The Fire Nation army pulled back to the Yanhai River base. The retreat had been orderly, but the taste of failure lingered among the army. With the invasion over and no plans for what is going to be the next step, Tai Lung and Ty Lee decided to return to the Fire Islands. Azula and Mai, however, remained behind. Azula refused to face her father so soon after such a defeat. She ordered the war minister to go ahead in her place, taking the blame before Fire Lord Ozai's throne. She knew well that her father did not care for reasons. In his eyes, failure was failure, and explanations only wasted his time. Better the minister receive the first wave of his wrath while she handled the army's logistics.
The Yanhai River wound across the heart of the Earth Kingdom, connecting to the Zhuang Tai Sea, which in turn reached the great ocean. Tai Lung and Ty Lee boarded a vessel there, their ship set a steady course back toward the Fire Islands. The journey home stretched across two weeks, long days of water and sky until at last the familiar outline of their homeland rose in the distance.
Upon arrival, the two parted ways. Tai Lung went directly to his family home, while Ty Lee returned to her parents' estate, eager to reunite with her mother, father, and sisters after so long an absence. At the Lung estate, Tai was welcomed warmly by his parents. Relief filled their faces as they embraced him, glad beyond words to see their son returned completely safe unharmed after the news they received from the North Pole.
That evening, as the sun set over the Fire Nation's shores, Tai Lung shared his story with them. He spoke briefly of the North Pole, of meeting Ty Lee, of traveling alongside Azula to Ba Sing Se. His parents listened with a mixture of awe and pride. They had already heard the news of the events in the North, of the Avatar and the great battle, but to hear it from their son's own mouth along with his part in facing the Avatar again in Ba Sing Se filled them with a pride too great to hide.
Their son was now recognized by everyone as the strongest bender in the world. Yet Tai Lung's eyes lingered not on his mother's delight but on his father's expression. Finally, he asked, his voice quiet, "Are you not disappointed that I didn't attempt to conquer the North Pole or Ba Sing Se? That instead, I chose to leave?"
Shulian was taken aback, blinking at the question. Then he smiled slowly. "Disappointed? No. You have your own path, Tai. Your own destiny. You may refuse to join the war effort fully or lead attacks on the other two nations, but you still stood to protect our people when the time came. Many will argue with your choices, but none can deny the honor of which you carry yourself with."
His smile widened as he added, "Regardless of what others say, regardless of what the world thinks, you are my son, and I will always be proud of you."
Tai Lung returned the smile and bowed deeply to his father, a gesture of respect. No one can understand how much these words meant to Tai Lung.
That only made his mother laugh lightly. "You shouldn't bow to your father," she said. "You are his son. It is only natural for him, for us, to support you."
Tai raised his head again. "I am grateful you are my parents."
Shulian chuckled, shaking his head. "I didn't know you had a taste for this sort of drama. If a bystander saw us now, they'd think you were adopted."
His mother chuckled again and leaned forward, her eyes glinting. "Let's move on to the more important matter. Why didn't you bring Ty Lee with you? I was looking forward to seeing my daughter-in-law."
——————
While Tai Lung returned to his family in the Fire Nation, Aang and his companions were caught in the tangled webs of Ba Sing Se, facing the corruption and manipulation that plagued the city. Long Feng's hidden hand controlled the city in silence, keeping even the Earth King blind to the war that ravaged the world beyond his palace walls.
It took every effort the group had, but at last they managed to reach the oblivious king. They revealed to him the truth: that the Fire Nation was advancing, that his people were suffering, and that his great kingdom was not doing as well as he had been led to believe. The king, skeptical at first, was reluctant to believe their words.
But with determination, they urged him from the safety of his palace. Out in the city, the truth became impossible to deny. From the shattered streets to the scar carved into the outer wall, the king finally saw the massive drill that still loomed as evidence of the Fire Nation's assault. His disbelief fell away, replaced by shock and outrage. For the first time, he learned the truth, a war ravaged his kingdom, one that had lasted for a hundred years.
In his rage, the Earth King ordered the imprisonment of Long Feng and vowed to stand beside the Avatar. He promised to aid Aang with all his power to defend the Earth Kingdom and restore peace and balance. With the support of the Earth King secured, Aang turned his attention to a different matter that now weighed heavily on his mind: the Avatar State.
That matter had begun with Appa. When his loyal friend had been kidnapped and lost, fate had led the bison to Guru Pathik, a wise hermit who had once been a friend to Monk Gyatso. Pathik not only cared for Appa but also left a message for Aang, offering to teach him how to control the Avatar State.
With renewed hope, Aang mounted Appa's back, and together they soared toward the Eastern Air Temple. There, among the ruins and the quiet winds, Aang met Guru Pathik, who introduced himself as a spiritual brother of the Air Nomads. Pathik spoke of the chakras, of the flow of energy within, and guided Aang step by step to unlock them.
With patience and trust, Aang made progress, opening one chakra after another. But when he reached the last, he faltered. His earthly attachment, Katara, was something he could not sever. To let her go, even for balance, was unacceptable.
Pathik's tone grew solemn. "You are the Avatar, and the Avatar State is your greatest asset to bring balance to the world," he urged.
"There must be another way," Aang argued, his voice trembling but firm.
Pathik hesitated. In that hesitation, Aang noticed something, a shadow in the guru's eyes. "So there is another way," Aang pressed.
Pathik nodded reluctantly. "Not long ago, I helped someone unlock his chakras. Like you, he refused to let go of his earthly attachments. And yet… he forced open the final chakra through pure will and sheer strength alone. It was a miracle he survived. But his path is dangerous, and it is not one I can recommend."
Aang's heart leapt. "Who is this person? If he managed it, maybe I can too. I just need to know how he did it."
There was silence for a long moment. At last, Pathik said, "His name is Tai Lung, from the Fire Nation."
Aang went pale at the sound of the name.
Pathik's gaze sharpened. "So you have already met him."
Weakly, Aang nodded. "I faced him once, when the Ocean Spirit merged with me at the North Pole… and again at Ba Sing Se, when I entered the Avatar State. He defeated me both times."
Pathik let out a heavy sigh. "I am not surprised. When Tai Lung first came to me, his chakras were already half open. In all my years, I had never seen such a thing. Yet beneath his calmness, I felt something terrible, a rage buried deep."
The guru's voice darkened. "I helped him release that rage and open his chakras… but when he came to the last, I realized for the first time in my life that I may have made a grave mistake. At that moment, I saw the truth: I had aided a beast in human skin. He is a threat to the balance of the universe as we know it."
His eyes fixed firmly on Aang, and his tone carried the weight of warning. "Aang, if you want to have a chance to defeat Tai Lung and restore balance, you must master all four elements. And more than that, you must master the Avatar State. Only then will you have even a hope of stopping him."
Aang's encounters with Tai Lung flashed within his mind, the fear he felt battled fiercely with his selfishness. In the end, Aang closed his eyes, he was going to let go of his earthly attachments.