The fight had already begun by the time that Toph, Sokka, and Suki arrived.
   Sokka was fuming. "Aang, Katara, weren't you guys supposed to pick me up?"
   "Sorry, Sokka." Aang said. We've been kind of busy."
   "So you decide to hitch a ride with the Fire Nation army instead?"
   "For your information, Katara, we weren't "hitching a ride," we were trying to take them down!" Toph retorted. "And what about you two? Since when did defending Fire Nation colonials become a part of the Harmony Restoration Movement?"
   At that moment, as they argued, more familiar faces popped up. Jasper had arrived by dragon with Aurora by his side. Aurora had brought two of her sisters to help--named Bellatrix and Selene respectively. Catie and Will had also arrived by boat, a few of their soldiers at their backs. 
   "What's going on?" Catie was the first to ask.
   Rose stood by Zuko's side, her eyes going wide as she noticed her siblings had joined the battle. Earth King Kuei's General How entered her field of vision next and spoke, "Listen to me, Avatar. Harmony can be restored right now! My army will treat the colonials we arrest more justly than the Fire Nation treated us. You have my word."
   She narrowed her eyes at him. "However, we cannot accomplish anything if the Fire Lord's army stands against us. You must get control of your future husband at any cost! If not, we will have no choice but to end him." Her nostrils flared as she heard that. "We have a saying among the Council of Five: "An army with no leader is a dragon with no head." You alone have the power to make this end quickly."
    Rose took a deep breath, her gaze flitting between the general and her soon-to-be husband. "General How, there has to be another way! You can't just go around demanding things and threatening people's lives when they don't do as you command!"
    "You know well the cost of war. You saw what his father did to your home and your people! Killing your own father! I ask you to plead with him if you do not wish him dead. But one life is nothing to us by comparison of the many who may die today."
    "You'd better stop now. If you want my fiancé, you're gonna have to fucking kill me." she said, dangerously.
    Zuko smiled with pride. His future wife was a force to be reckoned with indeed. 
   "Very well." General How agreed. "Quickly! Earth Kingdom troops! By royal decree, enter Yu Dao and arrest the colonials!"
   Zuko growled in anger. "Soldiers of the Fire Nation, defend our people in the city of Yu Dao! Your Fire Lord commands you!"
   "Enough of this!" Rose shouted. Everyone turned to her in surprise. Zuko moved toward her to comfort her. She turned away, however. "I need to be alone." 
    With that, she created a portal and ran through it, disappearing as the battle raged on.
                               * * * * *
   "Let me see if I got this correctly: the protestors and the Earth Kingdom army want the colonials to go, the Fire Nation army wants the colonials to stay, and the Yu Dao resistance just want their city to be left alone?" Katara let out an irritated yes as Sokka recapped everything that was going on. "So where's Rose disappearing to, then?"
    "She needs a place to be calm." Aurora said as she joined in on the conversation, joined by her sisters. "She has a lot to figure out."
    "What is there to figure out?" Toph argued. "If she wants harmony--"
    Aang interrupted. "Look, I trust her. She's my sister, not by blood but by love, and I promised I would always be there for her. And, after all we've been through, all of you should too!"
    "He has a point." Katara said. "So, for now, we need to keep all those people down there from killing each other. We need to split up. Toph and Suki, you disarm as many Fire Nation troops as you can. Aurora, you and I will work on the Earth Kingdom soldiers."
    Aurora turned to Jasper and his siblings. "The rest of you need to separate the two groups so we can figure this out."
    "And I'll handle the protestors." Sokka said. "But I'll need help."
    Will placed a strong hand on his shoulder. "Catie, you help Jasper and the others while Sokka and I deal with those pesky protestors."
    "You want to help me?"
    "Of course. Those of us not endowed have to stick together. I will fly with you, brother."
    That said, they mounted Jasper's dragon, Thorn, and rode off.
                             * * * * *
   Toph and Suki fought off the Fire Nation troops as best they could with Toph's earthbending and Suki's fans. "Geez! Has Zuko actually added troops to his army since the war ended?" Toph stopped what she was doing, panting. "Can I take a break? I need a second."
   At that moment, Suki noticed more Fire Nation soldiers heading their way. "I don't think we've got a second."
   Suddenly, the soldier's helmets started spinning ridiculously quickly atop their heads. Toph and Suki were confused until they noticed Toph's students were the reason for the weird occurrence. "Lily livers?!" 
    As the Dark One spouted poetry (yet again), Ho Tun said, "What the Dark One is trying to say, Sifu Toph, is that Yu Dao is our home! We want to help you keep the doom out!"
    "I wanted to show you my spinny helmet trick up close!" Penga added.
    "I gotta say, Penga, it's way more impressive up close." Toph acknowledged. "Look alive, lily livers! Time to spin some more helmets."
                             * * * * *
    Katara, Aurora, Bellatrix, and Selene fought their way through the Earth Kingdom soldiers. "Remember not to kill anyone and keep the injuries to a minimum, ladies!" Aurora called to her sisters. "These are our friends, don't forget it."
    Katara used waterbending to create a path up to the war balloon, Aurora close on her heels. Jumping inside, Katara was surprised to see Earth King Kuei waiting for them, scared out of his mind. As he confessed he wanted to be brave but was really terrified, Katara realized, "Then to you, Yu Dao has always been just a Fire Nation marker on an Earth Kingdom map."
   "Your majesty," Aurora said, gently, "I've lived a thousand lifetimes, living in every conceivable type of home from tents to palaces. I've seen kingdoms rise and fall, seen great rulers and terrible ones, seen pain, devastation, and death but also kindness, love, and loyalty. The future is...unsteady most of the time but some things remain permanent regardless: love, loss, the end of it all. 
    "But like I told the Avatar a long time ago, in another life, the future means nothing if you're afraid to act. You must be vigilant, king. This fighting will solve nothing. I have seen the future and it tells of the world becoming a desolate place if the fighting doesn't end here and now."
    Katara took the king's hand and her, him, and Aurora headed back into the battle.
                            * * * * *
    General How and his men attacked the Resistance, declaring them enemies of the Earth Kingdom. At that moment, Zuko counterattacked. "General How, withdraw your troops immediately!"
    "With all due respect, Fire Lord Zuko, you stand on Earth Kingdom soil! Here, your words have no authority!"
    Suddenly, Rose appeared, returning from her meditation. Everyone looked on in awe and terror at the image of the now 17-year-old girl flying overhead, surrounded by rings of fire and water, chunks of earth, multiple spirits flying around her, and the wind whipping her hair about her face as she had entered the Avatar state, just as she had done the day she defeated Fire Lord Ozai. 
    Aang, who had been attempting in vain to separate the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom soldiers from attacking each other looked to his honorary sister then to her fiancé who looked embarrassed. "Aang, it's not what it looks like." He sighed. "It doesn't matter. I'm as bad as my father."
   Aang looked on in confusion, unsure how to respond to what he just saw. However, there wasn't time. As Rose opened up the ground between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom soldiers, Zuko lost his balance and fell. To his surprise, his hand was then caught...by Aang.
                          * * * * *
   Katara, Aurora, Bellatrix, and Selene arrived just in time for Aang to set Zuko on the ground. Rose's family rushed to join Team Avatar, families and couples hugging in relief. Zuko sputtered, "Why?"
   "Because we're not just friends, we're family." Aang said, a small smile starting to spread over his lips.
   Zuko nodded and reached for Rose then. "Rose, please, talk to me."
   Rose took a deep breath, slipped out of the Avatar state, and fell into his arms. "I'm here, my king. I'll always be here." Standing to her full height, she addressed everyone standing there. "Earth King Kuei, look at who you're fighting." She gestured to those that had fought that day. "Fire Nation, yes--but also Earth Kingdom--Water Tribe--Air Nomad--Aether Realm--witch--and Avatar.
    "This is who stands against your army. It took me awhile to figure it out. But I understand. You're not just fighting a colony, you're fighting a whole new world, a way of life, friends, family, those we love. Just like I told Aang and my friends before the meeting: the separation of the nations is an illusion and a lie.
    "We are not separate. My oldest brother married a member of the Northern Water Tribe. My other brother is marrying a witch, a friend I've had through multiple lifetimes. I'm the Avatar and princess of the Aether Realm and I am proud to be marrying the Fire Lord. My friends are an air nomad, a waterbender, an earthbender, and a guy with a boomerang." She giggled, causing Sokka to puff up and smile in pride at being included.
   "The Kyoshi warriors are my friends, people who come from your kingdom." she continued. "All of Aurora's sisters, witches, seers, and gypsies, are my friends. My father wasn't endowed and my mother is a dual bender. Don't you see? If we continue this way of thinking, we will continue to be separate and no one will ever achieve peace. My family would break apart. My friends would be crushed. And I refuse to live without Zuko.
    "So give me your answer now. Will you continue this senseless fighting? Or will you stand with us, stand for peace, and help me heal this broken world?"
    Pandemonium broke out as the protestors screamed at the king not to listen. However, at the king's insistence, silence reigned once more. "I need to see for myself."
    Zuko looked confused. "So...I was right...all along?" 
    With that, he collapsed to the ground.