The Search Part Two

The Search Part 2 is the second part of The Search trilogy. Written by Gene Yang alongside Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, this portion of the trilogy will focus on Team Avatar's continuing journey to find Zuko and Azula's mother, Ursa. It was released on July 10, 2013.

Overview
In search of their long-lost mother, Fire Lord Zuko and his sister Azula have brought Avatar Aang and his friends into a mysterious forest, but what they discover within may be more than they can face, and could leave them lost forever.

Synopsis
This second installment of The Search trilogy begins with Azula having yet another hallucination of her mother. In it, Azula is sleeping soundly at the base of a tree when a familiar voice coaxes her awake by calling her name and gently caressing her cheek. Startled, Azula bolts awake and to her shock and surprise sees Ursa kneeling beside her in the flesh. Ursa then tells her daughter to give up her quest to usurp the throne from Zuko because it is his destiny to be Fire Lord and that her true destiny lays elsewhere. But Azula hears none of it. Convinced that it is her destiny to be Fire Lord, Azula glares at Ursa and coldly thanks her for finally showing herself and sparing her the trouble of finding her. Reiterating her vengeful promise to end her mother's life and her meddling once and for all, Azula then goes to shoot lightning at Ursa. But Ursa remains resolute and, using the metaphor of a mask, tells her troubled daughter that she has worn the mask of fear and intimidation for too long and that she must finally shed that mask so that the beauty of her true destiny can shine through at last. For a brief moment, Ursa's words make Azula doubt herself. Azula then desperately reaches out to grab hold of Ursa's arm claiming she has proof of Zuko's unworthiness to the throne. But it is there that the hallucination ends with Azula grabbing Katara's arm mistaking her for Ursa. Katara angrily yanks herself free from Azula's grasp as Sokka rushes over to her sister's aid and throws his boomerang at Azula which she easily deflects with her arm gauntlet. Still trying to get her bearings, Azula goes to read the letter she had tucked away in her boot, only to find it missing. Enraged, Azula promptly demands to know where Zuko is and storms off into the forest in search of him.



Meanwhile, Zuko is sitting on a nearby cliff with Aang, talking about the letter and the shocking revelation concerning Zuko's true lineage. While Aang expresses his disbelief, Zuko feels almost relieved over learning the possible truth that he is not Ozai's son by blood. To him, his alleged illegitimacy explained his banishment and the years of mistreatment he suffered at the hands of his father over much of his young life. When Aang questions Zuko as to why Ozai did not just eliminate him immediately once he learned Zuko was not really his son, Zuko recounts the story Ozai told him during their confrontation during The Day of Black Sun: how Fire Lord Azulon ordered him to kill Zuko to experience the pain of losing a firstborn son after he had infuriated Azulon for suggesting he revoke his brother Iroh's birthright of succession following the death of Iroh's only child, Lu Ten, and of his intention of doing so, but that his mother somehow interceded on his behalf thus sparing his life. Zuko then shocks Aang by saying that he now feels an odd sense of hope upon learning the news of his alleged illegitimacy. Aang tries to dissuade Zuko from that line of thinking, understanding the ramifications to Zuko's hold of the throne should the contents of the letter be revealed, asking Zuko who the rightful Fire Lord would be otherwise. At that precise moment, Azula emerges from the forest in a psychotic rage with blue flame emanating from both hands. She approaches Zuko and Aang demanding to know who has the letter.



The first in a series of flashbacks then begins with Ursa and her children walking in the royal garden; with Zuko and Ursa happily strolling side-by-side together and Azula a few paces behind them seemingly disinterested with all the mother/son bonding happening in front of her. Hoping to get some attention, Azula spots a flower not growing to her liking and burns it, prompting Zuko to tell on her to Ursa. Ursa scolds Azula for disrespecting the royal garden, and in retaliation, the Fire Nation princess burns Zuko's bottom, calling him a tattletale. An angry Ursa promptly sends her to her room. As a scowling Azula storms off, Ursa consoles her crying son while Ozai stares disapprovingly at the proceedings from the palace veranda. Ozai then heads inside to another part of the palace where he receives Vachir, at the time a Yuyan Archer, who he had summoned for a special assignment. After boasting about the accuracy and prowess of his archery, the self-confident Vachir is given instructions by Ozai to head to the town of Hira'a on the outskirts of the Fire Nation to locate Ursa's former lover Ikem and put an end to him. The eager archer accepts the assignment, assuring Ozai that no one will be able to trace his actions to him. But Ozai blithely responds to Vachir that he need not concern himself with concealing his part in all of this but, on the contrary, wants "that dirt-stained commoner" to know that it was the Fire Nation Prince himself who ordered his demise.



The flashback ends and the story returns to Azula, who is now engaged in a vicious firefight with Aang and Zuko. Aang grows increasingly concerned over Katara and Sokka's well being and Zuko tells Aang to leave and check on them while he continues to hold off Azula. Still in a rage-induced psychosis, Azula screams at her brother to give her back the letter he had taken from her as both siblings continue hurling fire at one another. At one point, Zuko attempts his patented "strike the root" attack hoping to gain the upper hand in their battle as he did during their brutal Agni Kai two years before. But in this instance, it is Zuko who is caught off-guard as Azula dodges the attack by leaping into the air and landing atop her brother. The attack knocks the young Fire Lord down, giving Azula the opening she needed as she quickly snatches the letter from the pocket of his tunic while yelling that it is her destiny to assume the throne. Azula then attempts to leap away, but Zuko grabs Azula by the ankle and flings her to the ground. Zuko then lifts the prone Azula up off the ground by grabbing the collar of her battle garment and proceeds to dangle her over the cliff, all the while pleading with her as to why they must continue to fight one another after all these years. Still in a psychotic rage, Azula continues to bait and chide her brother, wondering aloud if Ursa was whispering into Zuko's ear at this moment to induce him to throw her off the cliff. While Zuko tells her that she is not making any sense, Azula remains adamant in her belief that Ursa has been keeping her from her destiny to obtain the throne and ordering Zuko to purloin the letter from her boot. But Azula's rage subsides when she realizes her brother had not yet destroyed the letter even though he had been in possession of it since the night before. Azula gradually regains her faculties but is still in a quandary as to Zuko's rationale for retaining the letter. Zuko stares forlornly at his deranged sister for a moment before letting her go.

Taken aback by her brother's gesture, Azula seems almost convinced that Zuko deliberately wants her to have the letter. But Zuko, in turn, explains that rather than spending the rest of their lives battling one another, they both should continue to focus their attention on locating their missing mother. The two siblings call a truce and head back to the encampment leaving Azula to wonder aloud whether her brother is actually on her side after all. Upon returning to camp, Aang, Sokka and Katara are still busily putting out the fire caused by Azula's lightning as Zuko asks if they are ready to leave. Sokka angrily responds by hissing at Azula that "Nature Hates You!" When Aang queries Zuko as to whether he and Azula have ceased their hostilities, Zuko informs the rest of Team Avatar that both he and Azula have come to an understanding and that their primary objective remains heading to the town of Hira'a to find out the whereabouts of their missing mother. But Sokka reminds Zuko of the twelve other times that Azula has broken her word on that promise and has attempted to kill them. Unperturbed by this, Zuko and the others (with Azula tossing an errant insult back at her temporary allies) board Appa and fly off in the direction of Hira'a.



The next flashback begins with Ozai, Ursa, Zuko, and Azula eating together at the palace dining hall. Azula is happily recounting to her father how, during her firebending training, she managed to contradict her instructor, Master Kunyo, on firebending technique after he told her that her arms were too far apart, arguing that she could get a bigger fire blast that way and then boasting of setting Kunyo's britches on fire while his back was turned. Ozai voices his approval of his daughter's actions saying that Kunyo sounded like a "fool" and promised to send Kunyo to the colonies. Azula concurs saying that it "serves him right", but Zuko jumps in to defend Kunyo, saying that he just wanted her to firebend correctly. Ozai becomes enraged at this, slamming his fist on the table, and proceeding to shame and humiliate Zuko for not being a better firebender than his younger sister as Azula watches gleefully beside her brother. After Ozai gets Zuko to admit that Azula has mastered fourteen more firebending forms than him despite her being a year younger, Ozai cruelly reveals to his son that he had originally intended to exile him because he thought that Zuko was an embarrassment for being a non-bender and for "lacking the spark" to become a firebender despite being a prince of the Fire Nation, but that Ursa and the fire sages interceded on his behalf, urging the Fire Lord to give Zuko a chance. Ozai further chastises his son, telling him that Azula never needed that kind of help for she was born lucky, but that Zuko, however, was lucky to be born. Ursa angrily voices her shock and disapproval at Ozai for his cruel remark towards their son. But before the argument between her and Ozai escalates further, a servant interrupts the dysfunctional family gathering, saying a Yuyan Archer requests Ozai's audience.

Ozai goes to receive the archer Vachir in another part of the palace and is briefly nonplussed to see the once prideful archer in his tattered uniform bowing and trembling before him, appearing to have endured a difficult and harrowing journey. Vachir informs Ozai that he was unable to locate Ikem in Hira'a but that the villagers there said he had run off a nearby forest at the edge of a valley the locals called forgetful Valley. The archer then said that he scoured Forgetful Valley and the surrounding area for months without a sign of him but that he beleives no "commoner" could have survived such a savage and inhospitable place. After recounting his own terrible experiences while there, Vachir gives Ozai his assurance that Ikem is no longer alive. Ozai, though, is not convinced of Vachir's findings believing it all to be mere conjecture and with no verifiable proof of Ikem's demise. The terrified archer hesitates momentarily in his reply before opffering his apologies. Realizing Vachir is of no further use to him, Ozai orders him to rise and return to the Yuyan Archer's stronghold and tether his resignation to the commander of the Archers after failing in his mission and showing cowardice before him. As Ozai leaves, Yuyan pleads for mercy while reiterating his claim that it would be impossible for any human being to survive in that bewitched forest.

Later that evening, Ozai angrily strides into Ursa's bedchamber and orders her hand maidens and other attendants out of the room to discuss a private matter with his wife. As some of the departing servants look on with horror, Ozai forcibly grabs Ursa hand and reminds her that contact with her past, especially Ikem, is treason. Ursa then reveals that she instinctively felt that Ozai have been intercepting her letters. Ozai then smugly tells her that he got rid of Ikem, much to Ursa's shock and horror.

The flashback ends, and the group dismount Appa. They all don disguises to conceal their identities in Hira'a. When they get into town, the final scene from Love Amongst the Dragons is playing. Zuko reminisces the times when he and Azula would reenact the part after watching the Ember Island players. After the play is over, they ask around about Ursa. The director of the acting company invites the team into his home, so they can talk about Ursa. His wife discusses marriage with Aang and Katara, while their young daughter shows Zuko and Azula her doll, much to the princess' annoyance. They learn that Ursa was taken from town on official business, and people speculate that she married into the royal family, and that Ikem, her boyfriend, left to Forgetful Valley.

Toward the evening, the group decides to leave, and they gives thanks to the family for sharing their home and time with them. While Azula and Katara get into a heated argument, Aang apologizes with Zuko for reacting the way he did before, and explains that if it was difficult for him to understand, he cannot imagine how hard would it be like for Zuko. He also says that despite sounding harsh, it would be better not to find Ikem, and burn the letter. However, Zuko confesses that he does not have the letter, anymore. He let Azula keep it, and says that they should focus on the task at hand, and then take care of what he should do and be. Upon hearing this, Aang tells Zuko to listen to him, and the Avatar begins to explain that when people come to the Fire Lord's throne, they do not bow down to him, but to the peaceful world he represents, and therefore, no matter who his real father is, he should remain on the throne. When Sokka intervenes the conversation to ask how much longer they would go on with the mission, since the discussion among the women of the group was increasing, Zuko declares that after going to the Forgetful Valley, all was going to end.



The third flashback begins with Azula and Zuko discussing what Azulon had told Ozai to do with the young boy, and when she hears the conversation, Ursa carries Azula to another room to find out more about it. When she gets the information she needs, she goes to talk to Ozai, and when he says he plans to go ahead with Azulon's orders, Ursa proposes a deal that will put him on the throne. Because her mother was a very talented herbalist, Ursa knows how to make an odorless, colorless poison, and she will give it to Ozai, who can use it as he sees fit, in return for sparing Zuko's life. Ozai agrees, but under one condition, he knows that if Ursa stays in the palace, it will not take long until he finds an odorless and colorless poison in his meal, so Ursa will have to leave the town and never return. She agrees to the terms, but states that she will take their children too, but Ozai then told her she cannot do that. He explained that while she kept her word, the children will not be harmed, but if she tries to approach them or take them with her, he will hunt them down as he has done with Ikem. She prepares the poison and gives it to Ozai, and then says goodbye to her children, leaving the palace in a boat, ending the flashback.

Shortly after, Team Avatar arrives at Forgetful Valley. Soon, Aang begins to feel the presence of spirits in his face, and identifies a flutter-bat that leads him to a pond of clear and quiet water. The group comments on how calm everything is, and Aang remembers the pond where Tui and La were, telling everyone that this is a very spiritual place that should be respected. Unfortunately, Azula sees her mother in the pond and shoots a beam of lightning, which initiates a dispute in the group. However, during their discussion, some flowers and vines begin to attack them. Quickly, Katara deduces that a waterbender was behind the assault, manipulates the plants to stop the attack, and demands to know who was behind the stunt. An old woman who leads a masked man emerges from the plants, surprising Katara.

The next flashback starts with Ursa reaching to Hira'a after her exile, where she asks a young girl for Jinzuk and Rina, but the girl tells her that they both died years ago. She heads to the stage of the city, where she cries until almost sunrise, when the new theater director, Noren, sees her and invites her to breakfast, which she accepts.



Back in the forest, the group is eating with the old woman, Misu, and her brother, Rafa. Misu explains that they came from the Northern Water Tribe. When they lived there, she and her brother were completely different, she was studious and obedient, but her brother was rebellious and loud, and used to steal things just to prove he could, but he never got into real trouble. One day, she found him alone on the ice with a horribly disfigured face. Despite the attempts of the best healers, they could not do anything for Rafa, who was in a state between life and death. Since no one could help him, her sister sought help in the best way she knew, studying. Soon, she found information about a spirit who occasionally visited a forest of the Fire Nation, who had the power to give people new faces. So she devoted her life to take her brother to the forest so the spirit could help him. However, it took them a while, for she had to learn how to use waterbending to fight secretly, because in the Northern Water Tribe, women could only learn healing.

At that time, Azula interrupts the conversation asking about her mother, but the old woman says she has not seen her. She also explains that when the spirit is close, face-like patterns manifest in the woods and animals. Additionally, she reveals to them that during the night, a wolf travels from very far to drink water from one of the ponds located in the forest. Unfortunately for them, the pond where they are is not where the wolf appears. Seeing this, Aang decides to try to do something for the siblings, and tries to meditate.



Meanwhile, Azula complains that instead of looking for their mother, they are wasting time by helping dirty vagrants. Zuko replies that Aang is the Avatar, and helping people is what he usually does; and as his team, that is their job too. Azula responds by pointing out what she believes is the reason why Zuko does not want to be Fire Lord anymore; he would rather travel the world helping poor people. Zuko tries to answer, but Azula enters in another of her episodes, claiming that her mother had orchestrated the situation: sending the Water Tribe siblings to slow them down. She runs back, prepares to shoot a lightning bolt and aims it at Rafa and Misu, while Zuko frantically runs toward their aid and puts himself in danger of being hit. At the same moment, Aang crosses the Spirit World. Once there, he finds the flutter-bat that tells him to go with it to see what he wanted. Aang rides the creature, which takes Aang to see the forest. Aang notices four ponds, and close to one, he sees the wolf spirit. He tries to convince him to go to the pond where the others were camping, but the animal ran away. Aang grabs its fur and when the creature stops, the Avatar hears a voice asking who dares to ride its wolf. Aang explains that he is the Avatar, and asks who had spoken. Then he sees a spirit that identifies herself as the Mother of Faces.

Goofs

 * The fire started by Azula in the forest that the group was attempting to extinguish should have been burning a standard orange color, as Azula was not bending it at the time.
 * On page 37, Sokka has six fingers on his right hand.
 * On page 39, in one scene, Ursa's top knot holder pin is not there.

Trivia

 * This comic was accidentally leaked about a week before it was supposed to have been released.
 * In Misu's flashback, Rafa is seen holding a helmet in the shape of a wolf's head, similar to those worn by Hakoda and his men during the Invasion of the Fire Nation.
 * During the play, the Dark Water Spirit's mask is shown to bear resemblance to the Blue Spirit's.
 * This comic marks the third time that Team Avatar has encountered waterbenders while in the wilderness, the first being the members of the Foggy Swamp Tribe in "The Swamp", followed by Hama in "The Puppetmaster".