Fire | Distorted Reality [ 1 ] | ATLA

14

"Zhao of the fire nation"

The moon high above was the color of blood, deep red and no longer lighting up the sky. Commander Zhao stood at the edge of the Spirit Oasis, proclaiming the fish he had caught to the sky, announcing his victory over the world.

"I am... a legend now." His voice was quiet, stilled, and quivering, still in disbelief over his fulfilled destiny. Tui the Moon spirit shook and struggled feebly in the bag of water, as helpless as the Water Tribe lain before him. "The Fire Nation will for generations tell stories about the Great Zhao Who Darkened the Moon. They will call me Zhao the Conqueror, Zhao the Moonslayer, Zhao... the Invincible!" His eyes were wide and filled with emotion as his men watched from behind him. He no longer cared for any of that—nothing at all. Pride and everlasting glory were at his fingertips...

...And then a wretched lemur pounced on his head, tugging at his face, pulling at his cheeks and sideburns. "Get it off!" Zhao bellowed, shaking his head rapidly. "Get it off!" As his men moved to help him, the lemur flew away, landing on the outstretched arm of a very angry Avatar. Zhao's men and the Avatar's companions took fighting positions. "Don't bother," Zhao said, holding his fist up to the bag of water. One blast of fire from his knuckles would end the moon's life forever...

The Avatar, shocked, dropped his staff and held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Zhao! Don't."

"It's my destiny... to destroy the moon and the Water Tribe."

"Destroying the moon won't just hurt the Water Tribe," Aang had said to him, innocent and peaceful as he was at that time. The new Aang would have jumped at the Commander already. "It will hurt everyone, including you." Zhao seemed to pause. "Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance." The black fish, La, swam frantically in the Oasis water, missing its mate. "You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world..."

"He is right, Zhao," a deeper, rougher voice said from the side. Iroh, clad in a red and gold cloak, revealed himself.

"General Iroh," Zhao mused. "Why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?"

"I'm no traitor, Zhao," Iroh said, taking off his hood. "The Fire Nation needs the moon, too. We all depend on the balance." His voice turned aggressive as Zhao did nothing. He pointed at the younger man. "Whatever you do to that spirit, I'll unleash on you tenfold! Let it go, now!"

Zhao hesitated and tensed as Iroh took a fighting stance, but his features relaxed into defeat. He moved to lower the fish into the water, releasing it again. The sky turned bright again with the light of the moon and Yin and Yang began their everlasting dance once more. Suddenly, Zhao's eyes widened with fury, and in a burst of uncontrollable anger, pulled his hand back and struck the pond with fire, which raged and swept over everyone before dying down. Lying in the center of the pool, with an intense burn along its side, Tui floated on the surface of the water as La swam frantically around it.