Chapter Text
General Fong's base stood impressively against the coastline, its Earth Kingdom architecture rising in tiered formations of stone and clay. As Team Avatar approached the main gate, their expressions a mixture of hope and wariness.
Mai walked closely beside Aang, her tall frame a stark contrast to the young Avatar's. Her dark robes fluttered in the coastal breeze as she adjusted one of her hidden blades, eyes scanning the soldiers who stood at attention.
"I don't like this place." she muttered, just loud enough for Aang to hear. "Too many soldiers, too many eyes."
Aang glanced up at her with a reassuring smile. "It'll be fine, Mai. General Fong is supposed to be one of the good guys. He's going to provide us with an escort to Omashu."
"To see your old friend King Bumi!" Ty Lee cartwheeled into their conversation, her pink outfit a splash of color against the earthen tones of the base. "I can't wait to meet him! Is he really as crazy as you say?"
Sokka snorted. "Crazy doesn't begin to cover it." He nudged Mai with his elbow. "Though I bet even Bumi would have to look up to talk to you, Mai."
Mai sighed deeply. "That joke gets funnier every time, Sokka. Really."
"I think it's a bit funny." Aang said, grinning.
The corner of Mai's mouth twitched upward—the closest thing to a smile she typically offered. "You would."
Katara walked alongside them, her water skin at the ready as always. "Let's just get this over with. The sooner we get to Omashu, the sooner Aang can learn earthbending."
As they approached the central building, a middle-aged man with an impressive beard and Earth Kingdom military regalia stepped forward, flanked by soldiers.
"Welcome, Avatar Aang!" General Fong's voice boomed across the courtyard. "It is an honor to welcome you to my fortress. I am General Fong."
The greeting was followed by an impressive display of earthbending as soldiers launched fireworks into the sky, exploding in green and gold sparkles.
"That's quite the welcome." Sokka said, his eyes wide at the display.
General Fong bowed deeply. "Avatar Aang, I've heard much about your group. Though..." his eyes narrowed slightly as they passed over Mai and Ty Lee, "I must admit, I didn't expect to see Fire Nation nationals among your companions."
"They're friends." Aang said firmly, stepping closer to Mai. "They've been with us since I was freed from the iceberg."
"Mai was literally the first person I saw when I woke up." Aang added, smiling at the memory. "She's been by my side ever since."
Mai's normally impassive face softened just slightly. "Someone had to keep you out of trouble."
"And I joined at Kyoshi Island!" Ty Lee chimed in, beaming. "Best decision ever!"
General Fong's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "How... fortunate for the Avatar to have such diverse allies. Please, come inside. We have much to discuss."
As they followed General Fong into the main building, Mai leaned down to whisper to Aang. "I don't trust him."
"Give him a chance." Aang whispered back. "We need his help to get to Omashu safely."
The interior of the building was spacious, adorned with Earth Kingdom banners and military maps. Once seated around a large table, General Fong began outlining his plans—but they weren't what Team Avatar expected.
"Avatar Aang, I've asked you here because I have a proposition." General Fong began, stroking his beard. "I believe with your help, we can end this war now. Not in a year, not when you've mastered all four elements—now."
Aang exchanged confused glances with his friends. "What do you mean? I still need to master earth and fire."
"You already possess the power to defeat the Fire Lord." General Fong said, leaning forward intently. "I've seen what you can do in the Avatar State."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Mai's hand found Aang's under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"No." Aang said firmly. "The Avatar State is dangerous. I can't control it."
"But with training, you could." General Fong insisted. "Think of the lives you would save by ending this war immediately!"
Sokka crossed his arms. "Look, we appreciate the offer, but we have a plan. Aang needs to master all the elements first."
"A plan that will take months, perhaps years!" General Fong slammed his fist on the table. "Every day this war continues, more of my men die! We need to act now!"
Mai's eyes narrowed. "You're asking a boy to be your weapon."
"I'm asking the Avatar to fulfill his duty." General Fong retorted. "And I find it curious that someone from the Fire Nation would discourage action against her homeland."
"Watch it." Sokka warned, his hand moving to his boomerang.
Ty Lee's normally cheerful demeanor darkened. "Mai and I turned our backs on the Fire Nation to help Aang. We've fought against our own people!"
General Fong rose to his feet. "Consider my offer, Avatar. The power is within you—all you need to do is unleash it." His eyes moved between them all. "Rest tonight. We'll continue this discussion tomorrow."
As they were escorted to their quarters, the group huddled together.
"We should leave." Mai stated flatly. "Tonight."
Aang shook his head. "Maybe I should at least hear him out. If there's a way to end the war sooner..."
"Aang, no." Katara said firmly. "The Avatar State isn't something you can just turn on and off. It's connected to your emotions, your survival instinct."
"And it's terrifying." Ty Lee added, shuddering. "I've only seen it twice, and both times I thought the world was ending."
Sokka nodded. "The girls are right. This general is desperate. Desperate people do stupid things."
Mai's eyes locked with Aang's. "We stick to the plan. Omashu. King Bumi. Earthbending."
"Okay." Aang finally agreed. "We'll tell General Fong tomorrow that we're sticking to our original plan."
But General Fong wasn't interested in their decision.
The next morning, when they entered the courtyard to depart, they found themselves surrounded by earthbenders.
"I'm sorry it's come to this, Avatar." General Fong said, though he didn't sound sorry at all. "But the world cannot wait for you to master the elements naturally."
Aang stepped forward. "General Fong, I understand your frustration, but this isn't the way."
"I had hoped you would cooperate willingly, but it seems I need to... encourage the Avatar State." With a swift motion, General Fong stomped his foot, sending a wave of earth toward the group.
Team Avatar scattered, narrowly avoiding the attack. Katara pulled water from her pouch, Sokka readied his boomerang, Ty Lee dropped into a fighting stance, and Mai's hands moved to her blades.
"Stop this!" Aang shouted, airbending himself above a second attack. "We don't want to fight you!"
"Then give me what I want!" General Fong roared, signaling to his soldiers. "Target the Fire Nation girls first!"
A barrage of stone projectiles flew toward Mai and Ty Lee. Ty Lee flipped and twisted through the air, evading with preternatural agility. Mai threw herself to the side, releasing a volley of blades that pinned several soldiers to the ground by their sleeves.
"Leave them alone!" Aang cried, sending a gust of wind that knocked several soldiers off their feet.
Sokka charged at a group of earthbenders, his club swinging. "Nobody messes with our friends!"
The battle escalated quickly. Katara froze soldiers in place, Ty Lee disabled others with her chi-blocking, and Mai's precision with her blades kept attackers at bay. But they were vastly outnumbered.
General Fong watched the chaos with calculating eyes. "Perhaps I've been targeting the wrong person." With a sudden shift, he directed a stone fist toward Mai, who was focused on another soldier.
The attack caught her off guard. The stone wrapped around her body like a cocoon, trapping her arms at her sides. She struggled against the earth prison, but couldn't break free.
"Mai!" Aang shouted, horror spreading across his face as Mai was slowly pulled into the ground, the earth swallowing her up to her knees.
"Let her go!" Aang demanded, his voice cracking.
General Fong smiled coldly. "You can save her, Avatar. Just enter the Avatar State."
"I told you, I don't know how!" Aang pleaded, rushing to Mai's side.
"Aang, don't worry about me." Mai said, her voice steady despite her predicament. "He's baiting you."
"Perhaps you need more motivation." General Fong said, twisting his hand. The earth around Mai tightened and sank deeper, now up to her waist.
Aang's eyes widened in panic. "Stop! I'm trying!"
Ty Lee flipped over to General Fong, aiming for his pressure points, but was intercepted by stone walls that erupted from the ground. Sokka's boomerang was similarly deflected.
"General, this is madness!" Katara shouted, attempting to break through to Mai with waterbending, but the earth was too solid.
"This is war!" General Fong retorted. "And in war, sacrifices must be made!" With another gesture, Mai sank deeper, the earth now up to her chest.
Mai's typically impassive face showed genuine fear now. "Aang..."
Something inside Aang snapped. His eyes began to glow, a blinding white light emanating from them and his arrow tattoos. Wind swirled around him violently, lifting him off the ground.
"It's working!" General Fong exclaimed triumphantly. "The Avatar State!"
But his triumph was short-lived. The Avatar State wasn't just power—it was raw, uncontrolled fury. Aang's face contorted with rage as he raised his hands, tearing the earth apart around Mai, freeing her instantly.
"You wanted the Avatar State?" Aang's voice echoed with the voices of countless past Avatars. "You got it."
The ground beneath the entire fortress began to shake. Massive columns of earth shot upward, walls cracked, and soldiers were sent flying by gusts of wind more powerful than hurricanes.
"Aang, stop!" Sokka yelled, rushing to help Mai to her feet. "You'll bring down the whole place!"
Ty Lee stared in wide-eyed horror. "His aura... it's like a supernova!"
Mai, still shaking from her near-burial, looked up at the hovering Avatar. Despite her fear, she pushed past Sokka and stepped toward Aang.
"Aang!" she called out, her normally monotone voice cracking with emotion. "I'm okay! You saved me!"
For a moment, the destruction paused. Aang's glowing eyes turned toward Mai, recognition flickering across his face.
"Come back to us." Mai continued, reaching a hand up toward him. "We need you—I need you."
Slowly, the glow began to fade. Aang descended to the ground, the winds dying down around him. As his feet touched the earth, his knees buckled, and Mai caught him before he fell.
"I'm sorry." Aang whispered, his voice small and trembling. "I couldn't control it."
Mai held him close, unusual physical contact for the typically reserved girl. "You have nothing to apologize for."
General Fong, who had been thrown against a wall during Aang's outburst, staggered to his feet, his eyes wild with excitement rather than fear.
"That was amazing!" he exclaimed. "You're the perfect weapon! Just point you at the Fire Nation and—"
He never finished his sentence. Sokka stepped behind him and brought his club down on the general's head, knocking him unconscious.
"That's enough out of you." Sokka said with disgust.
The soldiers, seeing their general defeated and witnessing the Avatar's power, backed away, lowering their weapons.
"We're leaving." Katara announced firmly. "And if any of you try to stop us, remember what you just saw."
No one moved to stop them as they gathered their belongings and made their way to Appa. As they climbed aboard the sky bison, Aang remained subdued, his eyes downcast.
"Hey." Mai said softly, sitting beside him as Appa took to the skies. "Are you alright?"
Aang shook his head. "I could have killed everyone back there. I almost didn't come back."
"But you did." Mai pointed out. "You heard me."
"I always hear you." Aang admitted quietly. "Even when everything else fades away."
A ghost of a smile crossed Mai's face. "Then I'll just have to keep talking."
Sokka, overhearing their conversation, couldn't resist. "Great, now we'll never shut her up. And here I thought the tallest person in our group was also the quietest."
"Sokka!" Katara admonished, but Mai just rolled her eyes.
"At least I don't talk with my mouth full." she retorted dryly.
Ty Lee giggled, the tension slowly dissipating as they soared away from General Fong's fortress. "So, Omashu next?"
"Omashu next." Aang confirmed, his spirits lifting slightly. "King Bumi will know what to do. He always does, in his own crazy way."
As the coastline faded behind them, none of them noticed the small Fire Nation vessel docking in a hidden cove nearby, or the three figures disembarking—a stern-faced princess flanked by imperial firebenders.
"So this is the Earth Kingdom." Princess Azula remarked, her golden eyes scanning the landscape. "I hear my brother and uncle have been spotted in this area. And perhaps we'll find my old friends Mai and Ty Lee as well." Her lips curled into a dangerous smile. "What a touching reunion that will be."
Meanwhile, in a small Earth Kingdom village, Prince Zuko and Uncle Iroh sat in a modest teahouse, both dressed in simple Earth Kingdom attire.
"We should keep moving." Zuko muttered, his unscarred eye darting nervously around the room. "We're too exposed here."
Iroh sipped his tea calmly. "Nephew, sometimes the best place to hide is in plain sight. Besides." he added, a contented smile spreading across his face, "this jasmine tea is exquisite."
Zuko scowled. "We're fugitives, Uncle. My sister won't stop hunting us just because you found good tea."
"Your sister is a persistent young woman." Iroh acknowledged with a sigh. "But she doesn't know we're here. We have time to rest and plan our next move."
"Our next move should be finding the Avatar." Zuko insisted quietly. "He's traveling with Mai and Ty Lee now. If we could just talk to them..."
Iroh's expression grew serious. "Zuko, your friends made their choice. They chose to help the Avatar instead of capturing him."
"They're traitors." Zuko said automatically, but there was no conviction behind the words.
"Are they?" Iroh questioned gently. "Or are they simply following a different path—perhaps a better one?"
Zuko fell silent, his thoughts turning to Mai. They had been close once, in the awkward way of childhood friends. He had often wondered what had prompted her to turn against the Fire Nation and join the Avatar. Was it conviction? Rebellion? Or something else entirely?
"The Avatar is still our enemy." Zuko finally said, though his voice lacked its usual certainty.
Iroh merely hummed thoughtfully, finishing his tea. "Enemies can become friends, Zuko. Just as friends can become enemies. The line between the two is thinner than you might think."
As they exited the teahouse, neither noticed the Fire Nation soldiers questioning villagers just two streets over, nor the golden-eyed princess who led them.