The team had been in a awkward solemn silence since battling Zhao. Zuko hadn't spoken a word and no one spoke to him guessing he had worked out if Kai was gone his uncle likely was too.
Nya only ever sobbed silent tears and curled up in the corner of her eyes. She didn't even leave Appa's saddle when they visited the Northern Air temple and met Teo and the mechanic.
They had been flying on Appa for a few days now and it was real quiet and awkward for everyone.
Finally Katara spoke. "Hey Nya? You know maybe he's," "don't Katara just please," Nya pleads with her. Katara cautiously moves closer. "We've all lost someone close to the fire nation, I lost my mother," Katara tries to sympathize.
"I didn't loose him to the fire nation!" Nya looks at Katara with red and puffy blood shot eyes and a quivering lip. "I lost him! I just lost him! Kai was all I had! The only family I had! I didn't loose him to the fire nation I lost him to the firelord! And don't pull that I lost my mother crap on me because I. Don't. Care! We've all lost our mother's, but you haven't lost your brother! I lost my brother because I wasn't there! Because you made me leave him!" Nya yells her voice hoarse and scratchy from the crying.
"I don't care you lost your mother okay!? Because there's a difference between our losses. Yours is that you had no way to save her mine is that I could have saved him! That he would be okay here with me if I had just stayed and protected him! If I had just been the protector for once he would still be here!" Nya yells at Katara.
Katara's eyes widened at Nya's outburst before they became hard and angry.
"How can you say that!? I lost my mother and I had to watch over my village all by myself!" She shouts.
"Katara,"
"Let them get their anger out Aang," Zuko advises
"Again I don't care! Both my parents are dead because of what they were! I had to struggle and fight for everything I have! I've faced things you'd never believe and through all the changes, all the heartache, everything Kai was always a constant! You lost your mother years ago Katara, but I just lost my brother and it's fresh, it's still bleeding so shut the bull crap and leave me alone!" Nya finishes her outburst with a wave of her hands and a wave swept through the ocean around them.
With that Nya sat down and turned away from them to continue her sobbing fits. It was really quiet and Zuko broke it.
"I'm sorry, I should have listened to him. He said my father would try to kill me once I turned in Aang, but I never listened," Zuko looks down. "I am sorry," He said. Nya does not make a word, not even motioning she heard him.
The quiet was loud and constricted everyone's chests.
This was stopped when Aang yelled out as a ice spike suddenly rose out of the ocean. Appa let's out a roar and steers away from it and everyone narrowly avoids falling into the icy ocean below them.
Several more ice pillars appear until eventually Appa crashes into one and landed into the ocean. Ice quickly formed around him trapping the bison. From the pillars boats of men came out dressed in blue warm parkas.
Everyone looks around and Katara happily exclaims. "They're waterbenders we finally made it!" She says in joy. One of the men called up to them.
"Who are you and state your buissness!" "We're from the southern tribe we've brought the avatar with us to learn waterbending," Katara calls down to them. The men exchanged looks and whispered a few things, but didn't appear very welcoming eying the group.
"Sokka repeat what Katara said," Sokka looks to Zuko confused. "What why?" "Just do it," Zuko hisses.
"We're from the Southern Water tribe and Aang here is the avatar. We need someone to teach some of us water bending," He said and this time the men listened and unfroze them and guided them towards the walls to let them through.
Katara was confused by why they didn't listen to her, but quickly made way for excitement seeing the walls of the North. They were let through and the team looks around in amazement at the beautiful city. "I can't believe how many waterbenders are here," She said. Sokka notices a girl in a canal with white hair pass them and he sighs dreamily. "Yeah, amazing,"
"Is it just me or are all the waterbenders guys?" Nya comments. Katara frowns noticing this too and Zuko interjects. "The girls must be closer into the city. The fire nation has their female benders stationed as a last line of defense must be the same here," Zuko said and Katara cheers up, but Sokka noticed something.
"Zuko? What do you know?" he whispers. Zuko looks to Sokka than at Katara seeing she was excitedly talking with Aang.
"The Northern tribe doesn't teach woman water bending any except for healing. That's why the fire nation thinks of the water tribes as weak, because they don't teach all their people fighting skills," Zuko whispers to him. Sokka's eyes widened in surprise and looked to his sister. "I do not want to be around when she learns that,"
They arrived at the palace and they all got off. A man that appeared to be the cheif stepped forward.
"I am honored that the Avatar has travelled so far to grace us with their presence. I am chief Arnook," He introduces. They gave their introductions, but when it came to Zuko the chief pauses. Zuko was clearly fire nation by his looks and clothing choice and by the lack of his clothing you could also guess he was a fire bender to resist shivering in the cold without proper clothes.
"You have a fire bender prisoner with you I see," He comments than gestures to his two flanking guards. With a quick movement they had used the ice under them to chain Zuko in ice chains.
"Hey!" Zuko pulls at them, but his hands were too cold to summon any flame.
"We'll take him off your hands for you," the chief offers and the two water benders came forward to grab Zuko.
"No wait! He's on our side," Aang tries to persuade. "I am sorry avatar but we must take standard measures to," the chief began when a voice calls out.
"Leave the boy alone Arnook,"
All heads turned to a figure slowly descending the steps with a grace. He had a balding head, long trimmed goatee, dark blue parka, well worn combat books, and the lack of gloves suggest he's a water bender.
"Master Pakku he is fire nation we must,"
"He is Crown Prince Zuko, I have been expecting him,"
The group exchanges glances. "You have?" Nya asks suspiciously. Pakku ignores her and waves his hands melting the ice chains on Zuko.
"How do you know him Master Pakku?" Arnook asks. "I have connections outside the North my Chieftain and those connections have made quite a detailed account of the prince here. Not to mention that a burn scar like that on a fire bender can only belong to one induvial," Master Pakku explains very formally.
"So just clarifying you aren't going to throw him in a cell?" Aang asks. "That depends on the chief," Master Pakku said and everyone looks to him. "I suppose.... if one of you is watching him at all times," everyone nodded, but Zuko grumbles. "As if I'm stupid enough to try something here," The others glared at him to be quiet.
"But would you be so kind as to help us in return?" Arnook asks. "With what? Can't Aang do it?" Zuko asks. "Well this is more of getting information and well.... the fire bender in our custody is comatose and we do not know how to treat him," Arnook said and Sokka asks. "You actually got a fire bender here? How?"
"He was recently captured last week when he neared our wall, our healers have done their best, but are unsure how to treat him due to his state," Arnook explains. "Sure I'll try, but don't know what I could do," Zuko shrugs.
"Follow me then," Arnook lead them into a nearby hut and opened the door. Entering they could see medic cots with woman around checking over patients. One lady came over to the cheif bowing. "Chiefton," she greets. "Yagoda, we are here to see the fire bender," Yagoda frowns. "We haven't made any progress my chief if anything he's worsening," "Still we must see him," Arnook said and she nodded. "Your daughter's already there," She said and he nodded. They all followed her into the hut and Sokka was happy to see that girl with white hair walk forward from behind the flap.
"Father," she bows to him. Arnook smiles at his daughter. "Yue, you should be in your classes," "I just wanted to stop by quickly father I shall be on my way," Yue passes them looking back at the odd group briefly. Yagoda walks over and pulls back the flap to reveal the mysterious patient.
He didn't look good at all, his finger tips were blue, his lips were too, he was pale, and looked dead already. The only reason they knew he was still alive was by the rise and fall of his chest.
"Kai!" Nya rushes forward and fell to her knees nexted to her brother's cot holding his face with tears in her eyes. The rest were not far behind him crowding the cot.
Kai was definatly worse for wear and as Nya checked him over she could feel his heart beat was slow when he touched his chest. "Kai," she sobs not sure whether to be relived or in tears. Kai was alive, but he looked dead.
"What happened to him?" Zuko asks. "He arrived during a blizzard in fire nation garmets, bruised, cut, and burned. Master Pakku insisted to treat him as he may have some useful information," Arnook explains. "We healed his burns, but he has hypothermia and not even our best healers can heal it in stages this deep. The only reason he's still alive is because of his fire bending," Yagoda explains.
Nya holds her brother's hand letting out a small sob not feeling any heat in them. "Can you do something?" Nya asks Zuko looking to him who was at a lost. "I.... I didn't even know you could die from being too cold," He admits.
Nya turns back to her brother feeling dread. "Kai, please wake up," she pleads, but her brother made no change.