"It's my fault," I say staring at the koi fish swimming in the pond before me.
Katara kneels beside me and puts her hand on my shoulder gently. "No. It's not your fault. I couldn't protect him, either."
"You did everything you could, and now we need to do everything we can to get him back," Sokka says, but the tears still threaten to leave my eyes. "Zuko couldn't have gotten far. We'll find him. Aang's gonna be fine."
I feel like a failure as both an airbender and Aang's friend. How am I supposed to help him defeat the Fire Lord when I can't even protect him from his banished son? I suddenly realize that, instead of being an asset to the team, I'm a burden.
"Hey, you care about him, don't you?" Yue asks, taking my hand and smiling gently. I nod. "Well, then I'm sure he appreciates everything you did to protect him."
"And he'll understand it even better when we rescue him," Katara says, taking my other hand as they both pull me onto Appa's saddle. For once, I'm actually grateful that it's Sokka doing the riding.
"Yip-yip!"
"I'm sorry, Katara," I say, making her widen her eyes in surprise.
"For what?"
"Well... I should've been stronger. I let you do all the fighting on your own, and that's not right," I say, bowing my head to her.
"Alya... We're a team. I'm always going to have your back, okay?" Katara says, lifting my chin gently.
"I'm such a coward."
"Are you kidding me?" Yue says, making me give her a surprised look. "The first thing you did after coming here was fight off a dozen Fire Nation fleet on your own. Sokka told me all about how you managed to ride Appa through a blockade a while ago, and how you defended the Northern Air Temple from the invaders. That sounds like some pretty by-the-book bravery to me."
"Yue..."
"You've inspired me, Alya. Maybe after all of this is over... I'll talk to my father and tell him that I don't want to marry."
That makes me feel infinitely better, but there's still the issue with Aang. Besides, the raging blizzard around us isn't making the search any easier.
"Besides, Zuko can't get too far in this weather," Katara notes.
"That's what worries me. They won't last very long in this blizzard," I say, shivering.
"They're not going to die in this blizzard. If we know anything, it's that Zuko never gives up. They'll survive, and we'll find them," Sokka reassures me, as we keep flying through the strong winds and heavy snowfall.
Suddenly, in the dark sky, I see a bright light fly over our heads like a shooting star, and I immediately know that it has to be him. No one else seems to have seen it, though.
"SOKKA! OVER THERE!" I say, pointing in the direction where the light traveled.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Just do it!" I tell him and he finally gives him, taking Appa in that direction.
We finally land once Sokka spots Zuko and Aang, while the Fire Prince angrily holds on to Aang. I immediately jump off from Appa's back and airbend Zuko away from Aang, my eyes narrowing at the Fire Prince intently.
"Alya!" Aang says excitedly.
"Here for a rematch?" Zuko teases me.
"I don't do rematches," I snap back, hitting him with all the air I can muster. For some reason, it comes out a lot hotter than I anticipated, creating a slight explosion that almost gets Zuko.
"Woah. How did you do that?" Katara asks and I genuinely have no idea.
"I don't know. It's just hot air," I reply. "Sweet dreams, Zuko."
I then blast him again and make him hit his head against a large boulder, effectively knocking him out. Katara and Sokka help Aang by untying him, and he walks toward me with a concerned look.
"Are you alright?"
"Me? What about you?" I ask worriedly. He shakes his head.
"We need to get to the oasis; the spirits are in trouble!" Aang says, and my eyes widen.
"The fish!" I say, and Aang nods. I immediately know that we're thinking about the same thing.
We quickly climb on Appa, but I immediately feel a twinge of guilt when I remember Zuko lying there. I groan, but slide back down and throw his arm over my shoulders, pulling him onto Appa with me.
Sokka seems completely taken aback by my actions. "Are you insane?"
"We can't leave him here," Aang agrees, helping me get Zuko onto the saddle.
"Sure we can. Let's go," Sokka replies.
"We're not like him, Sokka. We don't kill for fun," I tell him, as I climb onto Appa's neck myself and take the reins.
"Yeah, this makes a lot of sense. Let's bring the guy who's constantly trying to kill us."
***
Suddenly, the moon literally becomes red. I immediately feel flushed, and I notice Yue and Aang having the same reactions.
"Are you guys alright?" Katara asks, probably concerned that the three of us seem to be on the brink of fainting.
I shake my head. "Something's wrong. Like, seriously wrong."
"I feel faint," Yue says, while Sokka tends to her caringly.
"I feel it too," Aang agrees. "The Moon Spirit is in trouble."
"I owe the Moon Spirit my life," Yue suddenly says, surprising me.
"What?"
"When I was born I was very sick and very weak. Most babies cry when they're born, but I was born as if I was asleep, my eyes closed. Our healers did everything they could. They told my mother and father I was going to die. My father pleaded with the spirits to save me. That night, beneath the full moon, he brought me to the oasis and placed me in the pond. My dark hair turned white. I opened my eyes and began to cry, and they knew I would live. That's why my mother named me Yue. For the moon," Yue explains.
Soon after, we arrive at the oasis, just in time to find pesky Admiral Zhao already there, holding a bag in his hands. I don't need to see inside it to know that the Moon Spirit, Tui, is there, probably scared and hurting.
"I am... a legend, now! 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 Moon Slayer, Zhao the Invincible!" Zhao declares, before Momo jumps onto his head and starts scratching fiercely at his face. "Ugh... Get it off! Get it off!"
"Good job, Momo," I say, as Momo flies back to us and rests on my shoulder.
"Don't bother," Zhao threatens, pulling the bag up and threatening to murder the spirit.
"Zhao, don't!" Aang pleads.
"It's my destiny, to destroy the moon and the Water Tribe."
"You're an idiot. The moon's powers don't just affect the Water Tribes. They affect the entire world," I retort.
"Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world," Aang agrees with me.
I spot Zuko's nice uncle also talking to him, surprisingly, siding with us on the matter. "Listen to the children, Zhao."
"General Iroh, why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?" Zhao snaps at him. General Iroh. So that's his name.
"I'm no traitor, Zhao, the Fire Nation needs the moon, too; we all depend on the balance. Whatever you do to that spirit I'll unleash on you ten-fold. Let it go, now!"
For a moment, it's as if Zhao is genuinely scared of what Iroh could—and would—do to him if he hurts the spirit. Reluctantly, he gives in and releases the koi back into the pond.
However, he groans angrily all of a sudden, striking the fish with a fire blast so intense, there's no doubt in my mind that he managed to kill it. The whole scene immediately reminds me of my dream, and I finally realize that the dragon must have been Zhao all along.
As if on cue, the moon disappears once again, leaving us under complete darkness. Iroh angrily begins firebending at Zhao, but he manages to dodge his attacks. I'm more concerned about the poor spirit, which is floating on the pond, lifeless. I carefully grab it out of the water, and kneel in respect. The other spirit seems to be fine, but I know better than to think that La can do everything on its own.
Finally, Iroh manages to knock Zhao's men out and subsequently kneels next to me, putting his hand on my shoulder.
"You feel its pain, do you not, Alya?"
"How can someone do something so horrible?" I ask, the tears rolling down my face again.
To say I feel terrible would be an understatement. It baffles my mind, how someone can be as heartless, as greedy to hurt an innocent soul like this. This spirit devoted its life to making our world the amazing place it is, trading its immortality to live among us and provide the Water Tribes with the ability to bend water, as well as provide the tides and oceanic wonders that can be appreciated from the rest of the world. It seems beyond upsetting that Zhao would murder this innocent creature like this. Suddenly, I realize who the real coward is here.
"It's alright."
"No, it's not," I reply, sniffling. "It's over."
"No, it's not over," Aang says, suddenly standing beside me, his eyes and tattoos glowing. He's in the Avatar State. He briefly kneels beside me and puts his hand on the spirit I'm holding, before walking into the water himself.
I try to stop him, but Iroh pulls me back. "No. Let him do this."
I focus on the water, where La starts circling Aang quite rapidly. I can feel all of La's anger at the death of his companion, as his eyes start glowing, too, along with the white spot on his back. Aang suddenly disappears into the pond, and the water around us starts glowing for no apparent reason. The water suddenly rises up all at once, taking on the form of a koi-like creature, except it has two limbs that it can use to walk on. I spot Aang inside it, still in the Avatar State. La must've joined him to avenge Tui's death.
The creature leaves us behind, as Aang and La head to the city to attack the rest of Zhao's army. I stare at the dead koi in my hands again, and carefully place it on the grass before me, bowing at it respectfully.
"Thank you," I whisper, while Iroh helps me up.
"The ocean spirit can't hold on forever," Iroh says, and I know he's right.
I briefly look at my friends' worried faces. Suddenly, my eyes stop on Yue. I suddenly remember the story about how she was saved by the moon spirit, and how she said she owes her life to it. Iroh seems to get the same feeling.
"You have been touched by the Moon Spirit. Some of its life is in you."
"Yes, you're right," Yue nods.
"No. No, no, no," I start, refusing to accept whatever it is that they think they're about to do. "There's got to be another way."
"What do you mean?" Sokka asks me, clearly not having the slightest idea of what is going on here.
"It gave me life, maybe I can give it back," Yue explains briefly.
"Come on, there's got to be another option," I plead, but Yue shakes her head.
"This is how it has to be, Alya."
"I won't let you!" Sokka says, pulling her hand. "Your father told me to protect you."
"I have to protect my people. I have to do this," Yue says, walking into the pond slowly. She briefly glances at me and smiles sadly. "Thank you for being my friend, Alya."
"No!" I try to go get her, but Iroh holds me back once again.
"This is how it has to be."
She then lowers herself to the dead koi, putting her hands on it and closing her eyes. Suddenly, both of them start glowing and Yue collapses, while Sokka hurries to catch her and takes her pulse.
"No! She's gone, she's gone."
Yue's body vanishes from Sokka's arms mysteriously. The fish spirit's body starts glowing again, and I help it get back to the pond, where it returns to its swimming pattern. As soon as I do that, however, a figure emerges from the pond, and I gasp, recognizing her as Yue.
She smiles faintly at us, before leaning towards Sokka and kissing him. "Goodbye, Sokka. I'll always be with you."
She disappears without another word and then, the world returns back to normal, with the moon shining brightly down at us once again and providing us with its light.
"She saved us," I say, feeling my voice crack.
"Yeah, she did," Sokka says sadly, and I hurry to him and hug him in an attempt to make him feel better.
"I'm going to miss her, too."
***
"Aang," I say, the very next morning, hurrying toward him and hugging him tightly. I didn't realize how much I needed a hug until now.
He returns the hug with pretty much the same emotion. "I'm so glad you guys are okay."
"Me too," Katara says, as she and Sokka join us.
I quickly pull them into a hug, too, and Momo joins us soon after, as well as Appa.
"So... What now?" Sokka asks, as we stare out at the city.
"Well, I'm going to be teaching Aang waterbending from now on," Katara says with a smile. "So I guess we have to get working on the next element. Earth."
"Well, as long as we're together, there's nothing we can't do," Aang declares, and we all nod in agreement.
If there's anything I know for certain, is that our journey is far from over. I'm excited to see what's next, but I'm also slightly weary of the dangers we have yet to face. However, I know Aang is right, and there's no doubt in my mind that there's nothing our team can't do.
And now I also know that we will also have the moon smiling down at us.