| abstract
| - Aang and his friends, including the newly joined Suki, Hakoda, and Chit Sang, are sleeping in the Western Air Temple. The sun rises and Aang awakens in time to see a bomb being launched their way. He deflects it using airbending and it explodes harmlessly in the air, causing the others to awaken. Several Fire Nation airships, led by Princess Azula, rise out of the mist below and begin barraging the temple with more bombs. Aang airbends the large temple doors closed to protect the others, and Zuko pushes Katara out of the path of falling rocks, landing on top of her in the process; instead of thanking him, she angrily demands that he get off of her. Toph and Haru earthbend a tunnel into the wall so that everyone can escape safely as Aang notices Zuko looking out at the airships. Zuko tells Aang that he will hold them off and runs toward the ships only to find Azula riding atop one, waiting for him. She informs Zuko that she is there to celebrate her "becoming an only child" and nearly blasts him off the temple with firebending. Zuko attempts to use a crumbling pillar to try and jump onto her airship, but misses, hitting the side of the ship and falling into the misty abyss below. Appa refuses to enter the tunnel with the others as the temple continues to be bombarded. Despite Katara's initial refusal to the idea, it is decided that they need to split up; Sokka, Aang, Katara, Toph, Suki, Zuko, Appa, and Momo will fly away from the temple while everybody else escapes through the tunnel. Toph earthbends a shield to protect them from incoming bombs. As they fly away, they see Zuko rising out of the mist on another airship. He jumps onto Azula's ship and they begin to battle. Aang and the others barely manage to evade attacks by Fire Nation soldiers on the other airships. Zuko and Azula seem evenly matched, but their close range firebending causes a large explosion that blasts them both off the ship. Aang guides Appa downward and Katara pulls Zuko into the saddle, thus saving him. Azula, on the other hand, uses her firebending to propel herself toward the cliffside, and slides to a stop using her hairpin. The team camps out near an uninhabited beach where Aang comments to everyone how it feels just like old times again. Zuko cracks a joke about how he could chase Aang around and try to capture him if he really wants it to feel like old times, to which everyone laughs except Katara. Sokka proposes a toast to Zuko for saving them from Azula, and everyone except Katara cheers. Thankful, Zuko says he does not deserve this treatment to which Katara agrees and angrily storms off to the beach. Zuko follows her, wondering what her reasons are for her cold reception toward him. Zuko tries to talk to her, saying it is not fair she does not trust him, when everyone else does. Katara yells at him, saying that she was the first one to trust him in Ba Sing Se, but he betrayed her trust. Zuko asks what he can do to make it up to her; she angrily tells him either to reconquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King or bring her mother back. She walks off to her tent, leaving Zuko alone. Sokka is in his tent, which has been lavishly decorated with candles and roses, expecting Suki to visit him for a romantic night. However, he is embarrassed to see Zuko enter instead. Zuko asks Sokka to tell him about the death of his mother, as he thinks Katara might be taking her anger over the loss of her mother out on him. Sokka informs Zuko that the Fire Nation attacked their village six years prior, when Katara was eight and he was nine. Although the attack was short and the invaders soon retreated, once it was over, they discovered that their mother had been killed. Zuko asks Sokka if he can identify any specific details about the soldiers who raided their village to which the latter replies, describing the lead ship as hoisting flags bearing sea ravens, which Zuko recognizes as the symbol of the Southern Raiders. He thanks Sokka, only to be pushed impatiently out of the tent. After rubbing his hands together eagerly, Sokka peeks outside and beckons Suki to come in, only to find that Zuko had only taken a few steps away from his tent. Zuko waits all night outside Katara's tent; when she comes out, she irritatedly asks him what he wants. He tells her that he knows who killed her mother and can help her find him. When both of them approach Aang to borrow Appa, the Avatar sarcastically asks if it is Katara's turn to "take a little field-trip with Zuko", to which Katara starkly answers yes. When she tells him her intentions, Aang tries to dissuade her from going, saying revenge is never the answer and comparing her to Jet. Katara refuses to listen and points out that Jet had attacked innocent people. When Sokka agrees with Aang, Aang tries to convince Katara to choose forgiveness rather than vengeance, only for her to say that forgiveness for the man who killed her mother is an impossibility. Later that night, Katara and Zuko prepare to take Appa without Aang's consent, however, Aang catches them in the act and confronts them. Ultimately, Aang allows them to take Appa, believing it is a journey Katara needs to take, but he pleads with her to choose forgiveness rather than revenge. Katara thanks him for understanding and they depart. Sokka compliments Aang for his wisdom, before comically asking him if he can borrow Momo for a week, for no apparent reason. Katara and Zuko journey on Appa to a guiding outpost that serves as a coordination station for the entire Fire Navy. They infiltrate the base and find their way to a room that contains the information they need; Katara sends the single guard present away by waterbending ink onto her. Once the guard leaves, they discover that the Southern Raiders are currently stationed at Whaletail Island. On the way there, Katara recalls her personal experiences when she lost her mother. Upon spotting the black snowfall, the eight-year-old Katara went to look for her mother, Kya, at their home and found her being questioned by a Fire Nation soldier. She is told by her mother to go outside and find her father. The Fire Nation soldier glares at Katara, yelling at her to get out. Her mother comforts her, telling her everything will be all right. Katara runs out to get Hakoda, but by the time they return, the Fire Nation soldier has disappeared and Kya has been killed. Zuko comments that Kya was a very brave woman; Katara holds her mother's necklace and agrees. Later, Zuko spots the Southern Raiders' ship. In a swift, strong, and powerful display of waterbending enhanced by the full moon, Katara sends most of the crew overboard with a massive wave. The two proceed to the main control room to capture the ship's captain, whom Katara quickly subdues with bloodbending so Zuko can properly interrogate him. After realizing by appearance that he is not the man who killed her mother, Zuko interrogates the captain and the two learn that the raiders' last commanding officer, Yon Rha, retired four years earlier and is living with his ill-tempered mother. Yon Rha is sent by his grumpy mother to get fresh tomato-carrots from the marketplace. On his way back from the market, it begins to rain and he has a sense he is being stalked. Certain that he is being followed, Yon Rha swivels around and shoots a blast of fire at a nearby tree, resulting in an unsuccessful attempt to uncover the suspects. He continues on his way only to be ambushed and subdued by Zuko. Katara approaches and threatens him, demanding he recognize her face; after a slight contemplation of the young waterbender, Yon Rha suddenly realizes her identity and recalls the events of that fateful day. A source had told him of the existence of one waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe, prompting the commander of the unit to commence on an expedition to eliminate the remaining bender. Wishing to save her daughter, Kya lied to Yon Rha by claiming herself to be the last waterbender. Upon hearing this and accepting her claim, instead of taking her prisoner, he chose to outright kill her. Enraged, Katara reveals that she, not Kya, was the last Southern waterbender, proving this statement by bending the droplets of rain and forming them into icicles which she proceeds to launch at Yon Rha. However, she stops the assault at the last second and releases her control over the icicles, which turn to water. Terrified, Yon Rha pleads for his life, even offering his own mother to even the situation. Katara tells him she always wondered what kind of man could do such a terrible thing, but understands now that she sees him. She proceeds to hatefully call him a weak, pathetic, and empty human being, whom she cannot bring herself to kill for revenge. Katara and Zuko depart, leaving Yon Rha sobbing in the rain. Later, Katara waits on a dock on Ember Island for the rest of the group to arrive on Appa. Aang approaches, telling Katara he is proud of her for choosing the right thing by forgiving. Katara explains that while she can never forgive Yon Rha for what he did, she is willing to forgive Zuko, and they share a hug before she leaves for the camp. Zuko tells Aang that he was right about what Katara needed, and Aang reaffirms that violence is never the answer. Zuko turns to the Avatar and asks what he is going to do when he faces Ozai, causing the young airbender to look away with uncertainty.
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