When the Rose Turns to Ash

The Avatar Returns

Airi (1)

Everyone on board was in a big rush to try and get to the Water Tribe village as quickly as possible. I, for one was just happy that capturing the Avatar meant we could go home. Capturing the Avatar would also signify the end of the war, that the Fire Nation won right? My dad days that once the war is over, the world will be peacefully under the Fire Nations rule. There will be no need to be as separated as we are today.

After a few minutes we finally pulled up to the hunk of ice holding a small village. The village was well... it was something, just a bunch of tents and igloos. Zuko told me to keep watch on the ship while he got the Avatar. Why couldn't he just stay on the ship? Like I get that he's the prince, but I want to actually do something for once! Plus, it'd be so nice to finally get to be on solid ground again. Well, as solid as ice can get.

Zuko and the men he brought along stand before the village. Zuko approaches. He passes to the right when he does not seem to find what he is looking for and stops in front of the girl I saw with the Avatar, who's holding what I think is her grandmother.

"Where are you hiding him?" Zuko asked in an angry tone. He surveys the crowd of villagers, who fall completely silent. Without warning, he extends his arm out into the crowd and grabs the little old grandmother, holding her by the hood of her parka. Zuko started to shake the poor woman. What is he doing? He should know better than anyone to respect his elders! "I know you're hiding him!"

This boy, who looked similar to the girl I saw with the Avatar just hours ago, runs over and picks up a club that was laying on the snow, most of his war paint looked like it had come off at this point. He was actually kinda cute. The boy lets out a battle cry as he charges toward the masked men. Zuko had his back facing the village. He swiftly turns around just as the Water Tribe boy approaches. He ducks under Water tribe's wide swing and hurls the warrior forward. The cute boy lands on his rear in the snow and is quickly forced to dart from his spot when Zuko fires a blast at him. How nice of him. The prince spins to the side and tosses a boomerang at the enemy who barely manages to miss getting hit by the weapon. Zuko growls and glares at him in anger at the near hit; he follows the course of the weapon until it vanishes before looking back at the boy in anger. One of the village boys tosses him a spear.

"Show no fear!" Aww how cute. Mr Water Tribe handily catches the weapon and charges at Zuko once more. Zuko breaks off pieces of the spear with his forearms, pulls the remains of the weapon out of the boy's hands and pokes him thrice in the head with the blunt end. That's gotta be humiliating. He needs a name, I'm calling him... ponytail guy.

So ponytail guy falls to the ground as Zuko snaps the spear in two and tosses the pieces to the ground on both of his sides. The poor boy, who rubs his head in pain, before switching back to a head shot of Zuko. A sparkle of light shines briefly in the distance and the ponytail guy's boomerang spins into view, Zuko has to see that right? The weapon strikes Zuko on the back of his helmet with a loud cling; he is momentarily pushed forward by the unexpected blow. I guess he didn't see it. Zuko rearranges his helmet and growls at Mr Ponytail. The boomerang has plummeted into the ground in front of ponytail's feet. Enraged, Zuko readies two fire daggers.

Suddenly this little boy riding a penguin rushed to the scene and slid between Zuko's legs, essentially tripping him. He spins around a few times before coming to a halt in front of his men, his helmet landing on his rear as they watch. It took a lot for me to not burst out laughing.

The villagers all start to cheer as the young boy riding the penguin slides towards them. The children, who cheer upon his arrival, were showered in snow as the boy in yellow rides past, however, after giving each other silent, unamused looks for a few seconds, they begin cheering once again, shaking the snow off. The boy finally stopped once he reached the group of the old woman Zuko was rudely shaking, the Avatar girl, and Ponytail guy. The penguin crawls out from under him, tossing him off. He falls on his rear, blinking stupidly. The boy then smiles at the penguin when the animal quacks at him before waddling away.