was and ended her life by impaling her, a little of her blood arrived. Close to Katara but she didn't seem disturbed by that, she just gave a huff of annoyance.

-It was already mine Toph! "You didn't have to ruin my fun," Katara shouted so that the person she mentioned could hear her, who soon laughed and began to appear, since she was in a distant part, smiling at Katara and with her arms crossed.

-Oh come on, he sure looked amused by the expression he must be wearing, thinking he was going to do something meaningful only to see that her last effort was a huge piece of nonsense.

-Yes, yes whatever... Aren't you supposed to be locating more stragglers north of here??

Toph just huffed in annoyance. "There wasn't much to do. Those that survived don't last long. I just need to create a wave of lava and the job is done... how about Sparky?" Isn't he supposed to have already returned from those islands??

At that, Katara just rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Yes, he's supposed to be here, in fact, he should be here helping me, but he didn't show up and I honestly didn't have to wait for him."

-Oh, I should feel offended or flattered, I don't know- Zuko's voice was present, so both Toph and Katara looked up to see Zuko on the back of a dark spirit that was carrying him like a means of transportation for him.

Zuko Without further ado jumped from where he was until he reached the ground and fell in front of the two of them.

-Sorry for the delay, I was busy with a couple of things that the Master asked me to do after finishing the matter of the Western Islands, although if you needed my help you could very well have asked for it.

Katara glared at him just to say - Please, the day I ask you for help will be the day Koh never steals faces again, which we know will never happen.

To tell the truth, she was partly grateful that Zuko had not been there, which meant more fun for her, attacking the camps, hunting refugees, the expression on their faces when they saw that their death was imminent, the screams they made, and their pathetic attempts to escape. Confronting them only to realize that they never had a chance, no doubt that was for the best, but unfortunately, there was not much of that fun left and each time he was able to get it with the same intensity as before.

The camps no longer exist as well as any human that inhabited them, this is the last one found in the area, now possibly her mission is about to be fulfilled, but that does not mean that she feels bored, she will have to ask Master Vaatu What will be your next step now?

Only she is not here at this moment as she said she would come to finally proclaim her triumph.

However, that caught Katara's attention, why wasn't Master Vaatu here?? There was something that was happening.

"Where is Master Vaatu?" Katara asked Zuko directly with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

At that, only Zuko smiled enigmatically. "Well, after we finished in the Fire Nation, the Master felt something, the presence of someone." That certainly caught the attention of Toph and Katara.

-A straggler??

Zuko just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but it's something big because he said he had to take care of it personally, then he sent me to look for more stragglers to the north and here I am."

That undoubtedly intrigued Katara, that the Master decided to treat something himself as something unusual, she very much doubts that it is something that belongs to the physical world, there is almost nothing left in this world that could present a nuisance, so they took care of it themselves. of the latest.

The only thing that could be a nuisance would be the White Lotus Ricans, apparently many of them disappeared when they began the "purification" of the world, so, unusually, after a long time it is not known what happened to them, that's why They have spent the last few months tracking down and eliminating these human encampments.

Speaking of which.

-So what happened?? Did you find someone where Master Vaatu sent you?? - Toph asked what Katara was going to ask Zuko, and the aforementioned just crossed his arms while making a vague gesture in response.

Katara raised an eyebrow at that response. "What's going on?"

Zuko then gave them both a malicious smile - Well that's the reason I came, it's been a long time since we had fun... but yes, I found them...

...

spirit world

The white lotus was emerging from the Northern Spiritual Portal, entering the world of spirits. Upon entering, they could observe the scene. In the distance, they could see another similar portal through which they had entered, traces of a great battle all over the place, and a crooked tree in the center of everything.

However, in the sky, you could feel the air of hostility that this world presented, as if it were not safe, in addition to the fact that no spirit could be seen either.

-So where do we start?

Iroh with a gesture with his hand tells them to follow him and then they begin to walk away from the place where they had crossed the spiritual portal.

Once they were far away, they began to search the surroundings to begin their search, although of course, dividing into small groups because they did not know what they could find there, although they did not stray far from each other either.

They did this for several spaces although they did not stay long, when they were sure that they had not found any they continued to the next place.

Jeong Jeong and Piandao were walking along a path while Pakku looked through the nearby trees, although he was sure that he couldn't find anything.

Iroh and Bumi were on their part looking for some spirit, then Xiànshí appears intangibly so that they cannot see it, but their attention is fixed on Bumi who is searching for a vine when he sees where Xiànshí is he is excited to see that is close.

Near where he is, several vines are covering a kind of miniature building that is hanging downwards and is in a tree.

The Wan Shi Tong Library.

-They are so close... what they are looking for is right there, I could show them, I could interfere and thus save the multiverse and with it many, many lives.

Then, Xiànshí suddenly heard the sound of a distortion, that had never happened before, he turned to look and saw that his window to that universe was the voice of Vaatu.

-I will find you.

Vaatu's voice echoes in Xiànshí's space, realizing with alarm that Vaatu is very close to reaching him, so he quickly addresses Bumi again.

-What are you waiting for?? Look above, the answer will be found there

Bumi continued looking around until he reached the top of the tree where the Library was located, however, he stopped and let out a tired sigh, and walked away.

-This will be of no use.

Xiànshí looks at him dumbfounded- Wait... but what?? Do not sit down! Stand up! You are a human, you maintain hope in adversity!

Iroh, who was nearby, noticed Bumi's mood. Without a doubt, that had him worried. Since all this happened, something had happened to the King of Omashu. It was as if something had died inside him. All the joy he showed like this like his eccentricity was no longer there.

That is why he decides to go to where he is and encourages him not to give up.

-Bumi we cannot give up if we want to defeat Vaatu we need help to corner him, we must find some powerful spirit to help us fight Vaatu

Bumi nods but his expression doesn't change so he lets out another sigh- Yes I know, but there isn't any there.

Xiànshí points in the direction where Bumi is looking - There is one, right next to him.

Bumi just opens his eyes and looks at Iroh resignedly. "I'm sorry to tell you, Iroh, but Flopsy can't be found anywhere near that rock either."

Xiànshí incredulously points to the place again - Wan Shi Tong is right there!

Unaware of Xiànshí's presence, Iroh puts a hand on Bumi's shoulder - We will find one, we must not lose our way...

Bumi then faces Iroh with that question -And what are we going to save when we find one and we're older than before?!

Seeing Bumi's outburst, Iroh sighs- I understand, you're frustrated like all of us...

However, Bumi shakes his head with a smile that shows his sadness - No, I'm not frustrated, I'm tired, I've already spent more than a hundred years fighting and losing a lot, I don't know if there's anything worth fighting for anymore, Vaatu He has already taken everything I have treasured, and whether we want it or not, it is a matter of time before the agents of Vaatu or his dark spirits find us.

Iroh looked down and nodded in agreement, remembering everything that had happened so they could get to where they were, but despite that, he refused to give up, so he decided to look back at Bumi. "Yes, I know you're right about that." At that point, however, I know that if we open our eyes and decide to accept every possibility - he said as he looked around when he noticed something in particular that caught his attention, and when he discovered what it was he smiled - we will be able to see the possibilities in front of us.

With that, Xiànshí gasped with joy at seeing that he had been discovered, while Iroh grabbed the shoulder of a confused Bumi but soon stopped being so.

-That?? What's going on??

Iroh just pointed to where he was looking while Bumi directed his attention to where he was pointing. "Let's just say that I have found a possible answer to our problems."

-Oh really?? -In stupefied and looking in the direction that Iroh indicated, Bumi starts to laugh with his characteristic laugh-who would say? That spirit is still here?? I can't believe it.

-Well, if there is something that characterizes him, it is that he can be very stubborn... but I know that if we manage to convince him then he might agree to help us... for the moment let's go look for the others and tell them what we have found.

Bumi nodded as he proceeded to get up with the help of Iroh who extended a hand to help him up. Once standing, both he and Iron proceeded to look for the others.

Xiànshí happily sees that both Iroh and Bumi proceed to call the others so that they will soon arrive with them. Seeing that they had already resolved it, he proceeded to return to his sanctuary.

...

Xiànshí lets out a big smile and rejoices when she sees that they have solved it - They did it, they did it, and there is still hope.

However, suddenly the space of his sanctuary breaks, and from the hole emerges the figure of Vaatu who laughs when he sees that he has managed to cross the space and has reached the origin of the voice. Xiànshí, for his part, is horrified to see that Vaatu has found it.

-Oh no!

Vaatu fixes his eye on Xianshi and laughs maliciously - I found you! I finally managed to find you!

He immediately invokes a ray of spiritual energy from his eye that sends Xiànshí, the ray hits him and sends him flying causing him to fall far away, when he finishes Vaatu looks in wonder at the windows to the multiverse, and all the worlds that are within reach.

-All those worlds, all that chaos and they are all within my reach

Xiànshí rises to face Vaatu- Leave those worlds alone, nothing in them is for you...

Vaatu looks back at Xiànshí and tells him to respond mockingly - I differ from that.

Without further ado, Vaatu launches himself to confront Xiànshí who, seeing that the confrontation is inevitable, also launches into the fight.

...

Wan Shi Tong Library

Thanks to Iroh's help they were soon able to find the remaining members of the White Lotus, once gathered they hurried back to the Library and proceeded to enter, Bumi with a rock that he took from the floor with Earthbending helped them move and get there. At the entrance to the library

-Wan Shi Tong is the best option?? He may not be on Vaatu's side but I highly doubt he would like our presence in his library...

Piandao was the one who asked and said that with great concern, something everyone agreed on.

-Maybe... but he is our best option so far and we have to do everything possible to help us, maybe if we are very persuasive then maybe, and just maybe we can have a small chance of convincing him to agree. To help us.

The rest of the White Lotus did not seem very convinced but they had already arrived here and Wan Shi Tong had been the only spirit they had managed to find in their Library, although if they even managed to find another powerful spirit who agreed to help them, the truth is that Their chances of achieving that were very slim and they doubted that anyone would help them without asking for something in return, no, this may be their best option.

With that in mind, none of them

-How will they convince him to help us??- Jeong Jeong was the one who asked once they stepped onto the floor of the Library.

Iroh then directed his gaze to Pakku who was cautious in the environment they were in, Pakku returned his gaze and looked at him with reluctance, they continued like this for a moment before he sighed in annoyance but nodded in agreement.

Iroh then said - Wan Shi Tong for centuries has kept knowledge of our world as well as I imagine of the world of spirits, that is why we have something in our possession that I believe will at least make him let us explain what we want to ask him.

Then the figure of a huge bird flies towards them until it falls in front of them and looks at them hostilely. It was Wan Shi Tong. Some like Jeong Jeong and Piandao were defensive of the spirit, like Pakku was cautious, while Bumi just stared at him but his eyes showed that he was not confident in this encounter, Iroh was the only one who kept his guard. Low, but he couldn't blame his companions for being like this, months of persecution and confrontations with dark spirits had caused all of them to be very distrustful.

-Oh, humans never change, even after I brought my Library to the Spirit World they still bother me, at least that human stopped doing it not long ago- with his head, he made a gesture to refer to the corpse of the person he was in. There, the White Lotus turned in the direction of where the corpse was and they saw, in a mixture of surprise, disbelief, and pity, the body of a man who must have been trapped there.

-So what are you waiting for to get out of here??

Wan Shi Tong's voice brought them back to the conversation, especially Irph who was the one in front of the White Lotus, so he cleared his throat to draw the spirit's attention to him.

-I thought that anyone who came with new knowledge could enter.

Wan Shi Tong looked at him and looked at him with disdain. "Those are the old rules, after you humans used my accumulated knowledge for violence and your ambitions, why should I let you use them again?"

-We need them now more than ever, you must understand that we are facing a desperate situation right now, if we don't do something now it could be the end of humanity.

Wan Shi Tong didn't seem impressed by her words, so he narrowed his eyes looking at them all at once. "You are no different from other humans who came before... I can see through you and your lies, you are no different from that." Firebender who came here looking for information to destroy his enemies or the Avatar and his friends who tried to deceive me for the same purpose... so tell me who do you want to destroy??

Piandao was the next to respond - I don't know if you know, Wan Shi Tong, but everything has changed since you left the physical world... first the Air Nomads, then the Water Tribes... - then he sighed sadness - well Basically all humans are dead, we are the last ones left...

Wan Shi Tong was now a little intrigued but no less cautious, so he narrowed his eyes to say the following: If so, then what are they doing here?? What interest do you have in this place? What could the last humans in the world of Wan Shi Tong want, the one who knows ten thousand things?

Bumi was now the one who stepped forward and responded - We seek your help... Vaatu the spirit of chaos must be stopped, our world has had enough of it and this could only get worse if we do something.

If Wan Shi Tong was surprised or any other emotion then he didn't show it, he just looked at them for a moment to respond - Vaatu in itself is very powerful and dangerous, even if he came for me, what makes them believe I would like to help you?

"Because if I'm right, your archivists haven't been able to find anything new and it would be a shame if this possible acquisition went to waste." With that, Iroh nodded to Pakku who returned it to him and reached into his sleeve to take out the scroll he brought with him.

Wan Shi Tong then looked at Pakku and the scroll he was carrying- What is that?

-This is the last surviving writing of the Northern Water Tribe regarding water bending.

Wan Shi Tong, seeing what he was planning, looked at Iroh - So they planned to use a means to convince me that I should help them, to be the last humans one would think that they would not cause the same acts as the others who were not lucky like you but it seems like that. that that is a mistake.

Iroh just stared at him and then said - If we weren't in the situation we are in, believe me, we wouldn't use this as a means to convince you, but I can tell you that unlike other humans we don't seek to obtain power for this, the only thing we What we want is to stop the suffering of humanity that has been experiencing since Vaatu returned, those are our only intentions.

Pakku stood next to Iroh and showed him the scroll as a sign of acquisition for him if he decided to accept it to help them.

Wan Shi Tong did not say anything for a moment while he analyzed everything that was being asked of him and decided what was best for him, the White Lotus stood in place waiting for what the spirit's decision would be, Pakku still had the scroll in his hands. Showing it to Wan Shi Tong without knowing what he was going to decide, he was about to put it away once again when he said the following.

-Very well, I accept this deal- without further ado, he extended his wing to Pakku's scroll and took it away before he could do anything else. Pakku then huffed with resignation and did not comment anything else. Iroh for his part was grateful and He approached Wan Shi Tong to thank him and close the deal.

They were about to close the deal when a terrifying sound was heard in a part of the library, it was so loud that an echo occurred in the Library which caught the attention of the White Lotus and also Wan Shi Tong who looked in the direction. Where does that sound originate? A Library corridor that looked dark from where they were now.

The humans themselves didn't like what that would have been like but they didn't have to try to find out what it was about because soon Wan Shi Tong was the one to respond.

-That miserable bastard, it would be one thing to kill a foolish spirit that decided to live among humans, but it is another thing to burn knowledge - The owl spirit had said that but it was not directed at anyone special, but the statement gave him an idea. Iroh didn't like what he could be talking about and he didn't like it very much, so he became more alert for what was going to emerge from the corridor, then some footsteps were heard through the echo of the Library until they soon stopped, but in the instant When they did it was the next thing that was heard.

-Wan Shi Tong, the Spirit of knowledge, many consider you the most learned being among humans and spirits, you value knowledge more than anything, how sad that now none of that has value.

The voice he had made Pakku's blood run cold because he knew that voice well, so he quickly took out a skin of water that he had hidden in his robe and opened it, but then water began to leak through the Library, which It left the others surprised but Wan Shi Tong furious.

-What do you think they are doing to my Library??!!!

-You are a traitor to the era of Vaatu by allying yourself with these humans and therefore you will be punished- said another voice in a biting tone.

Once he said that the sounds of footsteps were heard again see three figures emerged from the darkness of the corridor, which the White Lotus could recognize as they were the Agents of Vaatu who had found them, Katara Toph and Zuko had hoods that covered part of their faces but they could still see that their targets were there and they were somewhat surprised to see that Iroh was there with them, they did not expect to see him there but it seems that the Dragon of the West is more difficult of killing than they would have expected.

Well, there were no problems, it was a problem that they would be happy to solve and they would not let any of them leave alive, so Katara raised a hand and with it pointed forward and with that as an indication of what was going to happen was that spirits Dark shadows began to appear from the corridor or other parts of the Library, all surrounding Vaatu's enemies in the center of the Library.

Wan Shi Tong narrowed his eyes as he looked at the human. "That remains to be seen," Wa Shi Tong said and with that, the fox spirits that were with him turned dark and appeared from the shadows of the library. "Warriors, these humans at my side have "I have done a great service to the spirits, they are under my protection so do not try to attack them," the owl spirit ordered the dark spirits who nodded in response, the White Lotus was amazed by this, those strange foxes seemed to come and go from the library but These monstrous spirits were something completely new, they were speechless - as soon as these invaders, let them know what happens to those who dare to attack my Library.

One of the hooded humans without hesitation extended his hand and pointed towards Wan Shi Tong, the White Lotus and the spirit faction allied to them, then the dark spirits on his side launched an attack.

Then Hell broke loose.

...

The two opposing forces collided with each other and a great fight immediately began that spread through various parts of the Library, Wan Shi Tong had transformed into a more threatening appearance to confront the agents of Vaatu and their spirits, which were divided. To face them.

The White Lotus, to help Wan Shi Tong and hoping to convince him to help them, also divided themselves to face the threat.

Iroh, for his part, was launching bursts of fire at the spirits that approached him, affecting some that were soon replaced by others. Faced with this problem, he took a deep breath and created a large wave of fire to take care of them, the attack managed to get rid of them. Several, but soon a larger one arrived and it would be more difficult for him to defeat it, it was in the shape of a kind of insect that attacked him with one of its legs, Iroh jumped back to avoid it, he tried to shoot bursts of fire at it but the spirit blocked them with one of its legs.

Seeing that he could not defeat it with power alone, he decided to use another strategy, which is why he looked at different sides to see what he could use against the spirit. When he saw one of the shelves in the Library and an idea occurred to him, he immediately returned. He looked at the spirit and threw bursts of fire at it, which the spirit blocked again, however Iroh was soon surrounding it, making the spirit impatient and very upset with it, Iroh created whips of fire with his hands and directed them at the spirit, which had the desired effect and enraged him and he began to chase Iroh, trying to catch him with his paws, which was not working since Iroh was evading him, the spirit roared and tried once without noticing that Iroh It was luring it into a trap until its paws ended up trapped in the shelf. Seeing what had happened, Iroh slid underneath to stay behind the spirit and launched a large attack of charged fire that managed to push the spirit behind.

He let out a gasp at all the movement he had to do to stop him, he needed to rest a little, however soon the spirit rose again furious with Iroh, who saw him with a tired sigh, knowing that the fight would have to be renewed, but Then one of Wan Shi Tong's spirits entered and began to fight with this spirit, removing it from any possible retaliation against Iroh and taking it to fight elsewhere.

Iroh breathed another sigh of relief as he saw that he was safe for the moment, but that thought was gone when the next person appeared behind him.

-So you're alive...

Iroh was frozen by the familiar voice he heard from behind, he turned slowly to look in the direction of the hallway where Zuko's figure was slowly walking towards him, he noticed his nephew's features and the appearance he had, his clothes were torn. This one was now different from the one she had the last time they saw each other, they were neutral colors, her once short hair was now tied up, showing off the tattoo on her forehead that she had revealed, and her face had the scar on her eye. Left, without that scar and the clothes that Zuko was wearing, he would be the spitting image of Ozai.

-I'll be honest, I thought you were dead- Zuko's comment brought him back to reality, both locked gazes while Iroh narrowed his eyes- I guess the Dragon of the West still has tricks up his sleeve... or maybe not enough if only He could escape... or am I wrong?

Iroh scowled at him but didn't answer, but that gave Zuko the answer to what he asked, causing Iroh to annoy him remembering what had happened so he could escape.

...

Flashback...

Ba Sing Se.

When Katara had them all blood-bended and she, Zuko, and Toph left, Iroh and everyone tried to free themselves.

Unfortunately, Iroh was the only one capable of doing it, foot Toph had incapacitated them all by enclosing them in metal parts, how she managed to do it left Iroh speechless, but that girl learned to bend metal.

The bad thing is that she is using that gift to keep them where they are. Well, whatever it is, they have to free themselves. With the power of his flames, Iroh was able to melt the metal that was holding him prisoner, although, on the other hand, his clothes were also affected, it didn't matter, he was the only one who could get them all out, so he proceeded to Sokka when He stopped him.

-No! You have to go!

Sokka's response stopped Iroh, who saw him stunned by what he had proposed.

-I'm not going to leave them here...

However, Sokka shook his head. "You must do it... those three must not be planning anything good and if what they say is true, they will use Aang for an evil purpose, I don't want to imagine what they will do."

Iroh understood that he did, but he still wouldn't leave him here, if he freed them they might have a better chance, but then soon the room began to heat up little by little so that some of them began to sweat. Present, then everyone was alarmed and saw that a part of the wall was

-You must do it, Uncle!

Both Sokka and Iroh turned around in surprise when they heard Azula's voice, although she still sounded very hurt, which only made several wonder what they had done so much to her before they got here.

Azula, on the other hand, opened her eyes and saw her uncle with determination. "You must go and do something, my brother has lost his mind and whatever he does, and as much as I hate to say it, you are the only one who can stop her and those things." girls who accompanied him.

-I can't leave them here Azula, they won't survive.

Instead, Azula just snorted and looked at him smug at what she was going to say. "Do you forget that you're talking to me, Uncle??" I can free myself easily, I don't need your help.

Iroh stared at him while Azula looked back at him, they stared at each other for a few seconds that seemed eternal, with their looks they could say many things, many that were not said and things that, no matter how much they didn't want to say them, were true, it was after For a few seconds, Iroh closed his eyes and took a big breath of air, he also felt some tears in his eyes, but in the end, he nodded, he looked at Sokka again while he nodded again.

-Okay, I'll do it, but please promise me you'll get out of this alive.

Sokka just nodded, but he knew there was no escape from the situation he was in, his sister had betrayed him or maybe Katara was right and his sister died years ago when his mother did too and all this time he had the enemy. At his side and he didn't even know it, the truth is he didn't want to think about it, but then everything he thought he had done with Katara, every support, joke, every moment between brothers then turned out to be false and he didn't want to have to think about it, He only gave Iroh a bitter and sad smile, showing how devastated he was after everything that had happened this day, it had started as a great day for him in the company of his father and people from his tribe and now it will end with He here, alone and without anyone who knows that he died here, at least he could do something and that was to encourage Iroh to be able to continue and do everything possible to stop those three psychopaths.

-I promise you

-Wait! Maybe they don't, but at least get me out of here! - That had been said by Long Feng who was still in his corner, although to be honest everyone had forgotten that he was still there and it's not that anyone had agreed on it. That he had to leave this place, so they said that the best thing was to continue pretending that he did not exist.

So with all he could muster of courage to be able to do that, Iroh prepared to leave there without looking back and deciding to help them again, hoping that his niece would have enough strength so that they could free themselves and escape from over there.

Although a part of him knew that this would be the last time he would see any of those present.

End Flashback

...

Iroh clenched his fists at the memory, the helplessness he felt when he had to abandon them continues to eat away at his mind to this day.

Seeing the way his fists were clenched, Zuko laughed cruelly.

-And to think that I used to admire you... you who was once the great Dragon of the West... what a pitiful disappointment you turned out to be...

Iroh, upon seeing Zuko and hearing his words, sighed in disappointment. "I seriously thought that you were different Zuko, that there was something good inside you and that you could be a great man...

Zuko narrowed his eyes as he looked at Iroh. "That's the thing, Uncle, everyone in my old life thought his path was the right one, my father, you, the Fire Nation, they all wanted me to follow things like a good boy and be his puppet...

-That's not true, I...

-Don't you dare deny it! Or do you think that I didn't know that all the times they delayed us were to get me away from the Avatar?? - Faced with this accusation, Iroh remained silent while Zuko smiled again but there was fury in his eyes - You wanted to indoctrinate me to follow what you believed. Which was the best, you and your stupid Pai Sho friends who believed that the Avatar was the only one who could restore things... but guess what?? Everything is better now and everything is due to Master Vaatu, he has returned things to how they should be, and the only thing that is out of place is YOU!

With that said, Zuko launched a beam of compressed fire in the direction of Iroh and without hesitation, who, seeing how fast he had been, created a wall of fire large enough to be able to repel it, the wall resisted but just barely, but that did not stop him. Zuko launched another attack that weakened the wall even more and made Iroh retreat, Zuko took a deep breath ready to launch a new explosion, but then the figure of Wan Shi Tong arrived and pushed him away, sending him crashing into a bookshelf.

-You despicable Human, you dare to destroy my Library, then I will make sure that that mistake of yours is the last one you have made in your short life!

Zuko got up from where he had crashed, he got up with a little difficulty but he didn't seem discouraged by it so he could launch into a fight with the spirit.

-We'll see about that...

...

In another part of the Pakku Library, in the company of Piandao, they were facing the group of dark spirits that were cornering them.

Pakku with Water that he had in a skin that he had on hand used the stored water to make the spirits retreat so that Piandao would enter and with a slash of his sword he would make them retreat.

However, soon the spirits stopped approaching and stayed at a distance. Which Pakku and Piandao soon noticed.

-I don't like this, what are you waiting for??- that was said by Piandao who looked cautiously in different directions waiting for the spirit to make the move.

Pakku looked just as cautiously at all the spirits, there was something familiar in how they were standing, they were surrounding them, blocking any possibility of escape, like a hunter hunting his prey, and then he understood.

-They have us cornered because they want to have fun with us, they are hunters and we are the prey...

-Well done Master, I knew you would solve it -the new voice took Pakku and Piandao by surprise, it was undoubtedly that of a young woman, a young woman that Pakku knew well, then they looked in a direction where two great spirits made themselves known. One side revealed a young woman with torn clothes and neutral colors walking slowly towards them, her Water Tribe features were clear but she had left any traditional hairstyle of her Tribe behind, the only thing she kept was her beads from her hair, but Pakku had no doubt that he could recognize her anywhere- but it doesn't matter, anyway, this will be the end for you.

All Pakku did was narrow his eyes as he saw Katara's figure watching him in the distance.

-I can't believe you seriously helped that monster Vaatu, Katara, what would your grandmother say if she saw you now?

Katara just gave him a cruel smile, indirectly showing that such a thing no longer mattered to him, he simply summoned water, creating whips of water, and launched himself to face his former master.

Her speed took Pakku by surprise and even creating a wall of ice to protect him was not enough to stop the attack.

-Your family, Your Tribe, and the world were condemned because you freed Vaatu, don't you feel that it eats you up inside?

-My Tribe abandoned me first! Where were they when my home was devastated? Where were they when my mother died? Do you think that helped to accept the teacher's help? Oh, Pakku, all that made agreeing to help him easier!

Without further ado, with the water that was around he created ice icicles that he threw at the two masters, Pakku raised a wall to protect them while Piandao stayed behind him, Katara did not give them a break to attack her because she soon formed two whips of water around his arms, reinforcing the tips with ice and he launched himself to face them.

Hitting the whips hard against the wall they managed to break it, Pakku then dismantled the wall and turned the ice into water creating a torrent of water that he used to create distance between him and Katara, Piandao moved quickly and his sword in hand to send thrusts to Katara who with the agility of a poetic water bender moved to dodge their attacks, although she did so with difficulty between attacking Pakku and Piandao in addition to defending herself from their attacks, it was somewhat difficult considering that they were very experienced.

But she was more powerful than both of them and she was going to make it clear to them, so she moved away from Piandao's attack and stood at a safe distance. She undid the water whips and in their place created a vortex of water around her. This grew when Pakku, in a pathetic attempt, attacked him but Katara absorbed the Water from the attack into her vortex and turned it into a wave that she released against the two old men, both Piandao and Pakku covered themselves and looked for a way to Resisting her attack, Piandao stuck his sword into the ground very hard and tried to hold on while Pakku created an ice sphere to protect himself, but it left him blind to any retaliation from Katara.

Immediately once the wave passed left a large amount of water in the surroundings, which Katara gathered and sent to the part of the ground where Piandao was located and created icicles of ice that pierced Piandao's body, who was stunned. And spitting blood when he saw what had happened.

Pakku undid his bubble and prepared to continue when he noticed what had happened and was shocked. He quickly approached Piandao and undid the icicles holding him, but it was already too late, so he could only leave him on the ground. And hope that you can find peace.

-You see my point, you run and hide like a coward while you let your allies suffer and die, master, if this is the best the Tribe can offer then I know I have made the right decision, and let me tell you that I have no regrets when I help in the attacks on The Water Tribes.

Pakku, feeling angry about that, unleashed a great tidal wave with all the strength he could muster, Katara just smiled at that and the only thing she did was stand firm on the ground and stop the great wave with her power with the palm of her hand, Pakku He was left in disbelief. He could not react either because once the water fell to the ground Katara controlled his body with bloodbending, putting him on his knees. Pakku looked at Katara amazed and horrified to see that his former student was more powerful than him and had him. At his mercy, Katara noticed his thoughts and smiled evilly as she approached him, still not letting him go.

Pakku was not stupid, he knew what was going to happen to him, so the only thing he could do was wish his companions the best and ask Kanna wherever she was to forgive him for having failed her.

...

Jeong Jeong, after deserting the Fire Nation Army, only thing he wanted a way to forget the horrors he had committed and had seen because of his element, he had distanced himself from that and lived the life of a hermit, it was relatively good and I didn't have to see anyone I didn't want to see.

But then the Avatar arrived and all that went to hell since then he has lived as a fugitive, of course, he was one before but the Fire Nation no longer bothered much to pursue him, but it only took the Avatar to appear to attract what back to this hell that was war.

And after a few months, he found himself fighting to survive a world totally in chaos, without order, and completely hostile. Trying to survive has been the most difficult thing he has done, he had to do firebending and fight again to try to survive, all to be able to get to where he is now, fighting for his life once again, the truth is he doesn't know if he can continue. By doing this, you no longer have the same motivation for that as before.

Fortunately, he doesn't have to do much, Bumi was doing most of that, he just helped him by creating windows that the former Mad King Omashu could take advantage of to counterattack.

Bumi raised pieces of rock that he threw toward the spirits, the rock projectiles hit the spirits which also made them retreat, so it was proving very effective, in another movement Bumi stomped on the ground and opened a crack in the ground. Soil went to different parts where they soon destabilized some supports of the Library that fell and threw a part of the Library on the spirits that were nearby, managing to bury several of them, once everything was done they were momentarily in peace, but soon rock projectiles from where the spirits had been were launched towards the two members of the White Lotus.

Bumi reacted quickly and raised a rock wall from the ground to prevent the projectiles from hitting them, he immediately lowered it and put his hands on the ground, raising several rock structures from the ground that moved all the debris and could cause great damage if you couldn't. Avoid them, only at that moment Toph appeared sliding on one of the structures to fall in front of Bumi and Jeong Jeong.

Toph immediately jumped from where he was to fall to the ground, and only when he did so did he create a large seismic wave that affected the entire corridor they were in, Bumi put his concentration to hold firm the place where he and Jeong Jeong met.

When she finished Toph stood up and faced them, while the elders looked at the girl, Bumi narrowed his eyes examining her she was an earthbender.

-You must be the Earthbender who was going to train Aang.

Toph just crossed her arms with a mocking smile. "And you must be King Omashu or at least you were."

Bumi didn't seem upset by her, he just kept examining her, he didn't know this girl, but, according to the information that Iroh had provided them, the girl's name was Toph Beifong, which still generated something that Bumi didn't understand. He didn't understand. I understand, what interest do you have in helping Vaatu? After everything our nation suffered, how could you do it?

The only thing Toph did was laugh - He gave me something that I always wanted, freedom, he let me exploit my abilities and reach new levels on my own - to demonstrate what he was saying, he hit the floor of the Library and lava began to form from it. - He freed me from what was holding me back and that is why I am loyal to him and will always be... and now you are trying to oppose him, so I will do everything to get rid of you...

With that said Toph sent his fist to the ground which began to heat up to the point that lava began to generate from it, and then she sent a wave of lava in their direction.

Bumi reacted by creating a rock barrier that could not last long because Toph threw pools of lava at them that melted the rock. The wave of lava separated them while each one launched their attacks against Toph, who with the lava protected herself from These, in a new attack, created a great wave that left them very separated from each other but Jeong Jeong was the one who was the most in trouble, Bumi decided to free him and tried to create Solid Rock to have a way to reach his partner.

-No! Get out of here!-Bumi stopped at Jeong Jeong's words, he was ready to ignore the old firebender when Toph's voice intervened again.

-Oh, but of course not! -And with that said he stomped on the ground that split the floor causing both parts to separate and the lava to begin to fall towards the lower levels of the Library.

But then also more dark spirits began to appear in the direction of Bumi who tried to defend himself but there were too many for him alone, he looked at Jeong Jeong once to which he only shouted It was more difficult for him to leave and Bumi simply told him to concentrate on living, Jeong Jeong the truth is that after everything he had been through his desire to live was null, so he simply did not fight and let the spirits surround him, But they decided to pay their attention to Bumi who had already fled from there, but then he noticed that Toph was still there and he knew it when an attack of lava burned his back when he collided with it, suffering from the pain. Jeong Jeong fell to the ground suffering and soon Toph pushed him against a wall, he gasped from the pain in his back and tried to endure it, but then Toph started heating the Earth where Jeong Jeong was and started summoning lava.

Knowing that he would not get out of this, Jeong Jeong was resigned when the lava emerged and swallowed his body as the lava proceeded to flood the Library.

...

...

The impact of another explosion was close enough to Iroh that he had to jump so it wouldn't cause any damage. He went behind a shelf in the Library to protect himself.

-Miserable Human!

He could hear the voice of Wan Shi Tong nearby who was approaching Zuko with rage upon seeing what they were destroying his Library, Zuko saw that he was getting closer so he prepared to launch another beam of compressed fire at the angry spirit. Wan Shi Tong was unfazed by his attack, as he soon stopped for a brief moment and with the help of his wings repelled Zuko's attack, however, the explosion damaged other parts of the Library in the process, which generated a Fire that spread. Began to spread.

Wan Shi Tong witnessed this and screamed with fury, one that caused both Zuko and Iroh to cover their ears. When he finished, Iroh saw the direction of the Fire and immediately prepared to put it out.

That caught Zuko's attention, so a cruel smile soon appeared on his face and he said, "Oh, no, you won't do that!" - and with that said he launched another beam of compressed fire that crashed in front of Iroh, to stop him from moving forward, after that he looked at Wan Shi Tong and gave him a mocking smile - This place is going to burn and there is no nothing you can do to stop that.

Wan Shi Tong roared in fury and attacked Zuko, but he did not seem worried about it and it was soon known why, because at that moment a wave of lava fell from the highest levels of the Library, making Wan retreat. Shi Tong and keeping a distance between him and Zuko.

Without wasting time, Zuko prepared a new attack that he directed toward a column on Iroh and Wan Shi Tong's side, which served to damage the structure, and parts of the roof began to fall. Iroh dodged the ones that were close to him while Wan Shi Tong He noticed Zuko's provocation, so he changed his appearance to a more frightening one than before, ready to severely punish that human who had dared to destroy his Library, but all Zuko did was point at him with one hand as a clear challenge to him. Come closer and try it.

With that in mind, Wan Shi Tong launched himself in the direction of Zuko, but soon a spirit from the Vaatu agent's side appeared and attacked Wan Shi Tong, causing him to crash against a column. He tried to get him off of him when more spirits appeared and began to strengthen the grip they were beginning to have on Wan Shi Tong, Iroh quickly tried to help him when a burst of fire blocked his way, Iroh took a step back, while another attack towards the roof of the library from Zuko was what caused the ceiling to begin to fall so that Wan Shi Tong's view of Iroh was lost, leaving only him and his nephew, knowing that Zuko had thrown her, he was ready to have to fight Zuko no matter how hard he tried. It hurt him to have to do that, but it seems that Zuko did not have those same problems because he began to counterattack with a great display of fire against Iroh, who blocked several of Zuko's shots with great ease, although Zuko can be a great Firebender, Iroh supervised his training for years, so he has an idea of ​​his nephew's movements as well as what he can expect to be throwing at him.

So while they continued to face each other, Iroh was advancing, Zuko noticed this and narrowed his eyes and continued attacking him with more ferocity, while Iroh only repelled the fire, letting it remain in some parts of the walls. Ruins, Zuko was then doing a spin, about to send fire from the sole of his foot until Iroh in the stance of an earthbender blocked Zuko's attack and then threw him back.

Iroh looked at him with a frown. "Don't bother Zuko, I know all your movements and I know how you move, there is no way you can defeat me."

Zuko frowned at him with anger, although soon a smile appeared on his face as he looked at Iroh. "Just like I know many of your people, uncle... so much so that I let you believe that you were winning the fight."

With that said he raised his arms and moved them backward, summoning all the residual fire that had remained towards them, Iroh noticed his movement and was surprised by his bold movement, the fire flew towards them quickly but Iroh caught it until it slowed down, But that simple distraction helped Zuko counterattack by creating a more refined fire attack because it had turned white and Zuko sent it with all his anger in the direction of Iroh, who barely turned around and tried to catch it, but the power of the attack sent him away from Zuko. .

The attack burned some of his clothes but he could continue, he started to get up only to see that Zukoe was standing with a smile on his face. He looked up at a high point in the Library and fired a beam of compressed fire that destroyed another part. of the Library and began to fall on top of Iroh.

-If that doesn't kill you, then the lava will, and if it doesn't...- Iroh heard Zuko say, so he turned to look at him and saw that he had a happy smile on his face - don't worry, you won't get out of this Uncle... see you never.

With that said shot towards another damaged structure that caused large pieces of the ceiling to begin to fall in the Library, Iroh did everything to cover himself and get out of there, but one of these fell near him, causing the impact to send him to the ground. Unconscious.

...

He didn't know how long he had been like this, but he could tell that he didn't want to wake up, staying like that and resting was very tempting, if only the sounds of stones from the Library falling would stop so he could sleep, but then remembering where he was Iroh got up. He panicked and saw his surroundings, the pieces of rock kept falling and the lava was doing nothing to improve the situation, he had to get out of there as soon as possible, he had to find the others.

When the smoke cleared enough for him to move, Iroh began to move through the remains of the Library and saw what the Battle had caused, he saw with sadness that the great collection that was once there was now in pieces at his feet, but he couldn't stay and think about that, he had to continue, he kept moving through the parts where he could move, without a doubt it was very difficult to do, but he had no other option, he had to leave, hoping to find someone from his group However, the only one he was able to find was the figure of Wan Shi Tong and then he saw him looking at his Library, he was motionless and although his face was always expressionless, Iroh could notice the sadness and pain in him.

Wan Shi Tong seemed to have noticed that he had approached because he soon began to speak - For eons, I have preserved all the knowledge I have been able to obtain in this library, it has always been considered a true wonder of the world since the moment of its creation, whatever They could access the library and its vast stores of information as long as they brought some knowledge in return... but now, all of that has been lost, with no new knowledge to gain and the old being destroyed... we are in a time of absolute darkness.

Iroh just nodded in agreement- I'm sorry for this, we are the ones responsible for this happening...

"Don't bother," said Wan Shi Tong without seeming upset by his argument. "Your apologies are of no use now, human, when the damage has already been done, and sooner or later this would have happened, I should have prepared myself better to face this...

-So what are you going to do now?

-This is my Library, it will always be Wan Shi Tong's Library- he only said that in response, but it was enough for Iroh to know that whatever the fate of the Library was after this, Wan Shi Tong would be left to face it, Even if it meant falling with her, Iroh respected that and if that was Wan Shi Tong's wish then he was no one to oppose it, so all he did was bow to the spirit and in his mind wish it the best. That was going to happen from now on and then proceeded to leave.

-Wait!...- Wan Shi Tong had spoken to him suddenly which took him by surprise, so he decided to stay where he was to see what he was going to say - few spirits are not influenced by Vaatu, and none of them. They can confront him and be able to defeat him, but I only know of one who could help your human cause, the spirit of Reality is your only possible option, find him... Now go!

Iroh only gave a sigh but nodded, so he prepared to leave and left Wan Shi Tong behind, now he had to worry about getting out of there. This whole trip had been very fateful because of how things ended, but there was still something to rescue, a possible help that they could have from the Spirit of Reality, although it is not much, it is more than he could have expected.

Iroh was running through the shelves in a hurry, he had eluded Zuko but it had only been momentarily, he had to find the others and get out of there as soon as possible, the Library was falling apart, lava was flooding every hallway he went through. Happened, that I used redirection to freeze the lava but the entire Library became hotter, to the point that the redirection would no longer have any effect.

Crossing a hallway he heard footsteps close to the other side where he was going to cross, so he formed a ball of fire, ready to attack whatever was going to come out of there, he took a deep breath and stood in front to attack whatever was coming out. was there, only then a piece of rock flew towards him, it was too big for his fire to destroy so he just dodged it, once he did he looked at his attacker, although He relaxed when he saw who it was.

-Bumi... how good you are.

The one mentioned who was also in a defensive posture recognized it, nodded in agreement, and left his posture but was still alert.

-This can of worms is more than about to collapse, we have to leave now.

Iroh nodded in agreement- Well, let's gather the rest, let's do it before...

Nor could he finish because soon a roaring sound was heard nearby, both turned to see where it was from when they saw several dark spirits running in their direction.

Iroh, alarmed by that, decided to do the following - Run!

Bumi created an Earth platform on which Iroh climbed and they proceeded to escape from the place with the spirits following them closely, while Iroh launched some bursts of Fire to repel them, but the spirits did not retreat, if he took care of one or two more They came to replace it.

Seeing that if they continued like this they were not going to get anywhere, Bumi stopped and raised large walls of rock above them to try to stop them. Without wasting time, he raised a large column of rock above them to lift them and be able to direct them to the exit.

-Bumi, come on!

Iroh held out his hand for him to reach and Bumi was about to take it, but soon they heard the roar of the spirits coming after them, they would not stop chasing them, not unless they did something to stop it, they knew that. Someone had to do it, and it was with that that Bumi nodded to himself ready to take on his task, he looked at Iroh with an apologetic smile and Iroh soon knew what he was going to do, so he shook his head so Bumi wouldn't do it, but He still saw him with his smile.

-I told you Iroh... I don't want to keep fighting anymore.

-Bumi no!

Bumi, with a big smile, launched himself to face the dark spirits, before Iroh's astonished gaze. While he saw him, he had a brief view of all his memories and everything he had experienced, good things and bad, he saw His life flash before his eyes and although there were things he would have wanted to avoid, there were others he didn't, because he lived his life the way he wanted.

With a smile on his face and that's how it would be until the end.

With that in mind, Bumi used his Earthbending to take control of the entire cavern and the rock structures, fracturing them and destroying them, creating several piles of rocks to hinder the passage of the dark spirits and give the opportunity to whoever was from the Lotus. White who would have escaped the opportunity to survive and fight another day.

With that thought in mind, Bumi with his unique laugh was the one who laughed, and anyone present in that place who heard the laugh of the crazy king of Omashu who never gave up and in doing so made sure to take many with him but without his laugh he would die. You will stop hearing around the place.

...

Bumi's bold move damaged the structure of the Library to such a degree that it was now beginning to collapse. If you added the damage it had already suffered from the fight, then the collapse was closer than I expected, but it was not clear. Iroh would be left to find out, which is why he decided to leave and ran in search of the exit from the Library, hoping and wishing that the rest of his companions would manage to get out and that Bumi's sacrifice would not have been in vain.

However, the collapse was faster than the escape, so he decided that if he couldn't find the way out then he would make one, he quickly stopped and took a deep breath, so he summoned a bolt of lightning that he threw at a wall that soon ended with him. A great oyo, once he finished he tried to leave, however, that seemed to be the last thing the Library needed to fall apart because the impact of the collapse led him to fall from where he intended to leave without knowing where he was going to end up.

He briefly lost consciousness, but when he began to regain it he was no longer in the Library but in a kind of ocean in which he was beginning to drown. At that moment he began to swim upwards to escape, but fatigue and exhaustion Because of everything that happened, they began to stop him.

Too much had happened and he was already exhausted, so he didn't have much strength left to continue, and he began to feel like he was drowning, fighting with the sensation, he began to think about the reasons why it couldn't end like this, he prayed to the spirits, or anyone who could not be under the influence of Vaatu who could help him, it couldn't end like this, not now, however as he was trying to get out of there, he then suddenly felt a movement in the water, although it was probably nothing. , his mind was already on the verge of fainting so he must have imagined it, then suddenly he felt that something was moving him with the water and so they soon raised him until he touched a rocky surface.

Iroh gasped and tried to regain the air he lost when he was out of the water, however, he continued with a defensive posture against whatever had taken him out, as his vision went dim he saw the shape of a spirit that was approaching him, quickly and worried that it was someone hostile he began to retreat to look for a safe place.

-Please don't be scared, I'm not going to hurt you, General Iroh.

The soft voice undoubtedly left Iroh disconcerted, it seemed familiar for some reason although he couldn't place it very well, he doubted that it was a human who had saved him, rather it must have been a spirit, it seemed that he was right because it began to approach again.

Seeing that there were no problems on Iroh's part in approaching him, the spirit approached him again. While doing so, the light of the cave revealed who it was and Iroh was able to recognize the spirit that had saved him and therefore which made her familiar to him, since he helped save him and bring him back not long ago, in fact the form she had now was that of the young woman who was touched by the spirit of the moon which was now in front of him.

-You are the princess of the Northern Water Tribe

Yue smiled when she saw that Iroh recognized her and nodded. "At least in a certain way, but rather I am Tui the spirit of the Moon."

Iroh nodded in recognition and bowed respectfully to her. "Moon Spirit, I thank you for saving my life."

Yue just shook her head. "You helped the young girl who was touched by me a long time ago and brought me back, that is something I will never forget and that is why I came to your aid when I saw that Vaatu's agents did it." They had intercepted.

Remembering where he was and what he had been doing before the moon spirit found him, Iroh turned to Yue, looking at her with concern. "My companions... they are still there! We have to go back for them first..." However, Yue remained in her place looking at him without looking upset- I have to go back for them, I need to go back!

At that, Iroh began to try to find a way out of the place where he was, while Yue looked at him with a sad look because he knew that the next thing he was going to say was going to fill the man with pain but it was something that he needed to know.

-There is no point, General Iroh... -Iroh stopped and remained still when Yue told him that, and then he had an idea of ​​why she told him, he didn't want to see it as a possibility, but then Yue said the following- he wouldn't find anything there but pain and suffering for you.

Iroh didn't need more to figure out what Yue was referring to, so he just fell to his knees as he looked at the horizon and let the tears appear and fall from his eyes.

He had failed again, he had lost everyone once again, now everything depended on him, but was he going to be able to do it?? Would he even be able to continue?? How could he single-handedly face Vaatu and all of his followers, he didn't even have a plan now.

Then soon she felt a hand on her shoulder, she noticed that Yue was the one who had placed it and gave it a comforting squeeze, Yue so while she saw him sad, she could see what had happened, if she could have done something to interfere. He would have done it, but he couldn't get involved in these matters no matter how much he wanted to, and when he decided to do something it was too late.

At least she could do something for Iroh and get him out of this place.

-I must get him out of here, as long as he continues in the spirit world his life remains at great risk, and Vaatu's agents continue to pursue him.

Iroh did not answer anything, he just nodded and stood up, Yue squeezed his shoulder again as a sign of support, hoping that the old man could continue fighting and resisting, soon both began to walk until with the help of his position as a spirit, he managed to take Iroh out of the spirit world through a spiritual portal and take him along a safe path until he can leave him near a remote island.

-Here you will be safe, believe that when I tell you...- However, I didn't finish saying it because I soon became disturbed by something.

Iroh noticed that something had happened to him because he was talking and stopped abruptly, which made him look at her confused.

-That?? What is happening??

Yue simply tilted her head as she looked at Iroh for a moment and then looked ahead.

-It's funny, you can feel Vaatu's presence here but at the same time, you don't...

Iroh narrowed his eyes at the explanation. "I would appreciate a more detailed explanation please."

If the moon spirit was upset at having to explain it, he didn't show it, he just fixed his gaze on Iroh once more - That wherever Vaatu is, it's not in this part of the spirit world or the physical world.

-And exactly where is he located??

...

Vaatu was launching a very powerful ray of spiritual energy at Xiànshí, who with his spiritual energy was repelling him, however, he knew that he could not continue like this for long, Vaatu was very powerful and he did not know how he could resist and he demonstrated when the energy of Vaatu began to overcome hers.

Alarmed by this, Xiànshí concentrated more energy to reinforce the defense he was making against Vaatu's attack, so he decided to do the next thing: he concentrated more of his energy toward one side of his barrier and moved in that same direction. , until he soon left the place where he was, and Vaatu's attack passed by his sanctuary.

Xiànshí quickly created a sphere of spiritual energy around Vaatu, taking him by surprise, and before he could react, he opened a passage to his universe and sent him back through it, hoping that he would not be able to return, once he managed to get rid of Vaatu, Xiànshí He gave a breath he had been holding.

-I don't understand, this shouldn't be possible

While thinking about a possible explanation Xiànshí did not notice that Vaatu had returned and had reappeared behind him.

-Oh! But anything can be possible in a multiverse.

Quickly with his tail, Vaatu pushed Xiànshí to collide with one of the walls of his sanctuary, one of those that led to a universe, which led him to enter it and fall into a kind of place full of vegetation.

Vaatu also crossed and descended to the place where Xiànshí was, once he was close to him he looked at him with disdain.

-All those worlds, all that power and all you did was observe.

Xiànshí quickly stood up and faced Vaatu - I took an oath not to interfere, not to exercise my will over the natural order of things, I cannot interfere!

Vaatu in response launched a large beam of spiritual energy towards much of the landscape, destroying it and causing it to go into flames.

-Chaos is the natural order of things, when I take it to all those universes everything will be as it should be and you can't stop me... you don't have the will to try to stop me.

With that said, he charged a new attack towards Xiànshí who, annoyed by Vaatu's insinuations, decided to stop him here and now, he may not be so powerful to do it but he could distance him enough so that he would not touch the multiverse.

With that in mind, he saw the ray of Vaatu coming towards him and invoked his spiritual energy to stop it, stand up, and confront it.

-No Vaatu... you will never understand the power of my will

That's when a new fight broke out between the two, Xiànshí quickly attacked Vaatu who shot him a beam of energy from his eye, one that Xiànshí dodged to collide with Vaatu and throw them both to the ground, starting a fight between the two spirits. To be able to subdue the other.

However, despite Xiànshí's efforts, Vaatu soon begins to take advantage of him, as he grabs him from the side with his tail and stops him by throwing him hard to the ground. Xianshi receives the impact fully but does not have time to react because soon Vaatu throws him away and launches a new beam of spiritual energy that hits Xiànshí, sending him away.

The attack was able to break the barrier of that universe, taking Xiànshí through several universes, colliding with them without being able to stop until soon Xiànshí fell until he crashed into a long building and fell in the middle of a road when he got up with difficulty he opened the doors. Eyes and realized that he had fallen in Republic City, in the distance he could see a victory poster for the elections with Sokka's face on it, while in the sky Vaatu descended

-You have the entire multiverse at your fingertips and you just spent all your time in your sanctuary... wow, isn't this better than just observing?? and to be honest it is less invasive on your part

With his tail Vaatu threw Xiànshí to the ground with great force, which caused him to transform the space in which they were to become the city of Hari Bulkan, Vaatu slammed him against the ground again, transforming everything again so that the city of Omashu continued like this several times, with more force each time until Xiànshí fell unconscious. Seeing that Xiànshí was no longer putting up a fight, Vaatu released him, leaving a view of a more advanced Wolf Cove.

Xiànshí regained consciousness and groaned in pain, trying to get back on his feet and return to the fight, however Vaatu prevented him from doing so.

-The borders of the multiverse do not limit spirits like you or me and I did not get to where I am by staying within the limit-

With that said, he sends tentacles to the ground from which spiritual vines emerge that hold Xiànshí and begin to squeeze him, moaning in pain as he tries to free himself using his spiritual energy, but their grip on him is very strong and even more so when Vaatu strengthens his control over them, making the vines grow larger and more and more appealing. Seeing that if this continued like this it could be harmful to him, Xiànshí used a large part of his power to get rid of the vines, a small explosion occurred around him, which allowed him time to free himself, Vaatu was surprised when he sees that he managed to escape, but decides that he will not let him escape, he lets his tentacles emerge from the ground and moves away and then charges a new energy attack from his eye powerful enough to knock down Xiànshí.

Xiànshí moans in pain and gasps, he tries to get up but fails, and then he hears that Vaatu is trying to attack him again, however, he knows that this attack could be fatal for him, so he cannot move enough to continue fighting and if he does he may not be able to. It does not last long either.

Xiànshí, badly injured, sees that if he continues like this he will not survive, so he sadly knows what he has to do, soon opens a portal and proceeds to escape through it, before Vaatu's spiritual ray reaches him. Vaatu, seeing what had happened to Xiànshí, laughs cruelly.

-Run, observe if you want, that doesn't matter, from where I am I can see everything and there is nothing that can stop me.

...

A Xiànshí hidden in a small plane of existence is recovering from the battle, looking disconsolate at everything that happened and fearing what is about to happen. He soon feels the presence of someone behind him, turns around, and finds someone revealed in the shadows... it is Avatar Aang.

Only this Aang is seventeen years old, his Air Nomad clothes are a little torn and he has eyes that show he's tired.

Xiànshí sadly turns to momentarily look at Aang to respond - I have no other options... that monster left me no alternative.

Aang just laughs- I understand, I'm having a great time in this reality that I created myself since then -Xiànshí finally gets up to see Aang better- are you ready to break your oath??

Incredulous at his question, Xiànshí looks at him- Do you want me to say it?

Aang just looks at him with a smile that reminds him of when he was a twelve-year-old boy. "Yes, in fact, I do want you to say it...

Xiànshí just closes her eyes, sighs tiredly, and looks at Aang again- Ok, I can't believe I'm going to say this, now I understand... I need your help.

Chapter Text

Time

Space

Reality

It is more than a linear path... it is a prism of unlimited possibilities... where a single choice can be divided into infinite realities and create alternate worlds to those you already know... I am Xiànshí the spirit of reality, your guide in these new and vast realities, follow me and consider the question... what if??

...

South Pole...

A flying bison was escaping in a hurry while a fleet of Fire Nation warships was chasing it in a hurry. The ships were faster than the current ones and while they were shooting at them with their catapults, their escape was challenging...

On top of the bison on the mount was a woman from the Southern Water Tribe, using her water bending to throw ice icicles hoping that this would help them escape, luckily a large amount of water she had access to allowed her to escape. It is very useful, but it is still not enough, her last attack destroys a projectile that was going straight to her and her companion, and once they are safe she breathes a sigh of relief.

But she knows that they are not safe yet and remembering how they got into that situation, she proceeds to look at her partner with great anger.

-I swear, Aang, if we get out of this alive, forget about me letting you go riding penguins for a month!

The one mentioned that was in Appa's head guiding him to tell him where to go turned around surprised and not believing it. Aang had started to show signs that he was in his teens, he was taller and his build was still developing, after all, it had been almost two years since he woke up from the iceberg.

-But Hama... I had already made plans to go with Lirin later, I can't look bad!

However, Hama does not back down from his argument - You should have thought about that before you went to get wild, you know very well that you should not leave Wolf Cove without company... especially now that the Fire Nation has already discovered that you are the Avatar!

Aang just lowered his head but didn't reply, he understood that and couldn't deny that Hama was right.

Just then another fireball passes by them, catching the attention of both of them. Hama saw the ships and narrowed his eyes, already having enough of them he said - Take us close to sea level... I have an idea.

Aang nodded and indicated to Appa that they should go down further, while they did so they continued dodging the attacks of the warships, once near the water Hama began to make fog with the water, enough so that the Fire Nation could not see what was going on. To do, once they get out of the field of vision of the warships, she tells Aang to follow her, in which the two proceed to make a water bubble big enough for Appa to enter it and they dive in the water.

Once inside they began to move to stay behind the warships that continued advancing, as they did so they took the opportunity to get further and further away, until they were sure that they were far enough away, Appa went straight to the surface to eventually fly away. Thence.

Once they are sure that they are safe, Appa descends into an ice structure, while Aang and Hama climb down from it.

"Well now that we're safe, I hope this doesn't happen again," Hama said with her arms crossed, looking at Aang.

-Yes, I understood... Wow, do you see that?? -Aang points to the sky, amazed by what he is seeing, while Hama, surprised by what he said, looks up and opens her eyes surprised by the enormous spirit in the sky that is watching them. Itself... or rather to her. Well, the one who was there was Xiànshí.

-Hama Of the Southern Water Tribe, Master of Waterbending and adoptive mother of Avatar Aang... you have been chosen

-That?? Hey, I'm not...

....

Earth Kingdom- Ba sing se

Outside the walls of Ba sing se, there was a battle, several platoons of the Earth King were facing a large number of soldiers from the Fire Nation, by the way, speaking of the Earth King, he was escaping from several of them, who They were throwing fire at him to prevent him from escaping, they soon surround him and the Earth King appears nervous.

That was until a fire attack took the enemy soldiers by surprise, after that attack several more came out and the soldiers were taken by surprise when Prince Lu Ten accompanied by several soldiers from his side arrived to help the Earth King...

Lu Ten quickly reaches Kuei and decides to push him away to keep Kuei safe and continue participating in the battle, while they do so you can see the battle that was happening, the Fire Nation had decided to make a surprise attack in an attempt to retake the city, the attack force they had sent was very large, so large that the Earth Kingdom soldiers who were there would not have been able to stop it alone, fortunately, their new allies were there to help.

When Lu Ten and King Kuei manage to keep their distance, they immediately take cover to avoid a squad of firebenders. Kuei falls to the ground exhausted and looking at the figure of Lu Ten who is attacking a squad of enemy firebenders with bursts of fire.

-By Agni, Kuei! I told you not to do this kind of thing if you're not trained for a battle!

The aforementioned just lowers his eyes in shame but instantly lets out a sigh and then looks at Lu Ten again. I just wanted to inspire my soldiers, so they could see that I was committed, I didn't expect things to get too complicated.

-Don't worry, my father and I arrived with reinforcements and we will help them in everything we can...

Kuei nodded - Sure, then I'll stay behind that thing they brought - he pointed to the sky so that Lu Ten turned to look, stunned by the figure of the spirit that was staring at him. He had not arrived with them.

It was Xiànshí who saw them, or rather him.

-Lu Ten Prince of the Fire Nation, trusted advisor of King Kuei and Liberator of Ba sing se... you have been chosen

....

Earth Kingdom- Taku

Two Figures from a tree in the shadows watched as Aang, Katara, and Sokka boarded Appa and proceeded to leave in peace. When they leave these figures walk forward to see them better so you can have a better view of them and they reveal themselves as the Blind Bandit and Jet.

"Look, I don't understand why you think it would be better to let them go, Bandit, I think they could help us here," Jet says to his blind companion who is next to him while Jet can't stop seeing the figure of Appa that was moving away every time Further.

Before he can answer Toph's seismic sense alerts her to someone's presence.

-Back...

Taking that warning Jet draws his swords ready for the attack just as the Blind Bandit prepares himself in an Earthbending stance ready to face whoever is stalking them.

It was Xianshi.

-Toph Beifong, the Blind Bandit and champion of the Freedom Fighters...

-I don't know what you are but it would be better if you back off- Toph's partner points at him with one of his hook swords as a warning.

Xiànshí, annoyed by whoever interrupted him, looks at him showing his annoyance -Not you, Jet...- then goes to see Toph once again regaining her composure- Your Toph Beifong has been chosen.

...

Fire Nation - Harbor City

Black Sun Day

If you told Zuko at the beginning of last winter that he would get to see the capital of the Fire Nation one more time with the Avatar at his side then he would have been elated by that news and would have been even more determined to make it a reality if you had told him. during the weeks that Azula was hunting him and his uncle after they were declared fugitives from the Fire Nation then he would have become bitter at the prospect that it could never be that but still having fantasies, but now in the middle of summer and fighting in what could be the final battle of the war and on the side of the Avatar then it is something that he can believe.

Just now with his dao swords in his hands and wearing the colors of his nation again and after a long time, he makes his way among the Fire Nation soldiers who confront him, it is a surprise for them to see him here who does not have the time to respond properly to the fight, using that as an advantage Zuko defeats them with his swords cutting the non-benders weapons or knocking them down and using firebending to help himself against the fire benders.

Defeating one he hears an explosion from behind, he turns to see the allied force for the invasion out of the corner of his eye, soldiers from the Earth Kingdom and Warriors from the Water Tribe are also there, if he squints he can see some familiar figures, like Sokka and Katara fighting together from the side, Toph who is throwing a rock at one of the watchtowers.

-Do not say it.

However, his request is ignored by Suki who gives him a mocking smile- Say what?? Save your butt again?

Zuko grunted in response as he rolled his eyes in annoyance, but then accepted his hand so he could get up. "I already had them where I wanted them before you arrived!"

At his response, Suki gave a snort that said in response that she didn't believe him - Yes, of course, they had you in their sights and would have shot you if I hadn't intervened, admit it!

Zuko wouldn't admit it but something was true his pride refused to give in to this, so he just shook his head, while Suki put away her fans and looked at him with her arms crossed, they stared into each other's eyes to see who it would be. The first to give in, but then a new voice called out to them.

-You two calm down and come help!

Zuko and Suki turned to see Hakoda who was with his children addressing Appa, both Zuko and Suki only looked at each other for a second before nodding and heading towards them. While they were doing it They showed that the explosions began to increase, it seemed that the towers impeded their passage more than they had anticipated, so they both crossed, being careful to get to where Hakoda and his children were.

Hakoda, for his part, was helping Sokka and Katara carry barrels of water on top of Appa, who was dressed in body armor, so while they were lifting the second barrel when he noticed that Zuko and Suki had arrived.

-We have to eliminate those towers or else we won't be able to pass.

Zuko nodded in agreement as he looked at the towers that were still intact and continued to attack the invasion force.

-The towers are at both ends, we must divide ourselves into two groups and each one is in charge of destroying or incapacitating the towers.

Hakoda nodded in agreement and then climbed onto Appa, Zuko immediately put away his swords and prepared to climb on as well.

Suki was about to climb onto Appa when the image of Xiànshí appeared behind her to speak to her.

-Suki of Kyoshi Island, leader of the Kyoshi Warriors and sister-in-arms of Prince Zuko... you have been chosen

Suki turned around to be surprised by the voice that appeared and prepared to defend herself.

...

Fire Nation - Royal Palace

A group made up of warriors from the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation were running with Sokka leading them with Master Piandao at his side.

Their destination was the throne room, right now many of the warriors as well as Sokka and Piandao looked tired but their determination was still very present.

They needed her more now than ever if they wanted to end this once and for all, they had been through a lot to get here and it was time to put an end to it.

-The Water Tribes will judge Katara according to our laws for his crimes...

She said that wanting to make her point clear regarding what will happen to her sister once she has been arrested.

-The Water Tribes will have Katara when the White Lotus passes a sentence for their crimes Sokka- Piandao said in a tone that was not even up for discussion.

As much as Sokka wanted to object in the end he didn't, he could understand that and respected it.

Meanwhile, Katara was from the balcony of the throne room of the Fire Palace, watching from afar the destruction of the two armies that were fighting each other, former allies and enemies of one, loyal to the ideals of the other...

-Please, I beg you... stop this madness...

She takes her eyes off the battle and looks back to see the person who was next to her, he was wounded as he panted, leaning against one of the columns in the room, it was none other than Prince Zuko.

Zuko, who was next to her, looked horrified at the massacre that the two were witnessing.

Katara, however, didn't listen to him, she just ignored him because she didn't see the point in doing that, she no longer saw the point at, she thought they were doing it was ideal, and she still does it and it's exactly what had to be done. Do, so he can't understand when everything fell apart, or maybe if he does know, it was all because of Sokka.

Her idiotic brother who thought of her as a betrayal to help the enemy brought out what had happened and turned many of her against her so that her plan could not be completed. .

Her sifu called the bloodbenders so they could do something and they secured the palace, Hama left her there to stop anyone who would enter with Zuko who had been using him as a way to get even for what was happening.

Now that she thinks about it she must decide what to do with him once and for all, however, she can't think about it anymore when suddenly Xianshi appears to her and becomes alert.

However, at that moment, Sokka, Piandao, and all of her reinforcements also entered.

-Katara this is over... but what the hell??!!!

Sokka said that entering with the full intention of stopping her sister, but all that determination left when he saw Xiànshí looking at her sister and soon at him too.

-Sokka and Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, assassins of Fire Lord Ozai and Brothers turned enemies, you have been chosen.

...

Earth Kingdom- South Sea Coast.

Prince Zuko trained for many things but he certainly didn't train for this, well, that didn't matter, he wouldn't back down from this and he wouldn't stop until he took care of these spirits that had appeared, now he found himself fighting with several Dark Spirits, he launched Firebending attacks at Right and left, he takes a moment while he begins to breathe and then charges an attack, concentrating his chi to make an explosion of Fire to get rid of several enemies, he prepares several new attacks to be able to scare them away.

Next to him had joined his crew who were in the same situation as him, Uncle Iroh was generating a lightning bolt that he then sent to the ground, near where Several spirits were creating an attack that impacted several dark spirits.

Ty Lee dodged and distracted them to help Zuko's guards eliminate them. In one of his pirouettes, he jumped to land next to Zuko and saw the entire scene of the Battle.

-What are these things?? I can't read their auras well but from what I'm seeing they are very hostile.

Zuko just inhaled and exhaled so he could catch the air he was missing after fighting with these things for a long time.

-I don't know, but we have to get rid of these things now.

With that said, he took a deep breath and charged a crossfire attack that he launched towards a spirit that was approaching.

With a gesture with her hand, she indicated to Ty Lee to follow her to continue fighting, to which she nodded to start following him.

While they continued facing the dark spirits, no one noticed that the figure of Xiànshí had just appeared in the sky.

-And finally Zuko, the crown prince- However, Zuko did not hear him because he was so involved in the fight that he did not notice that they were talking to him.

"Move quickly!" Zuko shouted to any of his guards who were close to hearing him, immediately charging another attack at another spirit.

-Listen Zuko!...- Xiànshí tried again but once again Zuko ignored him, this time he was helping an imperial fire bender get rid of a great dark spirit, Xiànshí approached again to get his attention- Zuko listened to me. .. Zuko!

The number of dark spirits was reducing but Xiànshí, seeing that Zuko was not paying attention, decided to use other methods, so when Zuko finished launching another fire attack, Xiànshí approached him, taking him by surprise and grabbed him to raise him to the sky with him.

-Zuko, crown prince of the Fire Nation and the most powerful Fire Bender of your generation...
You have been chosen - as he picked it up Zuko's fear grew at what could happen, he honestly wasn't ready to die and he certainly wasn't going to allow some spirit to believe that it could take him and lead him into a trap, that's why he prepared with one hand a large fire attack ready to counterattack when a light took him by surprise and blinded him for a moment.

Then Zuko opened his eyes again to realize that he was now in another place, or rather in some kind of tea room.

He heard sounds behind him and turned around ready for anything, putting himself in an attack position for whatever was going to appear. It seems that he was not the only one who had the idea, because those who were behind him also chose to do the same.

Hama, Lu Ten, Toph, Suki, Katara, and Sokka had also traveled with him.

Sokka drew his sword and pointed it at everyone.

-What is this?? Where we are??

Immediately the rest went on the defensive as they found themselves pointing at each other.

"I don't know, boy, but you better put that sword down," Hama hurriedly told him while he saw a container with water and drew it close to her.

"If I were you, I'd better worry about you," said Lu Ten, pointing at Hama from a considerable distance. Hama on his part noticed him and now fixed his gaze on him, recognizing him as someone from the Fire Nation and the way he was standing as a fire bender, then narrowed his eyes at the thing that Lu Ten reciprocated...

For his part, Zuko had his fist raised, ready to fight, he didn't know where he was but he wasn't going to stay there, he examined the others in search of possible threats that they could become, and he found a water bender at least. Who could deduce about ten years older than him, in addition to a girl dressed in green and with her face painted, then he saw what seemed to be a Fire Nation soldier and he saw a possible ally, that would help him, he saw the soldier thinking that he was one of his crew but when he saw his armor he was a standard soldier, so he decided to look at his features.

However, Zuko soon opened his eyes without being able to believe who the man from the Fire Nation was - Lu Ten?? It's you??

The aforementioned heard him and turned in his direction, he narrowed his eyes when he saw the teenager who had said his name, he was intrigued by that and saw the boy but he also opened his eyes in disbelief because he couldn't believe who it was - Wait. .. Zuko??

Katara, Sokka, and Suki turned around in surprise as they saw the guy who claimed to be Zuko they also couldn't believe it but they were more shocked because the Zuko they were seeing did not have his characteristic scar on his left eye and was dressed like a male version of Azula.

"That's Zuko?" Sokka murmured, not believing what he saw.

The aforementioned turned to see who had said that and then frowned when he saw three figures that seemed familiar to him- You? So the Avatar is behind this??

Katara frowned, she didn't know what was going on, the last thing she knew was that Zuko should have He was badly injured and very pitiful, not standing there and without his scar. He didn't know what was happening but he wasn't going to stay to find out, while Sokka seemed to guess his thoughts because now he was on guard against Katara. "Don't even think about it, Katara." ...

Katara frowned as she watched Sokka remember all the trouble he had gotten into and how Sifu's plan fell apart because of him.

Toph, while she was cautious about all of them, only knew the brothers from the Water Tribe as well as the boy from the Fire Nation, but from there she had never seen the others, something told her that something else was happening, whatever. Whatever she had to be attentive, she also had to find Jet wherever he might be. Suki, for her part, didn't know what was happening here and wanted to know, one moment she was in the Fire Nation about to end the war and the next she was here in a place with her friends pointing fingers at each other and two adults who From what I could tell from their postures they were also benders. Katara, however, knew that she couldn't stay here and she had no intention of doing so, she searched the surroundings in search of something that would help her escape.

And that's when she noticed things that seemed familiar because of where they were.

-This place seems familiar to me...

However, he did not notice the person who had approached to offer him a cup of tea, it was not until he spoke that Katara and the others noticed that person.

-Of course yes, you had already come here once before from what I was told, I imagined that this tea shop would be the best place to meet -Katara turned to look at the person who said that, as well as everyone else, the voice It became familiar to him and when he saw the person he did not believe it was possible.

-Aang...

The aforementioned smiled when he saw her- Hello Katara... it's good to see you again.

Katara was speechless, she put her hands to her mouth while tears appeared in her eyes. Sokka opened his eyes and couldn't believe it either, her friend was there, totally alive and older, like several years older than her... And Katara was about to go hug him when a new voice appeared.

-Aang??

The aforementioned turned and smiled at the older woman of the Water Tribe, Aang bowed respectfully to her.

-Teacher Hama, it is an honor to meet you...- he soon turned to see everyone in general- everyone themselves.

However, Katara could not get out of her stupor upon hearing the name of the young woman older than her and as she looked at Hama, she did not believe this young and beautiful woman might have been her sifu because she could distinguish some characteristic features of her person in this woman, Apparently Hama also noticed that they were watching her as she looked at Katara and then saw their eyebrows raise in disbelief when they saw her.

-Kanna?? It's you??

Sokka and Katara then looked surprised and slightly confused to see that Hama had mistaken Katara for her Gran Gran.

Lu Ten, for his part, saw the boy and squinted his eyes trying to locate who he could be, then he saw from his clothing that he could not belong to any of the three nations, then remembering something from his history lessons he solved it.

-You are an Air Nomad.

Aang turned in Lu Ten's direction and smiled. "That's right."

Zuko just rolled his eyes and took a step forward. “Why did you bring us here?” What do you want from Us Avatar??

Aang and the rest saw Prince Zuko's posture, Hama and Katara became defensive, as did Sokka who told her instinct to be careful with him, Suki was cautious but she had the fans within reach. Her. But Toph took Zuko's side too.

-He's right... why are we here?? If you know what Twinkle Toes is best for you send me back.

I try to object Hama- Wait...

Lu Ten didn't let her finish because he started questioning Aang now - They're right, why did you bring us here?? What do you want from us?

Aang, on his part, seeing himself cornered, laughs nervously and then responds - Wow, those are a lot of questions, but I wasn't the one who brought you here.

Then suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed somehow, the energy felt intensified, Aang for his part did not seem altered, then the lighting in the room went out for a moment and then returned to normal and the figure of Xiànshí appeared in front of everyone.

Suki recognizing him says - It's you again!

-You have been chosen.

Hama crossed her arms while she looked at him unimpressed. "You had already told us that."

Suki stood next to her with one hand on her hip to answer. “And honestly you need another sentence.”

Aang then cleared his throat slightly so that everyone else could pay attention to him. "Please listen to him, I wouldn't bring you here if it wasn't something important."

Xianshi was grateful for Aang's words while the others, remembering that Xianshi had kidnapped them and brought them to a tea shop, simply went back but accepted, and they couldn't deny that they were also interested in knowing why a spirit had brought them here.

Seeing that Xiànshí could continue, he immediately proceeded to explain to them.

-You have been chosen for a mission that is highly dangerous but necessary for the continuation of life as you know it... at first, I explored existence in search of an Avatar who could help me... but then I saw the bigger picture. Broad, this mission requires a team, the perfect combination of skills and experience that will give us success.

Hama after processing everything that Xiànshí had said then says - Let me see if I understand, you kidnapped us to this side of the world to do what...??

Toph raised an eyebrow, also trying to understand what they were going to do. "Save the world?"

-Not exactly, it's more complicated than that.

Aang then decided to make the point clearer to them - I know you have questions but if you would let us answer them it would be best... - Aang interferes between everyone present to avoid any new fight - well in short almost all of you know each other but at the same time no, this is because each of you belongs to a different universe... basically...

"Each one is from a different reality, the same story but with changes that make our realities different from each other," says Lu Ten, having an idea of ​​what he will say.

Aang goes to see him and smiles- Then they understand it better than we expected... that will help a lot with the issue at hand, we are not just the last hope to save the universe...

Xiànshí, to make his point clear, decides to tell them what the purpose of having brought them is.

-You are my last hope to save all the universes... you are the Team Avatar of the Multiverse

The rest just stare at Xianshi and Aang in disbelief and disbelief, and then Sokka, reasoning and reflecting on everything they had said, concludes what they want from them and decides that he will not be part of that.

-I know what's happening, this is some spiritual Avatar thing that needs to be resolved, you know what?? Don't count on me, I've had enough of spirits for one life, goodbye.

Seeing that he was heading towards the exit, Aang decided to warn him- Wait, Sokka! I would not do that...

Sokka, for his part, decided to ignore him and started to open the door. "Aang, it's good to see you again but I want to stay away from any spiritual madness, although we should see each other again, whatever...

The moment Sokka opens it by accident and without seeing where he is going, he opens a door to an infinite void where, having no surface, he falls into it. Luckily, before falling completely, he had grabbed the floor of Jasmine's Dragon. , Suki quickly goes to help him up.

Once upstairs they both closed the door and gasped, still not believing that this had happened.

If everyone else wasn't convinced, they were now.

Lu Ten had many reasons to leave, but if what this spirit said was true then it was something very serious, and if he didn't do something his world and everyone else would be at risk, where many of those lives were from the Fire Nation. As prince of his nation, he will not allow the lives of his people to be in danger, no matter what world they are from, plus Zuko is here and that makes the mission more tolerable.

-Very well... I think I speak for everyone when I say that we accept and they will tell us what we are facing?

...

Aang was handing out tea to the guests who were sitting in various parts of the room for this performance of Jasmine's Dragon.

Even so, a part of him couldn't help but feel happy to see his friends once again, they were all here, it didn't matter that each one came from a different universe, he could still see the spirit of his friends in each of them, he can seeing Toph's confidence, Suki's determination, Sokka's humor, Zuko's sense of honor, and Katara's kindness.

He looks at each one with a smile that can express his joy at seeing them here, Sokka and Katara especially return it with the same sentiment, Suki seems a little confused by the reason he shows it but doesn't say anything, while Toph and Zuko They seem surprised by this but they don't say anything either.

When he finishes serving the tea, he proceeds to stand next to where Xiànshí is to begin detailing everything they have to do.

In this, Xiànshí moves to the center surrounding a point in the air, capturing the attention of others, soon a kind of sphere of spiritual energy begins to generate at the point that becomes larger as Xiànshí continues to surround it.

Once they think they have made it big enough for everyone to see, they stop what they were doing and walk away, then the sphere begins to light up, and suddenly physical images begin to come out of it, there are several itself where you can see a landscape.

But soon you can see that a kind of portal is generated and dark spirits appear from it and begin to destroy everything around them, capturing the attention of Team Avatar.

"Their worlds are being attacked or soon will be by Vaatu, the great spirit of chaos and darkness," Aang begins to say while the others do not take their eyes off the orb that Xiànshí had generated.

Xiànshí nodded in agreement and decided to continue explaining - Vaatu feeds on the same chaos, and as long as he has a darkness to resort to he will become much stronger, in all his worlds Vaatu should not escape from his confinement until 71 years after the 100th year after the genocide of the Air Nomads.

Then having an idea of ​​what happened Sokka says - But then in a different universe Vaatu escaped before that date and did his thing...

Xiànshí nodded - Exactly.

Sokka who was looking at the Xiànshí orb was curious about the last thing she had said, so she decided to ask - How did he get it??

Aang and Xiànshí look at each other for a moment before nodding to each other.

Aang, addressing the entire group, decides to reveal it - That is because in that universe he trained and indoctrinated three powerful teachers who manipulated the Avatar of that universe to free Vaatu.

That also caught the attention of the Avatar team. Then Xiànshí moves the energy of the projection and shows the image of the three masters who were the ones who released Vaatu. Which takes everyone present by surprise except Aang.

Well, there everyone can see, even Toph thanks to the fact that Xiànshí's physical projections help her have a perception of what is happening, that the three masters who freed Vaatu were Katara, Toph, and Zuko.

-Yes, I think that may be a problem.

...

Continuing with the explanation, Aang decides to continue.

-We believe that the only way to stop it is during a harmonic convergence, the exact period where Vaatu and his opposite Raava, the great spirit of order and light, fight every ten thousand years for the destiny of the physical and spiritual worlds...

"How exactly are we going to stop it then if we need this spirit itself?" Zuko asks, seeing a problem in the plan.

Aang then smiles at him- Raava himself is the Avatar spirit the first Avatar and Raava merged during the last harmonic convergence to defeat Vaatu and be able to lock him away for the next ten thousand years, to begin with.

Zuko was surprised by the revelation as were several of the others.

-In fact, that makes sense of many things now.

Everyone nods, already having an idea of ​​what they should do better. But there are still some doubts for several of them.

-But could this Vaatu be anywhere in the multiverse?? - Suki asked with a raised eyebrow looking at the duo who was explaining.

-Yes -Aang answers Suki's question.

-Behind a large army of dark spirits??- Now Lu Ten said trying to make the point of what they would have to face clearer.

-I'm afraid so- Xiànshí regrets that part but confirms it anyway.

-And with him, there are also dark versions of Sugar Queen, Sparky, and I who must also take care of them

-That's a good point -Aang agreed with Toph on that, Xiànshí had given him a more detailed description of him as well as a brief view of what these three individuals were capable of doing.

-I never said it would be easy- Xianshí said in a tone that he was trying to justify himself.

Zuko with an Serious expression says what others are surely thinking.

-It's a suicide mission...

However, Zuko is not able to finish when the sound of a growl draws the attention of everyone else. They turn to where it originated and realize that it was coming from Sokka's stomach, who also saw his stomach, so they look up at Xiànshí and Aang to ask.

"Hey, sorry, is there a universe that serves fast food to alternative worlds, it's just that they're already getting hungry." His stomach makes a sound again and Sokka laughs nervously.

While Toph snorts and mutters "classic Snozzles", Hama and Katara roll their eyes in annoyance, Zuko and Lu Ten look unimpressed, while Suki watches the scene amused.

On Aang and Xiànshí's side, the two stare at Sokka without answering anything for a few moments, and then Xiànshí breaks the silence.

-That's your team.

...

Suki and Hama, in the company of Sokka, who insisted, went to a universe to go get food, leaving the others in Jasmine's dragon waiting for the food. In the time that passed, the team decided to go around Jasmine's Dragon to find entertainment with something while they waited.

Zuko was wandering around that place very curious, but then an icicle of ice flew and crashed near him on the wall, taking him by surprise, he turned around and found Katara who was leaning on the door frame watching him with repressed fury.

-Others may believe in this... act that you are doing, but I know very well that no matter what universe you come from, you will always be the same Zuko as always - with that said Katara approaches Zuko threateningly - so I will tell you something right now, take just one step back, make just one mistake, give me just one reason to believe that you want to hurt Aang and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore because I will make sure it ends right then and there forever. .

With that said she turned around and proceeded to leave as she said everything she had to say, but then a fire attack passed by her and hit a wall, immediately Katara turned back on the defensive but Zuko was more He quickly approached her, held her wrists and cornered her against a wall while looking at her with a frown.

-I don't know what your Zuko or anyone else's will be like, but let me tell you that the only thing I have in mind is returning to my universe, you already threatened me, now let me tell you something else, maybe you can take care of me, I believe you. Capable of that and more but I'm not afraid of death so I'm telling you, get in my way and I'll make you regret it before you can even do anything.

Without further ado he lets her go and leaves before anything else happens. Katara stares at him somewhat dazed but then shakes her head and proceeds to leave as well. Katara for her part frowns and is very tempted to summon water and teach him a lesson for daring to threaten her.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice that Aang was leaning against the wall watching her leave because she had heard everything those two had said to each other.

...

Lu Ten then swallows a piece that he had put in his mouth from her komodo chicken to contribute something to the plan- Well, I think that the first step obviously, would be to find it.

Sokka, who was devouring some flakes of fire, nodded in agreement, then swallowed the food he had in his mouth and says - I don't think it's a problem for this group, if there's something characteristic about any Avatar, it's that he's an expert at attracting attention Desired.

They all look at Aang who looks at them with a shy smile on his face.

Hama nodded in agreement - Yes, actually that would be very useful.

Katara hums in agreement- Well then we let him come to us, once that's done we do everything possible to bring him to his universe at the exact moment that Harmonic Convergence occurs.

Suki nods in agreement but decides to also contribute something - He'll probably realize what we're planning once he sees the scenario we're taking him to and uses his lackeys and his army of dark spirits.

Toph just huffs as he cracks his knuckles. "When Twinkle Toes is taking care of Black Spot, Then we'll take care of the errand boys."

Zuko decides to see the dark versions of him, Katara, and Toph, since she first saw him and he doesn't believe it. If three of us are versions of them then we would be the best ones to face them.

Lu Ten smiles as he puts a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Besides, they will have a little extra help for that, cousin, without them and Vaatu then the army of dark spirits will be left without leaders and will fall."

Aang smiles proudly when he sees how things are going- Yes, they are my team.

...

Sokka, seeing that they already have everything ready, gets up and looks at everyone to say.

-Very well, then everyone knows the plan, separate Vaatu long enough from his agents and his spiritual army for Aang to arrive and face him, once done we take care of his minions, if everything goes according to plan we will return for dinner.

Xiànshí nods in agreement before answering - Yes, you are ready, the time has come my friends, good luck.

With that said, Xiànshí opens a portal to a new universe to begin the plan, and the Gaang of the multiverse begins to walk towards it to cross to the other side.

...

A few hours later.

The great divide.

After crossing through the portal that of their lives up to that point.

So they set up a small camp, right now it was night, there was a bonfire in the center of their camp, while the Avatar team was dispersed in various parts of the camp, Aang and Katara were at one end of it.

Suki was walking around the camp on alert and attentive to anything that might happen to her. Once she arrives with the others, she sets her sights on Aang. And this world is safe??

Aang fixes his gaze on her to respond - Well... according to Xiànshí this world does not contain enough life in this world to attract Vaatu, until we decide to attract him.

Suki nods and puts a hand to her chin. "So, since we're here, do you want to tell us what universes are like?"

He says looking at Aang and Katara, she is skeptical while Aang then looks away remembering everything that had happened and what his mistakes had caused, how he caused all his friends to die, as well as how he found all his friends. bodies and how he had to give them the proper farewell.

The more he thought about it, a dejected expression appeared on her face, which was noticed by both Suki and Katara. Katara was the first to react.

-What happened to you??-She ​​quickly goes over trying to put a hand on her shoulder but Aang stops her. He then saw her with a smile that showed sadness.

-The same as you, I suffered the loss and that led me to lose myself and with that I took away everyone I loved.

Katara nodded trying to understand what she was saying, she didn't know how to deal with that, but then Aang said something else.

-You shouldn't be mad at Zuko...he didn't know what he was doing and I know he regrets what happened.

Katara reacts surprised by Aang's comment, wondering what made him say that, but what persists most in her mind is why Aang would believe something like that- Aang, he participated in your death, he let Azula win...

Aang nodded in agreement with that, but not completely- I know... but also in my world he did everything to redeem himself and earned my forgiveness, everyone's, including yours and I know that you trusted him.

-I highly doubt that Aang, Zuko is not who you think he is, he is from the Fire Nation and you cannot trust them -Katara said it very seriously as she looked at Aang, then she looked at Suki for support- Suki Am I right?? Or tell us how he is the Zuko of your universe.

Suki had been listening to everything they were saying, but then they got to the part where they asked her about her universe- Well, I don't know what could have happened in your universe Katara, but in mine Zuko is a good guy, in fact when I was in Ba sing se, he was one of those who helped find Appa and helped stop the coup that Azula planned.

Aang but especially Katara were surprised by that, but upon hearing it Katara shakes her head.

-It must be a trick, he surely saw that the situation was not going to turn out well and tried to save his skin.

Suki just shook her head - No Katara, you're wrong, the Zuko of my world is someone worthy of trust, after all he became Aang's firebending teacher.

The revelation took Katara by surprise which soon turned into indignation.

-How did you allow that, how did the Katara of that world allow it!

-Katara, the Zuko of my world was also my firebending teacher -Aang said it calmly.

Which causes Katara's anger to increase- After everything he did?? Did they seriously forget all the things they should have done?? How can they accept that? He is not trustworthy.

-You are not someone who can demand trust Katara -Sokka's voice caught the attention of the three and they turned to see Sokka approaching them and glaring at Katara- not after everything that happened.

Katara looked at Sokka and frowned. "What I did was what was necessary Sokka, we couldn't trust the Fire Nation to accept the end of the war. Zuko is the clear example that if we tried what they were planning in the The moment we turned our backs then they would betray us.

-Just like you did??... Zuko made a mistake but making mistakes is part of being human, it's not that different from you or me if you give that example.

Katara looked angrily at Sokka but didn't say anything, she just decided to leave that place not wanting to listen to more of what seemed like nonsense to her, so avoiding looking at anyone she decided to go to where the bonfire was and sit near it.

Suki and Aang were left speechless by the interaction of the brothers the Water Tribe, after all the brothers they knew always supported each other and had a great sense of brotherhood no matter what happened, but this pair was a different matter.

Suki wanted to know what confronted Sokka. What was that, Sokka? I don't know what happened in your universe, but you shouldn't...

Sokka, however, interrupted her before she finished. "You shouldn't trust her like that... listen, Suki, I don't know how things will be in your universe or Aang's, but in mine Aang died and that led Katara to do things." "You wouldn't believe," he said all that without taking his eyes off Katara, who was now sitting in front of the campfire, "and it was all my fault, so I must do everything possible to prevent her from continuing down the wrong path, even if it means ruining our sibling relationship.

Meanwhile, Zuko walked to the cliff and stood next to Toph looking at the view that this world had.

-You trust her...

He heard Toph ask, so he turned to look at her and saw that she was motioning with her head, pointing to Katara who was sitting watching the campfire. Zuko then remembered the treatment he received from her and narrowed his eyes.

-I don't know, that girl holds a grudge and I have the feeling that she would murder me while I sleep...

Toph hummed in response, to which Zuko didn't know how to react or respond to that, so he simply decided to change the subject.

-So, tell me about yourself, who are you in your universe??

Toph simply smiled arrogantly. "Well, in my universe I'm the Blind Bandit, Earth Rumble champion and member of the Freedom Fighters?"

Zuko nodded but was taken aback by the last part. "Who are the Freedom Fighters?"

Toph then went from acting arrogant to being incredulous. "You seriously don't know who the Freedom Fighters are?" We are a well known group!

Zuko just shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, I can't locate them."

Toph was simply outraged, so she decided to say something else- We assaulted the Pouhai Fortress and managed to take it.

Zuko, upon hearing that information, was now intrigued. "Well, I don't know what that group is like, but in my universe I've never heard of anything like that and I'm the prince of the Fire Nation, something like what you say I should know about."

Toph just snorted at that, not seriously believing that the Freedom Fighters wouldn't be so well known in another universe.

-Well then you should know about Toph Beifong, the greatest earthbender in the world!

Hearing her say that, Zuko looks at her intrigued. "The greatest Earthbender in the world, huh??... it sounds interesting, you don't know it, but in my world I am the most powerful firebender of my generation or at least that's what Xiànshí said when she was for me.

-Oh really?? That must be a big surprise.

Lu Ten's voice was heard as he approached the duo and from his smile he seemed very interested in it. When Zuko looked at his cousin then nostalgia took over him, not believing it possible that his cousin is alive and with the here and now, if Uncle Iroh were here, it would be perfect.

Lu Ten noticed the feeling that manifested in Zuko and looked at him intrigued.

-What's wrong with you Zuko? You look like Uncle Ozai paid you a compliment.

Zuko just shook his head without leaving his smile. "It's just... I'm happy to see you again Lu Ten, I haven't seen you in years, not since...

-Since??

Zuko then sighed so he could say it - After you and Uncle Iroh went to the siege of Ba sing se and you didn't come back.

The implication was there and both Toph and Lu Ten understood it well.

-I died?? I died during the siege -Zuko nodded and the statement took Lu Ten by surprise- and my father??

-When he found out what happened to you, he left the siege and decided to return home, he was never the same after that, in fact nothing was the same after you left.

Lu Ten nodded to himself as he tried to assimilate what his cousin had told him. "Wow, hearing that you died in another life gives you a new perspective on what would have happened. It makes you wonder a lot of things. I can't imagine how they must have felt." things, I hope that Aunt Ursa, Azula and you can be okay.

At the mention of his mother, Zuko doesn't know what to say, but those thoughts go away when Lu Ten mentions the other name.

-Wait... who is Azula??

Lu Ten, hearing him ask that, found it funny - Nice try Zuko, but just because you don't know her doesn't mean that Azula is your sister.

Zuko just looked confused by that, which Lu Ten notices, so then Zuko says the following - Sister??... I'm afraid we'll have to differ there, cousin, in my universe I'm an only child.

The revelation of that took Lu Ten by surprise and then he can better understand how different his cousin's universe is, not because of the lack of an event, but because of the lack of someone- A universe without Azula?? Wow, that's crazy, but I guess there are crazier universes.

...

Meanwhile Katara continued looking at the fire while she thought about everything that had just happened to her lately, she was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone sitting next to her to chat.

-So... you are Kanna's granddaughter??

All Katara did was nod while she looked at her teacher, to which only Hama snorted in amusement.

-Incredible, so that stupid Kanna followed my advice- she looked at Katara wanting to know more about her, but then she noticed that Katara was staring at her, which disconcerted her- what, what's wrong?

-I'm sorry, it's just that it's hard to see you... like this, all young and carefree.

That caused Hama to saw with a raised eyebrow -Oh yeah?? So how am I in your universe?

Katara just sighs but begins to tell her sifu's story, to which Hama listens very attentively, and leaves everything speechless when she hears how in another universe she ended up being captured by the Fire Nation and that took her down a twisted path that culminated in a twisted art of control -... and totally determined to attack the Fire Nation

Hama then only looked at Katara seriously as she processed everything she had just heard, after much processing what she now knew was that she responded.

-If I had gone through what you just told me, I can't deny that it would have ended like this, but I am a completely different story from your Hama, in my universe, Kanna and I found the Avatar, in fact I am also her water teacher. control.

The revelation of that leaves Katara speechless, her as that version of her sifu and Gran Gran of her were the ones who found Aang, instead of her and Sokka.

-I don't know, recently after we were able to save the Tribe, our Chief called a meeting with all the southern chiefs and for the first time in our history they all determined that only the South could survive if all the southerners united to defend our home. .

While she continued telling her story, Katara seemed surprised by what she heard. "Wait, seriously??"

Hama nodded with a smile - Yes, seriously, thanks to that and Aang's intervention as Avatar the entire South was unified and we named our first Southern Chief.

Hearing how her home was portrayed by that version of her Sifu was a great gift for Katara, she can't help but imagine what Wolf Cove would be like and how her tribe would be unified, then something else has her intrigued- And what What about the Avatar? What's up with Aang?

Hama only saw her with a slight smile as she went to see the Aang who had brought them here. "I'm just teaching him waterbending, he's progressing well but he lacks some discipline and we've been talking about getting him an earthbender to teach him the next part." of his training...

The two continued talking for a while, talking about their experiences in Aang's training as well as things that happen in their respective tribes, while they continued like this they arrived at the current situation they were in.

-I must be honest with you, I don't trust them at all either, they are firebenders and given the history that the Tribe has with them we cannot be blamed for being like that...

Katara nodded as she continued listening to her- I feel like there's a but...

Hama nodded - But Aang recruited them for a reason, more than just having the ability or experience he must believe there is something good in them and I trust Aang's judgment more than I should, so if he believes that they They are good so I will trust their judgment.

Katara nodded, not sure what to say to that, she just looked at where Aang was talking to Suki and Sokka and let out a sigh, hoping Aang knew what he was doing.

Meanwhile Aang looked from Sokka and Suki to the rest of the team and noticed how divided everyone was, so he decided to do the next thing.

-Well friends, we are here, we don't know what we will face but that will be tomorrow, tonight let's enjoy today.

Encouraged by that, Sokka then takes out a bottle that he had with him- Well then, let's do something and drink this, it's a sparkling juice that I found while we were shopping, they say it's very good.

The rest, encouraged by this, decide to accept and soon everyone has full glasses while they are in a circle in front of the bonfire. Aang, who is the last to serve himself, raises his glass and proceeds to say a few words.

-A guru once told me that the separation of the elements is an illusion... -the group watched him as he continued talking, but soon Aang lost the meaning of what he was saying- so we should take that example... maybe Maybe alone we are not much... but no matter the situation, as long as we face it...

Seeing that he no longer knew what he was saying, Lu Ten decided to finish with whatever he was telling them - Amm, allow me Aang, you've already said enough - Aang nodded resignedly while Lu Ten put a hand on his shoulder and addressed the group to say as he raised his glass - for Team Avatar of the multiverse...

The rest of the team raises their glasses too- Here, here!

...

Dawn begins as Team Avatar prepares for what is to come.

Sokka and Aang stand at the edge of the camp as they look towards the horizon, Sokka looks at Aang and nods.

-It's time.

Aang looks at him and lets out a sigh and then enters the Avatar State and places his hands on the ground. Then a part of the Great Divide begins to rise and the rock begins to split, to the point that a new structure begins to form, Aang rises and with earthbending movements carves a statue that is very visible. When finished you can see the figAppa's ura carved in stone.

Sokka stares at her for a while. "Yes, I think that's more than enough."

When Aang finishes, he stares at Sokka. "How long do you think it will take for him to notice?"

Just as he says that, Vaatu's evil laughter is heard from the sky, drawing the attention of the pair as well as the rest of Team Avatar. Then everyone observes the image of Vaatu present in the sky.

-So, there is life in this universe!

Chapter Text

-So there is life in this universe... after all.

The Avatar team is shocked to see the form of Vaatu, imposing and looking at them from wherever he was.

Toph who couldn't see could hear Vaatu and was surprised- I honestly didn't think it would work.

Sokka turned in his direction and answered- I told you that an Avatar never goes unnoticed, he always attracts unwanted attention.

Hama who was looking at Sokka, then noticed out of the corner of her eye that something was happening in the distance.

-Hey -with her hand she gestures to the others to see what she discovered and soon they saw that a kind of portal opens and from it the gigantic form of Vaatu began to emerge.

Sokka seeing the imminent danger decides to look at Aang- Very well. We already have their attention, what's next in your plan.

Aang looked at him and smiled as he said- There's one more reason why we came here, after all we need all the help we can get to stop Vaatu and if that's why we need more firepower...

Just as he said that something in the atmosphere changed, something that everyone, especially the firebenders, felt, they could feel it from within, like a great flame waiting to be unleashed and burn everything in its path.

Then everyone looks at the sky and notices that the sky was soon painted red and a great incandescent light shone from above.

-It can't be... -Sokka said finally seeing what Aang was referring to.

Zuko couldn't believe it as he looked at the great comet and feeling its great power running through his body gave him a feeling of feeling invincible.

Soon a window to the multiverse opens and water begins to come out of it, taking the group by surprise, soon they realize that Xiànshí was helping them with that.

Immediately more windows open and more water comes out.

Lu Ten could also feel the power of the Comet and let it show how it felt as it let out a large stream of fire with great ease.

Once when he said it he let out with a sigh- Only once every hundred years a firebender is able to experience this kind of power... oh, but the power feels incredible.

With that said, Lu Ten performs a kata that ends with a large stream of pressurized fire that he launches in the direction of Vaatu.

Vaatu is surprised and is hit by the attack but immediately dodges it and launches himself to attack Team Avatar.
Aang, seeing this, takes a deep breath and then gets into an earthbending stance, launching rock projectiles in the direction of Vaatu, hitting him hard enough to send him away.

Immediately Toph and Aang prepare rock columns to carry the members of Team Avatar, except for Zuko and Lu Ten who decide to propel themselves with fire to fly towards the battle.

Vaatu gets up angrily and soon looks at Team Avatar- Interesting, normally you humans don't offer much resistance... well now that's over.

With that said, Vaatu prepares a beam of spiritual energy that he launches at Team Avatar, Toph and Aang who were in front on the platforms step aside to dodge it.

Zuko for his part flies closer propelling himself with his firebending, although he soon stops doing so, does a somersault in the air and with his legs launches a new stream of pressurized fire.

Vaatu seeing this creates his own attack with a beam of spiritual energy to appease Zuko's attack, fortunately Katara seeing what was happening launches a wave of water near Zuko and using this to her advantage is that Zuko is taken to the platform she was on.

Although on the other hand Zuko's attack was a distraction so that Lu Ten could approach and attack Vaatu without him noticing. She charged a powerful fire attack that hit Vaatu directly, leaving him stunned long enough for Toph and Aang to stop the platforms and everyone moved forward to face Vaatu. Hama and Katara moved forward together to attack with jets of water, hitting Vaatu's figure several times. Toph moved the ground by throwing large pieces of rock at Vaatu, with Aang joining her in order to face him. Zuk9 and Lu Ten each launched a charged fire attack in order to not give him time to think.

Vaatu was now on the defensive due to the amount of attacks, so upset by that is why he decides that he will not tolerate this situation any longer.

-Well this has been quite a delight but if you guys are using your advantages to try and confront me then I'll use this...

With that said, Vaatu separates himself from the attack and stays at a considerable distance, in that with his tail he hits nowhere but in that the structure of reality breaks and soon you can see a window to the multiverse, from where dark spirits begin to appear and rush to confront Team Avatar.

Toph and Zuko are the first to react, Toph creating columns of earth that impact several spirits that ran towards them and Zuko launching two very powerful streams of fire with his fists. Several spirits are affected, causing them to separate.

That was what the Avatar team needed to act, Hama and Katara on each side attacked the spirits with jets of water that helped get rid of several of them, they gathered the water creating waves that helped them propel themselves and push large spirits, which seeing that they were more disorganized than they expected tried to regroup, but before they could Sokka and Suki took them by surprise, Sokka with his sword and Suki with her fans took care of the spirits that faced them, although they were not alone, Lu Ten helped them closely, with fire attacks to the spirits, either to finish defeating them or to weaken them so that Sokka and Suki could give the final blow.

Aang advanced in the middle of everyone towards Vaatu, with his air scooter he advanced at full speed, Vaatu noticed him and threw his tentacles to the ground, creating vines near Aang that soon wanted to wrap him, Aang dodged them using airbending to propel himself and jump, bringing him closer to Vaatu, who was surprised to see that Aang was about to attack him, Aang was getting closer, but then he saw something in the distance, something very familiar and he knew it when he heard it, the sound of a compressed ray of fire approaching him, he immediately changed direction, pushed himself back and with one hand created a vacuum space that absorbed the impact of the explosion, but with the power of the Comet it was more than he could do and sent him flying very far away, the others notice that and are taken by surprise.

Aang fell quickly and had a feeling of having been in the same feeling before, but he put those thoughts aside because he knew that there were more important things that had gotten a little complicated.

Using gusts of air, Aang cushioned his fall so that it didn't cause him as much damage, fortunately it wasn't any strong damage more than a few scrapes once he landed, as he rolled and was able to recompose himself later. When he got up he noticed that both Katara and Sokka were running towards him.

Both worried about him.

-What happened? Are you okay??

Aang smiled at them while nodding - Yes I am, don't worry - but then he erased his smile while looking at Vaatu in the distance - however, now we have new problems to deal with.

Both Sokka and Katara looked at where Aang was doing it and they were surprised to see Vaatu laughing.

And near them, Vaatu's agents had appeared in front of the trio.

Katara could see that there was a version of her that was in front of her, which when she saw her was surprised but then she stared at her with a smile that disturbingly reminded her of Princess Azula.

Sokka who also saw the two versions of his sister, as well as the evil version of Toph and Zuko was what said.

-This is seriously twisted.

Evil Katara narrowed her eyes as she continued to look at Katara- If you mean Sokka to see your face and only see weakness, then I agree

Katara narrowed her eyes as Evil Katara continued to look at her- Rather it could refer to seeing such a mean version of me, just by looking at you I can't find any difference with the crazy Azula and you.

Evil Katara looked at her and hummed amused- I'm sure you're not referring to yourself, I see your story through your eyes, a girl with dreams of peace and love that were crushed when she realized they were just nonsense...

Evil Zuko looked at them both and snorted boredly- Fine, I'm not interested in what else you have to say -Aang looks at that and smiles maliciously- the only thing I know is that there is an Avatar to kill.

With that said Zuko launched a compressed fire beam at the trio, Sokka and Katara opened their eyes stupefied, quickly Aang, Katara and Sokka moved away to cover themselves, Aang and Katara used their respective elements to cover themselves, creating walls of air and water that barely resisted Zuko's power increased by the comet.

Zuko seeing the power of his explosion laughed incredulously- I can't believe I have this feeling again, it is certainly very intoxicating!

Zuko with renewed vigor continued to attack the trio with more explosions but he was not left alone like that, using the water brought by Xiànshí Katara used it to form two water whips around her arms and ran straight to attack Aang.

Aang surprised began to dodge Katara's attacks, who attacked left and right in order to hurt him and more.

On the side of Sokka and Katara, both went to take refuge in a rock column of the Great Divide in order to think of a plan to counterattack.

-Why the hell didn't Aang tell us that Evil Zuko made explosions with his mind?? - said Sokka while trying to cover himself, while still annoyed.

Katara only covered herself when another explosion hit - I don't know! But of course I didn't expect this, Sokka we can't stay here! We have to do something!

-I know! But it's hard to think of something to get out of here with so many Explosions!!!

Katara was going to say something but then another explosion came, she covered herself and when she felt the impact pass, she quickly put her sight on the end of the wall, where she could see the figure of Evil Zuko in the distance.

Katara narrowed her eyes, looking at him angrily, that's when she decided the next thing, she turned her gaze to Sokka to say the following- I know we have differences about how to treat those who are from the Fire Nation, but can we make a separate case and kill this Zuko??

Sokka stared at her remembering everything that happened, he had reasons to refuse, but remembering which side Evil Zuko is on, in the end they would be doing more good by getting rid of him.

- Yes I'm fine with that.

Both siblings nodded in agreement on what to do now

Back to the fight between Evil Katara and Aang, she was pushing him back, seeing that he was where she wanted him, she soon made a misstep and turned her whips into a jet of water that she threw at Aang, hitting Aang directly and sending him backwards, falling to the ground and slightly stunned. Katara smiled seeing that now the two were in a position she dreamed of many times, the Avatar being her prey, a blood-hungry wolf that she would enjoy killing, gathering water that was nearby was how she created icicles that she immediately threw at Aang seeing that they were heading at full speed, in the direction of Aang who could not dodge them.

But then a large wall of flames stood in the middle, successfully stopping Evil Katara's attack, who in disbelief saw how her icicles melted and evaporated in the air, then she realized that someone had gotten in her way.

-Who dares..??!!!

Katara turned her head furious at who had gotten in the way, then as she looked she found the figure of Prince Zuko who looked at her with a smile- Your worst nightmare... that's me!

With that said he launched a powerful burst of fire in the direction of Evil Katara, who created a wall of ice to protect herself, managed to resist and soon Evil Katara saw him with a murderous expression, that was when both of them launched themselves to fight against each other.

Evil Toph for her part crossed her arms while looking forward before saying.

-Save us time and appear at once, this is getting annoying.

With that said on her part soon a large displacement of earth headed towards Evil Toph, who without much difficulty took care of it not reaching her, after that rock projectiles emerged from the ground and flew at her, Toph immediately stopped them and dodged them, with ease without being very impressed.

-What, that was it??

But before anything else could happen, something flew behind her and landed quickly and before Evil Toph could respond, the Blind Bandit landed and hit her in the face, knocking her to the ground.

Evil Toph gasped in surprise at being taken by surprise, while the Blind Bandit had a smile on his face at seeing that his tactic worked.

-And here I thought that an alternate version of me would put up more of a fight, I certainly had very high expectations.

Evil Toph snorted angrily, then raised her hand and buried it in the ground, which began to melt until it turned into lava, the Blind Bandit was surprised to feel thanks to his seismic sense the transformation of the earth into lava, having an idea of ​​what his other version would do was that with a stone column he supported himself to take a great leap and move away before the lava touched her.

Evil Toph stood up with a malicious smile as she saw how the Blind Bandit had retreated, at that thought she laughed.

-Very rude but you run like a badger mole that is afraid of the sun, how much fun we will have with you.

On Hama's side, Lu Ten and Suki, were fighting against the last dark spirits that were there. Hama gasped after defeating another spirit, however she soon grabbed her knees, trying to catch her breath.

-This... if we continue like this we will not be able to complete the plan...

She could not finish when a new spirit emerged from nowhere and behind Hama to attack her, but then a fire attack takes care of it, surprising Hama of what could have happened, then she looks in the direction of Prince Lu Ten who was the one who saved her.

-I... thank you...

Lu Ten nodded with a smile, still on alert, Suki for her part was dodging some attacks from a great spirit, she turned one of her fans into a shield, took out her sword and proceeded to finish it off. With her sword she slashed at various parts of the spirit's body, with her shield she blocked attacks, to eventually bury her sword in the spirit's torso, however it was not overwhelmed by her.

But then Suki smiled, immediately took out her sword and stepped aside, then the spirit was attacked by a great burst of fire and jets of water that eventually managed to get rid of it.

Suki thanked turned to the two older benders and said- Thank you... but Hama is right we must start the next part of the plan now.

Lu Ten nodded in agreement- Very well, let's run!

With that said the three began to run in the direction of the other members of the group, but then in the distance Vaatu noticed that the humans had now taken care of all the dark spirits he had brought and were now heading to surround his human servants.

-Oh, no way, I'm not going to let them keep me from the fun, with that said he turned to Hama, Lu Ten and Suki, chasing them, Aang who was standing up noticed what was going to happen, so he quickly used Earthbending to throw large pieces of rocks at Vaatu to delay him.

He soon saw where Prince Zuko's fight with Evil Katara was still in full swing, neither was backing down but neither was gaining ground and although he trusted in Zuko's skills, the truth is that they were falling behind, that's why when he had the chance, he launched a large blast of air at Evil Katara sending her away.

Zuko noticed that and got upset- Hey!

When he said that Lu Ten was the one who responded- Zuko there's no time! We have to go now!

Zuko saw his cousin and as much as he wanted to reply he agreed, he turned in the direction of the brothers who were still fighting with Evil Zuko, so he decided to help them, he took a deep breath and tried to concentrate the chi inside him, once ready he said the following.

-Avatar and Lu Ten when I say now throw fire blasts at me! -His request took the two by surprise, who were about to reply, but Zuko didn't let them- I know what I'm doing. Just do it!

Lu Ten and Aang looked at each other before nodding and shooting fire blasts at Zuko who, ready to receive them, began to perform the fire cannon technique. He must say that these attacks are more powerful than what he is normally used to. If Uncle Iroh were here he would scold him for this, but he can't fail, he won't.

It is with that thought that he decides to stand out and prepare his powerful attack, which he plans to use against his evil version.

-Hey Scarface! -He shouted hoping that Evil Zuko would notice him, which worked in part because he noticed that he momentarily diverted his attention towards him, but soon he opened his eyes without believing what Prince Zuko was doing and he smiled, immediately launching his attack at Evil Zuko at high speed, impacting near him and sending him flying.

The rest of Team Avatar was shocked by what she had accomplished, including Evil Toph who turned around to see that her teammates had been defeated, but that was just what was needed to distract her as Toph arrived soon and created a large column under Evil Toph's feet that sent her flying away.

-So you learn not to mess with me

-Okay, time to go... - That was said by Suki who walked through everyone in order to get out of that place.

It seems that Xiànshí, wherever she was, agreed with Suki. Because at that moment a portal opened behind them.

Knowing what was next, Hama and Lu Ten were the first to enter.

-See you on the other side.

They immediately left, followed by Sokka and Suki, then Toph and then Zuko. Katara was about to enter when she noticed that Aang hadn't moved yet.

-Aang, let's go!

Aang turned to look at her and nodded in agreement- I have to do something first, you run!

Katara was going to reply but she noticed Aang's look that looked determined, so knowing that she wasn't going to convince him she nodded and proceeded to enter the Portal.

Without any more time to waste Aang entered the Avatar State and soon with his power unleashed he began to transform the Great Divide, reactivating the faults that were nearby and causing a great earthquake.

Although it was effective, Aang knew that it would only slow down Vaatu and his agents for a short time, now they had to get to the next point.

Now without further ado he crosses the portal towards Vaatu's universe. Without noticing that Vaatu's agents were not as far away as he thought.

...

Crossing through the portal, Aang soon caught up with Zuko and Katara.

-We're not far away! We must continue...

Aang couldn't finish because a fire attack passed close to him, he barely dodged it and gasped in surprise, Zuko and Katara turned to see that Evil Zuko had reached them, who was angry and looked at the three with hatred.

Then he proceeded to throw fire in the direction of the three, creating fire attacks and charged blasts.

Aang, who was closest to him, got in the middle and began to repel the attacks either by diminishing the fire or counterattacking with his own firebending.

Zuko was impressed when he saw him- Well done!

Aang turned to look at him with a smile- Thank you, I had a great teacher.

Evil Zuko, seeing that this Avatar was skilled in firebending, decided to change tactics. That's why he launched another fire attack towards Aang, but this was only a distraction. That's why Aang, when he repelled the attack, noticed too late that Evil Zuko prepared a new ray of compressed fire in the direction of the trio.

Aang tried to contain him, but the impact sent him flying backwards, causing him to collide with Zuko Katara and the three of them to end up crashing into a wall of the tunnel that took them off course in another direction.

The crash caused the three of them to deviate from their destination and end up leaving the destination course of the portal and ending up falling somewhere else in the universe they were headed to.

While they were falling, Aang got in the middle of them and with airbending he created an air cushion to cushion the fall of the three of them, enough so that they could fall and remain unharmed.

Katara was the first to stand up and look at the place- This isn't the spirit world, we've strayed!

Zuko was the next to stand up followed by Aang.

-It's more than that - says Aang as he looks ahead and can see what appears to be a destroyed camp- Yes, we arrived in Vaatu's universe but we landed in another time.

Katara and Zuko look where Aang was looking and when they see it they can't believe it. It may be a camp but they could also see the ruins of what was once a town or city.

As they walked there, it was soon that the signs of a battle were present, but that doesn't compare to the bodies of humans that were everywhere.

What horrified Katara and left Zuko dismayed, while Aang looked at everything with sadness.

-What... what happened here?? - said Katara as she looked at the whole place.

Aang turned to her and said in a sad voice- Vaatu's agents were responsible, after Vaatu's victory, groups of humans managed to escape the massacres that Vaatu sent to all human settlements, but he would not be willing to let them escape, he sent those evil versions of you to hunt and destroy all the camps they could find.

Katara brought her hands to her mouth as she processed that the version of her she faced did such atrocious acts, but she was not the same?? After all, she planned to help do the same, but it was supposed to be to help the balance, right! They are not the same!

-I don't understand, by beating she was able to resist this?? - Zuko had said that as he looked at the destruction ahead.

Aang for his part shook his head as he looked ahead- They tried, but the war fractured the nations too much, Vaatu took advantage of the fact that everyone was busy with the war to become stronger and when no one was looking he revealed himself and brought legions of dark spirits that advanced mercilessly.

Zuko became more anxious to hear that he was referring to the Nations in general, did that mean...

- The Fire Nation ended like this??

Aang looked at him and there was something in his eyes that gave Zuko everything he needed to know to get his answer.

Aang understood his pain and that was why he turned to the two of them- Vaatu instilled in his agents telling them that chaos is the natural order of things, they know nothing but this, they were taught to hate their opposite Raava and the Avatar, Vaatu is the only one that should exist and everything that comes from him is good.

Zuko scoffed at that ideology, it sounded so crazy, like wanting to instill that the path to chaos is the right path, just to justify things like the ones he was seeing? He doesn't want to imagine how twisted the minds of those three are to believe that.

It's just not right, wanting to do your will to just commit heinous crimes just to try to spread a point of view.

Like we do.

Zuko immediately dismissed that thought and shook his head to get rid of those ideas that he shouldn't be thinking.

-We're running late, we should go.

Aang was going to nod in agreement when Katara stopped them.

-Wait, we can't leave them like that - she said pointing to the bodies of people everywhere - maybe they're no longer alive but they were still real people how us, they deserve a proper burial.

Aang and Zuko looked at her and then at all the bodies there and thought she was right, they couldn't leave them there, maybe they didn't know them but Katara was right, they were human, they owed them at least that.

They nodded and the three of them began to give the bodies the deserved respect that they could at least give them.

For the People of the Earth Kingdom Aang dug earthbending eyes and proceeded to put in those he could identify, he tried to ignore the faces he found as well as the different sizes of each new body he tried to bury. Zuko for his part gathered all the people of the Fire Nation and proceeded to burn their bodies, saying a small prayer at the end so that Agni would have them with him.

Katara took care of the people of the Water Tribe, recognizing a few of those corpses as people she had known in her childhood and others she didn't know but she could see that they were very young too.

He cleaned them as best he could and with the help of water he found in a nearby river he took them to the water and let the river do the rest so they would be returned to their element.

Once they finished the three of them met up and without saying anything else they proceeded to leave that place.

But then a fire attack took them by surprise and that's how near a ruined building there was a hooded man who was aiming closely at them, he was waiting for what the three of them were going to do.

Katara and Zuko immediately went on the defensive, while Aang was intrigued by the figure that had taken them by surprise, examining this man he noticed some features that seemed familiar to him and soon he saw his eyes and immediately knew who it was.

-Wait! -He quickly stood between Zuko and Katara to stop them and calm them down- it's Iroh, your uncle, Zuko.

Both Katara and Zuko were stupefied by that. Then Iroh approached to face them when he removed his hood and left his face visible leaving no doubt that the Dragon of the West was still alive.

-Uncle.

-Yes and I'm also supposed to be the last human on the planet.

Aang was the one who answered him- We are from other universes, we came here to stop Vaatu - Iroh for his part did not seem convinced- listen we can prove it, look at Zuko, he is not like the Zuko of this universe, he is totally different...

Zuko nodded in agreement- In my world, you are my firebending sifu and a great advisor to me, you were there for me after what happened with Lu Ten and I had never told you, but without you I don't know what would have become of me in those years of loneliness that I spent in the palace after my mother left.

Iroh now turned his gaze to Zuko and opened his eyes when he saw that the Zuko he saw did not have his scar on the left side, he was also dressed as an authentic prince of the Fire Nation and he saw him with a smile that he had not seen in a long time.

That was why he relaxed his posture and stared at him- It's been a long time since you smiled like that... or rather, my Zuko hasn't smiled like that, I can see it, you may look like him but you are definitely different.

Zuko just gave him a crooked smile- I don't think you've changed much, Uncle.

Iroh then did something he hadn't done in a long time and laughed.

Zuko and the others relaxed their postures when they saw that they had convinced him but then the sound of a portal opened and Vaatu's agents began to emerge, causing Team Avatar to come back to what they were doing.

-We have to go now -said Aang and soon he spoke to the sky- Xiànshí open a portal now!

Once he said that a new portal opened near them and without time to lose everyone rushed to enter it, but before Zuko entered he turned to Iroh.

-Come with us and help us! Surely you want to help, right?

Itoh for his part just smiled and prepared to run next to his nephew to enter as well.

Vaatu's agents, seeing what had happened, prepared to chase them.

...

Meanwhile, the other part of Team Avatar was going through the portal until they soon saw that the portal opened again and from there they could see that they had arrived at a kind of battlefield, where there were also two spiritual portals and a twisted tree in the middle of everything.

They stayed watching the portal waiting for their missing companions to arrive with them. But as they waited and Aang, Katara and Zuko did not appear, they began to worry about what could have happened.

"They should be here already, are you sure they entered the portal Toph?" Sokka asked worriedly to Toph who was leaning on a column of earth she had raised.

The aforementioned nodded. "Sugar Queen was coming behind me before I entered, Sparky was also close...

Suki who was next to Sokka put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "I'm sure they're fine, have faith Sokka..."

Sokka He just sighed but he wasn't calm- We don't really know what happened, they could have been captured by Vaatu's agents or...

-Hey kid, calm down- said Hama who was behind him- don't worry, I know Aang and I know how to handle situations like this, if anyone knows how to handle a dangerous situation like this, it's him.

Sokka turned to Hama and looked at her with a frown- That's not your Aang, he's very different from the one you know, I don't know what you can believe but you can't imagine what they could be capable of.

Hama looked at him without getting completely upset- Listen, I know you're worried, I am too but right now we can't do anything to help them- she said it calmly while she looked at Sokka who was looking at her with a frown- besides if something had happened to them, I'm sure Xiànshí wouldn't have said it.

Lu Ten nodded in agreement- It's true, we must be patient in this, if there is one thing I know my cousin and have seen in Zuko is that they are both equally stubborn, they will be fine.

Sokka saw the two older ones and allowed himself to let out another sigh, resigned to wait for his sister, Aang and Zuko to arrive safely.

They continued waiting for a few minutes when the three mentioned before finally arrived, although he also saw that someone else arrived with them.

- It was about time you arrived... what took you so long?? - Hama asked with his arms crossed as he looked at the group.

Aang quickly answered- Sorry, that's why Evil Zuko diverted us from the path, we fell into another period of time and we found someone on the way.

In that he steps aside as well as the other members of Team Avatar to let Iroh see who was behind them.

Hama was intrigued to know who that person was, but Lu Ten who was next to her knew how to recognize him, even if he looked several years older, he would recognize his father anywhere.

-Father??

Iroh looked at the voice and was in great shock when he saw who it was, he couldn't believe it was possible, so he just said.

-No, this can't be possible...

Zuko quickly stood by his side to explain- Uncle, I know you have many questions and a lot to say, but we have something pending to resolve first.

Just when he said that, Vaatu's laughter was heard in the distance, and Team Avatar, remembering that they were about to enter a battle, went on the defensive.

Soon a portal opens and Vaatu and his agents emerge from this portal. But just as Vaatu finished crossing he recognized where they had arrived as well as what time they were in.

Then he turned his attention to Team Avatar.

-I think you have already irritated me enough... but I am intrigued that you would have brought us here, in this exact place at this exact moment... I can feel the Harmonic Convergence very close, so I will have to fight the Raava of your group.

With that said, Vaatu charges a beam of spiritual energy in the direction of Team Avatar, quickly everyone moves away from the impact radius of the attack, but they do not have time to prepare because at that moment Vaatu's Agents head towards them to confront them.

Suki observing the panorama is the one who decides what to do now- Aang! You, Sokka Lu Ten and I will go for Vaatu, the others take care of the other three!

He said the first thing in the direction of Aang, the rest turned their heads to propose the plan to the others, who did not complain and soon they divided themselves to face the enemy.

Zuko and Uncle Iroh headed to face Evil Zuko who ran towards them was the one who distinguished the two, seeing that they would be his opponents he smiled maliciously.

-You're still alive old man?! I thought you had died, it turns out that you are harder to kill and I also see that you got yourself another attempt at doing things right!

Iroh narrowed his eyes at his nephew- You know what they say Zuko, isn't destiny a curious thing??

Prince Zuko simply looked at him mockingly- Are you ready for me to kick your ass again??!!!

Evil Zuko fixed his gaze on him and narrowed his eyes and growled remembering their previous encounter- It won't end like the last time!

With that said, Evil Zuko stops and launches a compressed fire beam in Zuko's direction, who quickly uses a stream of fire to propel himself upwards and dodge the attack, once in the air, he shoots small bursts of fire with his fingers at high speed, who soon summons a wall of fire to block the attacks.

Iroh immediately fires a fire attack in the direction of the wall, the attacks are strong enough to knock Evil Zuko back a step, but then Prince Zuko lands and takes a deep breath to then charge a Fire Blast that destroys the wall of fire and sends Evil Zuko flying.

Iroh smiles proudly at his performance- Excellent maneuver Prince Zuko.

The aforementioned smiles proudly at seeing his work- You taught me well.

On the other side of the fight, Katara and Hama were fighting against Evil Katara who was throwing icicles at them with the help of water from the nearby streams, she threw them at high speeds that the other two barely dodged, then she quickly summoned two long water whips around her arms, reinforcing the tips making them out of ice and began to attack using them.

Hama quickly dodges by crouching and trying to block with ice walls that are destroyed faster than she can raise them, upset by that is why she soon decides to change tactics, she waits for Evil Katara's next attack to try to reach her, she steps back to dodge it and then breaks the whip at the tip of the ice, which soon redirects to Evil Katara, who soon jumps upon seeing the attack and with her whips intercepts it and returns it to Hama, in that Katara goes into action and with a jet of water stops the projectile taking it off course and crashing into the ground, causing it to be destroyed.

Hama looks at Katara for a moment and smiles- Thank you.

The aforementioned smiles back, but soon returns her gaze to her evil version- Don't thank me, let's just finish her off once and for all.

On the Blind Bandit's side, she was fighting against Evil Toph, who soon brought one of her fists to hit the ground and immediately lava was created in front of her, which she soon threw at the Blind Bandit, who upon sensing what was coming quickly created a deep pit in front of her so that the lava would fall through it, as it happened, once out of danger she lifted rocks and began to throw them at Evil Toph, who upon seeing what was approaching her jumped back, dodging the enemy attacks.

The Blind Bandit upon seeing this decided to propel himself forward with a rock column, to avoid the lava and land head-on to continue fighting.

Evil Toph performed a landslide against the Blind Bandit in order to knock her down, the latter upon seeing this lifted a rock platform and propelled herself forward.

Evil Toph, sensing that he was approaching, turns the ground in front of her into lava and throws it in the direction of the Blind Bandit who soon lifts pieces of rock while creating a ramp that raises the platform, managing to dodge the lava. Evil Toph opened her eyes as she had a feeling of what he was planning, then she creo a n earth dome around her while the Blind Bandit threw the rocks that he had sent into the air in the direction of his enemy, the dome luckily managed to withstand the thrown rocks, but then the rock platform hit the dome, this being a larger rock managed to cause more damage, plus the Blind Bandit applying his earthbending when the platform made contact ended up destroying it.

The dome fell into rubble which soon flew everywhere due to the power of the two earthbenders, who were face to face.

Evil Toph reluctantly said- I admit you are good and you put up more of a fight than others.

The Blind Bandit hummed- That is more than obvious after all I am the greatest earthbender in my universe and when I take care of you I will be the best in the multiverse.

Evil Toph responded with a growl that soon turned into a malicious smile- Challenge accepted.

Back to the main fight, Aang was throwing jets of water in Vaatu's direction, followed by firebending attacks at his side. Lu Ten decided to support him by throwing bursts of fire.

Vaatu did not stay without doing anything, with his tentacles he began to counterattack, sending Aang and Lu Ten on the defensive. At that moment, Sokka and Suki came in to support them. They both took out their swords and began to support Aang and Lu Ten, keeping Vaatu's attacks at bay, cutting the tentacles if possible and repelling them to give their friends more time to prepare a next attack.

Returning to the other fights, the balance to determine a winner was leaning in favor of Team Avatar, as the parties fighting Evil Zuko and Evil Katara were advancing little by little, making them retreat.

Between the combined power of Iroh and Prince Zuko, Evil Zuko soon showed himself on the defensive, launching compressed fire beams that his opponents began to dodge and counterattack with elaborate firebending katas.

On the side of Hama and Katara, the two combined efforts in order to take Evil Katara by surprise. In one of her attacks, Hama stepped forward to raise a wave of water and use it against Evil Katara, who upon seeing what she was planning stopped her attack by hitting the wave and letting it be destroyed. Evil Katara smiled maliciously when she saw that Hama was taken by surprise by her movement. Katara was not impressed, as she immediately continued to counterattack the nearby water together in a quick attack in the direction of Evil Katara who upon seeing what her other version was planning summoned water from her side to protect herself in a shield and create two rings around her from which she was launching ice projectiles.

Katara then decided to move on to a more offensive approach as near where Evil Katara was there was accumulated water, that's why Katara in a stance almost similar to Earthbending was that she brought her fists to the center, creating two water attacks that impacted the sides of Evil Katara and knocked her down.

Now having a gap to attack was that Hama and Katara advanced.

Then both Evil Zuko and Evil Katara end up on their backs while Zuko, Katara, Iroh and Hama have them surrounded. Seeing that they were outnumbered, the two look each other in the eyes and nod to each other.

Quickly Evil Zuko lifts Katara and throws her into the sky, while proceeding to create a rotating stream of fire with his legs, his attackers seeing that quickly use their elements to repel her, but after that Evil Katara who was in the sky summoned water too fast and launched jets of water at the four so that they could not stop them.

Now it was their turn to attack, Evil Zuko begins to throw compressed fire beams at his enemies who barely recovering from the attack now see the need to protect themselves, while using nearby water Evil Katara creates a wave that then turns into an ice ramp which she slides down to reach the ground, she turns the ice wave into jets of water that she throws at the firebenders while her partner goes to attack the waterbenders.

Soon they began to change enemies while they continued to face the four enemies, changing the type of attack and the element making them very versatile, when one tried to protect himself from an explosion, it turned out to be a water attack that hit him where he didn't expect, when he expected to counterattack with an attack against water or ice an explosion destroyed his attacks.

The versatility of Evil Zuko and Evil Katara began to change the balance in favor of both, as they even made consecutive attacks, without leaving time to think, where one left a blind spot the other was blocking a possible attack.

Hama, for her part, decided that she had to cover herself to think of a plan, that's why she gathered more water and created a great wall of ice, then she looked at Katara and shouted.

-Katara here!

The aforementioned turned around and soon She nodded to run to the shelter that would only serve for a short time, seeing that Hama had already arrived she allowed herself to speak.

-We're not going to win like this! Those two combined forces and are defeating us!

Katara covered herself when another exposure arrived- I know! But what can we do??

A jet of water hit the ice wall hard to the point that it began to collapse, several pieces began to fall, among them one was the one that provided a kind of window to the other side of the fight where Iroh and Zuko tried to advance but could not.

Having an idea of ​​what to do she looked at Katara again- We must separate them, if one of us is able to get close then we could create an opening to separate them and be able to incapacitate both of them.

-But how do we do that??!!! - Katara shouted as she looked at Hama, but her gaze gave her the answer, one that Katara did not want to accept- are you serious??

Hama saw her and just nodded- Of course you do! Unless you have a better idea I'm all ears!

Katara couldn't say anything to that because she had no idea, that's why she just nodded reluctantly, accepting Hama's plan.

Hama nodded- Okay, on the count of three we launch this wall towards them and then each one runs to the sides of each one without stopping, whatever you do don't stop, understood??

Katara nodded with her plan, to which Hama got ready to go to one end of the ice wall that was about to break, Katara got to the other side so she could do her plan.

-Three!

Quickly both of them undo the ice wall which they turn back into water and launch two totally different attacks at Vaatu's agents, Hama creates a wave and Katara a torrent of water, Evil Katara seeing the attacks quickly stops them, then taking that as a signal both Hama and Katara start running to opposite sides.

Both Evil Katara and Evil Zuko notice them and start attacking them from each side, not leaving aside the two firebenders.

While trying to repel them, they notice that the two waterbenders had split up and were now fighting the enemy from separate places. Iroh has a chance to see what they are doing and after thinking about what could have caused the idea that they are splitting up, he comes to understand that it is about being able to face Vaatu's agents with a change of partner when he notices that they are heading towards them, that is why they must help them.

-Zuko, we have to do the same as them - he said out loud to Zuko who was at his side - they are trying to split up to change partners with us, we must help them only then we can win.

Zuko at his side soon turns his attention to his uncle and then to Hama and Katara, analyzing his uncle's words he understands what he means and nods.

-I'm going with Hama, uncle, you go with Katara.

Without giving her time to respond, Zuko rushes to Hama's side and begins to support her, leaving Iroh with no chance to say anything, so he simply runs to Katara's side.

Vaatu's agents, seeing what the other four were doing, quickly try to stop him, but as the new pairs join together, fire and water attacks become more effective at defending, so now they have to defend on two fronts.

Sokka in the distance is still helping his part of the group to handle Vaatu, he goes back long enough to see how the others are doing, he can see the Blind Bandit in a fight that looks very close with its evil version, each one countering the attack of the other and launching new attacks more and more deceptive, then there is the group of Hama, Iroh, Katara and Zuko who were fighting against the evil versions of these last two, he must say that he is surprised to see those two fight in a synchronized way, after all they were resisting against four skilled benders of their respective elements.

If he continued like this who knows what could happen but then a memory comes to mind, remembering the time when that mysterious assassin with the same ability as Evil Zuko chased Katara, the Toph of his world and him when they traveled through the Fire Nation, remembering the way in which they could defeat him that gives him an idea.

With nothing else to lose, he takes out his boomerang and proceeds to aim it in the direction of Evil Zuko- Please don't fail me now.

Just like that, he shoots his boomerang, which he launches at high speed in the direction of Evil Zuko who is too busy to notice that something is flying towards him until it is too late, he only notices it when the boomerang was hitting his forehead, when he was going to launch another explosion and it hits his tattooed third eye, causing him to lose control of the explosion, detonating it near him and his partner, leaving them both unconscious.

-Yes, Boomerang!

The others notice what had happened and were surprised by what happened but remembering that They couldn't stay like that and they had to make sure that the two unconscious people didn't escape, so they decided to act. Both Hama and Katara proceeded to enclose Evil Zuko and Evil Katara in two large ice columns and keep them under surveillance.

-Well, now that we've taken care of them, we have to do something against the one that's missing.

Everyone turned their gaze to where the Blind Bandit was fighting with his evil version, which was generating more lava that he was throwing at the Blind Bandit, who raised a rock wall to try to resist. Seeing that if this continued like this it could take too long, he decided to look for another method. That's why while he was looking for another possible option, a familiar feeling that he had with him caught his attention. They were some bracelets that he had with him and that in themselves were made of metal. Jet had stolen them and they ended up being claimed by her. She had been using them for a while and remembering a conversation from a long time ago, she could think of something.

She had been saving it for a special occasion and it seems that occasion has arrived.

Quickly knowing what to do she decides to act, she steps back and hits her rock wall, destroying it and sending the lava covered remains at Evil Toph who intercepts them but gives the Blind Bandit enough time to act, that is why she quickly propels herself upwards with a rock column, being in the air she moves some prepares her bracelets, taking them off and remolding them to then throw them at Evil Toph's feet, the impact of the bracelets reaching her legs managed to knock her down leaving her confused of what had happened, then she noticed the pieces of metal on her feet, she quickly tried to take them off, but immediately the Blind Bandit landed near her and proceeded to knock her out.

The Blind Bandit emerged victorious.

-I am Toph Beifong, the Blind Bandit and the greatest earthbender in the entire multiverse!

Back to the main fight, Aang launched a large stream of wind against Vaatu, who, already angry, decides to take his tentacles to the ground and create vines that head towards the trio facing him.

Suki, seeing the ones heading towards her, uses her sword to cut them all effectively, Lu Ten uses fire whips and cuts the ones heading towards him while Aang jumps with the help of air control and with a spinning kick sends a stream of fire towards Vaatu.

Who dodges it and looks directly at Aang.

-We can continue fighting forever Raava, but this will end very soon, I can feel it, the Harmonic Convergence is happening...

With that said, in the distance the planets can be seen completely aligned, symbolizing that the time has come and the Harmonic Convergence will begin.

The two spiritual portals begin to come together to be able to merge with their two energies, surrounding the cute physique with spiritual energy.

The display of energy is amazing and Aang can feel it, he now knows that the time to conclude this is now.

Vaatu apparently came to the same conclusion as he says- I have defeated hundreds of your Raava versions as well as your champions, what do you think you can do against that situation??

Aang just looked at Vaatu without saying anything, making a decision before what Vaatu had said.

Vaatu also knew what his decision would be and laughed at that- So be it then.

He quickly launched a beam of energy in the direction of Aang, who quickly dodged it, created an air scooter and launched himself in the direction of Vaatu, this time he was standing while maneuvering against the attacks of Vaatu's tentacles, while dodging he threw water in the direction of Vaatu with the help of the streams of water, this passed through his tentacles, disintegrating them when they passed in the middle of Vaatu's figure, who upon seeing that they had regenerated sent them to the ground to create vines around Aang, who upon seeing what was going to happen entered the Avatar State and propelled himself with a large column of rock above him and threw it at Vaatu.

Vaatu couldn't escape that and was hit full force, causing him to fall to the ground, but he got up again to throw a more powerful beam than the previous one, Aang seeing that raised multiple streams of water that he threw quickly to the point of affecting Vaatu, causing him to be unable to throw his energy beam.

Stunned by the moment Aang decided to put an end to it now, he created a sphere of air around Vaatu who couldn't stop that from happening, soon he began to create a ring of earth, another of fire, water and finally air.

-I will lock you up for another ten thousand years Vaatu- the voices of Avatar winds resonated along with Aang when he had said that.

Then he began to walk until he reached the tree of time and proceeded to imprison Vaatu.

Then a huge wave of energy is released, blinding everyone else for a moment and causing some more to go looking for shelter, it is when it ends that they can see that Vaatu had disappeared and was locked up again.

Sokka and Suki came out of their hiding place and that's when they saw the figure of Aang in front of them panting after doing everything he had done.

Lu Ten soon appeared as well and looked at the tree as well.

-Wait, so that's it?? It's over?? We won?? - said Sokka incredulously that that had been all there was to do, it was too simple.

Lu Ten was looking equally surprised at what had happened and although a part of him hoped it was, he felt that there was something wrong- I don't feel like it's over.

Then from his prison Vaatu starts laughing- I'm sincerely surprised, didn't Xiànshí explain to you that each universe is different, each one slightly unique, just like each version of me and Raava is unique.

Suki then opens her eyes understanding what he was talking about and she couldn't believe it- I understand, only Raava from this universe is capable of defeating him, he can't be from another universe because he's not his other half to be able to subdue him.

With that said then Vaatu soon destroys his prison created by Aang, as long as the Harmonic Convergence continues he will have enough power to resist.

Once he leaves he goes to Team Avatar, examining each one and evaluating the level of threat they represent, he lands on each one.

Ignoring the non-benders and discarding the benders, until he reaches Aang and he can sense something.

- I found you Raava, even though you are from another universe I can distinguish you from among all these humans...

Chapter Text

-I found you Raava, even though you are from another universe I can distinguish you from all these humans...

With that said Vaatu throws a beam of energy toward Aang, Lu Ten, Sokka, and Suki.

They quickly dodge them but they know they have to do something, that's why Sokka is the first to respond.

-Run!

None of the other three question him because they soon start running too while Vaatu leaves when he sees the decision they have decided to make. But he wasn't going to let them escape, with his tentacles he began to try to catch Aang or try to crush him, he hadn't decided but before he killed him like the other Avatars and other versions of Raava he would have fun with him.

With that in mind, he brings his tentacles to the ground and the vines proceed to come out of the ground, blocking the path of the four and proceeding to catch them.

Katara, who was watching over the imprisoned Vaatu agents, noticed something was happening, so she turned around momentarily to see her friends facing Vaatu who had broken free. Her distraction helped her other version break free from the ice column that had her trapped, summoning water to cut the ice and get out free. Once free, she raises her hands and begins to control Katara's blood.

The others were taken by surprise and were about to attack when Evil Katara then sought to control their blood as well.

Katara opened her eyes in surprise and saw how Evil Katara looked at her with a malicious smile.

-That's right, this shows that I'm better than you, I've seen many other versions of us that could do this, I don't doubt that you are the same but they all fell by my hand as soon as you joined them.

Just like that, he began to twist the bodies of Hama, Iroh, and Zuko, as well as his own, to the point that he made them kneel while prolonging their suffering.

While that was happening, Evil Zuko was regaining consciousness of where he was trapped, so determined to free himself, he invoked the fire breath created from within, which helped weaken the ice enough so that he could escape and see what was happening, and what he saw was amusing.

First, he went to Prince Zuko who was trying to maintain his composure and trying to resist the effect of the bloodbending but his efforts were not achieving much.

"You don't look so confident anymore, do you, Little Prince?" Evil Zuko said as he grabbed Zuko's head, straight from the bun, which caused him great pain.

When he did so, he examined him with his head and a peculiar idea came to his mind- Although to be honest, you don't look much like me, maybe we need to make some adjustments.

Iroh opened his eyes in shock that Evil Zuko would hint at what he was thinking and he confirmed it when he saw Evil Zuko raise a hand and proceed to light a flame around it.

Prince Zuko opened his eyes in disbelief at what that version of him was planning to do when he saw the flame in his hand and then the scar he had on the middle of his face, he shook his head and stopped moving to avoid it, but Evil Katara stopped him.

While on Hama and Katara's side, they opened their eyes and held their breath. Shocked and horrified that Evil Zuko was going to do that to a version of himself.

But the one who couldn't believe it the most was Iroh, remembering the last time he had witnessed something similar, he went back several years ago, with a little 13-year-old Zuko being marked by his father, he could have avoided it, he could have done something, but because he was a coward he hadn't done it.

He was not going to allow history to repeat itself, and with that in mind, the Dragon of the West re-emerged determinedly.

Channeling his inner fire, Iroh lived up to his nickname and launched a large flame from his mouth, it was so strong that it reached Evil Zuko who, seeing what had happened, stopped what he was doing to repel the blast that was coming at him, although he was barely able to stop it, as some of the flames reached him and burned his hands.

Evil Zuko screamed in pain as he felt the fire that had burned him, he looked at Iroh full of anger at seeing what he had done. He was not entirely proud of what he had done but it was what had to be done.

Katara strengthened her grip on everyone, especially on Iroh after witnessing what had happened.

-A bold move but still a sad attempt, prepare to die.

That Evil Katara moved her hands so that the grip she had on their bodies was twisting them in the way that their limbs began to bend the opposite of how they normally were. Hama, Iroh, Katara, and Zuko gasped and moaned in pain at the feeling that they were about to be slowly torn in two.

Evil Katara was so focused on them that she didn't notice that someone else had approached until it was too late.

The Blind Bandit after gloating over his victory had felt the energy wave coming from Aang, the truth is that I believed that they had done it and they had won.

It turned out that she was wrong, Vaatu soon broke free and began his counterattack, but not only him but also Evil Katara and later Evil Zuko broke free and subdued the rest of Team Avatar.

She knew that she had to go and support them, but she couldn't leave this evil version of her here, it was dangerous in case she woke up and regained consciousness.

So soon a good idea occurred to her, with the metal that Evil Toph still had tied to her legs she used it to also tie her hands and thus have her immobilized long enough, she didn't know if she could free herself but at least it would help.

So without further ado, she proceeded to do that, being careful that any movement could alert them of what she was doing.

Once done, he ran in the direction where his companions were with those other two psychotics, where he could feel thanks to the seismic sense that the four were in a very bad situation where Evil Katara seemed to be responsible, so he decided to help them in that part.

With an Earthbending stance, he performed a landslide that went in the direction of Evil Katara, managing to destabilize her position among the members of Team Avatar.

With no time to waste he began to fight her, throwing rocks in her direction, focusing his attention now on the Blind Bandit, Evil Katara withdrew the bloodbending, on the members of Team Avatar, which made them able to give a great sigh of relief while trying to recover from that terrible experience.

Evil Zuko gave a growl of anger still going through the burns, but he was not going to let that stop him, that is why even if he had to endure the pain, he was not going to allow Team Avatar to escape unharmed.

He prepared a kata to launch a stream of fire at them, Hama who was the closest to him, saw what he was planning and gathered all the strength she could and prepared a torrent of water to stop the attack.

The two attacks upon impact created steam that blinded both sides for a moment, but Evil Zuko was not going to give them a chance to breathe, so he decided to continue attacking, luckily the others could continue fighting, and Katara got up and extracted the water from the steam, turning it into a shield to defend herself from the fire attacks.

She soon undid the shield and divided them into jets of water to attack both Evil Zuko and Evil Katara, who continued to fight with Toph could not foresee the attack and was thrown back by this attack.

Prince Zuko decided to help end this as well, he launched bursts of fire in a dribble at his evil version who began to dodge those bursts while launching his own.

Seeing this, Zuko decided to change his strategies. He created two whips of fire around his hands and threw them at Evil Zuko to prevent him from escaping. Evil Zuko created two identical whips, thus creating a duel between the two to see who would take down the other.

Evil Zuko, repelling the attacks, decided to increase the volume of his whips in Zuko's direction. Zuko, seeing the imminent attack, turned around and jumped, creating a stream of fire from his foot that impeded the advance of the whips. He turned his attention back to the attacks.

Evil Katara put her attention on making whoever dared to face her suffer once she stood up. The moment she looked, she saw that it was the Blind Bandit who was in front of her.

So summoning water around her creates a large wave that launches toward the Blind Bandit, who upon seeing Evil Katara's attack creates two large columns of earth in front of her so that they act as a gap to save her from the attack, the wave passes and the Blind Bandit comes out unharmed, soon breaking the columns and throwing the pieces as projectiles.

Evil Katara notices this and then summons more water that turns into blades to cut the pieces so she can come out unharmed, which she soon throws at the Blind Bandit, but they don't reach her, as soon fire attacks destroy her attacks as well as more now headed towards her, Evil Katara dodges them one after another while using more water to create a torrent and throw it at whoever had thrown them, who turned out to be Iroh.

Iroh, who had seen the fight, decided to support the Blind Bandit. He stood by his side and prepared to attack, hoping that would give them victory, but Evil Katara didn't make it easy for him, as she continued to fight them both very well.

He soon summoned a large mass of water that he launched against them. Iroh pushed Toph away to prevent the water from reaching her, but Evil Katara didn't let them stay like that and continued attacking them.

Iroh created a burst of fire to protect himself from the new attacks and tried to cover them from the others that soon arrived.

"That Dark Sugar Queen isn't doing too bad," the Blind Bandit's response left Iroh baffled, and now she decided to face Evil Katara again.

Evil Katara looks at her amused when she still decides to face her, so she raises more water that turns into many jets of water that she throws at the Blind Bandit, who raises a platform of Earth and launches herself at it at full speed.

Evil Katara launches more jets toward the Blind Bandit who soon stops and creates a dome over herself, covering herself from the water attacks, Evil Katara seeing the dome stops her attacks to turn them into water blades she launches from multiple directions, destroying the dome and as she expected it was empty, with that she gathers water around her in rings ready for whatever the Blind Bandit has for her, but then Iroh appears throwing very powerful streams of fire at her, Evil Katara begins to defend herself with the help of her rings from which she launches ice projectiles at high speed, however, Iroh manages to get rid of them with fire until they turn into steam giving him a sufficient window to do the following, because immediately he stops and takes a deep breath, moves his hands and fingers in a very specific way and that is how a ray begins to generate from his fingers.

When the smoke clears Evil Katara sees what he's planning and quickly takes action to stop him, but then a landslide sends her to the ground and as she falls she sees the Blind Bandit in the distance smiling mockingly and that's when she realizes she fell right into the trap.

Iroh fires the lightning he generated near Evil Katara who quickly gets up but the impact of the lightning sends her to the ground stunned, giving the Blind Bandit enough time to encase her in rock.

From the fight between Prince Zuko and his evil version, the latter decided to end this once and for all, that was why once the whips collided once more, Evil Zuko launched a ray of compressed fire from his tattoo, heading towards Zuko who upon seeing what was headed towards him created a wall of fire to protect himself, although he succeeded the impact sent him backward causing him to fall on his back, Evil Zuko upon seeing this quickly approached ready to finish him off.

-Even seeing that my power is greater than yours you decided to face me? Are you that stupid?

However, when he thought he was going to see an expression of fear or anxiety from Prince Zuko, he gave him a mocking smile -It's called distraction just so you know!

Evil Zuko took a moment to realize what she was referring to, he turned to the sides to anticipate a possible attack and that's when he saw Hama and Katara, one on each side of him, who launched two powerful torrents of water that Evil Zuko couldn't dodge and that ended up knocking him down.

The Blind Bandit acting quickly incapacitates him by enclosing him in a column of rock that reaches his chest, soon Iroh also arrives and tells him.

-You must cover his forehead too, take this- after saying that, Iroh hands Toph a band that is covered in metal, Toph looks at him intrigued but nods, takes what Iroh has in his hand, and opens her eyes surprised but doesn't say anything and just puts the band on Evil Zuko's forehead.

Once he finishes the Blind Bandit turns his attention to Iroh- Very well, now that we take care of them, we must help with the black spot... let's go!

Without wasting any time Iroh nods and soon the two of them head off to support the others in the fight against Vaatu. Hama, Zuko, and Katara seeing where they were headed, decided to join in to support as well. Once they are there they can see that the situation is not good at all.

Vaatu was destroying Aang, as he was hitting him with his tentacles more and more, while Lu Ten, Sokka, and Suki looked on helplessly, wanting to break free but the vines they were in prevented them from doing so, and it didn't matter how much Lu Ten used firebending or how much Sokka and Suki tried to cut themselves, Vaatu reinforced them or created more.

Katara, seeing what was happening, is the first to act. She gathers as much water as possible and turns it into a wave that launches Vaatu several times. When he is taken by surprise, he leaves Aang and prepares to attack the other members of Team Avatar.

-So, do you want to join your companions? I'll gladly grant your wish- then Vaatu decides to start by launching a beam of energy in the direction of the approaching group.

While with Aang, he looked helplessly from where he was as Lu Ten, Sokka, and Suki were trapped, he could notice it less and less to the point that they were almost buried in the vines, while with the others, Vaatu was now attacking them and no matter how much they tried to defend themselves he knew that they couldn't last long and he knew it when he saw how Zuko and Hama tried to attack him with fire and water, Vaatu counterattacked by creating more vines that began to trap Toph, while Katara quickly heals Iroh after trying to cover himself from the attack of the energy beam that he had previously launched.

He lowers his head in disbelief, Unable to believe that this hadn't turned out as they expected, he doesn't know what to do exactly, if he can't think of something soon then they won't survive, but what can he do??

-Aang... this battle isn't over yet, Vaatu can't win...

It could be a hallucination or it could be happening, but Aang was listening to a voice he knew well.

-Raava... I don't know what to do, I...

-Vaatu can't destroy the light just like I can't destroy the darkness, one can't exist without the other, Aang, find the light in the darkness...

The light in the darkness, find the light in the darkness.

But of course!

He remembered that he had once heard something similar that had been said to him when he asked for advice.

...

Flashback...

Twelve-year-old Aang was offering his respects to a lion turtle while also asking for advice on what would be the most difficult decision he would make so far as Avatar, after exhausting every possible option from both his friends and his past lives he wants to know what this great old one has to say to him.

-True intelligence can dispel all lies and illusions, and a true heart can endure hatred without being damaged... since the beginning of time darkness has grown in the void but always yields to purify the light.

End Flashback

...

With that in mind, Aang opens his eyes once again to enter the Avatar State he touches the vines once more and they respond to him, allowing him to break free and leave before they can catch him again.

Meanwhile, he walked so he could do the same again to where his friends were, which worked, and Suki, Sokka, and Lu Ten were able to escape the vines successfully.

-Guys, I have to say it, we need another plan and very urgently, the Harmonic Convergence won't last long - that was said by Suki who looked worriedly at how things were.

Aang knew that, and that's why he looked for options to know what to do, but then something caught his attention in all the time they were here and it was something he had discarded until now, looking up and locating what he was looking for is that he could see it in the middle of everything.

-The tree of time...

...

Flashback...

Wan Shi Tong's Library.

While he continued his search for knowledge of the spiritual world, Aang deviated a little to read in the section on the air nomads, finding a book about spiritual journeys that other people of the air nomads had made.

-The Tree of Time, its roots unite the physical world and the world of spirits... according to many stories, the great elders meditated under the tree and connected with the cosmic energy of the universe...

...

Already having a plan, he decides to share it.

-Go help the others... I'll take care of it from here.

The three look at him without being completely convinced

-Don't be offended Aang but the last plan turned out to be a big failure, which makes you think that whatever you have in mind can work.

Aang granted it but if there was a minimal chance he had to use it.

-Please, I need you to trust me, it may be the way we can get the help we need to defeat Vaatu.

Sokka had his doubts but he saw Aang's determined look, one that he saw in his friend every time he set his mind to something, the one that the Aang of his world once had, one that although it got them into trouble many times, it was also one that brought hope to people.

So he allowed himself to nod with a smile, giving Aang the thumbs up.

Who was happy about that and quickly created an air scooter and set out to reach the Tree of Time at full speed, once there he proceeded to climb to reach the hole where Vaatu was once imprisoned.

Then once he gets into the lotus position, he starts to meditate, connecting with his spiritual energy, then when he opens his eyes he finds himself in a scene that he remembered well, he turns to see it and there it is again, his cosmic figure waiting for him once more, he knows what he has to do, remembering the words that the guru Pathik once told him, he moves forward determinedly and enters the sphere of energy that was in front of him.

...

Back in the physical world, Vaatu had trapped the five who had tried to challenge him, he was ready to punish them for their offenses if it weren't for the fact that the other three had also arrived to try to stop him, he doesn't know how they escaped but it doesn't matter, he will take care of them again, he decides to use his energy beam when something hits him and sends him to the ground, calling everyone's attention and when they turn to see where the attack came from they can't believe what they see.

A giant blue version of Aang was advancing towards them.

Vaatu proceeds to get up and turn around and what he sees leaves him incredulous, somehow the alternate version of Raava's pawn broke free and manifested in front of him He is a spiritual version.

Another pathetic attempt to try to stop him.

He throws a beam of energy in the direction of Aang, who responds with a similar one that comes out of his chest, both collide to the point that they are even, but soon Aang increases his energy, managing to surpass that of Vaatu and managing to hit him, causing Vaatu to stagger.

Irritated by this, Vaatu throws his tentacles to attack him, but Aang runs towards him and catches them so he soon uses them to pull Vaatu and spin him to the point of falling against the ground.

Once he falls, Aang throws himself towards him and soon puts a hand on top of Vaatu while searching, Vaatu soon realizes what he is trying so he soon uses his tentacles to stop his hands and mockingly says to him.

-What you are trying to find is not there, Raava was destroyed, and you will soon join her, with that said he was ready to launch a beam of energy against Aang when he decided to concentrate his energy before him, damaging Vaatu but getting what he was looking for.

Then he can see it, a faint yellow light inside Vaatu that was becoming more noticeable so that Vaatu himself can also feel it and when he sees it he is incredulous.

But Aang already saw it and decided to go for it- Raava.

Without further ado Aang rushes to get to Vaatu and catch him in his hands, subduing Vaatu to give him enough time to act, because once he has him still, he puts a hand in the light inside him and proceeds to take it out of his body, once that happens the form of the spirit of light and order begins to manifest itself before the disbelief of everyone else.

Once he gets out, Aang releases Raava so that she soon lands softly on the ground.

-Thank you for freeing me, now that I'm back I can finish this.

Once Raava said that, he looked at Vaatu and without further ado, he released a blue and white energy beam from his eye, Vaatu responded with his own so that the two would sanction by colliding to overcome the other, one gaining ground and the other retreating, alternating between one and the other but never giving in, it is then that Aang decides to help Raava by launching a beam of his energy, which increases the strength of Raava's power and surpasses Vaatu's, causing him to fly away.

The Avatar team was surprised to see those two together, but soon that gave way to Sokka's happiness when he saw how things were going in his favor once again.

-Come on Aang and great shining spirit, finish him off!

Vaatu got up with a little difficulty, the combined attack between Raava and Aang certainly hurt him a little, but he would not allow himself to lose.

-It doesn't matter that you have returned Raava, there is enough darkness in this universe and more thanks to me, and that darkness will make me prevail in the end.

Raava advanced to say- Say what you want Vaatu, but the truth is that the more there can be darkness, the light will always be brighter.

-Then I will extinguish that light forever!!! -determined Vaatu launches his tentacles, to defeat his other half, Raava responds by launching his own and so the two spirits launch themselves to attack the other and seek to subdue him.

Their fight soon leads to destroying much of the place, each one not willing to give ground, they launch their energy rays at the other, the proximity makes them more precise and more severe than the previous ones but they continue fighting.

However, Aang also joins the fight, as the two are close together, and soon he approaches to grab Vaatu and help incapacitate him, who begins to resist by planting his tentacles on the ground, and in this way, more vines come out to cover Aang.

But at that moment Raav acts and hits Vaatu with his tail, which he cannot avoid, and gasps in pain.

Aang soon breaks free from the vines and manages to grab Vaatu this time and take him to the ground. Once there, Vaatu acts quickly and hits Aang with his tail strongly, which knocks him down.

Vaatu soon begins to get up and watches as Raava imposes himself on him and prepares a beam of energy towards him, then Vaatu decides to do the same and so both beams collide once again, both Raava and Vaatu push their energies to overcome the other.

Meanwhile, Aang gets up and sees how Raava and Vaatu meet in what could be the decisive blow, both are on par but soon it is seen that Vaatu begins to gain ground on Raava and that can be seen as Vaatu's power dominates Raava and he begins to rise.

Raava also begins to retreat but still does not give up, Aang decides that he has to help her in some way which is why he walks until he is behind her and acts as her support so that she does not continue to retreat, which helps a little but not enough.

Meanwhile, with Team Avatar, they were witnessing the Battle that was now being fought for the future of this universe and The good of the multiverse, Raava and Aang seemed to have the advantage over Vaatu, who was barely able to resist, but as the fight progressed until it reached the clash between Raava and Vaatu, the suspense and what could happen came to this.

Some felt nervous seeing that Raav was losing in the clash of energies, although they were very happy to see Aang come to support her, it was clear that they still needed help.

-We have to help them now! - Katara said that as she prepared to run and get behind Aang to help.

-Katara! What do you think you're doing??! It's a bad idea!!! - Sokka said that in disbelief at what his sister was thinking.

But soon he saw how Suki, then Hama, as well as Toph, Iroh, and even Zuko, did, as they soon ran to join her, to which Sokka snorted and said.

-Fine, screw it.

However, when everyone was leaving, no one noticed that a certain person in the distance was regaining consciousness.

So everyone started to help both Aang and Raava to prevent them from losing. Aang soon noticed them and didn't believe it possible, he felt good that his friends would help him, that they would never give up despite whatever the circumstances, with that in mind Aang concentrated more energy on helping Raava, who could also feel the spirit, as well as the emotions that the humans who were supporting her feet, despite everything she would never give up, that brought back the memory of someone special, it brought back the memory of Avatar Wan and how he despite everything continued to support her and never gave up, these humans were just like him.

He could not let his sacrifice be in vain, so with more will he concentrated more energy on his attack so that he was gaining ground on Vaatu, who tried to make more effort but Raava was imposing himself on him again because soon Raava's tentacles and tail took him captive with no possibility of escape and his figure began to become smaller.

-This... this is not possible...

Vaatu tried to resist, however, Raava did not back down, he continued advancing to the point that he soon took more and more ground and Vaatu's figure became smaller as his energy beam weakened.

-I told you Vaatu, as long as the darkness lasts longer, the light will eventually be brighter.

Then it was understood who was the winner this time.

...

A great wave of energy took place while the energies of the two portals began to separate, ending the Harmonic Convergence.

Raava's figure rose victorious while Vaatu's disappeared.

Meanwhile, all that could be seen was that where Vaatu was supposed to be was nothing left. Raava could also be sure of that by no longer feeling the presence of her other half, but she knew that he would grow back inside her and that they would fight once more.

So, putting the matter to rest for the moment, she went to Team Avatar, while Aang, seeing that they had won, his spirit began to disappear and return to his own body that was still inside the Tree of Time. Once his body and spirit were reunited, Aang opened his eyes with a smile as he stood up and proceeded to leave the tree, to be greeted by Team Avatar who soon headed towards him.

Katara and Sokka were the first to come to him to hug him.

"I'm proud of you," Katara said, separating from the hug and looking at Aang with a smile.

"Yes! It was all complete madness, you were Wow!" And Vaatu was Oh no! It was amazing.

Aang laughed in agreement when a blow came to his shoulder and he saw that it was Toph, soon Hama arrived to approach him.

-You know how to leave me speechless... I'm proud of what you did.

Aang smiles shyly as he nods his head, then looks at the trio of fire benders, Lu Ten surprisingly gives him a thumbs up, while Iroh looks at him gratefully, then looks at Zuko who only says.

-You are something very special Avatar.

-He's right, but it's not just him- Raava's voice caught the attention of all of Team Avatar who turned to look at her- each one of you is very special, I will be eternally grateful for the help you offered today, even if you are not from this universe I wish you luck for whatever you decide to do in your future -then she looks at Aang- and it's good to see that you're okay, even if we are no longer connected in this universe I will take you in my memories as well as each one of your past lives.

Without anything else to say Raava proceeds to leave to disappear through a spiritual portal.

When everything seems to be over, Team Avatar can take a breath seeing that they have won.

But then an explosion near them takes them by surprise, turning to where it originated was when they saw the agents of Vaatu, and if looks could kill then all of them would be more than dead.

-You... -says Evil Katara and her voice is full of pure venom- how... how dare you??

Sokka seeing what is happening decides to begin- Understand this well, this is over, Vaatu was defeated.

Evil Toph growled in anger as she looked at them- You did this, you took our master from us.

-So now we will get revenge!!!

With that said Evil Zuko throws another beam of compressed fire in their direction and that is when all hell breaks loose.

Vaatu's agents thirsty for revenge spear to avenge their master, while Team Avatar rushes to face them, but as he watches them Aang can't help but look at them with pity because the three of them were indoctrinated to the point of no return and despite everything, he can't let go of the serious threat that the three of them are, they are powerful enough to carry out a battle like the one they are fighting against them, making killing them very difficult.

Then Evil Katara turns her attention to him and decides to use bloodbending on his body.

He must also remember that killing them may not be the best option either, as they may have to give their lives for it, so he has to use another method.

-This fight will never end... not the way we thought, we have to do it another way.

With that said, Aang's eyes shine and he enters the Avatar State, managing to free himself from Katara's bloodbending, he quickly releases a massive blast of air towards the Vaatu agents, stunning them long enough for the others to recover.

Once done, the entire Avatar team joins together to fight them, Hama and Lu Ten advance fighting against the evil version of Toph to make her retreat, Suki and Sokka help them flank them with the help of their weapons.

The versions of Zuko and Katara, seeing their partner in trouble, rush to fight as well. Zuko launches a ray of compressed fire in her direction, but then a wall of fire created by Prince Zuko stops him, and Katara attacks him without stopping, to which Zuko then joins her. Evil Katara is soon launched by a strong gust of air from Aang towards the center where her companions soon join her.

Seeing that they are surrounded, Aang decides to act before something else happens. Thus, entering the Avatar State, he creates a sphere of air around the three of them, which he begins to surround with rings of water, earth, fire, and air, compressing their space until they no longer move.

Then Xiànshí appears and begins to surround the sphere of the four elements that Aang created. Once done, he begins to release his spiritual energy around it to confine the agents of Vaatu forever.

His movements create a great glow that blinds everyone else for a moment, until the great flash ends and everyone can see what has happened.

Once everyone regains their vision, they can see that the agents of Vaatu have completely disappeared, now only Aang and Xiànshí remain in front of them, Aang for his part turns to look at them and smiles at everyone but especially at Iroh, as sign that everything is over.

Iroh understands the meaning of his smile and is that he allows himself to smile with joy knowing that everything is finally over, with that as a reality for Iroh is that he allows himself to cry, but unlike other times the emotions take over him because of the joy he has when seeing that he finally managed to get out of the dark tunnel.

...

Returning to Jasmine's Dragon Room, Xiànshí looks at the grateful Avatar team, with Iroh included in them for the help they gave him.

-The entire multiverse will be indebted to you... but your worlds will not know of this victory- at that moment she steps aside and looks in the direction of the same exit that Sokka had tried to enter through but was not very lucky, only now a glow illuminated it from the other side- cross that door and you will return to the exact moment you left for your universes.

Several of them nodded, understanding that their role as the Avatar team of the multiverse had ended and this would most likely be the last time they saw each other.

With that in mind, Hama is the first to react, looking at the one next to her who was Lu Ten, and seeing him she sees him with a slight smile on his face.

-It was good while it lasted...

Lu Ten nodded in agreement as he bowed to Hama in a sign of respect- It was also good to meet you, Master Hama.

Hama smiled as she returned the greeting- Can I ask you a favor, Prince Lu Ten? When you return to the Fire Nation and meet my version, be patient with me, I am stubborn from start to finish, but do not leave her alone and help her heal.

Lu Ten nodded at Hama's request, promising to fulfill it.

-Of course, only if you promise me that you will allow yourself to know even more about my Nation, I know what you must think but I promise you that there are good people in the Fire Nation, it's just a matter of going to find her.

Hama, upon hearing this, was skeptical about that, but remembering what had happened since they met, she couldn't completely rule that out. Besides, Aang would need a firebending master in the future, so it wouldn't be bad to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Elsewhere, Suki and Sokka were saying goodbye with an emotional hug.

-Please take care of the Sokka from your world, I'm sure he'll need it.

Suki separated from the hug and looked at him amused- Yes, that's true, but I also need him... just like I think you also need the Suki from your world, promise me you'll find her.

Sokka sighs deeply but nods with determination.

Toph and Aang were saying goodbye too, more specifically, Toph was hitting Aang's shoulder.

-Take care Twinkle Toes... and don't be afraid of trouble anymore - Toph answers with her arms crossed and a smile on her face.

Aang laughed amused at Toph's humor.

-Believe me, I won't... I'll do things right and I'll go back to my world to save what's left... that is if there's anything left to save.

Toph simply hit him on the shoulder for that - Don't be pessimistic, I highly doubt your world is as lost as you think and if it is, then rebuild everything.

Sokka nods as he approaches the two with Suki at his side.

-She's right Aang, we may think everything may be destroyed to the point that there's nothing to save but we won't know until we find out for ourselves.

Suki nods in agreement- In the end, we might get a surprise we never imagined and find help where we least expected it she says looking at a view where two people were having a kind of conversation.

Zuko and Katara just looked at each other. Both look at each other seriously but stay in expectation of who of them will make the first move.

Katara after a moment was the one who did it while she crossed her arms and said seriously- I still don't like you, and I don't think I ever will... but I think I tolerate you a little more than I did before.

Zuko just gave her a slight smile not feeling offended at all- Believe me the feeling is mutual

Katara then nodded and turned her gaze to the orb that Xiànshí had guarded, remembering who was in that orb.

- Do you think we could be like them? Be an unbeatable duo that faces everything with blind trust in each other??

Zuko fixed his gaze on where she was looking. In the direction of the orb that kept Vaatu's agents locked up, remembered how the Zuko and Katara who were there had fought without ever doubting the other, which generated a lot of intrigue he must admit.

-I don't know, your whole journey was very complicated and mine is just beginning, it's hard to know what it can be.

Then remembering what awaited her once she returned to her world Katara says with a bitter smile- Also taking into account that mine is about to end definitively.

Zuko turned to look at her and then glanced at Sokka who noticed that he was still watching Katara, so he decided to tell her the only thing that occurred to him- Don't say that... you're a survivor, you'll find a way to continue, no matter what you'll find a way out of your problem and get up again.

After analyzing what Prince Zuko had said, Katara allowed herself to be grateful for his answer- It's what we do...

Surprised by his answer and because they had both found a mutual understanding, Zuko looked back in the direction of the orb and after thinking about it he had an answer.

-You know, maybe yes, obviously I'm not talking about you and me but there must be universes where there is a Zuko and a Katara who are like that.

Katara just turned to look at the orb once more and for the first time gave a real smile that had been caused by Zuko.

-Yes, I think so.

Without anything else to say, they both separated and ended their entire interaction, and then Hama who had also finished talking to Lu Ten went to talk to her.

Hama just ran a hand through her hair and ruffled it a little.

-Don't get into trouble anymore girl

-I'm sorry but I can't promise anything- Katara said with a bit of mockery, to which Hama laughed, Katara then joined her, and when they both finished she remembered something important- Oh by the way, if Gran Gran... I mean Kanna has a son, so Hakoda will be the ideal name for him.

Hama just crossed her arms intrigued by that, but then smiled at her when she realized what it meant, so she just shook her head but nodded.

She gave one last smile to Katara before stepping back and saying- Take care of yourself and protect your friends, give yourself the chance to heal.

Katara sighed but nodded with a smile at that version of her Sifu, with nothing else to say, Hama bowed respectfully to her, to which Katara reciprocated.

She soon turned her gaze to the entire group and said out loud- Maybe we should do Something like this again, but of course, without spiritual madness involved -the humor spread to the rest of the group- if you visit the Wolf Cove of my universe you will be welcome, all of you...

Without further ado, Hama waves goodbye before walking to the door and returning to her world.

Suki is the next to advance, stopping in front of her friends to say- The same will be in my world, and if any of you need help do not hesitate to send a request for help, I will fight by your side wherever.

Once that is said, Suki walks to the door and returns to her universe. Toph immediately follows, to which she crosses her arms while facing the rest.

-I'm not much of a farewell, I'm just telling you idiots that if you do something fun do not hesitate to call the greatest earth bender in the entire multiverse for action - she points to herself as she proceeds to hit the arm of the remaining members she had not yet said goodbye to and proceeds to leave for her universe.

For his part, Iroh didn't say anything as he just went on to hug Zuko and Lu Ten, leaving them both surprised.

-Father...

-Uncle...

But Iroh just shook his head and continued with his hug.

-Don't tell me anything... just, it's a pleasure to be able to hug you again, you don't know how happy it makes me to be able to be with you both like this, I never thought I could see either of you like this again.

Both Zuko and Lu Ten, seeing that he was very serious, gave in to this and let him have this moment as long as he wanted, but they knew it couldn't be for long, Iroh knew it too, so once he was able to separate himself from their hug he looked at each one to say a few last words.

First, he looked at Lu Ten- My beloved Lu Ten, even though you are my Lu Ten of my universe I want to ask for your forgiveness for not being there for you when you needed it most, I hope you can forgive me.

Lu Ten then upon hearing his apology must have been in this version of his father who also lost his Lu Ten due to a situation similar to that of his cousin.

If they shared the same story to a certain extent, then he had an idea of ​​when that was and that's why he knew what to say to him.

-I don't hold a grudge against you Father, everything I did was to make you proud so that I could express to you the pride and honor I feel of being your son...

Iroh allowed himself to shed tears at Lu Ten's words, so he allowed himself to approach to hug his son from another universe one last time, but at least this had given him something he knew he needed to do.

When they separated now he turned to his nephew who looked at him with a slight smile, although he looked like the little Zuko he once was, Iroh could see well the enormous differences between this Zuko and his nephew, but also their similarities, so the only thing he told him was what he knew could help him find his way.

-Prince Zuko, there is something good in you, never forget that, you can create your destiny, one that does not depend on your father's expectations or what is expected of you, be true to yourself and you will be able to discover it.

Zuko just smiled at him and nodded- I promise I will uncle and when I find what I'm looking for I hope you can be proud, it doesn't matter if you're not there to see it.

Iroh smiled at him, knowing that this version of Zuko would be fine, so he just hugged him to see him once they separated- I know you will nephew, when the time comes just look inside yourself and ask yourself these two simple questions... who are you?? And what do you want??

Zuko was baffled by the questions- When will I know what the time will be??

Iroh then gave him an enigmatic smile- You'll know...

Zuko frowned but ended up accepting that answer, luckily he didn't need to answer it now, but he knew it would be useful, separating from his uncle was that he said goodbye with a bow worthy of a member of royalty, Lu Ten followed his example and soon both cousins ​​headed to the door to return to their worlds.

They were about to cross when Lu Ten stopped Zuko, who looked at his cousin confused for a moment when Lu Ten then took out a rolled-up letter from his armor and showed it to Zuko.

-Give this to my father... it's a letter from him

Zuko just stopped to look at his cousin for a moment as he nodded and proceeded to take the letter and put it away, then remembering that this would be the last time he could see his cousin he rushed to hug him.

-It was nice to see you Lu Ten, even if you are from another universe, it was incredible to see you again.

Lu Ten rolled his eyes amused but did not refuse to reciprocate the hug, but immediately separated- Don't get sentimental Zuko, just do what you've always done, trace your destiny

Zuko nodded to Lu Ten as a promise that he will do it, he doesn't know what awaits him but what happens from now on that will be decided by him.

Lu Ten smiled at him one last time as he proceeded to cross the door as well, returning to his universe, seeing that His cousin was gone, Zuko let out a sigh that he didn't know what it contained, he turned his head to look in the direction of Aang who was looking at the orb once again, but soon he noticed that Zuko was looking at him, so all he did was give him a small smile, at that Zuko only inhaled and exhaled, nodded to Aang and proceeded to walk out the door as well.

Katara and Sokka were next, however before crossing Katara turned once more to see the figure of Aang and then the feeling of having to leave began to overwhelm her

-Time to leave Katara...-Xiànshí was the one who said that Katara turned to look at him with a look that Xiànshí could interpret what he wanted to ask her but didn't dare- do you want to go back to a different time and change something.

Although he hadn't said it or hinted at it, Katara already knew the answer to what she wanted, although she understood it she couldn't help but feel disappointed.

-So everyone gets a happy ending except me...

Xiànshí stared at him for a moment and then answered- Believe me when I tell you that your story is far from over, that world, that story needs Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe.

Katara looked at him incredulously at his answer, she didn't know what awaited her once she crossed that door, there was the option from exile to death, but if Xiànshí was right then it would be a matter of going to discover it on her own, she looked up to see Aang who smiled at her while nodding in agreement that she should cross.

Katara recorded the image of Aang for the last time on her face, always treasuring the memory she would have of him, she smiled back.

It was then that she turned her gaze to the door and nodded to herself to cross the door.

Once Katara left, Aang let out a sigh without losing his smile, but then suddenly let go.

-You predicted every moment -his statement took Iroh by surprise when he heard about that, while Xiànshí looked at him with a slight smile, knowing that he would eventually find out- From the initial failure of the plan to the way we imprisoned Vaatu's agents and my...

Xiànshí ready to continue when he said the following- Your sacrifice...

Aang looked at him incredulously and then mocked him- My sacrifice??... that would imply that I have something to lose

Xiànshí smiled enigmatically at him, then he directed his sight at the orb and it began to levitate until it reached where Aang was and floated in front of him- Someone must take care of them if their pocket prison broke and they escape...

Aang didn't need to be told twice, so he just said- I know, don't worry, I'll watch them, after all, all I have is time.

With that said, he extended his hands and the orb floated until Aang's hands held it.

-Thanks Aang.

Aang just shook his head to say with a smile- Besides, what are friends for??

After that he headed towards the portal to return to his universe, although before that he turned to look at Iroh one last time.

-I would tell you to come with me, but something tells me that Xiànshí has ​​something reserved for you.

Iroh frowned at what he said but didn't say anything else, Aang seeing the expression on his face just gave him a slight smile.

-Trust Iroh, it's like you once told me, life can be like a dark tunnel, you can't always see the light at the end of the road but if you keep going you can get to a better place.

Iroh opened his eyes at the words she said, remembering well when she said them to him, that was during the fall of Ba sing se, the last time he saw Avatar Aang of his universe alive.

With a slight smile Iroh says goodbye to him to which Aang returns it and proceeds to leave to return to his universe.

Once everyone left only Iroh and Xiànshí were left inside Jasmine's Dragon.

Xiànshí looked from the door to Iroh to say- I think it's your turn now.

Iroh upon hearing this erases his smile and proceeds to face Xiànshí- I can't go back, I can't go back there, my whole world is gone, going back would only make me remember everything... maybe everyone would have won but I lost everything.

Xiànshí can see Iroh's sadness and he only answers- I can't interfere...

-Yes, I know you can't interfere, we are stories to you, we are not real to you, you just watched us fight, win and lose, so tell me you enjoyed what you saw while Vaatu corrupted my nephew and reduced my whole world to ashes! - Iroh said viciously, letting out his fury at Xiànshí for everything that happened.

-They are much more than that to me

Iroh looks at him, unable to fully believe it- Are we really??

Xiànshí nods- You and your stories are everything to me

Iroh looks at his face searching for some hint of lies in Xiànshí, but then he can see the sincerity in Xiànshí's gaze, so he then says- Then you can restore my entire universe to how it was before...

But then Xiànshí looks at him with pity for the next thing he sees a to say- I can't Iroh, the moment in history in which you lived has passed now all that remains is for the story to continue and wait for the return of both Raava and Vaatu.

Iroh then looks at him helplessly, unable to believe that there is no hope for his world- If that's so then I'm not going to cross that door

Xiànshí seeing his determination then knows what he must do- Well the door itself was not something literal.

Soon the scene changes and they find themselves in the royal palace of the Fire Nation which witnesses a battle, two sides, one of the soldiers loyal to their Fire Lord and another made up of rebels from the Fire Nation, warriors from the Water Tribe and soldiers from the Earth Kingdom.

At the head of the allied forces was the Avatar team with Avatar Aang and Zuko the legitimate Fire Lord at the head, together they advanced to win this battle and finally ending the hundred-year war.

-Where are we??- the stage that was filled with familiar faces filled Iroh's heart with nostalgia and emotion.

-In a world that lost Uncle Iroh- Xiànshí reveals to him while looking at the scene of this battle.

-That must be a problem- understanding what Xiànshí had done Iroh turns to look at him and bows respectfully to him- Thank you.

Zuko who was on the defensive was soon attacked from behind by Azula who was dressed as the Fire Lord and was now looking at him with a mocking smile.

-You and your allies ended up failing Zuzu, in the end, the comet will be within reach and I will use it to destroy this insurrection, but first...

In that she changes her stance and begins to generate a ray that points in the direction of her brother, however, someone grabs her hand from where it was going to come out and deflects it in another direction, Azula is taken by surprise when she recognizes the man who stopped her, he looked older but his features she knew very well

-Uncle Iroh?? You are supposed to be dead- but Azula, being in shock, does not have time to respond to the next thing because Iroh soon kicks her away and falls surprised.

Zuko immediately opened his eyes surprised, it could not be real, he was Uncle Iroh, but he had been dead for years, but still here he was.

-You are not my uncle Iroh...- Zuko said it as an affirmation because he had witnessed his death- but you look a lot like him.

At his answer Iroh just started laughing and smiling as he looked at this Zuko, he looked like his nephew, but at the same time, he was different.

-As I told you before nephew... destiny is a curious thing

From afar Xiànshí becomes intangible to disappear from that universe and return to his sanctuary.

...
Is that the truth or not?? We all seek to be part of a place that can be called home, as for me, I am Xiànshí the spirit of reality, the multiverse as well as its worlds and its stories are my home and I will protect it until the end...

...

Prince Zuko opened his eyes and gasped as he caught his breath, the slight shock of the trip still had him stunned.

So much so that he didn't notice when his uncle appeared at his side and took him by the shoulders until he came to and asked him.

-Excuse me, what were you saying??

Iroh just shook his head- I think a rest would do you good Prince Zuko, the events leading up to the Avatar's escape and the fight with those spirits must have exhausted you enough, a night of rest is necessary to recover from that.

Looking around Zuko noticed that his crew was returning to the ship somewhat damaged by the attack, some were injured and were being helped by their companions.

Remembering what he was doing before Xiànshí arrived to recruit them was that Zuko remembered what he was going to do before the dark spirits appeared, then after the long day he had decided to listen to his uncle.

Who having him in front of him and remembering something important is that he says the following- I think I would like some jasmine tea.

Iroh was surprised by his nephew's request, although he would have preferred Zuko to go to rest, he did not deny the opportunity to share a cup of tea with him, he hoped that Lady Ty Lee would also accompany them but his nephew said that it should only be the two of them.

Iroh did not refuse and soon they arrived at his room on the ship, where Zuko sat near a table that Iroh had, so while Iroh prepared to prepare the tea, that was when Zuko asked him the following.

-Uncle have you ever heard of alternative universes...

Iroh opened his eyes because he had never heard of anything like that, so he decided to be honest with Zuko in that regard as he returned to the table with a teapot and two cups on a tray while he proceeded to serve tea to Zuko and then to himself- Not really nephew... why do you ask??

Then Zuko proceeds to tell you everything that happened, from his encounter with dark spirits to being part of a team of heroes that spanned the multiverse of a version psychotic of himself and two other versions of the Avatar's companions.

Iroh listened to his nephew very carefully. The truth is that everything sounded too crazy. But from his own experience in the spirit world, he can't say that what Zuko told him was a lie.

-I see... that must have been quite an experience.

Just as he put his teacup on the table he saw that Zuko was now showing him a rolled-up scroll.

-Yes, it was.

Iroh watched him intrigued as he took it and proceeded to open it, he didn't know what it could say but it didn't hurt to find out.

When he opened it and looked at what it contained, his eyes widened in disbelief.

-This, is Lu Ten's handwriting...

Zuko smiled shyly as he nodded- On my journey I found a version of him that is still alive Tio, he wanted me to give this to you...

Tears began to flow from Iroh's eyes as he proceeded to read the words.

(-イロ将軍、どの宇宙においてもあなたが私の父であることは大きな光栄であり、大きな贈り物です。)

（―あなたの忠実な息子、呂天。）

(-General Iroh, it is a great honor and a great gift that you are my father in any universe.)

(-Your loyal son Lu Ten.)

Soon Iroh's tears began to stain the parchment while a smile adorned his face, soon he stood up from his place and went in the direction of Zuko so he could hug him.

-Thank you...

Zuko then hugged his uncle back, happy that he could have this.

...

End of Book 1

Chapter Text

Merry Christmas to all!!! And to celebrate I have this, a cover of my multiverse of possibilities as well as a vision of Xiànshí the spirit of reality, if you are interested I invite you to check it out through this link:

https://www.deviantart.com/angelj3421c/art/1138390275

This project is something I had been thinking about, a preview before starting with the new book, be patient and soon we will have a cover of book two and the corresponding chapters.