Chapter Ten

Instinctively (thanks Azula!), the young Fire Lord plucked the lightning bolt from the air with extended fingers. Using his right hand, he drew the electric charge down into his center of body, finally passing it through his outstretched left harmlessly into the open sky.

Zhao stared, stupified that someone could evade a direct lightning attack! There was only a handful of high-ranking military officers that could summon lightning. There were even fewer that could re-direct lightning. In fact, the only ones that could-

-were members of the royal family...

That was the Admiral's last thought before the masked Blue Spirit incapacitated him with a strong right hand fire-punch.

The crowd burst into cheers and applause seeing the amazing demonstration.

"Look at that skill!" The announcer called above the shouts. "The Avatar himself survived a lightning attack, and learned the skill of redirection in order to defend himself against the former Fire Lord Ozai!"

Zuko huffed. It was because he was the one who had taught it to the young Airbender!

He breathed quietly, his body aching from the sudden jolt of electricity.

Aang whispered to Sokka, "Have the guards escort out Admiral Zhao when he recovers. I'm not going to have a dishonorable man shooting lightning at people who don't know how to fight against it."

The young Steward nodded, relaying Aang's command to a nearby guard.

"It was lucky-," Iroh mused, "- that the masked fighter knew how to redirect it."

"He fights well." Aang scratched his head, "I've fought beside him before, during the war. Do I know him?"

The memory of the day of Sozin's Comet tickled his brain.

Iroh gave a secretive smile. "I believe we do, but perhaps we should ask him to find out. I think it will be a wonderful surprise." The older firebender looked more cheerful than he had been in weeks, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Aang quirked a confused look at him, but amplified his voice using an old airbending technique.

"Congratulations to you, great warrior, for winning the Tournament of Two Lovers! Would you please bring your chosen one to the dias so I can grant you anything your heart desires?"

The Blue Spirit nodded, and made his way slowly to the side of the stands. A cluster of screaming girls grabbed at his hands so he could choose them, but he only reached for one.

As he lifted her onto the tournament green, the hooded girl took the discreet opportunity to heal his pain with her waterbending.

"Oh, thank Agni," he groaned after feeling the cooling relief against his aching muscles. The human body was not meant to take on a direct lightning attack.

Katara chastised him gently, "We are definitely going on a vacation after this."

He took her hand in his, and was glad the mask hid his broad smile. He could imagine the two of them watching the sunset on Ember Island privately.

The masked and hooded pair walked sedately towards the pavilion high above the crowd, their steps smooth and measured. As they approached the airbending king, the two suddenly swept into a deep kowtow, holding their obeisance for several seconds. Such displays of reverence were reserved only for the highest of kings. The audience roared with approval.

Aang blushed at the sudden formality, responding with a deep bow of his own.

"Rise, my friends! You have proven your worth especially with that awesome lighting bending. Please, who are you? What can I do for you?"

The pair did as he bid, but still concealed their faces.

A rough voice rang out for all to hear beneath the blue mask, "Avatar Aang, I desire nothing. Only that you grant justice for my companion!"

"Hey, that sounds like Shou," Sokka muttered to himself. "I mean, Fire Lord Zuko."

With that familiar tone, Iroh couldn't help but blurt out, "Tell me my nephew! Is your companion as lovely as she seems? What kind of tea does she like?"

A string of rants and curses erupted from the young man as he unmasked himself to shout at his Uncle.

The gathering of people gasped in astonishment.

The Fire Lord?!

It truly was him. The scar was even on the same side!

The Avatar held his arms up for silence. He had asked for a sign, hadn't he?

"Fire Lord Zuko. I'm glad you weren't killed as Princess Katara said." He gave a glance at the silent girl in her high seat. "I offer my apologies for not recognizing you as Shou. I hope you were treated fairly in the kitchens."

The firebender snorted, "Well enough, besides getting made fun of." He gave a glare towards the blushing Steward.

"I'm sorry, Shou. Err, I mean Zuko. I shouldn't have treated you like that." The wolf-tailed Knight gave a strange look to the man. "I thought Katara said you were dead, and that she married you?"

Zuko fought the blush at his cheeks again from the word, marriage.

"I'll let my companion answer your question, Sokka."

Another familiar voice threw the Gaang into confusion.

"Tell me, Sokka-"

The Steward's forehead creased in confusion. Wait, that was his sister's voice, but she was sitting near him. Who was this hooded girl?

"- Have you been noticing strange things about Katara's story? How could she have married someone without even speaking to you? Did she even say one thing right when you asked her questions about what she had been up to during the war?"

Sokka had to nod at that. Everything the girl had said had been true, but she had gotten their family friend Bato's name wrong in conversation yesterday. She claimed she had a headache, and had taken to her rooms early after dinner.

"She said she had fallen on the ice a few months ago, and suffered memory loss. She was lucky enough to recover from that," he answered. He felt strange, calm even. He had felt more comfortable talking to this stranger than his own sister!

"Let's prove it," the hooded girl continued. "I'll ask her a single question. If she can answer it, I'll drop any wrongs I have towards her."

She turned towards the girl high above, "Tell me Princess Katara, what did Sokka use to remove a fish hook that got stuck on his finger when you guys went ice fishing a few seasons ago?"

"Katara" glanced down at her accuser, her face paling by the minute. "Why do I have to answer this?" She turned back to her the Steward. "Sokka, I am your sister. Don't listen to foolish ramblings! She's probably high on cactus juice."

Sokka frowned. "It's a simple question, Katara. You were never this defensive before. Just answer it. You were there with me."

The girl bit her lip, giving a quick glance to her servant before revealing a response.

"Pliers! Sokka used pliers to remove the fish hook!"

"Wrong!" The brunette threw off her hood pointing an accusing finger at her doppelganger. "Sokka used another fish hook to remove the first!"

Both girls were identical in face and tone, but that didn't stop the Steward from leaping off the second story pavilion to embrace the true sister.

Aang quickly airbent the Steward back onto the dais and towards the stairs. Sokka clamored down them after being followed by an additionally overjoyed Iroh.

"Seize her!" Aang ordered his guards, but the girl's strange servant got to the princess first.

"Not another step, Avatar. I'd hate for something to happen to her face." He gripped her neck in a tight grasp.

Something seemed to flicker in the air, and what was Katara's face morphed into a plain woman's features. Her skin was the traditional Water Tribe darkness, but her eyes were small and dull.

With thin lips, Kaya snarled, "Koh! We had a deal! Look! There are the thousands of faces I promised you!"

The onlookers and attendees screamed and gasped in horror.

Koh the Face Stealer!

That demonic Spirit knew only of chaos and mayhem. Fairy tales were told that Koh would steal the faces off misbehaving children. Now he was here in the mortal realm!

"Koh!" Aang shouted. "I order you as the Avatar to return to the Spirit World! I will take on the girl's debt. Just leave her alone!"

The smiling servant merely shook his head, "You know it doesn't work like that, Avatar. The girl found me in the Spirit World and promised me many faces if I gave her wealth and power. Stealing her cousin's face made her a leader of the Southern Water Tribe, but that wasn't enough for her. Picking three warriors - one forced, one bribed, and one eager - I managed to make her the Fire Lady. What would she want next? To be the Avatar?"

He turned back to the shocked girl in his grasp. "We had a deal, mortal. I fulfilled my part, but you demanded more and more. I'll settle on your face or none at all."

He opened a glowing portal which bubbled with the mist of another world. One step was all it would take before the girl would be lost forever.

"How about none at all!" Katara shouted.

Her hand extended into a claw shape causing Koh's hostage to stiffen before dropping to the ground like a load of rocks.

Gazing in wonder as the Spirit realized the girl was out of his tight hold he didn't notice a water spike impaling his mortal body straight into the heart.

"Why, that looks fatal," he remarked blithely, as he tumbled backwards into the portal.

The gateway closed with a snap leaving everyone in stunned silence.

"He tried to take my face!" the fallen water tribe girl ranted.

Aang quickly called on his guards to seize the shrieking girl. First a disgraced firebender, now a traitorous water tribesman. His soldiers had never seen so much action before.

As usual, Kaya had never thought of the consequences for her actions, Katara thought sadly. She'd have to see if the Northern Water Tribe had the resources to hold the con-woman.

A warm arm around her waist drew her from her morose thoughts.

"Bloodbending, huh."

"Lightning bending, huh," she echoed the Fire Lord in return.

"Our re-match would truly be memorable, however, it'll have to wait."

Sokka and Iroh who had been standing on the sidelines ready to leap into action at the standoff now embraced their long lost relatives instead.

"My nephew, how I missed you. I was truly devastated when I heard you had perished."

Zuko hugged his Uncle in return. "I'm sorry, Uncle Iroh for leaving the Fire Nation. I just needed a moment to get away from the responsibilities."

"Well," the old man added with a sharp look. "I'm glad you found such a pretty companion to keep you company. Ask her if she would like a tour of the Fire Nation."

The girl in question was having a similar ordeal with her brother.

"Katara!" Sokka squawked. "Why didn't you tell me Kaya was taking advantage of you? She was supposed to help out with the Southern Water Tribe's relocation."

"Well I didn't know she was going to steal my face and take over my life the moment everyone was gone!"

The man winced quietly, "That's a good point, Katara. I'm sorry I wasn't around to look out for you. How about you stay in Aang's Kingdom with me from now on?"

Katara gave a longing glance towards a tall, lean man with a distinctive scar over his eye.

"I think I'd like to travel for a while."

With that said, she left her brother, took the Firebender's hand in hers, and gave an enthusiastic greeting towards a smiling Uncle Iroh.

"Jasmine is my favorite, Uncle Iroh."

Aang's feeling of disappointment seeing the pretty girl talking beside the tall Fire Lord evaporated as he overheard Sokka muttering to himself with a fond, but chagrined smile. "Just don't have another secret wedding without me."

The young man threw a brotherly arm around his Steward as the reunited group made their way into the castle - to feast and celebrate on the reunion of family and the tale of Two Lovers, both ancient and modern.

Thanks for reading,
Grignard