The River of Baleful Wills
“Vaatu…” Zuko’s voice was small as he his question, “Is… Is my mother going to be trapped with Koh for eternity?”
Vaatu remained silent, which answered Zuko’s question. He didn’t really have much hope in it not being the case, but to have it confirmed…
‘Your mother…’ Vaatu’s voice was audibly hesitant, ‘Made an honourable sacrifice for your safety.’
Zuko didn’t quite scowl, but his face soured a touch, “For my safety. Apparently, she didn’t even think to do the same for my sister .”
‘Love makes one blind, child,’ Vaatu responded, ‘And Koh is a fickle beast. We cannot be sure that she did not try to include both her children in the bargain, and was denied.’
“But you said he couldn’t lie,” Zuko pointed out with a grumble, stopping for a moment to reposition his boots as he stepped down a mossy hill, “Isn’t that ‘the way of things’ ?”
‘Koh cannot lie, yes… But he can twist the truth… He never said that your mother didn’t ask for protection of your sister, he only implied it.’
Zuko’s mouth twisted, but he didn’t say anything more about it.
After several more minutes of hiking, where the moss turned a light shade of red, and the clouds parted to reveal two golden moons, Vaatu spoke, ‘You did very well, child, in besting Koh’s attempts to thwart you… It seems that your cousin’s warning was more pressing than I initially believed.’
Zuko didn’t respond, not finding much to be proud of with the encounter. Though he tried to fight against it, several twisting words, spoken from a betraying mouth, circled in his head.
‘In your life, a part of your Father died.’
‘When his Father gave him the command of filicide, he felt no hesitation.’
‘And a face such as yours… Prince of a Nation, Scarred by the Forsaken, Chosen Child of Chaos… It fetches a high price. ’
Zuko was shaken out of his thoughts by the sounds of trickling water. Ahead of him, a stream as pure as crystal snaked along the hill, going down past brambles and trees until it reached a greater river.
Zuko followed the river, going down, down, down as the river growed so that he could see within, and witness the procession of souls cascading down with him as they swam to their judgement.
And Zuko followed the river as it grew, and the brambled and trees around him grew to a forest of crimson leaves, swaying in an unfeeling wind. At the edge of the river, Zuko could see a flowing figure of white, dipping its hands into the water as it touched the souls and guided them to the right side of the waterfall ahead.
As Zuko stepped closer, the figure turned to him, its face pale and marked with vermillion paint, curved in both a scowl and a smile, “ Welcome, Child of Fire, Child of Chaos. I see you have come from the Realm of the Dark One.”
Zuko nodded, bowing to the vaguely familiar spirit, “Thank you for welcoming me, spirit. Will you grant me your name?”
The spirit smiled, returning a lost soul back to the right side of the river with a small, mournful smile, “ I am the Painted Lady, Arch-Spirit of Purity, ” She raised a painted eyebrow behind Zuko, her lips curling into a smirk, “ And I see you have brought my other half with you. It has been too long, Blue.”
Zuko’s eye widened as his shadow rose, liquifying into a blue demon that towered over Zuko. He had forgotten that the Blue Spirit followed his shadow.
The Blue Spirit did not speak back, but instead returned her greeting with a bow - it was unlike any custom Zuko had ever seen . The Painted Lady reached up to pat the Blue Spirit’s arm, “ So you have chosen to follow this child?”
The Blue Spirit nodded, and the Painted Lady sighed, “I always wondered what you saw in him,” She turned to Zuko, scrutinising him, “You are lucky that the Blue Spirit has taken a liking to you, child.”
Zuko hesitated, before bowing again - at this point, he couldn’t be too polite to the spirits - “I am aware, my lady,” He raised his head, “If I may ask, will you point us in the direction of the Court of Agni?”
The Painted Lady’s face twisted in a small scowl, though she remained no less beautiful, “You wish to go to him? You are truly unfortunate, child,” She turned away, walking back towards the river, “Let me show you something, child. Then, I will show you the path you must travel.”
Zuko resigned himself to the spirit’s wish. He was quickly becoming used to spirits wanting to take a crack at him before sending him on his way. He stood next to the Painted Lady as she kneeled at the edge of the river, reaching out to catch a drifting soul within.
“You are Child of Fire, but you have duties beyond that,” She reached into the river, pulling up a globe of water, “As Avatar of Chaos, you must learn the elements to match the Avatar of Order. You must lay down your pride of Fire, and adapt to the flow of Water.”
The globe of water began to glow a soft blue, and she placed the glowing water against the lost soul, “As the first of your kind, you will be alone in this endeavour. You must learn to reshape your mind and soul as a river may reshape to flow downwards.”
Zuko gulped silently as he watched the lost soul struggle against the water before stilling, the mars against its form healing as the water touched it, “...How?”
The Painted Lady smiled softly, dropping the soul back into the river, freshly healed, “ I cannot tell you. I can only say that it is not impossible,” She turned to face Zuko, her smile almost as fond as a mother’s, “I was born as a Child of Fire, as you were, yet I learned the secrets of water, and became Emissary for Tui, Great Spirit of the Moon, Queen of the Currents.”
The Painted Lady stood, and Zuko stood with her, “I serve to heal these souls before they pass, whether in eternity or reincarnation,” Her face grew sad as she gazed over the edge of the river, and over the waterfall below, “But some souls avoid me, and become forever lost to the fog, or to the Dark One…” She shook her head, turning back to Zuko with a pained smile, “That is where you must go. Follow the waterfall east-adjacent, and you will find the edge of the fog. Be wary, for an angered soul escaped my reach not long ago, and will be waiting for you.”
Zuko waited a moment before bowing once more - in Fire Nation style; he had yet to understand the customs of the spirits - “Thank you for your wisdom, my lady.”
Behind him, the Blue Spirit also bowed, and the Painted Lady smiled fondly at them both, “Go on, and remain brave, Child of Fire. Remember to be open to change, Child of Chaos, for such is the way of Water. Push and Pull.”
With that, the Painted Lady turned away, and tended once more to the souls coming her way. Zuko resumed his trek towards the waterfall, with the Blue Spirit combining once more with his shadow, not seeing the small, mournful smile on the lady’s face.
…
The Fog of Lost Souls
The phantoms of chimes echoed across the cliffside, bouncing off of the rock and stone that spiralled and softened as torn skin of a mutilated corpse.
Below the cliffside, bones and ribs pierced the ground, breaking apart and reforming as the dust drifted down and became one with the fog below, casting the horizon in an empty, white void.
Zuko marched along the edge of the cliffside, occasionally peeking down to the fog below, only to quickly turn away as voices beckoned him to join them, to become one with the lost.
‘Remain steadfast, child, and keep your eyes ahead,’ Vaatu’s voice pierced through the dim echo of the chimes, ‘Remember the Lady’s warning.’
Zuko grunted, continuing his march. For all that Uncle had regaled Zuko of the beauty of the Spirit World in all of its bizarre glory, Zuko didn’t see it.
‘That is because you are not truly looking at it,’ Vaatu spoke up, somehow sounding exactly like his Uncle when he bad-mouthed tea, ‘All you have witnessed is its dangers.’
“And what am I supposed to do, ignore them?” Zuko snarked, before stopping, hearing a distant scream, “...Did you hear that?”
‘Hmmm… Perhaps this is the angered soul the Lady was referring to?’ Vaatu queried.
Zuko frowned, “It… didn’t sound like the soul was hurt , just…”
‘...Enraged.’ Vaatu finished his thought, ‘Then let us see what has this soul so angered.’
Zuko gave a small nod, creeping forward towards the periodic screams. The closer he got, the more he grew to recognise the voice, but it wasn’t until he came upon the man screaming against the cliffside that he recognised him.
Unfortunately, given Zuko’s history with the man, he was unable to stop himself from blurting in astonishment, “Zhao?!”
Zhao stopped his screaming, whirling around to face Zuko, allowing him to see just how manic the Captain - wait, no, Admiral - looked, “Zuko?!” Zhao’s face flitted between rage and… relief? “How are you here?”
Backing up slightly as Zhao stepped closer, Zuko yelled out in sudden anger, “What do you care? You tried to kill me!”
Zuko felt Vaatu perk up when he said that, but refocused his attention on Zhao as the man laughed maniacally, “So what if I hired some pirates to blow you up? Obviously, it didn’t work. How else would you be standing here, alive?”
Zhao’s voice somehow retained a mixture of bitterness and good humour, with a touch of insanity. Where Zuko usually felt angry and small in the man’s presence, now he was only wary , “I captured the Avatar and brought him to the Tundra. He escaped, and I fell into the Spirit World.”
Zhao’s eyes almost seemed unfocused, yet he still responded, “Of course you did… Fled away like a coward on the cusp of our Nation’s greatest victory…” He smiled at Zuko - a genuine smile - which was just absolutely wrong , “You should have seen it! You chasing after a spirit for years only for me to come in and slay the Moon Spirit!”
As Zuko and Vaatu recoiled together, Zhao turned to the sky, raising a fist against its many moons with a cry, “I will be remembered as the greatest hero in Fire Nation history, as Zhao the Conqueror, Zhao the Moon-Slayer, Zhao the Invincible!”
“What? No! ” Zuko shouted in horror, “You-” Then Zuko stilled, remembering how, upon first stumbling upon the Spirit World, the moon turned red… then vanished , “ You didn’t. ”
Zhao turned to him, eyes gleaming with madness as he responded with pride, “I did. I burned that damned fish , and destroyed the very moon that the waterbenders called their god! ”
Zuko’s anger flared, and Vaatu’s with it, as his eyes flashed violet with a roar, “You FOOL!” The cliffside shook, and Zhao’s manic smile twisted into an enraged snarl as Zuko advanced upon him, “Are you an idiot?! We need the moon for the currents! Our very Nation is on a series of islands! You would have killed us all!”
Zhao snarled, sloppily placing himself in a fighting stance, “Yet the Firelord decreed it so. I told him of my plans, and he approved of it! ”
Zuko momentarily halted - Father… Father wouldn’t - and Zhao rushed him, striking out in a jab without flame.
Zuko fought back, conscious of his lack of fire while Zhao seemed mindless, almost unaware that his attacks produced no live flame.
But Zuko was weak from his injuries from the explosion on the ship and the blizzard of the tundra. Though he hadn’t been weakened since then, he also hadn’t healed, and his strength was quickly waning.
As Zhao kicked Zuko towards the edge of the cliffside, he roared, “TRAITOR! Fighting against your Nation , your Firelord !” Zhao snarled, pushing Zuko even further back, “You’re just like your uncle: a traitor to the Fire Nation!”
Zuko skidded to the edge of the cliffside, less than a metre away from falling into the fog, and becoming lost. Zhao growled, preparing to push Zuko over the edge, when Vaatu spoke in his mind, ‘Remember the Lady’s words.’
Zuko’s eyes widened, and Zhao ran forward, arms extended, intent on shoving Zuko down to his eternal end.
Push.
Zuko reacted on instinct, shifting to the side, and grabbed onto Zhao’s arm. Using the man’s momentum, he heaved, and threw Zhao over his head, and into the fog below.
Pull.
Zuko collapsed, head laying down on the edge of the cliffside as Zhao’s terrified screams petered off into oblivion. He heaved in panicked breaths, having nearly been doomed to the very fate that Zhao had now met.
After a few minutes had passed, Vaatu spoke up in his mind, sounding vaguely worried, ‘Are you well, child?’
Zuko grit his teeth, biting out the instinctual, “I’m fine.”
Such a response wouldn’t have worked on Uncle, who would have continued pestering Zuko until he received some sort of aid - usually tea and proverbs.
It seemed to satisfy Vaatu, though, as the Great Spirit spoke up once more, ‘Then I would recommend getting up, child. It seems that La is beckoning us.’
Zuko opened his eye, twisting his head to the great blue beast over the horizon. It raised its head and warbled a watery cry before disappearing behind the distant mountains.
Zuko stood up, wincing at the bruises and cuts along his body. While the pain from his injuries before the Spirit World had never reduced to more than an ache, it hurt far more now that his fight against Zhao aggravated his injuries.
All the same, Zuko began to march once more, walking along the edge of the cliffside towards the other end of the fog.
All the while, a singular thought floated within his mind, never leaving.
Father approved of Zhao’s plan.
Father approved of the Moon Spirit’s death.
…
The Spirit Oasis
Mountains of ice blotted the sky. The suns above had all disappeared, leaving but a single pale moon to provide light to the clearing.
Zuko stepped over a wooden bridge and onto a small island, one that was recently familiar to him. He had fought the waterbender girl here, after all, and had captured the Avatar during his meditation.
With all the familiarity of the location, Zuko asked Vaatu in a low tone, “Am I… Am I out of the Spirit World?”
‘No, child, but we are in a mirror realm,’ Vaatu replied, ‘This is an old place, child. Remember your manners.’
Zuko scowled briefly at Vaatu’s condescending tone before smoothing his face. Looking all around the shrine, he couldn’t see anything else with him, least of all a great ocean spirit.
With nothing else to do, Zuko asked out into the icy void, “Hello? Is…” He wracked his brain for the spirit’s name, “A La here? Great Spirit of the Sea?”
“Actually, it’s La, Great Spirit of the Ocean, Lord of the Depths,” A soft voice rang out behind him, causing Zuko to whirl around to see a pale woman with snow-white hair crossing a bridge onto the island.”
Zuko stared at the woman, taking several seconds before recognising her as the other person he saw when he captured the Avatar for the final time, “I know you,” He winced - perhaps it wasn’t wise to blurt that out - “Sorry - I mean - I don’t know your name, but I saw you at this shrine…”
The white-haired woman raised an imperious eyebrow, looking distinctly unimpressed, “Yes, I remember. You did blast Katara with a blast of fire before stealing the Avatar. It would be hard to forget that so soon.”
Zuko winced under the woman’s glare - also, who was Katara? - muttering, “Er… Sorry? I wasn’t there for anyone but the Avatar.”
The woman scowled, and it somehow seemed much harsher with how pleasant her face normally was, “And that’s supposed to make it better?”
“It’s…” Zuko grimaced, knowing that his next word wouldn’t make the woman any less angry, “Complicated.”
“Oh?” The woman scoffed, walking along the edge of the pond on the island, “Do explain.”
Zuko’s eye twitched, his patience beginning to thin, “I don’t have the time to explain. I was supposed to speak with the Great Spirit of the Ocean here. Is it coming or not?”
The woman stopped, eyeing Zuko with something that looked suspiciously like pity, “I’m afraid he isn’t going to be here for some time. Besides, it isn’t as if La can speak ,” At Zuko’s widened eye, the woman smirked, looking pleased with herself, “But you’re more than free to speak with me. You could call me something of a… spokeswoman for La. He wouldn’t mind. His will is my will, and my will is his.”
Zuko paused, and narrowed his eye at the woman who was smiling demurely at him, “...Who are you?”
The woman clucked her tongue, “Finally asked me for my name. Took you long enough,” The woman shook her head lightly before looking back to Zuko, the moon shining brighter overhead, “I am Princess Yue of the Northern Water-Tribe, and I ask you , Dark Avatar, who are you? ”
Zuko flinched at the question - this woman was a Princess; that spelled doom for Zuko - but answered it all the same, “I am Zuko, Son of-” He hesitated for a moment, remembering Koh’s stolen face, “-Ursa and Firelord Ozai, Prince of the Fire Nation…”
“Prince of the Fire Nation…” Princess Yue repeated, her face darkening in shadow, “The same Fire Nation that attacked my home, killed my people, and destroyed the Moon Spirit?”
Zuko growled, “That wasn’t the Fire Nation , that was Zhao! ” - and his Father - “Listen… I’m sorry that the Moon Spirit died. If I had known…” Zuko paused, recalling his sheer horror upon learning of Zhao’s actions, “...I would have done something…”
Yue raised an eyebrow, “But you didn’t know, and in your ignorance, that man ,” She spat the word as if it was a curse, “Defiled our Sacred Waters!”
Zuko felt hopeless in the face of Yue’s anger - it was completely justified - “I’m… Sorry…”
He bowed his head low, and heard rather than saw Yue sigh, “Rise, Dark Avatar. Tell me once more, who are you? ”
Zuko rose, frowning in mild confusion, “I’m… Zuko… Son of-”
“You already told me that! ” Yue snapped, face going red in frustration, “But you changed on that day, as I did! Who are you, Dark Avatar?”
“How does everyone know about that?” Zuko cried out in frustration before clamping his mouth shut in mortification.
Thankfully, the princess only seemed amused, if her dark smirk was anything to go off of, “Oh, you positively glow with Chaos, Prince Zuko. There isn’t a spirit in this world that hasn’t heard of the Dark Avatar, bumbling towards Agni.”
Zuko placed his hands on his face in exhaustion, “...How long have I been wandering here?”
“Years,” Yue answered glibly, causing Zuko to snap his head up to stare at her in horror, “And weeks. You are close, so close to your destination, yet your journey has only just begun.”
She turned once more to Zuko, her eyes shining with the light of the moon, “And I ask you once more, Dark Avatar. Who. Are. You? ”
Zuko remained silent, staring into the empty pond between them. Several minutes passed, at which point, he spoke in a whisper, “I don’t know anymore…”
Yue remained silent for a moment, before sighing, “Well, at least you are honest, even if you’re sad to look at.”
Zuko glared silently at her, but didn’t find it worth yelling over. After a few moments, Yue hummed, walking closer to Zuko, “Well… I suppose if you’re honest, then I must be too.”
Zuko side-eyed her, frowning at her words, “What do you mean?”
Yue smiled, and it was a surprisingly sweet smile, “I told you my name is Yue, and that was true…” She tilted her head, her eyes darkening to black pits, “But I am also Tui, Great Spirit of the Moon, Queen of the Currents.”
Zuko flinched back in surprise, feeling Vaatu do the same, “Wha- I thought the Moon Spirit was killed!”
Yue - Tui? - smiled, revealing far too many teeth for a human skull, “I did, but Yue gave her life to become me, and We lived.”
Vaatu spoke up, his voice almost sounding awed as he asked, ‘How? I felt your death… I mourned you…’
Tui smiled, and the sight of it was monstrous on Yue’s face, yet it was no less kind, “How indeed… I sacrificed a piece of myself for the life of a child, and in return, she sacrificed her life for Us to live…”
Vaatu went silent, mulling over Tui’s words.
Tui turned her eyes back to Zuko, face softening as she spoke, “You have much to learn, Avatar Zuko, both of yourself and your place in the world,” She sighed, casting her eyes up to the moon above, “The world has been unbalanced for far too long, and its cracks have finally shown in the death of not only one, but two Great Spirits,” Ignoring Zuko’s sudden alarm - two deaths? - Tui continued, “You must rise up to balance the power of Avatar Aang. Only then can we hope to recover from what we have already lost.”
Then, before he or Vaatu could question the Great Spirit on what she said, the ocean around them rose, and La, The Great Spirit of the Ocean, Lord of the Depths, extended a hand, pointing away from the shrine.
“Go forth, Dark Avatar,” Tui spoke, her voice softening to that of the human princess, “Go negative-west, and you will find the knowledge you seek.”
Zuko almost stayed behind, wishing to ask more questions, but with the Lord of the Depths glaring at him with ill-hidden derision, he chose the wise thing to do, and started walking away, closer to his destination.
…
Wan Shi Tong’s Library
Zuko’s grip on the vine nearly slipped as it sank down from his weight. He held strong, though, and grappled himself upwards towards the roof of the upside-down palace above him.
The drop below was vast, and Zuko dared not look down. Yet, he knew that such a drop was deeper than even that of the Western Air Temple, and were he to fall, he would become nothing but a red paste on the ground.
Thankfully, Zuko had experience in scaling up places, and with the aid of the Blue Spirit, he reached the top of the vine, gripping the edge of the trapdoor leading within the palace.
Swinging the trapdoor open, Zuko breathed in, and before he could have second-thoughts, leaped across the abyss and into the doorway, tumbling against the carved rock of the palace.
He stayed like this for a time. It was becoming increasingly common for him to risk his life in such unorthodox ways, but by now he had gotten used to the eccentricities of the Spirit World. It almost made the dangers of the real world pale by comparison.
After several moments on his back, Zuko heard Vaatu grumble, ‘Are you going to get up, child, or are you spent that you cannot even move?’
“Just give me a minute,” Zuko sighed, turning on his side to push himself up.
He peered over the edge of the trapdoor before promptly looking away. It was a steep drop. He turned upwards to a ladder leading up into the palace, with upside-down stairs going deeper up.
Zuko climbed up the ladder, which seemed to pierce through the entire palace, ending in a wide chamber with halls leading in eight directions.
It was quiet and dusty in the stone building, with only the distant sound of winds to pass the walls.
As Zuko stepped off the ladder and onto the floor, he asked Vaatu in a whisper, “Where should I go?”
‘I do not know, child,’ Vaatu replied, sounding curious, ‘For now, we should see where we are.’
Zuko nodded, stepping into one of the eight halls. With the dim lighting, and his lack of firebending, it was hard to see beyond the vaguest details of the palace, but eventually, Zuko stumbled upon a hall of books, stacked in spirals and spires, from ancient texts that Zuko couldn’t read to modern plays that Zuko had learned and memorised.
It wasn’t long before Zuko realised that this was not a palace, but a grand library, “Tui did I would find the knowledge I seek here… I suppose it makes sense that it would be in a library.”
Vaatu hummed, saying nothing in response. Zuko considered the books around him, asking himself, “I don’t understand what she meant by that, though… I wish to know where Agni is… Is that the knowledge I seek?”
‘I suppose we will find out, child,’ Vaatu rumbled, ‘But for now, let us search… Perhaps we could find a spirit to guide us.’
Zuko grumbled to himself, “I’m kinda getting sick of spirits,” but continued to walk through the halls of books.
Eventually, after halls and halls of towering piles of books and scrolls, Zuko stumbled upon a chamber at the edge of the library, its stone blackened with ash, and its scrolls toppled together in a pile of black dust.
Zuko stopped, surveying the room in dulled shock, and asked to himself, “What happened in here?”
“I don’t know, fire-starter,” Zuko jumped at the voice, whirling around to see a towering owl glaring down at him, “What happens when a scroll comes in contact with flame?”
Zuko stepped back as the owl advanced, gulping before replying, “It burns.”
“Indeed,” The large owl rumbled, stopping before Zuko as he backed into the wall, “Why are you here, fire-starter? Have you come to burn the rest of the library?”
“No, I have not ,” Zuko’s voice was remarkably calm, probably because of how many times such spirits acted as such, “Why would I? It’s wasteful!”
“I have been told the same by you humans before, and they were nothing more than lies,” The owl growled, extending its wings around Zuko, flashing talons across its feathers, “You humans only come here to gain an edge over other humans, for war, for money, for pride. That last human came here to learn his enemy’s culture and weaknesses, declaring that he would kill their patron spirit before burning the scrolls in this room.”
Zuko narrowed his eyes before blurting in anger, “ Zhao! You blasted-” He growled, smothering his anger before regarding the owl, “That was Zhao, and I am nothing like him! ” He stood up against the owl, his face looking up in a snarl, “He got what he deserved! For he has fallen into the Fog of Lost Souls!”
Zuko breathed heavily for several seconds, silently daring the owl to reply. Eventually, the owl did, its talons slowly receding, “You speak true?”
“You want confirmation? Ask La ,” Zuko spat, feeling a deep pit of rage rising to the surface in his words, “He witnessed me toss the bastard in there! So don’t compare me to the likes of him! ”
The owl remained silent before backing away slightly, “If that is true…” The owl stood up to its full height, retreating its wings back into its body, “Then you have my apologies, human, and my gratitude. My declaration of enmity against that man has been met, and I am better for it.”
Zuko huffed, feeling the adrenaline slowly leave his body, “Whatever. Is there anything else you need from me?”
The owl regarded Zuko for a moment before asking, “You have come here for knowledge, human?”
Zuko frowned, “Yes… Though I don’t know what for…”
The owl regarded him, its head turning slowly to its side, “And you seek knowledge not for war’s sake, but for the sake of knowledge?”
Zuko breathed, “Yes, spirit.”
The owl regarded him for a moment more, its head turning even further, “Then you may have passage in my library, if you may do me a favour…”
Zuko kept himself from sighing - there was always a caveat when talking with spirits - “What’s your favour?”
“You are a Child of Fire, are you not?” At Zuko’s nod, the owl pointed to the burned bookshelves, “Then I ask that you write what you know of your people, your customs, and your element, for the human Zhao has burned all that I kept on the Children of Fire.”
Zuko winced, “I… Don’t know if I can recover everything…”
“That does not matter to me, human. I will recover what I have lost; it is only a matter of time,” The owl lowered its head to Zuko’s level, piercing him with a stare, “Your help will speed up the process, and will grant you access in my library anytime you wish.”
‘I expect this is the best deal you will receive, child,’ Vaatu spoke up in his mind, sounding almost as resigned as Zuko himself, ‘I advise that you take it.’
Zuko sighed, but bowed to the owl in Fire-Nation custom - which he would probably have to write about, along with everything else - “I accept your bargain, spirit.”
“My name is Wan Shi Tong, Arch-Spirit of Knowledge,” The owl - Wan Shi Tong, what a mouthful - corrected Zuko, “And I will return after communing with La over your claims. I expect to see a pile of fresh scrolls when I am back.”
Zuko bowed once more, hiding his small scowl, “You honour me with your mercy, Wan Shi Tong.”
The owl spirit stared at Zuko for several moments before leaving the room, leaving Zuko to stand in a pile of burnt scrolls, and no idea on where to start.
‘Well, you won’t make any progress standing there, child,’ Vaatu spoke up in his mind, sounding amused, ‘I would recommend beginning sooner than later, lest you incur the wrath of the owl.’
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Zuko growled, grabbing a stack of empty scrolls and walking over to a desk in the corner, preparing for the long haul of writing that was ahead.
…
“Here.”
Zuko dropped a pile of scrolls in front of the owl, scowling rather harshly with how sore his fingers were after ages of writing and illustrating, “Here’s the last batch of what I know of the Fire Nation.”
The owl stared at Zuko, then stared at the 87th pile of freshly painted scrolls, then back at Zuko, “And you worried that you wouldn’t know enough…”
Zuko’s scowl only deepened. It turned out that both he and the owl spirit severely underestimated just how much Zuko happened to know about the Fire Nation, and just how long it would take to transcribe it all, “Now that I’m done here, can I search the rest of the library?”
“...Go ahead, little author,” The owl extended a wing, enveloping the mass of scrolls within it, “And as thanks for my favour, you may take with you one book of your choosing,” At Zuko’s widened eye, the owl huffed, turning away, “I must go now, for my knowledge seekers will be busy sorting your writing into categories, given how you failed to do so.”
Zuko’s eye twitched, but he didn’t say anything, bowing as Wan Shi Tong left him to explore the rest of the library. Once the owl spirit was out of sight, Zuko could hear a distant chuckle from Vaatu, ‘The Spirit of Knowledge is not incorrect, child. You did jump quite a bit around with what you knew… One moment it is ancient history and the next it is the intricacies of a fictional character in a play.’
Zuko grumbled, “It’s not like I have all that stuff nearly catalogued in my head. I figured it was best to write it down before I forgot it.”
‘Oh, but you knew quite a lot…’ Vaatu hummed as Zuko began perusing a shelf of books about spirits - which would have been quite useful a while ago - ‘Far more than I had expected.’
Zuko frowned, remembering the endless nights back home where he brought various history scrolls back to his room to study, “I… I wasn’t very good in my firebending studies, so, for a while, I tried to make up for it by going ahead in other areas.”
Vaatu remained silent for a moment before speaking up, ‘And that was how you learned of such things as the Great Cabbage Plague from 900 years ago?’
Zuko felt his face grow hot, “S-Shut up! It was interesting…”
Vaatu continued to chuckle darkly in the back of Zuko’s mind, so he ignored it as he read a paragraph from the page he randomly flipped to in the book.
~“One theory of how the Great Spirits have such great power is that they were the first spirits to form, back before time began. Given that spirits are luminous beings that embody ideas, it stands to reason that the oldest spirits would embody the oldest, and most central, concepts of our universe. We can see evidence of this with the Spirits of the Sun and the Moon, being amongst the oldest to be born as siblings, Agni and Tui. This may also explain why so many spirits form in pairs, as each idea must have an opposite. When life was first created out of the mud of the earth, the Mother of Faces was born to give it a soul. But with life comes death, and so the Face-Stealer rose to take its first face, its first soul. Using this theory, certain scholars have proposed that the oldest spirits are not those of life and death, like many believe, but those of order and chaos, yin and yang. For it is from that duality, and its balance, that everything else in our universe has followed.”~
Zuko frowned in thought, closing the book as he asked Vaatu, “Are you… Are you and Raava the oldest spirits?”
Vaatu hummed, ‘Unfortunately, child, I cannot tell you.’
Zuko scowled, “Why not?”
‘The answer would destroy your mind,’ Vaatu replied nonchalantly, ‘The human brain is not equipped for an answer outside of time.’
Zuko grumbled wordlessly, but didn’t say anything more about it, instead asking, “So… What ‘knowledge’ am I supposed to find here?”
‘I imagine you can find nearly anything you desire,’ Vaatu responded, ‘Though Tui did specify it as the ‘knowledge you seek’.’
“That’s what I’m confused about,” Zuko replied, checking the title of a book in the section he was in - Agricultural Studies, specifically that of cabbages - before putting it back, “I don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking for…”
‘And what is it that you wish to seek?’ Vaatu asked, sounding much like Uncle did whenever he was subtly leading Zuko to a lesson on humility or something similar.
Zuko frowned, mentally repeating the question in his head as he surveyed rows upon rows of books, each row specialising in a certain area of knowledge. He tried making a list of things he wanted to know, which was both short, and insurmountably unanswerable.
Did Father truly know that Zhao wished to kill the Moon Spirit, and if so, why did he allow it?
What did Vaatu mean by Agni chaining the Fire Nation, and what did Kai have to do with it?
Why did his mother sacrifice her face for him? And why didn’t Father say anything about it?
Why and how did the war begin? In all the scrolls he read, none of them said anything about the beginning of the war, or its motivations.
Will he ever go home? Will he ever be accepted? Will Father ever be proud of him?
Zuko shook his head, walking aimlessly. Despite what Vaatu said, Zuko knew that most of those questions couldn’t be answered by scrolls, but one of them could.
Though Zuko’s mood was soured by the other questions remaining unanswered, a small part of him that loved learning about history was excited at the prospect of filling in the gap between the years before Sozin’s Comet, and the years after.
Vaatu became silent at this; Zuko didn’t notice.
Zuko set off to find the section of the library containing texts on the element of Air, and the Air Nomads. While Zhao had burned everything in the Fire section of the library, including the texts on Sozin’s Comet, Zuko surmised that he would find something on it in the Air section.
Sozin’s Comet had been used against the Air Army, after all, and survivors of the battle had lived on until the last one was killed twenty years later.
He ignored the pit in his stomach when thinking of this. War was brutal, but both sides fought in it.
It was only natural that one would be the victor, and the other the defeated.
Finally, Zuko found a soft orange chamber, bearing symbols of wind on the ground and the ceiling. The room distantly reminded Zuko of the libraries he found in the Air Temples he searched, except he found no texts in those, as they had been long burnt away a century ago.
With his mind and goal set, Zuko checked book after book until he found those that were dated around the time of the Comet. He had to restrain himself from getting distracted a few times by titles such as ‘The Legend of the Weightless Master’ and ‘Memoir of Avatar Yangchen’ , lest he waste even more time in the library.
Finding the most recent text, which was an untitled journal dated nineteen years after the comet, Zuko flipped to the end, only to find blank paper.
With a confused scowl, Zuko flipped back through the book, eventually finding an entry near the middle, written in neat, if basic, handwriting.
~“Fire Fountain City, 1st Summer Trimester, 19 Years”~
~“It has been a long time since I have written in this journal. Its memories were too painful for me to bear.”~
~“In the past five years, I have made peace with the genocide against my people. In all of my travels, I have heard of no other who survived that bears our customs or our element.”~
~“I was able to recover a small number of scrolls and artefacts from the Northern and Eastern Temples, but I fear that most have been burnt or plundered.”~
~“I travelled for a time with a tribe of sandbenders in the Si Wong Desert, and I taught them what little I knew of my element, in exchange for their knowledge of a great spirit within the dunes.”~
~“With their guidance, I found a library under the sand, and found a home for what I carried of my brothers and sisters of the North and East.”~
~“The Spirit of the Library told me of other recent visitors. I was struck with small hope for a moment, but it was dashed when I learned of their fate.”~
~“I am one of the last of my people, and I feared that I would soon be the last.”~
~“But in my despair, I found a kindling of hope. For in hiding, I reunited with an old love within the Nation of Fire. She recognised me, and in her mercy, she gave me a new identity, and we married under the Noble House of Ty.”~
~“And by the Blessing of Air and the Mother of Faces, she is now with child. And with this miracle, perhaps, one day, my people and my element may survive in the years to come.”~
Zuko closed the journal, his face shifting between a frown and a glower. A part of him shifted in unease in how hopeless the writer seemed, and how he described the opening bid of the war as a genocide.
Zuko knew, intellectually, that the Fire Nation’s attack against the Air Nation resulted in the latter’s destruction. It had always settled uneasily in his gut when he thought of it - especially upon walking through the empty halls of their temples - but he could always justify it as a casualty of war.
It was a terrible thing, yes… But war is always terrible.
Besides… It wasn’t as if the Fire Nation attacked without provocation! The Air Nation had been setting up a great army in preparation for an attack against Zuko’s people, with the largest group amongst them living within the Fire Archipelago!
Zuko just needed to see it, to find the truth. Surely, one of the texts from before the war would show the growth of their army and their military ambitions! Once Zuko found it, he could rest his heart from the worry that maybe - just maybe - the attack of Sozin’s Comet wasn’t in defence of their nation.
Picking out a text of the Western Air Temple dated a mere year before Sozin’s Comet, Zuko sat back down onto the floor to read.
~“I am growing worried over the balance of the world.”~
~“Our brothers in the north have reported that the Great Spirits of the Moon and the Ocean have become unruly, and untrustful of others.”~
~“Our sisters in the east speak of the great city closing its walls. They are raising defences for an attack that has yet to come, and they are shutting out those that they had previously let in.”~
~“Our brothers in the south provide monthly updates on the young Avatar, and though he is nearing mastery at such a young age, he is still only eleven years old.”~
~“And we have had to calm our young from numerous nightmares from the Dark One. It seems as though the spirits sense a storm approaching, and for the Face-Stealer to act upon it, it must be terrible indeed.”~
~“I fear for what is to come, as our historical allies of Fire have closed their borders to us, and any we send to negotiate have not returned. When I tried to speak with them, they became agitated, and threatened harm upon me and my wards.”~
~“I fear that a great and terrible storm is approaching, and that we must weather it ourselves, for the Avatar is but a child, and the other nations have turned away from us.”~
Zuko closed the text with a growl, becoming increasingly agitated he shoved the book back into the shelf and took out a scroll from the year of the Comet.
Surely, this must show what happened at the onset of the war. Surely, it would show that the Fire Nation was justified . It must be!
Zuko opened the scroll, and with a dawning horror, read the list written in shaky script, and blotched with ancient tears.
~“The Western Air Temple”~
~“27,899 Inhabitants”~
~“16,748 Children Age 15 and Below”~
~“4,227 Caretakers and Teachers”~
~“2,154 Elders Age 65 and Above”~
~“1,201 Sick and Injured”~
~“2,672 Healers”~
~“897 Visitors”~
~“0 Survivors”~
Splotches of ink and slashed over words covered the middle of the scroll. Legible letters only appeared near the bottom.
~“There was no warning”~
~“One moment there was clear skies”~
~“The next moment, there was fire”~
~“The skulls of death marched through our temple”~
~“They left nothing but ash”~
~“The sick, the elderly, the children, nothing but ash”~
~ “May the Avatar and the Spirits of Air forgive them” ~
~ “Because I never will” ~
Zuko stared down at the scroll, not blinking for several moments as the lump in his throat swelled.
He could remember stumbling upon a room in the Western Air Temple, hidden away so well that he nearly missed it.
There was a pile of skeletons in that room, so many that it had made Zuko nearly retch.
But in his mindless pursuit of searching for the Avatar, Zuko moved to shove away the adult skeletons, piled next to each other, hiding something underneath.
And as he removed one adult skull, and saw more bone underneath, Uncle pulled him back and away before he could see what the skeletons had laid over, what they had died to protect.
He never remembered seeing Uncle’s face being quite as pale as it was in that moment.
And three years after the fact, Zuko believed he understood. Zuko believed he knew what lay underneath the skeletons, what had been so sickening that it had even affected the Dragon of the West.
“16,748 Children Age 15 and Below”
“0 Survivors”
And when he had seen bone underneath the adult skeletons…
A child’s skull.
Zuko keeled over, bringing a hand to his mouth to keep himself from heaving.
Within himself, he could feel Vaatu finally rouse from his silence, as he whispered, ‘Bear witness to the effects of Raava’s wrath, for the world made a great step towards Singular Order on that day.’
Zuko slammed his fist against the ground, focusing on the pain to keep himself from vomiting, “They… My Nation… We wouldn’t!”
‘But it happened,’ Vaatu replied darkly, ‘And an entire element, and entire culture was lost on that day.’
Zuko gripped his hair, hyperventilating in horror, “ Oh Agni, the Avatar… He-” Zuko’s breath hitched - the Avatar was a child - 0 survivors - “...He’s the last one left.”
‘Not anymore…’ Vaatu whispered, his distant anger only being smothered by determination, ‘Not if we have anything to say about it.’
Zuko nodded, feeling numb as he wrapped the scroll back up and placed it back onto the shelf. As he did so, an ornate red book dropped onto the floor from the other end of the shelf.
Sighing to himself, Zuko walked over to replace the book, only to see its title, his eye quirking in interest, ‘The Customs and Forms of the Sun and Dragon Clans.’
Zuko frowned, opening the old book, “This… isn’t an Airbending book…”
‘No…’ Vaatu hummed, sounding interested, ‘Though it seems that its misplacement here saved it from being turned to dust.’
Scowling once more at the thought of Zhao and his idiocy, Zuko flipped to the front of the book, finding a note written in neat calligraphy.
~“This book was lended to me by the late Avatar Roku, for I have always been fascinated by the history and culture of our fiery neighbours, and wished to study their origins. I always meant to return this once I finished, but my friend passed before I could. I resolved to save this for a future Avatar, as this was a gift given to me by one, and so I shall give this as a gift to you, Avatar. May you learn much from this book, and gain wisdom in the element of Fire.”~
~“Sincerely, Monk Gyatso, Brother of the Southern Air Temple”~
Zuko frowned, closing the book, “...I should return this…”
‘Why?’ Vaatu asked, ‘You are allowed one book to take with you on your travels, and you are obviously interested in it.’
“Well, yes, but…” Zuko quickly opened the book and skimmed the note, “This Monk Gyatso gifted this to the Avatar… It should go to him.”
‘Oh?’ Vaatu spoke, sounding vaguely amused, ‘Are you not an Avatar as well? It never stated that it was only to go to the Avatar of Raava.’
“Well, no… But…” Zuko grimaced, the taste of ash settling in his mouth, “...The Fire Nation… They already took so much. It feels wrong to take even more…”
Vaatu became silent for several moments before humming, ‘Perhaps… But was his friend not of your people? Why would he be against you learning from this book when it was his desire in the first place?’
Zuko didn’t answer that, looking back down at the book in his hands. After several moments, Zuko sighed, “I… suppose I’ll take it. I can always return it once I’m done with it.”
“Indeed you will,” Zuko jumped, turning around him to see Wan Shi Tong standing at the entrance to the chamber, its head tilted to its side, “Though, if you die before being able to do so, my knowledge seekers can always take it back themselves…” The owl glided across the chamber, its head surveying the books surrounding Zuko, “Have you found the knowledge you seek, little author?”
Zuko breathed in and out at a measured pace, “...Yes.”
The owl rose, “Then I shall point you to the next step of your journey,” then tilted its head towards the door of the chamber, “Come, and I will show you the way ahead.”
Zuko huffed lightly, carrying the book under his arm as he ran after the spirit.
Wan Shi Tong led him to the main chamber of the library, spanning several stories in height. Zuko’s eye widened as he took in just how large the library was before looking back up as the owl pointed upwards with its wing, “You will find where you need to be up there.”
Zuko squinted, and found a small hole with several vines peeking out of it. A small, almost invisible, ray of light pierced into the library.
Zuko narrowed his eye at the thought of having to climb another set of vines, “Is there another way of getting up there?”
“I could fly you up there…” The owl remarked offhandedly. Zuko stared at it expectantly for several moments before it huffed and shook its head, “I only said I ‘could’ do so, not that I ‘would’.”
Zuko scowled, grumbling to himself as he gripped the nearest vine, “Don’t know why I expected your help. It’s not like you spirits have made things any easier than before.”
“It isn’t the way of things, little human,” Wan Shi Tong called out behind him, having heard the grumbling, “The Balance is changing as we speak. You will find that it shall bring both destruction and creation.”
…
The Temple of the Sky
Zuko shielded his eyes from the blinding light of the horizon as he stepped out of the tower and onto the balcony.
As his eyes adjusted, he could see a great orange sky, with stars twinkling above him while the clouds below soared.
And across the horizon, providing light to the realm of the sky, was a sun so bright that Zuko felt the urge to bow, as if it was Agni himself before him.
‘You are not far off, in more ways than one,’ Vaatu spoke up, ‘For that sun is Agni’s Court. We are near, child, to the end of this journey.’
“But we have one more step,” Zuko murmured, mirroring the words of Wan Shi Tong. He saw a glint in the distance, a far-off island in the sky, illuminated by its edges with the rays of Agni’s light.
Zuko stepped around the balcony, eventually finding a wooden bridge that extended over the cloudy abyss. He hesitated for a moment, worrying that it would break and fall while he was in the middle of it, before resigning himself to his fate. It wasn’t as if the danger was new, but it didn’t make it any less nerve-wracking.
Zuko trudged along the bridge, slowly inching towards the great island in the sky. As he got closer, he could see more of the island, and its architecture, which he found vaguely familiar.
Once he was within a kilometre’s distance - or what he believed to be a kilometre - it clicked.
Before him stood an Air Temple of the Sky, preserved within the Spirit World.
A mad hope settled in his heart, before being dashed away when he reached the edge of the island, and found those waiting for him.
They were formless, aimless.
They looked like the spirits fished out of the River of Baleful Wills.
Zuko eyed the lost spirits as they drifted past, watching him as he began to go up the stone steps of the temple.
All around him, he could hear phantoms of children laughing, elders gathering, and the cold wind that plagued him every time he had stepped foot on the hallowed grounds of the Temples of the mortal world.
Vaatu remained silent, leaving Zuko to bear the stares of those his people had killed a hundred years ago.
Eventually, Zuko hiked to the top of the island, and found a figure sitting against the edge of a balcony, its form lightly glowing at the edges.
The figure seemed to notice Zuko’s arrival, as it spoke in an old, calm voice, “Welcome, Zuko. I have been expecting you for quite some time.”
Zuko halted, surprised that the figure noticed him - he was usually much more stealthy - and hastily dropped to a bow, “Thank you for waiting for me. I am here now.”
The figure chuckled, and patted a spot to his side, “Come sit, Zuko. It has been a long time since I have had the blessing to speak with someone other than a spirit.”
Zuko frowned, but sat down next to the man. He looked to his side to see the old man smiling at him, a blue stripe on his head and hands, before noticing the small bundle in the elder’s arms.
Noticing Zuko’s eye widen, the old man’s smile dimmed, “You need not worry, Zuko. This spirit will not harm you.”
Zuko’s lip thinned, but he kept that particular question for later, instead asking, “How do you know my name?”
The old man smiled once more, setting his eyes towards the sun, “There is not a being in this world that doesn’t know your name, Zuko…” His head tilted back to Zuko, his eyes shining with mirth, “A Prince of the Fire Nation, becoming the very thing he hunted for three years… It is a gripping tale, is it not?”
Grimacing at the reminder of the identity crisis Zuko was smothering, he moved ahead of the conversation, where he felt it would inevitably end up, “I’m… I’m sorry for what happened to your people…” Zuko gulped before whispering, “It was wrong. ”
He looked away in shame, not seeing the old man’s sad smile, “It is in the past… It was a terrible event, yes, but there is nothing more we can do but look ahead.”
Zuko scowled, “We can’t ignore it! Ignoring the past dooms it to repeat itself!” Zuko jolted, remembering the return of Sozin’s Comet less than a year away - Father wouldn’t…
Zuko’s spiralling thoughts were interrupted by the old man’s sigh, “Did you know, Zuko…” The old man waited for Zuko to turn to him, “Did you know that a Great Spirit died that day?”
Zuko reared back, while Vaatu shrank in dejection, “What?!”
The old man nodded, staring down at the bundle in his arms, “It’s true. With Aang’s disappearance, and the death of our people, one of the Great Spirits of Air descended onto the mortal plane and tried to defend us…” The old man blinked away tears before continuing, “It bought us time to evacuate the children, but only just… And our brothers and sisters at the other Temples… They were not so fortunate.”
Zuko sank, the words of the scroll resurfacing in his mind - 0 Survivors - “...How did the Great Spirit die?”
The old man was silent for a moment, before replying in a whisper, “I was one of the last to survive the attack, but we were both surrounded… In a last-ditch effort… We merged …” At Zuko and Vaatu’s twin astonishment, the old man looked away, “I killed many soldiers that day, and in the end, I died with them… And with my death…”
Zuko finished, his voice hollow, “The spirit died as well…”
The old man nodded, turning back to Zuko, “I gave up my creed of holding all life as sacred so that others may escape and live,” The old man turned back to look at the amorphous souls staring at them from the distance, his eyes becoming sad, “It seems that it was in vain.”
Zuko pursed his lips, before trying to consol the old man, “It wasn’t in vain… The Avatar, he’s an Air Nomad… I don’t know how he survived so long, but he did.”
Zuko ignored his own mixed feelings on the Avatar as the old man huffed, turning back to him with a small smile, “I know, Zuko. And there was none better than Aang to uphold our customs as the last Airbender.”
Zuko grimaced lightly - he had spent a season hunting the Avatar - but nodded.
Before either of them could speak any further, the bundle in the old man’s arms shifted, and a ghastly wail pierced through the clouds, causing Zuko to cover his good ear with his hand.
It was several moments before the crying stopped, and the old man hovered over the bundle in his arms, whispering soft words of comfort.
Slowly extending his hand away from his ear, Zuko asked in shock, “What was that ?”
The old man turned to Zuko with a melancholic smile, “That was Laghima, the Great Spirit of Winds, the Master of Weightlessness…” He hummed in thought as Zuko stared at the baby-like being in his arms, not computing how such a thing could be a Great Spirit , “It seems as though a Child of Air has passed… Laghima has always felt great sadness in their death.”
Zuko had many questions, but zeroed in on the one that was the most important, “ Child of Air ? Did the Avatar die? ”
The old man looked at Zuko for a moment, before looking back to the bundle - the Great Spirit - “Aang is the last Airbender, but he is not the last Child of Air…” At Zuko’s confused look, the old man smiled, “Benders of Air may be all but gone, but there will always be those with the spirit of Air in their hearts…”
The old man looked over Zuko, towards the sun, “It is nearing time, Zuko, for you to be on your way,” The old man stood, and Zuko scrambled to stand with him, “When you face the sun, remember that we all bear the freedom of Air in our hearts.”
Zuko turned to face the sun - Agni’s Court - as the old man continued, “Remember who you are, at that only you may determine what that is,” The clouds began to part as glowing steps of condensed fire began to rise from the balcony to the sun above, “We all have the freedom to choose our own destiny, Zuko. Remember that when you choose your own.”
And with that, the old man turned away, once more nursing the spirit in its arms. Zuko stared back for several moments, questions and pleas at the tip of his tongue, but turned away, facing the steps to Agni’s Court.
‘Here we are, child,’ Vaatu hissed in his mind, anticipation lining his words, ‘Are you ready?’
Zuko pursed his lips, “...No,” And he took his first step, “But I will be.”
image [https://i.imgur.com/3msRV2R.jpg]
Temple of the Sky in the Light of Agni's Court
…
The Court of Agni
There was a saying in the Fire Nation, one that was often told to rookies and young soldiers as they went off to fight their first battle or skirmish.
They say that in war, its participants face the light of the sun, the judgement of Agni. They say that, as Children of Fire, only they could see into the sun, receiving Agni’s grace and passion in whole. They say that for all the other nations, when they gaze upon the fires of war, they flinch away from its Light, and thusly fall to the heavenly forces of Fire.
‘As it was decreed to be,’ Said they - the old teachers, the nobles, the war ministers - who had never been to war.
There was another saying, one that Zuko learned in his years at sea. It was a similar saying, but it was twisted in bitterness, warped by the realities of war.
They say that the fires of war are merciless, that the sun will blind those that dare cast thine eyes upon it. In all of the years and decades of endless bloodshed spurred on by lust of power, lust of glory, they say that to stare too long at the sun - Agni’s passion - is folly.
For One Who is Blinded by the Light of the Sun, Will be Lost to Wander in the Dark.
And so Zuko reached up to touch the sun, and in a flash, all went dark, blinding him in both light and shadow.
Then, in the darkness within the light of the sun, flames emerged, and surrounded Zuko, roaring up as rays of judgement cast down upon him.
The outer reaches of the void glowed a burning orange, casting haloed shadows before him, and Zuko watched, in awed silence as the flames spun around him, forming together in hues of orange, blue, and white, as a great and towering figure of flame stood before him, encased behind a rippling inferno.
A throne of yellow fire erupted behind the figure, and from the inferno, spires of molten stars surrounded it. And like a strike of lightning, Zuko lost his breath, and collapsed on his knees, as all at once, he understood.
He was standing in the Firelord’s Chamber.
And before him stood his Father, looking down in disgust, in judgement.
Zuko heard Vaatu call his name, but couldn’t find his voice to respond.
He was petrified.
It was only when his Father - Agni - spoke, that Zuko dared to breathe.
“ZUKO, SON OF URSA AND FIRELORD OZAI, PRINCE OF THE FIRE NATION,” Father’s - Agni’s - voice boomed, shaking the very star they stood upon and through the whole of the Spirit World, “RISE, AND GAZE UPON ME, CHILD OF FIRE. FOR I AM AGNI, GREAT SPIRIT OF THE SUN, KING OF THE INFERNO.”
Zuko was breathing quickly - rise and fight , Prince Zuko! - but stood before his god, his eyes growing defiant.
The flames danced around him, phantom burns raking his skin, and with a blast, Agni’s - Father’s - voice echoed, “YOU HAVE COME BEFORE ME, AND YET YOU COWER. ASK WHAT YOU WISH, CHILD OF FIRE, FOR MY PATIENCE IS SLIM.”
Zuko’s breath hitched - his ears, both of them, began to ring - yet he remembered the lessons of Earth - the Mountain Unyielding, the Desert Merciless - and remained firm, “I have come for the Blessing of Fire, so that I may escape this world and return to the mortal realm.”
“WHY SHOULD I GRANT THIS WISH, CHILD OF FIRE?” Agni roared, the flames around Zuko rising with it, “WHO ARE YOU TO ASK ME OF THIS, CHILD OF CHAOS?”
Zuko paused, recalling the Water Princess and her question - Who are you? - and knew that his answer to her would only be seen as weak before Agni - his Father.
And so Zuko looked inward, looking at what he truly wanted, and who he was, now that he had changed. Zuko desired to restore his honour, but what did that mean?
Zuko grit his teeth and clenched his fist, and remembered the lessons of Water - be open to change, Child of Chaos, for such is the way of Water. Push and Pull - opening himself up to change in his mind and soul, “I am Zuko, Son of Ursa and Ozai, Prince of the Fire Nation,” He took a step towards the fire, unflinching even as the flames licked his scar, “I am Child of Fire and Child of Chaos, borne Agni’s Vessel, and chosen as Vaatu’s,” He took another step, and glared up to Agni, something breaking and reforming deep within himself, “And I declare myself the Dark Avatar of Chaos to combat the forces of Order! For the world is imbalanced, and is suffering for it!” - two Great Spirits dead, and it would only get worse if he didn’t stop it - “And I demand you grant me Fire, so that I may restore my honour, and do my duty!”
The fires blazed, and Zuko witnessed Agni recoil in offence and rage. Yet Zuko felt no fear of Agni’s wrath, not anymore.
He was done bowing before others.
And though he did not speak, Vaatu’s pride was glowing within his body, strengthening his resolve as his spirit aligned with the Great Spirit of Chaos, their wills becoming one.
Agni rose, and its voice, no less loud, came out in a hiss, “YOU DARE, OH CHILD OF FIRE, TO COMMAND ME? YOU SEEK TO RESTORE THE BALANCE BEFORE IT IS BROKEN?” And in the next moment, the sun flared above the Spirit World, casting terror on all of the spirits below, for the flames around Zuko shimmer as Agni laughed , “THE BALANCE HAS ALREADY BEEN BROKEN, SHATTERED, BANISHED! THE SPIRITS OF ORDER AND CHAOS HAVE NO MORE POWER, AND IN THEIR DEFEAT I HAVE RISEN!”
And to Zuko’s horror, the flames condensed, and Ozai’s form towered over him, casting out a hand of flame as Agni and Ozai’s voice bellowed together, “THE CHILDREN OF FIRE WILL GO OUT AND CONQUER THE WORLD! THERE WILL BE NOT A PLACE UNTOUCHED BY THE FIRES OF WAR, AS THE PASSION OF AGNI EXTENDS TO EVERY CORNER OF EXISTENCE, AND IN AGNI’S GRACE, A NEW BALANCE WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN MY NAME!”
Zuko shuddered, but remained standing. In Agni’s Madness, in Agni’s Rage, he could only remember one line written in ink and dotted with tears, and the memory of it burned deeper than his scar ever could.
0 Survivors.
And in that moment, Zuko remembered the old man’s words from mere moments before, remembered the lessons of Air - We all have the freedom to choose our own destiny, Zuko. Remember that when you choose your own .
Zuko made his choice. Once before, when faced with the sacrifice of countless, loyal soldiers to the war cabinet’s ruthless games, Zuko rebelled.
You will learn respect!
And in the face of fighting his Father, Zuko fell and didn’t fight, and lost his honour.
And suffering will be your teacher!
But it wasn’t for the reason Father had told him, the reason that weighed over Zuko’s soul for three years. It wasn’t because he spoke out against the plan in the first place…
It was because he wasn’t willing to truly fight for it.
Fight for his people.
Fight for what was right.
And Zuko knew, in that moment, that if he didn’t fight, and bowed before Agni as he did for his Father all those years ago…
Then history would only repeat itself.
There would be 0 Survivors.
And the world would be one step closer to the field of Caldera Roses Zuko saw in his vision.
And the blood soaking the ground would be that of all those not born of Fire.
So Zuko looked up, staring Agni - Ozai - in the eye, and with a calmness he hadn’t felt since birth, spoke, “If you won’t grant me the Blessing of Fire… If you won’t allow me to restore my honour, do my duty…”
Vaatu understood at that moment what Zuko was about to do, and shouted in horror, in panic, ‘Zuko, NO!’
But Zuko ignored the voice, and levelled Agni with a glare he previously never would have dared to level at his god - at his Father - “Then I challenge you to an Agni-Kai! For the Right of Fire!”
And in that moment, there was silence, the flames ceasing in their dance as Agni stilled, regarding Zuko, before raising a flaming hand, casting a white flame to the ceiling, “I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE.”
‘Child - Zuko, turn back, now!’ Vaatu hissed in Zuko’s mind, sounding genuinely anxious for the first time in Zuko’s memory, ‘You aren’t even able to firebend! How do you expect to succeed?!’
Zuko fought to keep his breath level - Firebending comes from the breath - and replied as calmly as he could, “I remember the lessons of Fire,” - he was born with them in his soul - “I will do this…”
Vaatu went silent, before whispering in his mind, ‘I sincerely hope, for both of us, that you know what you’re doing, Zuko.’
Zuko… didn’t really know what he was doing, but he was doing it anyway.
Before either of them could speak again, the flames around them parted, and ghastly chimes echoed across all of the Spirit World, signalling to all spirits Great and Low that a challenge has been issued, and beckoning them to come as witness.
And from the shadows and the light around him, Zuko witnessed all those he had met on his journey come forth to witness his challenge.
The Blue Spirit, forced out of his shadow for the challenge, watched in silence from the edges of the Court.
The red dragon - Fang - and an old man wearing Fire Nation robes beside him watched on with a crowd of human spirits behind them.
Lu-Ten, flickering but barely visible, watched with anxious eyes shining with mixed worry and pride.
Oma and Shu, Great Spirits of Earth, watched as silent obelisks of stone, their arms crossed as they waited, and judged.
Koh, the Face-Stealer, the Dark One, watched on with Ursa’s face, teeth stretched in a bleeding snarl, eager at the prospect of Zuko’s demise.
The Painted Lady, cast in radiant light, watched on with sorrow in her eyes, and righteous fury in her heart.
Tui, wearing the form of Princess Yue, watched on with a sad frown. Behind her rumbled La, who eyed Zuko in apathy.
Wan Shi Tong stood at the shadow’s edge, extending a wing to cover a knowledge seeker as it wrote of the duel on a scroll.
And the old man, holding the bundle - Great Spirit of the Winds - watched on with a blank face, his eyes guarded at the sight before him.
And before Zuko, across the arena surrounded by fire, stood Agni, Great Spirit of the Sun, cast in the form of his Father.
And before him stood his father, wreathed in shadow.
“You will fight for your honour!”
“NAME YOUR CONDITION,” Agni demanded, casting silence onto the crowd.
Zuko clenched his fist, keeping himself from shaking, “In the event of my victory, I demand to be given the Blessing of Fire,” Zuko breathed in and out, before asking in turn, “Name your condition.”
“IN THE EVENT OF MY VICTORY, YOU SHALL BE CAST OUT OF THE MORTAL WORLD AND OF MY KINGDOM,” Agni bellowed, taking a step forward, “SHOULD YOU DIE OR SURRENDER, THEN I SHALL BE THE VICTOR. SHOULD YOU STAND AGAINST MY WRATH, AND STAND TRUE, THEN YOU SHALL BE THE VICTOR.”
Zuko nodded, and not a second later, a chime sounded.
And the Agni-Kai began.
And before Zuko, the flames of judgement roared, and Agni advanced with an inferno of white.
And around Zuko, flames crackled and burned , and Zuko held his arms against his head as the inferno surrounded him whole, and began to burn him from skin to bone to soul.
And Zuko cried out before biting his tongue, drawing blood that quickly boiled in his mouth, as flames licked his skin and his face, Agni advanced, and with a roar, bellowed out, “SUBMIT!”
And all around Zuko, faceless masses and jeering cries seeped into his soul as his Father advanced.
“Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!”
And in his blindness, in his love, Zuko did not rise, and did not dare lay a hand against his father. He had yet to understand the cruelty of the world, the reality of it. He had yet to understand that the fires of war burned away more than just the land and the battlements.
They burned away the soul.
“I won’t fight you.”
And in his ignorance, his youthful folly, Zuko was Blinded by the Light of the Sun…
“You will learn respect!”
And was Lost to Wander in the Dark.
“And suffering will be your teacher!”
And within Zuko’s spirit, within the deepest depths of his soul that were burnt, blackened, smothered, and scorched, Zuko remembered the lessons of Fire, that which he had learned at birth and forgot in the face of fear and pride.
Remember the passion of fire, for your spirit will never be smothered, for it will burn for as long as you will it to burn.
And so Zuko rose and fought against the flames, standing against them as they tried to burn him in anger, scorch him in fear, and smother him in regret.
Zuko held his hands out, and pushed , stepping against the flames.
And with each step, his resolve hardened, his soul moved, his spirit unshackled, and his will blazed.
And with a roar of defiance, of pain, of victory, of rage, Zuko stood against the fires of war, the fires of Agni, and with Vaatu he bellowed, eyes blazing violet, “I WILL NEVER SUBMIT!” The flames shuddered around him, and he stepped forward, “I WILL NEVER KNEEL!” The flames around him sputted, and its edges began to die as Zuko neared Agni, “I WILL FIGHT FOR MY HONOUR! I WILL FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT!”
And with a scream of defiant fury, the Dark Avatar pushed , and knocked Agni down onto the Court, dispelling the flames around them, submerging the Court into darkness.
And as the flames dissipated, the Dark Avatar stood over Agni, his skin flayed and burned and scorched and blackened, but still ever so alive , “LISTEN TO ME, OH KING OF FIRE. LISTEN TO ME, OH LORD OF THE SUN. FOR IN YOUR PRIDE, YOU HAVE FALLEN, AND HAVE CAST THE WORLD INTO IMBALANCE. BY YOUR HAND, YOUR CHILDREN HAVE BURNED, AND THE WORLD WITH IT.”
The Dark Avatar stepped away, eyes slowly losing its malignant glow, “You accepted our challenge, and you lost. I demand you uphold our condition, if you have any honour left in yourself, King of Fire.”
The Court was submerged in silence as the spirits around them held their breath. The silence was broken when Agni rose, and the fires around them resurfaced back to light, “I WILL UPHOLD YOUR CONDITION, AS IS MY DUTY,” And Agni bowed, its form dissipating from Ozai’s figure, once more becoming an amorphous flame, “YOU HAVE FOUGHT WITH HONOUR, DARK AVATAR. IN THE NAME OF AGNI, GREAT SPIRIT OF THE SUN, KING OF THE INFERNO, I GRANT YOU THE BLESSING OF FIRE.”
And in a rush of energy, Zuko stumbled, as his veins once more sang with fire, and the ice in the soul melted as his inner flame once more burned.
Vaatu had become silent, but after speaking as one, Zuko knew the pride of the spirit. As the spirits around the Court began to disappear, going back to their realms, Zuko bowed to Agni, following the custom of his Nation.
Agni didn’t bow back, but he did not speak against him either, instead watching in silence as Zuko turned, and limped with peeling skin away from his Court, and away from his Blinding Light.
image [https://i.imgur.com/jsT6Ll8.jpg]
AGNI, GREAT SPIRIT OF THE SUN, KING OF THE INFERNO
…
The Tree of Time
Zuko stood at the edge of the crater, facing the wall of ice that had stopped him all that time ago.
He blinked his good eye, nearly flinching once more when his vision was covered in absolute darkness.
Before, his scarred eye had lost nearly all of its vision, seeing the world in nothing but painted streaks and motley blurs. When he shut his eye to blink or sleep, his scarred eye remained ever open, making it so that Zuko would always see, even if it couldn't truly be called vision.
Now, after his duel against Agni, the scar on his face had blackened and spread to cover his jaw and his scalp, and his eye had been scorched, burning away the last of his sight from that eye, making him half-blind to the world.
Around his torso and down his right arm, blisters and burns twisted around, snaking across his body. The skin and muscle of his lower arm and hand burned bright red even now, leaving behind the phantom sensation of pushing against a blinding inferno.
But though the pain was great, Zuko knew by now how to live with it. He had three years of daily experience with it. If nothing else, it served as a reminder.
Remember the lessons of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire.
Remember your purpose, what you fight against in the world.
Remember who you are…
‘Zuko? Are you awake?’ Vaatu hissed into his mind.
Zuko shook his head, looking back to the ice, “Yeah… I’m here.”
‘Good, because I was beginning to think I would have to get the trickster’s aid in waking you,’ Vaatu hummed as Zuko’s shadow quivered in amusement, ‘I imagine it would not have been quite as kind as I.’
Zuko snorted, stepping up to the ice, “Right, because you’re kind. ”
Vaatu didn’t reply, though he did radiate dark amusement as Zuko called fire to his palms, placing them against the ice.
After several moments of melting through the ice, Vaatu spoke up, ‘You know, vessel, though your duel may have left you even more impaired, at least you can now wield Fire in the Spirit World.’
Zuko grit his teeth, pushing more fire against the ice, “Like I’d ever want to come back here…”
Vaatu hummed, pausing as several chunks of ice began to crack and fall apart, ‘You may not wish to return, vessel… But you may not get the choice…’
Before Zuko could ask what Vaatu meant, the ice in front of him shattered and fell, revealing a path upwards out of the Spirit World, and to his destiny.
…
The North Pole Tundra, 1st Spring Trimester
The sun peeked over the edge of the northern horizon for the first time in many days, heralding the coming of the Spring Equinox.
And at this time, a month before, the icy banks had been submerged in a blizzard, and within it, a prince fell into the ice, and disappeared from the mortal world.
And from the frozen wastelands of the northern tundra, a new Avatar walks free. One who is of the dark rather than the light, of the push rather than the pull.
An Avatar of Chaos to combat that of Order.
image [https://i.imgur.com/bMRVNXR.jpg]
Map of Zuko's Journey in the Spirit World (Not to Scale)