| abstract | - Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko stand on a cliff in the midst of a driving rainstorm with the specters of Roku and Ozai standing behind them. Below, on the mud-soaked battlefield, Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom troops clash as lightning rends the sky. Zuko shares his doubts about the course of action he has chosen with Aang, saying that while he wants to protect his people, he feels that all he can hear is Ozai's voice, which he blames on Aang's decision to not kill the former Fire Lord. While Ozai's ghost tries to convince Zuko that only the Fire Lord can decide what is right, Roku tells Aang that Zuko has become too unstable, and that he must keep the promise he made to him when the firebender had more clarity of mind. Zuko, overcome with despair, again asks Aang to kill him, who finally agrees and goes into the Avatar State. As he does so, Zuko has a vision of his mother shedding some tears and tells her not to cry. Just as Aang is about to finish him off, both of them awaken from their shared dream. Aang, on Appa hoping for peace, and Zuko, on a ship prepared to fight, both head toward Yu Dao. The next day, Aang and Katara reach Yu Dao, where the Avatar tries to warn the local civilians to evacuate the city. However, they are immediately attacked by earthbenders, firebenders, and someone throwing axes. Aang chases the axe-thrower into what turns out to be an ax factory and, after knocking him down, he discovers that it is Sneers. Several other resistance fighters break into the room, led by the colonial earthbender Kori Morishita, and try to convince Aang to join them in defending the city against the mob of protesters. Everyone cites their reasons for joining the Yu Dao Resistance, revealing that they all have friends and family of Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom descent, and even Sneers having Kori Morishita, who is of mixed ancestry, as his girlfriend. However, when Aang tells them that the Earth Kingdom is sending an army to the city, they are somewhat less confident in their cause. At that moment, the Yu Dao branch of the Official Avatar Aang Fan Club, led by Xing Ying, enters the factory. Although initially pleased to see them and their costumes, Aang is horrified when he finds out that its members have been tattooing themselves with the traditional and sacred Air Nomad arrows. Feeling that his culture has been immensely disrespected, Aang storms out of the building and hardens his view that the four nations must remain separate to maintain balance — and thus, that all the Fire Nation citizens must be expelled from the city. He leaves for the city gate to wait for General How, who is leading the Earth Kingdom Army to attack Yu Dao. Zuko meditates on his ship and has a conversation with a portrait of Uncle Iroh. While he feels that his intentions are good and justified in that he is protecting not only people but their relationships with one another, he is worried that his actions are exactly what his father would do if he returned to power, and more specifically questions if his call to battle is justified or not. He wonders if it matters that his reasons are different if from the outside it looks the same. He touches the scroll painting, saying how he wishes Iroh were with him, and how much he misses him. A soldier enters to announce that the ship has arrived at the Earth Kingdom, and Zuko puts on his helmet and leaves the room. Katara leaves the fan club to search for Aang, and finds him meditating on the roof of the city's front gate. Aang tells Katara that he has figured out why the four nations have to remain separate; the power imbalance means that the stronger nation will always hurt the weaker one, whether by conquest, like the Fire Nation to the Earth Kingdom, or by simply making the culture a joke, like the Air Nomad Fan Club. Katara reminds Aang that Guru Pathik and Huu told him that separation is an illusion, and that the four nations are really all the same, but Aang responds that he does not want them to be the same. He explains that he loves the culture of his people, as everything about it makes the Air Nomads different from everyone else, and as the last Air Nomad, he has to preserve it. He has to restore the separation of the nations to prevent their corruption, even if it means going against his Air Nomad principles and killing Zuko. Meanwhile, at the Beifong Metalbending Academy, Sokka waits with Toph for Aang and Katara to pick him up. However, Suki arrives first, in a Fire Nation war balloon. She explains that she knew where to find them because Master Kunyo had lodged an official complaint about a "dirt girl" and a "snow savage" taking over his school. She says that she needs them both, and they go with her, leaving Toph's students behind. As they reach Yu Dao, Suki shows Toph and Sokka the two armies marching toward the city, revealing to them the reason they have gathered. Back in Yu Dao, Katara attempts to tell Aang why she has changed her mind about the Harmony Restoration Movement, only to be interrupted by Smellerbee and her protesters. Despite Aang's efforts, Smellerbee initiates a mob to attack Yu Dao with a stone battering ram. When Aang stops her, she reveals that the battering ram was merely distraction in order to prevent Aang from noticing the drill breaking through their walls, subsequently plunging the city into war. Meanwhile, Sokka has Toph sneak the three of them below into one of the Fire Nation's tundra tanks, and as they attempt to slow down the fleet, Sokka has Toph metalbend the screws on all of the Fire Lord's tanks while the army drives toward Yu Dao. By this time, Smellerbee and Longshot have confronted Sneers, and after Smellerbee discovers Sneers' relationship with Kori, it almost appears that the Freedom Fighters are going to change their minds about the attacks; however, a protester interrupts the conversation by wreaking havoc on the town, causing Aang's efforts of peaceful resolution to be utterly washed away. Aang attempts to separate the fighting, claiming to be on the side of Smellerbee and Longshot, who want to drive out the Fire Nation, though before anything else can happen, Earth King Kuei's army arrives. Soon after the Fire Nation Army arrives, led by Zuko, General How implores Aang to kill the Fire Lord, as it would leave the Fire Nation Army devoid of leadership and utterly disabled. After Aang argues with the general, Sokka's plan is put into motion, and Toph dismantles all of their tanks, leaving the warriors on foot to charge into war. Enraged by the upcoming violence, Aang drives himself into the Avatar State, yelling at Zuko. However, Katara snaps him out of it and gets him safely away from the chaos. Here, Katara tells Aang her true feelings regarding the Harmony Restoration Movement, explaining that when she saw Kori and her multicultural family, she also saw her and Aang's own futures as an Air Nomad and Water Tribe family. She implores Aang to clear his head somewhere quiet and figure out what to do, even if that means that they cannot be together. They share a kiss, and Aang flies off. Aang confines himself far away from the battle and instantly contacts Avatar Roku, who confesses his relationship as great-grandfather to Zuko, and insists that Aang fulfill his promise to Zuko for the benefit of the world. Meanwhile, the battle rages on as Aang's Yu Dao fan club and the rest of Team Avatar attempts to calm down the troops. Suki and Toph fight off a team of firebending soldiers when Toph's metalbending students arrive to save them in the nick of time. All the while, Katara uses waterbending to propel herself up to Earth King Kuei's war balloon, convincing him to enter Yu Dao so he can see the lives he is trying to change with this battle. As the fighting intensifies, a bright beam of light erupts in the distance. Avatar Aang flies into the city and separates the earth, stopping the feud and causing Fire Lord Zuko to plummet to his doom; however, Aang grabs his hand and saves him from what would have been a fatal fall. Aang subsequently shows Kuei that the King is fighting not only the Fire Nation, but also the Earth Kingdom itself, the Water Tribe, and the Air Nomads. Aang explains that there is a whole new world to understand and that this world did not need to be separated. Kuei realizes that Aang is right, and Zuko too realizes his fight was not the work of his father's hatred, but the right choice all along, causing the Fire Lord to collapse and the fighting to end. Four days later, Aang confronts Roku's spirit, explaining that he spared Zuko's life against Roku's will because he cares about him and the people to whom he is close. Roku insists that Aang has put the world in danger by being indecisive, causing Aang to tell him that there is nothing more he can teach him now since the world has changed so much. He subsequently breaks off his Fire Nation amulet and burns it in his grasp, cutting Roku off as his spiritual mentor, causing him to shed tears as he has now lost a very good friend. Just after, Iroh alerts Aang that Zuko is awake. The two begin to talk and Zuko says that he was wrong to ask Aang to make that promise with him. He says to Aang that in making the promise he had forced Aang to be the person to decide what right and wrong was for Zuko. However, he says that with this whole experience he has discovered that he has to make decisions for himself now, and he is sorry he ever put the pressure on Aang to do so. He also explains to Aang that he thinks it might help him be better at peace if he connects with his mother's side of the family. He says that he wants to attempt yet again to search for her, and Aang encourages him to do so. Later, Aang holds a meeting with members of both the Yu Dao and Ba Sing Se chapters of the Official Avatar Aang Fan Club. He explains that he wants them to continue the culture of his people and dubs them the first Air Acolytes, as Katara admires from afar. Zuko visits a mental institution and asks the only remaining person he can think of who is able to coax the whereabouts of his mother out of the imprisoned Ozai. A mentally unstable Azula is wheeled in before the young Fire Lord, guarded by two matronly caregivers and bound in a full-length straitjacket. It is apparent that her year's convalescence at the asylum has done nothing to cure Azula of her mental illness. The Fire Nation Princess appears paler and thinner than before with her long black hair in wild disarray and dark circles under both eyes that still glisten with madness. Upon hearing her brother's request, Azula marvels at the task before her, stating that there has not been one day gone by that she has not wondered what had become of their dear mother, Ursa. Ursa's hallucinated reflection suddenly appears in a corridor mirror beside her, assuring Azula of her unconditional motherly love for her.
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