Hello again! Apparently when I said I had a lot of shenanigans going on, I meant in the story, but life definitely had other plans. I should have seen that coming seeing as I had a wedding to be in (bridesmaid, woo!), graduation, and summer grad courses. But, I've finally cranked out this chapter. It's a little messy, lots of perspective hopping, so be warned!
As always, the characters and setting of this wonderful show are not owned by me, and there might be some quotes you recognize from the show!
From the Journal of Lu Ten
I fear there isn't much time left. The sun has risen and we will be arriving at the gate a few hours before sunset. Zhao requested I illustrate a map of the city for him. When I insisted I didn't remember it that well, he pressed harder.
"You lived there for a long time, General. Your father would be disappointed to know that your memory is so faulty."
A threat laid in his words, and I complied. My father can think me a monster, but I will not allow him to be harmed in this ridiculous war. I made the map as simple as possible, and misplaced a few streets to delay him.
"I did the best I could, Fire Lord, but there may be a few errors."
He grinned at me and said, "That's okay, you'll come with us anyway."
The look in his eyes is growing more and more concerning as we draw closer to the North. His stare hardens each time he looks over the sea and his grin grows more wicked. His plans to kill the Spirit of the Moon, if possible, and it will render all water benders inert. Water bending will cease to exist. The culture could be kept alive, but only if the people of the tribes survive this. Zhao's plan is to wipe them all out, just like the Air Nomads. Our only hope is for Aang and here others to get here soon enough to stop him.
I hope they aren't too late.
Lu Ten's hands shook at his sides as the gates of the Northern Water Tribe towered above them. Zhao was next to him, that grin looking as sickening as ever. Each ship had their instructions when we left the Fir Nation harbor, all they waited for was the final command.
"Sir?" Lu Ten asked, thanking the spirits that his voice didn't waiver. "We wait for your order."
Firelord Zhao sucked in a breath. Today, he would go down in history as a hero to the Fire Nation. Some would call him the Usurper, but historians would recognize that Ozai and Iroh were weak, and his strength would bring the Fire Nation to a new high. Today, he would lead them to the greatest victory the world has ever seen.
"Bring it down."
The Northern Water Tribe never stood a chance. Most of its forces were split between the Southern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation. Those who had remained were not the elite warriors that Sangok had trained, but simple foot soldiers competent enough in bending to feebly guard the city. They were not prepared for the armada that approached the gates, nor the balls of fire they launched through the gates. Within a matter of hours, Arnook, the proud chieftain of the Tribes, ordered his men to fall back. The women and children were safe within the palace, and they were to form a line of defense between them and the intruders. They prepared to battle for their lives at the doors of the palace. The mood would rise soon enough, and their bending would rise with it.
But no one came. No one would come for some time, for the usurper had other plans in mind, and they didn't require wiping out the northern tribe just yet.
"This way," Zhao barked. He, Lu Ten, and a handful of other fire benders walked along the canals just below the castle, to a tunnel that had been bored into the walls of the walkway. Zhao's plan had been intricate, with no man knowing more than he needed. Filling Sangok's head with fanciful ideas of ruling the Northern Tribe was easy enough, convincing him to instruct one of his men to construct a secret entrance into the palace was just as easy.
"You wait here," the usurper snapped to Lu Ten.
"But sir—"
"If you are anything like your father, you'll just get in the way," he snarled, turning to another soldier and instructing him to remain as well. "If he so much as twitches," Zhao's eyes flicked to Lu Ten and his face twisted into a sickening grin, "kill him."
The rest of them disappeared down the tunnel.
Lu Ten knew the man across from him. Akio was his name, and they'd trained together multiple times when they'd joined the army. He'd studied his movements, noted his habits and tells, just as Akio had noticed his. Akio's biggest tell was the rolling of his left shoulder, something he did only when he was seconds away from making a move. Just as his shoulder lifted, Lu Ten struck.
Akio went flying into the freezing cold water, swimming to the other side and gasping for breath. Lu Ten propelled himself over, heavily depending on his bending to provide that forward thrust, and pulled him out—he wouldn't let him drown, after all—but landed a few solid hits, rendering him unconscious.
Zhao had eight people with him, there was no way Lu Ten could take them on his own, but he could warn the Chief of their plans.
And so, Lu Ten removed his armor, leaving it stacked nicely by the tunnel, and proceeded toward the palace, hoping his lack of war dress would keep them from attacking before letting him speak.
Aang
"There it is!" Yue yelled, practically falling over the side of the saddle. Her yell quickly turned into a sob when she took in the broken remains of her city's greatest wall. "We're too late."
"No," Katara insisted. "The moon is rising. We still have time!"
I urged Appa forward, following Yue's instructions and heading straight for the palace. The oasis wasn't open to the public anymore, she had said, and now only the chief and his family had access to it.
"Wait!" Zuko shouted, pointing below us. "Is that—"
"—Lu Ten!" Azula finished. "What is he doing? He's going to get himself killed!"
"Azula, don't!"
I really hated being the one sitting in front. I didn't see what had happened, only knew that a lot of screaming occurred and Appa's saddle was suddenly two people lighter, as Azula had jumped and Zuko had jumped after her. "Hold on everyone!" I shouted and Appa dove down, we weren't that high up, and their bending would save them from a rough fall—assuming the water benders didn't shoot them out of the sky. At the last moment, Appa pulled up, and I jumped off, letting him land on his own and placing myself between the royal family and every water bending soldier in the Northern Water Tribe.
I did not think this through.
"Where is your chief?" I asked calmly. They glanced between each other, unsure if they should answer. "Where is your chief?" I repeated firmly.
"Answer him!" Yue's voice rang out, jarring everyone, including me. Her tone, usually gentle and sweet, had taken a darker turn, sounding harsh and demanding authority. She stepped away from Appa, walking toward us with a lethal grace. "We need to speak to my father imm—"
"We don't have time," Lu Ten snapped behind them. "I've been here ten minutes trying to warn them, but they won't budge. The moon is rising, and Zhao wants to put on a show. We need to go. Now."
The royal family, their significant others, and Toph ("I'd like to keep my feet on something solid, thanks.") took the tunnel Lu Ten had told us about, while Yue directed the rest of us back onto Appa in order to fly in from above. We arrived first, Zhao standing over the pond, barely even looking at us while we landed. He held a wriggling bag, no doubt the spirit Yue had told us about.
"Put the spirit down, Zhao."
Zhao held up a hand, ordering his men to stand down. "Now, why would I do that, Avatar?" he asked, his voice as calm as ever. "I am simply fulfilling my destiny by bringing the Fire Nation the glory that it lost because of your intervention. I'm simply restoring the balance that you helped destroy."
I frowned. "Destroying the moon won't restore balance, Zhao. It will not only hurt the Water Tribe, it will hurt everyone, including you. Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance, not back in. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world."
"Chaos was unleashed the moment you turned the Fire Nation into slaves of the world. We became so great while you were busy in your iceberg. Now look what we are, pathetic rats forced back into their cages. We have tasted freedom, Avatar, and it is not on our tiny island." He raised his fist, aiming at the bag when another voice cried out.
"He is right, Zhao." Lu Ten's voice was cool, harboring a furious edge. "The Fire Nation needs the moon, too. We all depend on the balance; the balance you intend to disturb." Lu Ten and his cousins sank into a battle stance. "Whatever you do to that spirit, we'll unleash on you tenfold! Let it go, now!"
For a brief moment, all I could think was how proud Iroh would be of his son, niece, and nephew.
Zhao's hand hesitated and I took a few steps forward. "Release the spirit, Zhao. You'll only hurt yourself in the end."
With a sigh of defeat, he sank to his knees, kneeling before the pond like a dejected man and unfurled the sack, letting the Moon spirit back into her circle with the ocean spirit. Everything was fine for the moment.
For just that moment.
Zhao's hand moved quickly, and all we could do was cry out before the world went gray.
The Moon spirit was dead.
The next few moments felt as if they lasted for hours. The royal family surged forward, Lu Ten leaping over the small wall of Fire Nation soldiers that moved to stop them and made for Zhao with an enraged cry. He dodged and evaded, until Lu Ten slipped up, blinded by his rage. Zhao's back was to the tunnel, and with a powerful blast of fire, he distracted the prince just enough to narrowly make his escape.
The only reason I know this, is because La, the Ocean spirit, wanted to know where he went. The world had slipped out of focus the moment Zhao had murdered Tui, and I approached the edge of the pond, staring at La until my tattoos glowed. I stepped out over the water, a strange calm filling me, and then the world disappeared.
Faintly, I could hear Katara calling out, but I was with La now, and we were moving through the city, where we would find Zhao and deal with him.
Katara
The world felt empty without bending. Like there was a void inside of me. A core part of who I was, was gone in the blink of an eye. I felt useless, like I had before all of this. I should have taken those hand to hand combat lessons like Azula had insisted. Ty Lee and Mai were so much more useful than I was during the brief altercation with the Fire Nation. The soldiers were incapacitated easily, and Yue and I slowly approached the pond together, kneeling over the Moon spirit, tears quietly streaming down our cheeks.
"I can't believe he did it," Yue whispered.
I couldn't either. I couldn't believe what Aang had just done, either, but I knew the North would be safe at the end of it.
Sokka knelt on her other side, pressing a kiss to her temple and reaching over to give my shoulder a squeeze. "What are we going to do?"
Toph snorted.
I whipped my head in her direction "Can I help you?"
She had the nerve to cross her too-skinny arms and smirk at us. "You guys are really dense, huh?" Her disgusting, dirty toes curled in the grass, like she was enjoying the feeling of the earth.
"Do you have to be so rude about it?" I snapped. "We're all hurting here."
Azula nudged Toph's arm and spoke to her softly. The earth bender let out a huff. "Sorry, I guess I am being insensitive about it, but after Aang was done being all moody on the bison, she did finish her story about the moon spirit and how it had given her life."
"And?" Sokka's arm held Yue firmly, I think he already knew what she was about to suggest.
"Well? can't she give some of it back?"
My breathing stopped, and I slowly turned my head toward my brother and his fiancée. Sokka was furiously shaking his head, but Yue was slowly nodding. "I have to try," she breathed, slowly reaching out toward the spirit.
"Yue, no, please!"
"I have to, Sokka. Tui gifted me with life when I was a baby, perhaps I can do the same."
"Please…"
She kissed his cheek once last time, and as her fingers made contact with Tui, she was gone, limp in Sokka's arms as his tears turned into gut wrenching sobs.
For a moment, nothing happened. We all held out breaths, waiting for something—anything. And then, Yue's body faded, the Moon spirit started to glow, and started circling once more. The pond, once gray and dull, illuminated itself, blinding us all as a shape took form above it.
"Sokka," Yue's form said softly. His heart break was written all over his face. She moved forward, taking his face into her hands. "I will always be with you."
She was gone a moment later, and Sokka sunk down, hiding his face in his hands as his shoulders shook with grief. Moments later, the moon returned, and that void missing inside me filled, though a new one had ripped open.
Yue's loss would not be taken easily by us or anyone, and Sokka's grief would travel with him for the rest of his years.
"I'm so sorry, Sokka," I whispered, wrapping him in a hug.
"No," his voice wavered as he sat up. "She made a noble sacrifice. She didn't what she could to save her people, and she did."
Footsteps approached, and behind us, Arnook stood with eyes wide. "Yue?"
I shook my head and he crumbled to the ground. "I had tried to prevent this."
Aang
Kyoshi Island Some Weeks Later
"When Yue was born, she was a sickly child. Her mother and I took her to the Moon spirit hoping it would heal her. We were as happy as could be when she was cured, but since then I have been plagued with these…these reoccurring nightmares. In them, the Moon spirit reclaimed Yue's life. I started to believe they were visions that needed preventing. My attempt to unite the tribes was aggressive and done in haste, I know that, but I believed a united tribe would give us more power to protect my daughter. I wanted to keep her alive and safe. I was blinded by my own pride, I see that now, and it has, unfortunately, cost me my daughter. I beg your forgiveness, all of you. Katara, I know I caused you a great deal of pain, and Sokka, words cannot describe what you must be feeling."
In the time since Zhao's attempt to lay siege to the North, the leaders of the world had convened for yet another meeting regarding world issues. This time, however, Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe was to stand trial for his actions. Beside him sat Sangok, his accomplice in all of this, and the only person who had known Arnook's motives. The two of them were being trailed, but I would not permit life imprisonment.
"You acted out of love and fear," Katara replied. "I understand why you did it, sir, but you went about it in the wrong way."
"I know that now, Miss."
"Do you want to tell everyone what happened because of your actions?" Zuko snarled. There were still some bitter feelings in the room.
"Zhao came and murdered the Moon spirit. The Avatar and the Ocean spirit worked together to defend the Northern Water Tribe, and the Usurper lost his life in the process. My daughter-" he hesitated, choking back a sob. "-my daughter gave her own life so the Moon spirit could live once again."
Silence filled the room, and Katara looked to her brother. "Is there anything you want to say, Sokka?"
Sokka's eyes were red and puffy, as they had been any time Yue's name was mentioned. Each night, we would find him outside sitting in the grass and staring at the moon. I heard him speaking to it some nights, albeit softly. A few times, I'd caught him returning Sokka to his pen. He'd fumbled with an excuse, but I didn't mind him using the bison to be closer to the sky. He was hurting, I wasn't going to ban him from his grieving.
"No," he spoke softly. "Nothing that I haven't already said."
"Very well," Firelord Ozai said. Lu Ten, Zuko, Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai returned to the Fire Nation as soon as the battle was over to release their parents. Iroh welcomed Lu Ten back with open arms, and could not stop speaking of how proud he was of his son and the role he played in bringing Zhao's evil plans to light. Ozai and his brother took back the throne, and since then have been doing extensive damage control within their own government. Those who helped Zhao have been trialed and imprisoned. Ozai wanted more severe sentencing, but I wouldn't permit it.
"Chief Arnook," Ozai continued, "despite your emotional testimony, it has been decided by those convened here today that your status as chief of the Northern Water Tribe has been revoked. Your people will hold and election for the next chief, that will be overseen by Avatar Aang and his friends. Any member of either water tribe is allowed to participate, but each must present their plans for the future of the North." And with that, Arnook and Sangok received their sentencing and the meeting was over.
The hearing was held in the practice room of the Kyoshi Warriors, the only space big enough for this hearing. We'd wanted neutral ground for this, and Kyoshi Island was about as neutral as it got. Suki and the other warriors were gracious enough to offer their space to us, and they were wonderful hosts to the other world leaders, offering their homes up for them to stay in during their stay. So generous, in fact, that that night they hosted a party celebrating peace finally being brought to the world once again. Not many of us felt like attending, however. Suki managed to get Sokka out to socialize, he looked like he might smile when I walked by him earlier, but I wasn't going to bother him.
He needed a chance to forget about that night, and I knew we all reminded him of it.
"How're you feeling?" I asked Katara that night. We sat together on the beach, staring up at the stars and the moon. Both out hearts were heavy with the loss of Yue, but thankful that we didn't lose more than night.
"Better," she replied. "It's nice knowing that Sangok won't be able to hurt anyone ever again, and talking to Hahn this morning was comforting."
Hahn's role in all of this had been a pawn. He wasn't the brightest man in the world, and had believed all of Sangok's lies, thinking that Katara was being poisoned against him all this time. He wished her well, and then promptly left the island to return home.
"I miss her, though." Her eyes flicked up toward the sky. "I wasn't entirely fond of her, and I feel awful for not being more welcoming toward her."
I gave her a sad smile. "I'm sure she understood where you were coming from."
"She did," Katara laughed softly, covering up the sniffle that followed it with a cough. "She was very understanding."
I wrapped my arms around her, pressing a kiss to her temple. I didn't know how to comfort her anymore than I already had. So, instead I asked, "Where to after this, sweetie?"
Her sniffling ceased and she pulled back slightly, looking up at me with confusion. "What?"
"Where are we going next?"
"You-you want me to come with you?"
I nodded. "I want you to come everywhere with me."
Her lips broke into a radiate smile. "Why don't we just fly until we get tired?" She offered. "We'll see where we end up."
"That sounds like I great idea."
A/N: Alas, my dear friends, we have reached the end of our journey. Thank you so, so much my dear readers and reviewers. You all made my heart soar with your kind words and gentle constructive criticisms. You helped to build my confidence as a writer, thank you.
To my friends that helped this story come to fruition, thank you. From the beta reading to the late night scream-fests over what would happen next. Thank you for encouraging me to keep going.
Once again, thank you all for this wonderful journey :)