Kahn and the two Water Tribe siblings maintained a tense standoff, but after a while, both sides realized the other held no hostile intentions.
Kahn observed them closely. Among the two, only the older woman appeared to be a Waterbender.
The younger man beside her seemed to be just an ordinary tribal member.
But what truly caught Kahn's attention was the strange state of the young man.
He wore a wooden mask that completely covered his face, and his posture was lifeless—standing stiffly like a hollow shell, as if his soul had been taken.
While Kahn and the female Waterbender kept each other in check, the young man didn't react at all.
Although she was a Waterbender of unknown origin, she had shown no desire to fight, and Kahn had no reason to attack either.
After a meaningful exchange of glances, he slowly lowered his Firebending stance. The tension in the air eased with the gesture.
The female Waterbender took the initiative and spoke first.
"My brother and I came here to seek the Mother of Faces. We have no intention of fighting anyone. Are you here for the same reason?"
Mother of Faces?
Kahn responded calmly, "I'm not here to cause trouble either. I am indeed looking for a deity, but I do not know her name. I only heard the legend in Hira Town—that there is a spirit here who can remove people's suffering."
Their sincere tone and open attitudes smoothed away the last bits of lingering tension.
When Kahn's slightly youthful voice slipped out, the woman's expression softened even further.
In this peaceful atmosphere, they quickly established a tentative friendship, and Kahn learned more about the two.
The female Waterbender's name was Misu, and the young man beside her was her younger brother, Rafa.
They had come to Forget-Worry Valley to seek the Mother of Faces, hoping she could heal Rafa.
Misu generously shared everything she knew.
The Mother of Faces—the deity rumored in Hira Town—was an ancient spirit described in old texts. According to those scriptures:
Her existence grants identity. Her existence grants uniqueness.
"The texts say she can bestow new faces upon people," Misu explained. "I hoped she might also be able to cure my brother. So we came here and have been waiting for her to appear."
She glanced at Rafa, who sat motionless beside her, her tone steady but firm.
Hearing her story, Kahn immediately connected the dots.
If Ursa had truly changed her appearance with the Mother of Faces' help, then finding her would be extremely difficult.
Still, Kahn couldn't help but look at Rafa again. His quietness felt unnatural—lifeless, like a puppet.
"…Forgive my intrusion, but what illness does Rafa have?"
"To be precise, it's not an illness," Misu replied. "He was harmed by something. His face… was stolen."
Kahn's expression changed instantly.
"Face Stealer?!"
He had just been reading about that malicious spirit in the Avatar Chronicles the night before. And now he'd encountered an actual victim.
"You… you know what harmed my brother?" For the first time, Misu's calm expression cracked with urgency.
Kahn recounted the tale of Avatar Aang's encounter with the Face Stealer. Misu listened in silence, her expression darkening.
"So… it was that spirit…"
Knowing the culprit changed nothing—what could she do against a creature even the Avatar couldn't defeat?
But understanding the truth at least allowed her heart to settle a little. She thanked Kahn sincerely, causing him to feel slightly embarrassed.
"It's nothing. You also told me a lot. Your information helps me too."
Their trust deepened. Kahn then asked if Misu had ever seen Ursa, but she shook her head. They had only been here half a year and had met no one else.
Kahn hid his disappointment and asked about the Mother of Faces.
If Ursa had really transformed with her help, the only way to find her now was through the Mother of Faces. But this, too, met a dead end.
The Mother of Faces appeared only once per season, at one of the three lakes in Forget-Worry Valley.
She stayed only briefly at a random lake. Only those lucky enough to encounter her could make a request.
Unfortunately, Misu and Rafa had just missed her this season—they had guessed the wrong lake.
"…That's truly inconvenient."
Kahn sighed. Whether he was lamenting their misfortune or his own, he wasn't sure.
His search for Ursa had hit a wall. But even if he hadn't found her, he had gained crucial new information—perhaps he was now one step closer to the truth.
As long as he found the Mother of Faces, everything could be resolved.
But Kahn didn't have the time to wait for the next season.
After accepting Misu's invitation to a Water Tribe–style dinner, he quickly prepared to return.
Originally, this entire operation was supposed to take only ten days. It had already exceeded the schedule.
During dinner, Kahn had asked Misu many things about Waterbending—especially her ability to manipulate plants, which fascinated him.
Just like his own Thermal Energy Firebending and the advanced Lightning Generation technique he had yet to understand, Waterbending clearly had deeper forms he hadn't fully explored.
He didn't have time to study them now, but he recorded everything Misu told him for later research.
The return journey went smoother now that he knew the path.
By pushing his pace, he made it back to the Fire Nation's Imperial Capital in just five days—one day faster than before.
Counting the day and a half of investigation time, the entire mission had taken twelve days—two days longer than expected.
Which was why, the moment he stepped back into the palace, he was greeted with Azula's unmistakable voice.
"Well! Isn't this Kahn? I thought someone had died in a ditch somewhere. Or does someone have a different* sense of time from the rest of us?"
But Kahn silenced her immediately with one sentence.
"There's a new lead on Ursa."
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Avatar: Rebirth of the Strongest Firebender — Part 1 (ATLA) is now available on Patreon!
Part 2 — Arc 1, set in The Legend of Korra era, has also been completed and continues the story into the next generation with stronger enemies, expanded worldbuilding, and major character developments ahead.
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