The sun, the moon, the dragon - A new problem, A new mission (Patreon)

Sokka Hakodason, The palace of the moon

"We have finished the count, General Iroh has given us all the necessary support, we have recovered all the remains of the ships of the invading fleet, our forges are working at full capacity, we will have the fleet ready, your grace," reported the newly appointed commander Dao, looking towards the imposing throne, with the monstrous white flame behind him, which illuminated the entire room

Who would have thought it, a fire bender like the supreme ruler of Agna Qel'a, the spirits enjoyed ironies, it seemed

"Excellent, keep me informed," Jon, sorry, Daeron replied dryly with an icy tone of voice that shook Sokka and everyone present to the bone 

Princess Yue's sacrifice had been a terrible blow to the city, but no one was having a worse time than the white wolf who, upon waking from battle, asked out of desperation for his wife

Chief Arnook, full of anguish and pain, informed Jon about what happened

The result? That the healing building had been completely burned, powerful white fire, originating from Jon had consumed the entire building in seconds, while Jon roared for his lost wife and daughter crying out of apparent control, it took at least ten fire benders to calm Jon down and subdue the white wolf's fire

After that? Cold silence, Jon hadn't cried again, focusing his energy on his projects

Jon's gaze, once full of determination and so expressive, had practically died, the gray eyes looking with total indifference at everything around him

with only one exception...

The execution of traitors

“Is everything ready for today's trial and executions?” he Wonder

Cautiously, Old Lee nodded and replied

"Yes, my king, everything is ready to send the dirty traitors to hell, as well as prepare the throne room for the Agni Kai," the old man snapped with contempt at the thought of the traitors

"Excellent," he replied, at the same time that he stood up, causing everyone around him to do the same

"I'll be in the training yard, everything is ready for tonight, it will be...a night to remember” a second later, Jon left the hall and at the precise moment that the white wolf left the place, the torches in the throne room returned to normal, at the same time that all the warriors present sighed with relief

"It's incredible how his mere presence can impose so many mixed emotions," Darik whispered, looking sadly at his king

And Sokka couldn't help but agree with him

When the princess was alive, Jon Eddardson smiled frequently, provided help to anyone in need, and was regularly involved in the continuous improvement of the city

However, Jon Eddardson had died along with his wife and daughter

And this stranger, Daeron Targaryen, had taken his place, a skilled commander and even more powerful fire bender consumed by grief, loss, and revenge, with only one goal in mind

The complete annihilation of the Fire Lord, the last person directly responsible for the loss of his family

Leaving the throne room, Sokka watched as Aang and Katara waited for him, they had not been present at the meeting because of their water bending training

“Everything is fine?” Katara asked with concern

Sokka simply sighed and replied

"The trial and executions will be tonight, under the moons light, Daeron Targaryen himself will be the one to do it, the forges of the city do not stop building weapons or reinforcing the fleet, Agna Qel'a is planning a counteroffensive against the fire nation"

Katara nodded, pleased at the mention that traitors would pay for their actions, while Aang put on a terrified face

“but... but we can't allow it, we have to do something, violence is not the solution and...” however, Aang's words were interrupted, surprisingly, by Katara

"Aang! His wife and daughter are dead, all because of the ambition of some filthy traitors, they sold their tribe! Their people!” Katara roared with fury

The avatar was simply silent, steadfast in his stance that violence only led to more violence, but conceding the point that, if anyone had every right to want to see the fire nation burn

That was Jon, or Daeron, Aang wasn't sure anymore

"The Agni Kai will be after the executions of the traitors, it is more of a spectacle than a real fight, the white wolf will tear Zhao to pieces"

Aang was silent, and after a moment, he asked firmly

"I'll try to talk to him, I'm sure we can reach a peaceful solution, where is he?" asked the young monk with determination.

Katara and Sokka looked at each other, neither thought it was a good idea for Aang to talk to Jon about forgiveness and moving on

However,...

"My son is in the castle's training yard, practicing his newfound fire bending," Chief Arnook reported as he walked towards the avatar team

Aang smiled, thanked him, and ran to the training yard, leaving the brothers alone with the "chief" of the tribe

"Chief Arnook, nice to see you, I didn't see you at the meeting" Sokka spoke while greeting with respect

The man gave Sokka a fake smile, the man's eyes, like Jon's, were empty

"The little respect I had left went along with my daughter, young Sokka, due to my actions and my lack of decision, my daughter and granddaughter are dead, Jon hasn't spoken to me since he woke up and I watch as little by little, I begin to be relegated in the important decisions of the tribe" at the end, Arnook let out a loud sigh, the chief was tired, that was obvious

“But, the death of the princess was not your fault, why does Jon blame you for what happened?” Katara asked

Arnook looked at the young woman in silence for a few moments, and then replied

"The traitors who helped the mad admiral had tried to take control of the city by force while Jon and I were not present, my daughter stopped the problem quickly and pressured me for the execution of the traitors, however, I, in my weakness, chose to exile them, against the wishes of most of the council members" Arnook sighed as he got lost in thought

“but... but that was not your decision, nor your fault, the traitors decided to act out of greed and revenge and..." at that point, Arnook interrupted firmly

"And if I had been more decisive and executed the traitors when I should have, my daughter and granddaughter would be alive, and my family would not be broken, remember Sokka, as a leader, any failure is your failure, always."

At those words, the young southerner could only keep silent and nod, Arnook simply sighed heavily and continued

"I'm sorry, that... that was out of place, I must go" and without waiting for an answer, the chief retires from the place to an unknown destination

Leaving a couple of brothers quite worried about the uncertain and dangerous future

Avatar Aang, training ground

The avatar viewed Jon's training with a lot of wariness, at the same time that powerful roars, originating from the white wolf's fire bending made the palace tremble

As usual, Jon trained alone, however, far away was the calm and control of water bending workouts

Now, it was all fury and hatred

Jon was methodical, cold and calculating, each of his attacks attacking vital points of the training dummies, with the sole motive of doing as much damage as possible

Aang had heard that the rest of the fire benders who served the north murmured with admiration at the power of Jon's flames and more than one wished that the white wolf would dethrone Ozai as Fire Lord

After all, the fire nation follows the power, and the white wolf had it

In spare

"It's really sad, what a broken heart can do to a man, though I don't blame him, when my wife and son died...I did many atrocities," exclaimed a familiar voice behind him

Aang looked on in surprise, finding himself face to face with Prince Iroh, who had surrendered the invading fleet to Jon and was now a "guest" in the North

A fancy word for prisoner, Aang thought

"He's very talented, mixing techniques from the four elemental gifts in his fire bending, I'd even place him with a worthy opponent for my niece," Iroh continued, looking respectfully at Jon's training

"I want to talk to him to avoid today's executions," Aang replied, wishing for another point of view

To his surprise, the old man sighed and shook his head

"You are not able to comprehend what that young man has suffered, avatar, you are not married, you have not loved, you have not waited for the blessing of a child with joy, only for it to be taken from you in a single night, traitors, as well as Zhao, will die today, there is nothing you can do about it..." replied the old prince

Aang simply lowered his gaze, understanding the words, even if he didn't like them

"However, your friend is suffering, his wife and daughter are gone, he needs all the love and support you can give him, even if he, at this moment, doesn't seem to appreciate it."

Aang was silent at these words, and as he was about to respond, he heard a scream of fury coming from the training site as the whole place heated up rapidly

“ROOOOAAAAAR” Jon roared furiously like a dragon, at the same time, from his throat, a powerful blaze of white fire lit up the afternoon, as high as one of the towers of the imposing palace where they were

"Really impressive and talented," murmured the prince, as he observed with approval the technique and power of Jon's fire-bending

However, when he finished, and when Jon approached the central pond and tried to lift the water from it...

Nothing happened, the water didn't move a single inch and Aang watched in disbelief and pity, as Jon collapsed on his knees and simply stared at the moons with a blank stare

“No... I didn't know that he had lost his water bending” Aang muttered really sorry for who he considered his friend

“This... is more serious than I thought," Iroh murmured as he looked with calculating eyes at the peculiar situation

"You are as stubborn as my beloved granddaughter was in life," snapped the voice of master Alanna as she approached Jon, accompanied as usual, by a couple of bison calves, which ran towards Jon quickly, trying to cheer him up

Aang watched as Jon gave the little ones a sad smile, but his eyes were still empty

“I am not able to feel it, the calm and peace that the water transmitted to me is gone, the connection with the oceans with the... Moon, it's gone, as she did," Jon replied with fury on his face as the torches in the courtyard lit up with a white glow

The old woman nodded and replied

“You had a strong spiritual bond with Lady Tui, that bond was what allowed you to be a prodigy of water bending you were, however, Lady Tui is gone, a new moon spirits has been born, with whom you refuse to make a connection, until you accept that, my beloved granddaughter and my great-granddaughter are gone,  you won't be able to regain your water bending" the old woman reprimanded

Jon glared at her and replied

"How can you ask me for that?" it must have been me! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER, FOR HIS PEOPLE, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!” Jon roared as tears began to come out of his eyes

Alanna, for her part, responded with determination

"My granddaughter, she gave her life for her people, like the queen she was destined to be, now, she takes care of you and me, of all of us, from the heavens, don't spit on her sacrifice, Jon, we both know it's not what she would have wanted."

Jon fell to his knees, without the strength to continue arguing and simply responded

“I couldn't even say goodbye, I don't remember... I don't remember if before I left for the fight, I told her that I loved her, I'm not able to remember it” Jon murmured with a completely empty look

“Maybe... there is a way, although I can't promise anything," replied the old woman hesitantly, not wanting to give Jon false hope

The white wolf raised his gaze and focused his eyes on the old woman

"Go on," he replied

Alanna gained a blank stare, as if remembering something really painful

“There are ancient texts, about a place with all the knowledge that has existed, exists and will exist, a spiritual place, guarded by a jealous and powerful spirit, lost among the burning sands of the Si Wong desert, in the heart of the earth kingdom, if there is a way in which you can talk to the spirit of the moon, it will be found there”

Aang watched as Jon's face gained something he hadn't seen in his friend since the fight

Determination

And taking advantage of the moment, the avatar was present

"You can go with us!" Aang shouted as he approached Jon, who looked at him in surprise

"We can fly with Appa, I need to go to the earth kingdom to look for a earth bending master, we can make time to visit the desert, it's the least we can do, for all the support you've given us" the bald monk spoke with emotion

That was what Jon needed, a change of scenery, to accept that... Yue was no longer there

And she wasn't going to come back...

The white wolf stared at Aang for a few seconds, until, for the first time in weeks, Jon gave Aang a small smile

“I appreciate the offer, but I have responsibilities here and...”

"And I order you to go with the avatar, after all, he may need your experience" the firm voice of Chief Arnook was heard, who entered the training yard

Jon just shook his head and started talking

"We have to repair the fleet, we need new ships, diplomatic missions to the coalition and start sending scouts to the coasts of the Fire Nation and..." at that point, Prince Iroh intervened

"You can't do everything alone, the important thing is that you are able to accept that you have a problem, young man," the old prince spoke sternly

Jon just sighed heavily and looked up at the sky, where the two moons were shining brightly

"We'll talk about this later, it's time for the trial" Jon exclaimed with determination, as he walked towards the palace's throne room

He had traitors to judge, after all

Prince Zuko, Throne Room

"This throne is smaller than my father's and yet it has a much higher aura of authority," the prince said to his uncle, while they were in one of the stands of spectators

His uncle Iroh just nodded slowly

The hall was as large as the palace of Caldera City, with huge pillars adorned with constantly flowing water, a stone platform with a huge rustic throne, with a huge fire behind it, which shone with a powerful white flame

No doubt the work of the white wolf, who was sitting on the throne, looking with total contempt at the traitors

And Zuko could empathize, after all, that there are men who betray their people for a stupid revenge is something unheard of for him 

They had been here for quite some time, listening to the confessions, how the banished elders had allied themselves with Zhao to kill the white wolf and his family in exchange for the city being returned to them and their traditions

Everyone in the room was asking for the same thing, the execution

And apparently, the white wolf would more than comply

"I've heard enough," he said with determination, as he stood up and walked toward the kneeling traitors

"I, Daeron Targaryen, son of Rhaegar, husband of Yue and father of Lyanna, declare you traitors to the tribe and the kingdom of winter, therefore, I sentence you to die" As soon as the white wolf finished speaking, to the terror of Zuko and his uncle, a huge head emerged from the fire behind the throne of the young king

Ghost, the mighty dragon wolf, opened its jaws as it looked at the terrified forms of the traitors and, at a wave of its rider's hand, a powerful blizzard was released upon them, freezing them instantly, a moment later, the dragon used its tail and broke the frozen bodies into thousands of pieces

A brutal, swift and painful execution, a direct message to future traitors, an action that father would be proud of, Suko thought with mixed feelings

An instant later, the White Wolf looked at his soldiers and ordered

"Bring the mad dog that calls itself Zhao, I'll take care of it personally," he ordered, at the same time as he began to take off his robe

The soldiers nodded to the prince's incredulous gaze

"Uncle, maybe he..." however, his uncle interrupted him firmly

“It's not the time nephew, we'll talk later”

And Suko, being able to perceive that the situation was quite tense, obeyed

At the same time Zhao was escorted, already dressed in clothes for an Agni Kai and was thrown towards the center of the hall

Directly before the expectant and cold eyes of the white wolf

"Die with dignity and assume the fighting position," Daeron ordered

Zhao looked at him with contempt and started screaming

"You dare savage, Agni Kai is a tradition among noble fire benders and..." Zhao's babbling was interrupted by the white flame that was thrown at his feet, courtesy of the young king, who was looking at him impatiently

“Assumes. Your. Position.” ordered again, making it clear that there would be no third time

Zhao made a mocking face, but obeyed like the trained dog he was, placing himself in a resting position

A moment later, Commander Dao, one of the fire benders in the service of the white wolf shouted

“AGNI KAI”

And the "fight" began

Zhao tried to launch a basic fire bending combination; however, his pathetic efforts were in vain

The white wolf seemed to have no desire to play, after all

Zuko watched as his uncle inhaled hard and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw how the white wolf began to do a particular kata, at the same time that, to Zuko's surprise, an aura of white lightning began to be present around the white wolf and in a matter of a couple of seconds,  a low-powered lightning bolt was thrown at Zhao, who was so shocked that he was unable to dodge it, receiving the attack, which, apparently, was designed to cause pain rather than kill

And Zhao, could only scream, completely overwhelmed with pain, while, little by little, the white wolf began to increase the intensity of his attack, slowly cooking the skin of the defeated and humiliated admiral

All this, in front of all the witnesses, the word would not take long to spread

The white wolf... He was a fire bender master and, with that small detail

He was a candidate to challenge Ozai for absolute control of Caldera City, and Agni Kai for the Ember throne

A problem for later, Zuko though, focusing his eyes and looking with pity the agonizing death of the admiral

After tortuous minutes, Zhao stopped screaming, his eyes were empty, having gone mad with pain

Then and only then... The white wolf increased the intensity of his lightning to the maximum, the entire room lit up and powerful boom shook the entire city

Leaving as a result the smoking and charred body of the person responsible for the death of Queen Yue and Princess Lyanna

"Cut off his head and display it on the wall of the city, let it be a warning to the enemies of Agna Qel'a, mercy is over and if Ozai wants war, he will have it."

At those words, everyone present began to roar, pleased by the words of their king, who simply left the room

Suko was really stunned, and looking at her uncle, she asked

“My father is screwed, isn’t he?” asked the banished prince with mixed feelings

His uncle simply sighed without giving his nephew an answer

He didn't need it, after all