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Firstly, both canonically and according to Vathara, Aang is not a spirit at all. Aang himself is human, and the Avatar Spirit reincarnates itself in him, but they are separate beings. It is like having two separate people in one body, and the human can influence the spirit (Ch. 62 - \\\"The Avatar is a human as well as a spirit\\\"; spirits see the Avatar merely as \\\"the World Spirit\\\'s Bearer\\\"; Ch. 63 - \\\" \\\"Uh-uh.\\\" Sokka shook his head. \\\"The Avatar Spirit\\\'s a spirit. You\\\'re Aang... just like any other regular guy.\\\" \\\")

Second, the proper term for someone like Zuko is \\\"spirit-born\\\". They may be mortal, and born human, but they function by the rules governing spirits. And spirits are, as Katara puts it in Chapter 63, \\\"the heart of everything that exists... They \\\'\\\'have to\\\'\\\' be true to what they are. Or... Gran-Gran didn\\\'t like to talk about it. But the spirit-born stories - they make it pretty clear.\\\" Which implies several things. First, Zuko has no more choice or ability to stop acting within the confines of his nature than a spirit does; and second, that if he tries, it will end poorly. Zuko \\\'\\\'cannot\\\'\\\' go back on his word at the drop of a hat, like Aang can.

As well, the points you make about Zuko being unable to feel compassion and protection and various other emotions... Sorry, but here, you begin to enter \\\"dead wrong\\\" territory. My rebuttals to as many of your points as I have time to refute follow in the order you made them, though I may not reference specific chapters, as I don\\\'t know them off the top of my head (if someone does, please feel free to post them in a reply):

Compassion: Spirits, spirit-born, dragons, and Zuko specifically, feel compassion, which is defined as \\\"understanding or empathy for the suffering of others, and helping them to come out from that suffering.\\\" Did you miss the part where Temul rescued air monks, because she knew life is precious?

This entire scene in Chapter 63:
----
\\\'\\\'\\\"I didn\\\'t want him to do that!\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Ow. Aang, could you keep it down a little?\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'But he didn\\\'t say it. Because Aang was shaking in Katara\\\'s arms, just like...\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Like I would be, Sokka thought, a little guilty. If I saw Mom again, and then she was gone.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"I didn\\\'t,\\\" Aang hiccupped, \\\"he shouldn\\\'t have...\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"It is not for the student, to decide what the master is willing to give,\\\" Shidan said gravely.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Katara bristled. Sokka felt like bristling himself, man that was cold-\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Aang gulped, and scrubbed his eyes with his hand. \\\"That\\\'s what - what Gyatso would say.\\\" He swallowed, a breath from breaking down all over again. \\\"But he shouldn\\\'t have done it! Not for me!\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"If not for you, then for no one,\\\" Shidan stated. Still crouched, to meet gray eyes squarely. \\\"You are his student. His hope for the world to heal, and the best of his teachings to be carried into the future. He loved you like a father; and like elder kin, he chose to die so you might live.\\\" Shidan\\\'s voice dropped, softer. \\\"Gyatso told me once, Air is freedom. That you lived your lives so that every child would be wanted; so that every teacher could choose to have students, and teach them to wander as the wind. At their best, he said, the Temples were places of light and laughter, peaceful as the air at dawn.\\\" A quiet breath. \\\"He chose to shatter his own peace, so that you might live. So that Kuzon might, and all those spirited from the Temples. He knew us, Aang. He knew what would draw Sozin\\\'s eye, long enough for Kuzon and Temul to cover their tracks. He knew us, and he chose.\\\" Softer yet. \\\"Would you take that freedom from him?\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Aang looked away. Slowly, shook his head. \\\"But it hurts.\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"I know.\\\" Shidan looked away, pale gold squinted in pain. \\\"I know.\\\"\\\'\\\'\\\'\\\'
----
Or the things everyone who knew younger Zuko keeps hinting at, which happened in Nara (Chapter 28 - \\\"I hear folks from [Nara] still remember this quiet li\\\'l tyke in the gold, finding poor lost lion-dogs.\\\")

So no, it\\\'s pretty well established that Zuko, and many other spirits, feel compassionate.

Protectiveness - um, hello, there was this entire scene in 73, where Zuko\\\'s telling Toph he\\\'s glad the invasion failed thanks to Azula\\\'s pre-emptive strike, \\\'\\\'because if it hadn\\\'t, Toph would be dead\\\'\\\' (and if that isn\\\'t protectiveness - not wanting your friends to die - then I don\\\'t know what is)
----
\\\'\\\'\\\"I wish I could have thought of something else,\\\" Zuko got out, hurting. \\\"I couldn\\\'t find another way, Toph. She was going to kill something. It was Aang or your army, and if she\\\'d killed Aang-\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"Spirits ticked off, Fire Nation wiped out in sixteen years by a Water Tribe Avatar,\\\" Toph snapped. Fists clenched, denying the water leaking from her eyes. \\\"I get it.\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"No!\\\" Zuko slashed his hand across, a ripple of heat in air. \\\"If she\\\'d killed Aang, she would have killed you!\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Toph gulped. Blinked, another tear trickling down.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"If she targeted Aang, all of you would have tried to stop her,\\\" Zuko got out, weary to the bone. \\\"That\\\'s what sworn warriors of a great name do. And if any of them, especially a sworn bender, escapes an ambush that kills their lord - a sworn warrior doesn\\\'t surrender. He hides out, maybe for years, gets together a raiding party, and comes back. Hell, Toph, we have plays about it. The only way to take out a great name and have peace is to take out all their sworn with him. And you\\\'re a master bender. You trained this Avatar. Azula would be stupid to leave you alive to get stronger and train the next Avatar. My sister is crazy. Not stupid.\\\" He gripped his cuff, and swiped at prickling eyes. \\\"Forget strategy. Forget spirits. Forget all the good reasons. If Azula tried to kill Aang she was going to go through you to do it. And if she did that, one of you, maybe both of you... you\\\'re my friend, and she\\\'s still my sister...\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Asahi rumbled, nudging him with her shoulder. Zuko leaned into it, breathing in fur and feathers to blunt the tang of cold ashes. Words. Sometimes he just hated words.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'A gritty hand touched his. \\\"Zuko?\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'He wrapped her up in one of Uncle\\\'s hugs, bristly hair and all, wishing he could just explain. Azula was like being tangled in a killer rose-vine. It hurt, and he had to get away or die. But she was alive, she was family, and he couldn\\\'t destroy her without knowing he\\\'d kill part of himself.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'And you\\\'re my friend. How can I let someone kill my friend?\\\'\\\'
----
Remorse about Kyoshi Island and the Southern Water Tribe - hell yes Zuko feels that. He apologizes to Sokka for attacking civilians, because he hadn\\\'t realized they \\\'\\\'were\\\'\\\' civilians. The Fire Nation just has non-combatants. People who are trained, but aren\\\'t fighting. Much like modern-day Israel, in fact, where the majority of the adult population has undergone military service, but only a fraction continues on in the military after their mandatory service is complete.

As to Kyoshi island... There is a specific scene where Zuko expresses chagrin and remorse for what occurred on Kyoshi island. I believe it is in the conversation with Iroh and Shirong, in which they are discussing potential settlement locations, but I may be wrong.

Zefire, I shall address your remarks in a separate post, as this one is getting too long for ease of reading, as well as for my own taste.

Firstly, both canonically and according to Vathara, Aang is not a spirit at all. Aang himself is human, and the Avatar Spirit reincarnates itself in him, but they are separate beings. It is like having two separate people in one body, and the human can influence the spirit (Ch. 62 - \\\"The Avatar is a human as well as a spirit\\\"; spirits see the Avatar merely as \\\"the World Spirit\\\'s Bearer\\\"; Ch. 63 - \\\" \\\"Uh-uh.\\\" Sokka shook his head. \\\"The Avatar Spirit\\\'s a spirit. You\\\'re Aang... just like any other regular guy.\\\" \\\")

Second, the proper term for someone like Zuko is \\\"spirit-born\\\". They may be mortal, and born human, but they function by the rules governing spirits. And spirits are, as Katara puts it in Chapter 63, \\\"the heart of everything that exists... They \\\'\\\'have to\\\'\\\' be true to what they are. Or... Gran-Gran didn\\\'t like to talk about it. But the spirit-born stories - they make it pretty clear.\\\" Which implies several things. First, Zuko has no more choice or ability to stop acting within the confines of his nature than a spirit does; and second, that if he tries, it will end poorly. Zuko \\\'\\\'cannot\\\'\\\' go back on his word at the drop of a hat, like Aang can.

As well, the points you make about Zuko being unable to feel compassion and protection and various other emotions... Sorry, but here, you begin to enter \\\"dead wrong\\\" territory. My rebuttals to as many of your points as I have time to refute follow in the order you made them, though I may not reference specific chapters, as I don\\\'t know them off the top of my head (if someone does, please feel free to post them in a reply):

Compassion: Spirits, spirit-born, dragons, and Zuko specifically, feel compassion, which is defined as \\\"understanding or empathy for the suffering of others, and helping them to come out from that suffering.\\\" Did you miss the part where Temul rescued air monks, because she knew life is precious?

This entire scene in Chapter 63:

\\\'\\\'\\\"I didn\\\'t want him to do that!\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Ow. Aang, could you keep it down a little?\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'But he didn\\\'t say it. Because Aang was shaking in Katara\\\'s arms, just like...\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Like I would be, Sokka thought, a little guilty. If I saw Mom again, and then she was gone.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"I didn\\\'t,\\\" Aang hiccupped, \\\"he shouldn\\\'t have...\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"It is not for the student, to decide what the master is willing to give,\\\" Shidan said gravely.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Katara bristled. Sokka felt like bristling himself, man that was cold-\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Aang gulped, and scrubbed his eyes with his hand. \\\"That\\\'s what - what Gyatso would say.\\\" He swallowed, a breath from breaking down all over again. \\\"But he shouldn\\\'t have done it! Not for me!\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"If not for you, then for no one,\\\" Shidan stated. Still crouched, to meet gray eyes squarely. \\\"You are his student. His hope for the world to heal, and the best of his teachings to be carried into the future. He loved you like a father; and like elder kin, he chose to die so you might live.\\\" Shidan\\\'s voice dropped, softer. \\\"Gyatso told me once, Air is freedom. That you lived your lives so that every child would be wanted; so that every teacher could choose to have students, and teach them to wander as the wind. At their best, he said, the Temples were places of light and laughter, peaceful as the air at dawn.\\\" A quiet breath. \\\"He chose to shatter his own peace, so that you might live. So that Kuzon might, and all those spirited from the Temples. He knew us, Aang. He knew what would draw Sozin\\\'s eye, long enough for Kuzon and Temul to cover their tracks. He knew us, and he chose.\\\" Softer yet. \\\"Would you take that freedom from him?\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Aang looked away. Slowly, shook his head. \\\"But it hurts.\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"I know.\\\" Shidan looked away, pale gold squinted in pain. \\\"I know.\\\"\\\'\\\'\\\'\\\'

Or the things everyone who knew younger Zuko keeps hinting at, which happened in Nara (Chapter 28 - \\\"I hear folks from [Nara] still remember this quiet li\\\'l tyke in the gold, finding poor lost lion-dogs.\\\")

So no, it\\\'s pretty well established that Zuko, and many other spirits, feel compassionate.

Protectiveness - um, hello, there was this entire scene in 73, where Zuko\\\'s telling Toph he\\\'s glad the invasion failed thanks to Azula\\\'s pre-emptive strike, \\\'\\\'because if it hadn\\\'t, Toph would be dead\\\'\\\' (and if that isn\\\'t protectiveness - not wanting your friends to die - then I don\\\'t know what is)

\\\'\\\'\\\"I wish I could have thought of something else,\\\" Zuko got out, hurting. \\\"I couldn\\\'t find another way, Toph. She was going to kill something. It was Aang or your army, and if she\\\'d killed Aang-\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"Spirits ticked off, Fire Nation wiped out in sixteen years by a Water Tribe Avatar,\\\" Toph snapped. Fists clenched, denying the water leaking from her eyes. \\\"I get it.\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"No!\\\" Zuko slashed his hand across, a ripple of heat in air. \\\"If she\\\'d killed Aang, she would have killed you!\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Toph gulped. Blinked, another tear trickling down.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"If she targeted Aang, all of you would have tried to stop her,\\\" Zuko got out, weary to the bone. \\\"That\\\'s what sworn warriors of a great name do. And if any of them, especially a sworn bender, escapes an ambush that kills their lord - a sworn warrior doesn\\\'t surrender. He hides out, maybe for years, gets together a raiding party, and comes back. Hell, Toph, we have plays about it. The only way to take out a great name and have peace is to take out all their sworn with him. And you\\\'re a master bender. You trained this Avatar. Azula would be stupid to leave you alive to get stronger and train the next Avatar. My sister is crazy. Not stupid.\\\" He gripped his cuff, and swiped at prickling eyes. \\\"Forget strategy. Forget spirits. Forget all the good reasons. If Azula tried to kill Aang she was going to go through you to do it. And if she did that, one of you, maybe both of you... you\\\'re my friend, and she\\\'s still my sister...\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Asahi rumbled, nudging him with her shoulder. Zuko leaned into it, breathing in fur and feathers to blunt the tang of cold ashes. Words. Sometimes he just hated words.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'A gritty hand touched his. \\\"Zuko?\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'He wrapped her up in one of Uncle\\\'s hugs, bristly hair and all, wishing he could just explain. Azula was like being tangled in a killer rose-vine. It hurt, and he had to get away or die. But she was alive, she was family, and he couldn\\\'t destroy her without knowing he\\\'d kill part of himself.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'And you\\\'re my friend. How can I let someone kill my friend?\\\'\\\'

Remorse about Kyoshi Island and the Southern Water Tribe - hell yes Zuko feels that. He apologizes to Sokka for attacking civilians, because he hadn\\\'t realized they \\\'\\\'were\\\'\\\' civilians. The Fire Nation just has non-combatants. People who are trained, but aren\\\'t fighting. Much like modern-day Israel, in fact, where the majority of the adult population has undergone military service, but only a fraction continues on in the military after their mandatory service is complete.

As to Kyoshi island... There is a specific scene where Zuko expresses chagrin and remorse for what occurred on Kyoshi island. I believe it is in the conversation with Iroh and Shirong, in which they are discussing potential settlement locations, but I may be wrong.

Zefire, I shall address your remarks in a separate post, as this one is getting too long for ease of reading, as well as for my own taste.

Firstly, both canonically and according to Vathara, Aang is not a spirit at all. Aang himself is human, and the Avatar Spirit reincarnates itself in him, but they are separate beings. It is like having two separate people in one body, and the human can influence the spirit (Ch. 62 - \\\"The Avatar is a human as well as a spirit\\\"; spirits see the Avatar merely as \\\"the World Spirit\\\'s Bearer\\\"; Ch. 63 - \\\" \\\"Uh-uh.\\\" Sokka shook his head. \\\"The Avatar Spirit\\\'s a spirit. You\\\'re Aang... just like any other regular guy.\\\" \\\")

Second, the proper term for someone like Zuko is \\\"spirit-born\\\". They may be mortal, and born human, but they function by the rules governing spirits. And spirits are, as Katara puts it in Chapter 63, \\\"the heart of everything that exists... They \\\'\\\'have to\\\'\\\' be true to what they are. Or... Gran-Gran didn\\\'t like to talk about it. But the spirit-born stories - they make it pretty clear.\\\" Which implies several things. First, Zuko has no more choice or ability to stop acting within the confines of his nature than a spirit does; and second, that if he tries, it will end poorly. Zuko \\\'\\\'cannot\\\'\\\' go back on his word at the drop of a hat, like Aang can.

As well, the points you make about Zuko being unable to feel compassion and protection and various other emotions... Sorry, but here, you begin to enter \\\"dead wrong\\\" territory. My rebuttals to as many of your points as I have time to refute follow in the order you made them, though I may not reference specific chapters, as I don\\\'t know them off the top of my head (if someone does, please feel free to post them in a reply):

Compassion: Spirits, spirit-born, dragons, and Zuko specifically, feel compassion, which is defined as \\\"understanding or empathy for the suffering of others, and helping them to come out from that suffering.\\\" Did you miss the part where Temul rescued air monks, because she knew life is precious?

This entire scene in Chapter 63:

\\\'\\\'\\\"I didn\\\'t want him to do that!\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Ow. Aang, could you keep it down a little?\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'But he didn\\\'t say it. Because Aang was shaking in Katara\\\'s arms, just like...\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Like I would be, Sokka thought, a little guilty. If I saw Mom again, and then she was gone.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"I didn\\\'t,\\\" Aang hiccupped, \\\"he shouldn\\\'t have...\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"It is not for the student, to decide what the master is willing to give,\\\" Shidan said gravely.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Katara bristled. Sokka felt like bristling himself, man that was cold-\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Aang gulped, and scrubbed his eyes with his hand. \\\"That\\\'s what - what Gyatso would say.\\\" He swallowed, a breath from breaking down all over again. \\\"But he shouldn\\\'t have done it! Not for me!\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"If not for you, then for no one,\\\" Shidan stated. Still crouched, to meet gray eyes squarely. \\\"You are his student. His hope for the world to heal, and the best of his teachings to be carried into the future. He loved you like a father; and like elder kin, he chose to die so you might live.\\\" Shidan\\\'s voice dropped, softer. \\\"Gyatso told me once, Air is freedom. That you lived your lives so that every child would be wanted; so that every teacher could choose to have students, and teach them to wander as the wind. At their best, he said, the Temples were places of light and laughter, peaceful as the air at dawn.\\\" A quiet breath. \\\"He chose to shatter his own peace, so that you might live. So that Kuzon might, and all those spirited from the Temples. He knew us, Aang. He knew what would draw Sozin\\\'s eye, long enough for Kuzon and Temul to cover their tracks. He knew us, and he chose.\\\" Softer yet. \\\"Would you take that freedom from him?\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Aang looked away. Slowly, shook his head. \\\"But it hurts.\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"I know.\\\" Shidan looked away, pale gold squinted in pain. \\\"I know.\\\"\\\'\\\'\\\'\\\'

Or the things everyone who knew younger Zuko keeps hinting at, which happened in Nara (Chapter 28 - \\\"I hear folks from [Nara] still remember this quiet li\\\'l tyke in the gold, finding poor lost lion-dogs.\\\")

So no, it\\\'s pretty well established that Zuko, and many other spirits, feel compassionate.

Protectiveness - um, hello, there was this entire scene in 73, where Zuko\\\'s telling Toph he\\\'s glad the invasion failed thanks to Azula\\\'s pre-emptive strike, \\\'\\\'because if it hadn\\\'t, Toph would be dead\\\'\\\' (and if that isn\\\'t protectiveness - not wanting your friends to die - then I don\\\'t know what is)

\\\'\\\'\\\"I wish I could have thought of something else,\\\" Zuko got out, hurting. \\\"I couldn\\\'t find another way, Toph. She was going to kill something. It was Aang or your army, and if she\\\'d killed Aang-\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"Spirits ticked off, Fire Nation wiped out in sixteen years by a Water Tribe Avatar,\\\" Toph snapped. Fists clenched, denying the water leaking from her eyes. \\\"I get it.\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"No!\\\" Zuko slashed his hand across, a ripple of heat in air. \\\"If she\\\'d killed Aang, she would have killed you!\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Toph gulped. Blinked, another tear trickling down.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"If she targeted Aang, all of you would have tried to stop her,\\\" Zuko got out, weary to the bone. \\\"That\\\'s what sworn warriors of a great name do. And if any of them, especially a sworn bender, escapes an ambush that kills their lord - a sworn warrior doesn\\\'t surrender. He hides out, maybe for years, gets together a raiding party, and comes back. Hell, Toph, we have plays about it. The only way to take out a great name and have peace is to take out all their sworn with him. And you\\\'re a master bender. You trained this Avatar. Azula would be stupid to leave you alive to get stronger and train the next Avatar. My sister is crazy. Not stupid.\\\" He gripped his cuff, and swiped at prickling eyes. \\\"Forget strategy. Forget spirits. Forget all the good reasons. If Azula tried to kill Aang she was going to go through you to do it. And if she did that, one of you, maybe both of you... you\\\'re my friend, and she\\\'s still my sister...\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'Asahi rumbled, nudging him with her shoulder. Zuko leaned into it, breathing in fur and feathers to blunt the tang of cold ashes. Words. Sometimes he just hated words.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'A gritty hand touched his. \\\"Zuko?\\\"\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'He wrapped her up in one of Uncle\\\'s hugs, bristly hair and all, wishing he could just explain. Azula was like being tangled in a killer rose-vine. It hurt, and he had to get away or die. But she was alive, she was family, and he couldn\\\'t destroy her without knowing he\\\'d kill part of himself.\\\'\\\'

\\\'\\\'\\\"And you\\\'re my friend. How can I let someone kill my friend?\\\"\\\'\\\'

Remorse about Kyoshi Island and the Southern Water Tribe - hell yes Zuko feels that. He apologizes to Sokka for attacking civilians, because he hadn\\\'t realized they \\\'\\\'were\\\'\\\' civilians. The Fire Nation just has non-combatants. People who are trained, but aren\\\'t fighting. Much like modern-day Israel, in fact, where the majority of the adult population has undergone military service, but only a fraction continues on in the military after their mandatory service is complete.

As to Kyoshi island... There is a specific scene where Zuko expresses chagrin and remorse for what occurred on Kyoshi island. I believe it is in the conversation with Iroh and Shirong, in which they are discussing potential settlement locations, but I may be wrong.

Zefire, I shall address your remarks in a separate post, as this one is getting too long for ease of reading, as well as for my own taste.

Firstly, both canonically and according to Vathara, Aang is not a spirit at all. Aang himself is human, and the Avatar Spirit reincarnates itself in him, but they are separate beings. It is like having two separate people in one body, and the human can influence the spirit (Ch. 62 - \\\"The Avatar is a human as well as a spirit\\\"; spirits see the Avatar merely as \\\"the World Spirit\\\'s Bearer\\\"; Ch. 63 - \\\" \\\"Uh-uh.\\\" Sokka shook his head. \\\"The Avatar Spirit\\\'s a spirit. You\\\'re Aang... just like any other regular guy.\\\" \\\")

Second, the proper term for someone like Zuko is \\\"spirit-born\\\". They may be mortal, and born human, but they function by the rules governing spirits. And spirits are, as Katara puts it in Chapter 63, \\\"the heart of everything that exists... They \\\'\\\'have to\\\'\\\' be true to what they are. Or... Gran-Gran didn\\\'t like to talk about it. But the spirit-born stories - they make it pretty clear.\\\" Which implies several things. First, Zuko has no more choice or ability to stop acting within the confines of his nature than a spirit does; and second, that if he tries, it will end poorly. Zuko \\\'\\\'cannot\\\'\\\' go back on his word at the drop of a hat, like Aang can.

As well, the points you make about Zuko being unable to feel compassion and protection and various other emotions... Sorry, but here, you begin to enter \\\"dead wrong\\\" territory. My rebuttals to as many of your points as I have time to refute follow in the order you made them, though I may not reference specific chapters, as I don\\\'t know them off the top of my head (if someone does, please feel free to post them in a reply):

Compassion: Spirits, spirit-born, dragons, and Zuko specifically, feel compassion, which is defined as \\\"understanding or empathy for the suffering of others, and helping them to come out from that suffering.\\\" Did you miss the part where Temul rescued air monks, because she knew life is precious?

This entire scene in Chapter 63:

\\\'\\\'\\\"I didn\\\'t want him to do that!\\\"

Ow. Aang, could you keep it down a little?

But he didn\\\'t say it. Because Aang was shaking in Katara\\\'s arms, just like...

Like I would be, Sokka thought, a little guilty. If I saw Mom again, and then she was gone.

\\\"I didn\\\'t,\\\" Aang hiccupped, \\\"he shouldn\\\'t have...\\\"

\\\"It is not for the student, to decide what the master is willing to give,\\\" Shidan said gravely.

Katara bristled. Sokka felt like bristling himself, man that was cold-

Aang gulped, and scrubbed his eyes with his hand. \\\"That\\\'s what - what Gyatso would say.\\\" He swallowed, a breath from breaking down all over again. \\\"But he shouldn\\\'t have done it! Not for me!\\\"

\\\"If not for you, then for no one,\\\" Shidan stated. Still crouched, to meet gray eyes squarely. \\\"You are his student. His hope for the world to heal, and the best of his teachings to be carried into the future. He loved you like a father; and like elder kin, he chose to die so you might live.\\\" Shidan\\\'s voice dropped, softer. \\\"Gyatso told me once, Air is freedom. That you lived your lives so that every child would be wanted; so that every teacher could choose to have students, and teach them to wander as the wind. At their best, he said, the Temples were places of light and laughter, peaceful as the air at dawn.\\\" A quiet breath. \\\"He chose to shatter his own peace, so that you might live. So that Kuzon might, and all those spirited from the Temples. He knew us, Aang. He knew what would draw Sozin\\\'s eye, long enough for Kuzon and Temul to cover their tracks. He knew us, and he chose.\\\" Softer yet. \\\"Would you take that freedom from him?\\\"

Aang looked away. Slowly, shook his head. \\\"But it hurts.\\\"

\\\"I know.\\\" Shidan looked away, pale gold squinted in pain. \\\"I know.\\\"\\\'\\\'

Or the things everyone who knew younger Zuko keeps hinting at, which happened in Nara (Chapter 28 - \\\"I hear folks from [Nara] still remember this quiet li\\\'l tyke in the gold, finding poor lost lion-dogs.\\\")

So no, it\\\'s pretty well established that Zuko, and many other spirits, feel compassionate.

Protectiveness - um, hello, there was this entire scene in 73, where Zuko\\\'s telling Toph he\\\'s glad the invasion failed thanks to Azula\\\'s pre-emptive strike, \\\'\\\'because if it hadn\\\'t, Toph would be dead\\\'\\\' (and if that isn\\\'t protectiveness - not wanting your friends to die - then I don\\\'t know what is)

\\\'\\\'\\\"I wish I could have thought of something else,\\\" Zuko got out, hurting. \\\"I couldn\\\'t find another way, Toph. She was going to kill something. It was Aang or your army, and if she\\\'d killed Aang-\\\"

\\\"Spirits ticked off, Fire Nation wiped out in sixteen years by a Water Tribe Avatar,\\\" Toph snapped. Fists clenched, denying the water leaking from her eyes. \\\"I get it.\\\"

\\\"No!\\\" Zuko slashed his hand across, a ripple of heat in air. \\\"If she\\\'d killed Aang, she would have killed you!\\\"

Toph gulped. Blinked, another tear trickling down.

\\\"If she targeted Aang, all of you would have tried to stop her,\\\" Zuko got out, weary to the bone. \\\"That\\\'s what sworn warriors of a great name do. And if any of them, especially a sworn bender, escapes an ambush that kills their lord - a sworn warrior doesn\\\'t surrender. He hides out, maybe for years, gets together a raiding party, and comes back. Hell, Toph, we have plays about it. The only way to take out a great name and have peace is to take out all their sworn with him. And you\\\'re a master bender. You trained this Avatar. Azula would be stupid to leave you alive to get stronger and train the next Avatar. My sister is crazy. Not stupid.\\\" He gripped his cuff, and swiped at prickling eyes. \\\"Forget strategy. Forget spirits. Forget all the good reasons. If Azula tried to kill Aang she was going to go through you to do it. And if she did that, one of you, maybe both of you... you\\\'re my friend, and she\\\'s still my sister...\\\"

Asahi rumbled, nudging him with her shoulder. Zuko leaned into it, breathing in fur and feathers to blunt the tang of cold ashes. Words. Sometimes he just hated words.

A gritty hand touched his. \\\"Zuko?\\\"

He wrapped her up in one of Uncle\\\'s hugs, bristly hair and all, wishing he could just explain. Azula was like being tangled in a killer rose-vine. It hurt, and he had to get away or die. But she was alive, she was family, and he couldn\\\'t destroy her without knowing he\\\'d kill part of himself.

And you\\\'re my friend. How can I let someone kill my friend?\\\'\\\'

Remorse about Kyoshi Island and the Southern Water Tribe - hell yes Zuko feels that. He apologizes to Sokka for attacking civilians, because he hadn\\\'t realized they \\\'\\\'were\\\'\\\' civilians. The Fire Nation just has non-combatants. People who are trained, but aren\\\'t fighting. Much like modern-day Israel, in fact, where the majority of the adult population has undergone military service, but only a fraction continues on in the military after their mandatory service is complete.

As to Kyoshi island... There is a specific scene where Zuko expresses chagrin and remorse for what occurred on Kyoshi island. I believe it is in the conversation with Iroh and Shirong, in which they are discussing potential settlement locations, but I may be wrong.

Zefire, I shall address your remarks in a separate post, as this one is getting too long for ease of reading, as well as for my own taste.

Firstly, both canonically and according to Vathara, Aang is not a spirit at all. Aang himself is human, and the Avatar Spirit reincarnates itself in him, but they are separate beings. It is like having two separate people in one body, and the human can influence the spirit (Ch. 62 - \\\"The Avatar is a human as well as a spirit\\\"; spirits see the Avatar merely as \\\"the World Spirit\\\'s Bearer\\\"; Ch. 63 - \\\" \\\"Uh-uh.\\\" Sokka shook his head. \\\"The Avatar Spirit\\\'s a spirit. You\\\'re Aang... just like any other regular guy.\\\" \\\")

Second, the proper term for someone like Zuko is \\\"spirit-born\\\". They may be mortal, and born human, but they function by the rules governing spirits. And spirits are, as Katara puts it in Chapter 63, \\\"the heart of everything that exists... They \\\'\\\'have to\\\'\\\' be true to what they are. Or... Gran-Gran didn\\\'t like to talk about it. But the spirit-born stories - they make it pretty clear.\\\" Which implies several things. First, Zuko has no more choice or ability to stop acting within the confines of his nature than a spirit does; and second, that if he tries, it will end poorly. Zuko \\\'\\\'\\\'cannnot\\\'\\\'\\\' go back on his word at the drop of a hat, like Aang can.

As well, the points you make about Zuko being unable to feel compassion and protection and various other emotions... Sorry, but here, you begin to enter \\\"dead wrong\\\" territory. My rebuttals to as many of your points as I have time to refute follow in the order you made them, though I may not reference specific chapters, as I don\\\'t know them off the top of my head (if someone does, please feel free to post them in a reply):

Compassion: Spirits, spirit-born, dragons, and Zuko specifically, feel compassion, which is defined as \\\"understanding or empathy for the suffering of others, and helping them to come out from that suffering.\\\" Did you miss the part where Temul rescued air monks, because she knew life is precious?

This entire scene in Chapter 63:

\\\'\\\'\\\'\\\'\\\"I didn\\\'t want him to do that!\\\"

Ow. Aang, could you keep it down a little?

But he didn\\\'t say it. Because Aang was shaking in Katara\\\'s arms, just like...

Like I would be, Sokka thought, a little guilty. If I saw Mom again, and then she was gone.

\\\"I didn\\\'t,\\\" Aang hiccupped, \\\"he shouldn\\\'t have...\\\"

\\\"It is not for the student, to decide what the master is willing to give,\\\" Shidan said gravely.

Katara bristled. Sokka felt like bristling himself, man that was cold-

Aang gulped, and scrubbed his eyes with his hand. \\\"That\\\'s what - what Gyatso would say.\\\" He swallowed, a breath from breaking down all over again. \\\"But he shouldn\\\'t have done it! Not for me!\\\"

\\\"If not for you, then for no one,\\\" Shidan stated. Still crouched, to meet gray eyes squarely. \\\"You are his student. His hope for the world to heal, and the best of his teachings to be carried into the future. He loved you like a father; and like elder kin, he chose to die so you might live.\\\" Shidan\\\'s voice dropped, softer. \\\"Gyatso told me once, Air is freedom. That you lived your lives so that every child would be wanted; so that every teacher could choose to have students, and teach them to wander as the wind. At their best, he said, the Temples were places of light and laughter, peaceful as the air at dawn.\\\" A quiet breath. \\\"He chose to shatter his own peace, so that you might live. So that Kuzon might, and all those spirited from the Temples. He knew us, Aang. He knew what would draw Sozin\\\'s eye, long enough for Kuzon and Temul to cover their tracks. He knew us, and he chose.\\\" Softer yet. \\\"Would you take that freedom from him?\\\"

Aang looked away. Slowly, shook his head. \\\"But it hurts.\\\"

\\\"I know.\\\" Shidan looked away, pale gold squinted in pain. \\\"I know.\\\"\\\'\\\'\\\'\\\'

Or the things everyone who knew younger Zuko keeps hinting at, which happened in Nara (Chapter 28 - \\\"I hear folks from [Nara] still remember this quiet li\\\'l tyke in the gold, finding poor lost lion-dogs.\\\")

So no, it\\\'s pretty well established that Zuko, and many other spirits, feel compassionate.

Protectiveness - um, hello, there was this entire scene in 73, where Zuko\\\'s telling Toph he\\\'s glad the invasion failed thanks to Azula\\\'s pre-emptive strike, \\\'\\\'\\\'because if it hadn\\\'t, Toph would be dead\\\'\\\'\\\' (and if that isn\\\'t protectiveness - not wanting your friends to die - then I don\\\'t know what is)

\\\'\\\'\\\'\\\'\\\"I wish I could have thought of something else,\\\" Zuko got out, hurting. \\\"I couldn\\\'t find another way, Toph. She was going to kill something. It was Aang or your army, and if she\\\'d killed Aang-\\\"

\\\"Spirits ticked off, Fire Nation wiped out in sixteen years by a Water Tribe Avatar,\\\" Toph snapped. Fists clenched, denying the water leaking from her eyes. \\\"I get it.\\\"

\\\"No!\\\" Zuko slashed his hand across, a ripple of heat in air. \\\"If she\\\'d killed Aang, she would have killed you!\\\"

Toph gulped. Blinked, another tear trickling down.

\\\"If she targeted Aang, all of you would have tried to stop her,\\\" Zuko got out, weary to the bone. \\\"That\\\'s what sworn warriors of a great name do. And if any of them, especially a sworn bender, escapes an ambush that kills their lord - a sworn warrior doesn\\\'t surrender. He hides out, maybe for years, gets together a raiding party, and comes back. Hell, Toph, we have plays about it. The only way to take out a great name and have peace is to take out all their sworn with him. And you\\\'re a master bender. You trained this Avatar. Azula would be stupid to leave you alive to get stronger and train the next Avatar. My sister is crazy. Not stupid.\\\" He gripped his cuff, and swiped at prickling eyes. \\\"Forget strategy. Forget spirits. Forget all the good reasons. If Azula tried to kill Aang she was going to go through you to do it. And if she did that, one of you, maybe both of you... you\\\'re my friend, and she\\\'s still my sister...\\\"

Asahi rumbled, nudging him with her shoulder. Zuko leaned into it, breathing in fur and feathers to blunt the tang of cold ashes. Words. Sometimes he just hated words.

A gritty hand touched his. \\\"Zuko?\\\"

He wrapped her up in one of Uncle\\\'s hugs, bristly hair and all, wishing he could just explain. Azula was like being tangled in a killer rose-vine. It hurt, and he had to get away or die. But she was alive, she was family, and he couldn\\\'t destroy her without knowing he\\\'d kill part of himself.

And you\\\'re my friend. How can I let someone kill my friend?\\\'\\\'\\\'\\\'

Remorse about Kyoshi Island and the Southern Water Tribe - hell yes Zuko feels that. He apologizes to Sokka for attacking civilians, because he hadn\\\'t realized they \\\'\\\'\\\'\\\'were\\\'\\\'\\\'\\\' civilians. The Fire Nation just has non-combatants. People who are trained, but aren\\\'t fighting. Much like modern-day Israel, in fact, where the majority of the adult population has undergone military service, but only a fraction continues on in the military after their mandatory service is complete.

As to Kyoshi island... There is a specific scene where Zuko expresses chagrin and remorse for what occurred on Kyoshi island. I believe it is in the conversation with Iroh and Shirong, in which they are discussing potential settlement locations, but I may be wrong.

Zefire, I shall address your remarks in a separate post, as this one is getting too long-winded for me.

Firstly, both canonically and according to Vathara, Aang is not a spirit at all. Aang himself is human, and the Avatar Spirit reincarnates itself in him, but they are separate beings. It is like having two separate people in one body, and the human can influence the spirit (Ch. 62 - \\\"The Avatar is a human as well as a spirit\\\"; spirits see the Avatar merely as \\\"the World Spirit\\\'s Bearer\\\"; Ch. 63 - \\\" \\\"Uh-uh.\\\" Sokka shook his head. \\\"The Avatar Spirit\\\'s a spirit. You\\\'re Aang... just like any other regular guy.\\\" \\\")

Second, the proper term for someone like Zuko is \\\"spirit-born\\\". They may be mortal, and born human, but they function by the rules governing spirits. And spirits are, as Katara puts it in Chapter 63, \\\"the heart of everything that exists... They \\\'\\\'have to\\\'\\\' be true to what they are. Or... Gran-Gran didn\\\'t like to talk about it. But the spirit-born stories - they make it pretty clear.\\\" Which implies several things. First, Zuko has no more choice or ability to stop acting within the confines of his nature than a spirit does; and second, that if he tries, it will end poorly. Zuko \\\'\\\'\\\'cannnot\\\'\\\'\\\' go back on his word at the drop of a hat, like Aang can.

As well, the points you make about Zuko being unable to feel compassion and protection and various other emotions... Sorry, but here, you begin to enter \\\"dead wrong\\\" territory. My rebuttals to as many of your points as I have time to refute follow in the order you made them, though I may not reference specific chapters, as I don\\\'t know them off the top of my head (if someone does, please feel free to post them in a reply):

Compassion: Spirits, spirit-born, dragons, and Zuko specifically, feel compassion, which is defined as \\\"understanding or empathy for the suffering of others, and helping them to come out from that suffering.\\\" Did you miss the part where Temul rescued air monks, because she knew life is precious?

This entire scene in Chapter 63:

\\\'\\\'\\\"I didn\\\'t want him to do that!\\\"

Ow. Aang, could you keep it down a little?

But he didn\\\'t say it. Because Aang was shaking in Katara\\\'s arms, just like...

Like I would be, Sokka thought, a little guilty. If I saw Mom again, and then she was gone.

\\\"I didn\\\'t,\\\" Aang hiccupped, \\\"he shouldn\\\'t have...\\\"

\\\"It is not for the student, to decide what the master is willing to give,\\\" Shidan said gravely.

Katara bristled. Sokka felt like bristling himself, man that was cold-

Aang gulped, and scrubbed his eyes with his hand. \\\"That\\\'s what - what Gyatso would say.\\\" He swallowed, a breath from breaking down all over again. \\\"But he shouldn\\\'t have done it! Not for me!\\\"

\\\"If not for you, then for no one,\\\" Shidan stated. Still crouched, to meet gray eyes squarely. \\\"You are his student. His hope for the world to heal, and the best of his teachings to be carried into the future. He loved you like a father; and like elder kin, he chose to die so you might live.\\\" Shidan\\\'s voice dropped, softer. \\\"Gyatso told me once, Air is freedom. That you lived your lives so that every child would be wanted; so that every teacher could choose to have students, and teach them to wander as the wind. At their best, he said, the Temples were places of light and laughter, peaceful as the air at dawn.\\\" A quiet breath. \\\"He chose to shatter his own peace, so that you might live. So that Kuzon might, and all those spirited from the Temples. He knew us, Aang. He knew what would draw Sozin\\\'s eye, long enough for Kuzon and Temul to cover their tracks. He knew us, and he chose.\\\" Softer yet. \\\"Would you take that freedom from him?\\\"

Aang looked away. Slowly, shook his head. \\\"But it hurts.\\\"

\\\"I know.\\\" Shidan looked away, pale gold squinted in pain. \\\"I know.\\\"\\\'\\\'

Or the things everyone who knew younger Zuko keeps hinting at, which happened in Nara (Chapter 28 - \\\"I hear folks from [Nara] still remember this quiet li\\\'l tyke in the gold, finding poor lost lion-dogs.\\\")

So no, it\\\'s pretty well established that Zuko, and many other spirits, feel compassionate.

Protectiveness - um, hello, there was this entire scene in 73, where Zuko\\\'s telling Toph he\\\'s glad the invasion failed thanks to Azula\\\'s pre-emptive strike, \\\'\\\'\\\'because if it hadn\\\'t, Toph would be dead\\\'\\\'\\\' (and if that isn\\\'t protectiveness - not wanting your friends to die - then I don\\\'t know what is)

\\\'\\\'\\\"I wish I could have thought of something else,\\\" Zuko got out, hurting. \\\"I couldn\\\'t find another way, Toph. She was going to kill something. It was Aang or your army, and if she\\\'d killed Aang-\\\"

\\\"Spirits ticked off, Fire Nation wiped out in sixteen years by a Water Tribe Avatar,\\\" Toph snapped. Fists clenched, denying the water leaking from her eyes. \\\"I get it.\\\"

\\\"No!\\\" Zuko slashed his hand across, a ripple of heat in air. \\\"If she\\\'d killed Aang, she would have killed you!\\\"

Toph gulped. Blinked, another tear trickling down.

\\\"If she targeted Aang, all of you would have tried to stop her,\\\" Zuko got out, weary to the bone. \\\"That\\\'s what sworn warriors of a great name do. And if any of them, especially a sworn bender, escapes an ambush that kills their lord - a sworn warrior doesn\\\'t surrender. He hides out, maybe for years, gets together a raiding party, and comes back. Hell, Toph, we have plays about it. The only way to take out a great name and have peace is to take out all their sworn with him. And you\\\'re a master bender. You trained this Avatar. Azula would be stupid to leave you alive to get stronger and train the next Avatar. My sister is crazy. Not stupid.\\\" He gripped his cuff, and swiped at prickling eyes. \\\"Forget strategy. Forget spirits. Forget all the good reasons. If Azula tried to kill Aang she was going to go through you to do it. And if she did that, one of you, maybe both of you... you\\\'re my friend, and she\\\'s still my sister...\\\"

Asahi rumbled, nudging him with her shoulder. Zuko leaned into it, breathing in fur and feathers to blunt the tang of cold ashes. Words. Sometimes he just hated words.

A gritty hand touched his. \\\"Zuko?\\\"

He wrapped her up in one of Uncle\\\'s hugs, bristly hair and all, wishing he could just explain. Azula was like being tangled in a killer rose-vine. It hurt, and he had to get away or die. But she was alive, she was family, and he couldn\\\'t destroy her without knowing he\\\'d kill part of himself.

And you\\\'re my friend. How can I let someone kill my friend?\\\'\\\'

Remorse about Kyoshi Island and the Southern Water Tribe - hell yes Zuko feels that. He apologizes to Sokka for attacking civilians, because he hadn\\\'t realized they /were/ civilians. The Fire Nation just has non-combatants. People who are trained, but aren\\\'t fighting. Much like modern-day Israel, in fact, where the majority of the adult population has undergone military service, but only a fraction continues on in the military after their mandatory service is complete.

As to Kyoshi island... There is a specific scene where Zuko expresses chagrin and remorse for what occurred on Kyoshi island. I believe it is in the conversation with Iroh and Shirong, in which they are discussing potential settlement locations, but I may be wrong.

Zefire, I shall address your remarks in a separate post, as this one is getting too long-winded for me.

Firstly, both canonically and according to Vathara, Aang is not a spirit at all. Aang himself is human, and the Avatar Spirit reincarnates itself in him, but they are separate beings. It is like having two separate people in one body, and the human can influence the spirit (Ch. 62 - \\\"The Avatar is a human as well as a spirit\\\"; spirits see the Avatar merely as \\\"the World Spirit\\\'s Bearer\\\"; Ch. 63 - \\\" \\\"Uh-uh.\\\" Sokka shook his head. \\\"The Avatar Spirit\\\'s a spirit. You\\\'re Aang... just like any other regular guy.\\\" \\\")

Second, the proper term for someone like Zuko is \\\"spirit-born\\\". They may be mortal, and born human, but they function by the rules governing spirits. And spirits are, as Katara puts it in Chapter 63, \\\"the heart of everything that exists... They \\\'\\\'have to\\\'\\\' be true to what they are. Or... Gran-Gran didn\\\'t like to talk about it. But the spirit-born stories - they make it pretty clear.\\\" Which implies several things. First, Zuko has no more choice or ability to stop acting within the confines of his nature than a spirit does; and second, that if he tries, it will end poorly. Zuko \\\'\\\'\\\'cannnot\\\'\\\'\\\' go back on his word at the drop of a hat, like Aang can.

As well, the points you make about Zuko being unable to feel compassion and protection and various other emotions... Sorry, but here, you begin to enter \\\"dead wrong\\\" territory. My rebuttals to as many of your points as I have time to refute follow in the order you made them, though I may not reference specific chapters, as I don\\\'t know them off the top of my head (if someone does, please feel free to post them in a reply):

Compassion: Spirits, spirit-born, dragons, and Zuko specifically, feel compassion, which is defined as \\\"understanding or empathy for the suffering of others, and helping them to come out from that suffering.\\\" Did you miss the part where Temul rescued air monks, because she knew life is precious?

This entire scene in Chapter 63:

\\\'\\\' \\\"I didn\\\'t want him to do that!\\\"

Ow. Aang, could you keep it down a little?

But he didn\\\'t say it. Because Aang was shaking in Katara\\\'s arms, just like...

Like I would be, Sokka thought, a little guilty. If I saw Mom again, and then she was gone.

\\\"I didn\\\'t,\\\" Aang hiccupped, \\\"he shouldn\\\'t have...\\\"

\\\"It is not for the student, to decide what the master is willing to give,\\\" Shidan said gravely.

Katara bristled. Sokka felt like bristling himself, man that was cold-

Aang gulped, and scrubbed his eyes with his hand. \\\"That\\\'s what - what Gyatso would say.\\\" He swallowed, a breath from breaking down all over again. \\\"But he shouldn\\\'t have done it! Not for me!\\\"

\\\"If not for you, then for no one,\\\" Shidan stated. Still crouched, to meet gray eyes squarely. \\\"You are his student. His hope for the world to heal, and the best of his teachings to be carried into the future. He loved you like a father; and like elder kin, he chose to die so you might live.\\\" Shidan\\\'s voice dropped, softer. \\\"Gyatso told me once, Air is freedom. That you lived your lives so that every child would be wanted; so that every teacher could choose to have students, and teach them to wander as the wind. At their best, he said, the Temples were places of light and laughter, peaceful as the air at dawn.\\\" A quiet breath. \\\"He chose to shatter his own peace, so that you might live. So that Kuzon might, and all those spirited from the Temples. He knew us, Aang. He knew what would draw Sozin\\\'s eye, long enough for Kuzon and Temul to cover their tracks. He knew us, and he chose.\\\" Softer yet. \\\"Would you take that freedom from him?\\\"

Aang looked away. Slowly, shook his head. \\\"But it hurts.\\\"

\\\"I know.\\\" Shidan looked away, pale gold squinted in pain. \\\"I know.\\\" \\\'\\\'

Or the things everyone who knew younger Zuko keeps hinting at, which happened in Nara (Chapter 28 - \\\"I hear folks from [Nara] still remember this quiet li\\\'l tyke in the gold, finding poor lost lion-dogs.\\\")

So no, it\\\'s pretty well established that Zuko, and many other spirits, feel compassionate.

Protectiveness - um, hello, there was this entire scene in 73, where Zuko\\\'s telling Toph he\\\'s glad the invasion failed thanks to Azula\\\'s pre-emptive strike, \\\"\\\"\\\"because if it hadn\\\'t, Toph would be dead\\\"\\\"\\\" (and if that isn\\\'t protectiveness - not wanting your friends to die - then I don\\\'t know what is)

\\\'\\\' \\\"I wish I could have thought of something else,\\\" Zuko got out, hurting. \\\"I couldn\\\'t find another way, Toph. She was going to kill something. It was Aang or your army, and if she\\\'d killed Aang-\\\"

\\\"Spirits ticked off, Fire Nation wiped out in sixteen years by a Water Tribe Avatar,\\\" Toph snapped. Fists clenched, denying the water leaking from her eyes. \\\"I get it.\\\"

\\\"No!\\\" Zuko slashed his hand across, a ripple of heat in air. \\\"If she\\\'d killed Aang, she would have killed you!\\\"

Toph gulped. Blinked, another tear trickling down.

\\\"If she targeted Aang, all of you would have tried to stop her,\\\" Zuko got out, weary to the bone. \\\"That\\\'s what sworn warriors of a great name do. And if any of them, especially a sworn bender, escapes an ambush that kills their lord - a sworn warrior doesn\\\'t surrender. He hides out, maybe for years, gets together a raiding party, and comes back. Hell, Toph, we have plays about it. The only way to take out a great name and have peace is to take out all their sworn with him. And you\\\'re a master bender. You trained this Avatar. Azula would be stupid to leave you alive to get stronger and train the next Avatar. My sister is crazy. Not stupid.\\\" He gripped his cuff, and swiped at prickling eyes. \\\"Forget strategy. Forget spirits. Forget all the good reasons. If Azula tried to kill Aang she was going to go through you to do it. And if she did that, one of you, maybe both of you... you\\\'re my friend, and she\\\'s still my sister...\\\"

Asahi rumbled, nudging him with her shoulder. Zuko leaned into it, breathing in fur and feathers to blunt the tang of cold ashes. Words. Sometimes he just hated words.

A gritty hand touched his. \\\"Zuko?\\\"

He wrapped her up in one of Uncle\\\'s hugs, bristly hair and all, wishing he could just explain. Azula was like being tangled in a killer rose-vine. It hurt, and he had to get away or die. But she was alive, she was family, and he couldn\\\'t destroy her without knowing he\\\'d kill part of himself.

And you\\\'re my friend. How can I let someone kill my friend? \\\'\\\'

Remorse about Kyoshi Island and the Southern Water Tribe - hell yes Zuko feels that. He apologizes to Sokka for attacking civilians, because he hadn\\\'t realized they /were/ civilians. The Fire Nation just has non-combatants. People who are trained, but aren\\\'t fighting. Much like modern-day Israel, in fact, where the majority of the adult population has undergone military service, but only a fraction continues on in the military after their mandatory service is complete.

As to Kyoshi island... There is a specific scene where Zuko expresses chagrin and remorse for what occurred on Kyoshi island. I believe it is in the conversation with Iroh and Shirong, in which they are discussing potential settlement locations, but I may be wrong.

Zefire, I shall address your remarks in a separate post, as this one is getting too long-winded for me.