Chapter Summaries

Kahn and Azula gained the trust of Lidun and Iroh’s former subordinates, then explained Ozai’s orders and their plan to save the men. With everyone agreeing to cooperate, Kahn and Azula returned to camp, where Kahn fell asleep and woke from a frightening dream.

• Lidun spoke with Kahn about Tate and learned that Kahn’s mother had died and Iroh had taken him as an apprentice.
• Kahn revealed that Ozai had ordered him and Azula to carry out the mission, and he explained their plan to save Iroh’s former subordinates.
• Kahn introduced Azula, who condemned Ozai’s actions and won the men’s support.
• Lidun agreed that the troops would cooperate with Kahn’s plan.
• Kahn and Azula returned to camp, and Kahn fell asleep before waking in fright from a dream about Iroh, Lidun, Tate, and Ozai.

Azula persuaded Woolf to pledge loyalty to her, then took Kahn and the Royal Guard to search for the enemy. The chapter ended as Azula ordered the guards to capture every enemy alive and launched the attack.

• Azula asked Woolf to pledge loyalty to her, and he agreed.
• Azula told Woolf to follow Kahn’s orders if she was away and warned him to keep their conversation secret.
• Azula ordered Woolf to assemble the Royal Guard and prepare for the mission, then dismissed Benson’s concerns and led the search herself.
• Kahn teased Azula about offending people, and they bantered as Woolf watched their closeness.
• The Royal Guard found traces of the enemy, and Azula ordered them to take everyone alive.
• Azula commanded the Royal Guard to attack.

Kahn and Azula joined the battle against Lidun’s troops and swiftly overwhelmed them while holding back enough to capture them alive. After Woolf took the rebels into custody, Azula said she would make their lives more painful than death, leaving their fate uncertain.

• Kahn and Azula entered the fragile battle and charged through the opposing troops using close combat and restrained Firebending.
• Kahn disabled fighters with Chi-Blocking while Azula defeated opponents with swift strikes and powerful azure flames.
• Lidun tested Kahn with a fireball, but Kahn extinguished it and used pressure points to bring Lidun down.
• Kahn and Azula ended the battle in under a minute, and Woolf ordered the Royal Guard to take the rebels into custody.
• Azula told Woolf that keeping the rebels alive could be more painful than killing them and would deter other rebels.

Azula captured Lidun and the rebels with twenty Royal Guards, then publicly tortured them to make their punishment appear harsher than death. Kahn explained that the scheme was meant to satisfy Ozai while secretly saving the rebels, but its success depended on Ozai and on the prisoners keeping quiet.

• Benson saw Azula return with Lidun and the rebels, realized she had found and defeated them without needing his support, and asked how she had found their hiding place.
• Azula ordered the rebels tortured with saltwater-soaked whips and told Benson she intended to parade them to the Imperial Capital and send them to labor until they died.
• Azula visited Kahn, who admitted he feared Ozai might reject their plan to spare Iroh's former troops despite their staged, severe punishment.
• Kahn explained that the plan aimed to meet Ozai's political goals while keeping the rebels alive as a future source of strength for him and Azula.
• Azula warned that a rebel might expose their scheme, and Kahn said they would prioritize their own safety if that happened.

Azula and Kahn brought Lidun and the rebel soldiers back to the Imperial Capital after staging public torture performances along the way, while Kahn struggled under the burden of their trust. Ozai questioned Woolf, Azula, and Kahn, then ordered Lidun and the others paraded and imprisoned for life, easing Kahn’s worry.

• Azula and Kahn led their troops home, publicly torturing Lidun and the rebels at each stop while keeping them alive, and Lidun quietly signaled Kahn that he still remembered their plan.
• Kahn’s Spiritbending cultivation stalled as he worried about the lives entrusted to him, and Azula tried to lighten his mood by ordering Woolf to take his overdue military punishment.
• The group reached the Imperial Capital with the battered rebels, and Ozai summoned Woolf to recount the mission before questioning Azula and Kahn.
• Ozai ordered Lidun and the others paraded through the streets as a warning, then sent to the mines for life, and Kahn’s anxiety eased.

After Kahn watched Lidun and his men’s procession, his Spiritbending broke through, allowing him to enter the Spirit World and reunite with Iroh. He told Iroh about his recent mission, leaving Iroh concerned about how haggard he looked.

• Kahn heard a version of the mission that praised Azula while portraying him as ruthless, and suspected Ozai had spread it to undermine Iroh’s former subordinates’ trust in him.
• Kahn watched Lidun and his weakened men pass through the capital, hoping the White Lotus Society would rescue them after they were sent to forced labor.
• With the mission complete and his burden lifted, Kahn’s Spiritbending advanced enough for him to travel to and from the Spirit World.
• Kahn entered the Spirit World and followed his determination to find Iroh until they met and embraced.
• Iroh noticed Kahn’s haggard appearance and asked what had happened, and Kahn began recounting his recent experiences.

Kahn reunited with Iroh and discussed the recent events, Zuko's recovery, and Azula's role in their plans. When Kahn asked how to advance his spiritbending, Iroh offered to introduce him to a Spiritbending Master.

• Iroh thanked Kahn for his hard work, and Kahn proposed that Iroh handle planning while he handled execution.
• Iroh told Kahn that Zuko was recovering, learning firebending, and had asked Kahn to take care of Azula.
• Kahn told Iroh that Ozai appeared to be grooming Azula as his successor, and said he would accept anyone but Ozai as Fire Lord.
• Kahn asked Iroh how to train further in spiritbending, and Iroh admitted he did not know.
• Iroh offered to introduce Kahn to a Spiritbending Master he had studied under.

Kahn wrestled with whether to seek Guru Pathik’s help learning Spiritbending, uneasy that the grandmaster might uncover his secret. Meanwhile, Azula complained to Kahn about her exhausting one-on-one lessons, and Kahn asked what Ozai had been doing lately.

• Iroh told Kahn that Guru Pathik lived at the Eastern Air Temple and warned that the grandmaster might be difficult to find.
• Kahn worried that Guru Pathik could detect his identity as a transmigrator, but decided he had time to consider whether to study Spiritbending.
• After returning to the Imperial Capital, Kahn found himself with little to do while Azula resumed her classes.
• Azula told Kahn that Zuko’s departure had left her stuck with nonstop one-on-one lessons from her teachers.
• Kahn teased Azula about her complaints, then asked what Ozai had been doing lately.

Kahn and Azula discussed searching for Yin Shu in Rah, whose testimony could expose Ozai’s usurpation and provide a legitimate cause to overthrow him. Though Azula worried about leaving unnoticed, Kahn proposed going alone.

• Kahn reminded Azula that they could now search for Yin Shu in Rah, and Azula agreed it was time to pursue the truth about their mother.
• Kahn and Azula estimated that a covert trip to Rah would take about ten days, but Azula decided to wait until she had more freedom from Ozai.
• Kahn insisted they should act soon because Yin Shu’s account of Ozai’s usurpation could give them a just cause to remove him and secure public support for a successor.
• Azula asked whether Kahn would support Iroh, Zuko, or her for the throne, and Kahn joked that they could draw lots.
• When Azula asked how they could search without being discovered, Kahn proposed going alone.

Kahn left the Imperial Capital on a secret mission to investigate Yin Shu’s past and reached her hometown, Rah. He learned that villagers had heard conflicting accounts of whether she had returned, leaving him to find out more.

• Kahn and Azula agreed that Kahn would travel alone while Azula stayed in the Imperial Capital to cover for him.
• Kahn told Iroh he was leaving on a long journey related to Azula, and Iroh urged him to stay safe.
• With Woolf’s help, Kahn left the city and traveled through the wilderness, losing time when his Ostrich Horse panicked at beasts and rough terrain.
• Kahn reached Rah on the sixth day and found the village peaceful and apparently untouched by Ozai’s efforts to conceal the past.
• Kahn asked the villagers about Yin Shu, and they said she was the administrator’s daughter, had been taken to the Imperial Capital, and might have returned a few years earlier.

Kahn used Yin Shu’s letters and a local theater mask to investigate her past in her hometown, learning that she had been a talented performer and that Aiken had been her boyfriend. He followed the trail to the theater, where Nolen offered to share what he knew about Yin Shu and Aiken.

• Kahn showed townspeople Yin Shu’s Dragon King mask and learned she had performed with the local theater troupe before leaving town.
• The townspeople told Kahn that Aiken had been Yin Shu’s boyfriend and that he had disappeared after she left, possibly entering nearby Forgetfulness Valley.
• Kahn learned that Yin Shu’s and Aiken’s parents had both died, then declined the townspeople’s invitations and headed to the theater.
• Kahn met Nolen at the theater, introduced himself as Yin Shu’s friend, and asked about her and Aiken.
• Nolen recognized the names, introduced himself, and invited Kahn to his home to share information.

Kahn learned that Yin Shu had left the troupe shortly before a performance, breaking Aiken’s heart, and heard a rumor that they had later gone together to Forgetfulness Valley. With the trail ending at the dangerous valley, he sought Iroh’s advice in the Spirit World and learned its strange effects might be connected to a deity.

• Nolen and his family welcomed Kahn, and his clean appearance surprised them.
• Nolen recognized Yin Shu’s Dragon King Mask and told Kahn that Yin Shu and Aiken had been childhood sweethearts and were set to play the leads in a performance before she abruptly left to marry into the royal family.
• Noriko recalled hearing that Aiken and Yin Shu had been seen going to Forgetfulness Valley, while Nolen dismissed the story and warned that no one who entered the valley had returned.
• Kahn decided to investigate Forgetfulness Valley the next day, played with Kii, and taught her basic Firebending knowledge.
• Kahn entered the Spirit World to ask Iroh about the valley, and Iroh said its strange effects might have something to do with a deity.

Kahn investigated Forgetfulness Valley after learning a deity there could change people’s appearances and erase their memories, possibly explaining Yin Shu’s disappearance. He found a spirit-rich lake but no deity, until two people dressed as Waterbenders emerged from the woods.

• Kahn asked Nolen’s family about Forgetfulness Valley and learned its legend described a deity who could change appearances and erase memories.
• Kahn suspected Yin Shu had changed her appearance and begun a new life with Aiken, then traveled alone toward Forgetfulness Valley.
• Kahn reached the valley, sensed dense spirit energy, and entered its forest on foot.
• Kahn found a tranquil lake filled with spirit energy but saw no sign of the deity.
• A man and a woman emerged from the woods beside the lake, and Kahn recognized their clothing as that of Waterbenders.

Kahn met Misu and her brother Rafa while seeking a spirit’s help, learned that the Mother of Faces might be connected to Yin Shu’s disappearance, and returned to the Imperial Capital with new information. Azula complained about his delay, but Kahn stopped her by revealing he had a new lead on Yin Shu.

• Kahn and Misu lowered their defenses and introduced themselves; Misu explained that she and Rafa had come to seek the Mother of Faces’ help.
• Misu told Kahn that Rafa’s face had been stolen, and Kahn identified the culprit as the Facestealer from the Avatar Chronicles.
• Kahn learned that the Mother of Faces had already visited for the season and that Misu had not seen Yin Shu during her half-year in the valley.
• Kahn accepted Misu’s dinner invitation, learned about her Waterbending, and then hurried back to the Imperial Capital.
• Azula criticized Kahn for taking longer than planned, and Kahn told her he had a new lead on Yin Shu’s whereabouts.

On the first day after Kahn left, Azula reunited with Mai and Ty Lee for a day of mischief and asked Mai for advice about her stalled romance with Kahn. When Ty Lee revealed that girls at school had confessed to him, Azula demanded to hear the details.

• Azula gathered Mai and Ty Lee and announced the revival of their trio while Kahn was away on a mission.
• The three spent the day pranking people, exploring forbidden rooms, and having afternoon tea.
• Azula admitted to Mai and Ty Lee that her relationship with Kahn had not progressed, and Mai advised her to change how he saw her.
• Ty Lee revealed that girls at school had confessed to Kahn, and Azula pressed Mai and Ty Lee to explain his school life.

During Kahn’s absence, Azula grew bored and realized how important he had become to her. When he finally returned, he revealed a new lead on Yin Shu’s whereabouts, shifting Azula’s attention to finding her mother.

• Ty Lee told Azula that Kahn had been popular at school and had never accepted a girl’s confession.
• Azula asked Mai and Ty Lee what kind of person Kahn liked, but neither knew.
• Over the days without Kahn, Azula grew bored, missed him, and recognized how closely their lives had become connected.
• Kahn failed to return on the day Azula expected him and came back two days later.
• Azula greeted Kahn with sarcastic complaints, then asked him to explain the new lead on Yin Shu’s whereabouts.

Kahn and Azula discussed how to find the Mother of Faces, and Kahn decided to pursue Spiritbending so he could communicate with her directly. After weighing the risk of revealing his origins, he told Azula he had crossed over from another world, but she assumed he was ill or hallucinating.

• Azula proposed burning the forest or knocking on the lakes to force the Mother of Faces to appear, and Kahn warned that the plans could anger the deity.
• Kahn explained that he might use Spiritbending to trace the Mother of Faces and decided to study further so he could communicate with her.
• Kahn considered how his otherworldly origins might affect his relationships with Iroh, Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula.
• Kahn told Azula that his soul came from another world and that he had become a child there.
• Azula checked Kahn for a fever and suggested that he had eaten something hallucinogenic before offering to find a doctor.

After Azula ordered Kahn to rest for three days following his strange confession, he reflected on his new Waterbending knowledge and the pressures facing him. When Azula asked what he meant by coming from another world, Kahn compared himself to the Avatar, and she laughed at the claim.

• Azula had the Royal Physician examine Kahn, then confined him to his home to rest for three days.
• Kahn reviewed what Misu had taught him about Waterbending, including plant manipulation and Healing Waterbending, and considered whether it could heal Zuko's left eye.
• Kahn learned that the Northern Water Tribe barred female waterbenders from learning Waterbending and reflected on the Fire Nation's support for war orphans.
• After several days, Azula decided Kahn seemed well and asked him what he had meant by coming from another world.
• Kahn told Azula she could think of him as a special existence like the Avatar, and Azula burst out laughing.

Kahn continued practicing bending and preparing to learn Spiritbending while waiting for Ozai to trust him with more freedom. When Ozai assigned Kahn and Azula a new mission to capture Iroh’s former subordinates, Azula realized the change in orders suggested the White Lotus Society’s rescue effort had failed.

• Kahn and Azula found a record suggesting the Mother of Faces might be related to Koh, and Kahn decided he would eventually seek Guru Pathik’s instruction in Spiritbending.
• Kahn spent his days practicing bending and his nights practicing Spiritbending or visiting Iroh in the Spirit World, while Iroh’s party traveled toward the Eastern Air Temple.
• Ozai assigned Kahn and Azula a mission to capture Iroh’s former subordinates rather than eliminate them.
• Azula pointed out that Ozai’s new orders suggested the White Lotus Society had failed to rescue the defectors, and Kahn decided he needed to ask the Society what had happened.

Kahn confronted Iroh about the White Lotus Society’s changed rescue plan and learned that Iroh had arranged to keep Lidun and the other rebels safe at their labor site until they could counterattack. With his confidence in Iroh’s strategy restored, Kahn and Azula set out on their second mission.

• The White Lotus clerk told Kahn that Iroh had changed the plan to rescue Lidun’s troops, then tried to recruit him into the Society.
• Kahn rejected the recruitment pitch and left the shop without learning the plan’s details.
• Kahn met Iroh in the Spirit World and complained about the Society’s patronizing approach; Iroh explained that Green had initiated the recruitment attempt without his involvement.
• Iroh revealed that he had replaced the rescue with a plan to plant spies at the labor site, protect Lidun’s troops, and let them recover while they waited to counterattack.
• Kahn admired Iroh’s predictions about Ozai’s response, and he and Azula departed to begin their second mission.