It's strange the way one person can cause an endless series of catastrophic events. For instance, there was a little girl in our village when I still lived in the South Pole. Her name was Alawa. She was hardly any older than me, perhaps at the age of ten while I was eight. She once hid the spears of our soldiers and hunters, all because she hated the idea of violence. It was senseless, she thought. Alawa didn't want any more animals to die for us to eat, nor did she want any more wars.

It was an innocent act at the time, and it was dismissed until hunting season. Our village's food supply was getting lower and lower by the day, but she refused to disclose the hiding spot for the weapons. She was determined. "No more killing," she said, her skinny arms akimbo. Her stubbornness left us with and even shorter supply. We were starving.

To make matters worse, the village became overrun with otter-penguins and tiger-seals. There was nothing thing we could. The adults begged and pleaded for Alawa to reveal where she'd hidden everything. "They're eating the rest of our food, Alawa," my father and Chief Hakoda urged. "We cannot survive unless we hunt."

It took two months for her to finally give in. It took a tiger-seal devouring her favorite blanket to make her confess. Alawa had hidden our people's weapons and tools in the nests of the otter-penguins, causing a very long venture out into the unkind tundra. Things were resolved, and there was balance again.

This moment, with the giant wolf Spirit was not like that.

It snapped and snarled at each of us. That is, excluding Azula — who was still dormant on the ground, encased in her frozen cocoon. Aang tried to reason with the Spirit, begging for it to remain calm. For as long as I've been in this world, I have never heard of an angry Spirit being easily coerced.

I suppose I had yet to witness it. The Spirit continued to viciously snap its jaws at Sokka.

"If we've disturbed you," Aang said to the apparition, "please accept our apologies." The Spirit paused. It looked at Aang as if considering this. Quickly changing its mind, it snapped at Aang, who jumped back just as quickly.

"Your 'respectful' tactic doesn't seem to be working," Zuko shouted. He certainly wasn't wrong. Everyone was scurrying around like petrified insects evading a boot. He and the others continued to fight the Spirit. Azula was still lying uselessly on the ground, watching, as I stood just as uselessly beside Appa.

"Appa," I said aloud as an idea sparked in my brain. I looked to the bison, who appeared to have the same idea in mind. He let out a gutteral roar and lunged at the Spirit. I watched in astonishment as Appa swung his large tail at the wolf, and it reciprocated by biting at one of Appa's legs.

"Saki!" Zuko called out to me. When I looked up, he was running towards me. He fanned away the dust that erupted from the battle as he drew closer, briefly looking me over. "I told you to stay behind. Are you okay?"

I nodded, but it was just another lie. Everything ached and throbbed — but none of them were going to know that. I turned my attention to the fight happening just beside us. Appa had rendered the wolf to a stillness. It was hunched over, looking sickly.

"Did... Did we win?" Sokka asked nervously.

I wonder, did Sokka have some magic ability to jinx us? It seemed that every opportunity he had, his comments would bring about the worst of luck. The wolf spirit wretched and heaved, gagging. Watching it, I felt I might be sick as well. It unhinged its jaws, and a thick cloud of moth-wasps spilled out of the wolf's mouth.

"Oh, come on!" Sokka cried out in disgust. "You are the grossest spirit ever!"

The cloud circled all of us, nipping at our arms as we swatted at them. The moth-wasps emitted a pink glow. The buzz was deafening. Can't breathe, the words screamed in my head. My eyes widened as I can't to the realisation. I can't breathe. I can't breathe! I swung my arms relentlessly to free myself from the swarm, but my arms were soon slowed. It was like trying to swim in honey, thick and sticky and nearly intractable. Sokka shouted. Katara shrieked. Aang was yelling to everyone, but I couldn't make out his words.

Suddenly, a blue light flashed, and everything was cleared. The buzzing ceased, my body was free to move. I inhaled deeply for reassurance. I looked around. Nothing. There was nothing. No wolf, no moth-wasps. Just Katara and Sokka and Aang standing in confusion. Just Zuko standing with a look on his face that indicated a sense of regret.

Just Azula, standing free.

"What is she doing unfrozen?" I asked angrily, then stepped towards her. Zuko and Aang put their arms up in front of me like a barricade.

"It's okay, Saki," Aang told me. His grey eyes watched me carefully. My, how he'd grown. Not so much physically, but he'd certainly grown as a person. In the time that I had known him, he was just another happy-go-lucky, goofy kid that just so happened to be an all-powerful being. He couldn't even harm a blade of grass. Now, he had an authoritative spirit. He could command an army with a single look. Yet, even now as he and the Fire Lord were the only things standing between me and the princess, it was that gentle, childish glimmer in his eye that prevented me from bending Azula into a permanent state of unconsciousness.

"It's okay," he said again. "She helped us. Azula's the one that got rid of the moth-wasps."

I looked to Zuko, who nodded in agreement. Frowning, I muttered, "Fine. Whatever."

~~~~~~

I laid against Appa, snuggling into his fur as I tried to fall asleep. I hadn't felt so comfortable in so long, but perhaps that's because this was somewhat familiar. The beds in the palace felt foreign. They always have. It was liking sleeping with in a stranger's home.

Sleeping here, on the side of a flying bison with a campfire glowing just a few feet from me, was what felt right to me. Granted, I hadn't spent quite as much time traveling with the Avatar as I had spent tracking him with Zuko. The ship — that was home. But that was not an option. As I laid in the dark, not partaking in the chattering happening around the campfire, I closed my eyes and thought.

Is this trip truly worth it?, I wondered. What if there was a reason that Ursa didn't contact either of us after she left? Perhaps she wanted nothing more to do with the life she had in the Fire Nation. If I had married Ozai, I would certainly do everything possible to disappear from the face of the earth.

Soft murmuring could be heard from the campfire. Zuko and Sokka were whispering, but their conversation was indecipherable. I opened my eyes for a moment. Katara was fast asleep beside me with Momo snoring on her back, curled into himself. Sokka quietly walked up to his sister, a soft smile on his face. He pulled the blanket over her, up to her shoulders. "She's my sister. When it comes to her," I heard Sokka say, "I don't mind getting the short end of the deal." Unable to fall asleep, I sat up and watched the boys. Clearly trying to prove something, Zuko copied Sokka. He pulled a blanket over Azula, who slept alone beneath a tree. As he stood up, he paused and held something in his hands.

"Saki?" A whisper startled me. I looked to my side and found Sokka grabbing a blanket for himself from the saddle. "Why are you still awake? It's really late."

I shrugged. "Just can't sleep, I guess," I admitted. "I have too much on my mind."

He frowned at me, then yawned. "Try to get some rest. We'll talk more in the morning." I nodded. Sokka laid down on the ground and curled under the blanket, quickly falling into a deep sleep. As he began softly snoring, I turned my attention back to Zuko. He hadn't moved. He was still staring at whatever was in his hands, his back to me.

This is important, a voice screamed in my head. Curiosity and nosiness got the best of me, pulling me to my feet. I walked quietly to my best friend with my blanket wrapped around me. "Zuko?" I whispered, "What's the matter? What are you looking at?" As I drew closer, I saw he was tense. "Zuko, answer me."

"I don't understand," his voice broke. He turned and looked at me from over his shoulder. My heart shattered at the look on his face. Broken, confused, horrified. It was the same look I had seen on the day of his first Agni Kai. The day his father had publicly humiliated him. The day a part of him died.

"Zuko," I pleaded, "what's the matter?"

He looked down at what was in his hands again. "I don't understand..." He turned to me, finally, and handed me a sheet of paper. It was old, the writing faded from time. I moved closer to the fire so that I could read it.

My dearest Ikem, it read. It's taken me a long time to admit it, but you were right. I belong with you and nothing is worth this pain.

"Zuko, I'm confused. Why—" I said.

Softly, he told me, "Keep reading."

My one consolation is our son Zuko, it went on. When I look into his eyes, it's as if I'm looking into yours. My thoughts are with you always.

Love, Ursa

"What..." I looked up at Zuko, my mouth ajar. I looked at the paper again, reading and rereading over and over and over. I suppose one would be relieved to know that Ozai was not truly Zuko's father. This is good!, I wanted to say. You're not related to that atrocious monster of a man! This explains so much!

But it didn't explain anything. Instead, it raised more questions. Who was Ikem? Is he still alive? Is he with Ursa?

I looked to Zuko, who looked as if he might faint.

And he did.