Chapter Text

THE SOUTHERN AIR TEMPLE WAS blanketed in its nocturnal veil of shadow with the light of the moon slipping out from behind veiled skies and silvering down onto the stretching rooftops as a young woman moved through quiet hallways. She tried to be as silent as possible while she walked through the still corridors, but her footfalls revealed her, seeming to be twice as loud as they normally would have been with each step taken sounding louder than the last. This wasn’t going to stop her from getting to where she needed to be, though. She knew that it was simply just the quiet of the night that made everything seem louder than it would have in the daylight.

There was a candlestick within her hand—made out of brass and polished like a golden mirror to reflect tongues of flames—that she firmly held onto with her thumb and forefinger slipped through the small looped handle to keep it from falling from her grasp. Its warm orange flames flickered while it burned as her only source of light within the expanse of the hallways she walked through, however, she didn’t seem to be reliant on its brightness to find her way through such twists and turns… Her cedar grey eyes did not stray far from the path set before her as she effortlessly navigated her way through the halls without a second glance or thought. She had walked these corridors many times before this.

Her footsteps soon came to a stop. She had arrived at a wooden door near the end of a hallway, stationed on the second level of the temple that was filled with either sleeping or meditating monks, Air Nomads; people she had begun to refer to as ‘her people’. It was not as if she ruled them, but simply that they had raised her, along with her younger brother, and gave her a sense of belonging.

She took in a deep breath that filled her lungs with the chilly midnight air while she turned her gaze downward and away from the door in front of her. She watched as the flame from the candle before herself flickered in the air as its heat melted the wax and caused drippings to fall into the curved dish below it, releasing the subtle smell of ginger and jasmine into the breeze that swept through the robes that were draped over her body.

All she could focus on was the mesmerizing candlelight, a heart that drummed against her ribcage like a tanggu, and the sound of blood that pumped through her veins and caused her ears to ring. There was no denying that she was nervous. Extremely nervous.

Her eyes drifted back up towards the door in front of her as she released the air still lingering within her lungs. She raised her free hand, noticing its slight shake as she set a gentle, yet sturdy, knock upon the dark lumber frame. Then, she stood in the silence that followed her actions, waiting for someone to open the door from the other side of it, only… no one ever arrived to complete the expected task. The absence of such made a frown of confusion form between her brows. It was rather unusual of him to not answer the door.

She reached her hand back out and slowly placed her pale fingertips onto the door handle, turning the knob to the side before she gently pushed it open. She peeked her head into the room that had been guarded by the lumber frame. There were no objects of sentimental value within the room that appeared before her, in fact, there was barely anything within the lonely chamber at all. The only noticeable value was a staff leaning against the window that sat across from the doorway. It was native to this young woman’s people, only carved by the Air Nomads that lived within their few temples, and of which she personally owned one of, as well: a glider. A tool that could only be used by Airbenders.

A young boy was among the few things within the room. He stood in front of a neatly made bed, where he placed an agilely rolled-up scroll of paper bound with thin twine onto a plush white pillow, making not a sound as he did so. He didn’t seem to notice the girl that now stood behind him. He was far too focused on what he was doing to have noticed her—or perhaps, he was far too engrossed in his thoughts, to have noticed her presence.

“Aang?” the young woman couldn’t help but speak in a sense of confusion as she closed the door behind herself.

The boy jumped at the sound of her voice, “Elua!” he yelped in surprise as he swiftly turned around on the back of his boots with nothing but a big and bogus smile plastered on his pale face.

“What are you up to?” Elua asked with her arms crossed over her chest and eyes squinted in an action of suspicion. She could already tell he was acting unnaturally.

The boy in front of her—Aang—chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his bald head, right where the beginnings of a blue tattoo began to show from beneath his yellow and orange robes. They were in the shape of an arrowhead, painted in the light color of blue that resembled that of a cloudless summer sky, and traveled down the center points of his forehead, neck, and arms. It was something that all airbenders were given when they entered mastery… including Elua.

“Nothing!” Aang chuckled again as he gave his sister another fake smile. “I was just… going to bed,” he said, obviously lying through his teeth. He desperately tried to keep that innocent look on his face as he spoke to her. It wasn’t going very well so far.

His unusual behavior made Elua frown once again. She took her eyes off of him as she lifted her chin ever so much and leaned past her younger brother, attempting to get a glimpse of whatever it was that he had placed on his pillow only a moment ago, but he quickly followed her actions and blocked her from finding what she was looking towards.

Elua frowned as she moved her posture back up, “What are you hiding?” she asked, looking down at him in puzzlement, uncertain why he would hide whatever this was from her.

Aang slowly looked away from her with an expression of shame overtaking his fake smile and not daring to glance back up at her as he kept himself quiet. Whatever this was about, he obviously didn’t plan on telling her, or maybe he just couldn’t bring himself to tell her. Either way, she had to know what was going on, it was the only way for her to help.

“Aang…?” Elua trailed off with a sense of invitation for him to share whatever it was that seemed to be bothering him. She only got a mumble in return. “What?” she asked as her frown deepened in confusion due to his muted response.

“I’m running away, okay?” Aang rushed his words out as quickly as he could. His shoulders slumped as he spoke to her, gaze turning back up, spotting the look of shock and disbelief that fell over his older sister’s face. “They’re going to send me away,” he said as his voice sounded strained from the lump of pain and sorrow built up within his throat.

Elua sighed as she set the candlestick that was still in her hand down, “Monk Gyatso isn’t going to let that happen,” she spoke calmly to him with a kind smile. “and neither will I.”

“It isn’t up to you, though,” Aang shook his head sorrowfully, “and… no one wants me here, anyway!” he suddenly raised his voice as he threw his arms up in exasperation with anger, sadness, and irritation swelling up inside of him as his true feelings came to light.

“What do you mean?” Elua asked as she tilted her head in question. “Of course everyone wants you-”

“No, they don’t!” Aang cut her off with his yelled anger. “I never asked to be the Avatar,” he muttered, mostly to himself, as he turned his gaze towards the floor once again. He didn’t want to look at his sister with all of his built-up betrayals and hurt. It wasn’t her fault. He knew that.

“No one ever asks to be the Avatar,” Elua stated, a knowing look pointed at her brother, but she could tell that he had no wish to listen to her words. “I know it’s a difficult life sometimes, but remember, you’re not alone. I am here for you,” she said calmly and with care for him.

He didn’t speak a word to her as he walked over towards the window and took his glider into his hand, using his airbending as a current to pull the wooden staff over to himself before he looked out the window, and watched as the moonlight streamed in through the thin curtains of his room. He was contemplating something based on the look that washed over his face. She just wasn’t sure what was going on in his young and confused mind.

“Aang, running away from your fears has never helped anyone overcome them, and it will not change anything, either. You could leave this world entirely and you would still be the Avatar.”

He heard her words, he did, but he didn’t listen to them. She held back another sigh as she walked over towards him and placed a gentle hand onto his shoulder in an attempt to comfort the troubled young Avatar. He didn’t seem to want her help, though, as he pulled away from her almost immediately after he felt her sisterly touch. It was far too late now. He had already made up his mind and nothing would be able to change it anymore. She could tell that much.

“I’m sorry, Elua,” Aang said as he quickly moved away from his sister and caused her to stumble backward. “I can’t stay here,” and that was the last thing he said to her before he climbed over the edge of the window sill and jumped out of his room without another thought to stop him.

Elua rushed towards the window as a gasp of surprise filled her lungs. She bent out of the window, ignoring the cool breeze that hit her facial features as she scanned the courtyard below herself, searching for her young and confused brother. He had already begun to move away from the temple as a flying bison—his companion known by the name of Appa—followed beside him as they both were about to leave without a second farewell to the place that he had lived his entire twelve years of life nor to the person who had fought every rule of their people to stay with him all of these years: his now extremely worried sister.

She shoved herself off of the stone window with her hands as she rushed out of Aang’s room and ran back through the hallways of the temple. It was all a blur as she found herself skidding to a stop and flinging the closed door to her sleeping chamber open, glider quickly summoning into her hand with her airbending, not a second to lose as she rushed around. She raced towards the window of her room and jumped off of its railing, just as her brother had done but a moment ago, and sent a gust of wind at her feet to bring herself down at a controlled stop.

It wasn’t difficult for her to spot the giant flying bison that floated through the midnight sky along with the small figure of a boy sitting upon the animal’s head. She stood there for a moment, at the edge of the air temple’s mountainous terrain, just watching as the bison and her brother slowly soared away from their beautiful and tranquil place of home. But she knew that she had to do something. And quickly, too.

Elua looked down at the ground as she took a few steps backward, feeling the dewy green grass beneath her boots before she lifted her gaze back up, locking her eyes on the bison that was getting farther away from her with each second that passed her by. She took a deep breath in before she began to move her legs, and finally, allowed them to carry her at a speedy pace.

She sprinted towards the cliffside of the temple’s landmark as she threw her glider into the sky in front of herself, its signature orange wings catching the wind around it and keeping itself within the air, and just as she came to the edge of the mountainside with freighting heights before her very eyes… she leaped.

The weightless feeling of falling overwhelmed her senses as she jumped off of the cliffside, but before she began to plummet, she grasped onto the wooden handlebar of her glider and lifted her legs to sit at the back of the gliding wings. And then, she began to soar, effortlessly gliding through the midnight sky and elegantly turning to her side as she flew directly behind her brother and his fluffy giant friend.

Aang instantly groaned in annoyance as he heard the sound of a glider closing at the back of Appa’s saddle. “I am not going back there,” he said as he turned around to see his sister now standing behind him. He watched as she sighed and took a seat on the brown leather saddle without a single word of response. “You’re not going to stop me?” he asked in confusion, body turning to fully face her now.

“What could I do to stop you? You’re the Avatar,” Elua said with a careless shrug of her shoulders. She knew forcing him to go back home wouldn’t help anything. Maybe he just needed a few days away. “Where do you plan to go?” she asked calmly.

“I don’t know,” Aang shrugged in response to her question. “Maybe the Fire Nation?” he asked more so than stated as he turned back around, missing the look of worry and dread that fell over Elua’s face, as well as the color that quickly drained from her complexion.

“How about Omashu instead? You haven’t been there in a while, and I’m sure Bumi misses you,” Elua suggested. She struggled to hide the apprehension in her voice as she spoke to him, silently hoping that he wouldn’t notice her odd behavior, not having any such will to tell him the truth right now.

“Okay,” Aang said as he didn’t quite catch the change of tone in her voice. “But, don’t you want to go see-”

“No,” the words swiftly rushed out of Elua’s mouth. “Let’s go and see Bumi,” she said with a forced smile on her face.

It wasn’t more than a second later that Elua’s attention jumped up to the sky as the sudden sound of thunder and lightning cut their conversation short. Its loud noises looped around them as the weather’s vibrations echoed through the wind that had begun to pick up as they were speaking with one another. She finally spotted the clouds that had become increasingly darker than they had been earlier that night, quickly having piled up above them into a great big storm, one that happened to resemble that of a hurricane and caused her heart to sink into her stomach with a sense of dread and nervousness that washed over her body.

This wasn’t good, at all.

She had hoped that Aang would see all of this and turn back around just to be safe, but as she looked over to him again, it seemed that he was overlooking all of which could easily become dangerous. He was obviously making himself ignore the clouds that were now dumping rain down onto them and the ocean that had begun to rage below them as they flew over it. He continued to push on and through the very dangerous weather conditions. Elua could not do the same though, and she knew that, somehow, it was up to her to get him to turn back and home.

“Aang!” Elua shouted over the heavy wind to get his attention. “I have to tell you something–!” her words were cut off by a fork of lightning striking down right in front of them with a drum of thunder following right after it.

Appa swept out of the way of the dangerous electric light, quickly saving himself and the two siblings from being electrocuted, but not without almost throwing them off of his back in the process.

Elua attempted to stay as calm as she could while she held tightly onto the side of the saddle, “We have to turn back, Aang!” she shouted over towards her little brother, knowing that if they stayed out in a storm like this, it was more than likely to end in the harm of both of them along with their furry friend.

“I’m not going back!” Aang yelled back towards her as he tightened his grip on the reins and tried to get Appa safely through the storm.

The ocean raged even more than before with its vast body of water holding a force that could undoubtedly kill anyone and anything that stood at the receiving end of its crashing waves… and one of those very waves just so happened to be headed straight for them. It hurtled through the dark blue—almost black—raging water and must have been ten times taller than a Fire Nation vessel. Just the sight of it made Aang and Elua’s eyes go wide with fear as it towered over Appa and them, beginning to curve down into itself, more than ready to crash onto them in a simple matter of seconds.

“Aang!” Elua shouted one last time, trying to reach out to her brother, but never getting to him as the wave came crashing down and swept the three of them into the stormy gray ocean below.

The frigid temperature of the water shocked Elua’s muscles as she fell under the waves, but she ignored the ice-cold feeling that stabbed all over her body and instead focused on forcing herself up towards the surface, knowing that she could only hold her breath for so long before she would need air again. She fought against the currents with all of her strength as she frantically moved her arms and kicked her legs. She almost reached the surface, feeling the cold air hit her now wet skin for one cruel second, but the ocean brought her back down and under with another harsh wave of water that sent her into a backward spiral with her arms thrashing around as she tried to find her way back up again.

It wasn’t long until underwater bubbles began to float away from her as the last bit of air within her lungs involuntarily released, quickly finding its way back up towards the surface without her with it, and leaving her far behind without any more oxygen to hold. Her vision didn’t last long after that. She could make out all of the little black dots as they collected at the corners of her eyes that burned from the salty seawater. The last thing that entered her line of sight was one bright flash of white light as it engulfed the ocean floor.

And then… nothing.

Chapter Text

ELUA’S EYES GRADUALLY BEGAN to flutter open as the sunlight shone down upon her from the clear blue sky and aided her in regaining consciousness. She let out a groan of pain and discomfort as she pushed herself up into a sitting position with her arms that felt sore and muscles that screamed for her to stop with each and every movement that she made, hands soon beginning to burn from the cold, icy snow she had placed them on. It felt as if she hadn’t moved nor breathed in ages, but as she felt the familiar sensation of frigid air swell up in her lungs… it made her feel as if she were coming back to life again.

A frown of confusion began to crease between her brows as she took notice of a strange feeling that sat on top of her head. It felt as if a weighted helmet had been placed on her scalp. She slowly lifted both of her hands toward the top of her head as she wondered what could have been causing such an unusual feeling, but soon found what it was as her fingertips came into contact with a thin layer of frost that had somehow accumulated on top of her dark hair, unquestionably making it seem as if her hair were turning white and making it feel as stiff as an iceberg.

All ten of her fingers weaved into the roots of her somewhat frozen hair before she shook all of the ice off her scalp and created a small storm of snow particles that fell from the soft strands, watching as the snowflakes soon found their way down onto the glacial ground below, joining all of the other flakes that had already covered the icy terrain.

She couldn’t help but keep the expression of confusion on her face as she began to glance around at the world that surrounded her. There were unusually shaped walls of ice that curved around her and seemed to have been created by a sort of explosion, similar to how a bubble would have popped against the wind, only this bubble was huge and somehow frozen in place midburst. She had absolutely no recollection of how she had gotten here either. One moment she was fighting for her life in the middle of an irate ocean, and the next, she woke up here—among ice and snow.

The next thing that caught her attention was the sound of unfamiliar voices. She could make out two different tones as they echoed from beyond the tall ice walls around her, one of a seemingly teenage girl and the other of a boy around the same age as the female, but there was no way for her to make out what was being spoken. Something that she was able to hear was that these two people were obviously conversing with someone on the opposite side of the ice, and Elua was more than sure that she had never heard their voices before.

She tried not to worry about these two unknown people as she pushed herself up and off the cold ground with her airbending, which caused the hem of her golden tunic to slightly flow with the gust of wind that she had just created, along with pieces of her dark and unfastened hair.

Her legs felt as if she hadn’t used them in years and caused her to stumble with their lack of stability, “Woah,” she mumbled, throwing her arms out to her sides in an attempt to balance herself. It was most likely just a change in the climate that caused such unusual muscle weakness.

She didn’t yet think much of anything when she started to rotate in a slow circle after gaining some of her stability back. An expression of anxiety and concern soon fell over her face as she found Appa lying, unconsciously, on the cold ground in front of her with no signs of life. 

It wasn’t more than a second later that the giant bison took in a deep breath of air and exhaled it as a snore while he slept peacefully. She sighed in relief at that, but her worry did not completely disappear, as it was beginning to bother her that she had no idea where Aang was right now when she was more than aware that the last time she saw him was right before they both almost drowned. So… where was he while she stood here with his fluffy companion?

“Stop it!”

Elua frowned as she heard such a faint shout echo against the icy wasteland. It made a sense of curiosity fall over her mind before she slowly started to cross over the slick white ground below her feet, attempting not to slip and fall as she made her way across the short path. She felt the need to know who had shouted that.

And, more importantly, who they had shouted it at.

A familiar voice soon spoke in a weak state, “I need to ask you something,” Aang sounded hurt when he said this, which filled Elua with a much higher sense of worry as she inched closer toward where the voices were coming from, absentmindedly making herself speed up her careful pace as she tried to reach him quickly.

“What?” the unknown girl asked in a soft and worried tone that immediately told Elua that this person was kind and caring, perhaps from a tribe, seeing as they were most likely in Water Tribe lands based on all of the snow.

“Please…” Aang coughed as he spoke weakly, “come closer,” he whispered as, unknowingly to him, his sister reached the ice wall that he was currently on the other side of and began to climb her way up. Her worry had clearly caused her to forget that she had every ability to simply airbend herself over this icy and slick barrier.

On the other side of this wall, a young girl, only a few years older than Aang, was sitting in front of the young airbending boy—who was currently leaning upon the ice with his head resting against it—with a worried look lingering in her ribbon-blue eyes. Behind this girl was a boy around the same age as Elua, who held tightly onto a spear made out of a whale’s bone while he kept his guard up. He gawked down at the unknown boy with a sharp glare of suspicion set in his stare. It was quite obvious that he had no plans of letting Aang out of his sight.

“What is it?” the girl asked, her tone kept soft and low as she spoke to him with patience and worry.

Aang’s gray eyes abruptly came to life before he asked, “Will you go penguin sledding with me?” his voice suddenly filled with energy, and all sounds of weakness completely disappeared within a matter of seconds.

“Uh…” the girl trailed off in confusion. “Sure, I guess,” she spoke with skepticism while she backed away from Aang as he lightly airbent himself up to his feet and began to look around in confusion about where he was. 

His sudden movements made the teenage boy in front of him shout in surprise before he quickly pointed his spear at him, ready to defend himself against this innocent boy, who literally couldn’t even bring himself to hurt a bug.

“What’s going on here?” Aang asked as he rubbed the back of his head and continued to glance around himself with uncertainty in his expression.

“You tell us! How’d you get in the ice?” the teenage boy demanded to know with a shout, “and why aren’t you frozen?” he asked, lightly poking Aang with the sharp end of his whale’s spear.

Aang’s frown deepened in confusion at this, “I’m not sure,” he said as he gently batted the spear away from himself, seemingly in a haze, seeing as he didn’t even try to acknowledge the fact that this random teen was holding a rather sharp weapon directly at him.

Back on the other side of the icy wall, Elua reached her hand out and went to grab ahold of the top edge of the wall, but before she got a good grip on it, her foot slipped from the ice. She yelped in surprise as she slid back down the side of the ice wall, hitting the ground with a dull thud, and quickly alerting the other people of her presence among them. Aang gasped as he swiftly climbed up the side of the wall, using his bending as an aid to move faster before he jumped into the air, and floated down onto Appa’s fuzzy forehead. He had completely skipped over his elder sister who was still on the ground right beside the giant flying bison.

“No, no, don’t worry about me,” Elua muttered to herself as she sat within the snow that covered the ground, watching as her brother tried to get the sleeping bison to wake up. “I’m just fine.”

“Appa! Are you alright?” Aang asked, grabbing onto the bison’s horn and holding onto it as he swung himself down to Appa’s eye level. “Wake up, buddy,” he said as he gently opened one of Appa’s eyes with his hand, only for the bison to close it again and ignore the young boy’s wishes. 

Aang frowned as he jumped off the giant sleepy animal and came to stand in front of him. He put his back to the bison and grabbed onto the front of Appa’s mouth, trying a different tactic to wake him up again. His efforts to wake him up were successful in this attempt and made the sleepy bison let out a yawn of tiredness.

It didn’t take more than a moment before Appa had spotted his favorite person standing in front of him and licked Aang in happiness and affection, making the young Airbender laugh gleefully as he hugged the bison’s furry head, beaming from ear to ear as he did so.

Elua pushed herself back up from the ground and sighed as she walked around the giant fluffy animal in front of her, quickly spotting her little brother, but she also saw the two unknown people that had been speaking only a few moments ago as well. She could now see and make out who they were simply by what they looked like. Deduction was one of her various skills… or so she had been told it was, at least.

The girl wore a big fluffy coat around her body with the hood of it pulled up and over her head, leaving only two small pieces of her dark hair to peek out in their looped style, and shielding the rest of her head from the freezing breeze that swept around all of them. 

The boy wore a similar coat of warmth but looked more masculine in style. His hood was down and laid across his shoulders, showing his dark hair that was shaved on the sides while the rest of it was tied back at the crown of his head, spear tightly held within his gloved hand as he stared up at the giant bison in shock.

“Elua!” Aang said as he finally spotted her from the corner of his eye. “Are you alright?” he asked, rushing over to her with worry in his eyes, all while the other two adolescents watched from a distance with looks of obvious confusion on their faces.

Elua smiled as Aang wrapped his arms around her in a snug and welcoming embrace, “I’m okay,” she told him in reassurance while returning his hug. It was more than relieving for her to have found him breathing and alive after what had happened.

The teenage boy that stood in front of the two airbending siblings narrowed his eyes into a glare as he stared at them in suspicion, but before he could say anything to them, his attention was diverted to the giant bison before him. He wasted no time before he brought his spear back up in his hands as he pointed it at the innocent animal. 

It was clear to Elua that he had never once seen such a creature before this, but she didn’t find that to be very surprising, seeing as bison rarely ever found their way to lands like these even with an Air Nomad guiding them. She also very much doubted that this teen had ever had the chance to leave his village.

 “What is that thing?” the boy asked as he kept his spear out in front of himself in the event that he would have to protect himself and the girl beside him. “Who are you?” he turned his question over to Elua, frowning in confusion toward her. 

“That’s Appa, my flying bison,” Aang answered the first half of the questions asked while he and Elua stood in front of their giant fluffy friend.

The teenager seemed unconvinced with Aang’s answer as he brought his spear away from them both while still holding onto it tightly, “Right, and this is Katara, my flying sister,” he said sarcastically, motioning toward the girl that stood beside him, who gave him a glare in return for his sarcasm. “Do you fly, too?” he suddenly asked the female Airbender from where he stood, obviously meaning it as a joke.

“Hm… sometimes,” Elua told him with a careless shrug, giggling at the look of confusion that soon fell over his face after she said that. “My name is Elua.”

Chapter Text

THE SOUND OF A GROWL IMMEDIATELY alerted both Aang and Elua back to the giant flying bison that currently stood behind them. Their eyes widened in a state of panic as the sounds reached their ears, knowing exactly what was about to happen and readying themselves to take action and get out of the way, but the other two teenagers didn’t have a clue as to what was going on with them. They both frowned in confusion at the sudden change in expression within the two airbending siblings but made no moves to ask what was wrong with them. Unfortunately, in the next few moments that would pass, one of the two Water Tribe teens would come to regret not asking just what the predicament was…

Aang and Elua both turned around to face Appa as he continued to make sounds of growls and grumbles. They quickly took notice of how his snout twitched and mouth began to fall open as if he were about to yawn, but the two siblings knew better than that, and they wasted no time in quickly ducking out of the way with a cry for the other two people to watch out.

Appa inhaled a deep breath of the frigid air before he let out a sneeze and sent a ball of thick green snot out of his snout that went flying out in front of him. The discharge morosely flew straight for the male teenager—who had failed to listen when he was told to duck—and landed all over him, quickly causing him to shout in pure disgust as he looked down at himself, staring at the green goo that was now all over his blue parka and completely covered half of his tanned face. He didn’t waste another second before he dropped to the icy ground and began to roll around in the snow as if he were on fire in an attempt to get the substance off of himself.

“Don’t worry. It’ll wash out,” Aang said with a sheepish smile on his face as he watched the boy in front of him groan in revulsion at the goo adhering to him. “Do you guys live around here?” he asked curiously, simply wondering if they were native to the land that seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere, but the uncomplicated question was not seen as an innocent inquiry by the unknown teenage boy.

“Don’t answer that!” the boy ordered the girl that stood beside him. “Did you see that crazy bolt of light? They were probably trying to signal the Fire Navy,” he said with an intense glare pointed towards the Air Nomad siblings in front of him.

His statement made Elua frown in confusion, though. Why would the Fire Navy be this far south? It was several hundred miles out of the way. There was absolutely no reason for them to be so far away from the Capital… right?

“Oh, yeah. I’m sure they’re spies for the Fire Navy,” Katara said with a sarcastic tone as she pushed herself past her brother and came to stand beside Aang. “You can tell by that evil look in his eye,” she joked, motioning towards the small bald boy, who instantly put on a big and cheerful smile on his face. It was all in an attempt to show the skeptical teen that he was no threat to either of them, and it didn’t work.

“The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka,” Katara informed the two Air Nomads while the teenage boy gave a small, uninterested, wave of his hand. “You never told us your name,” she said with a curious glance pointed over towards Aang.

Aang smiled at her as he went to speak again, “I’m A…ah…ah…” he trailed off as he attempted to hold back a sneeze, but he quickly failed in his efforts to do so and went flying straight up into the clear blue sky with the forceful expulsion of air that came out of his nose.

He traveled far more than just a few feet into the air before gravity kicked back in and he fell back down towards the frozen ground below. His legs stuck out as he came sliding down the wall of the broken iceberg and then promptly came back to a standing position in front of the two Water Tribe siblings, and his sister, while both of the still relatively unknown stared at him in complete shock of what had just happened.

“I’m Aang.”

Sokka stared in shock at the boy in front of him, “You just sneezed… and flew ten feet into the air,” he said as he pointed up towards the cloudless blue sky, completely perplexed about what he had just witnessed with his own two eyes.

“Really?” Aang asked as he turned his head back and looked up towards the sky that he had just fallen from. “It felt higher than that,” he said, an impressed look on his face, using his arm as a shield while he tried to keep the bright sunlight out of his eyes as he continued to look up at the blue sky.

Katara suddenly gasped in realization, “You’re an Airbender!” she said while she stared at Aang in shock, awe, and excitement.

“Sure am,” Aang said with a nod while he offered her a friendly smile. “Elua is too,” he informed the young Water Tribe girl as he motioned towards his elder sister.

Elua smiled at the young teen in front of her before she brought both of her hands together and bowed to her in a way of greeting. Katara smiled back at her in a way that made her frown. It was almost as if this girl had never seen such a way of friendly bowing that most, if not all of, the Air Nomad people used.

“Giant light beams, flying bison, Airbenders… I think I’ve got Midnight Sun Madness,” Sokka sighed as he turned away from the two Air Nomads and his younger sister. “I’m going home to where stuff makes sense,” he stated. He went to walk away from the three of them, but stopped, as he came to realize that they were all surrounded by icy waters with nothing but icecaps in sight for miles upon miles…

Elua frowned in concern at this, “Do you not have any transportation?” she asked calmly while she glanced over towards Katara, who shook her head solemnly. “How did you get out here?” she asked in confusion with a tilt of her head.

“Well, we had a canoe, but someone doesn’t know how to steer…” Katara began to explain as she looked over her shoulder and sent a glare towards her brother, “and we crashed.”

Sokka scoffed, “It wasn’t my fault!”

“Well, if you guys are stuck, we could give you a ride,” Aang offered with a kind smile directed towards Katara. “Right, Elua?” he asked as he smiled at his sister with pleading eyes that made her smile back at him.

“Of course,” Elua agreed kindly.

“We’d love a ride!” Katara said with a big smile as she ran towards the giant bison with Aang right beside her, who swiftly airbent himself up onto Appa, and then offered his hand down to the teen girl who still stood on the solid icy ground below. She smiled up at him in appreciation, “Thanks.”

Sokka stared at his sister in objection while he walked towards her, “Oh, no. I am not getting on that fluffy snot monster,” he said as he shook his head and held onto his spear, standing his ground, and stubbornly sticking to it.

“Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home?” Katara asked sarcastically as she sat down on Appa’s saddle. “You know; before you freeze to death,” she quickly added onto her sarcasm.

Elua didn’t say anything as she sent a gust of air beneath her feet, spun into the air, and landed on the back of the saddle before she finally spoke again, “I’ve heard that polar bear-dogs are actually quite friendly,” she smiled down to the stubborn teen. “…if they like you,” she mumbled under her breath as she leaned back onto her legs. Luckily, the boy who stood on the ground hadn’t heard her added words, and he said nothing back to her on the topic of other fluffy white creatures.

Sokka went to say something back to his sister but soon reclosed his mouth and sighed as his shoulders slumped in defeat over the situation. He walked towards them, dragging his feet as he shuffled through the snow on the ground, and came to stand at Appa’s side with a look of irritation on his face. Elua leaned over the side of the saddle as she held her hand out and down towards the boy below. She attempted to offer him help to get up onto the bison, but when he looked up at her, all he did was give her an untrusting look. He then looked down at her hand… then back up towards her face… then back down to her hand… and repeated that again and again until he finally left his gaze peering into her kindly stared cedar eyes.

He said nothing to her as he silently took her hand and allowed her to help him up onto the giant bison’s back, where he immediately let go of her hand and sat down at the very back of the saddle, arms crossed over his chest in a state of annoyance as he then sat there in a state of complete loathing silence.

“Okay, first-time flyers, hold on tight!” Aang announced with a somewhat joking tone as he turned to face the horizon out in front of them. “Appa, yip yip!” he called as he shook the reins. Appa gave a low grumble as he stood up on his six legs and quickly jumped into the air, only for him to come right back down, and splash into the freezing cold water of the rippling ocean below.

Elua hummed in concern and confusion as she leaned over the side of the saddle again, “You alright there, Appa?” she asked in a soft tone, gently patting the bison’s side, wondering why he hadn’t just flown off like he normally would have. He only gave a low grunt in response to her question.

“He’s just tired,” Aang said as he looked over towards Sokka and Katara. “A little rest and he’ll be soaring through the sky. You’ll see,” he informed the two teens, moving his hand around as he made a flying motion with it, following his hand with his gray eyes as he did so… and when his eyes landed on Katara, he left them there, a smile formed at the corner of his mouth while he stared at her with admiration.

Katara ceased all of her movements when she caught his gaze, frowning as she raised her eyebrows in confusion, “Why are you smiling at me?” she asked.

“Oh… I was smiling?” Aang asked sheepishly as he wiped the grin off of his face and chuckled somewhat nervously.

Elua couldn’t help but smile in amusement at her brother. Sokka, on the other hand, threw his head back again and groaned in disgust at the boy and his sister. His actions made the older Airbender chuckle as she slowly looked away from the small group of people and turned her attention to the rippling water, resting her head onto her folded arms, and began to admire the unknown world around herself as they made their way through the ocean that reflected the light of the sun that began to set on the cold horizon ahead.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

A few hours after Elua, Aang, and their newfound acquaintances had left and set away from whatever kind of iceberg that the two Airbenders had woken up inside of, they still had yet to come across Sokka and Katara’s village. They were still swimming their way through the ice-cold water atop of Appa’s saddled back while the moonlight reflected within its ripples. Stars had begun to find their way into the sky as the daylight had almost completely left the sky, which had allowed such bright beacons of light to finally appear, and twinkle brighter than Elua had ever seen before, all due to the lack of civilization around them. It was all quite mesmerizing.

She had figured out that they were in the South Pole. It was the only logical option as there was no way that they had gotten all the way to the North, that would have taken months, and there was no way that they had been gone for months. She estimated that it had only been a few days—a week, at most.

She took her eyes off of the rippling water below and glanced over towards Aang from where she sat on Appa’s saddle. He had been talking with Katara for a while now and it seemed that they had already formed some sort of bond. But, that didn’t surprise his sister at all, because he had always been able to make friends with almost everyone he had ever met. It simply just came naturally to him.

“What’s with the arrows?”

Elua turned her attention away from her brother and his new friend when the sudden question was thrown at her, “Sorry?” she asked, caught off guard by Sokka finally speaking to her, as he had been almost completely silent for a majority of their trip thus far.

“The tattoos… on your forehead and hands,” Sokka specified as he pointed down towards the blue arrows that rested permanently within the top few layers of her smooth skin.

“Oh!” Elua exclaimed in realization. “Airbenders receive them when we master the element,” she explained to him with a kind smile before she turned and sat against the edge of the saddle. 

Sokka hummed in response, but she could see that he was still a bit confused, and rightfully so, as it wasn’t always the simplest of traditions to explain to someone who had grown up outside of a Nomad’s life.

“…have you had bad encounters with Airbenders before?” she asked with a small frown creased between her brows. She had never heard of any Air Nomads that were cruel to people, but she knew and understood that she hadn’t met every Airbender in the world, and there were bound to be a few with questionable morals.

Sokka raised an eyebrow at her words as a sense of confusion washed over his face, “What? No,” he said with something that almost sounded like a laugh. “We haven’t met a single Airbender in our entire lives,” he told her with a look that called her insane.

“Oh,” Elua said in surprise as a frown formed once again, “Then, why are you so standoffish of Aang and me?” she asked, head tilted in confusion.

“We don’t know either of you,” Sokka said with a shrug. “You could hurt Katara, or our tribe, or both,” he told her as he crossed his arms over his chest again.

He looked away from her as he turned his attention towards his younger sister, who now laid on the saddle with her head resting on her arm, slowly beginning to fall asleep under the dark night sky above. Elua followed his gaze and found Aang falling asleep where he sat atop Appa’s head and no longer kept watch of their surroundings. She knew all too well what it was like, to always have your younger sibling’s safety on your mind, never a second where you didn’t think of them. It was draining to always stress and worry over them. But, when you only have one another, what else could you have expected from yourself?

“We can’t trust anyone,” Sokka said as he turned back to Elua. “Especially not with a war going on,” he spoke with a tone of pain and sorrow laced in his voice and a sigh that soon followed after his words.

It made Elua frown when she heard all of what he was telling her. What was he talking about? She hadn’t heard a single thing about any sort of war.

“War?” Elua asked as she leaned forward and rested her arm on the top of her knee while she stared at the young man that sat in front of her. “What war?”

Sokka paused, blue eyes gazed at her in confusion, almost acting as if she were joking, “You don’t know about the war?” he asked in disbelief. “The one-hundred-year war? You know, the Fire Nation attacked the other three nations of the world?” he added more questions onto the first as he tried to jog her memory, not yet realizing that the memory of such a detrimental thing, did not exist within her mind… at all.

“What?” Elua asked again, this time in a tone that was barely above a whisper as worry, shock, and uncertainty came crashing down on her like the wave that brought her down into the ocean before all of this had happened.

“Are you okay?” Sokka asked as he gave her a concerned look. But Elua couldn’t bring herself to respond. “Maybe the ice did something to your memory,” he suggested, watching as the Airbender shifted her gaze away from him, setting her eyes down to the saddle that they sat upon as she tried to grasp what all of this meant.

“Yeah,” Elua replied, but she wasn’t exactly listening to the words he spoke, and turned herself away from him as she tuned into her thoughts. “Maybe,” she said as she leaned both of her arms onto the edge of the saddle again, resting the bottom of her chin atop of them, and slowly began to drown inside the waves of her mind…

How long were they in that iceberg?

Chapter Text

BY THE TIME THAT THE SMALL GROUP of very different people had all arrived at their destination—the Southern Water Tribe—it was already quite late into the night, and Aang and Elua were offered an extra hut to get some rest for what remained of the evening. They were grateful for that, as it was cold outside and they did not have the same means of warmth as the locals did. The inside of the hut was quite pleasant and warm compared to the cold exterior that lay outside of it; however, the hides of animals that surrounded the brother and sister did not share the same welcoming presence. Those were… haunting, to say the least.

It had been quite a few hours since then, though. There was no doubt that the sun had begun to rise, as Aang had laid on the ground and slept through most of the night. Elua, on the other hand, had tried to get some rest as well but found it hopeless with all of the information that she was still trying to wrap her head around. All in unsuccessful attempts.

Elua knew that if this war that she had been so recently informed about had really started a hundred years ago, it must have meant that she and her brother had been in that iceberg for the same amount of time, seeing as she had no memory of very detrimental things such as a war between all four nations. But how had they been inside of the ice for a hundred years and survived? She had no way of answering that for herself. It was all extremely confusing, and she didn’t know what to think of it right now.

What she did know, however, was that the life she had once known was now over and done with. Everyone that she had once known was most likely gone as well. Either killed or died of old age while she sat here in the middle of the South Pole as the same fifteen-year-old girl that she was all of those years ago.

How was she supposed to tell Aang about everything that she had learned? She knew that he would be devastated, and she had no doubt that he would blame himself for all of it, too. They would now have to find him a waterbending master, an earthbending master, and a firebending master by themselves rather than rely on the spiritual leaders of the world to take care of such a vast and extended search. And if this war really was against the Fire Nation, it was going to be almost impossible to find him a teacher that wouldn’t want him dead or try to give him to whoever the Fire Lord was now.

Why hadn’t she just stopped Aang from running away when she had the chance to? She was his sister. It was her job to help him with his troubles, and all she had done was follow him into them. It had been more encouraging than anything else. How could she have been so irresponsible? This was all of her own fault… she was far more than just sure of that now.

She blew a piece of her dark hair out of her eyes as she became frustrated with herself over all of the things that ran around within her mind. Her thoughts simply made her even more concerned about everything, and she couldn’t do anything. She didn’t have a clue how the world was anymore, but she did know what war could do to people, land, nations, and everything in between. Repercussions of war were never good, and no matter who won, there would be disparity all over the world.

Elua closed her eyes with a heavy sigh. “Everything happens for a reason,” she mumbled to herself as she inhaled a deep breath. “Everything has a purpose,” she said with the exhale of a breath. She rested her forehead into her open hands when she was done with the continuation of calm breaths. And then, she sat silently with herself, all in a fast attempt to push away her racing thoughts into the back of her mind again.

Suddenly, the sound of someone’s footsteps alerted Elua away from her settling mind when she heard them, and made her eyes snap back open as she realized that whoever was outside was walking towards the hut that she and her brother were still inside of. An idea of danger was the first thing that came to her mind—unusual for a person so driven by the idea of peace—but when she turned around and watched as the flaps of the tent moved towards the side, a familiar young girl walked inside with a curious look on her face.

Katara gave the older Air Nomad a soft smile when she spotted her form where she stood. Elua happily returned her kind smile of hello and added a nod of greeting along with it, relieved that it was her and not any sort of threat. But before either of the two young women got a chance to speak a single word to one another, both of their attentions were taken away by the sound of someone murmuring in their sleep…

Elua swiftly turned her head away from Katara and set her gaze on Aang, who was still asleep on a cot in front of her, covered by a warm tan blanket to keep himself out of the cold. He was obviously having some sort of nightmare based on how his brows knitted together and his head slightly shook as if he were desperately trying to yell out for help. He looked trapped within his own mind, much like his sister had been only a few moments ago, and now needed someone to help him escape it all. And she would do anything to help him and keep him safe—anything.

“Aang,” Elua spoke softly as she kneeled down beside his sleeping form, but he didn’t stir, far too deep into his slumber. “Aang,” she said again as she lightly shook his shoulder this time. The sudden movement made him jolt awake with a shout of fear as he quickly sat up straight, chest heaving with his panicked pants of air as he tried to catch his breath, eyes frantically looking around as he did so.

“Elua!” Aang said in a panicked tone as he spotted his sister beside him before he threw his arms around her and brought her into a tight hug. “You’re okay,” he sighed in relief, which made his sister frown in confusion, but she hugged him back just as tight as he had.

“Yeah. I’m okay,” Elua reassured him with a confused tone. “We’re okay, now. We’re in the Southern Water Tribe,” she told him as they let go of one another and turned around to face the girl who still stood behind them.

“You both should get ready,” Katara smiled at the boy in front of her. “Everyone’s waiting to meet you two,” she spoke in excitement as she turned towards the exit of the warm and homey tent.

Aang returned his new friend’s smile as he threw the blanket off of himself and ran to grab his shirt off of the ground before he began to slip it over his head and get dressed for whatever the day may hold in store for him and his sister. Katara had turned away to leave him to it, but she stopped and looked back at the boy in front of her, eyes stared at his blue tattoos that ran along his spine and the centers of his arms with interest and uncertainty. They were something that she had obviously never seen before, Elua knew that now, making it easy to understand the young girl’s fascination with their intricately designed tattoos. Maybe they were something now considered ancient. Although, it could have been their entire way of life that was now considered ancient to everyone else, nowadays.

Right after Aang had put his shirt back on, Katara smiled at him again, and then gently grabbed onto his arm before she pulled him out of the warmth of the tent and into the village of the south without so much as a warning.

Elua chuckled at the girl’s impatience as she grabbed her wooden staff off of the ground and followed after them while looking around at the white-covered land around herself as she walked through the snow. She hadn’t been able to get a decent idea of what it looked like last night—it was rather dark when they had arrived, after all—but now that she could look at it properly, it was easy to see that it was much smaller than the last time she had been here more than a hundred years ago. There were now only a few icy homes instead of what used to be dozens of them. Not to mention that she could tell it had been rebuilt time and time again.

She turned her head to her left as Katara and Aang came to stand in front of a small group of women and children, all of which were dressed in traditional Water Tribe blue coats and tunics that were made out of various animal skins and furs, not a single man with them as they all stared at the two newcomers in uncertainty.

Katara smiled between the villagers and the unknown Air Nomads, “Aang, Elua, this is the entire village,” Katara told them as she motioned towards the small group in front of them. “Entire village, this is Aang, and Elua.”

Everyone in front of them stayed completely silent as they all stared at the two siblings dressed in various shades of orange like they were talking lemurs, while a few of the women brought their children closer to them, protectively holding onto the young ones that couldn’t protect themselves.

All of this made Elua frown. How could this be the entire village? There were over a hundred citizens of the Southern Water Tribe when she was last here, now there were only a dozen, made up of all women—except Sokka, of course. And why did they all look so confused about her and her brother? They were certainly no threat to these people and no one said anything to warrant any confusion.

“Uh… why are they all looking at me like that?” Aang asked as he glanced up at Katara in confusion. “Did Appa sneeze on me?” he quickly changed his inquiry while he lifted his arms away from his torso and looked down at his perfectly clean clothing.

The eldest woman within the village stepped forward and away from the rest of the group while Aang spoke with Katara, “No one has seen an Airbender in a hundred years,” she stated simply. “We thought they were extinct until my granddaughter and grandson found you two,” she informed them, which caused Elua’s expression to turn into one of shock and worry, only one idea of what that could have meant crossing her mind as she stood in front of these people…

She knew that they had been gone for almost an entire century, but if no one here had seen an Airbender in that entire time, it could really have only meant one or two things… so, what had happened to them?

“‘Extinct’?” Aang asked as his eyes went wide and he stared at the elderly woman in front of him with a look of skepticism on his face.

“Aang,” Katara began to speak again, “This is my grandmother,” she said with a soft smile as she looked over towards the same woman who still stood in front of them.

“Call me Gran-Gran.”

The tone of the elder woman’s voice held a sound of disinterest and boredom when she spoke, but Elua ignored all of it and gave her a small smile before she brought one of her hands up to the palm of her other, and bowed to her respectfully from where she stood in front of her. Voices could be misleading. She was well aware that this woman had most likely seen far more in her lifetime than she possibly could have with only fifteen years of her own life—or rather, a hundred and fifteen years of life? Such a skip in life and time was becoming a distraction.

Elua’s attention was suddenly taken away from the elder woman as she felt someone take her staff out of her hand, “What is this? A weapon?” Sokka asked in confusion as he looked over the wooden staff now in his hands. “You can't stab anything with this,” he stated, continuing to examine its exterior, a grimace on his face while he studied the walnut-colored wood.

“It is not a weapon, and certainly not for stabbing,” Elua informed him as she reached her hand out in front of herself and used her bending to jet it back into the grasp of her own palm. “It’s for airbending,” she stated with a grin pointed at him.

Elua flicked the wooden staff forward and opened it, a revealment of its orange wings expanding outward, and transforming the simple staff into a glider. This made all of the children around her ooh and awe at such an unexpected source of surprise. She couldn’t help but smile at them all when she saw the sparkled looks in their eyes as all of them had clearly not seen much excitement in their lives yet.

“Magic trick!” a little girl shouted in excitement as she pointed towards the glider within Elua’s hands with a sense of wonder in her eyes. “Do it again!” she exclaimed in excitement again, which made Elua laugh, even if she was incorrect in her declaration.

“It’s not quite magic, unfortunately,” Elua smiled down at the little girl. “It’s for airbending. It lets us control the air currents around our gliders and, well, glide,” she explained to not only the little girl, but also the other children, and many of the adult women that seemed to be just as confused.

Sokka scoffed in disbelief as he crossed his arms over his chest, “You know, last time I checked, humans can’t fly,” he said while he stared at her with a glare of doubt as he remained unconvinced by her dumbed-down explanation.

“Check again!”

A wide and enthusiastic smile suddenly fell over Aang’s face as he opened his own glider and shot himself high into the clear sky with his bending. He soon began to soar through the air and show off all the neat tricks he had learned such a long time ago now. The village children gasped in awe once again as they watched him fly, obviously considering this to be the coolest thing that they had ever seen, and perhaps, it was for all of the young and impressionable ones.

Elua watched as Aang looked down below himself, locked eyes with Katara, and seemingly got himself completely lost in her ocean blue eyes as he proceeded to forget that he was still currently flying through the wind. She winced as he crashed into a tall building made out of snow and ice at the edge of the small village. His impact made a large hole in its side and, unfortunately, caused it all to start leaning closer towards the ground far more than it had before all of it.

Sokka gasped in horror at what had just happened while he stood beside Elua and in front of the tower, “My watchtower!” he shouted as he placed his hands onto his head and stared in total shock, all while Aang got his head out of the icy tower, and fell back onto the pile of snow beneath him.

“That was…” Katara trailed off with a big smile as she ran over to the young Airbender and helped him back up to his feet, “-amazing!”

Elua glanced over towards the icy building that was supposed to be some kind of watchtower as Sokka looked over the damage done by the airbending boy, only for the snow to fall from above him, and cause him to fall to the ground as it all buried most of his body underneath its cold white existence.

“Great. You two are Airbenders, Katara is a Waterbender…” Sokka trailed off as he stood back up to his feet and brushed all of the snow off of himself, “-together you can just waste time all day long,” he grumbled before he stomped off in annoyance.

Aang gasped in realization while he turned to Katara with another wide smile of excitement on his face, “You’re a Waterbender!”

“Well, sort of,” Katara said with a shy smile. “Not yet,” she told him somewhat dejectedly.

It all made Elua frown in confusion. This girl had to have been at least fourteen and seemed to be rather mature for her age. Why hadn’t she learned anything about her own element and abilities, yet?

“Alright. No more playing,” Katara and Sokka’s grandmother spoke up as she walked over towards the two airbending siblings and her young granddaughter. “Come along, Katara. You have chores,” she stated before she gently took hold of her arm and led her away from the two strangers and across their snow-white-covered village lands.

Elua sighed as she turned away from the village and everything else that was around her as she went to speak with her brother now that all of the villagers were off doing their daily things, but as soon as she had fully turned herself around to face him, he wasn’t there anymore. He had clearly run off to spirits know where. Her shoulders slumped away from their tense position as she carelessly glanced around for her little brother. There was no sign of him anywhere near her. Why wouldn’t he have run off, though? At the end of the day, he was still only a twelve-year-old boy.

Ha. Yeah. A twelve-year-old boy who now has to save the entire world.

She silently groaned in annoyance at her own intrusive thoughts that had to do with their impending doom. It was obviously going to become something that she could not so simply just push aside for very long, but for the time being, that was exactly what she was going to have to do. There was nothing else that she could have possibly done at this moment. Everything would just have to wait until the time was right…

The Air Nomad exhaled a shaky breath of the brisk air as she sat down onto the snowy ground beneath herself, where she proceeded to cross her ankles one over the other, and then set her glider across her lap before she began to glance around the icy village once again. It really had changed a lot. She hadn’t ever seen it this small before, it had been such a nice and comforting place to visit, filled with welcoming people, and now, it held a heavy sense of sorrow and pain within its existence. It was truly just… an unfamiliar place, now.

“Now men, it’s important that you show no fear when you face a Firebender. In the Water Tribe, we fight to the last man standing, for without courage… how can we call ourselves men?”

Elua’s attention was taken away from her surroundings when she heard Sokka speak, but when she spotted him standing only a few feet away from her in the middle of his small village, half a dozen young boys—who were no older than five—had not been who she expected him to be talking to with such a tone of dignity and triumph.

She didn’t say anything as she continued to watch from a distance as the Water Tribe teen paced back and forth in front of these impressionable young boys which, if she was honest, simply just looked incredibly confused, if anything. None of them said anything when he stopped talking to them. She couldn’t blame them for that. He had spoken to all of them as if they were warriors instead of children.

One of the young boys suddenly threw his hand up into the air, “I gotta pee!” he spoke up while he frantically waved his gloved hand around, severely needing to use the restroom.

“Listen!” Sokka announced to them. “Until your father’s return from war, they’re counting on you to be the men of this tribe, and that means no potty breaks,” he said firmly while he threw his arms out in front of himself with a gesture that said ‘that’s final!’ to the young boys around him.

“But I really gotta go!”

Sokka sighed as his shoulders slumped in annoyance, “Okay,” he said somewhat calmly. “Who else has to go?” he asked while he stood back up straight and glanced at all of the children in front of him, to which, all of them raised their hands.

Sokka slapped his forehead with his blue gloved hand out of exasperation as all six of the boys quickly stood up to their feet and rushed off towards the restroom. It all made Elua laugh as it played out in front of her. She could clearly see that this teen had no idea how little boys could be. Their attention span was extremely short, they were easily distracted by almost anything, and if something was even the slightest bit boring, there was no way that they were going to pay attention to it. Her brother had been just like that when he was their age, and sometimes, he still was, too… most of the time, actually.

“Have you seen Aang?” Katara asked her already irritated older brother as she hiked her way through the snow. “Gran-Gran said he disappeared over an hour ago.”

“Wow! Everything freezes in there!”

A very familiar voice made all three of the teenagers look over towards where his words had echoed from, where they spotted Aang as he walked out of a very small and narrow igloo, and all six of the little boys laughed at his statement.

“Get him out of here!” Sokka groaned in disgust at the young Airbender. “This lesson is for warriors only,” he stated before he turned around, and began to walk away, but he almost immediately made himself turn back around at the sound of laughter.

The two girls in front of him glance back over to Aang again. This time, they all found him sitting atop Appa’s head, who rested on the cold ground, while all of the kids were now stuck in a pile of plush white snow. One of the boys slid down the bison’s tail, flew over Sokka’s spear—which was currently propped between two sticks—and landed in the same pile of snow as the other children had, and all of them laughed with glee.

“Stop! Stop it right now!” Sokka shouted as he stomped over towards the group of children and took his spear away from where it rested. “What is wrong with you? We don’t have time for fun and games with a war going on!” he told the young Air Nomad with a scowl on his face from where he stood in agitation.

His statement made Elua’s heart clench and beat faster within her chest as the nerves began to build up inside of her again. She knew that she would have to explain everything to her young, and still somewhat naive, little brother… but she wasn’t ready for that conversation, yet.

“What war?” Aang asked in confusion. “What are you talking about?” he inquired as he hopped off of Appa and landed back in front of the Water Tribe teen.

Sokka raised his eyebrows in uncertainty, “Oh, not you, too.” he whined in a tone of exasperation. “You’re kidding, right?” he asked, still in disbelief that this boy and his sister really had no idea about the war, as he stared down at him in question.

Aang opened his mouth to say something back to the teenager, but then out of nowhere, stopped as his eyes fixated on something behind the boy in front of him and let a wide smile break out on his face. His eyes widened in excitement and all of his movements ceased at the exact same time. All three of the other people around him frowned in confusion as they followed his gaze and Elua was quickly able to spot just what it was that he was looking at: a black and white penguin. It was at the edge of a snowbank with an almost challenging stare pointed at her brother.

“PENGUIN!” Aang quickly sprinted off with his loud shout while he kicked up the snow as he chased after the wild animal as it scurried away from him… and he left the other three people in the dust behind him.

“He is kidding… right?”

Chapter Text

ELUA WALKED THROUGH ALL of the fluffy white snow that laid across the native land that surrounded her like a thick blanket of polar bear dog skin—or, at least, it was what she would have imagined such a thing to look like. She made her way up towards the male Water Tribe teen that stood at the top of the front wall of his village and overlooked the crisp blue ocean water below. It sparkled elegantly while the sun reflected off its ripped waves in an almost entrancing dance. It was a beautiful sight.

After Aang had run off, and Katara made the decision to follow after him, Elua stayed behind in the village. She wanted—needed—to know more about all that had happened in her and Aang’s absence. It was all in the hope that maybe it would help her to understand more of why everything had happened in the first place.

“Tell me more about the war.”

Sokka glanced over towards Elua as she came to stand beside him at the edge of the icy wall, “What is there to tell? It’s a war,” he said simply before he looked away from her, and back at the scintillating water. “It’s all I have ever known,” he told her with a look of pain and loss in his blue eyes.

“…you lost someone,” Elua said softly, mostly to herself, as her expression turned into one of sorrow and empathy. “I’m sorry.”

Sokka said nothing back to the strange girl that he had only known for less than an entire day. She was extremely observant, that much he could tell, and it only made him more nervous to be around her. He had no trust in her, but she was already aware of that, and she could not find a single reason to blame him for it, either. He didn’t know her and seemed to know next to nothing about Air Nomads. She would’ve been the exact same way if she were standing in his place.

“It’s very peaceful here,” Elua said as she looked out at the water and listened to the sound of the waves as they crashed against the icecaps, “seeing as the world is in such conflict,” she added while the cool breeze flowed through her hair, which caused her hair to become somewhat frizzy, as it fell over her shoulders in its untamed state.

Sokka glanced over to her with an unsure gaze. “Yeah…” he trailed off as he turned his eyes away from her once more and set his gaze on the blue ocean waves.

Unfortunately, it was only a peaceful moment for a few moments before it was broken by a loud crack that echoed through the air, which caused both of the young teens to jump in surprise as they quickly turned around to see what had happened. A bright red Fire Nation flare was not what they expected to see. It had flown up into the clear blue sky with extreme speed, traveling several hundred feet into the air before it met its altitude, and came flying straight back down until it was completely out of sight.

And then, it was the silence that came afterward that worried her most…

⇢⇢⇠⇠

The children of the Southern Water Tribe shout and cheer in excitement as Aang and Katara walked back into the small village, but while all of them may have been glad to see the young Air Nomad boy again, their parents and the other adults within the tribe did not share a single ounce of their children’s vast enthusiasm. All of them were upset and scared. However, Elua ignored the sense of unhappiness and fear that had fallen over the atmosphere, and she didn’t waste another second before she rushed forward and ran over towards her brother out of worry.

“Are you alright?” Elua asked as calmly as she could while she set a gentle and comforting hand onto Aang’s shoulder. “Are you hurt?” she questioned again. “Are you in pain anywhere?” She continued to pile on the questions as she quickly began to look him over for any cuts, bruises, or other injuries, but he was completely fine and looked exactly as he had before he ran off a few hours ago.

Aang looked up at her with a smile of reassurance, “I’m okay, Elua,” he told her with a small nod of his head as he showed her that he was just fine from where he stood in front of her.

“I knew it!” Sokka suddenly shouted out of anger. “You signaled the Fire Nazy with that flare. You’re leading them straight to us, aren’t you?” he demanded to know with a sharp glare pointed down at Aang, an action that made Elua quickly step in front of her brother in a protective manner, standing between him and the furious Water Tribe teen with a dangerously calm expression on her face.

Katara swiftly walked out in front of the two Air Nomad siblings, “Aang didn’t do anything. It was an accident,” she spoke up in an attempt to defend her new friend from her upset and hostile older brother.

“Yeah. We were on the ship and there was a booby trap, and well…” Aang took a moment and paused as he put his hands at the back of his head while he tried to come up with a good way to word whatever he was trying to say, “we ‘boobied’ right into it,” he chuckled nervously.

“Katara, you shouldn’t have gone on that ship,” Gran-Gran began to scold as she gave her granddaughter a look of disapproval. “We could all be in danger,” she declared with a shake of her head. It was her words that made the entire tribe swell with a sense of worry and fear once again, and gave all of the young mothers a reason to hold onto their children a little tighter than before.

“Don’t blame Katara!” Aang suddenly raised his voice as he stepped around his sister and walked forward as he spoke, “I brought her there. It’s my fault,” he said while he lowered his head and his expression turned into one of shame.

“Aha! The traitor confesses,” Sokka shouted as he took a step forward and stood in front of his entire village tribe. “Warriors, away from the enemies. The foreigners are banished from our village!” he ordered all of the kids that stood around Aang and Elua while he glared at them both out of hatred and betrayal.

Katara’s eyes widened in shock at her own brother’s declaration, “Sokka, you’re making a mistake,” she told him with an aggravated tone as she glared sharply at him.

“No! I’m keeping my promise to Dad,” Sokka told her with an austere look on his face. “I’m protecting you from threats like them!” he stated as he motioned towards the two Airbenders that stood behind the young Waterbender.

“Aang and Elua are not our enemies!” Katara shouted as she stepped closer to her older brother with pleading eyes. “Don’t you see? Aang’s brought us something we haven’t had in a long time. Fun,” she told him, obviously trying her hardest to hold her ground against him, but Elua knew that she would inevitably lose this argument at one point or another.

“Fun?” Sokka scoffed at her. “We can’t fight Firebenders with fun!” he shouted back at her while he threw his arms up into the air out of exasperation.

Aang smiled as he laughed lightly at the teen, “You should try it sometime!” he said with the obvious intention of lightening the mood, but based on all of the glares he soon got for it, he failed in his attempt.

“Aang,” Elua spoke sharply as she glanced down at him in disapproval, “-not the time,” she mumbled to him while she gave him a look that told him to stop talking at this rather critical moment.

Sokka glared at the boy once again, “Get out of our village,” he ordered both of them with a harsh tone. “Now!”

“Grandmother, please,” Katara said with a desperate look in her blue eyes, “Don’t let Sokka do this,” she pleaded.

Their grandmother shook her head at the young girl, “Katara, you knew that going on that ship was forbidden,” she said with a tone of disappointment. “Sokka is right. I think it is best if the Airbenders leave.”

Katara’s expression hardened at the words her Grandmother spoke, “Then I’m banished, too!” she shouted before she turned away from her family with a look of anger on her face. “Come on, Aang. Let’s go,” she said as she walked forward, gently grabbed onto Aang’s upper arm, and began to walk away from her tribe.

Sokka looked completely taken aback at his sister’s irrational decision, “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked while he watched her walk away from him and everyone else that was their family and friends.

It seemed as if it were the easiest decision for the young Water Tribe girl to make, but this wasn’t something Katara should have taken lightly. These people were all that she had ever known for, what Elua had guessed, her entire life. It was only going to cause more problems if this girl left on such terms as these… and Elua knew all of that.

“To find a Waterbender!” Katara shouted over her shoulder as she walked away from her family and friends. “Aang is taking me to the North Pole,” she said confidently, no doubt in her mind that this was the right choice, and she didn’t even attempt to look back at her people as she walked away.

“I am?” Aang asked in surprise. “Great!” he said with a big smile of excitement.

Elua turned to her brother with an objective look, “Aang, wait-”

The Airbender’s words were cut off when someone else began to speak over her, “Would you really choose him over your own tribe?” Sokka asked with a softer tone than he had used before. “Your own family?” he asked with a painfully strained voice, and at that, Katara stopped in her tracks.

Elua glanced over at the small village that sat in front of her. She could almost feel the shock that radiated off of everyone’s expressions about what the only bender within their tribe was doing. These people were Katara’s family, and she was walking away from them, with little more than a second thought. Elua knew that she would end up regretting it if she actually went through with leaving—this was something that she couldn’t let happen… and she would be the one to make that final call.

“Katara,” Elua sighed as she looked over at the girl stood beside her, “I can’t let Aang come between you and your family,” she spoke calmly, but her words still made the young girl’s expression turn to one of sorrow, already knowing what she was going to say next.

“Elua-”

“I think it’s for the best if you stay here,” Elua said with a kind, yet stern, tone of voice that lingered with sadness for her brother. “I’m sorry,” she whispered to the young girl before she turned away from her and began to walk towards Appa. She knew all too well that if Katara left her family on a bad note, it would be the biggest mistake of her life, and would haunt her for the rest of her life… all too well.

“So, you’re leaving the South Pole?” Katara asked as she turned back towards Aang again. “This is goodbye?” her voice strained with anguish as she spoke again.

Aang looked up at her sadly as he nodded his head, “Thanks for penguin sledding with me,” he said with a small smile as he came to stand beside Appa.

“Where will you go?”

“I guess we’ll go back home and look for the Airbenders,” Aang answered her question while he placed his hand on Appa’s side. “Wow. I haven’t cleaned my room in a hundred years. Not looking forward to that,” he chuckled kiddingly.

His statement made Elua look over at him in confusion from where she sat atop of Appa’s saddle. How had he figured that out? She certainly hadn’t told him that yet.

Aang sighed as he looked back over to the village again, “It was nice meeting everyone!” he said with a smile as he airbent himself up onto the giant flying bison in front of him, ready to venture on home with his sister, and see their home once again.

“Let’s see your bison fly now,” Sokka scoffed as he crossed his arms over his chest, “air boy,” he added with a smug look while he stood and watched the two Air Nomad siblings jadedly.

“Come on, Appa, you can do it,” Aang smiled as he looked down at Appa from where he sat atop his head. “Yip yip!” he shook the reins when he spoke, which made the bison stand up onto his six legs as if he were actually going to fly off, but he made no moves to actually take off from the ground and simply just started walking away.

Sokka scoffed back a laugh, “Yeah, I thought so,” he said as he shook his head with an unimpressed look on his face.

“Wait!” a little girl from the tribe suddenly shouted from behind the Air Nomads before she quickly ran over to them, “Don’t go! We’ll miss you,” she said sadly as she looked up at the two of them with tears in her eyes.

Elua gave her a soft and comforting smile from where she sat, “It’s okay,” she said with a gentle tone, “We’ll miss you, too,” she told her honestly, but no amount of goodbyes and well wishes would be able to take the little girl’s grief away, and simply left all of the sadness lingering on her tiny features.

“Come on, boy,” Aang sighed sadly while he tugged on the reins and Appa began to move through the snow-covered land as they all left the Southern Water Tribe behind.

Chapter Text

IT HAD BEEN ABOUT AN HOUR since Elua and Aang had left the Southern Water Tribe, but they hadn’t strayed very far away from it, as Elua, had had quite the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach ever since that flare had been set off. It would have taken a complete miracle for the Fire Navy not to have seen such a bright glowing object within the middle of completely frozen and white land such as this one. It was inevitable that they would show up at the village, and if what Sokka had told her was true… they would not be so merciful in their appearance.

That was why she now laid within a tall formation of ice that was formed into a circle shape, three loops stacked on top of each other, not much different than that of three linking rings. Aang sat at the top while Appa was at the bottom and Elua in the middle as she watched layers of fog roll over the calm blue ocean waves. It must have been the calm before the storm.

The sound of Appa yawning made Elua lean towards her side and look down at the giant bison. She smiled as she spotted him. He was laid on his back with his paws curled up at his chest, eyes closed, and clearly trying to take a peaceful nap as they all sat here and waited for anything that might be coming to endanger people of the tribe that lived just under a mile from where they currently were.

“Yeah,” Aang suddenly sighed dejectedly, “I liked her, too,” he said as he took Appa’s yawn as if it were some kind of conversation starter. “Don’t you think we should leave, Elua? They don’t want us here,” he asked while he turned his head down and looked at her from above with a questioning gaze.

“Not yet,” Elua said as she looked up at him and saw his sorrowful look. “They may not want us here but I have a feeling that they’re going to need us,” she told him while she offered him a small smile in the hope that he would soon cheer up.

Aang didn’t say anything else as he sighed once again and looked away from his sister while he leaned back on the ice behind him and brought his knees up to his chest before he wrapped his arms around them. He looked out at the horizon as he rested his chin on top of his knees with an empty gaze that was glossed over with sadness.

Elua’s smile fell from her face as she followed her brother’s actions. However, it wasn’t even a second later before she frowned out at the water in front of them, as something caught her eye. She leaned forward in suspicion, squinting her eyes while she attempted to get a closer look, and hoped that she was wrong in her thinking of what it was… but the sight quickly made her expression turn to one of alarm.

Elua swiftly sat upright before she turned her legs over the side of the ice, “Come on, Aang!” she shouted up to her brother before she jumped off of the ice formation and back onto the snow-covered ground below.

“Huh?” Aang made a sound of inquiry as he looked down at her in confusion, but all she could do was look up and point at what floated far behind him, a sight that made him gasp: a Fire Navy ship sailing straight for the small village of the South Pole. “What are we waiting for?” he shouted while he hastily airbent himself off of the ice and down to the snowy ground—just as she had a moment ago—before he quickly began to take off through the snow and towards the defenseless village.

“Stay here, Appa!”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

An enormous dark alloy ship had crashed through the front of the wall that once shielded everyone within this small village of the South Pole and had come to a stop in the middle of its remains with its incline having followed and rested on the debris of ice and snow around it. It looked like the biggest ship in the world compared to that of the village it loomed over, and it made sure to frighten the people who lived there, causing them all to huddle together in an attempt to hide their panic and horror from the people that were known as Firebenders.

There was a Fire Nation teenager that stood in front of with an inflamed red scar healed over his left eye with his one remaining eyebrow pointed downward in a glare of hatred and revulsion as a familiar young Water Tribe warrior sat within the cold snow in front of him. A broken spear was stuck in the piles of snow that the ship had created as it crashed into the wall, something that Sokka had tried to protect his village with, but had, unfortunately, been outmatched by the young Firebender that hovered over him like a shadow of destruction.

However, before the Fire Nation teen could do any more harm than he had already done to the innocent village and its people, something metal flew down from the sky with the sunlight reflecting off of it, and came down to hit the back of the scarred teenage boy’s head. He yelped as the boomerang hit the metal of his helmet on his head, metal against metal echoed through the air as they came into contact, and it made Sokka smirk in amusement as it happened.

The Fire Nation teen growled in anger as he glared back at all of the villagers and moved his hands down to his sides before he ignited flames within his fists and created two fire daggers as if he were readying himself to hurt one of them. However, right before he had the chance to do anything drastic, a stream of yellow and orange slid into the village and under the angry teen’s legs. It made him go flying into the air before he quickly came back down and landed with his face in the snow.

Elua quickly jumped off of a penguin’s back and took a protective bending stance in front of all the villagers as she readied to defend any and all of the helpless people from this unknown threat while Aang, on the other hand, looked over to his new friends and gave them a big smile as he was more than happy to be back within the village and see the girl that he had taken quite the liking too.

“Hey, Katara,” Aang said to the girl in front of him. “Hey, Sokka,” he said again as he turned to the boy that had thrown him out only an hour ago while he gave them both a friendly wave of his arrowed hand.

“Hi, Aang,” Sokka sighed at the boy. “Thanks for comin’,” he said dryly while he still sat in the snow with a dejected look on his face as Katara bent down and kneeled beside her brother worriedly.

Elua turned her attention away from them when she heard rustling, “Looking for us?” she asked while she held her head up high and stood her ground against the Fire Nation teen that now stood in front of her and her brother again.

“You’re the Airbender?” the scarred boy questioned as he stared at Elua with a look of shock and disbelief. “You’re the Avatar?” he asked again, and at this, everyone gasped in shock while they looked over at her with the same expression. It was almost as if she could feel the senses of shock that radiated off of everyone around her.

Katara looked over at her in wonder, “Elua?” she whispered as she placed a gloved hand over her mouth out of shock as the other rested on Sokka’s shoulder.

“No way,” Sokka said with his jaw hung wide open in shock. “I banished the Avatar,” he mumbled to himself as he still sat in a pile of the cold snowy ground.

Elua made no effort to correct any one of them as she stepped towards the Fire Nation teen with her staff held out as she prepared to fight along with every intention of protecting the few people of this tribe. Aang looked over at his sister in confusion as he went to stop her, but before he could even so much as try, she swung her staff out to her side and held it in front of him as a way to make him stop in his tracks. She slowly glanced over at him with a look that told him to stay where he was before she turned away from him without a word.

“I’ve spent years preparing for this encounter. Training. Meditating,” the scarred teen told Elua all of this as they began to circle around one another with their arms held out in bending stances. “You’re just a child!” he shouted.

Elua suddenly stopped moving after he spoke, “A child? I’m at least a hundred years older than you,” she told him as her arms dropped a few inches, “Besides, I can already tell that you… act like a child far more than I look like one,” she taunted with a smirk on the edges of her lips.

Her words seemed to hit a nerve as the Fire Nation teen gave her a harsh glare of hatred before he threw his arms out and sent a wave of fire at her. Elua quickly spun the staff within her hands out in front of her and dissipated the dangerous flames and blocked herself from sustaining any injuries from the heat of them. She had no wish to hurt this stubborn person in front of her, but she would do what she had to, to protect the innocent people of this village.

As the teenager delivered another stream of fire at her, she blocked it again, and as soon as she became distracted… he turned his attention to the village behind her and sent a heavy wave of flames at the innocent locals. It never reached any of them, though. Aang quickly airbent the flames away from the people as his eyes widened in horror at the sound of the children screaming in fear, but thankfully, no one was injured.

“Enough!” Elua shouted as she came to stand in front of Aang and the villagers protectively, while she hit her staff on the snowy ground, and made everyone fall into silence with the noise, “I will go with you if you swear to leave these people alone,” she told the scarred teen in front of her while she held her head high.

He glanced towards the people that she stood guardedly in front of before his gaze fell down to Aang with a frown, “The boy comes with,” he said sternly with a grim look in his eye before he gave her nod of agreement.

Elua looked down at her brother in worry as a sense of anxiety swelled within her chest, but unfortunately, it was obvious that the only way to get the Fire Nation to leave these people in peace once more, was to make an unfair arrangement.

“Deal.”

Elua didn’t get a single second to object to her brother’s approval before several Fire Nation guards had roughly taken both of their staves out of their hands and seized toward both of them. Her expression was void of all emotion when they took hold of her arms, and even though she wanted to, she did not struggle against their grasp as they began to lead her and her brother forward while they pushed both of them towards the giant ship in front of their eyes.

“No, Aang!” Katara shouted from behind them as she stepped away from her brother and tribe. “Don’t do this,” she pleaded with a look of grief that lingered in her eyes as she watched the Fire Nation steal away her new friend.

Aang looked back at her with a smile on his face, “Don’t worry, Katara. It’ll be okay,” he told her as the soldiers pushed him harshly onto the ramp of the ship, an action that made Elua glare up at the man who had touched him, some type of rage within her eyes. “Take care of Appa for me until I get back!” he shouted from the top of the ship while he gave her another reassuring smile that was so obviously fake.

“Head a course for the Fire Nation,” the scarred teen suddenly ordered his men as the ramp in front of them began to rise up and out of the snow while it slowly inched to its closing point, “I’m going home,” he said, and with his last words, the ramp closed and the sight of the Southern Water Tribe faded from view as the two Airbenders were hauled away from a tearful young Waterbending girl…

Chapter Text

THE FIRE NATION VESSEL SAILED through the cold and frigid waters of the South Pole at a velocity that ripped through the tides with ease and scarcely even caused the ship to rock against any of the waves that crashed into its metal exterior while nothing but ice and snow—along with the odd penguin—surrounded it for miles. It was chilly when Elua and Aang were brought to stand on the main deck of the ship, a guard posted on either side of them while the Fire Nation teen stood in front of them, where he examined their unopened gliders as if they were rare antiques to him.

“These staves will make excellent gifts for my father,” the teenager spoke as he looked away from the objects and over at the two people in front of him. “I suppose you wouldn’t know of fathers—being raised by monks,” he dared in an attempt to get some kind of reaction out of the two Nomads, and unfortunately… it had worked, for one of them, at least.

Elua glared at him in annoyance before she spoke, “And, I suppose, you wouldn’t know of mothers—being so void of empathy?” she asked with a snarl. It sounded harsh, even in her own opinion, but her defensive mind was on high alert because of this angry and insulting teen that stood before her with such ignorance.

“How dare you-!” the Fire Nation teen stopped as he almost shook in anger while he held himself back from potentially ending this young woman’s life with a breath of fire blowing out from his nose and a sharp glare pointed at her. “Take the boy to the prison hold. And take these, to my quarters,” he ordered through gritted teeth while he handed the staves off to a plump and graying man that stood beside him, which made him begin to walk away, a guard standing at his side as he went.

The guards grabbed onto Aang’s arms again and started to drag him away from his sister with the Fire Nation teen’s command. Such movements made Aang look back over his shoulder as he gave Elua a reassuring smile, but that didn’t stop the worry that engulfed her senses, and she felt the immediate need to help him. Her very first instinct was to make the guards let go of him. However, before she could even take two steps forward, another two guards dragged a hold of her arms and kept her in place.

“Leave her,” the irritable teen ordered his men, “I want a moment alone with the Avatar,” he said cynically, and at that, his soldiers promptly stepped away before all of them bowed to the man in front of them and wordlessly walked away. Elua had nearly rolled her eyes when she heard him call her that. Had she really played the role so well that he would continue to believe such a hoax?

Elua quickly turned to face the destructive person that stood in front of her as she tried her hardest to push down the hatred that she was starting to feel for him, because hate had always been something that the Monks and Nuns had taught was wrong. She promptly shook her head as the wind made her long dark hair flow over her eyes and block her line of sight while also bothering her as it did so. Her lips pursed in annoyance as she made a mental note to tie her hair back when she got the chance to… if she got the chance to.

“I have spent two years searching the world for you,” the scarred teen informed Elua as he stood stoically in front of her. “Before me, my grandfather, and before him, his father. Decades of searching…” he trailed off ominously while he moved his arms behind his back and held them there whilst he spoke.

Elua looked at him in uncertainty and skepticism, “…thank you?” she asked as she raised a brow in question, which simply just made the other teenager angrier, and got herself another sharp glare of hatred in return for her sass.

She abruptly frowned as she squinted her eyes and stared at the teen in front of her. She couldn’t shake this feeling of familiarity that washed over her when she looked at him, but it wasn’t more than a few seconds before her expression softened, and she stood back up straight as a look of realization fell over her features. Her eyes cast away from him and down to the metal floor that she stood upon as she inhaled a deep breath of the frigid air before she exhaled it in a cloud of fog… it all made the Fire Nation teen frown at her in complete confusion of what was wrong with her.

“You…” Elua trailed off as she glanced back up at him, “…you kind of look like your grandfather,” she told him with a softened tone and anguish lingering in her eyes.

The words that she had just spoken made the Fire Nation teen take half a step backward as a look of shock fell over his already confused expression. It could not be possible for this Air Nomad girl to know what his grandfather looked like, and he was sure of that. His facial expression instantly turned back to one of outrage as another glare replaced his frown, while hatred took over every other emotion displayed on his face, and he opened his mouth to say something back to her—however, the sound of someone shouting muffled words from below the deck, prompted both of the teens to turn around in confusion at the same time.

It only took them both half of a second to spot Aang as he ran back up the lower stairs that he had just been guided down a few minutes prior to this moment. He didn’t waste a single second before he sent a strong gust of air at the scarred Fire Nation boy that stood in front of his sister, which made him fly backward with a shout of unexpected shock, and soon hit the metal floor with a thud that sounded rather painful. Elua winced at the noise while she watched it all happen in front of her eyes. However, a part of her still felt as if he had deserved that, and she was well aware that it was very un-nomadic of her to think such a thing.

Aang continued with his sprint after getting the teen out of his way and quickly grabbed onto Elua’s wrist before he rushed them both through an open doorway at the end of the main deck. It led into a small room with a ladder in the middle of it. He soon let go of his sister’s hand as the two of them swiftly began to climb up the metal scale, both of them attempting to make haste in their escape, as they were well aware that the teen who had captured them would not be far behind in their tracks.

Elua sent a gust of wind up and around the metal rungs that she and her brother held onto. It forced the hatch above of them open before the both of them jumped up and into the main control room of the large navy ship. She had made such a sudden crack echo against the metal walls that it made the one and only working person—who was busy with his job of keeping the ship on course and sailing it through the ocean waves—eyes widen in shock as he turned his gaze over his shoulder to look at them with a heavy sense of confusion.

Aang paid the working man no mind as he tossed Elua’s staff over to her before they both ran out of the control room and out onto the open railed watchtower of the vessel that they were about to escape from. He threw his arms out to his sides as soon as the breeze had hit his face, a relieved smile appearing upon it, while he and his sister both opened their gliders and proceeded to throw them out in front of themselves where they quickly caught onto the icy winds. It was time for them to leave.

The two of them jumped off of the tower together before they grabbed onto the front wooden handlebar of their gliders and swept down as they began to fly off. But, before Aang could get far enough away from the ledge, a specific Fire Nation fellow jumped off of the rail behind them with a shout of anger echoing from his throat, and came down to grab onto the young Airbender’s ankle.

Elua’s eyes went wide with fear as she turned and watched the scarred boy drag her brother back down to the ship, “Aang!” she shouted when the two fell out of the sky and landed back onto the metal deck with a resonant thud.

She swiftly lent towards her left, which caused her to turn back around, and soon began to sweep back towards the large metal ship. It wasn’t even a second later did she hear a familiar roar, a sound that provoked her attention to divert away from her brother, and look out towards the skyline in front of her. It was Appa. He flew regally towards the ship that was below her. A sight such as him made her smile, and as soon as she had found that Sokka and Katara were sitting on top of the bison’s saddle, that smile only grew into a brighter one… but it faded into nonexistence all too soon.

Elua looked back down towards the ship at the sound of fire blasts and found the Fire Nation teen to be attacking her brother on the deck. She quickly shifted her weight downward at the sight, which caused her to lose altitude at a speedier rate and near the large navy ship while Aang tried to fight back against the Firebender. Sadly, before she could reach her little brother and save him from such a reckless teenager, Aang was thrown overboard and plummeted straight into the freezing cold water below them with a drowning crash.

“NO!”

Her heartwrenching scream of distress echoed against the ice and snow while it was carried through the winds as her feet landed back onto the metal floor. She rushed over towards the ledge of the ship that Aang had fallen off of and looked down into the sea, but she could not locate him anywhere within the water due to all of the waves that crashed against the ship, and it had to be far too cold for her to jump in and survive long enough to save him. Katara’s cries of sorrow only made her heart hurt more as she heard them form up in the sky along with Appa’s roars of grief.

The sudden sound of whooshing fire caught Elua’s attention again. She quickly turned back around, and immediately as she did so, a sight of brilliant red and orange lighted flames were headed straight for her. He had taken her distracted state of mind and used it to his own advantage. She didn’t waste a single second before she ducked out of the way and just barely missed the heat of it. However, the Fire Nation teen didn’t stop his attack there, and soon sent another blast of flames at her… then another… and another. Elua dodged each of the balls of fire while also ensuring that she sustained no injuries with her defensive actions.

He angrily sent three more blasts towards her; one on her left, one on her right, and the last one headed straight for her at a high velocity. The sight of them made her eyes go wide in panic as she threw her arms out at her sides, stepped to the side, and brought her arms closer to her body before she threw them back out in front of herself and sent all three of the flames right back at the teenager in front of her. Luckily for him, none of the flames hit his body, as he had ducked out of the way just in time for them all to miss him.

The Fire Nation teen looked back at the scorch marks now burned into the back ledge of his ship with a shock before he turned back to her, “I should have known that you could already bend all four elements!” he shouted at her with a glare of hatred and angrily balled his hands into fists of rage.

“No,” Elua said as she shook her head, “There is something far more important that you should have known,” she told him while she straightened up her posture and lifted her head with a look of determination fallen over her face. “I am not the Avatar!”

As soon as those five honest words had left her mouth, a whirlpool of water came bursting out of the ocean waves like a broken pipeline, and at the top of its tall stature… was Aang. His eyes and all of his tattoos glowed such a light blue that they were nearly white as moonlight. Every single person that stood below him stared up at him in shock, fear, and awe before he jumped back onto the deck of the ship and bent all of the water around himself in a circular motion. He pushed his arms outward and sent the seawater hurtling towards the Fire Nation soldiers and made all of them fall overboard with shouts of shock and panic.

It all ended almost as quickly as it had happened after that. Aang immediately fell out of the Avatar State and tumbled to the cold metal floor as the exhaustion set in. Elua gasped as her eyes went wide before she rushed over to him, where she stooped down beside him and rested his head on her folded legs, a rather heavy look of worry in her eyes. He then weakly opened his eyes and looked up at her with a small smile that she gladly returned back to him.

She turned her head away from her brother at the sound of Appa roaring from up in the sky again. A bigger smile fell over her face when she spotted the giant bison just as he landed onto the ship, with two familiar Water Tribe siblings still atop of the saddle on his back, both of which looked extremely worried. It felt good to see the two of them again—even if one of them had banished her and her brother only a few hours ago.

Katara gasped as she hopped off of the bison and ran over towards the two of them, “Aang, are you alright?” she asked in worry while she knelt on the other side of the boy.

“Hey, Katara,” Aang said with a drained smile on his face. “Hey, Sokka,” he said again with a raspy sounding voice as he nodded in hello. “Thanks for coming.”

Sokka looked down at him with a joking smirk on his face, “Well, I couldn’t let you have all the glory, could I?” he asked as he humorously shrugged his shoulders in a way that made Elua chuckle before she gave him a silent and thankful smile.

Aang groaned in pain while he glanced over the three people surrounding him with concern, “I dropped my staff,” he infrared them as he looked towards an edge of the ship, where his wooden glider had fallen when he fell, which they all saw was now laid halfway over the ledge he looked towards.

“I got it,” Sokka told him as he quickly stood back up to his feet and walked over to pick the staff up from the ground while Katara and Elua began to help Aang towards Appa.

It wasn’t even a moment later that Elua turned away from helping her brother when the sound of someone yelling caught her attention. It was Sokka. He yelled at something over the edge of the ship, seemingly down at the empty ocean, but there hadn’t been enough time for her to go see what the problem was before several Fire Nation soldiers stood back up from the soaked metal floor that they had been forced down to only a few minutes ago.

All of them held out their sharpened spears and readied themselves to attack once again. Katara glared at them. It was clear that this young Waterbender had no more patience to put up with any more violence from these people today as she took quite the bending stance and readied herself to attack as well. She shuffled her feet across the slippery deck and held her hands out in front of herself, but the soldiers continued to inch closer to the three of them, obviously having no fear of this young waterbending girl as she was only a child… wasn’t she?

“Katara!”

Elua quickly glanced back down from where she had been busy helping Aang get up and onto Appa, where she saw Sokka—now frozen to the deck of the ship—trying to get himself out of the ice that his sister had accidentally frozen his feet in, while the Fire Nation soldiers were still stood in front of the young Waterbending girl as she stared at them with wide eyes filled with fear and uncertainty.

Katara peered back at her brother with an apologetic look on her face before she turned back away from him again. She took a deep breath and focused on the feeling of the water that surrounded her as she lifted her arms back up and began to bend the sea off of the metal floor, and then, threw it out in front of herself with her eyes sealed closed with uncertainty if it would work… but it did, and she had successfully frozen all three of the Fire Nation soldiers in their place.

Katara peeked her eyes back open and stared at her handiwork in astonishment and awe for a moment. However, knowing that they still needed to get out of here, she shook off her disbelief and whirled away from the soldiers as she ran over and climbed back onto Appa with Elua’s helpful hand.

“Hurry up, Sokka!”

His sister’s words made him grumble in annoyance, “I am just a guy with a boomerang. I didn’t ask for all this flying and magic!” he spoke to himself before he finally got himself free of the ice, and then rushed over to the other three people of whatever newfound group they were. “Yip yip! Yip yip!” he shouted in a frantic tone while he ran up Appa’s tail and reached the saddle just in time for them to take off.

It seemed that they had been able to leave the danger behind them, but just when they had thought that they were free to escape, a certain scarred teen forced some kind of giant fireball into the air with help of the greying man from before and made it line up to collide with them. Their eyes widened in horror at the sight of its blazing flames. Elua immediately stood back up to her feet before she rushed over towards the back of Appa’s saddle, where she grabbed hold of her staff, and found confidence in using it as an aid for a huge gust of air that went flying at the fireball.

It made the object swerve away from them and soon hit the side of an icecap above the navy vessel, burying it in a heavy bank of snow, and allowed them to get away without so much as a scratch… leaving the angry Fire Nation teenager to dig himself out of the wreckage.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“How did you do that?” Katara asked in wonder as she smiled and stared at Aang with admiration for what he had done only a short while ago. “With the water? It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!” she said with a look of excitement in her blue eyes.

“I don’t know. I just sort of…” Aang trailed off from where he sat cross-legged as he looked away from the young Waterbender, “did it,” he said with a downcast look on his face.

Katara's shoulders loosened up at his expression and tone before she spoke again, “Why didn’t you tell us you were the Avatar?” she asked softly as she kept her eyes on the young Air Nomad boy while her brother sat behind her with a completely confused look on his face.

Aang glanced back at her with a standoffish look, “…because I never wanted to be,” he told her before he slowly turned away from her once again with a look of shame overtaking his appearance.

“But, Aang, the world’s been waiting for the Avatar to return and finally put an end to this war,” Katara informed the boy in front of her as the loops of her braided hair blew within the chilly breeze.

Aang sighed, “And how am I supposed to do that?”

“According to legend, you need to first master water, then earth, then fire,” Katara said as she listed the three remaining elements he had yet to learn control over, “right?”

“That’s what the monks told me,” Aang said with a shrug of his shoulders and a tone that sounded heavy with uncertainty and indifference.

“Well, if we go to the North Pole, you can master waterbending,” Katara told him with an excited tone, and that made him sit up straight again.

“We can learn together!” Aang exclaimed as his mood quickly perked up.

“And Sokka,” Katara spoke to get his attention, “I’m sure you’ll get to knock some Firebender heads along the way,” she told her brother with half of a smirk on her face.

Sokka grinned at his sister’s words, “I’d like that. I’d really like that,” he sighed as he leaned back and smiled with an almost dream-like gaze. “One question, though: who is actually the Avatar?” he asked, pointing between Aang and Elua, still having no idea which one was who.

“Did you not hear a single thing that was just said?” Katara asked as she crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a look of annoyance while she leaned back.

“No, no,” Sokka began, “I heard it. It was just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo,” he said as he shrugged his shoulders with a bored look on his face while Katara rolled her eyes at him and his words.

Elua held back a laugh as she shook her head, “Aang is the Avatar,” she spoke with her back turned to them while she held onto the reins.

“How did you bend the fire away from your send back on the ship then?” Sokka asked in confusion as he pointed towards the skyline behind them with his thumb.

“Oh, yeah,” Katara said as she looked over towards Elua with a frown. Sokka’s inquiry raised confusion within her as well. “I thought you were an Airbender?”

“I am,” Elua stated as she let go of the reins and stood up before she turned around and walked over to sit with them. “There is oxygen that lives in everything around us– especially fire,” she explained to them, which caused the two Water Tribe teens to look at her in shock, wonder, and awe of her abilities.

“You can bend the air in everything around you?” Katara asked, and Elua nodded in confirmation, which made the Waterbender smile in awe again. “That’s amazing!” she said in astonishment and made Elua laugh gratefully at her excitement over something that felt so simple to her.

Aang suddenly cleared his throat as he broke into the conversation, “Okay, now that that’s all cleared up… before I learn waterbending, we have some serious business to attend to,” he said as he airbent himself off of the edge of the saddle and laid out a map in front of everyone. “Here, here, and here,” he said as he pointed to various spots on the chart.

Katara smiled as she looked down, “What’s there?” she asked as she pointed down at the map in interest.

“Here, we’ll ride the hopping llamas,” Aang told her as he pointed to a place that was somewhere within the Earth Kingdom, “then way over here, we’ll surf on the backs of giant koi fish,” he continued, this time pointing to a place near the Southern Air Temple, “-then back here, we’ll ride the hog-monkeys–they don’t like people riding them, but that’s what makes it fun!” Aang said with a laugh as a big smile broke out across his face while he explained everything to his newfound friends.

Elua smiled at her little brother as she was relieved that he was okay and happy again after such a day of trials. She sighed in blissfulness as she turned her gaze away from the three people that sat around her as she looked out at the clouds, where she observed sunbeams that were beginning to shine through the fluffy white mixtures of air and water surrounding them, and watched as the stars made their way into the sky once again.

She had a strong feeling that life was about to get even crazier than it had been before all of this… and boy, was she right.

Chapter Text

IT HAD BEEN MANY HOURS SINCE the sun had set and the moon had taken its place within the dark sky as it peeked through the fluffy white clouds. Appa navigated himself over ocean waves as he slowly made his way back to the Southern Air Temple… made his way back to their long-forgotten home. Elua sat with the reins in her hands while all three people behind her were fast asleep. She embraced the quietness of the night that surrounded her, but she couldn’t tell if she enjoyed it, or if she hated it as it gave her the time to contemplate everything that had happened in the last few days.

“Are you okay?”

A sudden sound of someone’s voice made her jump and let out a quiet shout of surprise as she quickly whipped her head around to face whoever it was that had made her life flash before her eyes. Sokka raised his hands up in surrender as he gave her a look of dumbstruck shock from where he kneeled on the other side of the saddle. Elua sighed in relief as she closed her eyes for a moment, placing one of her hands over her chest—where her heart had now begun to race from the sudden adrenaline rush—, and took a deep breath to calm herself back down.

Upon reopening her eyes, Elua glanced over Sokka, and over to where the other two were still—surprisingly—fast asleep, “Sorry,” she said as she glanced at the teen in front of her with an awkward smile on her face, “You startled me.”

Sokka gave her a sheepish grin as he climbed over the front of the saddle and came to sit beside her, “Yeah… I noticed,” he said with a chuckle of nervousness, and then, a quiet silence fell over the both of them.

The young Airbender slowly looked away from the Water Tribe boy as she turned her gaze up towards the sky above them and watched as all of the stars sparkled with a flash of brilliance. It felt impossible to ignore her thoughts and worries. They were going home, but it had been a hundred years, now. What if it all had changed? Everything was probably completely different nowadays. What if it wasn’t even there anymore? She had seen just how advanced the Fire Nation had become, meaning, they may have found a way to get to the temples. And, if the Monks really were gone… it would destroy Aang.

“What’s on your mind?” Sokka asked, breaking the silence, and catching hold of her attention as she turned her gaze away from the sky and back down at him. He, on the other hand, had already had his eyes set on her with a curious look in them.

“Everything,” Elua answered his question simply before she sighed, “I’m mostly worried about Aang,” she spoke to him honestly with a faraway glance in her soft eyes.

Sokka frowned in inquiry at her words, “Why? You’re both going home,” he said as he leaned back against the saddle with his arms loosely crossed over his chest.

“Because…” Elua trailed off as she looked away from him, “I’m afraid of what we might find,” she told him honestly, then brought her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them in some form of self-comfort. “Everyone we used to know will be gone now, and if their deaths were of unnatural causes… I just don’t want Aang blaming himself for any of it.”

A silence soon fell between them after that, only gentle sounds of the wind able to be heard, but it was broken almost as soon as it was created when Sokka spoke, “It was my mom,” he said simply. It made Elua frown in confusion as she tried to perceive what exactly he was referring to. “Back in the village, you said I lost someone, and you were right… Katara and I lost our mother,” he clarified for her with a pained look within his blue eyes, which promptly caused her look of confusion, to turn into one of sorrow and sympathy.

“I’m so sorry, Sokka. I can’t imagine losing someone like that,” Elua spoke calmly with sad eyes as she reached out and placed her hand on top of his in a comforting way and then continued on, “I don’t know what it’s like to lose a parent. We’re never told who our parents are, being a Nomad, but I’d imagine it would be like losing Aang,” she spoke in an explaining way before she took her hand away from his and looked behind herself, as a troubled look fell over her face, but she was comforted to see that her brother was still sleeping soundly without a worry on his mind.

“We don’t know what we’ve lost yet, and… I don’t know if I’m fully prepared to find out.”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

It wasn’t long after the middle of the night when the small group of teenagers had set up camp, for the night, on the beach of a river. It was surrounded by tall white rocks and green trees that had just begun to bloom with the season’s change, while the rising sun was keen to reflect off of the still water of the river. It was a very tranquil place for a night’s rest. But now, Elua, Aang, and Katara were packing up as they prepared to head towards the temple… while Sokka, still laid on the ground, sleeping and being of no help to anyone else around him.

“Wait ‘till you see it, Katara,” Aang spoke from where he stood atop Appa’s head with an excited smile on his face. “The Air Temple is one of the most beautiful places in the world,” he informed the Water Tribe girl as he pulled on the reins around the bison’s horns and tightened them in place.

Katara glanced up at him with a look of nervousness on her face, “Aang, I know you’re excited, but it’s been a hundred years since you’ve been home,” she told him as she set a tied bag onto Appa’s saddle and turned to face Aang with concern in her eyes.

Aang smiled at her widely, “That’s why I’m so excited!” he said happily with no such concern for what he might find when they all got there.

“Aang,” Elua called for his attention, “She’s saying that a lot can change in that amount of time,” she tried to explain to her slightly overly optimistic little brother while she looked up at him from where she stood as she handed Katara another tied bag.

“I know, but I need to see it for myself,” Aang told both of them before he floated himself down from Appa’s head and strolled over towards Sokka. “Wake up, Sokka. Air Temple, here we come!” he said with a big smile, but instead of getting the teen to get up and out of his sleeping bag, all he got out of him was drunken sounds of sleepiness.

Sokka groaned in annoyance, “Sleep now… Temple later…” he trailed off as he rolled onto his side and faced his back towards Aang before he swiftly fell back asleep.

Elua glanced over towards the two boys at the sound of their short exchange and watched as Aang’s expression, once filled with excitement, fell into annoyance when the Water Tribe teen began to snore without a care in the world. Her gaze shifted down at a wooden stick that sat nestled into the sand beneath her feet. A mischievous grin formed onto her face as an idea of how to get him up and awake quickly popped into her head.

She walked over the sandy land and picked the stick up from the ground before she held it out in front of her young brother, glimpsing over at him with a clever look as she did so, and motioning for him to take it from her hand. He frowned at her in dismay for a few seconds. However, he soon caught on to what she meant, and his expression immediately matched hers as he took the stick from her and walked over to Sokka, and stood over him with a silly grin on his face.

“Wake up, Sokka!” Aang shouted in fake panic as he moved the wooden stick up and down the front of the sleeping bag that the Water Tribe teen slept within, “There’s a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!” he yelled, and almost as soon as those words were said, Sokka’s eyes snapped back open and he immediately woke up at the information that had just been given to him.

Sokka let out a high-pitched screech of fear as he swiftly stood up in his sleeping bag, “Get it off! Get it off!” he shrieked as he hopped around the beach—still inside the sleeping bag—but, as soon as he hit a rough patch of sand, he lost his balance and fell right back onto the ground… face first.

“Oh, good. You’re awake!” Elua said with a chipper tone as she leaned her hands onto her knees and looked down at the teen with an amused smile on her face while the other two laughed from where they stood. “Let’s get going,” she told him before she got back up and turned away from the unhappy teenager.

Sokka grumbled in annoyance as he sat up and watched as Elua and the other two hopped back onto Appa’s saddle and waited for him to join them. He sighed as he stood back up to his feet and quickly packed up all of his belongings and then joined the others right before they took off into the clear blue sky again. This was going to be just one trip of hundreds more to come in time.

There was a somewhat comfortable silence as they flew through the crisp and chilly morning air—blue skies as far as the eye could see. All of them were either still sleepy or simply just kept to themselves. Elua felt as if she had been here only a day ago, but in reality, it really had been a hundred years since that stormy day on which they had left on, and that was what made all of this feel so… strange, to her. None of this felt normal to her anymore. None of it. It was all unfamiliar now.

Someone’s stomach suddenly growled and broke the silence, “Hey, stomach, be quiet, alright?” Sokka demanded as he put his hand over his stomach. “I’m trying to find us some food,” he spoke to his growling stomach as if it could actually hear what he had said before he picked a small bag off of the saddle and tipped it upside down, sadly, the only thing that fell out of it, was just a few crumbs of some kind of dried food. “Hey! Who ate all my blubbered seal jerky!?”

“Oh,” Elua said as she looked over at the teen that sat in front of her, “It was food in there? I think Aang used it to start the campfire last night,” she told him with a cringed and awkward smile on her face as she nodded towards her brother blamingly.

“Heh,” Aang glanced back at him with the same awkwardness, “Sorry,” he said with a sheepish smile on his face and a nervous chuckle.

Sokka gasped in absolute horror at this confirmed information, “No wonder those flames smelled so good,” he whined in sadness as his shoulders fell, looking back at the smell of the camo from the previous night, and then, wallowed in his pity of it… but all of his overdramatic sadness was soon interrupted as Appa swept down through the clouds and revealed tall mountains in front of them all, ones that made Aang and Elua smile at the sight oft.

“The Batola Mountain range,” Aang stated as he saw the tall peaks, “We’re almost there!” he spoke in excitement with a wide and open smile, but for Elua, a look of worry and nervousness replaced her smile of familiarity at the sound of his excited speech.

“Aang?” Katara called from where she sat on the saddle behind him, “Before we get to the temple… I want to talk to you about the Airbenders,” she told him with a tone that held uneasiness and a worry-like nature.

Aang glanced over at her with a hinted smile, “What about them?” he asked.

“Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see,” Katara said as she looked away from him sadly. “The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother, and… they could have done the same to your people” she informed him with a pained voice.

“Just because no one has seen an Airbender in a hundred years doesn’t mean the Fire Nation killed them all,” Aang said, his optimistic nature giving him hope, even though everyone else around him knew it was all unlikely. “They probably escaped.”

Katara placed a comforting hand on his back, “I know it’s hard to accept,” she said honestly and with a look of kindness in her blue eyes.

“You don’t understand, Katara. The only way to get to an Airbender temple is on a flying bison, and I doubt the Fire nation has any flying bison,” Aang explained as he gently patted the top of Appa’s head, “Right, Appa?” he asked, and in return, the bison gave him a roar in response to his question of which made the young boy smile.

Soon, the mountains began to get taller and taller with every few feet that they flew, which made Appa have to travel straight up in order to avoid crashing into rocky edges and cliffsides. All of them held on tight to the edges of the saddle as the bison began to climb faster and faster up the mountainside while the wind blew loudly onto them. Within a few moments, they all had finally reached the very tip of the mountain range, and Appa leveled himself out, revealing the beautiful and notably tall temple of the South.

“There it is… the Southern Air Temple.”

Its buildings sat at the very top of the mountain peak and hugged around its cliffs and jagged-edged rocks. It had remained a temple made out of tall and pointed rooftops that reached the blue skyline. Despite being so old now, its white-bodied towers still stood in almost perfect condition with its tunnels and passages still carved in the sides of the rocky mountain top. Its paths of twisted dirt and stone were still around their home and surrounded the walls of the temple. It was unlike anything else one got to see in their lifetime—beautiful, elegant, peaceful, and tranquil as ever.

Katara laughed in awe at the place before her, “It’s amazing!” she spoke with a wide smile on her face as her eyes scanned the wondrous place in front of her.

“We’re home, Elua,” Aang said softly as he turned around to smile at his sister, who gave him a small smile in return, but her eyes told a different story with the look of sorrow and grief that was already building up within them. “We’re home,” he repeated.

“Yeah…” Elua whispered as she stared out at her ancestral land. “Home.”

Chapter Text

“SO… WHERE DO I GET SOMETHING to eat around here?” Sokka asked as he put his hand to his stomach with a grumpy look on his face. It hadn’t even been a whole ten minutes since they had all started walking down the paths of dirt on the mountainside where the Southern Air Temple had rested for centuries, and yet, the Water Tribe boy had been complaining about the lack of food for the entirety of the time that they were busy touring around the place that Aang and Elua had called their home for as long as they could both remember.

Katara scoffed at her brother as she turned her gaze over towards him. “You are lucky enough to be one of the first outsiders to ever visit an Air Temple, and all you can think about is food?” she asked with a raised brow of confusion and annoyance.

“Hey,” Sokka said as he slightly raised his arms up in mock surrender. “I’m just a simple guy, with simple needs,” he told her with a careless shrug of his shoulders. They both stopped bickering when all of them reached the end of a pathway that guided them to stand at an overlook of the many courtyards within the grounds of the temple.

“That’s where my friends and I would play airball,” Aang informed the two Water Tribe siblings as he pointed over at a playing field below, where there were tall wooden poles stuck into the ground with two backboards on either side of the maze that looked old and worn down with its age. “And over there would be where the bison would sleep, and…” he trailed off with a heavy sigh as his shoulders began to slump into a sense of sorrow for the place that sat right before his eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“This place… it used to be filled with Monks, lemurs, and bison,” Elua said as she looked over at the lands around herself with her brother by her side. “It’s all just a bunch of weeds and dead land now,” she spoke with a tone of grief, images of what it all once was flashing before her eyes, a time when this was a place of peace and harmony that now seemed to have been replaced with one of chaos and disparity.

The long green grass that once grew up from the ground was gone, replaced by the dry dirt and particles of sand. The trees that once flourished with greenery and fruit were no longer either, simply just lifeless twigs and cracked barren wood that had been deprived of water for far too long. The flying bison were no more, most likely abolished or fled the lands when whatever happened here happened. The peaceful and tranquil haven that the Southern Air Temple had once been was now just a place of dread and impending silence… it wasn’t a place that she could feel safe in anymore.

Aang sighed heavy-heartedly as he stared out at everything. “I can’t believe how much things have changed,” he said sorrowfully, completely ignoring the wind that blew over and through his yellow and orange robes, simply just standing in his grief adjacent with his sister’s as neither one of them said anything else.

“So, uh,” Sokka began to speak again as he and Katara glanced at one another, both seeming to have the same idea in mind, “This airball game… how do you play?”

It wasn’t even a moment later that Sokka stood at the top of one of the wooden pillars with his hands held out in front of himself and a defensive look on his face. Aang smirked playfully from where he stood on the other side of the posts, busy airbending a ball with teardrop-shaped holes carved into it above his head, and stood up tall with his muscles loose—unlike Sokka. He still stood tensely and stiff with his arms held out as if he were about to have a boxing match with the poor boy in front of him, rather than play a simple ball game.

Aang spun himself in a circle atop his side of the pillars as he acted as if he were going to throw the ball towards Sokka, but instead of that, he threw it up into the air and closed his eyes as he did so. He peeked one eye open and looked up towards the ball as it began to fall down from the sky. It was a cue for him to be ready for it. He jumped up into the air, set his leg underneath his body before kicking it out, and sent a gust of wind at the ball and hurled it through the wooden pikes.

The ball bounced off of every other pillar that it came into contact with, speed picking up as it flew straight towards Sokka, and when it reached him, it hit him in the stomach and flung him off of the pillar and through the turning panels of the backboard where he would soon meet the ground that was covered in layers of melting snow.

Aang let out a cheer of success. “Aang seven, Sokka zero!” he shouted as he beamed and laughed from where he still stood while also dramatically signing both of their winning points.

“My turn!” Elua announced with a smile on her face as she ran over towards the playing field and airbent herself up and onto the tall wooden pillar that Sokka had fallen off of only a second ago.

Aang grinned confidently as he tossed the ball towards her. “I’m gonna beat you this time,” he said, readying himself to win against her playing skills, just as she caught the ball and looked over at him with a matching sense of confidence.

“Oh, really? ‘Cuz, uh, last I checked…” Elua trailed off with a playful smirk on her face. “I’m still the champion of this game,” she laughed as she spun the ball above her hand while she kept her eyes on her little brother with a challenging look. “Good luck!”

Sokka groaned in ache and irritant as he began to push himself up from the cold and snowy ground as the two airbending siblings challenged each other. “Making them feel better is putting me in a world of hurt,” he whined with a look of anguish on his face, but his expression instantly fell away when he lifted his head up and looked out in front of himself, something within the frost catching his attention. “Katara, check this out,” he said in a low whisper as he glanced back at his sister with a worried gaze.

Katara turned away from watching Aang and Elua and shifted her gaze down at her brother before she walked over towards where he was kneeling. She let out a gasp of shock when she saw what was hiding within the snowfall…

“Fire Nation,” Katara said, her shock turning into anger, as she and her brother stared down at an old and rusted red helmet of a now long-gone Fire Nation soldier.

“We should tell them,” Sokka said as he looked up at his younger sister while she sighed and nodded in agreement with his words.

“Aang, Elua,” Katara called from where she stood. “There’s something you need to see,” she raised her voice over the breeze, quickly getting their attention, and seeing the two siblings dressed in orange and yellow pause what they were doing before they looked over at her and offered her a quick nod of their heads.

“Okay!”

Aang and Elua airbent themselves off of the wooden pillars they stood atop of as they slowly began to make their way over towards the Water Tribe siblings. Aang made a sound of surprise as Elua playfully pushed him into the cold snow, causing him to shout in protest with a small laugh, and in turn, made her laugh along with him. He soon stood back up to his feet before they continued to walk over towards Katara and Sokka again with small and happy smiles on their faces as they laughed and talked to each other as they made their way over the ground covered in melting snow.

Katara turned her head over towards the two happy siblings in front of her, then back at the Fire Nation helmet, then again to the Airbenders, before ultimately making the decision to hide the evidence away from them. It was for the best, she thought. She raised her hands up before she quickly brought them back down as she waterbent the snow from up on a hill above the Fire Nation helmet as she sent it all falling down over the red metal while also accidentally burying her brother with it in the process.

Aang smiled as he and Elua came to stand in front of the Water Tribe girl. “What is it?” he asked her with an innocent look on his face and happiness within his tone.

“Uh…” Katara trailed off tensely. “Just a new waterbending move I learned,” she said with a sudden bright smile on her face as she clasped her hands behind her back.

“Nice one,” Aang said as he gave her a wide grin. “But enough practicing. We have an entire temple to see!” he told her in excitement before he turned around and began to walk away from the others.

Elua turned to follow after her brother, but she stopped for a moment, glancing back at Katara with a look of suspicion and doubt as she was unsure why the girl had been so suddenly cheerful in her words a second ago… well, more cheerful than she usually was, at least. However, in the end, she shook off all of her doubts and walked away from her as she continued to follow Aang through the many paths of their home.

Sokka sighed as he watched the two Air Nomads walk away. “You can’t protect them forever,” he said, looking back at his sister before they both began to walk again, but she didn’t say a word to him and ignored his statement. “Katara, Firebenders were here. You can’t pretend that they weren’t,” he told her while they walked up a set of the very few sets of stairs that existed within the temple grounds.

“I can for Aang and Elua’s sake,” Katara said simply. “If they find out that the Fire Nation invaded their home… they’ll both be devastated,” she told him while she kept her voice low as she looked away from her brother with a sorrowful gaze in her blue eyes.

“Hey, guys!” Aang’s voice made the two Water Tribe teens turn away from each other, cutting their muted conversation short, and causing them to look up and over to the two Air Nomads that stood next to one another with a statue made out of stone sat in front of them. “We want you to meet somebody,” he said as he motioned towards the statue in front of him.

It was of an older man. He had the same blue arrow tattoos that Aang and Elua had—minus the color—and he had been sculpted in a traditional robe of an airbending monk. His legs were crossed over one another, hands brought together perfectly, and his eyes were closed as he had been formed into a complete state of tranquil life as a necklace of the Air Nation symbol sat around his stone neck.

“Who’s that?” Sokka asked in curiosity and confusion as he looked up at the person of unknown origin.

“Monk Gyatso, the greatest Airbender in the world,” Aang informed him with a proud smile on his face. “He taught me everything I know,” he stated as he bowed towards the statue out of respect, memories of his time with this man—who had been like a father to him and his sister—suddenly flooding back into his young mind.

“What about this one?”

Everyone looked away from Monk Gyatso when Katara spoke as she stood in front of another statue, this one of a woman. It was in a similar pose as the other. Her eyes were closed, hands held together but closer to her heart, hair longly sculpted all around the plate of the stone, robes formed to look as if they were actually hanging down from her shoulders, and the same tattoos were painted on her forehead and hands. She looked to be at peace, as well, just as Monk Gyatso was.

“That’s Lohna,” Elua informed the two Water Tribe siblings as she walked over towards the statue and stood in front of it. “Everyone here knew her as a nun, but to me, she was just Lohna,” she said with a smile on her face as she looked up towards the brilliance of the statue before her. “She visited this temple quite a lot—more than anyone else from the Western and Eastern temples,” she explained to them all while her mind began to drift off into her memories…

⇢Flashback⇠

The greenery around the Southern Air Temple lit up the land with its bright and vibrant colors as its peaceful nature engulfed the sunlight that shined down onto trees that quivered against the slight breeze, grass lightly swished, budded flowers let their petals bloom, and gentle animals foraged the lands as everything grew under the blue and cloudless sky. Given the beautiful weather, and time of year, everyone had come outside to enjoy it all, but Elua—who was a few years younger than she was in her present time—stood away from the rest of them. She hadn’t spoken to any of them.

All of the boys her age had bonded with their sky bison, each and every one of them connected with the beautiful animals almost instantly, but not Elua. They did not fear nor hate her, but none of the bison seemed to like her any more than they liked the pesky flies that bugged their eyes. It all confused the young girl. All of them had found their life companion, and yet, she had been left all by herself… alone.

A woman, in her early thirties, looked over the group of young children as her long dark hair smoothly laid over her shoulders and unintentionally covered the blue tattoos that ran down the back of her spine. There was a small and soft smile at the corners of her lips, gentle gaze still kept on the group of young boys that laughed with one another and spent their afternoon with their newfound bison, but her eyes soon landed on the only female resident within this entire temple sitting all by herself with no one else anywhere near her: Elua.

“Hello, Elua,” Lohna spoke ever so softly when she walked over towards the young girl, a sound that made Elua look up, sad eyes gazing up at the woman. “Did none of the bison find you yet?” she asked gently before she lowered herself to the ground and sat down next to the lonely-looking girl.

“No,” Elua said as she shook her head, “None of them like me very much,” she informed her just as she brought her arms around her legs and hugged them towards her rather hollow-feeling chest.

Lohna hummed in a sad tone before she spoke. “Well, that’s alright,” she told the young version of Elua. “They all must think that you are far too special for just one of them,” she said in a funny tone, attempting to make young Elua smile or laugh, but all she did was sigh in a hopeless tone of response.

“I doubt that.”

“Elua,” Lohna spoke as she gently lifted the young girl’s chin, “Sometimes, things don’t turn out how we expect them to, but everything has a way of balancing out,” she said gently. “Don’t worry. There are many other types of animals in this world, and I guarantee, one of them is out there waiting for you,” she stated, and such kind words and reassurance made Elua stare up at her with a smile growing on her face.

“Do you really think so?” Elua asked with a small look of skepticism in her eyes.

“Of course. You just haven’t found each other yet,” Lohna told her with a wide smile that reminded Elua of her brother. “I guess… I’ll just have to keep you company until then!” she laughed as she wrapped the young girl in her warm arms, which soon made Elua laugh along with her, and finally lifted her spirits back up…

⇢End of Flashback⇠

“She’s beautiful,” Katara said with a smile on her face as she looked up at the statue in front of them, but she soon frowned, spotting the looks of sorrow that Aang and Elua shared. “You must miss them,” she said as she placed a sympathetic hand atop Aang’s shoulder while offering Elua a kind smile, of which she returned, and after that… simply just pushed the memories into the back of her saddened mind.

Aang sighed with his eyes pointed out in front of himself. “Yeah…” he trailed off as he began to walk away from the others and climb up another set of crumbling stone stairs.

“Where are you going?” Katara asked in confusion as she frowned over towards the young Airbender.

“The Air Temple Sanctuary,” Aang said as he turned halfway around. “There’s someone I'm ready to meet.”

All three of them followed after Aang and made their way along the smooth stone floors of a path that led them into a passageway of the temple. There was a roof above their heads with small open windows cut into the side of the walls that allowed sunshine to reach in and illuminate the gallery that all of them walked through. They all soon came to a stop as they reached the end of the foyer and came up to a tall wooden door that stretched widely from one end of the wall to the other with golden horn-shaped objects enveloping the familiar symbol of the Air Nomads on it.

“But, Aang,” Katara began to speak again, “No one could have survived in there for a hundred years,” she stated, eyes staring up at the door in front of herself, all while Aang, Elua, and Sokka barely stood behind her.

“It can’t be impossible,” Elua said as she looked over to the Water Tribe Girl. “We survived in that iceberg for that long,” she stated with a small shrug of her shoulders.

Katara opened her mouth to speak again, but before she did, she stopped herself and frowned with reason. “Good point,” she said as she placed one of her gloved hands up towards her chin in thought.

“Katara, whoever’s in there, might be able to help me figure out this whole Avatar thing!” Aang spoke in excitement, smiling at the young Waterbender, and then he turned back towards the door and walked forward to see it closer up.

“And, whoever’s in there, might have a medley of delicious, cured, meats!” Sokka said in a matching tone of excitement as he rubbed his gloved hands together in a state of impatience along with a look of hunger in his eyes.

“I wouldn’t count on that, Sokka,” Elua told him as the teen ran over towards the door and began to push on it, attempting to get it open, even though it was three times taller than he was. “Everyone here was vegetarian,” she informed him, and at that, he glanced back at her with a look of pure and utter shock on his face.

“No meat?” Sokka asked as his jaw slacked and he stared over at her in a state of horror, and of which she nodded in confirmation to. “No wonder you both look like twigs!” he yelled while he motioned to her and Aang, causing the two of them to look at each other in confusion, before both of them turned to Sokka with frowned expressions on their two pale faces.

Elua shook her head at his comment and watched as he helplessly continued to try and open the door by pushing on it with his arms. Spoiler: he failed in every one of his attempts. It wasn’t more than a minute before he finally gave up, and looked over towards the airbending girl with a sigh of defeat.

“I don’t suppose you have a key?” Sokka asked kindly with a sheepish smile.

Elua chuckled breathily at his question. “The key, Sokka, is airbending,” she told him, returning him a smile, as she and Aang took bending stances in front of the door.

Aang and Elua stand side by side as they lift their arms and both of them take a step forward. They both send two strong gusts of air into the horn-like objects, causing the wind-shaped symbols in the middle of the door to flip around, and howl as the wind is forced through them before it unlocked the door and made it creak as it opened. The light that streamed in through the small cut-out windows began to seep into a dark room behind the large lumber as all four of the teenagers stood in front of it with a sense of nervousness and excitement quickly building up in them. And then, even with their nerves, all of them slowly made their way inside of the mysterious room…

Chapter Text

“HELLO? ANYONE HOME?” AANG CALLED out into the darkness of the room that sat before him as he and the other three began to walk forward, but there was no noise in return to his question, only the desolate sound of ghostly silence.

The small group of teens walked forward and through the now-open wooden door as they all followed the light that shone into the dark room and illuminated the shadows that covered its tall walls. All of them soon came to a stop at the entrance and looked around the room. It was filled with stone statues, every single one of them spiraling up and around the tall and tower-like pointed walls. Elua wasn’t sure what she had expected when opening a door that had been sealed shut for far longer than just a hundred years, but all of this had definitely not been one of her few guesses.

“Statues? That’s it?” Sokka asked as he looked up at one of the stone figures with a disappointed look in his eyes. “Where’s the meat?” he questioned before he turned away from the marble and threw his arms out in exasperation.

His sister rolled her eyes as the other two ignored the teen’s complaining. “Who are these people?” Katara asked the two Airbenders in confusion as she looked at all the statues around them.

“I’m not sure… but it feels like I know them somehow,” Aang said in confusion as he looked around himself with a frown of uncertainty. “Hey, look! That one’s an Airbender!” he stated, pointing towards one of the statues, a man who stood tall with a bald head and arrows carved into his stone figure.

“And this one’s a Waterbender,” Katara said as she motioned to the statue that stood beside the other. “They’re lined up in a pattern,” she recognized. “Air, water, earth, and fire.”

Elua’s attention perked at the Water Tribe girl’s words. “That’s the Avatar cycle,” she stated as she came to stand beside Katara and Aang, her words making Katara smile in realization, seeming to have put something together.

“Of course! They’re Avatars,” Katara said as she looked around herself again. “All these people are your past lives, Aang,” she informed him with a small smile pointed in his direction.

Aang looked at her with wide eyes full of astonishment. “There are so many,” he replied in awe as he began to walk around all of the statues and admire the hundreds of Avatars that had come before him.

“Past lives?” Sokka asked with a scoff while he crossed his arms. “Katara, you really believe in that stuff?” he asked doubtfully, glancing over towards his sister with a raised brow, clearly not believing in any of it himself.

“It’s true,” Elua informed him simply. “When an Avatar dies, they are reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle,” she confirmed, the legend of which Sokka did not have any faith in being true.

Elua turned away from the two Water Tribe teens as she looked back over at her brother, but she stopped for a moment and frowned when she saw him, noticing that he was staring up at a statue of a Firebender Avatar. His eyes looked almost glazed over as he stared up at the statue of this unknown man. It was almost as if he were in some sort of trance.

“Aang,” Elua called, trying to get his attention, but he didn’t move. “Aang, are you alright?” she asked with a frown of concern, but again, he didn’t answer, and so she took a step towards him. “Snap out of it, Aang!” she raised her voice as she gently shook his shoulder as she spoke, and this time, quickly brought him out of whatever state he had been in before he turned away from the statue and looked back over towards his sister.

Aang frowned in confusion. “Huh?” he asked as he came out of whatever trance he had been stuck in, looking up at Elua with a frown on his face, but still seemed to be in a bit of a haze as he did so.

“Who is that?”

“That’s Avatar Roku,” Aang answered the question simply. “He was the Avatar before me,” he informed them just as he turned back to look at the statue with a small smile on his face.

That was a name that rang a bell in Elua’s mind. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt as if she had seen Roku before this moment, yet there were no memories to place where she had seen him from. It was just a feeling of familiarity.

“You were a Firebender?” Sokka asked in shock. “No wonder I didn’t trust you when we first met,” he said with an amused huff as he came to stand beside everyone.

“There’s no writing,” Katara stated while she searched for a name posted on the stone. “How do you know his name?” she asked, turning to look at Aang, which made him frown in confusion and uncertainty.

“I’m not sure. I just…” Aang trailed off for a moment, “know it, somehow,” he said with a tilt of his head as he really wasn’t sure how the name had come to him.

Sokka frowned down at the boy he stood beside. “You just keep getting weirder and weirder,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke, a look of complete confusion falling over his face.

A sudden sound of wind rushing into the room made all of them spin around with frightened and alarmed expressions on their faces, as up until this moment, it had been relatively silent. They were met with the unexpected sight of two towering shadows that moved towards their small group. It was this that made them all rush to hide behind two of the stone statues within the room, with Katara and Aang behind one, while Elua and Sokka were behind the other. There were four tall and sharp spikes sitting atop the two unknown shadows’ heads, both of them walking as if matching to a beat, but neither of them spoke a word as they moved forward.

“Firebenders,” Sokka whispered. “No one make a sound,” he told all of them as he tightly held onto the club in his hand.

Katara looked over to her brother. “You’re making a sound!” she told him with a glare of annoyance before they all shushed her.

Sokka slowly stood up as he raised the club in his hand, quickly stepping out from behind the safety of the statue and ready to attack, but as soon as he did, he stopped. His offensive stance faltered as he frowned in confusion. Elua looked up at him with the same puzzled look on her face before she stood up and looked over his shoulder, where she spotted not one, but two, flying lemurs standing in front of them with completely shocked looks on their furry little faces.

The first lemur was slightly bigger than the second. His coat was mostly white but his face was brown and there were matching stripes that all went down his spine, arms, legs, and tail as he stood in front of them all. The second lemur looked a little different than the first one did. Her coat was almost completely brown, some spots darker than others, and some lighter while her eyes were big and green with a look of nervousness lingering in them. Needless to say… both of them were completely unexpected surprises.

A huge smile broke across Aang’s face as he spotted the animals. “Lemurs!” he shouted in excitement.

Sokka, on the other hand, stared at them in hunger. “Dinner,” he said with a tone of greed and gluttony.

“Don’t listen to him, little guys,” Aang told both of the lemurs as he slowly walked closer to them, but before he could reach either of the animals, Sokka jumped forward and began to chase after them, which simply just made them both screech in terror as they began to scurry away from the two boys.

“Wait! Come back!” Aang shouted as one of the lemurs ran out of the sanctuary while the other flew deeper into the room full of statues, both of them trying to escape as quickly as possible, and unfortunately separating them in the process.

“I wanna eat you!” Sokka’s voice echoed throughout the hall as he and Aang both rushed out of the room, leaving Katara and Elua far behind them, while both of them stared in dismay at their actions.

Katara frowned before she spoke. “…Should we go after them?” she asked, glancing over at Elua, unsure what they should do right now.

“No. They should be fine,” Elua shrugged without worry. “Other than cliffsides, there isn’t much here that could hurt them,” she said as she gave the girl beside her a small smile and a short laugh.

Elua looked up at the spiraled ceiling above herself as the sound of chattering echoed through the room, where she spotted the smaller lemur sitting atop one of the many heads of statues, staying far away from them as she looked around the room to herself. It wasn’t more than a few seconds later that the lemur’s eyes landed on Elua in a state of curiosity. Elua didn’t try to call the animal down, just offered it a small smile, before she turned away from it and looked back at Katara as they both began to walk around the displayed statues.

“Did you grow up here?” Katara suddenly asked as she glanced over towards Elua with a questioning gaze. “With Aang?” she specified.

“I did,” Elua answered truthfully with a nod. “Though, I had been gone for a few months before we were frozen in the ice,” she informed the young Water Tribe girl as they continued to walk.

Katara frowned in confusion. “Where were you?” she asked out of curiosity.

That question made Elua look away from her apprehensively, not wanting to tell her the truth, as she already knew that the answer to that would not be received well. “I think that would be better left unsaid,” she suggested with a nervous tone in her voice.

“I don’t think anything is better left unsaid,” Katara told her honestly. “Why keep it a secret?” she asked, clearly a bit concerned by the Airbender’s words, wondering just where she had been a hundred years ago.

“I guess,” Elua chuckled as she looked back over once again. “You might not like the answer, though. Will you not judge me? Not right away, at least?” she asked the girl beside her, something that made Katara frown yet again, but she offered Elua a small smile and nod of confirmation.

“I was… in the Fire Nation,” Elua spoke nervously, and that only grew when Katara suddenly stopped walking and stared at her in shock, obviously not expecting that to be the answer to her question.

“I was visiting a friend,” she continued in the hope that it would take away the girl’s shock. However, it just made it worse.

“You were friends with someone in the Fire Nation?” Katara almost shouted.

“Yeah. Someone…” Elua mumbled to herself with a sad smile lacing the corners of her lips. “It hasn’t always been a bad place, you know,” she told Katara as she turned to face her.

“I suppose you’re right,” Katara said as her expression slowly began to lose the look of shock. “Who was it that you were visiting?” she asked as her interest came back to her, but the question made Elua turn away from her again, yet another hidden look of nervousness falling over her once again.

“It doesn’t matter,” Elua rushed out as quickly as she could. “Where is your and Sokka’s father? I don’t remember seeing any men in your village,” she stated as she turned back to her once again, changing the topic as soon as she possibly could, and not really thinking about the words before she spoke them.

“Oh,” Katara said in a muted tone as her eyes downcast with a look of pain filling her blue eyes. “He and the other men left to help aid in the war a few years ago,” she spoke with a sigh, placing one of her hands over the necklace that was tied around her neck, telling Elua that it held something of special quality to her.

“I’m sorry, Katara,” Elua said softly as she placed a friendly hand on her shoulder. “I shouldn’t have asked like that,” she spoke apologetically.

Katara let her hand fall away from her necklace as she gave Elua a small smile and went to say something back to her, but before anything else could be voiced, every single pair of eyes that had been carved into the statues around them came to life with a brilliantly white and blinding glow.

The two girls stared at the statues out of shock, looking down the line of statues as they all started to light up, and they both knew that it could only mean one thing…

“Aang!”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“What happened!?” Katara shouted over the high winds that were pushing her and Elua back as she looked toward Sokka, holding her arm out in front of herself to keep all of the dust and debris from flying into her eyes.

“He found out Firebenders killed Gyatso,” Sokka shouted back to her. Right as those words left his mouth, a look of regret fell over his face, remembering Elua was standing right beside his sister. “I’m sorry, Elua,” he said to her with sorrow.

The knowledge that the only father figure she had ever had was killed broke her heart into a million pieces and caused her cedar eyes to flood with tears as she bit the inside of her lip in an attempt to keep them at bay while she stood there. She quickly suppressed any and all emotions regarding it as she looked over to where her brother stood at the edge of a cliff, his eyes and tattoos glowing a brilliant white, still causing a massive windstorm to circle around the entire land with all of his emotions.

“It’s the Avatar spirit!” Elua informed the two who stood beside her. “I have to try and calm him down,” she told them as she began to walk forward, bending the strong winds away from herself while she moved across the dirt ground, and thought of a way to bring him out of this state.

Aang began to float into the air with all of his anger, sadness, and betrayal now becoming out of control and making it almost impossible for him to calm down, but she wouldn’t leave him, and neither would Katara and Sokka. They were right behind her the whole time. All of them just wanted to help the heartbroken boy, and if that meant pushing through an unnatural windstorm at the peak of a mountaintop, then that was what they would do… together.

“Aang, I know you’re upset, and I know how much this hurts right now! I do!” Elua shouted up to her brother from where she stood below him. “Gyatso and the other Airbenders are gone, and that’s okay. Death is just a new beginning. He always told us that,” she reminded him as she continued to suppress her emotions, just trying to stay strong for him at this moment, knowing he needed her most right now.

“You’re not alone, Aang,” Elua sought to reassure him. “You still have me. And now, we have Sokka and Katara with us, too!” Elua yelled over the howling wind. Her words were beginning to calm Aang down as the gusts of air died away and he slowly returned to the ground below him, giving Elua, Sokka, and Katara the chance to move closer to him.

“We aren’t going to let anything happen to you,” Sokka said in a caring tone as he placed a hand on Aang’s shoulder. “Promise,” he added, glancing at Elua, just as the storm faded away and left the land silent once again.

Elua quickly rushed forward and caught Aang as he came out of the Avatar state and collapsed to his side in exhaustion, lowering herself to the ground, and keeping a tight hold on her little brother as she sat down onto the dead land of their ancestors.

Aang looked up at Elua with drooping eyes, “I’m sorry,” he said with a voice that sounded hoarse with fatigue.

“It’s okay,” Elua said softly. “It wasn’t your fault,” she told him with a small, kind smile as she looked down at him worriedly.

“You and Katara were right,” Aang said sadly. “And if the Firebenders found this temple, that means they found the other ones, too,” he continued, and his statement soon made Elua pull him into a tight embrace as the feeling of loneliness began to wash over her once again.

“We really are the last Airbenders.”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“Have either of you seen Aang?” Elua asked the two Water Tribe siblings as she looked toward them, but both of them simply shrugged, having no idea where he had gone off to after what had happened. “I should go look for him, then,” she said as she set the last bag onto Appa’s saddle.

“I’ll go find him,” Katara said, making Elua look at her, spotting the kind smile on her face before she turned and walked away to find the young boy.

Elua sighed as she turned and walked over to one of the many cliffsides of the Temple, simply watching as the clouds floated through the sky like they were swimming in an effortless sea, and savoring the feeling of the breeze as it flew through her hair—of which she had finally braided over one of her shoulders. She slowly closed her eyes as her mind began to process what had happened only an hour ago. It was all really gone. Everyone was really gone. Just the thought of how they must have left this world haunted her, but none of them were in pain, not anymore. They were all at peace and she had to find some sort of comfort in that, even if it would always be accompanied by pain.

“Are you alright?” Sokka’s voice asked from behind her with an obvious tone of worry in it.

“Yeah. I’m okay,” she said barely above a whisper as she turned and gave him a small smile of reassurance. However, she could tell he didn’t believe her lie, as he began to walk toward her with a friendly smile. “…are you going to hug me? ‘Cause if you are, I will cry,” she warned him with a sad laugh, tears beginning to well in her eyes, already knowing what he was about to do.

“Yes, I am,” Sokka confirmed while he opened his arms and wrapped them around her, pulling her into a warm embrace, while she stiffened for a moment. All kidding aside, the smile that had still been plastered on her face soon faded away as she slowly brought her arms up and wrapped them around him before she turned her head and rested her chin on his shoulder, allowing the tears in her eyes to finally slip out and fall down her cheeks freely.

Elua quietly sniffled as she slowly let go of him, “Thank you,” she said softly as she wiped her tears from her face, giving him a small chuckle, as she felt somewhat awkward crying in front of someone she barely knew.

He smiled and chuckled at her embarrassed expression, “Anytime,” he said, offering her one more smile before they both turned away from each other, just as Katara and Aang walked over toward them.

The two lemurs from before soon flew over their heads, one dropping a few peaches in front of Sokka, while the other set three plums at his feet. They both didn’t waste a single second before they rushed away from him—seeming to be timid creatures—as they clearly didn’t appreciate Sokka’s notion that he was going to eat them for dinner earlier. One of the lemurs quickly landed atop Aang’s shoulder as they flew away from Sokka, while the other came climbing up Elua’s leg before it found a resting point on her shoulder as well.

“Looks like you made some new friends, Sokka,” Aang said with a smile as he watched Sokka gasp at the fruit the lemurs had brought him before he hungrily picked them up from the ground like they were the greatest treasures in the world.

Sokka instantly began to feast on all of the fruit, “Can’t talk. Must eat,” he mumbled back to Aang, something that made all three of them laugh out of wide amusement.

“Hello there,” Elua said to the lemur that sat on her shoulder, giving the animal a loving smile as she scratched behind its large ears, causing it to purr in response.

“You two, me, Appa, and Elua. We’re all that’s left of this place,” Aang spoke as he petted the soft fur of the giant bison. “We have to stick together,” he said determinedly.

Aang soon turned to face Sokka and Katara again, “Say hello to the newest members of our family,” he told them happily, making everyone smile, relieved he was able to see the good in their journey back home.

Katara smiled at the two lemurs before she spoke, “What are you guys gonna name them?” she asked the two Airbenders, making them both frown for a moment as they looked at each other, trying to think of names that would suit these two lemurs, but before either of them could come up with anything, they both leapt forward and took the last two pieces of fruit from Sokka’s hand.

They both quickly jumped back onto the two Air Nomad siblings as they began to munch on the peach and plum in their little hands, leaving Sokka in a shocked state as they all quietly laughed at his expression once again, and the lemurs’ actions, making Aang and Elua smile at each other as an idea popped into their heads.

“Momo and Ume.” And with that, they were back on their journey, watching as the Temple they had called home for so long slowly began to fade into the pink and misty sunset, just as Elua realized something to herself—they are going to end this war… together.

Chapter Text

“YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHERE YOU’RE going, do you?” the question rang out of Sokka’s mouth just as he lowered the map in his hands and looked toward the boy with arrows on his bald head, all while their small group flew over the bright blue ocean water, sun beaming down onto them and causing the waves below to sparkle as nothing could be seen for miles upon miles in front of them.

Aang glanced over to him with an unsure look on his face, “Well, I know it’s near water…” he trailed off, soon looking away from the teen, and leaving the navigation to him as he steered Appa through the empty skyline.

“I guess we’re getting close then,” Sokka said sarcastically while he looked down at the water below and sighed as he picked the map back up and began to look it over.

Elua ignored the two boys’ interaction as she sat between Katara—who was busy sewing a piece of blue fabric back together—and Sokka, who was now staring down at their rather old map of the world. She wasn’t doing anything of a productive nature as she simply and gently pet the lemur that sat atop her folded legs and tried ignoring the bright sun that shined down onto her pale skin. It wasn’t as if there was much for her to do. After all, they were flying in the middle of nowhere, right now.

Aang looked over at his sister and their friends as he sat atop Appa’s head with the reins in his hands, glancing at Katara with a small smile before looking back over at Momo, who was sitting on his shoulder peacefully.

“Momo, marbles, please,” Aang said kindly to the small animal, which made him dive into his shirt, rustling around for a few moments before he returned back onto his shoulder and held out his tiny hand. “Hey, Katara. Check out this airbending trick!” he called over to her as he took the marbles from Momo and opened his hand, holding one over the other, and made a few silver spheres begin to spin in the middle of his palms.

Katara didn’t look away from her sewing before she spoke to him, “That’s great, Aang,” she said kindly, still stringing the needle and thread through fabric, focusing as to not accidentally stab her finger with the silver pin.

Aang’s giddy expression slowly faded away, “You didn’t even look,” he stated as his shoulders slumped with his confidence.

This time, Katara did look up, offering him a small smile, “That’s great!” she said as she paused for a moment.

“But,” Aang began, “I’m not doing it anymore,” he replied with a frown between his brows.

“Stop bugging her, airhead,” Sokka spoke up while he looked over to Aang. “You need to give girls space when they do their sewing,” he said somewhat smugly as he leaned back against the saddle. His words made Katara and Elua look over at him with unimpressed scowls, already knowing that he was speaking in a sexist manner, not in an act of courtesy.

“Excuse me?” Elua asked in a tone of annoyance as she fought back a glare.

Katara joined her with that very same expression, “What does being a girl have to do with sewing?” she asked, pulling the needle and thread away from the fabric, and staring at her brother with an almost challenging glance.

“Simple; girls are better at fixing pants than guys, and guys are better at hunting and fighting, and stuff like that,” Sokka spoke as if it were an obvious statement as he waved his hand in a dismissing manner. “It’s just the natural order of stuff,” he stated, not thinking much of his own words, but making both of the two women around him scoff at him in annoyance and revulsion.

“All done with your pants,” Katara began with a sharp glare, “And look at what a great job I did!” she yelled with a fake tone of happiness, holding up Sokka’s pants, of which were definitely still ripped, before she threw them back at him out of anger.

“Wait, I was just kidding. I can’t wear these!” Sokka yelled back at her as he put his arm through the hole in the blue piece of clothing. “Katara, please!” he tried to get her to help him again, but all she did was let out a huff, and then turn her head away from him out of spite and irritation—rather valid on her part.

Sokka’s shoulders slumped as he realized that his sister wanted nothing to do with him and his sexist comments, but then, he remembered that she wasn’t the only female within their group. That realization made him turn to Elua… but she would not have anything to do with it, either.

“Not a chance,” Elua instantly said as she held a scowl on her face, one that made the teenage boy sigh, and he hung his head in defeat. “Here’s an idea: learn to sew,” she told him before she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away from him in another act of annoyance.

“What?” Sokka asked as if she had gone completely insane. “I can’t- why would I ever-? Not a chance!” he shouted with a matching tone and words that she had used with him as he grimaced in repugnance at the idea.

“Don’t worry, Sokka,” Aang began to speak again. “Where we’re going, you won’t need pants!” he said with a bright smile on his face while everyone else looked over at him with expressions of confusion and distaste.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

It wasn’t more than an hour after that they had landed on the beach of a crescent-shaped island where small piles of snow, in random places on the ground, were slowly beginning to melt away with the changing of seasons. They may have left the South Pole behind them, but it was still the end of winter, and it was chilly outside, especially when the breeze blew over them. It was still a rather beautiful island, though. Its beach was sandy and white, crystal blue water sparkled in the sunlight, and there were a few leafy trees that were already blooming. It was… peaceful.

“We just made a pit stop yesterday,” Sokka stated as he hopped off of Appa’s saddle and landed steadily on the ground. “Shouldn’t we get a little more flying done before we camp out?” he asked while Aang looked out at the sea in front of them all.

“He’s right, Aang,” Elua said as she looked over toward her brother. “If we don’t at least try to stick to a flying routine then we’re not going to get to the North Pole until spring,” she tried to inform him, but no matter what she said, he really didn’t seem to mind if it took them that long to get there.

“But Appa’s tired already, aren’t you, boy?” Aang asked as he looked up to the giant bison that sat beside him, but he didn’t make a sound, and simply just stared up ahead at nothing. “I said: aren’t you, boy?” he spoke again, this time gently elbowing one of Appa’s legs, causing him to give a low—and certainly unconvincing—rumble.

“Oh, yeah. That was real convincing,” Sokka said with a sarcastic tone as he stared at the boy blankly. “Still, hard to argue with a ten-ton magical monster,” he added as he glanced up at Appa and shrugged his shoulders in an easy defeat.

Aang suddenly gasped in excitement as he rushed towards the water, “Look!” he shouted, pointing out towards the sea, where they all spot a giant fish as it flipped into the air before it came back down and crashed into the water with a huge splash.

“That’s why we’re here. Elephant Koi. And I’m gonna ride it,” Aang said while he began to take all of his clothes off and then left him in just his undergarment. “Katara, you gotta watch me!” he told her with a big smile on his face, and then, he ran towards the edge of the beach, and jumped straight in.

“COLD!”

He swam quite a ways out into the sea, ignoring the freezing temperature of the water, and then dove into the depths of it and completely vanished from view for a few moments. Only a few seconds passed before one of the giant koi fish jumped out of the sea once again, and this time, Aang held onto the animal’s large fin as it dove back into the water, resurfaced, and dived again as it repeated those actions several times. It was most likely just trying to get Aang off of its back.

Katara cheered Aang on from the beach, smiling and laughing, but Elua didn’t share her enthusiasm and excitement. She watched in worry as Aang rode the giant animal of wild nature. It was definitely not a safe activity to be participating in. Nerves made Elua begin to fiddle with her hands, hoping that he wouldn’t get himself hurt, or thrown off of the fish… or worse.

“He looks pretty good out there,” Katara said with a smile, her eyes kept on Aang out of astonishment.

“Are you kidding? The fish is doing all the work,” Sokka stated as he watched with an unimpressed look on his face.

“This was such a bad idea,” Elua mumbled to herself as she tried to keep track of where he was, but the fish kept diving every few seconds, and that did not do her any favors.

“No, Appa!” Katara suddenly shouted as she turned around. “Don’t eat that!” she yelled, quickly rushing over to the bison, leaving Sokka and Elua to watch over Aang.

Suddenly, three of the giant koi fish began to surface the sea level as all of them began to swim faster than they had before with a big and dark figure right behind them, a sight that made Elua frown in confusion as she squinted her eyes in an attempt to try and make out what exactly the dark shadow was. Her eyes went wide when one of the koi was dragged back under the water by whatever the shadow was. Obviously, whatever this big creature was, it was of a dangerous nature.

Sokka seemed to have noticed it as well as he spoke up, “There’s something in the water!” he shouted, his expression, once full of boredom, now replaced by worry.

“Aang!” Elua yelled as she cupped her hands over her mouth, trying to amplify her voice and get his attention, but he didn’t seem to hear the panic in her tone. “Aang!”

“What’s wrong?” Katara asked in confusion as she walked back over to them.

“Aang’s in trouble,” Sokka quickly informed her as he pointed out towards the shadow still lingering under the water. “Aang!”

“Aang!” Katara joined in trying to get his attention. “Get out of there!” she yelled as she began to wave her arms up and motion him back towards the land.

“Come back here, Aang!” Sokka continued to yell and shout, but no matter how loud any of them yelled, he still didn’t seem to hear their panicked voices.

The fearful sight of a giant fin soon breaking through the surface of the water made Elua’s eyes go wide once again, and as it quickly began to advance on the koi that Aang was still atop of, it made her gasp out of fear for her little brother’s life. And then, without thinking, she rushed towards the rippling ocean. Her boots hit the tides and soon the freezing cold water crashed against her skin, but she ignored all of the pins and needles that the ice-cold temperature caused, as the only thing on her mind was making sure that Aang would be alright.

Sokka didn’t waste any time before he too rushed towards the water, not for Aang, but for the girl that was increasingly making him question the sanity of, “Elua, don’t!” he yelled as he ran into the shallow water and grabbed her upper arm in an attempt to stop her from going any further.

“Sokka!” Elua shouted at him in annoyance. “I can’t just leave him!” she yelled, looking up at him with a distressed look in her eyes, knowing Aang needed her help.

“You’re not gonna be much help out there,” Sokka told her realistically, making her sigh in annoyance, knowing that he was right. “He’ll be fine,” he tried to reassure her while guiding her out of the seawater.

Elua pulled her arm out of his grasp as she walked back towards Katara, “This whole thing was a terrible idea,” she mumbled to herself while helplessly hoping her brother would get himself out of the ocean and back to the safety of land.

It wasn’t a moment later that Aang finally noticed the giant fin was still chasing after him and he jumped off of the elephant koi. He quickly began to swim through the icy waters, using his airbending to make himself move faster, but whatever fin creature was following him it would not be so easily lost. The fin still chased him as he moved through the water, but as he neared the shore, it completely stopped advancing on him and turned back towards the open water. Aang soon crashed into Sokka as he reached the sandy lands, causing them both to land near a tree, groaning in discomfort as they lay on the ground in pain.

“Are you alright?” Elua quickly questioned as she frantically raced over to Aang and helped him back to his feet. He gave her a nod and a small smile. “You are never doing that again,” she told him, crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head at him, but the only response she got from him was a nervous laugh.

“What was that thing?” Katara asked as they all turned and watched as the giant fin swam away from the island they stood on.

Aang frowned in confusion as he looked out at the ocean, “I don’t know,” he said as he put his shirt over his head and slipped his boots back onto his feet.

“Let’s not stick around to find out,” Sokka said as he stood up and brushed off all of the sand from his blue clothing. “Time to hit the road.”

Right as those words left Sokka’s mouth, four unknown people, all dressed in green and gold uniforms, jumped down from the treetops above them and quickly surrounded their small group before all of them attacked from every angle that they possibly could have. Elua tried to duck out of the way of their attacks, but before she could do anything to stop them, one of them knocked her to the floor. All of them then took down the rest of her group while somehow blindfolding all of them and tying their hands behind their backs in a matter of seconds. It made it impossible for any of them to see who it was that attacked them. And in the end, it gave them all no choice, but to surrender, and allow it all to happen.

“Or we could stay awhile…”

Chapter Text

THE SMALL GROUP OF TEENS HAD BEEN dragged through melting snow, up several sloppy hills, pushed and shoved, and forced to hike for what felt like miles all while not even a single one of them was able to see exactly where they were being taken to or who they had been taken by. It didn’t matter after a while though, as soon, they were tied up to a tall wooden pillar where they were all squished together and held in place with rough ropes that wrapped around their waists.

Elua stayed completely silent while the other three people beside her struggled against their bonds. It would be easier if they’d just stay still. She made no effort to try and get out, instead, she focused on the sounds around herself. What she could hear first were footsteps that soon stopped in front of her and the rest of the group. Second, she caught onto the light sound of breathing, several people’s breathing. Now the only question she had was simply just… who were these people? And what did they want?

“You four have some explaining to do,” the sound of a male voice rang out into the wind, sounding to be just a few feet away from the group, and didn’t sound happy about their uninvited presence.

“And if you don’t answer our questions…” a young woman’s voice trailed off threateningly, “We’re throwing you back in the water with the unagi,” she sounded strong, confident, and willing to do anything it took to protect her homeland.

Sokka scoffed at this girl’s words before he spoke back to her, “Show yourselves, cowards!” he shouted from where he stood, blindfolded, and unable to do anything now.

With a few swift motions, all four of them were unblindfolded, and the bright sun invaded their eyes. Elua squinted her eyes at the sudden brightness. Her entire field of vision was nothing but white light for a few seconds, but then, it all faded away, and her eyes were able to adjust to the bright world around her again.

Five women slowly came into Elua’s line of sight. All of them were dressed in the same green and gold uniform, red and white paint elegantly drawn on each and every one of their faces, and every single one of them stood in a defensive stance in front of the few village bystanders that had gathered around. It was an intimidating scene, indeed.

“Who are you?” Sokka asked in an apprehensive tone. “Where are the men that ambushed us?” His second question made Elua roll her eyes at his sexist display of ignorance.

“There were no men. We ambushed you,” one of the warriors stated simply. She seemed to be the leader of this group, going by her confidence, along with the golden headpiece that sat across her forehead. “Now, tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?” she interrogated all of them while she held a stoic expression on her face.

Sokka laughed in disbelief at her first remark, “Wait, just a second, there is no way a bunch of girls took us down,” he said with a scoff, as in his blind eyes, all of this was absolutely improbable.

“Please, stop talking, Sokka,” Elua commented in the kindest way she could as she glanced over to him with a pleading look in her eyes. “You’re not helping,” she told him simply.

“A bunch of girls, huh?” the head warrior asked as she stepped forward and grabbed Sokka by the collar of his shirt. “The unagi is gonna eat well tonight,” she threatened, a death glare pointed down at him, while that announcement made all of their eyes go wide with anxiety and dread.

“Don’t hurt him!” Katara shouted. “He didn’t mean it. My brother is just an idiot sometimes,” she stated as she attempted to save her sexist older brother from getting himself—along with the rest of them—killed.

“It’s my fault,” Aang spoke up as he gave them all an apologetic look. “I’m sorry that we came here. I wanted to ride the elephant koi,” he explained with a regretful sigh.

“How do we know you aren’t Fire Nation spies?” the old man that still stood in front of the village asked in a demanding tone. “Kyoshi has stayed out of the war thus far, and we intend to keep it that way,” he voiced, balling his hands into fists, and then glared at them once again with anger.

Aang’s eyes suddenly lit up, “This island is named after Kyoshi?” he asked in some tone of excitement that made them all frown in confusion. “I know Kyoshi!” he spoke with a bright smile, words causing the unknown warriors to stare at him with unamused expressions on their faces, standing in doubt of him.

“How could you possibly know her?” the old man laughed in disbelief. “Avatar Kyoshi was born here four hundred years ago. She’s been dead for centuries,” he said as he motioned up towards the wooden pillar that they were all still tied up to.

The four of them all looked up above their heads, quickly catching a glimpse of an old wooden statue of a woman dressed in a similar uniform to that of which the warrior girls were all standing in front of them. Her robes were the same shade of emerald green, makeup in an almost identical fashion of red and white paint, and a similar headpiece to the leader of these elite female warriors was sat across her forehead. It was obvious that these young women were honoring Avatar Kyoshi.

“I know her because I’m the Avatar,” Aang spoke calmly, glancing over towards the old man in front of him, along with the warriors that surrounded him.

“That’s impossible!” the lead warrior yelled while everyone around her began to whisper in disbelief to each other. “The last Avatar was an Airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago,” she stated.

Aang looked over to her with a goofy grin on his face, “That’s me,” he said with a chuckle, but seeing by their expressions, no one seemed to believe anything he said.

“Throw the imposters to the unagi!”

“No, wait!” Elua shouted to stop them. “He can prove it,” she spoke up while she tried to straighten her back as much as she could within the hold of the ropes that were still tied around her. “Ahem,” she cleared her throat, looking over towards her brother as she nodded towards the people in front of him, signaling him to do something quickly.

On cue, Aang broke out of his bonds and flew up into the air, causing the female warriors to stagger back in shock as the young boy came gracefully floating down from a high height and landed on the ground without a sound with aid of his airbending. The people of the village gasped as they watched all of this happen—much like the people of the Southern Water Tribe had done under a week ago. It was all becoming a recurring reaction among every person they came across.

“It’s true!” the old man gasped in wonder. “You are the Avatar,” he gaped as he stared at Aang in complete shock and disbelief at what he had just witnessed.

Aang nodded his head with a small smile on his face, “Now… check this out!” he suddenly announced right before he held his hands up and hovered one over the other, using his airbending to make the marbles float between his hands, just as he had done a few hours ago in a failed attempt to impress Katara.

Elua couldn’t help but sigh in relief as the tension within the air, and her muscles, all began to falter as everyone around them was now smiling at Aang in awe. This was not how she saw today going, but, at least, they were all still alive instead of floating in the ocean with a giant sea monster.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Although they had lost a day of traveling, all of them had ended up staying on Kyoshi Island for the night, as it was best they didn’t up and leave right away due to them all having been invited to stay for a little while—it would have been rather abrupt and rude to decline such an offer of kindness. They all needed a good night’s rest as was. And the next morning, they all had woken up to plates of pastries for breakfast, more than any of them could possibly eat in one sitting… well, maybe Sokka could, if he’d just stop acting so sore.

“What’s your problem? Eat!” Aang told him as he leaned away from the table they all sat in front of and glanced over towards Sokka, who sullenly sat against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, still upset over what had happened.

Sokka scoffed in annoyance as he glared at the floor, “Not hungry,” he said, making zero effort to look over at the food in front of them all, all of which made Aang’s eyes widen in shock at his statement.

“But,” Aang began, “you’re always hungry,” he said honestly, and he wasn’t wrong about that, all the teenager had cared about over the last few days was food.

Katara looked over at her brother with a teasing smirk on her face, “He’s just upset that a bunch of girls kicked his butt yesterday,” she said with an amused and mocking chuckle.

“They snuck up on me!” Sokka yelled, turning his glare over towards her.

“Right,” Katara spoke with a nod. “And then they kicked your butt,” she said with a smug look on her face that made her brother turn red in irritation and embarrassment.

“Sneak attacks don’t count!” Sokka shouted back at her before he stood up from the floor and clenched his fists in annoyance, something that, even though she tried not to, made Elua let out a staggered laugh. “Stop laughing!” he yelled with a scowl pointed towards the female Airbender as he threw his hands up in the air.

Elua’s half-hidden laughter made her shoulders shake in amusement as she let out another chuckle, quickly causing Sokka to look over to her again, a glare of shame and red embarrassment on his face again. He soon turned away from her and stomped out of the small house that they had stayed in. A few grumbled words could be heard from under his breath as he walked out of the door, and as soon as he was gone, Elua let out all of her muted laughter. His whole exasperation over this situation was amusing to her as, yesterday, he had been extremely sexist towards her and his own sister. So, in her eyes, these female warriors may have been the Spirits' way of showing him just how powerful and strong women really were. It all may have been just what he needed.

Katara looked up from her plate when Elua stood from the table, “Where are you going?” she asked with a kind and questioning gaze.

“I’m not sure,” Elua told her with a simple shrug of her shoulders. “I suppose I’ll wander around. Maybe go see the people Sokka’s grumbling about,” she chuckled as she shook her head in amusement while Katara laughed and nodded in understanding.

“Okay!”

“Aang,” Elua called to get her brother’s attention. “Stay out of trouble,” she told him with a stern gaze that only made him smile in a goofy manner.

“Hey, you know me, when have I ever gotten into trouble?” Aang questioned, an inquiry that made Elua, along with Katara, look over to him with raised eyebrows. “Don’t worry about me, Lua. I’m just a simple monk,” he said with a bright and cheerful smile.

“Hm,” Elua nodded questioningly. “Just a simple monk with an adventurous side that typically leads him to get into trouble,” she reminded him, making him laugh nervously, while she sighed and gave him a small smile. “Keep an eye on him for me, please?” she whispered over to Katara with a pleading look in her cedar eyes.

Katara smiled over to her kindly, “Of course.”

“Thank you,” Elua said as she turned towards the open doorway. “I’ll be back later!” she called, offering them both a small wave, and then headed out into the town.

Elua walked up one of the paths of the village that led through the middle of the market, smiling and waving back at the random people who offered her greetings, and taking in the different parts of the island. It was clear to her that these people didn’t get many visitors. They all seemed extremely excited that the Avatar was there with them now, so much so that they had all begun to refurbish certain elements of their small town that had previously gone unkempt—such as the statue of Avatar Kyoshi.

It only took a few minutes before she reached the end of the sandy path below her feet, finding herself to be in front of a medium-sized hut that stood at the top of the hill, where the group of female warriors were busy with their daily training inside. Elua walked towards the hut and stopped within the open doorway as she scanned the room with a lingering smile on her face while she attempted to not get in the way of their daily routine. She noticed that the hut was rather empty. It didn’t have any furniture, trinkets, or anything else of that sort within it. A few mats were on the floor, some spare uniforms in the back corner of the room, and a few miscellaneous items scattered around but other than that it was completely empty.

She watched as all of the women stood in formation with their golden fans resting within the palms of their hands. All of them stepped to the side with a single leg, holding their arms out in front of them with their weaponized fans before they shortly brought a second leg up and moved their fans backward, reaching out their empty hand in front of themselves, and then, stared intently at the wall in front of them all. Extravagant. As the practice formation ended the leader of the elite group turned around to face Elua as she stepped into the building quietly.

“I don’t think I had a chance to introduce myself yesterday,” Elua spoke kindly to the girl in front of her. “My name is Elua,” she informed her with a polite bow of greeting.

“It’s nice to meet you, Elua,” the leader said with a small smile as she bowed back to her in a different formation. “I’m Suki,” she stated, making Elua smile again, while she offered her a nod of acknowledgement. “I am sorry about attacking you and your friends. I hope you won’t hold too much of a grudge against us,” she chuckled in a half-nervous tone in her voice.

“Oh, no. Don’t worry about that. You were protecting your home and I would have done the same thing,” Elua told her honestly as she waved her worries away with a kind smile. “My brother and I would never hold anything like that against someone,” she told her, but apparently, something about her words made Suki frown and tilt her head. It all made Elua frown as well. What had she said to warrant such an unusual response?

“Your brother?” Suki asked in confusion, making the rest of her group look over towards Elua as well, all of them staring at her in uncertainty.

“Aang,” Elua said simply. That statement only made them stare at her with more confusion and now widened eyes. “Is something wrong?” she asked in confusion about their odd reactions to a simply answered question. Had she said something offensive?

“No, not at all,” Suki quickly reassured her. “It’s just, well, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an Avatar having a sibling,” the young warrior’s words made Elua frown and think about it for a moment. She hadn’t ever thought about it before, but if she was honest, it was true. There was no Avatar—that she had heard of—with any siblings.

“Hm,” Elua hummed in confusion. “I suppose that is a bit unusual,” she admitted with a frown still creased between her brows. “There have been hundreds of Avatars, though. I’m sure there’s bound to be one in the past,” Elua said, a small smile returning to her lips, but there was still something unusual about all of that.

Suki smiled at her warmly, “Of course,” she nodded. “Anyways, while you’re here, Elua…” Suki trailed off just slightly before she continued on, “-mind if we show you a few moves?”

Chapter Text

OVER MOST OF THE DAY SUKI HAD SHOWN Elua several battle moves she had never seen nor come across before, and in return, she offered to teach her—along with the rest of the warriors—a few airbending techniques that could better their agility as a group of tessen users. All of them seemed to be naturally fast learners. Elua quickly caught on to how these women carried themselves and even figured out how they had managed to take them all down so easily yesterday. And so, they switched on and off teaching combat forms and airbending stances to each other, and time passed rather quickly.

Suki smiled gratefully at Elua as they all followed her movements. “I hadn’t ever thought that airbending would use these sorts of techniques,” she spoke in awe with a hint of surprise as they brought their feet back together and ended their formation practice.

“It’s always been more about defense rather than offense, really,” Elua explained to her with a kind glance. “Flowing like a leaf in the wind instead of sticking like a stone in the mud.”

Suki smiled again before she went to say something back, but just as she could get a word out, all of them were interrupted by a familiar voice…

“Sorry, ladies! Didn’t mean to interrupt your dance lesson,” Sokka announced as he confidently strolled in through the door, stretching his arm out as he walked. “I was just looking for somewhere to get a little workout?” he asked, stopping in front of the small group of women as he bent towards his sides and continued stretching out his pretend muscles.

“Well, you’re in the right place,” Suki told him with a direct nod. “I’m sorry about what happened yesterday. I didn’t know you were friends with the Avatar,” she said with genuine apology in her voice, offering him a brief but still remorseful glance.

“It’s alright,” Sokka told her easily. It surprised Elua when she heard it, as she had expected him to still be upset about the whole thing, not for him to have finally come to his senses. Maybe he had finally had that change of heart he needed. “I mean, normally I’d hold a grudge, but seeing as you guys are a bunch of girls… I’ll make an exception,” he said with a careless shrug. Elua rolled her eyes as her expression swiftly turned to irritation. Nope. He was still an unreasonable idiot.

Suki held back an aggravated scoff as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I should hope so. A big strong man like you? We wouldn’t stand a chance,” she said sarcastically with a mocking smirk on her face while the other warriors stood behind her with looks of objection and annoyance.

“True,” Sokka said smugly. “But don’t feel bad. After all, I am the best warrior in my village,” he boasted proudly with his shoulders held high and chin tilted to the side. It only made Elua roll her eyes. It was a well-known fact he had been the one and only so-called ‘warrior’ in the entire Southern Water Tribe.

“Wow! Best warrior, huh? In your whole village?” Suki asked as she leaned forward with the same mocking look. “Maybe you’d be kind enough to give us a little demonstration,” she suggested, making Elua’s expression shift into one of realization, quickly catching on to what Suki was doing and immediately liking the idea.

“Oh! Well… I mean… I…” Sokka trailed off nervously, his voice cracking as he stammered through his words.

Elua smiled at him before she finally spoke. “I think that’s a great idea,” she said simply, with no sympathy or kindness for the situation Sokka had just gotten himself into.

“Well, if that’s what you want, I’d be happy to,” Sokka said with a careless shrug of his shoulders, but Elua could easily tell he was anxious. “But absolutely no airbending!” he swiftly added, taking a battle stance in front of her, ready to show her what was what, with a plan to prove just how fragile she and the rest of the female race were… which only made her roll her eyes at him again.

“It’s not against me,” Elua told him as she stepped aside and motioned toward Suki. “It’s against her.”

Sokka’s stance faltered slightly as he glanced at the young woman who had easily taken him, his sister, and two airbenders down within seconds. “…right,” he said with a nod. “You stand over there,” he instructed Suki before gently pushing her a few inches backward and proceeding back into his stance.

“This may be a little tough, but try and block me,” Sokka told the young warrior. He smirked as he threw a punch through the air, trying to hit Suki, only for her to block with ease and push him back. “Good,” he faked a light laugh as he rolled his shoulder with a wince. “Of course, I was going easy on you,” he said tensely.

Suki faked a kind, innocent smile. “Of course.”

“Let’s see if you can handle this!” Sokka shouted as he threw another punch, which Suki easily blocked again before throwing him to the floor in the process. “That does it!” he yelled in frustration before jumping up and charging at her once more.

He tried to knock her down just as she had done to him, but failed as she grabbed his arm and spun him away. Within seconds, Suki had taken the white belt from his waist, tied his hand to his boot, and let go, leaving him hopping on one foot before ultimately tumbling to the floor with a thud. The small group of women laughed. If Elua was honest with herself, it was a lesson he needed, though she still felt sorry for him.

Suki leaned over him with a smirk. “Anything else you want to teach us?” she asked, watching as his face flushed red with embarrassment while everyone else laughed at his failure.

He quickly untied his foot from his wrist before marching out of the hut with a crimson face—both out of anger and shame. Elua sighed as she watched him leave. It was almost annoying that she couldn’t let him go without making sure he was okay. He might be sexist, rude, smug, and egotistical, but she didn’t wish him harm. So, partly begrudgingly, she followed him outside.

“Are you okay?” Elua asked softly, stepping behind him, which made him swiftly spin around to face her with annoyance written all over him.

“I’m fine,” Sokka said, crossing his arms. “You don’t need to worry about me,” he added in an uninterested tone.

“Okay,” Elua nodded. “Good,” she said simply, then paused for a moment. “I just—” The rest was cut off by the stubborn teen in front of her.

“I don’t need you to make fun of me,” Sokka snapped with a scowl. “And I don’t need another girl, especially one like you, trying to show me up!”

Elua frowned at him, a line between her brows. “One like me?” she asked uncertainly. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded, not sure she wanted the answer.

“You!” Sokka yelled, throwing his hands out at her, almost making her step back. “You’re too strong-minded and confident, and it’s not right,” he said, as if trying to make his sexism not sound like sexism, which only made Elua huff in offense as she crossed her arms with a look of disgust.

“You mean opinionated? Honestly…” Elua trailed off with a shake of her head as she glowered at him. “You know what? That’s exactly what you need—for someone to show you up just like Suki did,” she said while pointing back toward the hut. Then she stepped closer, her glare drilling into his eyes. “Women are nowhere near as defenseless, weak, and frail as you make them out to be, Sokka. And you are in desperate need of learning that.” With that, Elua turned away angrily and stormed off without another word… having no more patience for him.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Elua hadn’t been in the village when the notorious Fire Nation prince and all of his firebending soldiers showed up on the shores of Kyoshi Island riding rhinos and began attacking the people and their peaceful home. It had been completely fine when she had stormed off earlier, peacefully uneventful even, but that wasn’t the case when she returned. Needless to say, the last thing she had expected to see when she finally came back was for the entire place to be going up in flames…

Nevertheless, she still found herself rushing through the back pathways of the village, racing behind huts and homes burning to the ground as she tried not to be noticed by any Fire Nation soldier while also endeavoring to avoid the fireballs that were being launched through the air around her.

“Katara!” Elua shouted as soon as she spotted the young teen, grabbing her attention swiftly just as she began running toward her. “Have you seen Aang?” she asked with worry, her brows drawn in concern for her younger brother as she hadn’t seen him anywhere in the chaos.

Katara shook her head before she began to speak. “No. He—” she cut herself off as the boy in question came flying down on his glider through the assault, landing safely on the ground before the two young women.

A look of sorrow covered his face as he took in the sight of the village, watching as the statue of Kyoshi went up in bright orange flames. “Look what I brought to this place,” he sighed miserably as he turned away from the burning devastation.

“This isn’t your fault,” Elua reassured him as she stepped closer, placing a kind, comforting hand on his shoulder. “You can’t blame yourself for the actions of others,” she told him gently.

“But it is my fault,” Aang said. “These people got their town destroyed trying to protect me,” he spoke with shame in his voice as his eyes downcasted.

“Then we leave,” Katara advised as she stepped nearer. “Zuko will leave Kyoshi to follow us,” she reasoned. “I know it feels wrong to run, but I think it’s the only way,” she said honestly, and knowing it to be true, Elua nodded in agreement… but all Aang could do was sigh and hang his head once again.

“I’ll call Appa.”

It wasn’t more than five minutes before Appa landed before them and the three were able to board him, knowing that the sooner they left, the sooner the Fire Nation would too. It was about saving what was left of the village now. So, as soon as Sokka made his way onto the bison, all of them took off into the sky, putting distance between themselves and Kyoshi Island… hoping Zuko would follow soon after.

Elua sighed as she turned her gaze away from the island. “I know it’s hard, but you did the right thing,” she told her brother as she sat behind him on Appa’s saddle, watching him hold the reins and avoid eye contact with everyone.

“She’s right, Aang. Zuko would have destroyed the whole place if we stayed,” Katara reminded him, offering a small smile. “They’re going to be okay, Aang.”

Aang didn’t answer either of them, but when they finished speaking, his expression hardened as he suddenly stood to his feet. He said nothing as he neared the saddle’s edge. It became obvious to Elua what he was about to do, but before she could stop him, he leapt off Appa’s saddle and plummeted toward the ocean.

Katara gasped in shock and rushed to the edge. “What are you doing!?” she screamed down, eyes wide.

Elua sighed in annoyance as she joined her, peering toward the waves. “I hate it when he does that,” she muttered, settling back on her legs between the Water Tribe siblings, watching from above.

Within seconds, Aang resurfaced, clutching the whiskers of the Unagi like reins. All three watched wide-eyed as the sea serpent opened its jaws and blasted a jet of water, dousing the flames below. In moments the inferno was snuffed out. Then Aang threw himself off the Unagi and into the air, where Appa swooped down and caught him mid-fall.

“I know, I know,” Aang said with a sheepish smile as he climbed back onto the saddle. “That was stupid and dangerous,” he admitted, sitting before them and offering an apologetic grin.

Katara looked at him half-sternly. “Yes, it was,” she agreed, but soon smiled proudly and pulled him into a hug… something that made Aang’s grin widen as he happily returned it while Elua chuckled at his flushed face.

“Hey, Elua?”

The sound of her name made her glance back, spotting Sokka sitting awkwardly, nervousness etched on his face.

Elua sighed and leaned against the saddle’s edge, meeting his gaze. “Hm?” she hummed, tilting her head in curiosity, hoping it wasn’t something that would make her want to strangle him.

“I just wanted to—well, you see—uh, I mean…” Sokka fumbled, tripping over his words. “I’m sorry… for the way I spoke to you,” he finally admitted. “I shouldn’t have treated you like you’re weak, because you aren’t, and you’re more of a warrior than I’ll ever be.” His words took her by surprise. She’d never guessed he would apologize, let alone admit she was better at fighting… but she had to admit, it was nice knowing he had seen his mistakes.

“Thank you,” Elua said softly with a nod. “But, though I can protect myself, that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the backup,” she added confidently, flashing him a forgiving smile. “...and, at the end of the day, I am still a girl,” she said sheepishly before leaning over to press a faint kiss to his cheek, an action that instantly flushed his face crimson as he touched the spot and smiled to himself.

Elua quietly chuckled in amusement before she stood and made her way to Appa’s reins, where she sat down to guide the bison across the bright sea and through the sunset clouds… continuing their long journey ahead.

Chapter Text

ALL FOUR MEMBERS OF THE YOUNG team of teenagers had just reached the top of a hill where the skyline of the magnificent city of Omashi could be spotted sitting atop a tall and flat-topped mountain range. It all consisted of four pyramids that stretched up towards the cloudless sky, everything made out of sandstone—and that included the long bridge of beige color that had been created to cross the rather wide hollow in front of the city wall, and led towards the sealed gates. It was rather a beautiful sight… even if it was all made out of one solid color.

“The Earth Kingdom city of Omashu!” Aang announced happily to the wind. “I used to always come here to visit my friend, Bumi,” he informed the Water Tribe kids.

“Wow,” Katara said with a wide smile, “We don’t have cities like this in the South Pole,” she stated, glancing over at the grand scale of the city, an awestruck look in her eyes.

Sokka made an impressed sound before he spoke, “They have buildings here that don’t melt!” he said in astonishment as he threw his arms out in front of himself.

“Well, let’s go, slowpokes!” Aang said as he spun around towards the city with a smile on his face. “The real fun is inside the city,” he told them as he launched himself into the air before he came back down and began to slide down the frost-covered hill.

“Aang, wait!” Elua quickly shouted down to him, her voice making him come to a stop, and turn back around to face her again. “We might be in the Earth Kingdom but it could still be dangerous if people find out that you’re the Avatar,” she told him in honest concern.

“Elua is right,” Sokka said with a nod. “You need a disguise,” he declared.

“So… what am I supposed to do?” Aang asked in confusion. “Grow a mustache?”

It wasn’t two minutes later that Aang had collected a tall mount of white fur from Appa atop of his head with a matching mustache under his nose… just as he had said.

“This is so itchy,” Aang said, scratching his head as he turned to Appa, “How do you live in this stuff?” he asked the giant animal in a tone of unknowing, to which Appa said nothing back too.

Sokka put a finger to his chin as he looked Aang over, “Great! Now you look like my grandfather,” he said with a firm nod of his head, admiring his so-called work of art.

“Well, technically, Aang is one hundred and twelve years old,” Katara said. “And you’re one hundred and fifteen, Elua,” she told her with a small smile pointed at her fun fact, making Elua smile back and laugh at the idea.

“I’ll use my influence wisely, then,” Elua joked in amusement.

“Now let’s get to skippin’, young whippersnappers,” Aang said in an ‘old man voice’ as he leaned onto his staff and used it as a fake walking stick. “The big city awaits!” he announced happily, and then, began to make his way down the steep hill while the rest of them were left to follow after him.

“Elua, wait,” Sokka said as he reached out and grabbed her wrist to stop her before she began to walk, making her swiftly turn to face him with a confused and questioning glance. “Here,” he said, holding up a small white scarf in his tan hands, offering it out towards her while she looked down at the piece of cloth in confusion.

Elua frowned as she looked back at him, “What is that for?” she asked.

“It’s to hide your, uh…” Sokka trailed off as he spoke before he cleared his throat and continued, “-arrow,” he voiced, awkwardly pointing up towards his own forehead.

“Oh, right,” Elua said with a shake of her head, kidding herself for forgetting such a prominent feature of her own. “Thanks,” she replied back to him, offering him a small smile as she turned back towards the path in front of them, just as he gently tied the scarf around her forehead—and with her tattoo hidden, they both began to follow after the other two young teens towards the entrance of Omashu.

“You guys are gonna love Omashu,” Aang told the two Water Tribe siblings with an excited smile plastered on his face. “The people here are the friendliest in the world,” he said with a tone of admiration, but right as those words left his mouth, they all caught the sight of one of the guards throwing some wagon full of vegetables over the side of the extremely tall bridge.

The face of the merchant that owned the wagon turned into an expression of utter shock and horror, “MY CABBAGES!” he screamed in anguish, watching as his stock went to waste down the hollow ravine, all of it turning to mush as every piece slammed into the rigid rocks below.

“Huh,” Elua said as she stared forward with a tilt to her head, “... just how I remember it,” she mumbled to herself under her breath.

“Hehe,” Aang chuckled nervously to himself. “Just keep smiling…” he trailed off as he put a very fake smile on his face, and then continued on forward towards the gate.

The guard of the main gate—who had just dumped a bunch of perfectly good cabbages down the mountainside—roughly stomped his foot down onto the ground before he earthbent a large boulder out from the land and lifted up over Aang’s head threateningly and then spoke, “State your business!” he demanded in a tone of anger, clearly expecting to scare all of them, but Aang just scurried past the floating boulder and stuck his nose in the guard’s face while he held his forefinger out in a scolding manner.

“My business is my business, young man– and none of yours!” Aang shouted up at him while he made his voice sound aged and rough. “I’ve got half a mind to bend you over my knee and paddle your backside!” he yelled in fake, but relatively convincing, anger– which all caught Aang’s newfound friends, his sister, and the guard by surprise as all of them took a second to pause and turn to look at him in shock.

The guard in front of them all inhaled a sharp breath, “Settle down, old-timer. Just tell me who you are,” he sighed as his shoulders fell and he lowered the boulder back into the ground below.

“Name’s Bonzu Pipinpadaloxicopolis, the third,” Aang lied without skipping a beat, and proudly, too. “This would be my granddaughter, her fiancé, and not to forget her soon-to-be sister-in-law,” he said with a hidden grin as he motioned towards the three teenagers that stood behind him. Elua and Sokka’s eyes went wide as they glanced over at each other, and then quickly looked away again, both of them blushing a bright red at Aang’s incorrect statement and lie. Katara seemed to find it hilarious.

“Hi, Lea Pipinpadaloxicopolis. A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Elua says with a sweet smile as she came to stand beside Aang to try and loosen the tension and ignore her embarrassment before she motioned towards the two Water Tribe Teens that still stood behind her, “This is… Lee, and his sister, June. We are all so happy to finally make a visit to Omashu,” she said softly, watching as the guard frowned while he looked down at her, but she continued with the soft smile that laced her lips and fought back a nervous laugh as stood there.

“Lea and Lee?” The guard asked with a questioning glance.

Elua let out a fake yet elegant giggle before she spoke again, “Meant to be… don’t you think?” she asked, turning her gaze over towards the teenage boy standing behind her, who still looked extremely awkward as he stood there silently.

“Hmm. You seem like a responsible young lady. See to it that your grandfather stays out of trouble,” the guard instructed her kindly and Elua gave him a nod. “Enjoy Omashu!” he said cheerfully, and then, he stepped aside to allow them all to move towards the gates of the city… but they were stopped once again by him. “Wait!”

Elua sighed in muted annoyance before she turned back around, “Yes, sir?”

The guard didn’t acknowledge her as he pointed towards Sokka, “You,” he said sternly, something that made Sokka gulp nervously, “You’re a strong young boy. Show some respect for the elderly and carry the old man’s bag,” he ordered the young teen.

“Good idea!” Aang said with a bright smile as he tossed his bag to Sokka, who glared at him in annoyance from where he stood, clearly already over this pretense to get into the city… and with that, two other guards of the gate—who had both been standing silently off to the side throughout this whole exchange—earthbent three large stone walls that straight into the city and offered them entry through the gates.

“Oh, and congratulations on the wedding!” The main guard shouted over towards them as they all began to walk through the gates, offering Elua a smile, and making her laugh rather fakely before quickly turning back away with a look of annoyance falling over her face.

Elua glanced down at her younger brother with a small glare, “Was that detail really necessary?” she mumbled over to him, but the only response she got out of him was a bright and teasing grin from the mischievous boy.

All of them soon came to a stop near a railing that overlooked the city, a sight that made Sokka and Katara stare in awe at everything before them, having never seen a place such as this one. There were hundreds of buildings that stood out with their green roofs along with just as many flights of stairs. It was all much taller on the inside than it would have seemed on the outside with its towering sandstone barrier.

“This is the Omashu delivery system,” Aang informed Sokka and Katara as they stood next to him, still looking around in wonder. “Miles and miles of tubes and chutes. Earthbending brings the packages up, and gravity brings them down,” he explained the basics while motioning up at the sandstone slides that were carrying matching stone crates with various different things within them.

Sokka glanced over to Aang with a frown between his brows, “Great. So they get their mail on time,” he said with a confused tone, unsure what Aang was getting at.

Aang smiled as he looked over to him, “They do get their mail on time, but my friend Bumi, found a better use for these crates…” he trailed off with a goofy smile on his face, clearly thinking back on his past adventures in this city, but his words made Elua’s expression quickly turn into one realization and dread as she began to shake her head in protest.

“Oh, no,” Elua said, continuing to shake her head, “If you’re thinking what I think you are… there is no way we’re doing that,” she told her younger brother with a stern tone to her voice as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him in disapproval.

“Come on, Elua!” Aang pleaded with an innocent smile on his face.

“It’s dangerous, Aang– and I highly doubt it’s even allowed,” Elua told him.

Sokka frowned, “What?” he asked, looking between the two siblings, obviously even more confused than he had been a few moments ago.

“Bumi and I once used the mailing system as a giant slide,” Aang enlightened him and Katara, “-but Elua caught us when she was on her way back from the Fire Nation and–” his explanation was quickly cut off before he could finish speaking.

“Fire Nation!?” Sokka yelled with wide eyes, an act that made the other three quickly shush him, giving him looks that told him to quiet down. “Why were you in the Fire Nation?” he lowered his volume as he glanced over at Elua in shock.

Elua sighed, “It’s not important right now,” she rushed out before quickly turning back to her brother, attempting to get the subject dropped as quickly as possible.

“One ride, then we’re off to the North Pole,” Aang said as he gave his sister a bright smile, a pleading, and eyes that she could never say no to.

“Fine,” Elua sighed in defeat, “Once– and only once!” she said with emphasis.

Aang cheered quietly to himself, “I promise. Airbender’s honor!” he said quickly before he turned back around and they all began walking towards the top of the mailing system.

“I’m going to regret this.”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“I am definitely regretting this!” Elua yelled out anxiously as all four of them sat inside one of the stone crates that was currently sliding down one of the mailing chutes at an extremely fast pace.

The wind blew in their faces as they sped across the sandstone channel, making their eyes water as they tried to keep them open and on the path in front of them, but the world was a blur with their top velocity. Elua soon glanced behind them at the sound of another crate rang out. Her eyes immediately went wide in fear as she spotted the crate behind them carrying rather sharp silver spears, and it was heading straight for them.

“Uh, Aang!” Elua called out in fear as she was forced to lean down and rest her head against Sokka’s back, trying not to be impaled by the sharp weapons. “I did NOT sign up for this!”

Aang glanced back at her before he spoke, “I’m on it! I’m on it!” he shouted over his shoulder as he swung side to side until the crate they were in lifted into the air and sent them hurtling onto the roof of someone’s home.

They soon flew off of the roof, kicking up the green paneling as they went, and fell to the ground in front of a group of training soldiers. Elua quickly sent a gust of air underneath the crate they all still sat within and sent them back up, where they hit the rails of a mailing bridge, and proceeded to knock over several other crates before they finally landed onto a chute again.

“Aang, do something!” Katara shouted over the wind in her ears. “Use your airbending!”

“Good idea!” Aang said over his shoulder, smiling as he did so, “That’ll make us go faster!” he exclaimed before he threw his arms out in front of himself, sending a gust of wind to the sides of the crate, and making it move even faster than it had already.

“That is not what she meant!” Elua yelled from the back of the crate, mindlessly holding onto Sokka for dear life as they raced down the chute. “I am never doing this again,” she mumbled to herself.

It wasn’t even a second later that they all went flying through the air again and soon hitting a bump that sent them over the guardrail and straight through some poor man’s window. Aang and Elua yelled several apologies to the man before they broke through the second window. And then, within a few more seconds, they crashed through yet another railing and fell down into the middle of a marketplace where all of them shrieked out in panic just as they came colliding with a market stand, destroying the merchandise—and the mail crate—as they landed.

“MY CABBAGES!” the vendor screamed out in shock as he looked down at all of them in hatred for what they had done. “You’re gonna pay for this!” he yelled in anger, and right as he said that, they were all surrounded by guards of the city holding sharp spears within their hands.

“...two cabbages please.”

Chapter Text

AN OLD AND GREYING KING silently sat upon his throne with his wrinkled hands folded together in a flexible hold, dressed in royal robes of various shades of bright green that hung over him loosely, while he stared down at the group of rather young teens with a curious look in his eyes. He hummed in question as they were all forced onto their knees by several of his loyal guards. They were all now ready for whatever questioning they were about to go through—all for a batch of cabbages.

“Your Majesty,” the main guard in front of them bowed before the King, “These juveniles were arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious destruction of… cabbages,” he informed the King, motioning down towards the three teens, who all looked rather nervous about this situation they had gotten themselves into.

The cabbage merchant glared over at them with hatred in his eyes, “Off with their heads! One for each head of cabbage!” he shouted in anguish as his face turned red.

“Silence! Only the King can pass judgment,” the main guard informed the furious merchant, “What is your judgment, sire?” he asked as he turned his attention back to the monarch that sat in front of him, waiting for an answer.

“Throw them…” the King paused as he looked over the four of them, watching while they all stared at him with pleading looks in their eyes, and then, he continued speaking, “-a feast!” he exclaimed, smiling brightly as he stood up from his throne, and began to walk away from them as they guards took them off the ground and pushed them after the King.

The guards quickly stepped to the side of a doorway as the King entered before they forced all four of the teenagers into the room. Elua frowned in confusion as they were all seated at the end of a rather long table with servants rushing to bring out plates of food. She had to admit, it was half expected of this King to just throw them all into a prison hold, or make them serve some sort of community service at the least. This was about the strangest passing of judgment that she had ever witnessed in her entire life.

“The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts,” the King told them as he looked at them from the other side of the table, “So, I hope you like your chicken with no skin,” he said with a laugh, snorting in between breaths, and smiling at his joke.

Aang gave a small and nervous smile back, “Thanks… but I don’t eat meat.”

The King hummed in response, “How about you? I bet you love meat,” he asked with his gaze pointed towards Sokka, who had already begun to eat, happily devouring the food that had been placed in front of him.

“Is it just me…” Katara paused as she leaned closer to Elua, “-or is this guy’s crown a little crooked?” she mumbled, making a ‘crazy’ motion with her hand, which made Elua nod in agreement with a look of dread in her eyes.

“So, tell me, young bald one,” the King began to speak again as he leaned forward in his sea while he stared forward at all of them, “Where are you from?”

“I’m from… Kangaroo Island,” Aang said with a forced bright smile.

“Oh, Kangaroo Island, eh?” the King questioned with a frown, “I hear that place is really hopping!” he said, leaning farther from his chair as everyone remained silent for a few moments, but Sokka quickly broke the silence when he began laughing—to which the other three looked over at him with frowns of confusion written on their faces.

Sokka paused as he looked back at them, “What?” he asked, “It was pretty funny.”

“Well… all these good jokes are making me tired,” the King yawned with a small stretch of his arms, “Guess it’s time to hit the hay,” he said, turning in his chair, acting as if he were about to get up… but instead, he sent a piece of chicken flying through the air and head straight towards Aang from across the table.

The young Airbender gasped as he threw his hands out in front of himself and stopped the flying food in mid-air with his bending, causing numerous gasps to fill the room.

“There’s an Airbender in our presence… and not just any Airbender, but the Avatar!” the King announced as he quickly stood to his feet, “What do you have to say for yourself now, Mr. Pipinpadaloxicopolis?”

Aang stood up as he began to laugh nervously again, “Okay! You caught me. I’m the Avatar, doing my Avatar thing, keeping the world safe,” he confirmed all suspicions with his hands held out in front of himself. “Yep. Everything checks out. No firebenders here!” he said while checking under the tables for nothing as he spoke.

“So… good job, everybody,” Aang said as he wrapped his arms around Sokka and Katara’s shoulders, “Love each other, respect all life, and don’t run with your spears. We’ll see you next time!” he announced, turning around with his friends while Elua frowned in uncertainty—but still followed—as they began to walk away… but, of course, before they could exit the room, they were stopped by two guards holding out their spears together and blocked the doorway from the four of them.

“You can’t keep us here,” Katara said as she spun back around, “Let us leave!”

The King frowned as he looked over at her, “Lettuce leaf?” he asked, picking up a single piece of salad, and taking a bite out of it as he stared at them again.

“We’re in serious trouble. This guy is nuts,” Sokka mumbled over towards Elua, who sighed at the whole situation, knowing that he was right about that.

A wave of seriousness suddenly fell over the King as he spoke again, “Tomorrow the Avatar will face three deadly challenges,” he announced to them simply, “But, for now, the guards will show you to your chamber,” he spoke again, this time calmly, as he sat back down onto his throne with a solemn look on his face.

“My liege,” the main guard spoke with a sense of confusion on his face, “Do you mean the good chamber or the bad chamber?” he asked from where he stood in front of the throne.

“The newly refurbished chamber.”

“Wait… which one are we talking about?”

“The one that used to be the bad chamber—until its recent furbishing, that is. Of course, we have been calling it the new chamber, but… we should really just number them,” the King blabbers on and on as he and the guard speak of whatever ‘chamber’ to put them in for the night, making Elua look over at Sokka, mouthing the question of ‘what?’ to which he simple shrugged in response to. “Take them to the refurbished chamber that was once bad!”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Elua had to admit, out of all the prison cells she had been thrown into, this had been the nicest. It didn’t even look like a prison. There were three beds in the middle of the room—all placed in a circular shape around one another—, a plush green rug on the cold sandstone floor, crystals lining the walls with a soft green glow that kept the room lit, and she was sure that there was almost no dust on anything. It looked more like a luxury hostel bedroom rather than a cell for criminals… not that any of them were complaining.

“I wonder what these challenges are gonna be,” Aang thought out loud as he walked around the dimly lit room.

“We’re not sticking around to find out,” Sokka told him simply. “There’s gotta be some way out of here,” he said as he glanced around the enclosed space, but he saw nothing that could have pointed to a possible escape, not even a door as they had used earthbending to put them all in here in the first place.

“I doubt it,” Elua said, glancing over at him, “Omashu is one of the most secure cities within the Earth Kingdom– its second-best to Ba Sing Se,” she explained simply.

Aang hummed as he frowned his brows, “The air vents!” he exclaimed, his eyes suddenly brightened, and his frown turned into a smile as he pointed over towards the small holes within the walls.

“If you really think we’re gonna fit through there, then you’re crazier than that King,” Sokka stated as he shook his head in disbelief of Aang’s implied suggestion.

“We can’t… but Momo can,” Aang smiled as he walked over towards the lemur, who was lounging on one of the three beds with an apple in his hand, and picked him up from his comfortable place. “Momo, I need you to find Appa, and bust us out of here,” he explained to the small animal with hope in his eyes that made him smile.

Elua frowned as she watched Aang walk over to the vent, “There is no way he’s gonna fit through that. Did you see how much he ate earlier?” she asked and her words quickly made Momo’s ears fall back in insult. “No offense, Momo,” Elua smiled at him.

“I’m sure he will,” Aang said with confidence, “Go on, boy. Get Appa!” he said as he attempted to push the poor lemur through the vent, but even in his best effort, it was not going to happen.

“Where’s Ume? She’s smaller than Momo is,” Sokka said, glancing around the room for the smaller lemur, only to find that she wasn’t in the room with them at all.

Elua sighed as she lowered her arms in regret, “She stayed back with Appa,” she informed him, making him stop, and look over to her before he sighed in defeat.

“Eh,” Sokka shrugged his shoulders, “How was Appa supposed to save us anyway?” he asked as he fell back and plopped onto one of the soft beds.

“Appa is a ten-ton flying bison,” Aang told him with a frown, “I think he could have figured something out,” he said.

Katara was the next to sigh, “Well, no point in arguing about it now,” she told the two as she sat down onto one of the other beds across from Sokka, soon letting silence fall over their group.

“Aha! I’ve got it,” Sokka suddenly exclaimed as he sat back up, “El, you can just air-earthbend us, straight outta here!” he smiled at her widely, but it only made her give him a pitiful smile, a small frown of confusion creasing between her dark brows.

“I’d love to, but…” Elua trailed off for a second, “-that’s not gonna work,” she said.

Sokka frowned from where he sat, “Why not? You said there was air in everything,” he recalls, pointing out her prior words from a few weeks ago, seeing absolutely no issue with his suggestion.

“Well, for one: I said there is oxygen in everything– not air. Air technically isn’t even an element,” Elua informed him, making him frown in confusion, “And two: I’ve never once tried doing that,” she stated.

“Hold on, are you telling me that airbenders aren’t actually airbenders?” Sokka asked as he looked over at Elua, such a question making her and the other two stare at him in confusion, but none of them said anything to him. “You’re all frauds!?” he almost yelled as he took everyone’s silence as an answer to his question… Elua couldn’t help but shake her head at his overreaction.

“Get some rest, Aang,” Katara said as she looked over at the young boy, “Looks like you’ll need it for tomorrow,” she yawned, crawling under the covers of the bed, and laying her head onto the pillow while Aang followed her actions on his own.

Elua sighed as she looked over all three of the beds within the room, seeing that all of them were taken, leaving her to stare up at the crystal-lined walls as the room fell silent with only sounds of deep breathing to be heard. So, without a word, she lowered herself to the carpeted floor and bent her legs at the knees before crossing her ankles over each other into a comfortable meditation pose. She didn’t mind staying up while the others slept. In fact, if anything, it made her feel better knowing no one would be able to sneak up on them in the middle of the night. There may have been a sense of familiarity about this place but she didn’t trust any of the guards nor the crazy king that had put them in here.

She sighed silently before she took a deep breath of air into her lungs as she lightly shook her head in an attempt to push any thoughts out of her mind while she brought her hands together and held them at the bottom of her waistline. It was the perfect—and only—time that she got for meditation. Every noise was hushed, there were no interruptions, all of the conflict faded away with the sun, and the air felt new and heavy with serenity. She was able to focus on her breathing here, soon beginning to find herself drifting off, a strange yet comforting feeling washing over her, and—

“Why are you on the floor?”

The sudden question immediately made her jump out of her tranquil state as her eyes sprung back open. She quickly turned her head over towards the voice, spotting Sokka staring down at her from one of the beds, still laying on his stomach as he smiled at him and chuckled at the fact he had—yet again—scared her half to death. She gave him a small glare for laughing.

Elua sighed before she spoke, “There are only three beds,” she pointed out the obvious, which made him glance around, and sure enough, find that she was right and give a nod of confirmation to her statement before he moved over to the other side of the rather small bedframe. “What are you doing?” she asked him with a frown.

He didn’t say anything before he simply offered a kind smile and motioned to the now empty spot, asking her to join him. Elua slowly dropped her hands down onto her lap as she looked at him with an unsure gaze. It was better than having to sit on the floor all night. She gave him the same smile back before she stood to her feet, taking the empty side of the bed, and laying down on her back with her hands resting on her stomach comfortably.

“Thanks,” Elua said with an awkward glance, “I suppose the floor wasn’t that comfortable,” she spoke jokingly, making him crack a laugh, and then, uncomfortable silence fell over them as they laid unmovingly.

Sokka nervously cleared his throat, “...why were you in Fire Nation?” he suddenly asked, quickly earning a frown from her as she twisted her head towards him, unsure if the answer to that question was something he should know.

“I-I was visiting a friend,” Elua stammered.

“A boyfriend?” Sokka asked with a semi self-conscious look in his eye.

Elua’s eyes went wide at his words, “What? No!” she said in a loud whisper while she vigorously shook her head, making him chuckle again. “He was just… a friend. We figured out the secrets to my bending together,” she informed him with a pursed smile on her lips.

“Oh,” Sokka said with an understanding nod, “Who was this… friend?” he asked.

She couldn’t tell him. He would hate her if he knew. “Oh, well… uh…” Elua trailed off with a nervous tone to her voice, avoiding eye contact as she could not help but think about her past.

“What? Don’t trust me?” he asked with a joking smirk.

“No, it’s just…” Elua trailed off again before she sighed, “Do you trust me?” she countered, finally lifting her gaze back up, watching as he frowned before taking a deep breath as he thought about her question.

“I do,” he nodded in confirmation, making a hint of a smile fall over her again.

“Then I trust you too,” she said honestly as she nodded back to him, “I just, don’t want you–or Katara–to… hate me for it,” her words seemed to upset him as he frowned.

“Elua,” Sokka said, tone of voice suddenly turning serious, but still kind, “I don’t think I could ever hate you.”

She glanced at him with a solemn look in her eyes, “How can you be so sure of that?” she asked, nervously fiddling with her fingertips as she spoke, unsure of all this.

“I don’t know,” Sokka said, “I just… am,” he sighed with a reassuring smile.

Elua hummed in response, thinking over it before she spoke, “I was in the royal palace,” she began, “-with the crowned prince,” she added, her words making Sokka raise a brow uncertainly, obviously not expecting that to be the answer to his question.

“Zuko?” Sokka asked, which immediately made her laugh, a small frown forming between her grows as the corners of her lips crinkled up into a smile that could have rivaled the sun with its brightness.

“It was over a hundred years ago,” Elua said as her laughing settled down, “How could it have been Zuko?” she couldn’t help but giggle out with a shake of her head.

Sokka blushed in embarrassment, “Right,” he shook his head with a chuckle at his own mistake, “Then, it must have been… Fire Lord Azulon?”

Elua’s smile soon shifted into one of bittersweet nature when she heard his words, “Well, he wasn’t the Fire Lord when I knew him, but yes,” she confirmed with a nod of her head.

“Wow,” he whispered as he took it all in, wondering how such a kind and passive person—such as her—had somehow found herself as friends with such a destructive person of history.

“Yeah,” Elua whispered back with a sigh, “I’m guessing he’s long gone?” she asked, half of her hoping he would say no, but deep down, she already knew the answer.

Sokka nodded in confirmation, offering her a melancholy smile, “His son is the Fire Lord now,” he informed her simply, “Who, I’m guessing, is Zuko’s father,” he said.

“I would think that’s more than likely,” Elua yawned tiredly, “Maybe they have matching ponytails,” she laughed in a sleepy state, which made Sokka chuckle along with her, if not for a different reason. She hadn’t realized how tired she actually was.

“We should get some sleep,” Sokka suggested in a whisper.

Elua nodded slowly as her eyes began to droop, “Probably…” she mumbled, quickly beginning to sink into the mattress, letting all her muscles loose, and soon allowing sleep to take over her… all of which made Sokka chuckle again as her words were slurred before he too rested his head onto the pillow next to hers as she peacefully drifted off into dreamland without a thought left in her head.

“Goodnight, Elua.”

Chapter Text

THE SUDDEN FEELING OF SOMEONE grabbing onto her arms startled Elua out of her sleeping state, and before she could make any noise of objection, a rough hand covered her mouth and blocked any sounds of yelling or shouting as she was hauled over towards the now open wall door. Sokka and Katara were also being taken out of the room by two other guards. Elua tried to get out of the guard’s grasp as he all but dragged her through the doorway, but with her arms being held to her sides, and with her mouth covered, it made any type of bending rather difficult.

The wall almost immediately closed back up as all three of them were forced out into the dimly lit hallway and where the guards finally uncovered their mouths and allowed them a chance to speak while still being dragged by their arms down the hall in silence.

“Where are you taking us?” Elua demanded to know, glancing over her shoulder at the guard beside her, but she got no such answer as they continued to lead them all down the hallway silently. “I advise that your King does not harm the Avatar… or there will be an issue for you,” she almost threatened as she glared at all three of the guards.

Soon, they came up to a doorway and stopped in front of it, where Sokka and Katara were taken through and away from Elua as she was forced to keep walking, stumbling as two of the guards pushed her forward through the hall.

“Wait!” she heard Sokka shout from behind, “Elua!”

Katara yelled after them as well, “Where are you taking her?” she asked, but an answer to her question, was not provided.

“I’ll be fine!” Elua shouted over her shoulder, “Make sure Aang is okay!” she yelled again right before she was guided around a corner and continued to be pushed throughout the next hallway.

She didn’t utter another word as she glanced at the guards on either side of her, wondering where exactly they were taking her, and why they were taking her there. It wasn’t long until she got an answer to her first question: where. They had stopped in front of a blank wall, where the guards earthbent it to an opening before they pushed her inside, and promptly closed the doorway behind her after they did so. She turned around in confusion and frowned at the wall for a second before she quickly whipped her head back around at the sound of shuffling behind her back.

The King stood in front of her with a smile, “Welcome,” he said to her kindly.

“Hello…?” Elua trailed off while she stared at him in bafflement, yet straightened up her posture, and allowed a look of solemnity to hide all of her confusion, “Why am I here and not with my friends?” she quickly asked in a rushed tone.

“I wanted to speak with you, Elua.”

Elua frowned in complete puzzlement when he spoke her name, “How do you know my name?” she asked, shifting the weight on her legs uncomfortably, sure that she had not told him her name last evening, “Do I know you?” she questioned as she tilted her head to the side and squinted her eyes while she stared at him… a strange feeling of familiarity soon washing over her as she stood there silently.

The King soon burst into laughter, “How many mad geniuses do you know?” he asked with a snort to his laugh… a funny sound that she could have never forgotten.

“Bumi?” Elua asked within a whisper of shock, “Bumi!” she smiled widely as she rushed over to the old King and engulfed him in a tight hug while her eyes resisted the glistening of joyful tears.

“It’s good to see you, Elua,” Bumi said with a goofy smile over his face before he happily returned her kind embrace. “You haven’t changed a bit– literally!” he snorted out a laugh as they both stepped away from each other.

“I know. It’s a long story,” Elua told him with a smile, “I had figured you were long gone by now. It’s been a hundred years, after all,” she said, shaking her head in total disbelief that he was actually still here, now the King of the city he had grown up within.

Bumi looked down at her with confidence, “I’m still alive,” he confirmed, “-old, but alive!” he cackled, making Elua laugh with him, seeing perfectly well that he still had the same spirit of that silly little boy that she had once known him to be.

“Wait,” Elua said with a frown, “Why didn’t you tell Aang? He'd be thrilled to know you’re alive!” she informed him happily, knowing that Aang would give anything to have some type of familiarity, and one of his past best friends, was exactly what he needed.

“The world has changed for the worse these past one hundred years that you’ve both been gone,” Bumi began in all seriousness, “There is a long road ahead of Aang. It is up to him to master all four elements, and bring balance back to the world, by defeating the Fire Lord,” he affirmed, giving her a stiff nod, to which she returned, having already known what had to be done long before he had said all of this. “Plus it’s fun messing with people!” he laughed and snorted with his goofy personality returning.

Elua shook her head as she chuckled at his quick shift in mood before she sighed and her shoulders relaxed while it was her turn for such seriousness, “Why am I really here, Bumi?” she asked, knowing there must have been more to this, otherwise he would have told her all of this later on.

“Well,” Bumi sighed, “If you’re still how you were a hundred years ago… then you will do anything to protect Aang,” he stated as he turned around and sat down onto one of the chairs within the small and homey room.

“Of course,” Elua said with a frown of confusion, “I would give my life for his.”

“Precisely!” Bumi smiled, pointing at her excitedly, “That is why I have provided you with this room. You, will be comfortable here, while Aang, completes these challenges,” he quickly explained, which only made Elua’s eyes widen in shock, glancing at the very greenly furnished space that surrounded the two of them.

“Bumi, I would much rather be with my brother, and our friends,” Elua said.

Bumi stood back to his feet before he spoke again, “Oh, don’t worry, I already knew that,” he said as he waved off her request. “But, these lessons are no use if they get a little too dangerous, for your taste…” he trailed off, hinting at the fact that, if given a reason too, she would stop anything that posted even a moderate threat towards her brother.

Elua opened her mouth to say something back to the old man, but as she took in all of his words, closed her jaw just as quickly as she had opened it before proceeding to cross her arms over her chest somewhat stubbornly. She knew that he was right. He was also right when he said that nothing had changed about her—at least, not when it came to these areas, anyway. It still was almost annoying how well he still seemed to be able to know her even after having not seen him in so many years.

“Fair enough,” Elua sighed in defeat as she lowered herself onto one of the chairs, knowing it would be best if she stayed here. “Just… don’t do anything too dangerous… he’s been through a lot these past few weeks,” she informed him and watched as he offered her nod of understanding before he walked over towards the door wall, where the two guards that had led her here, earthbent the doorway open.

Bumi gave her one last goofy smile of missing teeth before he turned away from her and made his way out of the room. Elua quickly stood back up with a question in mind, but before she could utter a single word, a guard closed the wall back up once again and left her all alone within this room. It made her huff as her shoulders slumped in defeat. Obviously, she would not be knowing where Sokka, or Katara, had been put.

Elua glanced around herself once again, this time, really taking in the room. It wasn’t a significantly big room but it wasn’t small by any means. It was… homey. She sighed as she sat down on the green sofa that leaned against the tan wall, bringing her legs up onto the cushions in a crossed position, setting her hands together in a meditation pose, and closing her eyes as she exhaled heavily. There was nothing better to do. So, she took another deep breath in, and began to meditate—and before she knew it, her mind had quickly begun to fade off into her memories…

⇢Flashback⇠

A glimpse of burnt orange soared through the cloudy sky as the wind rushed over the maroon fabric wings of a wooden glider while the breeze gradually grew cooler and cooler with each mile that Elua flew closer towards the South, but she paid it no mind as it blew against her skin, quietly keeping to herself. Her dark brown hair flowed behind her while she flew through the skyline and kept her gaze focused on the clear path that sat in front of her with something of an empty look in her cedar eyes. However, her eyes weren’t just empty; they harbored so many emotions in them it was impossible to place just one—anger, fury, sadness, hurt… betrayal.

Elua sighed as she closed her eyes, continuing to glide through the air, taking in a deep breath, and then exhaling it as if to try and let go of her building emotions before she reached her destination. There was no time to deal with them right now. It may end up hurting her in the long run if she kept all of her feelings to herself; but for now, it was necessary in order to keep herself from acting out of emotion.

Her eyes soon landed on a tall and mighty city that was entirely made out of sandstone, a sight that made her sigh once again. She leaned to her left and turned herself—and the glider she held onto—downward, sending herself into a descending spiral. It wasn’t more than a second or two before she had turned herself back up, and flew down onto the higher section of the city and let her feet lightly land on the stone ground below.

The sound of familiar laughter made Elua turn around with a frown of confusion creasing her brows. However, when her gaze was lifted upward, her confusion instantly turned into shock and worry. She swiftly turned her head to follow two young boys while they traveled at an extremely quick pace inside of a box and raced down one of the long and dangerous channels of sandstone mail chutes.

They were both still hysterically laughing with each other when they had reached the bottom of their ride, but as soon as they spotted Elua in front of them with her arms crossed and an unimpressed look on her face, their laughing immediately ceased from existence without a second thought.

“Oh, uh… hi, Elua,” Aang said as he looked up at his sister with an innocent look on his face, “Heh,” he chuckled nervously, offering her a faint yet quite optimistic smile.

Elua gave him a stern stare before she spoke to him, “What made you think that was safe?” she asked as she motioned up towards where he and his friend had just slid down from.

“Well–” Aang went to explain his actions but his friend quickly got to it first.

“I did,” a drastically younger Bumi rushed out while he raised his hand, “-and boy was I right! It was fun. You should try it sometime, Elua!” he snorted out a laugh in an act of excitement, but Elua only sighed at the innocent boy, dropping her strict posture as she shook her head at them.

“No, thank you, Bumi,” Elua said with a small and faint smile on her face. “I don’t want you getting hurt, is all, Aang,” she told him, turning her head over towards her brother again, giving him a serious look as she spoke.

Aang smiled at her when he heard her concern, “I won’t, Elua. Airbender’s honor!” he said with a wide smile before he stood up and out of the sandstone box.

Elua returned his smile, but almost as soon as it was there, it was gone, “We should be getting back to the temple,” she informed him simply, “I have to speak with the monks.”

Aang frowned at her words, obviously unsure what she must have needed to speak with them about, but he didn’t question her about it at that very moment and simply just nodded towards her before she turned away from him. She didn’t say anything after that and simply just walked over towards Appa as she noticed him when he came flying down from the clouds. A sigh released from her again as she ran a gentle hand down the side of his fur, seemingly in an attempt to comfort herself, but she felt and knew that nothing would be able to complete that task.

Aang smiled over at his friend as he climbed aboard his bison, “Bye, Bumi!” he yelled down to the young boy with a wave of his hand before he and Elua took off into the setting skyline of Omashu.

“See you soon, Aang!”

It was silent as the two siblings flew, nothing but the whistling of the wind to be heard, the sun setting on the horizon as the stars began to show themselves along with the brightness of the moon. It made Aang frown. Elua hadn’t said anything else to him other than what she had before they took off. Everything was very quiet… and Aang didn’t like that. So, he decided to do something about it on his own, and break the silence.

“Where have you been for the last few weeks?” Aang asked as he rested his chin on his hand.

Elua didn’t turn around before she spoke, “The Fire Nation,” she stated simply.

“Oh,” Aang said out of realization, “Visiting Azulon?” he asked for clarification but it was obvious that he already knew the answer to that inquiry.

“Yes,” Elua sighed.

Aang frowned as he stared at her from where he sat, “Are you going back there soon then?” he continued on with his questionnaire. It would help pass the time.

“Uh… no,” Elua quickly shook her head, still not turning around to face him, “I don’t think I’ll be going back there for a long time,” she told him honestly while she tried hard to keep her voice from cracking as she spoke and answered his every question.

“Oh,” Aang said again, “How come?” he asked softly.

“…no reason,” Elua shook her head with a shrug of her shoulders, “He’s just going to be extremely busy for quite a while,” she informed him, half lying, half telling the truth. He was going to be busy. But with what? That… she would not say.

Aang frowned at her turned back in worry as he felt that she wasn’t telling him everything, “Did something happen, Elua?” he asked with a concerned tone, and this was what made Elua finally turn around to look at him.

“No,” Elua shook her head again, “Everything is fine,” she told him as she offered a kind, but very forced, smile as it was clear as day that she still wasn’t telling the whole truth to him, “-everything is fine,” she whispered, turning back away from her brother, and as soon as she had, her expression fell again… and she found herself holding back heavy tears as they formed within her heartbroken eyes.

⇢End of Flashback⇠

“Elua! You’re okay!”

The sound of someone shouting made Elua snap out of her meditation before she stumbled backward as someone instantly tackled her into a hug, almost making her fall by the force of the impact, but she caught herself one arm before she did. She smiled as she caught sight of Aang’s blue arrowed head and gladly hugged him back. It was a relief to know he was okay after whatever the day had thrown at him… well, whatever Bumi had thrown at him, really.

“We were so worried about you!” Katara said from where she stood in front of the two Air Nomad siblings with a smile pointed at them, “Sokka was losing his mind,” she laughed, making her older brother glare, and cross his arms in annoyance at her.

“I was not!” Sokka exclaimed, turning away from her with a huff, and making Elua chuckle at his childish nature.

“I’m fine,” Elua reassured all of them, “Bumi just didn’t want me interfering with your, uh, so-called ‘tests’,” she huffed out a laugh with a shrug of her shoulders and a smile.

Aang gaped at her with widened eyes, “You knew it was him?” he asked in surprise.

“Not until he told me, no,” Elua explained as she stood up to her feet, “I didn’t even think he was still around, to be honest,” she told him.

“Neither did I,” Aang said, “I figured it out at the end of the challenges,” he told her proudly with a bright smile forming on his face—one that she offered back to him.

“Well, I am proud of you,” Elua told him cheerily while placing a sisterly hand on his shoulder, “-and I am happy that you’re okay,” she added.

Sokka suddenly sighed in relief, “And I…” he trailed off as he walked over towards the two airbenders, “-am happy to be free of my crystal change,” he declared, and that, was what made Elua frown in complete confusion as she looked over at him.

“What?” she asked with a perplexed shake of her head.

“I’ll explain later,” Sokka waved her off before he finally asked the question she had been wondering herself: “Can we leave now?”

Chapter Text

ELUA SAT CROSS-LEGGED ON a smooth, flat section of stone with an uprooted tree behind her that Aang was leaning against while Katara folded up a blanket for camp. The young Airbender’s eyes were closed, her breathing steady, and her mind was clear as the sound of a small creek lulled her into peace while she meditated with the nature that surrounded her. It was perfectly quiet… a condition that reminded her of when she was younger. In those times, she had found that the act of meditation kept her calm, and grounded to the world, which just so happened to be an extremely important task at such a time as this one.

“You’re back!” Aang suddenly said loudly at the sound of footsteps approaching from behind Elua, but she paid him no mind at all, far too engrossed in what she was doing, and remained focused. “What’s for dinner?” the young boy asked.

“We’ve got a few options,” the sound of Sokka’s voice alerted Elua that he had finally returned from his trip to find food, “First, round nuts, and then some kind of oval-shaped nuts, and some rock-shaped nuts that… might just be rocks,” he said while searching through his bag and optimistically placed variously shaped nuts and rocks onto a flat stone in front of Katara and Aang with a proud smile on his face. “Dig in!”

Katara stared at her brother as if this were a joke, “...seriously, what else you got?” she asked with a laugh of disbelief, which simply made him gape at her, a look of utter insult forming on his face as she spoke to him.

Elua sighed in mild annoyance as she shook her head at them and tried to tune them out while she refocused her breathing. The feeling of something small landing on her leg made her crack one eye open and look down, where she spotted her small and innocent lemur peering up at her with big eyes and a tiny hand on her leg, clearly looking for some attention. She offered Ume a smile and chuckled as the lemur tilted her head cutely. She scratched behind the lemur’s big ear before bringing her index finger up to her lips and motioned for her to be quiet before returning to her prior actions silently with closed eyes. It wasn’t more than a moment later that the silence was completely shattered by the sound of a rather large ‘bang!’ echoing throughout the forest, causing every bird in the area to scatter from the trees, and making their small group of four whirl around.

It quickly repeated itself, “What is that!?” Sokka shouted as all of them quickly jumped to their feet and glanced around… hearing it again, giving them insight into where it had come from.

“It’s coming from over there!” Aang yelled, pointing towards the tall trees ahead of them before he and Katara hopped off the rock they stood on and ran toward whatever sound kept rippling through the air… leaving Sokka and Elua behind.

“Shouldn’t we be running away from huge booms– not toward them?” Sokka shouted after the younger teenagers with his hands thrown up in confusion and total disbelief of the two while he watched Ume and Momo fly after them. He groaned in annoyance, but Elua simply sighed, her shoulders sinking before she jumped onto the ground, and began to follow after the two lemurs and children… which made Sokka whine more in annoyance, “Following them is encouraging them!”

Elua stopped and turned to face him, “Maybe. But it has gotta be better than just sitting here,” she told him with a shrug of her shoulders before she turned back around and began to walk.

All four of them soon crouched behind a fallen tree as they spotted a young man, around the same age as Sokka, standing between two sides of a dirt hill. He wore various colors of green and brown with a matching headband tied around his forehead and his long brown hair pulled into a half-bun. He hadn’t seemed to notice them yet, far too focused on what he was currently doing, which just so happened to be earthbending. He stood with his legs apart in a stoic stance, lifting his arms as one of the boulders followed his motions, and then, throwing it against the side of the ledge… creating the sound that they had heard a few minutes ago.

Katara smiled in awe of him, “An earthbender,” she gasped in excitement.

“Let’s go meet him!” Aang suggested with a smile that matched Katara’s.

Elua frowned at her brother unsurely, “I don’t know…” she trailed off.

“He looks dangerous,” Sokka agreed, but Katara didn’t pay them any mind, and as soon as she saw a chance, she jumped up and rushed over toward the young man.

“Hello there, I’m Katara!” she shouted kindly to him with her hands cupped over her mouth to amplify her voice, “What’s your name?” she asked excitedly, but as soon as he noticed her standing there in front of him, he turned away and began running, quickly bringing a pile of rocks down behind him and blocking the path he had taken.

“Nice to meet you!” Aang shouted after him with a wave of his hand even though the teenager could no longer see him.

Katara frowned disheartenedly, “We just wanted to say ‘hi’,” she said in a hurt tone.

“Hey!” Aang suddenly exclaimed with a smile, “That guy’s gotta be running somewhere. Maybe we’re near a village! And I bet that village has a market,” he said excitedly as he looked over at Katara with a smile, both of them thinking the same thing, and immediately smiling at each other in realization.

“Which means…” Katara trailed off for a moment, “-no nuts for dinner!” she said happily right before she and Aang took off, once again, leaving Sokka and Elua behind.

“I worked hard to get those nuts!” Sokka yelled after them as he crossed his arms over his chest and pouted in hurt at their words. Elua gave him a side glance, quickly shaking her head at his childishness, and chuckling in amusement as she began to walk after the two once again. “It’s true!” he yelled after her, quickly catching up with her.

Elua looked over at him with a pursed smile, “I don’t mean any offense, Sokka, but… all of those, except one, were rocks,” she informed him gently, offering him a look of sympathy as they walked, while she watched his expression turn downward.

“Great,” Sokka sighed in defeat, “I tried,” he said as his shoulders slumped and he began to drag his feet, making Elua smile at him again.

“I’ll help you with the food next time,” Elua reassured him kindly, “You could use a lesson in plant foraging,” she chuckled, giving him a joking shove on the shoulder, before she ran off to catch up with the other two… with Sokka right behind.

It didn’t take them long to find a small village on the coast of the sea with huts made out of sandstone and a market full of stands that held a small variety of food. It didn’t look terrible, but with a closer look, the feeling of dread that lingered with the village people was impossible to miss.

Elua glanced around the place as she and the others walked down the dirt path between the marketplace stands, but within seconds, she quickly spotted the boy they had all seen in the forest. She gently elbowed Katara to get her attention before motioning over toward the boy with a simple jerk of her head. Katara gave her a nod, both of them watching as he opened the main door of a small building and silently walked inside with the door closing behind him.

Katara quickly followed after the mysterious young man, but before she followed, Elua turned her attention behind herself at the two boys of their group, and seeing that they were busy admiring a straw hat at one of the stands, she chose to set off after the young waterbender girl.

The two young women pushed open the door of the small shop that the boy had entered only a minute ago and walked inside quietly, and almost immediately, they saw the young man they were looking for standing in front of them behind the counter.

“You’re that kid,” Katara spoke up, the sound of her voice making the boy, and his mother, turn their attention to her, “Why did you run away before?” she asked with a small frown of confusion creasing her brows.

The teenager in front of the two girls stared at them with hidden shock, “You must have me confused with some other kid,” he said, his voice almost cracking, clearly nervous with their presence.

“No, she doesn’t,” Aang suddenly said as he and Sokka walked in through the door and came to stand next to their sisters. “We saw you earthbending,” he said honestly, but as soon as he said that, the older woman gasped in horror and shock, quickly rushing over toward the open door and slamming it closed, and then doing the same with the shutters before she swiftly turned back to her son in disbelief.

“They saw you doing what!?” the older woman yelled a whisper at the boy.

“They’re crazy, mom!” the teen told her hurriedly, “I mean, look at how they’re dressed!” he motioned toward the group which made all of them look down at their current attire. He had a point. There were very few Water Tribe folk in the Earth Kingdom and almost no one even knew what Air Nomads looked like anymore.

His mother didn’t listen to a word he said, though, “You know how dangerous that is!” she almost shouted in anger and worry, “And you know what would happen if they caught you earthbending!” she told him, her words making him cast his head to the floor in shame while Elua and the rest frowned in confusion, but before either of them could ask any questions… a hard knock thumped from the other side of the front door.

“Open up!”

Sokka moved toward the closed windows at the sound of a man yelling orders as everyone else stayed put, unsure what was going on, but Elua had a popular idea of who could be at the door—and when Sokka turned back around to them with a look of worry, it was obvious that she had been right in her unspoken introspections.

“Fire Nation,” Sokka whispered in panic as he walked back over, “Act natural.”

The older woman opened the door before another knock could be placed upon it and allowed a Fire Nation soldier to enter her shop and home with two others posted at his side. He frowned as soon as he saw the five children inside, who all stood in the complete opposite of natural stance, but he didn’t comment on the matter. Elua was the only one who seemed somewhat normal where she leaned back against the counter and kept her eyes directly on the soldier in the doorway, as she knew the Fire Nation was always up to something these days, and it always seemed to be something cruel.

“What do you want?” the boy’s mother asked with a soft glare, “I’ve already paid you this week.”

“The tax just doubled,” the Fire Nation soldier said with a smirk, “Wouldn’t want an accident, would we?” he smirked, lifting his hand to produce a ball of flames within his palm, threatening the poor woman and her home as he stood there smugly.

Elua glared at the soldier as she pushed herself off the counter with her hands before reaching out one of her hands and extinguishing the flame that had begun to grow closer to the innocent woman intent on causing harm, and even if it would get her in trouble with the Fire Nation, it was worth it.

The soldier looked confused for a moment, but as soon as he realized what had just happened, an expression of fury fell over his aged face, “You better watch yourself, girl,” he ordered her with an angry tone. “Fire is sometimes so hard to control,” he told her smugly, immediately reigniting the flame in his hand, and stepping closer to Elua in a threatening manner.

“You’re right,” Elua said with a dangerous grin, “So, why don’t you, and your buddies, get out of here?” she asked him, lifting her hand just as he had, and creating a small flame within her palm. It was different compared to the soldier’s. Her flames were more yellow due to the lack of control over the oxygen that she had and she struggled to keep it lit while she spoke again, “Before I lose control,” she leaned her head forward, giving him a matching look of threat, and that only made him angrier with her.

The soldier growled down at her, “Why you little–” he was cut off as Sokka swiftly pulled Elua away from him while the older woman passed a handful of coins over to the soldier silently. He scoffed at the older woman while looking through the coins, “You can keep the copper ones,” he told her before dropping four coins onto the timbered floor rather carelessly, a look of disgust on his face.

He gave Elua another venomous glare—which she happily returned—before turning around and leaving with a harsh slam of the door, and as soon as he was gone, the older woman kneeled to the floor and collected the few coins left behind as if they were the most important thing… and at that moment, they were.

“Nice guy,” Sokka scoffed, shaking his head as he crossed his arms over his chest, then turned to face the two Earth Kingdom people in front of him, “How long has the Fire Nation been here?” he asked the one question they had all been thinking.

The older woman sighed, “Five years,” she informed all of them. “Fire Lord Ozai uses our town’s coal mines to fuel his ships,” she stated with a look of pain on her face.

“They’re thugs,” the young man from the forest snarled, “They steal from us and everyone here is too cowardly to do anything about it,” he crossed his arms with a scoff as he shook his head and looked away from them in anger.

“Quiet, Haru. Don’t talk like that,” his mother hushed him in a muted tone.

Katara frowned in confusion before stepping closer toward the two, “But Haru’s an earthbender, he can help.”

“Earthbending is forbidden,” Haru’s mother told the young Waterbender, “It’s brought nothing but misery to this village. He must never use his abilities,” she said with a worried, scared look in her aging eyes that made Elua frown at her sadly.

“How can you say that? Haru has a gift,” Katara said before walking over to the boy, “Asking him not to earthbend is like asking me not to waterbend. It’s a part of who we are,” she tried to convince the older woman.

Haru’s mother shook her head at the girl, “You don’t understand.”

“Katara–” Elua tried to step in and stop her, seeing how uncomfortable she was making this woman, but she didn’t get the chance before the waterbender spoke again.

“I understand that Haru can help you fight back,” Katara said. “What can the Fire Nation do to you that they haven’t done already?” she asked, obviously making the poor woman even more uncomfortable than before, and continuing to bother her with such words.

“Katara,” Elua said again, this time louder, but she was too late… the words were already said.

“They could take Haru away! Just like they took his father…”

Chapter Text

IT HADN’T BEEN LONG UNTIL THE sun began to set, and Haru’s mother—despite having not taken kindly to Katara’s prying—kindly offered for their small group to stay within the barn near the back of her property. It wasn’t much, but it was a dry and sheltered place that would suit well for a goodnight’s rest, and they were all greatly appreciative of the kindness of her offer… especially Appa, who was enjoying himself with a nice stack of hay.

Elua was crouched on the ground in the barn, hovering over a small basket of fruits that she had luckily found right before the market closed for the night, obtaining just enough for all of them to have something for dinner before bed as she, nor any of the others, had much of a want to eat rocks.

“Excuse me?” Elua looked up at the sound of Haru's voice, finding him standing in front of where she was crouched down, looking at her nervously, “I just wanted to apologize for what I said about your nation,” he spoke in a sincere tone. It made Elua frown and try to place a moment when he had said anything at all about the Air Nomads, monks, nuns, or even just airbenders but she couldn’t find a single thing.

Within a few seconds, it hit her what he must have thought, “Oh! I’m not from the Fire Nation,” Elua chuckled as she came to stand back and offer him a small smile.

“The colonies, then? Either way…” Haru trailed off with a sigh, “I’m sorry.”

Elua laughed at his words, making him frown in confusion, “No, no. As a whole, I am not from the Fire Nation, nor the colonies… at all,” she chuckled. “My brother and I are Air nomads,” she explained with a kind smile, and as soon he heard those words, his eyes lit up and he too let out a chuckle at the confusion.

“Wait…” Haru frowned as he trailed off, “You firebent back in the shop. Are you the Avatar?” he asked, his mouth agape in shock, gasping at his newly found false discovery.

“No,” Elua chuckled with a shake of her head, watching as his expression fell before she continued on, “I’m just an Airbender. I controlled the fire by bending the oxygen within it, and–” she cut herself off as soon as she saw the confused look that teenager was giving her and sighed, “It’s complicated.”

Haru chuckled awkwardly, “Right…” he trailed off in confusion, “I should probably be getting back now. It was nice to meet you…?” he trailed off once again, realizing that he had never gotten her name, but she didn’t mind and gladly gave him the answer that he was looking for.

“Elua.”

He smiled at her kindly before he spoke, “It was nice to meet you, Elua,” and with that, Haru turned around, and began to make his way silently out of the barn.

Elua sighed tiredly while she turned back to her previous actions, but she stopped, spotting Katara as she went to follow after Haru and obviously speak to him about what had happened a few hours ago with his mother. She didn’t say anything about it as she left. There couldn’t be much harm in letting her have a simple conversation with a boy near the same age.

“You know,” Elua turned back around when Sokka began to speak as he walked over towards her, “I’ve never seen you air-firebend before,” he told her as he picked up the basket of fruit at her feet for her and they both walked over towards Appa together.

“You did when we first met,” Elua reminded him of the time she had bent a fireball back at a certain infamous angry prince that was undoubtedly still following them.

“That was reflecting. It wasn’t real firebending,” Sokka said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice that made Elua chuckle, “What I mean, is that I thought it was kinda… awesome,” he told her with a sheepish smile.

Elua glanced over to him with a look of surprise, “Really?” she asked, having thought that he and his sister would have been afraid, or maybe even offended by it.

Sokka gave her a nod of his head with a bright smile as he set the basket down near the giant bison, “You could've totally taken that soldier down!” he shouted as he punched the air in front of him, trying to mock firebend as he spoke, and in turn making Elua laugh out of amusement and relief that he found it more entertaining than anything.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

The next day was an early one for everyone. Sokka had demanded that they all leave as soon as possible, having no wish for another run-in with the Fire Nation, and also knowing that it was simply just a bad idea to stick around with the enemy so close to the shoreline. Aang and Katara hadn’t been the happiest about it but Elua saw the reasoning to Sokka’s words and agreed that it was for the best if they left quickly… but she definitely wasn’t going to let them leave without stocking up on food seeing as no one would have wanted another potential meal of marble.

She smiled as the feeling of the cool morning breeze hit her skin gently as she walked down a dirt path that led towards the market which was only a hundred feet in front of her. Katara would have joined her, but someone had to get the water, and the boys were busy packing up camp… and who better than the waterbender? Elua didn’t mind the lonely walk though. It was peaceful—the whole village had a sense of peace and tranquility to it, and it would have been something of a small paradise had the Fire Nation not been lurking within every corner of it.

Elua lifted her hand to block the brightness of the early sun from her eyes while she walked. She paused her steps soon, turning slightly to her side before she walked over towards the edge of the hill she stood upon, spotting a large Fire Nation ship floating a small ways away within the ocean tides. A frown crept its way onto her face as she watched the small clouds of charcoal vapor drift up into the clear blue sky where it kept the engines of the vessel running while it sat within the waves. She could not help but sigh before she turned away from the sight and continued on down the hill.

The market was far busier than it had been the evening before. It was clear that everyone was out getting food for their families before the Fire Nation soldiers came to take anything that they wished… unquestionably without any sort of compensation for the people that they took it from. How did they actually believe that they were all in the right to do all of this? Elua had absolutely no idea.

Elua gave a market stand tender a thankful smile as she handed them a few coins for a few pieces of fruit to which they smiled right back while also giving her a thankful nod before she moved on through the marketplace. She quietly held onto a woven basket looped around her right arm as she walked through the crowded place, almost grateful that it was like this, for it lowered the odds of her blue tattoos being noticed from where they sat on the back of her uncovered hands.

The young Airbender came to a stop in front of another market stand, but before she was able to look for what she needed, a small flash of light caught her attention. A frown fell between Elua’s brows as she turned her head over her shoulder. She frowned deeper when the sight of a small and fuzzy-looking white light revealed itself in front of the path she stood on. She closed her eyes and shook her head, thinking it must have just been a trick of the light, but when she opened them again, it was still there—and no one else seemed to have noticed it.

Elua took a step away from the stand behind her and ventured off into the middle of the pathway, inching closer to the small fuzzy light in front of her, but as she took one more step forward, it jumped up into the air before it took off behind a group of buildings and left her in the dust. She opened her mouth to yell for the small thing but before she could get a single word out…

“Elua!”

The sudden sound of Sokka yelling her name made her, yet again, jump out of her skin and quickly turn around to find her running down the market pathway with a look of worry on his face.

“Sokka?” Elua frowned as he stopped in front of her and tried to quickly catch his breath, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?” she asked in concern of his indication.

“It’s Haru,” Sokka struggled to get out as he took a deep breath, “The Fire Nation took him last night for earthbending,” he informed her, making her eyes go wide, already knowing that this was something that could not be undone. “-and now Katara is about to do something really stupid about it,” he sighed with a shake of his head.

Elua frowned at his words, “And what would that be?” she asked skeptically.

Sokka sighed again as he looked back over towards her and said, “She’s going to get herself arrested… for earthbending.”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Elua couldn’t believe that they were actually going through with this. She thought that maybe they would try to help Haru, but letting Katara get herself arrested and then thrown onto a Fire Nation prison ship, had definitely not been what she was expecting.

“You know, when you told me she was going to get herself arrested, I did kinda think that meant we were gonna stop her… not help her do it,” Elua conveyed over to the two siblings while she watched Sokka and his sister roll a boulder over one of the grates stationed within the foundation outside of the village.

“Well…” Sokka trailed off for a second, “I thought Katara was crazy for a second but I think this actually might work,” he said, truthfully impressed with his young sister’s idea, and nodding his head as he spoke on it. “There are ventilation shafts throughout these mines, all you and Aang have to do, is send a few air currents from that vent to this one right here. The boulders levitate and, tada! Fake earthbending,” he smiled as he and Katara finished placing the boulder in its place over the large vent.

Katara sighed triumphantly at their work, “Aang, did you get that?” she asked the boy that sat a little farther away from the three, relaxing against a rock wall as he played with a fluttering butterfly above his head.

“Sure,” Aang said with a smile, “I got it,” he spoke in an unconvincing tone.

“Do you remember your cue?” Katara asked him again with a creased frown.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Aang brushed her off slightly, “Just relax. You’re taking all the fun out of this,” he beamed buoyantly, not even turning to look at the three older teens in front of him, and making Elua frown in confusion at her brother’s odd sense of ‘fun’.

“I don’t see how getting our friend intentionally captured by an army of ruthless firebenders as any form of fun, Aang,” Elua told him as she crossed her arms over her chest and then sighed at him, “-but alrighty then.”

The sight of Fire Nation soldiers, and the sound of their heavy footsteps, soon entered their line of sight and hearing from in front of where they all stood and sat. It was time to get Katara arrested. Elua wanted to take her place and find Haru by all of the same means, but with her being so recognizable because of her blue tattoos, it wasn’t a good idea for her—or Aang—to be anywhere near a Fire Nation prison ship.

“Here they come. Get in your places!” Sokka announced in a whisper, making Aang and Elua turn away from the two Water Tribe siblings, and walk over towards a rock wall where the other vent was hidden from view of the main pathway. “Get out of my way, pipsqueak!” he shouted over to Katara with an exaggerated tone of irritation.

Katara gaped at him in fake anger, “How dare you call me a pipsqueak you giant-eared cretin!” she shouted back, a matching tone of exaggeration, and a fake disgruntled glare accompanying it from where she stood face to face with her brother.

“What did you just call me!?” Sokka asked in a fake outcry of insult.

“A giant-eared cretin!” Katara yelled back, “Look at those things! Do herds of animals use them for shade?” she asked in an untrue hostile and rude manner.

“You better back off!” Sokka yelled in a fake tone again, “Seriously– back off,” he said in a whispered tone, speaking normally for a second, which made Elua frown in confusion. Apparently, that had hit a nerve for him, which didn’t make any sense as all of this was just an act, but… whatever, she supposed.

Katara scoffed in a still fake manner, “I will not back off! I bet elephants get together and make fun of how large your ears are,” she laughed in a faux bitter way.

“That’s it!” Sokka yelled at her with a fake glare, “You’re going down!”

“I’ll show you who’s boss!” Katara yelled straight back, “Earthbending style!” she shouted out as she took a mock earthbending stance, but after a few seconds, nothing happened while she stood there looking a bit ludicrous. “I said… earthbending style!”

Elua looked over at Aang as he sat there spacing off. She quickly cleared her throat, bumping him with her leg, making him look over to her where he saw a look on her face that told him to hurry up. Finally, after a few seconds, he quickly stood up and sent a giant current of air through the vent that sat below them, which made the boulder beneath Katara float into the air… and mocked earthbending perfectly.

One of the soldiers gasped in shock as he stood in front of the two, “That lemur! It’s earthbending!” he shouted out in shock at what he was seeing, which made Elua frown in confusion before she peeked her head around the wall she sat against, and sure enough, there Momo was, standing behind the boulder with his tiny arms stretched up over his head and making it look as if he were the one doing it.

“No, you idiot!” Sokka yelled over towards the soldier right before Ume decided to fly over and tackle the other lemur out of the way—almost making Elua laugh, “It's the girl!” he shouted again, motioning over towards Katara as she kept up her stance, which made the soldier’s shoulders fall in embarrassment.

“Oh,” he sighed, “Of course,” he said right as Katara ‘dropped’ the boulder back onto the ground while Sokka walked over towards her and grabbed her arms gently.

“I’ll hold her!” Sokka announced to the three soldiers in front of him, “You’ve got twelve hours to find Haru. We’ll be right behind you,” he whispered to his younger sister somewhat worriedly right before the soldiers walked closer to them, and within a few moments, took hold of Katara and dragged her away from her family… taking her to a ship that would hopefully be harboring Haru.

Chapter Text

THE SUNLIGHT HAD BEGUN TO FADE beyond the horizon by the time Katara had been placed aboard a boat that now sailed towards the prison hold in the middle of the ocean while Elua, Sokka, and Aang all flew overhead with Appa as he used the clouds for cover from the Fire Nation Navy below. It was rather important for them to follow her in order to find out just where the prison actually was. The obvious notion was that it sat stationary within the middle of the water, but as for exactly where that might be, no one seemed to have known back in the village.

It wasn’t the villagers’ fault for not knowing, of course; it was nearly impossible to tell that there was even anything this far out from the shoreline behind them. One or two Fire Nation Navy vessels may have been near the port, but it was apparent that they had no wish for their earthbending captives to have any access to an element that could give them the power to overturn their position of authority. If earthbenders were entirely surrounded by water, then they would have nothing to bend… and that was what made Elua nervous when it came to Katara being there.

“I still don’t think this was a good idea,” Elua couldn’t help but voice her concern as she stared down at the boat that her friend was currently entrapped on, “What if she gets into trouble? …or causes some trouble?” she asked nervously with a mind swirling with any and all of the things that could possibly go wrong during this whole thing—and that happened to include untimely deaths.

“She’ll be fine, Elua,” Sokka told the young woman that sat in front of him with a look of pure dread on her face, “Katara knows what she’s doing,” he spoke confidently.

Elua glanced over at him in confusion. “How? I don’t mean any offense, but up until a few weeks ago, you both had never even left the South Pole…” she trailed off, giving him a small look of sympathy while she spoke, but also still trying to make the point that Katara didn’t have much skill when it came to bending combat or battle.

“I don’t know, Elua,” Aang said as he looked back at his sister from where he sat atop Appa’s furry head with the reins in his hands, “Katara has already proven that she will be a great waterbender.”

“I have no doubt that Katara will be a great master someday,” Elua told him with an emphasis on the future, “-but for right now… she hasn’t had any training,” she said.

There had indeed been a part of her that felt unfair for saying that, but she knew it was the truth, and she only ever had the best intentions at heart for the young bender that she was more than proud to call her friend. This wide sense of concern on her part had nothing to do with whether or not Elua trusted Katara, either; which, for the record, she did—with her life. It was more about how Elua had no concept of what Fire Nation soldiers were like anymore… but maybe she just wasn’t completely aware of Katara’s true skill… not yet, anyway.

Sokka sighed as he glimpsed over at her again. “She’ll be okay,” he repeated. “I know she will,” he said, offering her a smile of reassurance, to which Elua half-heartedly returned before she looked away from him with a sigh and back down at the sea below.

This was going to be a long twelve hours.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Elua calmly jumped off of Appa’s saddle and up onto the metal deck of the prison that was stationed above the rippling water. “I’ll be quick,” she told the two boys behind her within a whispered tone, only getting silent nods in return, as none of them had any wish to get caught by the guards while they snuck around a jail holding prisoners of war.

Treading as carefully and quietly as she possibly could, Elua snuck through the metal bars on the outside of the prison before she swiftly rushed over towards the wall in front of her, just barely being missed by the panopticon that shined its rather brilliant white light in a circle at the very top of the penitentiary. A sigh of relief left her lungs as she leaned against the metal of the wall. It was still quiet as she stood there—a good sign that no one had spotted her.

She glanced around the corner in search of any guards, and upon seeing none, she silently hurried out from behind the wall of the prison and ran down the deck with delicate footsteps to keep herself hidden—and then from there, it wasn’t difficult to find out where Katara was, fast asleep in a relatively uncomfortable-looking sleeping bag on the cold metal floor of the prison hold.

“Katara,” Elua whispered as she shook the young waterbender’s shoulder and made her quickly gasp awake before she turned to look at her. “Shh!” she hushed her.

“Elua,” Katara sighed in relief, looking at her friend happily, just as she quickly got out from under the sleeping bag and stood up to her feet, “I can’t leave,” she said briefly.

Elua frowned in confusion when she said this. “What?” she asked in a complete sense of disbelief at what she was hearing. It didn’t make any logical sense to want to stay in this place for longer than was necessary.

“I can’t leave these people yet,” Katara told her sincerely. “It’s like they’ve lost all hope. They need our help, Elua,” she said with a sorrowful frown between her brows, a look that made Elua sigh, knowing that Katara would not abandon people who needed her help… no matter how much risk it would put their group in, and Elua wouldn’t either.

Elua sighed in exasperation. “Come on,” she told her with a small smile, nodding in the direction that the boys were still waiting in, knowing they would have to get them in on this if they were actually going to help all of these unrightfully imprisoned people.

How had she been so easily convinced to help these people? Well, if she was honest with herself, a part of her had already wanted to help them long before Katara brought it up. It was a part of the morals that she had adopted as a child being raised among monks and nuns who all believed that all life was sacred—indicating that they would have never thought their life above another’s. She had to respect their wishes.

“Your twelve hours are up,” Sokka told his sister as soon as he spotted them coming to stand above where he and Aang sat upon Appa’s saddle. “Where’s Haru? We’ve got to get out of here,” he asked, holding his hand out towards Elua while he spoke, but she didn’t move from where she silently stood beside Katara.

“…we can’t leave, Sokka,” Elua told him with a sigh, making him frown in total confusion at her change of opinion. “Not yet,” she added in a calm and quiet whisper.

“What?” Sokka asked in complete bafflement. “We don’t have much time. There are guards everywhere, get on!” he said quietly, glancing around them to make a point, while he also held his hand out towards the female Airbender again to hurry her and his sister along.

Aang frowned as he glimpsed over at his sister and friend. “What’s wrong?”

The two girls silently glanced over at one another. “We’re not leaving,” Katara declared quickly. “We’re not giving up on these people,” she told her irritable brother.

“Are you serious!?” Sokka almost shouted in annoyance as he jumped off of the saddle and came to stand in front of his sister. “You’re not leaving? Even you, Elua?” he asked, glancing over at her in disbelief, knowing that she had been the one that thought this was a bad idea in the beginning. But here she was, standing right beside Katara.

Elua took a deep breath before she nodded. “We can’t abandon these people with the Fire Nation,” she told him calmly as she crossed her arms and sighed. “There has to be a way for us to help them.”

“Maybe they're right,” Aang said, coming to stand beside his sister. “What do you say, Sokka?” he asked their stubborn friend, who looked at the three of them with eyes full of shock and disbelief that they were actually thinking of staying.

“I say you’re all crazy!” Sokka shouted in a whisper right before the searchlight shined over them and caused them all to duck out of its way. “Last chance. We need to leave now,” he told all three of them quickly, making Elua shake her head, knowing that there was no way he actually would want to make them leave helpless people behind.

“No,” Katara and Elua spoke sternly together.

Sokka groaned in annoyance. “I hate when you guys get like this,” he mumbled mostly to himself before he finally sighed and spoke again. “Come on, we better hide.”

It wasn’t a moment later that they all quickly stood back to their feet and rushed to get out of sight as Aang instructed Appa to go hide before he followed after his sister and their friends, where they all immediately located a stack of boxes and crates to hide behind, soon starting to discuss what they were going to do, and how exactly they were going to do it… ‘it’ being break at least a hundred people out of a highly guarded prison.

“We don't have much time,” Sokka said as they all huddled together. “What are we gonna do?” he asked, looking between Elua and Katara, who both sat there silently thinking of an answer to his question.

“I wish I knew how to make a hurricane,” Aang suddenly said, which simply just made his sister and their friends stare at him in confusion, unimpressed looks falling over their faces. “The Warden would run away and we’d steal his keys!” he explained.

Sokka looked at him in even more confusion. “Wouldn’t he just take his keys with him?” he asked the young boy with a look that said that didn’t make any sense; which, in Elua's opinion, it really didn’t.

“I’m just tossing ideas around,” Aang said with a simple shrug of his shoulders.

“I tried talking the earthbenders into fighting back, but it didn’t work,” Katara informed the three of them with a sad sigh. “If there was just a way to help them help themselves…” she trailed off, drifting into a thoughtful state, but clearly coming back with nothing that would have helped them right now.

“For that, they’d need some kind of earth or rock,” Sokka stated, “-something they can bend,” he added, but this only made Katara frown, looking at the ground.

Katara sighed. “But this entire place is made of metal.”

Aang suddenly smiled at the three of them. “No, it’s not. Look at the smoke!” he said as he pointed up towards the black smoke billowing out of the engine rooms. “I bet they’re burning coal, or in other words…” he trailed off with a smile as he looked at Elua with a knowing glance that made her smile in the same way he was.

“Earth.”

It didn’t take long after that for them to have put a plan into motion…

Elua stood at the top of the prison, watching from afar as a small group of Fire Nation soldiers surrounded Sokka, Katara, and the rest of the prisoners while they all waited on Aang to airbend the coal out from the engine room. She waited for the right opportunity to sweep in and aid in their attack with the element of surprise. A grin soon came to rest at the corners of her lips when she finally saw a giant pile of coal blasting out from the main vent in the middle of the prison deck.

The sight of Katara getting up there and giving an inspirational speech made her smile, but it quickly disappeared when no one did anything… However, as soon as one of the soldiers—undoubtedly the Warden—sent a blast of fire towards Haru, an older man immediately lifted up a wall of coal with his bending from behind the boy, and that blocked the flames from hitting his skin. And that was what began the chaos of the prison break.

Elua glanced over at Ume as she sat upon her shoulder and chattered as she watched the fight below. “You wanna race me down there?” she questioned with a smile pointed at her companion, and as soon as those words had left her tongue, the lemur purred and then immediately took off from her shoulder. “Cheater!” Elua shouted after Ume before she opened her glider and raced off after her with a quick laugh.

As soon as Elua got low enough, she brought her legs down from her glider and proceeded to kick one of the Fire Nation soldiers away from Sokka before there was a chance for him to hurt him, and then, she landed right in front of him with a brief smile.

Sokka smiled back at her with an impressed look on his face. “That was–”

“Tell me later!” Elua rushed out as soon as she saw the Warden heading towards them with his soldiers by his side. “Come on,” she said, grabbing onto his hand before she drove them both to run over towards Katara and Aang, navigating them through all of the chaos that was giving some of the prisoners a chance to escape.

Once they had reached Aang and Katara, Elua immediately let go of Sokka’s hand and spun back around while bringing her arms up into a bending position, and proceeded to glare down the Warden of the prison. She glanced over at her brother from where she stood for just enough time to give him a knowing look that made him smile at her in excitement. The two airbending siblings began to move their arms in a circular motion, bending the air around them into something that resembled a tornado and pointing it towards the Warden and his men.

“Guys, throw us some coal!”

Hearing this, Sokka and Katara rushed to pick up some of the discarded coal from the metal ground, gathering as much as they both could hold, and then threw it all into the top end of the tornado to be shot out from the other end and hit the firebenders that still stood in front of them threateningly. Its sear force knocked all of them down, including their Warden, and caused all of them to hit the metal ground with rather hard impact.

The four stood down with the firebenders being on the floor and watched as the earthbenders bent some of the coal from underneath the soldiers' feet and moved it all over the water below the prison, and after a brief conversation that concluded of the Warden begging not to be thrown overboard upon the notion that he couldn’t swim, he and the rest of his men were dumped into the rippling ocean below… and that was that.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“I want to thank you for saving me,” Haru said as everyone stood aboard a boat headed back for the Earth Kingdom village. “-for saving us,” he clarified, looking up at his father happily, who smiled down at him and placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

Katara smiled at him while rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. “All it took was a little coal.”

“It wasn’t the coal, Katara,” Haru began. “It was you,” he told her honestly while smiling at her with a wide sense of gratitude, which had quickly made Katara blush.

Haru’s father walked closer to the two of them. “Thank you for helping me find my courage, Katara, of the Water Tribe. My family and everyone else here owes you much.”

“So…” Katara began to speak again. “I guess you’re going home now?” she asked both Haru and his father from where she stood in front of them.

“Yes, to take back my village,” Haru's father said proudly before he turned to the rest of the earthbenders surrounding them and spoke, “–to take back ALL of our villages! The Fire Nation will regret the day they set foot on our land!” he announced loudly, making all of the now ex-prisoners cheer, all of them more than ready to fight back against the people who had been oppressing them for so many years.

Haru smiled over to Katara again as his father walked away from them. “Come with us,” he told her kindly, to which she smiled gratefully at him, but knew that wasn’t an option for her right now…

“I can’t,” Katara sighed, “Your mission is to take back your home. Mine is to get Aang to the North Pole,” she explained kindly and let him down as gently as she could.

“That’s really him, isn’t it?” Haru asked, peering over to Aang as he sat on Appa along with Sokka and Elua, all three of them calmly laying on the saddle as they rested from the battle that had just occurred… and Katara nodded in confirmation. “Thank you for bringing my father back to me. I never thought I’d see him again. I only wish there was some way–”

“I know,” Katara smiled at him, bringing her hand up to her neck, but when her fingertips never felt anything there… her eyes widened in pure shock and horror. “My mother’s necklace! It’s gone!”

The sudden sound of Katara’s heartache made Elua look up towards the boat in front of her and frown in confusion, but as soon as she saw her somber eyes that were beginning to fill with tears, it was obvious that the young waterbender had lost a piece of her identity… and there was no getting it back.

Chapter Text

APPA SOARED STEADILY ABOVE the fluffy white clouds as the group of teenagers gradually moved through the bright blue sky with nothing but the peaceful sound of the rustling wind that blew over all of them in the softest type of breeze while the ambiance of the day followed the air’s lead. It must have been one of the calmest days that they had come across while on their travels thus far—and calm, indicating it was the perfect time for Elua to meditate without being interrupted… or so she had thought.

“Those clouds look so soft, don’t they?” Katara suddenly broke the silence, “Like you could just jump down and you’d land in a big, soft, cottony heap,” she noted as she laid on her stomach with her chin rested on the palms of her hands while she marveled down at the perfectly shaped clouds that floated below them in all different dimensions.

Sokka snorted back a laugh before he spoke to his younger sister, “Maybe you should give it a try,” he said in a sarcastic manner, busily whittling away at a piece of wood, not bothering to look up from his hands as he shook his head in amusement at his own words.

“You’re hilarious,” Katara rolled her eyes at him.

“I’ll try it!” Aang shouted out in excitement, loudly, which quickly made Elua jump out of her relaxed state before she turned her attention over to her brother and watched as he grabbed his glider and headed towards the edge. “Yeah-ha-haha!” he laughed to himself right as he jumped off of Appa and steered straight down for the clouds below.

Elua, Sokka, and Katara all looked over the boundary of the saddle and watched as the young Avatar fell through the air with his arms and legs stretched out at his sides in a starfish-like position without a care in the world to stop him. His sister smiled merrily down at him. It amazed her that he was still able to find moments for levity with all that rested upon his shoulders while she, herself, felt as though she were back within those waves a hundred years ago; only the storming sea was not water but rather stress and anxiety… Perhaps she needed to take a page or two out of her little brother’s book.

It couldn’t hurt, could it?

Elua quickly stood up to her feet and snatched her own glider from the back of the saddle before she spun around to the opposite side of Appa with an ever-growing smile on her face, stretching her arms out to her sides just as Aang had done, tipping herself backward just enough to feel her heart rate go up, and then… began to plunge freely into the cordial air that held the smell of the coming spring.

“Elua, wait, what are you–!”

The female Airbender laughed in a delicate light when she heard Sokka’s shout of concern right as she proceeded to fall off of Appa and descended down towards the velvety-looking clouds, allowing herself to be just a bit carefree, even if it would only last for a few moments. It felt as if she were a kid again—freefalling with a glider held tightly in her grasp while her companions all watched her from above the skyline and gaped at her like she was absolutely insane for all of it. Oh, how much she missed those days, no matter how far gone they all really were.

When she had finally flown back up towards Appa, she was completely drenched from head to toe in the rainwater from the clouds that she had fallen through; however, she didn’t exactly mind that fact very much as it was a rather easy thing for her to simply just dry herself off with her bending—one of the simple pleasures of an airbender.

“Turns out…” Aang paused for a moment as he looked down at his clothes that were also wet from the clouds, “-clouds are made of water,” he smiled, quickly bending an air bubble around himself, and then, propelling it outward to get all of the water off of himself—drying Elua off in the process, to which she smiled at him gratefully for, and he offered one back to her happily.

Katara suddenly frowned when she looked over Sokka’s shoulder, “Hey, what is that?” she asked, moving closer to the front of the saddle, making the other three look towards where her gaze was pointing out of confusion until they spotted it… a massive dark spot covering the once-green land below that they were all currently flying over.

“It’s like a scar,” Sokka said, frowning down at the land along with his sister as they began to descend in order to get a closer look, and soon, found it to be an entirely burnt-down woodland area, “Listen…” he spoke softly before he trailed off and all of them went quiet for a moment, listening to the sounds of the forest, only to find that it didn’t hold any, only the deafening sound of dead silence… not even the chirp of a bird.

Elua sighed sorrowfully as she glanced around, “There’s no life anywhere.”

“Are you alright?” Sokka asked with a frown of worry, watching as Elua crouched down in front of something on the ground, but as soon as his eyes saw what it was, his gaze turned into a glare of hatred—Fire Nation tracks. “Fire Nation! Those evil savages make me sick!” he shouted out of fury and disgust while Elua stood back to her feet.

“Yeah,” Elua whispered, “Me too,” she said sadly before she noticed Aang…

He slouched to the ground on his knees, a heavy sigh of sorrow escaping him as he did so, barely even noticing that Sokka was still blurting out insults about the people who had done all of this horror to such a beautiful place of greenery—and that was what caused Elua to sigh again. She slowly wandered over towards her little brother before she kneeled down beside him. Her delicate and comforting hand made him look over at her, eyes full of hurt and unexplained shame, before he looked away from her again and let her sit there with him in silence as both of the Air Nomad siblings took in the feeling of disparity and pain that stood around them like a brick wall.

“Shhh!” Katara finally decided to shut her brother up, “Be a little considerate,” she aggressively whispered over to him with an astute glare set nattily within her blue eyes.

Sokka huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, “What? I’m not allowed to be angry?” he asked in a more muted tone, but Katara simply gestured over to Aang and Elua soundlessly, making the young Water Tribe teen glance over and spot the two still sitting with each other in an almost suffocating silence and mental suffering.

“Are you guys okay?” Katara asked in a worried tone from where she stood.

“How could anyone do this?” Aang asked in a low whisper as he sieved a handful of the dry, burnt, and blackened sand through his fingers, “How could I let this happen?”

“This isn’t your fault, Aang. It had nothing to do with you,” Elua told him softly, “I doubt that there was any reason at all behind this,” she sighed while she let her tense shoulders slump in an act of sadness as she kept a comforting hand on her brother’s.

“It has everything to do with me,” Aang said with a hint of anger in his tone, “It’s the Avatar’s job to protect nature… but I don’t know how to do my job,” he spoke with a sense of degradation before he sighed sadly and leaned his chin onto the palms of his hands with his eyes staring forward into the horizon of all the destroyed land before him.

Katara moved forward with a comforting smile on her face, “That’s why we’re going to the North Pole– to find you a teacher,” she reminded him… but it didn’t help.

“Yeah, a waterbending teacher, but there’s no one who can teach me how to be the Avatar,” Aang sighed before he glanced back at Katara over his shoulder with an expression of uncertainty on his face, “Monk Gyatso said that Avatar Roku would help me,” he stated as he rested his head back into his hands.

Sokka frowned in confusion at Aang’s words, “The Avatar before you? He died over a hundred years ago. How are you supposed to talk to him?” he questioned the young Avatar as he came to stand next to Katara with his arms crossed over his chest and a skeptical look on his face.

Aang looked down at the ground in dismay, “…I don’t know,” he sighed.

“You’ll figure it out, Aang,” Elua told him with a gentle smile, “-I promise.”

After that, a bout of silence fell over the group as Katara and Sokka gave the two siblings a moment to mourn together, knowing that the destruction of life was a relatively painful thing for both of them—whether one was the Avatar or not. It was a difficult situation for both of the Air Nomads. Elua was more than aware that she and Aang had been raised to see the good in everyone, but when the enemy did stuff like this, it made it tough to see anything other than evil and complete disregard for all that was sacred in this world and the next.

This is all her fault. All of it.

Elua couldn’t help but degrade herself internally as she thought back on all of the things that she could have done to stop this war from ever happening—knowing that all of this must have been some kind of karma. Spirits were punishing her for being such a coward all those years ago. It could have been so simple back then… Why had she not just done it when she had the chance?

Why didn’t I just finish the job?

“Hey, Aang, Elua,” Katara called from a few feet away, quickly bringing Elua out of her floating guilt, “Are you guys ready to be cheered up?” she questioned with a very audible smile on her face as she picked something up from the ground but didn’t bother informing the two Air Nomads what she was speaking of.

Aang sighed disheartenedly before he gave her an answer, “No.”

“Ow!” Elua shouted as something solid and woody hit the back of her head, “How is that supposed to cheer anyone up?” she asked in confusion and irritant, glancing over at Katara in a sense of dull pain as she rubbed the back of her head and gave her friend a small and somewhat kidding glare.

“Actually…” Aang trailed off with an amused smile on his face, “-that kinda did cheer me up,” he said honestly while he fought back a chuckle, which made his sister turn to him in annoyance, giving him a glare before she playfully shoved his shoulder.

Sokka laughed from behind the two, “Cheered me up, too,” he said with a grin on his face that made Elua turn her third and final glare over to him before her eyes darted down at the ground and found that it had been an acorn Katara threw at her… and so, a smirk played on her lips, and she threw it at her friend’s older brother and laughed as it bounced off of his forehead, “Ouch! Okay, yeah, I probably deserved that…”

“These acorns are everywhere,” Katara began to explain her reasoning, “Every one of these will be a tall oak tree someday, and all of the birds and other animals that lived here, will come back,” she informed the two Air Nomads, placing a single acorn in each of their pale hands while offering them both a comforting smile, knowing this was the best way she could help them through a painful discovery such as this one.

Elua smiled down at the acorn before she spoke again, “Thank you, Katara.”

Suddenly, the startling sound of nearby footsteps caught their attention, quickly making all of them stand back to their feet and spin around with their sense on high alert but when they spotted an old man with a wooden walking stick, they all halted in their actions and frowned in confusion—he was probably the last person they anticipated to find sneaking up on them. He wasn’t doing much as he limped towards them, but he did seem to have some sort of mission, in search of something specific way out here in the middle of nowhere; and he appeared to have found what he was looking for: a certain two Air Nomads—or rather, the Avatar, himself…

“Hey!” Sokka called over to the old man, “Who are you?” he asked in confusion.

“When I saw the flying bison I thought it was impossible…” the old man trailed off while he walked closer towards Aang in disbelief, “-but those markings… are you the Avatar, child?” he asked in wonder, making Aang glance over to his older sister with a look that asked if it was safe for him to confirm the old man’s suspicions, to which she nodded back to and watched as her brother gave the old man a smile and a respectful bow before he told him ‘I am’.

Elua looked up at the old man with a kind gaze to her eyes, “Are you in need of our help, sir?” she questioned, a tone of worry in her voice, observing as he sighed in a sense of despair and sorrow.

“Unfortunately so, young lady,” the old man said with a pained tone, “My village is in need of your help,” he informed all of them, especially Aang, declaring: “Desperately.”

Chapter Text

AS SOON AS ELUA HAD WALKED through the gates of the old man’s village, a bizarre feeling of dread began to consume her senses, as if someone—or something—was sitting there sharing a painful memory or experience within her mind, body, and soul while she looked over all of the homes of the town that had been completely destroyed. It looked like they had all been crushed beneath a vast amount of weight as the buildings were all collapsed in piles with large splinters of wood sticking out in sharp, broken forms. Obviously, it was true when the old man said his village needed desperate help, however, Elua wasn’t so sure it was only the people of his town that were in need of that…

Aang, Katara, and Sokka all followed the old man down the main pathway of the village and made their way toward a large building in the middle of the town while Elua couldn’t help but linger a bit behind the rest of them in a state that resembled being lost in a daydream. She continued to glance over all of the ruins that surrounded her with an unsure expression on her face. There was a great imbalance here. She could feel it.

It was as if the spirits themselves were silently providing her with information that she was incapable of completely understanding as of right now… but something pointed her back in the direction of the forest, a voice whispering inaudible things to her, yet in a way that she was almost able to comprehend what they were trying to convey to her and—

“Elua?” a more familiar voice interrupted her thoughts, sounding like an echo, as if she were at the opposite end of a long tunnel, dark and unwinding, “Elua!” A soft shake of her shoulder swiftly brought her out of her muddled state and caused her eyes to dart away from the village ruins and forest trees and over to the person standing right in front of her: Sokka.

Elua looked at the young Water Tribe teen with a frown as she found him wearing a similar expression on his face with a more worried look in his eyes, “Huh?” she asked with a confused tone in her voice, unsure of what he had been saying before, but not exactly caring as she was still coming out of her dazed state.

Sokka frowned over at her again, “What is with you, your brother, and magical trances?” he questioned while he kept a gentle hand on her upper arm and gazed into her cedar eyes with a still rather worried look lingering within his blue ones, “Come on.”

After that, the two teens made their way through the doors of the building where Aang and Katara had already followed the old man inside, silently coming to stand next to their respective siblings just as Elua picked up on the emotions within the room. There were several townspeople standing around with looks of gloom and fear written on their faces. All of them appeared to be expecting the worst. It was obvious whatever had happened here recently, had not only happened then, but also many times before that.

The old man in front of Elua and the others motioned for a man, most likely the chief of this village, to come closer to him before he spoke, “This young person is the Avatar,” he informed the middle-aged chief, gesturing toward Aang as the younger man arrived to stand in front of the group.

“So… the rumors of your return are true,” the Chief spoke with a kind smile, “It is the greatest honor of a lifetime to be in your presence,” he said merrily, bowing toward Aang with the utmost respect for him, and all of his past lives that had been lived.

Aang smiled graciously at the Chief, “It’s nice to meet you, too,” he bowed back.

“We were told you may be in need of our help,” Elua informed the Chief with a caring yet questioning glance, hoping that whatever it was that he needed them to do, would also take this strange feeling of dread away from her when they all had completed his request…

The Chief sighed with a skeptical tone in his breath, “I’m not sure,” he admitted.

“Our village is in crisis!” the old man exclaimed, walking over toward the Chief, an almost angry and fed-up look on his face, “He is our only hope– for the last few days at sunset, a spirit monster comes, and attacks our village,” he explained their situation to Aang with an almost frightened expression on his face before he spoke again in the same tone of voice, “He is Hei-Bai, the black and white spirit.”

Sokka frowned in confusion before he questioned, “Why is it attacking you?”

The Chief silently moved over toward the open doors of the large building, “We do not know, but each of the last three nights, he has abducted one of our own,” he told all of them with a pained tone to his voice while he gazed up toward the setting sun as he sighed sadly, “We are especially fearful because the winter solstice draws near.”

This made Elua frown. She had heard of the winter solstice many times before, in fact, she could easily recall a time when it was celebrated; but… what did it have to do with any of this? It typically only marked the shortest day, and longest night, within the common year—an excuse to throw a party and set off fireworks or simply just stay out late into dusk. She couldn’t remember anything about it having to do with the spirits of their world.

“What happens during the solstice?” Elua asked in confusion, “I don’t know of any special occasion that it marks the beginning or end of,” she disclosed, frowning at the Chief while he stood with his back to the group, uncertain if she had just forgotten about a teaching of the Monks and Nuns back at the temple from when she was a kid.

“As the solstice approaches, the natural world and the spirit world grow closer and closer together, until the line between them, is blurred completely.”

Nope. This was definitely new information.

“Hei-Bai is already causing devastation and destruction,” the Chief stated, “Once the solstice is here there is no telling what will happen,” he said as he turned back to face them and looked down at Aang with hope in his eyes that this young boy would be able to aid them, his people, and their peaceful home.

Aang looked up at him with a small frown between his brows, “So, what do you want me to do, exactly?” he asked, a questioning tone to his voice, obviously confused about the expectations that all of these people held above his head right now.

“Who better to resolve a crisis between our world and the spirit world than the Avatar himself?” the old man that had led them all here asked rhetorically as he kneeled down in front of the young Air Nomad boy, “You are the great bridge between man and spirits,” he informed Aang with a kind smile on his wrinkling face, but that didn’t seem to bring the young Avatar any peace of mind nor comfort, and Elua happened to know the exact reason behind that sense of anxiety he held onto…

He has no idea how to help them with something like this.

Katara suddenly cleared her throat, “Hey, ‘great bridge guy’, can I talk to you over here for a second?” she asked, giving him a profound nod, to which Aang nodded back and all four of them soon walked away from the Chief and the old man before they all headed over toward a secluded corner near an open window to have a discussion in a more private area amongst only each other for a moment, “Are you okay? You seem a little unsure about all of this,” she said in a hushed tone as she looked over to the young Avatar with a worried gaze to her deep blue eyes.

“That might be because I don’t know anything at all about the spirit world,” Aang quickly confessed to her, making both Katara and Sokka look at him with stunned and semi-anxious glances. “It’s not like there’s someone to teach me this stuff!” he clamored out in a frustrated whisper as he threw his arms up in exasperation and anguish.

“Aang,” Elua sighed over to her brother, “I think you should remember that you’re one of, if not the youngest, people to ever know they were Avatar,” she told him, offering him a gentle smile, placing a comforting hand to his shoulder before she spoke again, “I know that it’s frustrating right now, but you will figure it all out, and you will be the best at it.”

Aang sheepishly smiled at her with a warm light, “Thanks, Elua,” he said softly.

“Bleh,” Sokka rolled his eyes at the two Air Nomad siblings, “Enough with all the lovey-dovey-ness! I say we just get out there and kick some spirit butt,” he spoke with a tone that almost sounded like excitement as he punched the inside of his palm with his opposite hand and smirked at the wall in front of himself.

Elua slightly glared at the Water Tribe boy who stood beside her, “We are not kicking anybody’s butt, Sokka,” she told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What?” Sokka asked in an innocent tone, “We don’t all have to be passive, El.”

Katara rolled her eyes back at her brother, “Sokka…” she shook her head in a sense of disapproval as she trailed off before she sighed and turned over to Aang, “Can you help these people?” she asked the young Avatar with a kind gaze, a look of hope in her eyes, and not a single ounce of doubt to be found anywhere on her expressive face.

“I have to try, don’t I?” Aang asked with a small sigh, “Maybe whatever I have to do will just… come to me,” he spoke his thoughts out loud, giving the three people that stood in front of him a bright smile, quickly regaining his normal sense of optimism as Momo and Ume came and jumped onto the top of his shoulders and offered him a warm hug to his head from each of their fluffy winged arms.

Katara smiled at the boy in front of her, “I think you can do it, Aang.”

“Me too,” Elua said kindly, “You’ve got this,” she added with a matching smile of positive nature even though she was now beginning to freak out internally from the idea of him getting hurt by a monstrous spirit…

“Yeah– We’re all gonna get eaten by a giant spirit monster.”

It wasn’t a long wait until the sun had almost completely left the sky and resigned to only a sliver of orange light on the horizon of the dark green trees, offering Aang the moment to take a stance outside near the gates of the village, and the spirits made him wait for the oddity he was expecting to face in the passing minutes while his sister and their friends waited inside of the bigger building behind him… which just so happened to be against Elua’s better judgment—but then again, what wasn’t, nowadays?

“This isn’t right,” Sokka suddenly spoke up, “We can’t sit here and cower while Aang waits for some monster to show up,” he said seriously, a hard glare set between his eyelids and forearms resting upon a window sill, watching as Aang wandered out.

The old man behind them stepped forward before he spoke, “If anyone can save us, he can,” he said with a trustful tone, but that didn’t help Elua’s worry in the slightest.

“I agree with Sokka,” Elua said honestly, “Aang may be the Avatar but he is still a twelve-year-old boy,” she stated the obvious, seeing as everyone seemed to ignore that fact, and everyone they had come across, only ever saw him as the title bestowed upon his young shoulders only—what felt like—a few months ago.

Sokka nodded in agreement with her statement, “-and he still shouldn’t have to face this alone…” he trailed off as he and the others soon turned their attention back over to the window as the sunlight completely faded from view and the world darkened.

Aang stood out there in front of the main pathway of the village for a moment as he shouted into the wind a declaration for the spirit of the forest to leave the village in peace, hitting the ground below his feet with the end of his staff to make certain his point was clear to the unknown creature that had yet to make its infamous appearance; and then, the young Air Nomad turned his back to the woodlands and started his brief stroll back over toward his sister and their friends…

Elua’s breath suddenly hitched within her throat as she watched the giant black-and-white spirit come treading out of the forest with almost clear skin that quickly turned solid as it towered over Aang without the young Avatar even noticing its presence behind him. It felt as if she couldn’t breathe for a moment, sitting there inside of a safe zone as her one and only family member left within the living world, was standing out there right in the middle of all the potential danger.

Was it normal for your lungs to burn? She had felt that sensation before–when she was drowning in the middle of the ocean, but she wasn’t drowning anymore, she was on land… physically, at least. Was physically not enough? Maybe she really was still drowning… emotionally, now. Was all of this too much? She truly was drowning…

“Elua.”

I don’t know how to breathe.

“Elua.”

I can’t breathe.

“Elua.”

Breathe.

“Elua!”

A sharp inhalation flooded Elua’s lungs right before she took off running out of the building and rushing to help her little brother as the black-and-white spirit attacked him while destroying over half of the remaining buildings within the small village. She didn’t care if she got hurt, because if he got hurt, she would never forgive herself… it would always be his life over hers in every dangerous situation. There was no point in her own life if he was gone because she had failed to save him.

The female Airbender came to stand at the edge of the town’s dirt pathway right as Hei-Bai turned a corner to follow the young Avatar, but it suddenly stopped as it saw her standing in its route, holding her ground against it with a stoic glare—but that soon faded away from her cedar eyes as she stared up at this creature…

It—she—doesn’t want to hurt any of us.

This spirit was simply just hurting. She really didn’t want to hurt anyone; it was just an act of retaliation against the humans for what they had done to his forest, and he did not understand that there were different types of humans. It wasn’t these people's fault that the woods had been torched down by the Fire Nation but the spirits must have seen them as the wrongdoers; there was no one else to blame. This was a misunderstanding.

“Hei-Bai!” The sudden sound of Sokka’s voice quickly took Elua’s attention, “Over here!” he shouted, throwing his boomerang at the spirit’s back, only for it to bounce right off without doing an ounce of damage to its health.

“What are you doing!?” Aang shouted from up on the rooftops above the two.

Elua looked at the Water Tribe teen with wide eyes, “Sokka, go back inside!”

“Not without you and Aang,” Sokka said as he walked over toward her, “We’ll fight him together,” he told her, a serious look in his blue eyes, and while she admired his loyalty to her and her little brother, that was no longer what she was considering.

“Guys!” Aang said as he jumped down beside the two of them, “I don’t want to fight him unless I–” he began to speak again, but before he could finish his sentence, Hei-Bai ran at the three of them and suddenly caught hold of Sokka and immediately took off into the dark wooded forest with the Water Tribe boy in his grasp.

“Sokka!”

The two Air Nomad siblings swiftly took off after the spirit and their friend, aviating speedily on their now-open gliders, staying as low as possible to the ground to cruise at a quicker pace and reach Sokka before the angry black-and-white spirit was capable of causing any impairment or harm to him; whether it be unintentional or not.

“Over here!”

Elua crept closer to the Water Tribe teen with every second that passed, utilizing her airbending to aid her in moving through the air at a sharp speed, reaching her hand out to him desperately as her brother lagged behind them.

“Hang on!”

She stretched her arm out as far as she possibly could, spreading her fingers as to elongate her grasp farther out while tightly holding onto her glider with her other hand and praying to any other spirit of empathy to just let her take his hand, not knowing what would happen if she were to lose track of him… and this time, those prayers seemed to have worked. She was quickly able to grab the edge of his fingertips just enough to feel his callused skin brush against her softer complexion, but just when she thought it was going to be okay, an unusual feeling of falling took over everything around her and she felt his touch completely disappear under her grasp.

And then, she fell to the ground below her—hard, and the world went black…

Chapter Text

THE VERY FIRST THING THAT Elua noticed as she began to come to was the odd sound of silence and the rough feeling of grass scratching against her skin. However, it was about what she had expected to feel upon waking, seeing as the last thing in her sight before she blacked out had been a bunch of pine trees advancing nearer and nearer to her when she had fallen off of her glider. The next thing she detected was her mind ever so slowly starting its journey back into a conscious state, along with her body beginning to stir from its earlier position laid on the ground with nothing save the darkness behind her eyelids to keep her company while she had sat there lifelessly. Although, she wasn’t actually lifeless or dead—obviously—, it did still almost feel as if she were…

It was an odd feeling—coming out of unconsciousness induced by an unearthly source, rather similar to waking up from a deep sleep plagued by a nightmare, and yet, it was just foreign enough to make everything feel distorted and confusing as some sense of delirious thoughts boggled her mind. None of them made any sense, in all honesty. It was just a bunch of slurred remarks and nonsense swimming around her somewhat empty head.

A massive headache immediately hit her like a punch to the face while her whole body ached as she tried to push herself up and off of the rough grass ground, wheezing out in misery as she did so, feeling sharp pains within her ribs, and struggling to use her arms—not unlike when she had first woken up out of the iceberg back in the South Pole only a few weeks ago. All of the discomfort soon forced her back down onto the ground while she grumbled in irritation and misery as she squeezed her eyes closed and placed a gentle hand to the side of her head. This was the last thing she needed, right now…

It felt as if she had fallen out of the sky and landed on– oh, wait. That was exactly what had happened, wasn’t it?

Elua’s eyes instantly snapped open at that thought as she quickly recalled what had happened right before she had passed out. A frantic look took over her cedar eyes as she began to look around herself. Her lungs struggled with alarm, but as she began to glimpse over the world surrounding her, a frown of confusion sank over her face and her breathing soon fell into a rhythm of bafflement, as well.

She had been expecting to find herself near the burnt down forest that she and the others had come across only a few hours ago, but she wasn’t there at all; instead, she was now sitting in the middle of a random bamboo forest that she had never seen before in her life. Weird. An exasperated sigh soon left her lungs as she took her mind out of its confused state and continued to glance around. She had to admit that all of it was rather bizarre. There was a strong sense of sadness looming over the forest of tall and lean trees while the atmosphere held an odd orange and red hue to it. A frown still stuck to her brows as she looked up at the trees, viewing them all reach up towards the skyline with ease, and even if she couldn’t see the sky from below, she knew that their towering height could possibly help her figure out where she was.

Easy enough— she thought to herself as she dropped her shaky arms down to her sides and went to airbend herself up and onto the thin branches of the trees… but when she tried, nothing happened, not even a puff.

Elua frowned, looking down at her hands in confusion, but then tried again… still, nothing happened, and her eyes went wide with shock and panic, “What the h–”

Suddenly, an unfamiliar giggle cut off Elua before she could finish her sentence, causing the young Airbender to gasp out of shock and take a step backward… only to tumble over an uncovered tree root and slip back onto the rugged and uneven ground below with a semi-painful sounding ‘thud’ noise. Another laugh was not something she expected to hear after that. Elua swiftly lifted her hand and pushed her dark hair—that had fallen out of its earlier braid—out of her cedar eyes and looked back up to where the giggle had come from, quickly spotting a familiar-looking light flickering around in front of her, its soft laughter still echoing off of the leafy green tree trunks.

“I’ve seen you before– who are you?” Elua all but whispered as she stared at it in some sort of awe, “-or… what are you?” she frowned again out of confusion, but before she got a response to her inquiry, it took off deeper into the forest’s labyrinth of bamboo trees, shoots, and tall grasses, “Hey– no, wait!”

Elua didn’t waste another second before she scrambled back up to her feet and immediately sped off after the little flickering light without a second thought to stop her from it—seeing this small creature as the one and only thing that could possibly tell her just where she was now. She flew through the bamboo forest, twisting and turning with every move that the small thing in front of her made, swatting a few leafy branches out of her way as she ran, and narrowly running into quite a few of the trees as she kept up a swift speed even without her bending. How far did this forest grow? She couldn’t help but wonder to herself while she kept running for what seemed like miles upon miles of woodland…

The creature of flickering light soon slowed down when it inched closer to a small clearing encircled by the forest’s tall trees, and as soon as Elua noticed its shift, she too came to a slow pace of strolling as opposed to a swift pursuit of tracking. It didn’t run from her this time. This time, it stayed still, in one place—center to the clearing while it made a soft humming tone that resembled that of a human lullaby. It was quite… tranquil now.

As Elua caught her breath, she inched closer to the light, and as she moved, it felt as if the breeze around her blew harder with each and every step she took—like a soft robe of silk wrapping around her body, brushing over her dark locks as if it were a mother’s hand, and bringing all of the leaves off of the branches around the area as all of them began to encircle her and this soft white light that hovered ever so gracefully in front of her eyes. She breathed calmly and gently as she reached her hand out towards it. It felt warm, like a campfire almost, but not quite the same, warmer in the sense of… a hand—and when the light met her soft hand, it shined, it shined so brightly that she almost had to cover her eyes… but she didn’t, and when the brilliance faded, the light was gone and someone else had taken its place.

“...Lohna?”

How was this possible? The woman that now stood in front of her had been dead for almost one hundred years. She had perished during one of the Fire Nation attacks along with the rest of the Air Nomads—or, at least, that was what Elua had assumed to have ensued upon her as it had been what had happened to Monk Gyatso back at the Southern Temple. It was more than likely that the same exact thing had occurred with both the Western and Eastern temples as well… but then, if that were true, how was she here? Was she still alive? No, of course not, that was impossible; even if she had survived the Fire Nation attacks, she would have been well over a hundred and thirty by now… it was simply impossible.

Lohna smiled gently at the girl in front of her now, “Hello, my dear,” she said in the most loving and familiar tone, making Elua stare at her again, this time with some kind of bittersweet ache and grief lazing over her soft cedar eyes as she endeavored not to let herself believe this were real; not let herself believe that this was the Nomad that had always been there for her…

The praised Nun that she had almost broken the vows and morals of…

The kind woman that she had left without so much as a simple goodbye…

The Airbender that she had forsaken to a painful death filled with fear…

“Come,” Lohna suddenly spoke again as she offered her hand to Elua with a soft and caring smile on her face, “I am sure you have many questions for me,” she smiled again, this one compelling the corners of Elua’s mouth to twitch upward ever so slightly, and even if this was merely just a figment of her imagination as her mind tried to find a way to cope with her grief—and likely minor head injury—at least she would get one last moment with the woman who had always been there for her…

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“So, you’re telling me that I am, somehow, physically within the spirit world?”

Elua wasn’t sure how to feel about this newfound information. On the one hand, it made some sense to her, seeing as she now knew how much the winter solstice carried both the spirit and physical world closer together—but on the other hand, it sounded like it was wholly made up, seeing as she had never once heard of someone uniting with the spirit world without their physical body still existing on the other side. Everyone who had ever entered this world had a physical form in the human world… even the dead.

“Is that even a possibility?” Elua asked with a frown, glancing over at Lohna as they both walked through the bamboo forest side by side with one another.

Lohna sighed with a heavy sense of amusement mixed with a smile, “It is with a spirit such as Hei-Bei bringing you in,” she explained simply at first, making Elua frown in even more confusion, which caused the older—and far more experienced—Airbender to laugh ever so softly at her expressionist glances, “I am afraid that things in the spirit world are not nearly as straightforward as they are within the physical world, my dear.”

“I think that I’ve gathered that much,” Elua smiled with a sound of amusement in her voice, but then, it faded into a sigh of sadness and sorrow while she looked over at the woman who stood by her side, “Lohna…” she trailed off quietly, “I’d like—need—to know what happened after Aang and I left,” she couldn’t help but ask her about it, ever since the Southern Air Temple, it had turned a nagging thought at the back of her mind.

Lohna glanced back at her with tenderness in her eyes, coming to an abrupt stop in her tracks, and causing Elua to stop with her in the middle of the bamboo forest, “It is one best left for another time,” she told her softly, “I will soon tell you everything, but for now, all you need to know is that you are far more important than you have ever known before,” Lohna explained briefly, making the young Airbender frown, uncertain what that could have possibly meant.

“What?” Elua asked with a frown of confusion, “I don’t understand,” she said.

Lohna did not even try to explain anything further before she spoke again, “The winter solstice is upon us and you cannot remain here with your physical body less you be trapped here when it ends,” that wasn’t exactly what Elua had expected to hear, but as Lohna waved her hand over the forest floor and sprigs of bamboo sprouted up from it, she knew that there was no time for any questions nor arguing with this woman… no one was ever able to win an argument with her anyway.

“Wait,” Elua said suddenly as she shook her head in shock, “You said that a spirit like Hei-Bei could bring humans into the spirit world, but when I was brought here, I was with my friend,” she said softly, looking into her mentor's eyes, ones that held a knowing look of kindness within them still, and that was when Elua knew… “I can’t leave without him, Lohna!”

Lohna chuckled softly at the young teenager, “You aren’t, my dear,” she smiled at her softly, laying a motherly hand onto her shoulder, not a hint of doubt in her eyes, “He, and the others, are waiting for you on the other side of this forest,” she explained gently before she took her soft hand away from her shoulder and took a step back.

Elua didn’t know what to do as she stood split between the small bamboo sprouts that would take her back to her brother and friends, and her long-time mentor, half of her wondering if she should stay within this world instead of returning to her own… but the other half of her knew that was a horrible idea, and that her brother, needed her there in the physical world more than anyone else—in both worlds. A troubled sigh left her lungs as she looked at the smaller forest within the treelines. Aang needs me more. She told herself silently before she turned back around to face Lohna again, and when her eyes met hers, a blinding light was beginning to fall over her again as she started to fade.

Lohna smiled at her one last time, “Remember, my dear, death is not an end… it is a new beginning,” and with that, Lohna faded completely, and Elua, was left to begin her journey back into the physical world alone…

⇢⇢⇠⇠

It was her name being called that she heard first, “Elua!” and then, it was followed by several pairs of arms wrapping around her torso, producing a smile as she caught the familiar scent of her little brother and their two Water Tribe friends surrounding her now.

“Hi,” Elua said in a tired whisper, “What did I miss?” she asked with a chuckle.

Katara chuckled negligibly with her, “Oh, you know, just Sokka losing his mind with worry,” she smirked, glancing over at her brother with a knowing look in her blue eyes, one that made the young Water Tribe boy’s cheeks burn with embarrassment.

“We were both taken by a giant spirit monster!” Sokka shouted as he threw his arms up in exasperation, “What did you expect me to do!?” he huffed out loudly, which made Elua laugh again, shaking her head at his dramatics before she sighed happily.

Aang smiled up at her with a relieved, yet tearful, look in his eyes, “I thought I’d never see you again,” he told her honestly as he enveloped his arms around her again and held her tightly as if she were the only thing left in the world—and to him, retaining so lose much already in his short twelve years lived, perhaps she really was…

“Are you joking?” Elua asked with another chuckle, “You can’t get rid of me that easily,” she told him with a wide smile, her words making him laugh before he let go of her and stepped back, a bright smile pointed up at her now. “You have been stuck with me since you were born, little brother… I’m not going anywhere.”

“Never?” Aang asked with a softer grin on his face.

Elua sighed happily as she looked at him, “Never ever… forever.”

Chapter Text

HAD IT BEEN A SURPRISE WHEN Aang informed Elua that he had found a way to talk to his past life and would now have to venture off to a temple dedicated to Avatar Roku in order to do that? Not in the slightest bit. Had it been a jaw-dropper that it was located atop of an inactive volcano island sat on the edge of the Fire Nation? Perhaps with the volcano part, but otherwise, no. Had that made her want to convince her brother not to go along with it? Of course not. But had she in the remotest shred been anticipating for him to tell her that he would be going unaided and alone? Definitely not—and there was NO WAY that she was about to let that actually happen…

Aang groaned in annoyance as he tugged on Appa’s reins and tried his hardest to get the giant flying bison to move from where he stubbornly sat, “Let’s go, Appa!” he demanded of his fluffy companion under the early morning stars, but instead of listening to his human friend, Appa roared in loud protest, “I’m sorry but Katara and Sokka aren’t coming to the Fire Nation with us—and neither is Elua,” he sighed in disappointment.

“Aang,” Elua said with an authoritative tone, “I know that if any of us got hurt, you would never forgive yourself for it, but this is ridiculous,” she told him, crossing her arms over her chest, knowing it would be more than difficult to convince her unduly devoted little brother to at least let her come along if not all of them.

Aang sighed out of uneasiness this time, “No… if any one of you got hurt, I would hate myself, Elua,” he said in a serious tone before he turned back to his bison and took the reins into his hands again, shaking his head in irritation, and then blurting out: “Now get your big butt off of the ground, and let’s go, Appa!”

Even with the young Avatar pushing him to get up, the giant flying bison did not make a single move to get up from where he sat on the ground, and instead, he simply yawned boredly and then continued to stare straight ahead without a problem in the world. It almost made Elua laugh—seeing that the bison was ever so clearly on her side of this argument—but she decided against that action, knowing that now wasn’t the time for any amusement. Right now she, and the two Water Tribe siblings that stood beside her, needed to convince Aang that traveling unaided into the nation known for the worldwide pain of everyone, was a terrible idea.

“I think his big butt is trying to tell you something,” Sokka said as he crossed his arms over his chest and gave the young boy a knowing look with his blue eyes, “There’s no way that any of us are going to stop Elua from following you, so, you might as well just let us all come along,” he said, shrugging his shoulders, speaking words of truth—there was no way that she wouldn’t chase after her stubborn little brother… for the second time in her life.

“Please don’t go, Aang,” Katara said with a tone of desperation, “The world can’t afford to lose you to the Fire Nation,” she stated, looking up at the young Avatar with a glance of worry and pain in her eyes, hoping he would listen to her words, “-and neither can I.”

Aang sighed worriedly with a frown, looking away from Katara for a moment, his mind obviously trailing off into some sort of daydream for a moment, “But I have to talk to Avatar Roku to find out what my vision means,” he said with an anxious tone, “I need to get to the Fire Nation Temple before the sun sets on the solstice—and that’s today!”

Elua couldn’t help but roll her eyes before she let her crossed arms fall down to her sides again and airbent herself up onto Appa’s saddle, making Aang look back at her with an unsure and confused expression on his face, but his sister didn’t pay him any mind while she sat down and stared at him with a challenging look that had the words of ‘try and stop me’ written all over her face—and within a few seconds, Sokka and Katara joined her in her stubborn stance.

“I am not going to just stand and watch as you get yourself killed,” Elua stated.

“Yeah. We’re not letting you go into the Fire Nation,” Katara agreed sternly.

“...at least, not without your friends,” Sokka said, “We got your back,” he told him with a smirk of accomplishment, just as Momo jumped onto Aang’s arm, and chattered cheerfully along with Ume in front of him.

Appa was just as pleased as the lemurs, and as he always does to show just that, he opened his mouth and stretched out his large tongue before he placed a big kiss on Sokka’s face which earned a scream of disgust from the teenager. He flicked Appa’s saliva off of his arms as he grumbled, which caused Elua to cover her mouth, attempting to hide her amusement… it was a failed attempt, though. Sokka glared up toward her as he groaned in annoyance again, but as soon as Elua had turned away, Sokka smiled softly at the sound of her giggles. A crisis had been averted and he was delighted to be hearing her laughs instead of her cries.

“It is a long journey to the Crescent Island,” the Chief of the village that they had helped only a few hours ago spoke as the last two members of their group boarded up onto Appa’s saddle, “You will have to fly fast if you are to have any chance of making it before sundown,” he informed the group while handing Aang a bag full of money and a bit of food to get them by for the next day or two, “Good luck, Avatar.”

Aang smiled down at the Chief with appreciation in his young eyes, “Thank you for your–”

The Chief quickly cuts Aang’s thanks off with a yell, “Go!” he waves his hands up to the sky, commanding the group to leave, and with nothing but gratitude in their minds, they did just that.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“Come on, boy!” Aang yelled over the high winds, “We’ve got a long way to go!”

Elua sighed as she leaned back onto the edge of the saddle just as Appa roared and began to move his paddle-shaped tail faster than before. She, of course, could understand why her brother was in such a rush, but he often seemed to get irritable during these times and took it out on the bison. It was a stressful time, and Elua now often found herself wishing all of this was not on the shoulders of a 12-year-old boy.

She sighed once again, allowing her eyes to wander down to the wide ocean below them, but it wasn’t glistening waves that she saw… it was the ugly color of a notorious Fire Nation ship. She had been hoping that they had left it behind them by being far onto land. It would seem that this Fire Nation Prince would never get lost.

“Aang,” Elua said calmly, “I believe that we have a visitor,” she stated, keeping her eyes on the ship that trailed not far behind them, knowing this would end in a fight.

Sokka turned in the direction of Elua’s eyes, his own doubling in size, “And it’s gaining fast!” he shouted out just as the Fire Nation Prince decided to launch a giant fireball in their flight direction.

“Fireball!”

Aang quickly pulled on the reins, “I’m on it!” he yelled as he guided Appa and swerved out of the way just in time, causing the fireball to narrowly miss their heads and fly off into the clouds where it would disappear from sight and existence.

“We need to get out of Zuko’s range,” Elua announced as she steadily stood up to her feet and glanced down to the ship below, “Appa is going to get hurt if we stay out in the open like this,” she said, speaking with honesty and concern, knowing fire and fur did not mix well.

Katara covered her nose at the smell of the fireball’s smoke, “Before he shoots another hot stinker at us, preferably,” she groaned in disgust, shaking her head at the nasty smell.

“Can’t you make Appa go any faster?” Sokka asked with a scrunched-up nose.

“Yeah,” Aang said with a nod but an odd tone, “But there’s just one little problem…” he trailed off, causing the other three to look in his direction, just as he pointed out in front of them—a navy-sized group of ships laid up ahead, a blockade.

“We can change our flight direction north, it will get us around the Fire Nation ships and we can avoid the blockade,” Elua voiced the first tactic that came to mind while her eyes scanned the hundreds of ships before them, “It’s the only way,” she stated, sighing as she turned to look at Aang, silently asking him if he agreed with it.

Katara shook her head in protest, “There’s no time,” she reminded the two.

Elua silently groaned in annoyance at the situation. Katara was right. There was no time for their normal evasive maneuvers. If they went around, then they wouldn’t get to the Crescent Island before sundown, and if they didn’t get there before sundown, Aang would have no way of communicating with Avatar Roku. That was not an option. None of this was an option. There was only one thing that they could do… they would have to run the blockade.

“This,” Aang spoke out in worry, “-is exactly why I didn’t want you to come,” he shook his head with an exasperated sigh full of anguish, “It’s too dangerous.”

Elua almost laughed when he said that, “Why do you think I’m–we’re–here?” she asked him with a soft and subtle smile laced upon her lips, glancing over to Sokka and Katara after she spoke, already knowing that their support meant everything to her little brother… especially when it came to the young Water Tribe girl that sat just beside her.

“Exactly,” Katara nodded her head and smiled up at the boy in front of her. “We are in this together, Aang,” she told him, honesty laced in her tone, not a hint of a lie.

“Let’s run this blockade!” Sokka announced while grinning ear to ear over the idea of causing the Fire Nation even the tiniest bit of inconvenience… or war crimes.

Aang sighed in an unsure tone, glancing over to his elder sister with a doubtful look in his eyes, obviously trying to fight the conflicting feelings within his young mind. Elua breathed calmly while she quickly approached him and sat up onto her knees in the attempt to comfort him in her normal sisterly way. She silently told him this was all going to be okay, speaking with only her kind gaze, assuring him that they would get past this blockade, if only he would trust himself and guide them out through this wild storm of fire. He could do anything he set his mind to. She would never doubt that fact.

Aang inhaled a deep breath as he kept eye contact with his sister, nodding his head before he turned away and grabbed onto the reins once again, “Appa, yip yip!”

It felt like the sky was falling after that. There were fireballs launching through the high winds, narrowly hitting them several times, leaving smoke trailing behind them and releasing a foul smell as they flew off and died out within the clouds. Appa kept onward as he attempted to swerve, duck, and dive out of the line of fire, but it was a large range, and his large furry body was no match for the wide open skies. He roared out in pain as one of the fireballs grazed his side. He was set ablaze quickly. Elua, Sokka, and Katara all jumped to the side of the saddle, quickly beginning to pat down his fur, extinguishing the fire quickly but not fast enough to leave Appa without any marks.

“Are you okay, Appa!?” Aang yelled over the wind and launched fireballs, “It will be okay, boy!” he tried to reassure the bison, quickly getting back to guiding him away from the dangerous weapons of fire, steering them each and every way through the sky.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, two particularly large fireballs burst through the clouds in front of the group and collided with one another. It all caused Appa to roar in fear, and it made him swerve out of the way by bucking his back and body higher into the clouds. A moment like that was all it took for this venture to get even worse than it already was—it wasn’t a second later that everything seemed to slow down, not as if the fight had been brought to an end, but rather as if time had been put into slow motion.

It all happened so fast yet so slowly. Elua first heard Katara shriek in fright, which made the young female Airbender turn around quickly, only for her to be welcomed with the feeling of horror as she watched what happened next.

“SOKKA!”

It was Appa’s sudden movements that caused the Water Tribe teen to go flying off of the saddle on the bison’s back. All of them screamed in panic at the sight. They had no way to fly back around and catch the teenager in time before he would hit the hard ocean surface and meet his doomed fate with a bone-shattering splash of water. Katara was nearing tears while her eyes were stuck in their double-sized shock. Aang already had a look of pain and guilt forming on his soft facial features. But Elua? Well, there was no way that she was just going to sit there and watch it happen, instead, she bent her glider into her right hand before she turned to her brother seriously.

“Keep going,” Elua spoke faster than ever before in her life, “I’ll get Sokka,” and with that, she jumped off after Sokka’s falling person, not a second to lose or thought of reason to stop her from it.

Elua’s body dived downward fast with the way she angled her limbs and body. It was her eyes that she fought to keep open, their normally lubricated lids quickly drying out with the high winds that fought against her, causing them to burn and begin to water. She didn’t care, though, all she cared about right now was reaching the young man that was still falling in front of her. Her breath was shallow as she focused. Her eyes ignored all pain factors while she dived. Her right hand grasped the wooden figure of her glider so tight that her knuckles were white. Her mind raced with thoughts of outcomes that it could all end in, but she knew it was going to be okay, there was no proof of that, but somehow, she just… knew.

“Elua!” Sokka yelled out in fear as his arms and legs desperately flailed around him, “I don’t feel like swimming in death!” he announced, somehow making a joke at a time like this, but Elua knew that part of those words was actually truth coming from him.

Elua neared him even farther, reaching her hand out as she could, “Take my hand!” she yelled out to him, something she didn’t have to tell him twice to do, and as soon as got close enough, he grasped her hand with his own as tight as he humanly could.

It was a split second between life and death when Elua opened the wings of her glider and took them both back up into the sky, feeling tiny drops of water splash onto the soles of their boots, leaving a feeling of luck and yet near death within their chests. Now, it might have been terrifying, but it was also an experience that left Elua feeling alive again. They had been through so many life-or-death situations, but this one was somehow different. It was as if her own life had been on the line instead of Sokka’s. It was heart-wrenching, and yet, in some way, it was a thrill made for a generational story.

“I don’t like this, Elua!” Sokka shouted out as he grasped onto Elua’s waist tightly as they both continued up towards the clouds, “I don’t like this at all!” He might as well have screeched like a baby bird.

Elua almost laughed at the sound, “You’ll be fine, now,” she giggled loud enough over the wind that he could perfectly hear the amusement in her voice now, making him pout up at the girl.

It was only a second later that they broke through the blinding clouds of fluff and came out into the high-setting sunset. The skies were a mixture of orange and red now. It was a beautiful sight after the deadly blue. It felt fitting, as well, knowing that the Fire Nation border sat just a few minutes in front of them now. But it was a welcomed sight nonetheless. The beauty of life after the ugly sight of death.

“Woah,” Sokka all but whispered, staring calmly at the sight before him, “Okay, that… was pretty awesome,” he said in awe just as Elua landed them back onto Appa and his, now calm, saddled body.

Katara grasped onto him immediately, “Sokka!” she gasped out of relief, bringing her brother into a tight and sisterly hug, a high level of adrenaline calming down from her body now that he was alright and in her eyesight of safety.

The battle wasn’t over yet, though, as another fireball is quickly launched in front of them. Aang leaped from the flying bison and swiftly assumed an airbending stance. He launched a powerful kick that collided with the heart of the fiery projectile, causing it to detonate from within. As the fragments of the explosion formed a cloud of smoke and debris around Appa, the group soared through the center of the chaotic aura. Amidst the chaos, Aang lost his footing and was flung backward onto Appa's sturdy back. Sokka and Elua quickly grabbed his arms, steadying him as they continued their flight through the Fire Nation blockade.

Aang shouted triumphantly, “We made it!” as his left fist raised in the air happily.

"We got into the Fire Nation…” Sokka spoke slowly with a hint of shock, “Great.”

Elua sighed in relief as she fell backward, “At least we’re still alive,” she stated.

“At least we’re still alive,” Katara agreed, setting a hand on her shoulder, a smile lacing the edges of her lips as she mouthed ‘thank you’ to the young airbending woman.

Aang sighed before he spoke, “We have a long ride ahead of us,” he announced, “But I think the worst is behind us, now,” he smiled back at everyone before he grabbed onto the reins once again, and with a little more freedom, he said…

“Appa, yip yip!”

Chapter Text

AS THE GROUP OF TEENS SOARED on the back of Appa’s saddle, headed towards the crescent-shaped island shrouded by wispy clouds, the young Avatar’s voice spoke suddenly through the hushed silence of dust, a shout of excitement quickly leaving his lungs as he said…

 “There it is!”

 In response to his outburst, the rest of the group quickly sat up from their places on the saddle, their gazes trained towards the direction Aang pointed in. It looked just as Aang had described to them. The crescent island possessed a landmass that curved gracefully around the all-but-glistening waters surrounding it. Its uniqueness made a great impression on the group as their eyes were drawn toward the center of the place, where a colossal volcano towered above everything, standing proudly just behind the temple. 

Its peak had been veiled in a thick cloud of ash and smoke, ensuing from the volcano’s fiery heart, which churned and rumbled with life. Lava cascaded down its sides, leaving behind an intricate pattern of blackened rocks and hardened magma. It was a sight to behold. This was why the group couldn’t help but feel struck in the presence of such raw power and grandeur, once a home to one of the most powerful people to have ever lived.

Appa soared toward the island. He descended with great precision onto the ground, landing near the temple but not too close as to grab attention. All of them soon slid down Appa’s side and set their feet onto the rich ground for the first time in hours. Aang dismounted the giant bison and stood by his side, gazing upon the place in front of them with awe and admiration, disbelieving that someone had once lived here. He couldn’t help but pat Appa’s furry face lovingly, a look of gratitude in his eyes for his loyal companion’s unwavering support and vast assistance on their dangerous trip just to get there.

Katara approached Appa and Aang with a gentle smile, kneeling down beside the bison and beginning to rub his belly. “You must be tired,” she cooed softly, glancing at the scorch marks on his fur and hoping to offer the exhausted bison some comfort with her words.

Sokka, who stood nearby, overheard Katara’s comment and quickly assumed she had been addressing him. “No. I’m good,” he replied in confidence as he stretched his arms and legs, “Refreshed and ready to fight some firebenders!” he smirked at the idea.

“Sokka…” Elua shook her head at his words, “I laugh often just from knowing you,” she chuckled, glancing at him in disbelief, having nothing else to say.

It was her statement that made his cheeks flush red, but instead of speaking words or saying something back, all he could get out was… “T-That—Well—I am… Yes,” leaving the Airbender staring at him in vast confusion.

“Good job,” Katara nodded with a stiff laugh, “Also, I was talking to Appa, not you,” she frowned deeply while she crossed her arms and glared at him in confusion.

Sokka, now flustered, spoke quickly, “Yeah? Well, I was talking to… Momo!” he said, pointing to the lemur, who hung from a rather dead-looking tree branch, simply staring back with innocent eyes of nothing.

After landing on the island and finishing their bickering, the group embarked on the journey up a narrow path leading toward the Fire Temple entrance. Their eyes were alert the whole way, scanning their surroundings with utmost caution. After what they had just been through, the slightest sounds made their hearts skip a beat, keeping their guard up even higher. It felt uneasy, like someone was watching them or something bad was about to happen, but they brushed it off as nerves from the day. The feeling persisted, though.

Sokka scanned the area as they kneeled behind the steps of the temple entrance. “I don’t see any guards,” he said, a hint of concern in his voice, unsure how to make sense of this unusual situation.

Katara frowned as she realized her brother was right. “The Fire Nation must have abandoned the temple when Avatar Roku died,” she stated, her wise words carrying a sense of finality.

“The sun is setting fast,” Elua observed, glancing at the orange sky. “We should get inside,” she warned with an urgent tone.

“Elua’s right,” Aang noticed aloud. “We better hurry,” he said quickly, bounding over the low wall and tip-toeing toward the temple entrance.

Inside the Fire Temple, the group of young teenagers found themselves in awe of the architecture surrounding them, giving Sokka and Katara their first look at an actual Fire Nation relic. It was adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to come to life in the flickering torchlight lining the walls. The halls were faintly lit, casting shadows that danced and swayed along the walls. It was silent except for their light footsteps and fast-set heartbeats echoing through the doorways.

Elua couldn’t help the rush of emotions flooding her. It felt as if she had been transported back in time, to a period that seemed like a distant memory, though only a few months had passed. The stunning architecture and intricate designs were once so familiar but now seemed like a lost, bygone era. Elua felt nostalgic over memories she had tried to long forget—painful and heartbreaking.

Her mind was ripped from nostalgia when Sokka, ever alert, froze mid-stride. “Wait… I think I heard something,” he whispered, causing the group to halt, knowing danger could strike any second.

Together, they turned to face where they had just walked from, only to see five elderly men, dressed in red robes, standing behind them with gazes fixed intently.

“We are the Fire Sages,” one declared, stern and uncompromising. “Guardians of the temple of the Avatar,” he explained, his old amber eyes all but dead.

Undaunted, Aang boldly stepped forward, stance heroic. “Great! I am the Avatar,” he announced proudly, daring the Fire Sages to challenge him.

All five smirked evilly. “We know,” they said cryptically, eyes narrowing as they assumed firebending stances and, without warning, unleashed a volley of fire at the group.

Elua stood in front of Aang, ready to protect him. She leaped forward without hesitation, positioning herself between Aang and the men. In one swift motion, she summoned a force of air, deflecting the flames and dispersing them harmlessly.

The others looked on in fear, but Elua stepped forward. “I’ve got this, run!” she exclaimed, assuming another bending stance, not sparing a glance back.

She heard the group’s footsteps behind her as she stooped low, swiping her leg in an arc and unleashing a powerful blast of air at the Fire Sages’ feet. The attack sent all five backward, knocking them face-first to the floor. Feeling no time to waste, she scurried to rejoin Sokka, Katara, and Aang as they fled.

Chasing her brother and companions, Elua shouted, “Follow me!” rounding a corner sharply and racing ahead.

“Do you even know where you’re going?” Sokka asked, frowning.

Elua glanced over her shoulder with a smile, “Not in the slightest,” she laughed, only to face another Fire Sage. “Not this way!” she shouted, spinning around to run the way she came, the Sage hot on her heels.

“Come back!” the Fire Sage’s voice echoed.

Despite the call, the group ran through the maze-like corridors, taking sharp turns to lose their pursuer. They could hear the Sage’s heavy footsteps approaching but refused to stop.

Rounding another corner, they found a narrow passage leading to a dead end. Panic set in—they had nowhere to go. The Fire Sage approached. “I do not want to fight,” he spoke firmly. “I am Shyu, a friend.”

His words did not lower the group’s guard. Sokka glared, “Firebenders are not our friends.”

Shyu slowly and cautiously knelt before Aang, a gesture of humility and respect. Elua was shocked. Fire Sages prized pride; to beg was shameful. This must not be a trick.

“I know why you are here,” Shyu said calmly, lifting his gaze to Aang. “-Avatar,” he stated, as if he had waited his whole life.

Aang, curious, asked, “You do?”

“Yes.” Shyu nodded. “You wish to speak to Avatar Roku,” he said confidently.

“I will take you to him.”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

"Avatar Roku once called this temple his home," Shyu informed the group of teenagers as they followed him, their footsteps echoing softly against the ancient stone walls. "He formed these secret passages out of the magma," he explained, guiding them through a narrow passage filled with molten rock, the heat radiating as they moved forward, the flickering light casting dancing shadows around them.

Aang turned to the Fire Sage with curiosity in his eyes. "Did you know Avatar Roku?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"No," Shyu shook his head solemnly, "But my grandfather knew him," he continued, his gaze fixed ahead as he led the way, a steady flame hovering above his weathered palm.

Elua's eyes slightly widened with the realization of a memory of fact. "Oh, that’s right! A Fire Sage is often a torch passed down through generations," she confirmed, a small smile on her face, her voice carrying a sense of understanding.

Shyu offered her a small smile over his shoulder. "Exactly," he affirmed, his voice filled with a sense of surprise, and a bit of pride. "Many generations of Fire Sages have guarded this temple,” He stated, “Each one is deeply connected to its spiritual essence."

Aang's curiosity was piqued further. "Is that how you knew I was coming?" he inquired.

Shyu shook his head, his expression turning serious. "No," he began to explain. "A few weeks ago, something extraordinary happened,” He paused after he said this. “The statue of Avatar Roku... its eyes began to glow!" he recounted, his tone filled with awe.

Katara's eyes widened with amazement. "We saw the same thing at the Air Temple," she interjected, her voice filled with shock. "Avatar Roku's eyes were glowing there too!"

Shyu nodded, his eyes shining with a sense of wonder. "At that moment, we knew that the Avatar had returned to the world," he explained, his voice filled with quiet reverence.

Aang paused, his thoughts racing as he processed the information. "But if this is the Avatar's temple, why did the Sages attack me?" he asked, his voice tinged with confusion.

Shyu's expression grew solemn. "Times have changed," he admitted, his voice taken with regret. "In the past, the Sages were loyal only to the Avatar. When Roku died, the Sages eagerly awaited for the next Avatar to return. But, he never came."

Aang's heart visibly sank at this realization. "They were waiting for me," he murmured, a sense of guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders, coming to lean against one of the stone walls that surrounded them.

"Hey, don't feel bad,” Sokka suddenly spoke up, “You're only a hundred years late," He said with a smile, placing a not-so-comforting hand on Aang’s shoulder.

Elua's reaction was swift and unapologetic, her eyes rolling with exasperation before she turned her glare towards Sokka, and without hesitation, raised her hand and brought it down sharply as she delivered a smack to the back of his ponytailed head. This made Sokka let out a surprised yelp, his annoyance evident as he rubbed the affected area, shooting Elua a reproachful look.

“Ow!” Sokka shouted at her. "Why'd you do that?" Sokka's voice carried a mix of irritation and confusion, his pout directed towards Elua, seeking an explanation for her actions.

Elua shook her head, her voice a low whisper tinged with frustration. "You're not helping," she murmured as her words made a reprimand for Sokka's failed attempt at comfort.

Shyu continued his narrative about the Sages. "They lost hope the Avatar would ever return," he explained, delving into the historical events. "When Fire Lord Sozin began the war, my grandfather, and the other Sages were forced to follow him," he added, providing more intricate details. "I had never wanted to serve the Fire Lord," he sighed.

Elua's expression turned sorrowful as she questioned Shyu, "Why stay here? It doesn't seem to be spiritually fulfilling anymore. Not with the Fire Lord, at least." Her curiosity about the man's motives lingered.

Shyu's gaze shifted to Elua, a warm smile gracing his lips as he fixed his eyes on her, and beneath that surface, there was an enigmatic glint that caused Elua to furrow her brow and divert her gaze awkwardly. "I grew up listening to tales of your extraordinary spiritual abilities," he suddenly confided in her, his tone tinged with nostalgia. "My grandfather often reminisced about encounters with a young Air Nomad girl who frequented this very temple," he continued with a smile that got a wide-eyed reaction of surprise from Elua.

 "Your grandfather remembered me?" Elua asked shockingly, her voice barely above a whisper as she processed the revelation. "After all that time?" she added, her tone tinged with awe and disbelief. "Wow."

Shyu nodded before he turned to Aang again, “When I learned you were coming,” he began, “I knew I would have to betray the other Sages,” he explained his thought process.

Aang smiled kindly at the older man, “Thank you for helping me," he bowed.

Shyu returned the smile before gesturing for them to proceed. "Follow me," he instructed, leading them towards a spiral staircase, beckoning them upwards. "We'll follow these stairs to the sanctuary," he explained, indicating the opening of the stairwell ahead. "Once you're inside, wait for the light to hit Avatar Roku's statue. Only then will you be able to speak with him," he instructed Aang as they all began to ascend the worn stone steps, each step bearing the imprint of countless people who had traversed the staircase over the many, many years.

The group ascended the grand staircase leading up to the ancient sanctuary, their footsteps echoing against the stone wall, again, and as they reached the top, their eyes were met with the imposing sight of two massive doors standing before them, intricately adorned with ancient symbols and carvings.

Suddenly, Shyu's voice broke the silence, sharp and urgent. "NO!" he yelled, his tone filled with alarm and distress.

Aang turned to him, a look of confusion clouding his features. "Shyu, what's wrong?" he asked with concern evident in his voice.

"The sanctuary doors…" Shyu responded in shock, his voice trembling with fear. "They're closed,” His words hung heavy in the air, a palpable sense of dread settling over the group as they turned their gaze toward the imposing doors looming before them, their ancient wood intricately carved with faded symbols of the Fire Nation.

A spark of hope flickered in Katara's eyes as she spoke up, her voice laced with uncertainty. "Can't you just open them with firebending? Like you opened that other door?" Her question hung with a ting of a desperate plea for a solution to their predicament.

Shyu's shoulders sagged with resignation as he shook his head. "No. Only a fully realized Avatar is powerful enough to open this door alone," he explained, his voice tinted with frustration. "Otherwise, the Sages must open the doors together, with five simultaneous fire blasts."

Suddenly, Sokka's eyes lit up with determination as he stepped forward, a mischievous grin played on his lips. "Five fire blasts, huh?” He asked, “I think I can help you out…”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Sokka, with Momo perched comfortably on his bent knee, sat cross-legged on the cool stone floor of the temple sanctuary. A flickering light from a nearby oil lamp cast shadows across the exquisite temple as Sokka carefully poured a golden oily liquid into a series of small sacks. Each sack, meticulously filled, glimmered with the promise of helping them gain entry into the sanctuary.

Sokka’s brow furrowed in concentration as his hands moved with practiced precision. “This is a little trick I picked up from my father,” he began to explain. “I seal the lamp oil inside an animal skin casing, Shyu lights the oil-soaked twine, and tada!” He exclaimed with a smile, holding out one of the finished bags. “Fake firebending!”

“You've really outdone yourself this time,” Katara said, placing her hand on her hip and smiling at her brother in admiration.

Elua bent down beside him to examine his handiwork. “You are ever the inventor, Sokka,” she laughed, her voice full of awe and hope.

Sokka glanced at her, cheeks slightly flushed. “Thanks, El,” he said with a happy grin.

“This might actually work,” Shyu said, pointing at the teen with a small smile.

Sokka swiftly and meticulously stuffed the animal skin sacks into the maws of the five intricately carved dragon heads guarding the sanctuary’s entrance. Once completed, he hurriedly retreated from the looming blast, making a beeline to join the others behind the nearest columns. Seeking refuge behind the sturdy pillars, they braced themselves for the explosion, shielded by the stone as tension thickened in the air.

Shyu took a deep breath. "The Sages will hear the explosions, so as soon as they go off, you rush in," he instructed Aang as he readied to ignite the sacks.

Elua glanced toward the setting sun. “Sunset will be any minute now,” she noted before looking back at the others and then down at Aang.

“Are you ready?” Katara asked the young boy with a comforting smile.

Aang took a deep breath and nodded. "Definitely," he said, a trace of nerves in his voice.

They hid behind the massive stone columns as Shyu, with a swift flick of his wrist, sent a ribbon of flames dancing dangerously close to the dragon heads. The twine caught fire and erupted into a blaze of light and heat, casting eerie shadows across the chamber. Smoke filled the air as Shyu retreated to join the huddled group. Sokka, muscles tense, crouched low, arms wrapped around Katara as they braced for the blast. The detonation echoed deafeningly, sending shockwaves through the air and shrouding the chamber in billowing smoke, obscuring their vision and amplifying the sense of danger.

Immediately, Aang sprinted toward the doors, his steps echoing through the temple. He grasped the handles, exerting all his strength, yet the unyielding doors remained resolute, resisting his every effort.

Aang stopped, staring up at them. “They’re still locked,” he said gloomily.

“It didn’t work,” Elua sighed, watching him sink to the floor, defeat written on his young face.

Suddenly, Aang shouted in frustration, sending gust after gust of air at the doors. “Why—won’t—it—open!” he yelled, each word punctuated by a blast, ending with a final, anguished, “AARGH!”

“Aang!” Elua called, grabbing his arm. “Stop,” she commanded calmly, holding him steady as he panted heavily from his tantrum.

Aang groaned. “This was pointless!”

“All this anger will get us nowhere,” Elua said gently, looking into his eyes. “Take a breath.” She inhaled deeply, and he mirrored her movements, shoulders loosening as he exhaled.

"I'm sorry I put you through all this for nothing," Aang murmured, shame lacing his voice. Elua sighed, lifting her head to meet his gaze again.

“No action is ever for nothing,” she smiled comfortingly. “It was important that we tried. We did, and that is what matters. We will find a way for you to communicate with Roku, I promise,” she reassured him. He sighed and nodded, calming from his frustration.

Sokka shook his head, staring at the doors. “I don’t get it,” he said, confused. “That blast looked as strong as any firebending I've seen." He stepped back to inspect the scorch marks staining the doors.

“Sokka!” Katara suddenly exclaimed, a bright smile on her face. “You’re a genius!”

Elua frowned, confused, as she looked at Katara. “I don’t know if that term has changed over the last hundred years, but…” she trailed off, turning back to the doors. “–the plan didn’t really work,” she chuckled nervously.

“Come on, Elua,” Sokka said, standing beside her. “She never compliments my plans—let her dream,” he said sarcastically.

Katara stepped forward, touching the scorch marks on the doors. “You’re right, it didn’t work…” she said, a mischievous smirk spreading across her face. “–but it looks like it did,” she added, her eyes sparkling with the hint of a hidden plan.

Chapter Text

ELUA STOOD QUIETLY, WITH HER BACK against one of the pillars that stood tall and wide in front of the sanctuary entrance. She took a deep breath as the sound of footsteps began to echo from the stairway below. Her gaze shifted to her left, grey eyes soon coming to meet blue, a nod following their lock as she gave the Water Tribe boy a nod that it was time for plan C to commence.

It’s now or never, Aang.

“Hurry!” Shyu’s voice rang out as he, and the other Fire Sages, reached the top of the stairs, “The Avatar has entered the sanctuary!” He shouted as he lifted his hand and pointed to the grand doors that stood tall in front of them.

One of the Fire Sages, seemingly the oldest, spoke quickly, “How did he get in?” he asked, with a tone of distaste.

“I don’t know,” Shyu lied, “But look at the scorch marks—and down there!” He shouted, drawing attention to the space between the doors and the floor, a shadow dancing behind the gates.

“He’s inside!” the elder Fire Sage shouted, “Open the doors immediately before he contacts Avatar Roku,” he demanded of the other Fire Sages and Shyu.

Elua let out a silent breath as she looked up from where she stood. Aang was perched on the statue of a dragon’s tail wrapped around one of the columns as the Fire Sages all stepped forward. He slowly began to inch his way back down to the floor as he prepared to run as soon as they opened the doors.

The four Fire Sages assumed a bending pose, reaching their arms back in synchronized movements, allowing sparks of flames to form at their fingertips before they shot forward five blasts into the mouths of the locks attached to the doors. Instantly, smoke surrounded the door frames as the fire worked its way through the locking mechanisms, and soon… the doors began to creak open.

The light from the interior of the room before them dazzled as the smoke began to dissipate, and instead of the young Avatar that the Fire Sages had gone looking for, they were faced with a lonesome lemur sitting behind the doors of the sanctuary—sneezing from the cloud of smoke.

“It’s the Avatar’s lemur!” one of the Fire Sages shouted in a sense of shock.

“He must have crawled through the pipes!” the elder spoke, “We’ve been fooled!” He shouted in anger, but before he could do anything else, Momo leaped at his face and knocked him to the ground with a hard thud.

Sokka and Katara quickly jumped out from behind the pillars, which had been their hiding place, grabbing onto one Fire Sage each before pulling their robes over their heads, and pushing them to the ground in their blindness just as Shyu followed their lead.

“Now, Aang!”

There was no response from the boy.

“Aang!” Katara shouted, looking back, “Now’s your chance!” She spoke as she turned around to face the boy, but as he came around the pillar, it was not him alone…

Prince Zuko.

Elua’s eyes narrowed as the face matched the name, “Let him go,” she spoke.

“He’s coming with me,” Zuko stated firmly as he glared at the girl in front of him, “-and so are you,” he demanded, taking a small step forward, an action that made Sokka match his movement in an effort to reach Elua quickly if it came to it.

Perhaps they could have taken Zuko, with the help of Shyu, but they were surrounded by master firebenders as they collected their composure rather fast. It may have been a banished prince in front of him, but he was still the son of the most powerful man in the world. There was no fighting out of this… not right now.

Elua glanced around herself, not moving her head, and knew that she was outnumbered. She turned her eyes back to her brother and gave him a look that was only familiar to him. She hid her smirk as she sighed in defeat, shoulders all but slumping, quickly coming to raise her hands in surrender along with her and her brother’s friends who stood behind her in confusion and sadness.

“Close the doors!” Zuko demanded of the Fire Sages, “Quickly,” he said as he stepped forward to take Elua into his custody, but Aang made a quick and fast move of kicking his feet out from under him, sending him to the floor with a thud before Elua sent one strong gust of wind that sent the scarred boy flying down the stairs behind him.

Elua turned to look down at her brother with a smirk, “Go,” she nodded behind herself toward the doors.

Aang gave his sister a confident nod before he turned around and quickly began to run toward the open doors. Elua whipped her head back as soon as he inched closer to his goal. Her eyes were stern as they focused on a figure quickly racing back up the stairs, watching as the scarred prince sheathed with a sense of absolute rage, ready to do something ugly to someone.

Katara soon cheered from behind Elua, “He made it!” She shouted out of excitement, a sound that made Elua smile, knowing he had done it without any harm coming to him.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Elua shifted uncomfortably as she attempted to get the chains around her to stop digging into her body. It was likely on purpose that they were wrapped around her so tightly, which gave her even more reason to believe this Prince cared naught for anyone but himself. She sighed, knowing it was futile to continue, and tried to distract herself with the scene that was playing out in front of her instead.

“Why isn’t it working!?” Prince Zuko shouted in anger as the Fire Sages tried once, twice, and three times to reopen the door, “It’s sealed shut!” He yelled again.

“It must have been the light,” the old Sage stated in a raspy voice, “Avatar Roku does not want us inside,” he declared, something that made Elua fight back a sigh of relief, knowing Aang’s past life was protecting him.

Zuko scoffed in anger before he marched over to Shyu, “Why did you help the Avatar?” He demanded to know, glaring down at the Sage who betrayed him.

“Because it was once the Sages’ duty,” Shyu said with confidence, “It is still our duty,” he emphasized, not backing down from the Prince, knowing his truth.

Suddenly, the sharp sound of someone clapping echoed from behind them, causing everyone’s head to turn back in surprise. Elua frowned in confusion as she spotted a middle-aged man standing there. He was uniformed in Fire Nation armor and fitted with an eerie and almost evil smirk upon his face as six soldiers trailed behind him.

“What a moving and heartfelt performance,” the man declared, his voice dripping with sarcasm, “I’m certain the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him,” he continued as he looked down at Shyu with an evil gaze.

The remainder of the Fire Sages quickly bowed in respect, “Commander Zhou,” the oldest one said in recognition.

“And Prince Zuko, it was a noble effort, but your little smokescreen didn’t work,” Commander Zhou informed him, making the Prince glare, a sense of vast detest in his eyes, “Two traitors, in one day… The Fire Lord will be pleased,” he said with another smirk.

“You’re too late, Zhou!” Zuko yelled as the Fire Sages took his arms behind his back, “The Avatar is inside and the doors are sealed shut,” he informed with a glare.

“No matter,” Zhou chuckled evilly, “Sooner, or later, he has to come out,” he declared with a dark sense about him.

Elua began to struggle against her chains again, “Leave my brother alone!”

Zhou stopped as he turned in her direction. A tasteless grin formed on his face as he spotted her across the room. He slowly began to stride toward her, his footsteps a booming echo in the now silent room, knowing that she had nowhere to escape from where she was chained to the pillar behind her back.

“Well if it isn’t the Bride that never was,” his words made Elua’s eyes widen in shock, “Oh, yes, I know all about your little scandal,” he chuckled, a mocking tone in his voice, obviously picking up on her sense of surprise as she turned away.

Elua cringed in disgust as Zhou reached out and grasped onto her face with his rough hand, turning her face back to him, “It would seem the ice kept you ever so young,” he said with a smirk, licking his lips in what seemed like hunger, making Elua back as far away as she could with the pillar behind her head and his hand on her face.

Sokka’s eyes all but turned red, “Don’t touch her!” He demanded with anger in his voice, causing Zhou to scoff in amusement at his words, glancing at him with an unforgiving look.

“Well, look at that,” Zhou said with a chuckle as he continued to hold onto Elua roughly, “Looks like you got yourself a savage for a guard dog,” he laughed.

Elua glared at him when he spoke those words. She saw the mocking look in his eyes, the detest for tribal people, something likely taught in Fire Nation schools now. Her mind raced with insults to throw back at him, but to a commander in the genocidal military, they would have been laughable. So, instead of words, she took a physical action… and spit in his face, something that made Katara have to fight a laugh of triumph.

Zhou released his grip on Elua’s face as he slowly wiped off the saliva now on his cheek. He huffed in fake amusement as he turned away from her. It seemed that he was going to walk away, but instead, he swung back around and handed a hard and sharp slap to the side of Elua’s face. Its force made her neck involuntarily turn the other way, a gasp of pain and surprise falling from her lips, but it was not the only one heard in the room—even Zuko seemed to have been taken aback by the commander’s actions.

“Elua!” Sokka shouted in worry as he struggled against his chains, “Leave her alone!” His voice boomed through the room, and while it was not Sokka’s demand that got him to leave, Zhou ultimately walked away and back over toward the Fire Sages.

“When those doors open,” Zhou began, motioning for Zuko to be chained beside Elua, before he continued, “Unleash all your firebending power,” he ordered.

Elua held her breath as she watched Zhou and his soldiers take defensive stances in front of the grand doors. She shook her head in frustration, a sense of helplessness washing over her as she stood chained to a pillar, knowing that she had nothing to help her little brother get out of here safely. Her eyes widened in fear as the doors began to open before them, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, unable to bear the imagined pain that was about to befall…

Zhou stood confidently with his soldiers, “Ready…” he anticipated his men.

Katara stared onward out of fear, “No!” She shouted out in desperation.

“No!” Elua yelled with a shaking voice, “AANG!” She screamed to warn him.

“Fire!”

Zhou, along with all of the Fire Nation soldiers and Sages, released waves of fire at the doorway in an attempt to subdue the boy… but instead of Aang, it was Roku who stood at the entrance of the sanctuary. He drew upon his firebending in a powerful move to create a massive ball of fire before unleashing it at the soldiers, Sages, and commander. It knocked back all of their foes while also melting away the chains that held Elua and her friends defenseless, offering Prince Zuko a moment to run away, but allowing Sokka a chance to rush toward the female air nomad.

Sokka gripped softly onto Elua’s face, “Are you okay?” He asked worriedly.

“Yes,” Elua nodded with a smile as she reached up to one of his hands, “I’m okay,” she reassured him.

“Avatar Roku is going to destroy the temple!” Shyu shouted to the teenagers around him as the building shook with great force, “We have to get out of here!” He declared.

Katara shook her head, “Not without Aang,” she said with determination.

Avatar Roku soon raised his arms before he quickly brought them back down onto the floor of the temple, causing it to shake violently, bringing up a flow of hot magma from deep within the volcano below. A large wall of magma shot up and through the entire structure of the temple. It erupted out of the top of the temple, which caused Elua and the Water Tribe siblings to hunch behind a standing pillar to protect from getting burnt.

Soon, the smoke created by Roku was sucked back toward him, enveloping his body in the cloud… and as it dissipated, it was Aang who stood in his place. His eyes still glowed, but as he closed them, an exhausted groan was heard from him as he sank to his knees.

“Aang!” Elua yelled in worry as she rushed toward her little brother, “I’ve got you,” she said with a relieved sigh, kneeling in front of him, and quickly bringing him into a tight hug to steady him.

Sokka stood beside Elua as he smiled at Aang, “We’ve got your back,” he said.

“Thanks,” Aang grinned goofily, “Where’s Shyu?” He asked as he glanced around for a second at the deteriorating temple.

“I don’t know,” Katara shook her head as she looked around, “But we should probably get out of here,” she said worriedly.

Elua and Sokka helped Aang get back to his feet before all of them rushed toward the stairs, only to find that the magma had melted them away, and filled the tunnel with its hot and bubbling substance. One of the columns suddenly collapsed behind them, which caused all four of them to yell in shock and fear before they all rushed towards a hole in the side of the temple. It was displayed before them that the temple was being swallowed by the lava of the volcano. There was nowhere to go.

A sudden and distant sound of chirping caused them to look up at the orange-filled sky. There was Momo, Ume, and Appa. The three creatures raced toward them, Momo with a Fire Nation man’s hat atop his head, all playing the part of the rescue party perfectly.

Elua, Sokka, Aang, and Katara grasped onto each other’s hands before they jumped off the edge of the temple and landed together on Appa’s saddle before the giant flying bison—and their lemurs—flew off into the distance as Avatar Roku’s temple came crashing to the ground and returned to the earth… all as it once was.

Chapter Text

THE BLUE MORNING SKY PEAKED through the streaks of clouds as Appa soared up, over, and around mountaintops with the precision necessary not to throw any of his riders off of his saddle. Elua sat with her back against the front of the saddle, all her focus on Aang as he frantically paced up and down Appa’s back, his breathing quick and filled with panic. He had done it for a while, and it was beginning to concern the others around him.

Elua’s muscles tensed as she felt a strong gust of wind blow over them. Her instincts told her to be at the ready for when her little brother inevitably fell off the sky bison’s back without his glider in hand. She almost jumped when she felt a hand softly touch her shoulder, quickly turning her attention to the young man sat behind her, meeting his kind blue eyes.

Sokka offered her a reassuring smile before he looked to Aang, “Would you please sit down?” he asked, looking at the boy with frowned eyebrows, concerned not only for him but also his elder sister whose stress was increasing by the second.

“Aang, please,” Elua said softly when the boy did not listen, “If we hit a bump, then you’ll go flying off,” she told him, quickly grabbing his arm as he paced toward her, gently tugging him to sit beside her and calm down.

Sokka sighed as his shoulders slumped in relief, “What’s bugging you?” he asked calmly.

Aang brought his hands up to his head out of stress as he shook it and curled his knees up to his chest.

“Talk to us, Aang,” Elua said as she rubbed his back out of comfort, “Talk to me,” she emphasized, causing him to sigh before he looked over at her, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

“It’s what Avatar Roku said,” Aang began to explain, “I’m supposed to master all four elements before that comet arrives,” he expressed his stresses to his sister and newly found friends.

“Well, let’s see…” Sokka trailed off in thought, “You’ve pretty much mastered airbending and that only took you 112 years, so I’m sure you can master three more by next summer,” he said nonchalantly as he held onto the reins and shrugged as if he had just given the best advice in the entire world.

Elua turned her gaze to him with a sharp glare, “You’re not helping,” she said.

“I haven’t even started waterbending, and we’re still weeks away from the North Pole!” Aang shouted as he stood up with his hands on his head, “What am I gonna do!?” he yelled out of stress, almost hyperventilating, unknown before him.

“Calm down,” Katara said as she took both of his hands into hers, “It’s going to be okay, and if you want, I can try and teach you some of the stuff I know,” she told him calmly, offering him a smile.

Aang beamed at that idea, “You would do that?” he asked out of excitement.

Katara nodded happily, “We’ll need to find a good source of water first,” she stated.

“Oh, yeah,” Sokka smirked, “I’m sure we can find a puddle for you two to go splash in,” he joked, chuckling to himself as Appa continued onward, going to find this splash “puddle” that he spoke of…

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“Nice puddle.”

The words came out of Sokka’s mouth with a sense of shock as he stared at the large river running in front of him. It had a large volume of water with not one but two waterfalls, one up on the hill above them, and another below flowing back into the ocean somewhere within the miles ahead of them. It was a sight that left them all in a state of awe… but Appa didn’t care about sights and instead decided just to jump right in with a huge splash that sent Momo flying off his rock and left Ume to chatter in what seemed like laughter.

Aang smiled in excitement at his sky bison’s actions, “Don’t start without me, boy!” he said with a beaming smile, quickly beginning to take his shirt off, ready to go swimming with his giant fluffy friend.

“Aang,” Katara caught his attention, “Remember the reason we’re here,” she reminded him with a friendly smile on her face.

“Oh, right,” Aang chuckled to himself as he scratched the back of his head, “It is time to practice waterbending,” he said, smoothing his shirt back down, ready to try out his waterbending skills for the first time since the South Pole incident with a notorious Prince.

“Great,” Sokka dragged along, “What am I supposed to do?” he asked them.

“You could…” Aang trailed off as he bent down and picked up a stick, “-clean the gunk out of Appa’s toes?” he asked, holding out the branch to Sokka, a funny grin on his face as to entice him to do the chore for him.

Sokka scrunched his nose at this idea, “So, while you guys are playing in the water, I’m just supposed to be hard at work picking the mud out of a giant bison’s feet?” he asked, cringing even more at the idea, thinking of the in-between of the animal’s toes.

“I’ll help, Sokka,” Elua offered out of kindness as she began to tie her hair up and out of the way, “It will be more efficient with two people, anyway,” she smiled, walking past the young man as she began to take her shirt off, not wanting to wear soggy clothes for the rest of the day.

Sokka’s eyes trailed after the young woman, “Okay,” he said with his mouth almost gapping as he stumbly took the branch out of Aang’s hands and headed to the side of the river.

Aang frowned in confusion as he turned to Katara, “What’s with Sokka?” he asked innocently, making Katara giggle and shake her head, tugging the teenager off in the opposite direction as the other two.

Sokka watched from the shore while Elua sighed happily as she stepped into the cool water and let her worries flow away with the current of the river. She then kneeled into the water, pushing off into the deep of the river, swimming over to the giant bison who floated on his back with happy growls. Her hair flowed in the water with its long dark strands turning almost black as it absorbed it. Her pale skin all but glistened in the sun as droplets rolled down her shoulders.

“Are you just gonna stand there?” Elua laughed, now sat upon the bison’s large belly, looking over to Sokka, “They won’t be doing that all day,” she smiled as she nodded over to her brother and Katara while they practiced at the shoreline.

Sokka blushed with a sheepish smile on his face, “Right,” he said, an awkward chuckle following his words as he took the branch in his hand, and soon jumped off one rock to another until he reached Appa and hopped onto his belly.

“You haven’t had a bath in 100 years, boy,” Elua said with a smile as she began to wash away some of the obvious dirt from Appa’s fur, “That’s gotta be some kind of record,” she chuckled, getting a confirming groan from the giant bison’s mouth, but he was simply just enjoying the spa day that he was getting.

Sokka smiled at the young Air Nomad woman in front of him, but it soon turned to a frown as he spotted the faint red mark on her face, a sense of anger and sadness washing over him, “Elua,” he said, to which she hummed, “Is your cheek still hurting?” he asked carefully as to not cause her to relive yesterday.

“Oh,” Elua said, surprised, “No. It’s okay. I don’t even feel it,” she reassured him with a small smile, causing him to offer her one in return, happy to hear that she was okay.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a giant wave of water crashed over them. It had sent not only Sokka and Elua flying off of Appa, but also all of their supplies, which wasted no time in flowing down the river with the current. That was not how they expected Aang’s practice to go.

Sokka resurfaced from the water he had been pushed into, “Aang!” he yelled in frustration as he glared at his sister and the boy up on the shore.

“Looks like I got the hang of that move!” Aang said triumphantly, “What else you got?” He asked Katara with a smile that said he was ready for more.

Katara looked off at the water, “That’s enough practicing for today,” she said with an almost annoyed tone.

“I agree,” Elua sighed as she walked onto the shore, ringing out her hair, “We just lost all of our supplies to the river,” she said, motioning towards the things that were flowing downstream, heading for who knows where.

Sokka groaned in annoyance as he followed Elua, “I’ll say!” he shouted as he threw his arms up.

“Uhhh,” Aang chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head, “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Elua sighed, “We can find a town nearby to replace everything,” she reassured the boy with a kind smile as she placed a sisterly hand to his shoulder.

Sokka sighed as his shoulders slumped, “It was hard enough when you were just an airbender,” he all but whined as he flopped back into the water in dramatics.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Elua sighed as she placed a thing of rice into Sokka’s bag. It was better than nothing, but it would have been nice to afford some sort of fruit or vegetable. The money was running low, though, and they had to ration it out so that they’d have enough to stock up until they could find another way to earn more.

Sokka reached out and gently took the bag from Elua, “We have got exactly three copper pieces left from the money that King Bumi gave us,” he stated as he slung the bag over his right shoulder and sighed.

“We should spend it wisely,” Elua advises all of them, “We don’t know when we’ll be able to make any more money or get aid from another friend,” she sighed.

“Uhm, make that two copper pieces, actually,” Aang said, causing the other three to look at him with a frown, wondering what he had done, “I couldn’t say no to this whistle!” he stated as he held out a wooden whistle carved into the shape resembling that of Appa.

Aang drew the whistle into his mouth, cupping his lips around it, and blowing quickly into it. Sokka cringed as he put his fingers in his ears, but nothing happened.

Elua frowned in confusion, raising an eyebrow in question, wondering why her little brother had wasted a coin on something that seemed to not even work.

“It doesn’t even work,” Sokka announced as Momo took it out of Aang’s hand and inspected it, “See! Even Momo thinks it’s a piece of junk,” he said, watching as Momo threw the wooden whistle, making it hit Ume’s head and causing her to let out an upset screech before she jumped at Momo and began wrestling him to the ground out of annoyance at his actions.

“Aang,” Elua sighed as she looked down at her brother, “I think it’s best that I hang onto the money from now on,” she told him, holding her hand out to the boy, causing him to sigh and hang his head as he handed her the two remaining pieces.

“Earth Nation! Fire Nation! Water Nation!”

Elua frowned as they walked closer to the ship dock and saw a man dressed in green robes with large hoop earrings hanging from his lobes yell about random nations across the square.

“So long as bargains are your inclination, you’re welcome here!”

What was he talking about? Elua had no idea. She also didn’t really care much to find out.

“You there!” the man suddenly shouted again as he pointed toward the group of young teenagers, “I can see by your clothes that you’re world-traveling types. Maybe I can interest you in some exotic curios?” he asked, a smirk on his face, bowing back to the teens with a sense of mischief in his eyes.

Elua frowned at him in suspicion, “No, thanks. We were just—” she’s cut off.

“Sure!” Aang said with an excited smile that made Elua sigh as her shoulders slumped, “What are curios?” he asked with a questioning frown.

The man in front of them blinked for a second, “I’m not entirely sure… but we got ‘em!” he said, grabbing Aang by the shoulders with a smile, happily guiding him to one of the ships docked nearby.

Elua almost groaned in annoyance as they all followed after them, walking onto the dock and inside of the ship, soon looking around the dimly lit belly of it that was full of random things that some people would attribute to as treasures and collectables. She didn’t exactly care about those things. Her view on material things was different than most, seeing as she grew up with monks and nuns who believed that the material world was simply just a distraction to the greater need for spiritual awareness and awakening. These things would not matter once they were dead, for after all, nothing material could ever follow you into the afterlife or rebirth.

“I’ve never seen such a fine specimen of lemur,” a low and raspy voice spoke out from a dark and shaded doorway behind the group, “That beast would fetch me a hefty sum if you’d be interested in bartering,” a man wearing a wide brim hat with a large green reptilian bird perched on his shoulder spoke with a determined smirk.

Elua stood steady as the bird screeched at Momo, causing the lemur to chat back in defense, jumping away from Aang and over to his sister as Momo raced to protect Ume from the foul creature before them. Momo hissed at the animal as he hung onto Ume in a tight and protective hug. After all their fighting, the two lemurs still had their moments, displaying a sense of love for one another that was shown in moments like these.

“Momo’s not for sale,” Aang said with a frown, “And neither is Ume,” he said.

“Look at this, Aang!” Katara suddenly called from behind, “It’s a waterbending scroll— and check out these crazy moves,” she said, excited at what she had found, something that brought a smile to her face.

Elua frowned as she looked down at it, “Where did you get a waterbending scroll?” she asked the man in front of them, raising a brow in question, knowing it was odd for some random ship captain to own such a thing.

“Let’s just say that I got it up North for the most reasonable price…” the man paused with a smirk, “-Free!” he announced with a booming laugh, one that was not full of amusement, but rather pride and egotistical nature.

“Wait a minute,” Sokka said as he brought his hand to his chin, “Sea-loving traders… with suspiciously acquired merchandise… and pet reptile birds… You’re pirates!” he announced with an ‘ah-ha’ in his tone as he narrowed his eyes at the Pirate Captain standing in front of him.

The man who had led them inside smirked as he hummed, “We prefer to think of ourselves as high-risk traders,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest, looking down at the teenagers.

“So,” Katara began as she looked at the Captain with suspicion, “How much for the, uh, ‘traded’ scroll?” she asked, a certain look in her blue eyes, one that said she knew this scroll had not been fairly taken from where it came from.

“I’ve already got a buyer– a nobleman in the Earth Kingdom,” the Captain said with a matter-of-fact tone, “Unless, of course, you kids have 200 gold pieces on you right now?” he asked, leaning in toward Katara, a brow raised in sarcastic question.

“I know how to deal with these guys, Katara,” Aang whispered with a smile, an action that made Elua look at him concerned, “Pirates love to haggle,” he said as he quickly snatched the two copper pieces out of his sister’s hand and turned back to the Captain.

Elua’s eyes widened, “Aang!” she whisper-shouted at her little brother, who was growing notorious for getting into trouble for unnecessary reasons.

“What say you to the price of…” Aang trailed off with a smirk, “-One copper piece!” he said, holding up one copper between his fingers, a mischievous grin on his face.

The Captain let out a loud and booming laugh, “The price is 200 gold pieces. I don’t haggle on items this rare,” he told the boy, shaking his head in amusement at his actions.

“Okay,” Aang said as he nodded, “Two copper pieces!” he tried again as he showed off another coin.

The Captain growled in annoyance, “It’s not as amusing the second time, boy,” he glared down at the young Air Nomad.

“Aang, can we get out of here?” Katara asked anxiously. “I feel like we’re getting weird looks,” she expanded, something that made Elua frown at her, knowing that something was up with her sudden change of demeanor.

Aang nodded, “Aye! We be castin’’ off now,” he spoke in his best ‘pirate’ voice as the group slowly backed away and soon found themselves back outside the ship and on the docks once again.

“Katara,” Elua said with skepticism in her voice, “What was that about?” she asked with a sense of concern.

“Yeah,” Sokka said with a whine, “I was just starting to browse through their boomerang collection,” he admitted, shoulders slumped in disappointment, which made Elua shake her head as she had a feeling something more serious was going on right now.

Katara shook her head as they began to walk, “I’ll just feel a lot better once we get away from here,” she stated, an almost paranoid look in her eyes, a look that said something was up.

Elua frowned again as she caught up with Katara, “What is this really about?”

“HEY, YOU!” one of the pirates suddenly yelled from behind them, “Get back here!” he demanded, him and his buddies following behind him, an action that said this wasn’t going to be good.

“Well, well, well,” Aang said as he stopped and turned around, “Told you the haggling would pay off,” he said with a smile of triumph, clearly thinking this was them changing their minds on the price, but the rest of them knew it was not that—especially as the group of a dozen or so pirates unsheathed swords and daggers from their belts, growling in anger as they inched toward them…

Chapter Text

THE GROUP OF TEENAGERS raced through the town that had begun to resemble a maze the further they ran, with a mob of angry pirates right on their tails.

They quickly turned a corner, Katara waterbending some dirty mop water out of a nearby shop, swiftly freezing it to the pavement, causing a pirate to slip and fall onto the ground with a hard and painful thud.

They turned another corner as they continued on, but they instantly collided with a merchant’s cart, making a bunch of cabbages go flying in the air—one of which Elua was able to catch before it hit the ground and quickly tossed to the angry merchant before she raced off to join her friends in their flight to freedom.

They came barreling around yet one more corner while still running, but the exit was blocked by a group of furious pirates with sharp blades, which made them all turn right back around… except that way was blocked too now.

One of the pirates smirked as he twirled his blade, “I hope those lemurs of yours have nine lives,” he laughed maniacally, staring at the lemurs, almost as if they were ready to stuff them.

Elua and Aang looked at each other for a split second, sharing a silent word with one another, each of them having the same idea in mind… hopefully one that wouldn’t end up with their heads on a spike afterward.

“They don’t,” Elua spoke toward the first pirate, “And neither do you guys,” she offered them a bitter smile, causing them all to frown in confusion, but they soon knew what she meant as she pushed her arms forward and sent them all flying backward with a large gust of wind.

Elua couldn’t help the little smirk that formed on her face as she turned around and began to race toward one of the walls of the town with her glider in hand. Aang laughed as he quickly raced after his sister and copied her motions. Sokka and Katara both frowned in confusion at the two Air Nomad siblings but, seeing as there was nowhere else to go, they followed after their friends without question.

Both of the Air Nomads threw their open gliders into the air, grabbing onto them quickly as they began to float, ready for their escape. Katara and Sokka’s eyes widened in realization of what they were doing but knew there wasn’t anywhere else to go. Sokka let out a fearful shout as he jumped to grip onto Elua’s leg, Katara following his lead with Aang, both of them shouting in fear as they got further and further off the ground below.

“Hold on tight!” Aang announced as he and his sister turned around and headed straight for the pirates.

“Aang!” Katara shouted in fear, “I thought we were running away from the pirates!” She yelled, eyes widening as they neared the group of armed men, but they were only there for a second before the Water Tribe siblings used the men’s heads as leverage and sent the group flying off into the sky unharmed.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Aang sighed sadly as he closed his glider, “I used to kind of look up to pirates, but those guys are terrible,” he said, sitting down on the ground, leaning back onto a rock behind him.

“Aang,” Elua said as she looked at him in confusion, “Piracy was illegal 100 years ago… but you looked up to them?” She questioned, eyes on the boy, part of her wondering what he actually did when she wasn’t hanging around the temples, but all he did was shrug in response.

“I know they were bad…” Katara trailed off as she shuffled her feet, “-that’s why I took… this!” She announced, revealing the waterbending scroll from behind her back, a proud smirk on her face.

Elua’s mouth slightly fell open, “Katara…” she said with a worried tone.

“No wonder they were trying to hack us up,” Sokka spoke in shock, “You stole their waterbending scroll!” He said, staring at his sister with a slight glare, surprised that she would even do such a thing.

Katara smirked mischievously at her brother, “I prefer to think of it as high-risk trading,” she smiled, using the farce that the pirates had told them.

Aang laughed at her words, “Good one, Katara,” he said with a lasting chuckle but quickly stopped as Elua gave him a look of disapproval and Sokka crossed his arms in the same sense.

“Where do you think they got it?” Katara asked the two older teens, “They stole it from a waterbender,” she stated, a half-sad, half-angry expression on her face.

“That’s not important right now,” Elua sighed, “You put all of our lives in danger,” she said, her tone laced with disappointment, something that caused Katara to slightly look away with an embarrassed frown.

Sokka nodded in agreement, “And all so you could learn some stupid and fancy splashes!” He announced in annoyance to his younger sister before him.

“These are real waterbending forms!” Katara argued as she unrolled the scroll and motioned to its lessons inside, “You know—you both know—how crucial it is for Aang to learn waterbending,” she said, raising her voice, a sense of defense in her tone.

Sokka shook his head, “Whatever,” he huffed, turning away from his sister and stomping off back towards camp.

Elua sighed as she watched him walk off before turning back to the younger two behind her, “You already took it,” she shrugged, “You might as well learn something from it,” she offered half a smile, still disappointed in the girl’s actions, but what was done, was done.

Katara beamed at Elua before the Air Nomad turned her back and began to walk away, heading over toward Sokka, who was leaned against a tree with his arms crossed over his chest. He was obviously upset with his younger sister’s actions. It wasn’t the most responsible choice, Elua knew that and agreed, but Katara was still a young teenager… she was sure that all of them would make mistakes on this long journey to the North.

“There’s nothing you can do about it now, Sokka,” Elua said as she came to stand in front of him, “What’s done is done,” she sighed, glancing back toward the two youngers behind herself, watching as they walked toward the edge of the river.

Sokka sighed, “I know, but she still shouldn’t have done it,” he shook his head again before they both headed back toward the shore and joined the other two as the sun began to set on the horizon.

“I just want to try this one move and then it’s all yours,” Katara spoke toward Aang as she looked down at the open waterbending scroll sat on a tree stump. “The single water whip… looks doable,” she said with an excited smile, allowing Aang to hold it open for her as she walked toward the water, ready to give it a try.

Katara furrowed her brow as she focused on the water, bending a stream of it up and out of the river, almost clumsily molding it around her hands. She moved it up and around her head as she tried to steady it. Her hands moved outward just as she went to whip it like in the scroll’s instructions… only for it to backfire and go whipping the wrong way and slap her on the forehead, leaving a red mark.

Elua cringed at the sight while Sokka let out a bitter laugh from the rock he had perched himself on, something that made Katara turn to face him, a glare on her face that was pointed toward her older brother.

Katara huffed, “What’s so funny?” She asked Sokka, obviously annoyed.

“I’m sorry, but you deserved that,” Sokka said pointedly as he shook his head at his sister before he turned to Aang, “You’ve been duped. She’s only interested in teaching herself,” he informed him, shrugging as if to say it was obvious, something that made Elua sigh as she was beginning to believe he was right.

Katara huffed once again, “Aang will get his turn once I figure out the water whip,” she declared, turning back toward the water, and ignoring her brother.

She bent another stream out from the river; however, right as she flicked it, it became uneven and hit Momo on his backside… something that made him screech in surprise and Ume turn and yell at Katara in upset.

Katara groaned in annoyance, “Why can’t I get this stupid move!” She shouted out in a fit of anger as she clutched her hands into fists and glared at the river.

Aang smiled reassuringly at her, “You’re almost there,” he told her, but that only made her more annoyed, causing her to look at him unimpressed.

“Both water and air are similar in how you have to flow with them,” Elua said, standing up from where she sat, walking toward Katara and Aang, “But it takes time to understand the element,” she spoke calmly as she focused on the molecules of air that she could feel in the water, slowly taking a bubble out of the water, but it still fell back clumsily, “See? I can’t even do it, yet. It just takes–”

“No offense, Elua,” Katara interrupted her irritatedly, “But you’re not a real waterbender!” She said in annoyance, throwing her arms up, quickly turning away from the young Air Nomad.

Elua knew that she was right, of course, but something about her words still stung a bit. She didn’t say anything, though. Instead, she sighed sadly before she turned away, and walked back toward Sokka. He gave her an apologetic look, but Elua shook her head and gave him a small smile to show that she was fine.

“You’ll get it, Katara,” Aang spoke, seemingly ignoring the obvious sense of upset from Katara as he turned toward the water, lifting his arms and beginning to manipulate the element, “You’ve just gotta shift your weight through the stances,” he explained simply as he moved perfectly through the stages on the scroll and flicked the water whip perfectly before he released it back into the river, “See? The key to bending is—”

“Will you PLEASE shut your air hole!?” Katara suddenly shouted at the poor boy, “Believe it or not, your infinite wisdom gets a little old sometimes!” She went on, “Why don’t we just throw the scroll away since you’re so naturally gifted!?” She shouted one last time, causing everyone to go silent, and tears to well in a certain boy’s eyes…

A glare formed on Elua’s face as she saw her brother’s despair, “Katara,” she said, a tone of anger bubbling in her throat, something rarely seen from the young female airbender.

“What!?” Katara shouted back to her, turning to face her and Sokka, both of their disapproving looks making her quickly turn back to Aang’s sorrowed face, “Oh my gosh, Aang… I am so sorry,” she said with a sense of shock and shame over her actions that had made the boy quiver, “I don’t know what came over me.”

Katara sighed as her shoulders slumped in shame as she turned to where the scroll sat, “But you know what? It won’t happen again,” she said, rolling it back up, turning back to Aang with it, “Here, this is yours, I don’t want anything to do with it anymore,” she announced as she folded her hands in front of herself and looked down at Aang with regret.

Aang smiled at her softly, “It’s okay, Katara,” he said forgivingly as he took the scroll.

“Ahem,” Sokka cleared his throat, “What about Elua?” he brought up as he motioned toward the young woman stood next to him.

“I’m sorry, Elua,” Katara said with regret in her voice, “I shouldn’t have said what I did,” she sighed, a look of apology in her eyes, genuine and true.

Elua offered her a small smile, “Don’t worry about it,” she nodded toward her.

“And Momo,” Sokka said as he motioned to the lemur, “He’s the real victim here,” he announced, watching as Momo rubbed his backside in pain with Ume in front of him, comfortingly grooming his fur as she chattered.

Katara sighed sadly as she knelt in front of them, “I’m sorry, Momo,” she said as she stroked his fur in apology.

“And,” Sokka continued, “What about me?” He asked, making Elua sigh as she looked over to him, knowing he was being an idiot.

Elua shook her head at him, “Sokka…” she warned as she gave him a look.

Sokka ignored her as he went on, “There was that one time you–”

“No more apologies!”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

That night, Elua woke to the sound of rustling… She opened her sleepy eyes with a tired sigh as she slowly looked around the campsite. Their fire was still alive, its heat radiating off the burning wood as it kept everyone warm, and it was silent as everyone slept soundly—almost everyone. Elua frowned as she noticed Katara’s sleeping bag was empty.

“Shh!” A muted shush echoed softly through the woods, “Momo, go back to sleep,” Katara’s voice commanded in a whisper, making the lemur chatter “Shhh.”

Elua frowned again as she quietly stood from her bedroll, careful not to wake the boys, before she silently began walking in the direction of Katara’s whisper. She peeked around the trees and spotted the girl walking off into the woods toward the riverside. Elua tilted her head in confusion, wondering what Katara was up to, but she kept herself in the shadows and quietly followed her through the forest.

Katara soon reached the shore of the river, placing the waterbending scroll upon the stump of an old tree, studying its contents before she began to bend the river water out from the current and into the night sky… She tried several times to get the water to obey her commands, but each try failed, and the next was even worse.

“Shoot!” Katara shouted in frustration, “Come on, Water—work with me here,” she groaned in annoyance, dropping the water out of anger, slumping her shoulders as she sighed.

Elua couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight in front of her, “It has nothing to do with water, you know,” she suddenly said, “You’re the bender, not the water.”

Katara gasped in surprise as she spun around, “Elua!” she sighed, placing a hand over her heart, “You scared me,” she smiled and sighed in relief to see her.

“Sorry,” Elua said sheepishly as she stepped toward the waterbender, “I just heard you get up and didn’t want you wandering alone,” she admitted with a kind glance.

“Thanks,” Katara said with a sigh, “I just want to get this move down but I get so frustrated,” she spoke in defeat as she looked to the river, “I don’t want to take it out on any of you, again.”

Elua nodded as she walked toward the girl in silence, “I struggled too, in the beginning,” she broke the silence, “There was something about the structure of our lessons that I didn’t thrive in,” she spoke softly, reminiscing on her younger years, a time when she was a child and Aang either not yet born or simply too small to be in the memories.

“Really?” Katara asked with a sense of shock, “I just assumed that you were always a prodigy,” she admitted, looking at Elua with a gaze of surprise, unknown feelings behind her eyes.

“No,” Elua laughed, “Don’t get me wrong, I mastered it much quicker than my peers, but the beginning of my bending was a disaster,” she chuckled, looking up at the stars in the sky, memories flooding her mind… but she shook her head of them and turned back to Katara, “You’ll get there, I promise… give it time and practice.”

Katara smiled at the young airbender, “Thanks, Elua,” she sighed happily as she turned back to the river and watched as the current flowed and the two girls stood in comfortable silence with one another.

Suddenly, their comfortable silence was interrupted by the sound of metal grinding, similar to the sound of a Fire Nation ship docking on the shore… The two young women looked at each other with widened eyes at the sound before both of them rushed toward a line of bushes near the shore. They both held their breaths, crouching down behind the leafy bushes, soon turning their gaze through the leaves and toward the other side of the shoreline.

A metal ship beached on the shore came into view as the two girls peeked through the foliage in front of them. Both of them gasped. They turned back to one another in shock yet both knew exactly who this must have been. One thing was on both of their minds now: warn Sokka and Aang and leave before it was too late.

Katara quickly turned around, ready to run back to camp and get the boys, but before Elua could follow after her, a rough hand reached out and covered her mouth to keep her in place. She tried to warn Katara of this new and threatening presence, but her voice came out in muffled huffs. It was too late anyway, though, as Katara was quickly grabbed by one of the pirates from earlier… that told Elua exactly who was ambushing them now.

Katara struggled against the pirate’s grasp, “Let go of me!” She shouted, her instincts taking over as she bent a stream of water out from the river, and threw it back at the pirate’s face before fleeing from his grasp quickly.

Elua took this distraction as an opportunity to flip out of the other pirate’s grasp, using her airbending as a boost over his head, but as she turned to look in the direction of their campsite—a small group of Fire Nation soldiers towered in front of her. She let out a small gasp as she took a step backward, only to bump right back into the pirate that she had just evaded, cornering her with no place to run.

Elua turned her gaze back to Katara, only to see a certain Prince standing right in front of the waterbender, quickly taking hold of her wrists as she tried to flee the pirates…

“I’ll save you from the pirates.”

Chapter Text

ELUA LET OUT AN EXASPERATED SIGH, leaning her head back against the rough bark of the tree she was bound to. She shifted lightly against the ropes, testing their strength, noting the knot between her hands was expertly tied—not surprising, given it had been done by a pirate. Beside her, Katara was also bound to a tree, their movements restricted. Katara’s sharp gaze never left Zuko’s scarred face.

Zuko glared back, his eyes hard. “Tell me where he is, and I won’t hurt you—or your brother,” he said, the threat in his voice a weapon, trying to leverage someone who wasn’t even there.

Katara growled. “Go jump in the river!” she spat.

“Try to understand,” Zuko said calmly, eerily so, circling her. “I need to capture him to restore something I’ve lost. My honor,” he added simply.

Elua stared at him, monotone. “Did you lose that in the war?” she asked, her voice mocking, dismissing his sob story.

Zuko huffed but offered no answer, turning his attention back to Katara. “Perhaps, in exchange, I can restore something you’ve lost,” he said, pulling something from behind his back and holding it just above her neck.

Katara’s eyes widened. “My mother’s necklace!” she exclaimed, her glare sharpening at the sight of the blue pendant on its matching ribbon. “How did you get that?”

“I didn’t steal it, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Zuko replied simply. “Tell me where he is,” his eyes hardened as he demanded the truth.

“No!” Katara shouted, snarling.

“Enough of this necklace garbage!” The pirate captain suddenly barked, cutting off Zuko’s interrogation. “You promised the scroll!”

Zuko turned to glare at him and his crew. “I wonder how much this is worth?” he mused, holding the scroll in his palm as a small flame flickered across it.

“NO!” the pirates shouted in unison.

“A lot, apparently,” Zuko smirked at their reaction. “Now, you help me find what I want, and you’ll get this back—everyone goes home happy,” he said. The pirates nodded eagerly, willing to be used by a man banished from his own land. “Search the woods for the boy and meet back here.”

“Don’t you dare!” Elua yelled, straining against her bonds. “I swear to the Moon Spirit herself, if you—”

“Shut her up!” Zuko yelled, motioning to the old man who traveled with him. The man pressed a hand over her mouth. “Go,” Zuko ordered the pirates.

The Captain growled, annoyed, but nodded. “Fine,” he muttered, leading his crew back into the woods.

Elua bit down on the old man’s hand. He yelped, pulling away. “If you hurt him, I’ll hurt you back!” she yelled, her glare fixed on the retreating pirates.

“Ow,” the old man said, rubbing his hand. “You know, I thought nuns were supposed to be kinder than that,” he said softly, pouting.

“That was before you killed all my people,” Elua said darkly. “Now who knows what I might do?” The darkness behind her cedar eyes, a hatred no nomad should possess, made the old man step back cautiously.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

The first pale light of dawn stretched across the horizon, painting the sky in muted shades of gold. The air was damp and cool, the ground still heavy with dew when the pirates returned, dragging their captives behind them. Aang and Sokka stumbled forward, wrists bound tightly with coarse ropes that bit into their skin, both boys forced to their knees before the waiting prince.

Zuko’s lips curved into a sharp smirk, though his amber eyes betrayed little amusement. “Nice work,” he said dryly, his tone heavy with disdain, as if the pirates’ success was beneath even his acknowledgement.

Katara sighed in desperation as her eyes fell on Aang. “Aang,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “This is all my fault…” The weight of her guilt pressed into every word, her shoulders sagging as though the ropes held her too.

But Aang, ever the optimist even in chains, lifted his head and forced a smile that was warm despite the bruise blooming across his cheek. “No, Katara. It isn’t,” he said gently, his voice carrying the steady reassurance of a true friend.

“Yeah,” the old man said softly. “It kind of is.” His words were muted but honest.

Zuko took a threatening step forward, his presence radiating. “Give me the boy.”

The Pirate Captain straightened, his weathered face hardening into a grin that showed no fear. “You give us the scroll,” he shot back, his hand tightening possessively around the rolled parchment tucked at his belt. His men shifted uneasily behind him, blades glinting in the newborn light, the faint scent of smoke and salt clinging to their ragged clothes.

The clearing fell silent for a heartbeat—just the rustle of waves against the shore and the faint groans of the bound Avatar. Two sides stood locked in a standoff, each unwilling to surrender, the tension coiling tighter with every breath.

“Aren’t you just in this for the gold?” Elua suddenly cut in, her voice clear and sharp against the hush of dawn. Bound though she was, she sat straighter against the rough bark of the tree, her eyes fixed on the pirates with an almost careless defiance. “I’m no expert,” she went on, tone almost playful, “but if I had to guess, I’d say the last two living Airbenders would probably fetch you a much higher price than a bunch of poses scribbled on paper.”

Her words hung in the air like bait tossed into still waters, rippling through the group.

Sokka caught on instantly, his face splitting into a sly grin. “Yeah—exactly!” he chimed in, his sarcasm dripping like honey. “I mean, come on. You’re really gonna hand over—y’know, the Avatar—for a stupid piece of parchment??” His laughter was light, mocking, but his eyes gleamed with calculated mischief.

Zuko stiffened, his nostrils flaring as his temper snapped like a whip. “Don’t listen to them!” he barked, stepping forward with fire in his eyes. “They’re trying to turn us against each other!” His voice cracked the air like a lash, his desperation as clear as his fury.

The Pirate Captain faltered, his gaze flicking toward Aang, who sat bound but calm, the rising sun catching the boy’s tattoos like strokes of blue fire. Shock widened the captain’s eyes as the weight of the realization sank in. “Your friend… is the Avatar?” he asked slowly, his tone caught between awe and greed.

“Sure is,” Sokka answered with smug satisfaction, leaning as far forward as the ropes would allow. “I’ll bet he’ll fetch a lot more on the black market than that fancy little scroll of yours.” He chuckled as if he’d just delivered the punchline of a joke.

Zuko’s fury ignited hotter. His face flushed crimson, and his voice thundered across the clearing. “Shut your mouth, Water Tribe peasant!” he roared, each word laced with venom.

“Yeah, Sokka,” Aang muttered under his breath, tugging awkwardly at the ropes around his wrists. “You really should shut your mouth.” His nervous laugh was light and shaky, but his wide eyes betrayed his rising worry.

Sokka only smirked in response, but before he could speak again, Elua’s voice cut through the clearing once more. Calm, measured, almost taunting. “No, no,” she said, shaking her head as though she were reasoning with children. “He’s right.” 

Her gaze locked on the pirates, her tone dipping into something sly. “Think about it—if you marched the Avatar straight into the heart of the Fire Nation capital, you wouldn’t just be rich. You’d be legends. You’d have the kind of reputation that puts your names in songs and stories. Why waste your time haggling over a scroll when you’re holding the greatest prize in the world?”

The words worked their way under the pirates’ skin like a slow poison. Murmurs passed through the ragged men, eyes narrowing on Aang, their grips tightening on cutlasses and spears. The captain rubbed his chin thoughtfully, weighing her suggestion. Finally, a grin split his weathered face, sharp and cruel.

“Keep the scroll,” he said, his voice rough with amusement. He patted the hilt of his cutlass and gestured toward Aang with a greedy gleam in his eyes. “We can buy a hundred of them with the reward we’ll get for the kid.”

The words struck Zuko like oil to flame. His entire body tensed, and his eyes burned like molten gold. “You’ll regret breaking a deal with me,” he snarled, his voice rising like a war-drum. Heat shimmered around him as his soldiers moved in perfect sync, drawing their stances.

Then, with a single sweeping motion, Zuko’s arm lashed forward, unleashing a roaring sheet of fire. His men followed suit, their combined flames erupting into a blazing inferno that surged toward the pirates.

The clearing exploded into chaos. The pirates were thrown back, stumbling and cursing as the flames crashed over them. Smoke curled into the morning air, the scent of charred wood and singed fabric filling the space. Steel clashed as cutlasses were drawn, fire lit the ground in furious arcs, and the dawn was consumed by the crackling roar of battle.

With every foe locked in the clash of fire and steel, two small figures slipped unnoticed through the smoke. From the cover of the treeline, Momo’s wings beat furiously, and beside him, Ume scrambled nimbly down a low-hanging branch. The flying lemur darted past the flicker of stray flames, swooping low with surprising precision, while Ume scurried straight for the ropes that bound Katara and Elua to the trees.

Katara’s eyes widened as tiny claws tugged and teeth worried at the knots. “Momo!” she whispered, hope flickering across her face even as sparks rained down nearby.

Within moments, the ropes fell loose, and Elua exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She rubbed at the raw skin of her wrist with her free hand, a grin breaking across her face as her faithful companion fluttered back up to perch on her shoulder. “Good work,” she murmured warmly, scratching under the lemur’s chin. Momo chittered proudly, tail flicking in satisfaction, while Ume clambered up onto Katara’s lap with a victorious squeak.

For the first time since dawn had broken, relief spread through the two girls—even if only for a heartbeat—before the clash of battle pulled their attention back to the chaos blazing all around them.

“We’ve gotta find a way out of here!” Katara shouted, raising her voice over the clash of steel and the roar of fire as it crackled against the trees. 

“Go!” Elua shouted, her voice sharp and urgent as the clash of fire and steel rang around them. “I’m right behind you,” she promised, her tone firm despite the chaos crackling in the air. Her eyes locked on Katara’s, steady and resolute, giving the waterbender the push she needed to move.

The clash of pirates and firebenders roared around them, steel shrieking against steel, fire hissing as it seared through the air. The night was alive with chaos—shouts of rage, the crackle of flames, the crash of splintering wood. Smoke curled upward in thick, choking waves, burning Elua’s lungs as she sprinted beside Katara. Her sandals slapped against the dirt and scattered embers, each breath a ragged draw of ash and fear.

Katara tugged at her wrist, pulling her toward the dock where the sun glimmered faintly on the water. “This way!” she shouted over the din, her voice nearly swallowed by the roar of battle.

Elua nodded, legs pumping, heart hammering—but then something caught her eye. A spill of gold scattered across the dirt, glinting like sunlight beneath the fire’s glow. A chest, split wide open by some stray blast, lay half-buried in rubble, its contents strewn in a glittering river of coins.

Her steps faltered.

Katara didn’t notice. The tide of fighters surged between them, a wall of pirates and firebenders clashing in a frenzy. A whip of flame scorched the ground between Elua and Katara, and she was forced to stumble back, ducking behind an overturned cart to avoid the blaze. By the time she peered around the wood, Katara was gone—swallowed by smoke and chaos.

Elua’s pulse raced in her ears. Her first instinct screamed at her to run, to catch up  before she was truly alone. But her gaze kept sliding back to the coins. They shimmered in the firelight, promising in every glint: food, medicine, blankets, supplies they had been going without for too long. Their money was nearly gone. One pouch—just one—could buy them days of safety.

Her chest tightened. She shouldn’t. She had to move, and had to find Katara. Yet the thought of leaving the gold behind felt unbearable. She clenched her jaw, whispering to herself, Just a little. Just enough to help.

With a quick glance over her shoulder, she darted forward, heart pounding harder with every step. The dirt was hot under her knees as she scooped up a leather pouch half-buried in ash. She tied it swiftly to her belt, fingers fumbling against the knot as shouts rose above the clash of blades.

A pirate’s eyes landed on her. His snarl split the smoke. “Thief!”

Elua’s blood ran cold. She bolted, throwing herself onto the dock as footsteps pounded after her. A blast of fire licked the air too close to her heels, the heat burning her calves. Her fingers snapped open her glider with practiced speed, the wooden wings unfolding in a single sweep.

She leapt, legs kicking hard as the wind caught beneath the fabric. The dock fell away. The smoke-choked battlefield shrank beneath her, fire and steel and fury fading into chaos below. Higher and higher she climbed, the pouch of stolen coin thumping against her hip like a second heartbeat—heavy, undeniable, and hers.

The roar of water drowned out the last sounds of battle as Appa surged up from the mist, his great bison body straining against the pull of the waterfall below. Sokka clung to the reins, soaked through with spray, his knuckles white. Katara was crouched low, arms outstretched to steady herself against the lurching saddle as Aang urged Appa higher with desperate cries.

“Yip yip!” Aang shouted, his voice raw, his eyes wide with fear.

The six-legged bison heaved, wings beating against the spray, until—at last—they burst free of the rushing curtain of water, soaring out over the open air. For a breathless instant, the world seemed to hold still: the moon above, silver and clear; the thunder of the waterfall behind them; the endless stretch of forest waiting below.

Only when Appa leveled out, panting with the effort, did Sokka dare look around. His relief at surviving sputtered into confusion. He glanced at Katara, then at Aang, then back again.

“Wait.” His voice cracked. “Where’s Elua?”

Katara’s head snapped up. She twisted around the saddle, her braid whipping wet across her shoulder as her eyes searched the empty space around them. The color drained from her face.

“She—she’s not here,” Katara breathed.

Aang froze, the words hitting him like a spear. His hands slipped from the reins as his whole body went rigid. For a heartbeat, he could barely breathe. “No…” His voice was so small it broke in the wind. “She was right behind us. She—she can’t—” His chest heaved, and his gray eyes filled with panic. “She can’t be gone.”

Katara reached for him, her own voice trembling, but Aang had already turned toward the mist, searching the clouds and shadows below as though he could will his sister into being. His throat ached with the thought: captured, hurt, lost.

But then—a streak of motion.

From out of the smoke-drenched sky, a glider cut through the night like a blade of light. Elua leaned into the wind, her hair wild, her smile flashing as the wooden wings caught the moonlight. With a practiced sweep, she folded the glider and dropped neatly into the saddle, landing with an ease that belied the chaos she’d just escaped.

She straightened, brushing damp hair from her face, her breath quick but steady. “Told you I was right behind you,” she said with a small smile, like it was the simplest thing in the world.

Aang stared at her, stricken, the worry still raw on his face. His sister—his only sister—back from the edge of vanishing. Before Elua could speak again, he launched forward, throwing his arms around her with sudden, desperate force.

“I thought—” His voice cracked against her shoulder. “I thought you were gone. That they… that they had you. Or worse.”

Her smile softened as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him steady against the tremble in his small frame. For a moment she just let him cling, the rush of wind and the steady beat of Appa’s wings filling the silence. Then, with a breathless laugh, she leaned back enough to meet his eyes.

“Me? Captured? Please.” Her lips curved, though her gaze was tender. “That would be a terrible plot point.”

Gradually, the initial adrenaline ebbed, and they all settled onto Appa’s broad back, the early morning sky stretching endless and pale above them. Mist rose from the waterfall below, curling like ghosts in the air, and the world smelled of wet earth and smoke lingering from the chaos behind them. Appa carried them farther from danger, and for the first time in what felt like hours, there was a lull in the storm around them.

Katara finally let her gaze rest on Elua, her brows furrowed. “Wait… where were you back there? You just… vanished!”

Elua tilted her head, then held up a small leather pouch, the coins inside jingling faintly with each shift of Appa’s flight. “Picked up a little something on the way,” she said lightly, as if it were nothing more than collecting firewood.

Sokka’s eyes widened, and a slow smirk spread across his face. “Oh~! So the perfect monk isn’t so perfect after all…” He reached over and took the pouch from her, tipping it slightly to inspect the glinting coins.

Elua rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Okay, first of all, a female Air Nomad is called a nun—not a monk,” she laughed lightly. “And second… no one is perfect.”

Sokka’s smirk deepened, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He nodded sagely, as if he had just confirmed the truth of the universe. “Uh-huh,” he said, the single word heavy with teasing approval.

Elua’s smile faded just slightly, and her tone grew serious. “But… stealing isn’t really okay,” she said.

Katara let out a soft laugh, nudging Aang gently. “Unless it’s from pirates,” she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

The bison’s steady hum and the rush of wind pressed around them as they soared away from the chaos, the four of them laughing lightly, a fragile bubble of safety amidst the remnants of the night’s battle. Even the coins, for all their weight, felt less important than this—together and alive.

Chapter Text

THE CAMPFIRE HAD BURNED LOW, LITTLE more than a nest of glowing embers. Their faint light flickered across the clearing in restless shadows, painting the trunks of the trees with dull, pulsing gold. The forest seemed to hold its breath around the campsite, branches swaying only faintly overhead, as though even the wind had decided to keep still.

Katara and Aang were already asleep, curled in their blankets side by side, the gentle rhythm of their breathing rising and falling like ocean tides. From where she sat, Elua could see Katara’s braid loosened, fanning across her blanket like spilled ink, and Aang’s hand twitching occasionally as if he dreamed of bending. The sight made her lips twitch into the ghost of a smile, though her thoughts remained far away.

She lingered near the firepit, knees hugged loosely against her chest, a stick in her hand. Every so often, she nudged the blackened coals, breaking them apart so that fresh sparks jumped skyward. Each one lifted briefly into the night, only to vanish into the dark canopy above. Elua tracked them absently, her mind as restless as the smoke that curled and wavered in the cool air. Sleep hovered far beyond her reach, distant as the stars themselves.

Her thoughts wandered without tether—backward, forward, in circles. The day had been long, another march through the wilds, another reminder that their journey had no certain end. She could still feel the ache in her shoulders from carrying her pack, the sting in her legs from hours of walking. But it wasn’t her body keeping her awake. It was her mind, always circling, always searching for meaning in the silence between tasks.

“Still awake?”

The voice came suddenly, quiet but clear.

Elua jumped, the stick slipping from her fingers as her head snapped around. Her pulse stumbled in her throat, sharp with the jolt of surprise. From the shadows at the edge of the clearing, Sokka stepped into the faint light, rubbing at the back of his neck as though he had been caught sneaking out.

Her shoulders sagged with relief. “Sokka,” she whispered, sharper than she meant, the edge of her startle still clinging to her words. “I thought you were asleep.”

A small laugh escaped him, easy and unbothered. He lowered himself into a seat across from her, settling onto the packed earth with a familiar slouch. The firelight caught the corner of his grin, softening it. “You’re always jumpy,” he teased.

Despite herself, Elua felt heat creep into her face. She shook her head, lips twitching into a reluctant smile. “Maybe you’re just too quiet.”

“Me? Quiet?” He raised his brows, leaning back on his hands. “Now that’s a first.”

Her laugh was soft, slipping between them like a thread of warmth. It blended with the faint crackle of the fire, then dissolved into the quiet again. For a moment, they sat in silence, and it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was rare. With Katara and Aang always around, there were so few moments that belonged only to the two of them.

Elua let her gaze drift back to the fire, watching the last of the flames crumble into glowing coal. “You couldn’t sleep either?” she asked at last, her voice low enough not to disturb the others. She poked again at the embers, coaxing another spark into the air.

Sokka shrugged, eyes fixed on the glow. “Too many thoughts. Plans. What we’ll need tomorrow. What’s waiting out there.” He hesitated, his tone dipping almost unwillingly softer. “You?”

Elua let the stick fall aside, folding her hands in her lap. She pressed her thumbs together, as though the small movement might steady the turn of her thoughts. “Just… thinking.” Her lips curved faintly, but it was a smile tinged with something quieter. “It’s different at night. When the world goes still like this, you can almost feel the spirits more clearly. Like they’re leaning closer, listening.”

The words slipped out gently, as though they had been waiting at the edge of her tongue. She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to understand or not.

Sokka’s head tilted slightly, his eyes sliding her way. For a breath he held onto her words, some flicker of curiosity or consideration moving behind his gaze. Then he huffed a soft laugh, shaking his head. “You always say things like that—stuff that just… goes right over my head.” His grin was crooked, but softened by the warmth beneath it.

Elua didn’t mind. She smiled in return, eyes lingering on the fire. Sparks rose again, weaving briefly in the air between them before fading into the dark.

Sokka leaned back on his palms, stretching his legs out in front of him, eyes following the sparks’ fading trails. The silence stretched again, companionable this time. He drew in a slow breath. “Still… maybe tomorrow you can give me another foraging lesson.” His lips pulled into a half-smile as he turned his head toward her. “Teach me what food looks like when it isn’t buried under snow. You know—mushrooms, berries, magic potatoes. All that.”

Her laugh burst bright and unguarded, the sound carrying across the clearing. She clapped a hand over her mouth too late, worried the others might stir, but Katara only shifted faintly in her blanket, and Aang gave a small sigh in his sleep.

Elua’s shoulders relaxed as she let her hand fall again, still grinning. For a heartbeat, it felt like her laughter had warmed more than just the air—it had stretched across the distance between them, chasing away the night’s chill. The fire might have been dwindling, but the glow lingered, caught in the curve of her smile, mirrored faintly in his.

They stayed like that for a long while, letting the silence return, neither feeling the need to fill it. The embers crackled softly, the forest breathed again, and the night seemed to fold around them as if it, too, meant to keep the moment whole.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

It was midmorning when Elua and Sokka set off on their foraging trek, the sun climbing higher into the sky and casting dappled patterns through the swaying canopy above. The forest around them buzzed with life—the distant hum of insects, the occasional rustle of leaves as small creatures scurried unseen. Katara and Aang lingered behind at the campsite, methodically packing up the remnants of the night before.

Ume padded along the forest floor with quiet elegance, her movements precise and deliberate, never straying far from Elua’s side. She sniffed at the underbrush, occasionally pausing to investigate a rustling leaf or the faint scent of something hidden beneath the soil. Above them, Momo flitted about in his usual chaotic fashion, swooping low over Sokka’s head one moment and perching on a branch the next, his tiny claws scraping bark as he chattered and fussed over imagined dangers.

Elua soon bent down at the trunk of a fallen tree, crouching carefully on the soft forest floor. A patch of sunlight filtered through the canopy, catching the delicate caps of mushrooms that sprouted from the moss-covered wood. Their smooth, pale surfaces glimmered faintly, and the damp, earthy scent of the forest rose to meet her. She reached out a finger to gently brush one of the mushrooms, marveling at its tiny, intricate ridges and the way it seemed to cling to the fallen log as if the tree had become its home.

“Sokka,” Elua called over her shoulder, her voice carrying a quiet excitement that made the leaves around them rustle softly. “Look at these,” she said, her smile widening as she motioned him closer, her hand hovering just above the soft moss.

Sokka ambled over, dragging his feet in the dirt as if the whole forest had been designed to slow him down. He peered down at the fallen log, one eyebrow cocked. “It’s just mushrooms, El,” he said lightly, his usual sarcasm dripping from the words. “Not exactly groundbreaking.”

Elua didn’t flinch at his tone. Instead, she crouched a little closer, her fingers hovering just above the soft carpet of moss. Her eyes traced the delicate curve of each cap, from the tiniest pale bud to the broad umbrellas that had fully bloomed.

“But look how they’ve grown—see the way the moss holds them up, like the tree’s giving them a second life?” Her voice carried a warmth, almost reverent, as though she were reading poetry instead of describing mushrooms.

Sokka opened his mouth, ready to fire back with another quip about how trees didn’t need side projects, or how this was just nature being normal—but then he caught the look on her face. The genuine excitement there, the way her eyes seemed to catch the sunlight filtering through the leaves, turned them to liquid gold. She smiled without holding back, utterly absorbed in the tiny wonder in front of her, and for a second Sokka forgot what joke he was about to make.

That twinkle softened his smirk into something else entirely. He felt his shoulders relax without meaning to, the sarcasm melting out of him. “…Okay,” he muttered, shaking his head at himself as his grin broke through despite his best effort to stay unimpressed. “Yeah, I guess that is kind of… cool.”

Elua glanced back at him, her smile widening at his shift in tone. “See? Even the smallest things can have meaning.” She reached out, her fingers brushing through the moss again, then plucked at something peeking through the green. 

It came free with a tug, dirt clinging to its roots. She held it up triumphantly. “And look—ginger root.”

Sokka leaned closer, squinting at the gnarled lump in her hand. “That’s ginger?” He frowned dramatically, rubbing his chin. “Huh. I always pictured ginger looking… less like a potato.”

Elua’s laugh bubbled out softly again, carrying through the quiet forest like a secret shared only between them. She shook her head, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “It does look a little like a potato,” she admitted, still smiling.

The corners of Sokka’s mouth tugged upward before he could stop himself. Her laugh was the kind that lightened the air, like it had chased the heaviness right out of his chest. “Great,” he said, feigning a groan. “First I get tricked by nuts that weren’t nuts, and now potatoes are masquerading as ginger. Nature has it out for me.”

Elua pressed the back of her hand over her mouth to hide her laughter, but her shoulders shook all the same. “Or maybe,” she teased, eyes glinting, “You just don’t pay attention.”

Sokka pointed a finger at her, grin broadening. “Excuse you? I’m the only one who does pay attention. Other than you, obviously.” He leaned closer, lowering his voice into a tone of mock gravity. “Trust me, without me this group would’ve walked straight into a dozen traps, wandered through at least three colonies, and starved to death… probably twice.”

Her brows arched, her lips twitching as she fought not to smile. “Twice?”

“Twice.” He nodded with the kind of seriousness that demanded to be believed. “They’d have managed to starve, come back just to prove a point, and then do it all over again.”

That cracked her composure. A laugh burst free that was clear, and bright, and unrestrained. Sokka felt something loosen inside him at the sound, like a knot undone. He folded his arms with an exaggerated show of triumph, but the warmth blooming in his chest wasn’t victory. No, it was simpler than that: if making a fool of himself was the price of hearing her laugh, it was a bargain he’d take every time.

Chapter Text

AANG’S VOICE SUDDENLY RANG out through the sun-dappled forest, light and unhurried, carried on the breeze like a bird’s call. A moment later he appeared, gliding between the trunks with the effortless grace of someone who had grown up with air under his feet. His grin was as bright as ever, though the faint sheen of sweat along his temples betrayed the morning’s work of breaking down camp.

“Camp’s just about packed,” he announced cheerfully, rocking back on his heels once he reached them. “Katara says we can head out as soon as you’re ready.” His tone carried the same bubbling energy he always seemed to have—but as his gaze flicked upward, his smile wavered. A crease formed between his brows.

“Wait… where’s Momo?”

Sokka blinked. “Uh…” He turned instinctively toward the nearest branch, fully expecting to see the lemur sprawled belly-up in the leaves or dangling dramatically by his tail. Nothing. Frowning, he pivoted in a slow circle, eyes sweeping the canopy. Still no sign. “He was here a minute ago.”

Elua let out a groan, dragging a hand down her face as though this were far from the first time she’d heard those exact words. “That lemur, I swear…” Her voice carried more weariness than real irritation, a tired affection laced into every syllable. She tipped her chin back, scanning the high branches, eyes narrowing against the shafts of light breaking through the canopy.

At her side, Ume gave a sharp, disgruntled chirrup, the sound almost like a scolding word. The little creature’s tail lashed once, quick and precise, as though she too was thoroughly exasperated with Momo’s antics.

That noise was all it took to break the tension—Sokka snorted, shoulders shaking with quiet laughter. “See? Even Ume’s sick of him. I say we let him fend for himself for once.”

Elua shook her head, fond exasperation softening her features as she brushed a low-hanging branch aside. Ume bounded ahead, her ears twitching, every bit the picture of determination. The forest seemed quieter here, the morning chorus of birds fading as the undergrowth thickened. Their boots and sandals crunched against dry leaves and roots, the air growing cooler in the shade.

They had gone only a few dozen paces when the silence shattered.

A sharp, high-pitched screech ripped through the trees—Momo’s voice, unmistakable in its panic. It was followed at once by deeper, harsher cries, the guttural calls of something larger and less friendly. The sound echoed, tangled, then broke into a frantic rustling of leaves.

Aang froze mid-step, wide-eyed. “That’s him!”

“Sounds like he’s making friends,” Sokka muttered, though his hand was already on the club at his hip.

Elua’s heart lurched, quickening with a surge of urgency. “Come on!” she said, breaking into a run, Ume darting like a streak of brown and white ahead of her.

The three of them skidded to a halt in a small clearing where the trees grew close together, their branches knitting into a tangle overhead. The rustling above drew their eyes skyward—and there it was. Three metal cages dangled from thick ropes, swaying slightly with the agitation of their prisoners. The bars glinted dull and cruel in the filtered light, iron against the green. Inside the first two, a pair of hogmonkeys screeched and rattled the cages with clawed hands, their sharp teeth bared in frustration. In the third cage—wide-eyed, tail thrashing in wild panic—was Momo.

“Hang on, Momo!” Aang shouted, already kicking off the ground, a rush of air swirled beneath him, carrying him up into the trees. 

He vaulted from branch to branch, light as a sparrow, until he reached the high canopy where the cages swayed. Perched among the branches, Aang’s face tightened with focus. He pressed his palm against the rope pulley, bending the air in sharp bursts until the mechanism creaked and gave way. The cage holding Momo shuddered, then began its careful descent.

Below, Sokka dashed forward, bracing himself under the swinging weight. He caught the cage as it reached his arms, grunting a little under the awkward bulk. Elua was already at his side, her fingers darting to the crude latch. She braced one hand against the bars while Sokka held the trap steady. With a sharp tug, she forced the mechanism back until it gave a rusty snap. Together, they pried the cage door open.

In an instant, Momo sprang free with a triumphant screech, his wings flaring wide. He landed on Elua’s shoulder, tail curling against her neck, and immediately began gnawing contentedly on the half-eaten fruit that had lured him in. Sokka groaned and dragged a hand down his face at the lemur’s actions.

Aang landed lightly on the forest floor, brushing leaves from his sleeves. His gaze drifted back upward, softening at the sight of the two hogmonkeys still trapped. They clung to the bars, their claws scraping and their panicked chattering echoing through the canopy. From the looks of them, they’d been stuck for far longer than Momo.

Aang’s expression warmed into a gentle smile. “Alright, you guys too,” he murmured. With a graceful bend of air beneath his feet, he shot back up into the branches, the leaves trembling in his wake.

Sokka let out a long, theatrical groan, throwing his head back. “This is going to take forever.”

Before anyone could protest, he swung his arm back, boomerang flashing in the sun. With a practiced flick of his wrist, he let it fly. The weapon spun end over end, cutting a clean arc through the dappled air. Two sharp thunks rang out almost in unison as the ropes split.

Both cages dropped like stones, crashing to the forest floor in a heavy metallic clatter that rattled through the clearing. Leaves shook loose from the branches above, drifting down in the wake of the impact.

The hogmonkeys wasted no time. With shrill, gleeful cries, they burst from the bent bars the instant the cages hit the ground. Chattering wildly, they bounded off into the undergrowth, tails whipping behind them. The sound of their voices echoed for a few breaths more before fading into the deeper forest, leaving behind only the faint rustle of disturbed leaves.

Sokka crouched in front of the cages, his brow furrowed as he ran a hand along the metal bars. “These are Fire Nation traps,” he said, a note of worry in his voice. “You can tell from the metalwork.” He straightened, glancing at Aang and Elua. “We’d better finish packing and get moving quickly.”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Elua sank back onto her legs, the damp earth cushioning her as she carefully gathered the mushrooms and pieces of ginger. She worked methodically, tucking them into a small pouch and cinching it tight with a practiced hand. Once secured, she slid the pouch into their larger food storage bag, making sure it settled safely among their other provisions. 

Rising slightly, she passed the pouch to Sokka, her movements smooth and purposeful. Even as she moved, her eyes swept over the surrounding forest, alert and watchful, tracing the shifting shadows and the faint rustle of undergrowth for any hint of danger. She remained poised, every sense attentive, as they methodically packed away the final remnants of their supplies.

“Uh-huh!” Sokka exclaimed suddenly, his voice sharp with realization, cutting through the quiet rustle of the forest around them. “No flying this time.” He shot a pointed look at Aang and Katara, his eyes narrowing with the sort of intensity that always made his friends pause for a moment, and then he grabbed the sleeping bag from his sister and set it back on the ground with a heavy thud that echoed faintly across the clearing.

“What?” Aang asked, brow furrowed in confusion, tilting his head to one side. “Why wouldn’t we fly?” His hands gestured vaguely toward the sky, where the clouds drifted lazily above them, and Appa’s low, contented hum resonated nearby.

“Think about it,” Sokka said, pacing a few steps as he gestured animatedly, kicking a small pebble that bounced across the ground. “Somehow Zuko and the Fire Nation always manage to find us,” he explained, frustration creeping into his voice like smoke curling from a fire. “It’s because they spot Appa. He’s just too noticeable,” he added, throwing his hands up for emphasis, his eyes darting toward the massive, gentle bison who shifted his weight and let out a small, disgruntled snort.

Katara put her hands firmly on her hips, her stance radiating a quiet, steady confidence. “Appa’s not too noticeable,” she said firmly, her voice carrying a note of defense for the bison as she met her brother’s gaze.

“He’s a gigantic, fluffy monster with an arrow on his head!” Sokka shot back in exclamation, pointing dramatically toward Appa, who groaned in exaggerated annoyance.

Aang reached over and patted Appa’s head affectionately, his grin wide and easy. “Sokka’s just jealous because he doesn’t have an arrow,” he said, his voice teasing but kind, reassuring the enormous creature that all was well.

Sokka shook his head, waving his hands as if warding off any further teasing. “I know you all want to fly, but my instincts tell me we should play it safe this time… and walk,” he explained, emphasizing each word like a teacher making an important point to an especially inattentive class.

Elua stepped forward, tilting her head thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing slightly as she considered his argument. “He might have a point,” she said, her voice calm but deliberate, carrying an air of quiet reason. “If Zuko’s tracking Appa, we could draw less attention by sticking to smaller paths,” she added, motioning vaguely to the underbrush and narrow trails winding through the trees.

“I just don’t understand why Sokka thinks he’s the boss,” Katara said, rolling her eyes with a mixture of exasperation and disbelief, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly.

“I’m not the boss,” Sokka said quickly, holding up his hands in protest. “I’m the leader,” he declared confidently, puffing out his chest and taking a small, dramatic step forward.

“You’re the leader?” Katara asked, raising a single eyebrow, her tone teasing. “But your voice still cracks,” she added with a smirk.

“I’m the oldest, and I’m a warrior,” Sokka shot back, glaring at his sister as if that statement alone could settle the debate. “So, I’m the leader,” he added, lowering his voice and faking a deeper tone for dramatic effect, causing a faint echo in the nearby trees.

“If anyone’s the leader, it’s Aang—I mean, he is the Avatar,” Katara countered, pointing subtly toward Aang, who swung gently from Appa’s horn, still grinning and making a low humming sound.

“Are you kidding?” Sokka asked, throwing his hands up in disbelief. “He’s just a goofy kid,” he said, waving toward Aang, who dangled upside down, laughing as he twisted around effortlessly.

“He’s right,” Aang agreed cheerfully, giving a thumbs-up with one hand while holding on with the other.

“Well, then, Elua’s the leader,” Katara said, motioning toward her friend with a flourish of her hand. “She’s technically the oldest anyway,” she added, her voice stubborn but teasing, aimed squarely at her brother.

Elua blinked in surprise, glancing from Katara to Sokka, her expression a mixture of amusement and mild concern. “I don’t really want to be the leader, actually…” she said softly, her voice calm, but carrying a hint of hesitation.

Sokka shot her a quick, approving glance, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, and then turned to stare at his sister, as if to say silently, See?

Katara scoffed again, letting her hands drop to her sides in exasperation. “Why do boys always think someone has to be the leader?” she asked, the frustration in her voice mingling with disbelief. “I bet you wouldn’t be so bossy if you kissed a girl.”

“I’ve kissed a girl!” Sokka exclaimed, his chest puffing out with pride. “You just haven’t met her,” he stated firmly, as if that alone would settle the matter.

“Who?” Katara asked, teasing him, a playful lilt in her voice. “Gran-Gran?” She added with a laugh, clearly imagining the elderly woman in question. “I’ve met Gran-Gran.”

“No, besides Gran-Gran,” Sokka said, irritation creeping into his voice, his hands fidgeting as he gestured vaguely in exasperation. “Look, my instincts tell me we have a better chance of slipping through on foot. And a leader has to follow his instincts,” he explained once more, his tone firm and unwavering.

Elua nodded toward him, her expression firm and resolute. “Then let’s try it your way,” she said decisively. “We can stick to your plan, Sokka. If it doesn’t work, Appa will be right behind us,” she added with a reassuring smile, glancing at the massive bison.

Katara sighed, crossing her arms and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “Fine,” she said finally, her tone full of reluctant agreement but still tinged with exasperation.

“Who knows?” Aang said, slinging one of the packs onto his back with ease, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Walking might be fun!”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“Ugh! Walking stinks!” Aang groaned, dragging his feet as the group trudged along the path just outside the forest. His arms flailed dramatically with each step, making it painfully clear he’d much rather be soaring through the sky on Appa’s back. “How did people go anywhere without a flying bison?” he added in exasperation.

“I don’t know, Aang,” Katara said, falling into step beside him. “Why don’t you ask Sokka’s instincts? They seem to know everything,” she teased, letting her words carry a note of playful annoyance aimed squarely at her brother.

Sokka rolled his eyes, lips twitching with irritation. “Ha, ha. Very funny,” he muttered, clearly not immune to the jab.

Elua walked calmly a few steps ahead, her pace steady and unbothered. She glanced back over her shoulder and smirked. “Maybe walking builds character… or at least leg muscles,” she quipped lightly. Her tone was teasing but gentle, earning a soft groan from Aang.

“I’m tired of carrying this pack,” Aang complained, his face scrunching up in exaggerated misery.

“You know who you should ask to carry it for a while?” Katara said, a sly smile tugging at her lips. “Sokka’s instincts.”

“That’s a great idea, Katara!” Aang said, grinning mischievously. “Hey, Sokka’s instincts, would you mind—”

“Okay! Okay! I get it!” Sokka groaned, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “Look, guys, I’m tired too,” he admitted as they pushed past a dense row of bushes. “But the important thing is that we’re safe from the—” He paused mid-step, turning around, only to freeze. “Fire… Nation…” His voice dropped as the group came face to face with an entire Fire Nation camp, smoke curling from small fires and soldiers patrolling in tight formations.

“RUN!”

They dropped their packs to the ground with a thud, scrambling to put distance between themselves and the pursuing soldiers. Adrenaline pumped through their veins as they bolted toward the forest, branches whipping against their faces and roots threatening to trip them with every frantic step. But before they could vanish among the trees, a searing streak of orange and red cut through the air—a fireball hurled straight at them by a Fire Nation soldier.

The flames licked greedily at the dry underbrush, igniting leaves and branches with a crackle that echoed like distant thunder. Smoke coiled and stung their eyes, filling their lungs with acrid heat. They skidded to a halt, the sudden roar of the fire in front of them cutting off any hope of escape along the path they had been running.

“We’re cut off!” Sokka shouted, his voice rough with panic and disbelief. He glanced around frantically, looking for another way through, but the fire spread faster than his eyes could track.

“Sokka!” Elua yelled, pointing. “Your shirt!” She saw the flames crawling up his sleeve, licking at the fabric with alarming speed. Her voice cracked with alarm as she dashed closer.

“Ahhh!” Sokka yelped, flailing as the heat seared his arm. His panic made him stumble back a step, and for a moment it seemed like the flames might consume him entirely.

Katara reacted instantly, pulling a water skin from her pack with precise, practiced movements. She tilted it just so, bending the stream of water into a controlled arc that hissed and steamed as it struck Sokka’s sleeve, dousing the fire before it could spread further. The wet fabric clung to him, and smoke curled in little wisps as the last embers died out.

The four of them spun around as the fire roared behind them, acrid smoke stinging their eyes. The forest path they had hoped to escape through was now a wall of flame, and the Fire Nation soldiers crept closer, their armor gleaming dully in the flickering light. Each of them instinctively assumed a defensive stance—feet planted, muscles tense, eyes darting between the advancing troops and the inferno blocking their rear.

Sokka swallowed, his usual bravado flickering under the weight of the danger. “If you let us pass,” he began, his voice carrying just enough authority to cut through the crackling flames, “we promise not to hurt you.”

Elua’s gaze drifted toward him, brow furrowed in disbelief. “What are you doing?” she whispered sharply, voice tinged with both worry and exasperation.

Sokka’s eyes met hers, a mixture of hesitation and forced confidence flashing across his face. “Bluffing?” he muttered to himself, more question than answer, his grin forced and slightly shaky.

“You… promise not to hurt… us?” one of the soldiers asked, his voice dripping with amusement, mocking them for even daring to speak.

Then, without warning, the soldier groaned and collapsed to the ground as if a marionette’s strings had been cut. His armor clanged against the forest floor, the others stepping back in startled confusion, uncertain whether to attack or flee.

Aang’s face broke into a bright, cheerful grin, eyes wide with delight and disbelief. “Nice work, Sokka!” he exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “How did you do that?”

Sokka blinked rapidly, mind spinning. “Uhh… instinct?” he muttered, voice uncertain, as if saying it aloud might convince himself he understood what had just happened.

“Look!” Katara shouted, her voice slicing through the smoke and crackling flames as she pointed toward the treetops.

Perched high among the branches was a young man, not much older than Sokka, eyes sharp and alert. In each hand, he gripped a curved blade that caught the flickering firelight, glinting menacingly. Without hesitation, he used the momentum of the branches to swing down, landing with a solid thud on the forest floor. His landing was precise—both feet planted, knees bent, ready for combat—and two of the advancing soldiers went down instantly, sprawled on the ground with stunned expressions.

Before anyone could react, he darted forward, movements fluid and lightning-fast. With a deft flick of his wrists, he hooked his blades onto two more soldiers, their shocked yells cut short as he threw them over his shoulders and slammed them to the forest floor. The sound of armor clanging against the earth rang sharply, echoing through the trees.

“They’re in the trees!” one of the soldiers shouted, panic creeping into his voice. His words barely left his mouth before a small, wiry child leapt from a branch above, landing squarely on the soldier’s helmeted head with a gleeful laugh.

Before the other soldiers could react, another figure emerged from the foliage—a teenager with a bow slung across his shoulders. Arrows flew from his hands with swift precision, striking weapons out of the soldiers’ grasp and forcing them to scramble defensively. The soft twang of bowstrings and the clatter of dropped swords created a rhythm of chaos that echoed through the smoke-filled forest.

A larger youth bounded from the branches next, landing with the force of a small avalanche. He barreled into the ranks of soldiers, tackling several to the ground at once, the sounds of armor and grunts reverberating with each impact. Bodies sprawled across the dirt, unable to regain their footing as he rolled and sprang back, ready for the next wave.

Then a small girl, agile and fierce, dropped lightly to the forest floor. Two gleaming daggers flashed in her hands as she darted into the fray, weaving between soldiers’ legs and striking with precision. Her movements were quick, practiced, and fearless, cutting through the chaos like water over stones.

Elua didn’t waste a second. With a sharp thrust of her arms, she unleashed a current of air. A wall of wind roared forward, slamming into the nearest soldiers with punishing force. They toppled backward in clattering heaps, weapons scattering, helmets askew. The echo of their fall rattled through the clearing, sending leaves spiraling and dust churning into a storm.

The opening was all her companions needed. Katara flowed forward, bending water in whips and arcs that disarmed swords with merciless precision. Aang darted and spun, springing off rocks and tree roots with bursts of air that toppled foes like dominoes. The entire forest seemed to pulse to their rhythm—the sharp crack of strikes, the grit of dirt underfoot, the acrid tang of smoke that clung to the air.

Elua and Sokka instinctively paired off, slipping into a rhythm that felt second nature. Her wind shoved opponents off balance, and his boomerang landed true, clanging against armor and knocking swords out of hands. He ducked under her gusts without hesitation, and she bent the air to clear his path. For a fleeting moment, it felt like a dance they’d rehearsed in secret, an understanding that needed no words.

Sokka lunged toward a charging soldier, boomerang raised high. His strike was certain—until a blur cut across his vision. A tall boy dropped from the trees like a shadow given flesh, boots striking the soldier’s chest in a brutal kick that sent him sailing across the dirt before Sokka’s weapon even found its arc.

“Hey!” Sokka snapped, nearly stumbling to a stop, the cry sharp with disbelief. “He was mine!” His hands flailed as he adjusted his grip on the boomerang, frustration boiling in his chest.

The newcomer landed lightly, grin smug in its ease. “Gotta be quicker next time,” he said, smooth and cocky, voice carrying practiced confidence, like he wore it as easily as his blades.

Sokka scowled, chest tight. But the boy wasn’t even looking at him anymore. His gaze had slid past, landing squarely on Elua. She stood a few paces away, braid whipping in the wind she commanded, eyes sharp as she sent another soldier tumbling into the dirt with a flick of her hand. The boy’s smirk deepened. He lingered too long—watching her with a gleam that made Sokka’s stomach twist.

Elua noticed. Of course she noticed. Her chest prickled with unease—not flattery. The smirk felt wrong, like a hook baited with charm. She frowned faintly and shook it off, focusing on the fight, refusing to give him the satisfaction of acknowledgment.

Sokka, though, couldn’t shake it. His jaw tightened, boomerang lowering just slightly as his eyes narrowed. Who did this guy think he was? He wasn’t impressed by the fancy kicks, not when he’d been right there, ready to take down that soldier himself. And now the guy was staring at Elua like—like she was some prize to be won.

A pair of soldiers broke through the chaos, steps measured, blades swinging in tandem toward Elua. She slid back on her heel, the wind she summoned curling against their bulk but failing to drive them off. Sokka’s stomach lurched—too far to reach her in time.

But Elua steadied, drew a deep breath, and swept her arms outward. The air condensed into a spiraling column, crashing into both men with the force of a battering ram. They flew backward, slammed into the trunk of a tree, bark splintering, leaves showering down. The forest groaned from the impact.

Before the dust settled, that boy appeared again—too close for comfort, blades loose in his grip, standing relaxed as though none of the battle mattered. Smirk back, posture careless, eyes sharp.

“Hey,” he said, as if greeting an equal on a stage meant only for them. His voice carried the kind of charm that assumed it would be well received.

Elua straightened with the last threads of her whirlwind still tugging at her clothes. Brow arched, unimpressed. “Uh… hi.” The word was clipped, flat. Not curiosity. Not warmth. A warning if he cared to hear it.

Sokka stepped in immediately, closing the space until his shoulder brushed firmly against hers. The movement was protective, deliberate, stance angled slightly in front of her as if to shield without being obvious. Jaw clenched hard, hand tightening around the smooth curve of his boomerang.

“Whoa!” Aang bounded up, wide-eyed wonder, blissfully unaware of the tension brewing. “You just took out a whole army all by yourself!”

“Army?” Sokka scoffed, tone edged with irritation. “That was, like… twenty guys.”

The boy leaned lazily on one of his blades, eyes flicking toward Sokka with mild amusement, before sliding back to Elua. “Name’s Jet,” he said, smooth, dripping with confidence. “And these are my freedom fighters—Sneers, Longshot, Smellerbee, The Duke, and Pipsqueak.” His grin widened, all charm and pride, as if unveiling something impressive.

Aang, unfazed, practically skipped forward. He pointed at the smaller fighter and grinned. “Pipsqueak—that’s a funny name!”

The largest of the group—towering and broad—tilted his head, shadow falling across Aang. “You think my name’s funny?” His voice rumbled, deep and unimpressed.

Aang’s smile didn’t falter. “It’s hilarious!”

For a tense heartbeat, the forest held its breath—then Pipsqueak burst into laughter, deep and booming, shaking the ground as it rolled from his chest. The stern façade melted away, replaced by mirth so large it echoed through the clearing. Aang laughed too, doubling over, falling to the dirt with tears in his eyes.

But Elua didn’t laugh. She shifted subtly, crossing her arms tighter across her chest, the small motion betraying the tension stiffening her frame. Her gaze never wavered from Jet, sharp and wary. Something in his smile unsettled her—not warmth, not sincerity, but a sly sharpness glinting just beneath the easy charm. It crawled along her skin like a warning, and she trusted her gut too much to dismiss it.

Sokka didn’t laugh either. He stood rooted beside her, boomerang gripped with quiet certainty, eyes narrowed on Jet. Body angled slightly toward Elua, stance of someone ready to shield first and strike second. Every line of him taut, a silent promise that this stranger with a cocky grin and too-quick kicks wouldn’t slip into her space or act like he had some claim beside her…

Chapter Text

ELUA STOOD IN FRONT OF A Fire Nation tent that still carried the acrid scent of smoke and ash. Around her, Jet’s freedom fighters wove through the remnants of the abandoned military camp, their movements quick and purposeful as they stripped it of anything useful. On the surface, it was efficient, almost disciplined… but there was a reckless edge to the way they worked, a fervor humming beneath their laughter and shouted orders. It unsettled her, though she couldn’t yet put words to why.

And then there was Jet himself. His sly smirks, the easy tilt of his voice, the confidence dripping from every step—it all pressed against her gut like sand under her skin. Something about him, and about the group orbiting so tightly around his charm, left her wary. She folded her arms across her chest, watching, the unease curling tighter in her stomach with every passing moment.

Sokka drifted toward her as if he were merely another onlooker, his eyes sweeping over the wreckage of the abandoned camp with feigned nonchalance. To anyone else, it might have looked like idle curiosity, the stance of someone passing time. But the moment he stopped at Elua’s side, the act slipped away. His shoulders squared, weight shifting subtly toward her, and the easy mask hardened from his expression.

“I don’t trust him,” he muttered, eyes narrowing as Jet barked another order. His tone cracked like a whip, sending two of his fighters scrambling to pry open a battered supply chest with eager hands.

Elua didn’t flinch. Her arms tightened across her chest, steady and defensive, her gaze locked on the scene unfolding before them. “I don’t either,” she answered softly.

“You guys have a hideout!?” Aang’s voice rang out, bubbling with excitement, his eyes lighting as though Jet had just offered him the key to a grand adventure.

Jet smirked, the corner of his mouth curling as he shifted the spare piece of wheat between his teeth. He leaned back with practiced ease, confidence dripping from the casual way he drawled, “You guys wanna see it?”

“Yes!” Katara blurted out before anyone else could answer. Her voice carried too much eagerness, too quick, too bright. “We want to see it!” She clasped her hands together, leaning in as though she couldn’t stop herself, her eyes shining with enthusiasm that made her look every bit the starry-eyed admirer.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“We’re here,” Jet announced at last, halting in a small clearing where the trees grew taller and closer together, their canopies blotting out most of the sky.

“Where?” Sokka asked, brow furrowing as he turned in a slow circle. “There’s nothing here,” he muttered, scanning the empty forest floor, suspicious of the smugness in Jet’s tone.

Jet only smirked, a flash of teeth and confidence, before reaching up to snag a rope dangling from the branches overhead. The line swayed faintly, blending so seamlessly into the woods it was a wonder anyone noticed it at all. “Hold this,” Jet said, thrusting it into Sokka’s hands with the casual assurance of someone already amused at what was about to happen.

Sokka frowned, accepting the rope with a cautious grip. “Why? What’s this do?” His voice carried a sharp edge of mistrust, but before he could press the question, the rope jerked violently. His yelp rang through the trees as he shot upward, disappearing into the thick canopy with a flail of limbs and a startled shout that was quickly swallowed by the rustle of leaves.

Jet turned smoothly, another rope coiled in his hand, and extended it toward Aang with a raised brow. “Aang?” he prompted, the easy challenge in his voice clear.

Aang’s grin spread wide, eyes sparkling with the thrill of showing off. “I’ll get up on my own,” he said cheerfully, puffing out his chest a little.

In the next instant, he bent a gust of air beneath his feet, the wind spiraling around him as he shot upward like an arrow loose from a bow. His laughter trailed behind as he wove effortlessly through the branches, vanishing into the canopy with the grace of someone born to the sky.

“Elua?” Jet’s voice carried that same sly lilt as he turned toward her, smirk firmly in place. He dangled the rope from his hand, eyes gleaming with confidence. “Wanna give it a spin?”

Elua arched a brow at him, unimpressed. “I’m alright, thanks,” she replied kindly, and with an easy turn, walked away without a second glance, boots crunching softly over the forest floor as she made her way to Appa.

“I’ll just make sure Appa gets up there safely,” she added, her voice steady, deliberate.

Planting one foot on the saddle, she summoned a controlled gust beneath her, air swirling in a tight current that lifted her lightly onto the bison’s back. Gripping the reins, she gave them a sharp flick, and Appa rumbled low in his chest before spreading his massive paws. With a powerful sweep of his tail, the sky bison surged upward, breaking through the canopy and emerging into open air above the treetops. Wind whipped through Elua’s hair, and for the first time since Jet’s smirk, her chest loosened as she steered Appa into the waiting sky.

That evening, Elua and the others settled among the freedom fighters, gathered in a loose circle around the crackling campfire. Shadows stretched long across the floor of the wooden platform, the flames painting the children’s faces in shifting light—bright-eyed, tired, but buzzing with adrenaline from the day’s victory. As the murmur of conversation faded, all eyes turned to Jet as he rose to speak, the fire behind him throwing his lean figure into sharp relief.

“Today, we struck another blow against the Fire Nation swine,” Jet declared, his tone laced with sly confidence. He raised a battered cup high, and the fighters erupted in cheers, their voices ringing through the trees.

A smirk tugged at Jet’s mouth as he went on. “I got a special joy from the look on one soldier’s face when The Duke dropped down on his helmet and rode him like a wild hogmonkey!” His voice carried with sharp, mocking glee.

The Duke—small, wide-eyed, and far too young for a war—shot to his feet at the mention, puffing his chest as the others whooped and clapped, their cheers swelling in encouragement.

Jet let them celebrate before holding out his hands, calling them back to him like a performer commanding his stage. “Now, the Fire Nation thinks they don’t have to worry about a couple of kids hiding out in the trees.” His voice dropped, curling with a challenge.

“Maybe they’re right.”

The response was immediate—loud boos, jeers, shouts of defiance—until Jet’s smirk deepened and he delivered the turn of his words.

“Or maybe…” his eyes glinted in the firelight, “…they’re dead wrong.”

The camp exploded into roars of approval, young fists punching the air, voices crackling with reckless pride.

Elua sat among them, arms folding tighter across her chest. The smile on Jet’s face wasn’t playful; it was sharp-edged, carrying the weight of something far darker than bravado. Her stomach knotted, and her heart clenched as she listened to the wild cheers of children treating this like a game. The firelight flickered over their faces, bright with admiration, and for the first time, she felt cold in the middle of their warmth.

“Hey, Jet,” Katara greeted, her smile bright as the boy dropped into the space between her and Elua. She leaned slightly forward, admiration glinting in her eyes. “Nice speech,” she added, her tone warm, almost glowing with excitement.

“Thanks,” Jet replied smoothly, a smirk tugging at his mouth as he lifted his cup for a sip. His gaze flicked between the two girls before settling on Elua, slow and deliberate. “By the way, I was really impressed with Katara and Aang—but especially you, Elua,” he said, voice dipping into something almost intimate, almost teasing.

Elua stiffened, Jet’s words brushing against her like a warning she couldn’t ignore. His eyes lingered on her, sharp and calculating beneath that easy confidence, and a faint urge stirred in her—to shrink back, to make herself smaller, to disappear.

“That was some great bending I saw out there today,” he added with a smirk, leaning just enough closer to make the compliment feel like a challenge—or maybe a test.

Elua’s throat tightened. “Oh, uh…” she faltered, fumbling for words, her fingers tightening slightly in her lap. “Thanks,” she said softly, voice barely carrying over the crackle of the fire, the warmth of the camp doing little to chase away the chill that ran down her spine.

“Well, Aang’s great… he’s the Avatar,” Katara blurted, the words tumbling out in a rush.

Elua’s posture stiffened instantly, a cold ripple running through her as her stomach twisted at the casual reveal. The word Avatar hung in the air like a spark too close to dry tinder. Her eyes darted to Katara in sharp disbelief—how could she hand over something so dangerous, so precious, to a boy they’d only met that morning?

Her arms folded tighter across her chest, as if to cage in the sudden knot of anxiety. Every instinct told her that information could be a weapon in the wrong hands, and Jet’s smug confidence was already setting her teeth on edge. She kept her face composed, but her pulse thudded faster, heavy with unease.

A faint flush dusted Katara’s cheeks, her gaze dropping as though she were suddenly shy under Jet’s attention. “I could use some more training, though,” she added softly, her voice tinged with hesitant vulnerability.

“Avatar, huh?” Jet echoed, a sly smirk tugging at his lips. He leaned back with practiced ease, as though the revelation didn’t rattle him in the slightest. “Very nice,” he said smoothly, his tone casual—too casual.

Aang beamed as his chest swelled with pride. “Thanks, Jet!” he said brightly, his grin wide and unguarded, too caught up in the moment to notice the unease settling across his sister’s shoulders.

“I might know a way you guys can help in our struggle,” Jet said smoothly, his calm voice carrying the weight of practiced persuasion.

Before anyone else could answer, Sokka cut in, his tone firm. “Unfortunately,” he began, his jaw tight as he leveled a light glare in Jet’s direction, “We have to leave tonight.”

“Sokka, you’re kidding me,” Jet said with feigned disappointment, his voice smooth but sharp underneath. He leaned forward slightly, elbows resting casually on his knees as though this conversation were just between the two of them, despite the group listening in. “I needed you on an important mission tomorrow.”

Sokka’s brow furrowed, suspicion flickering across his features even as the challenge in Jet’s words tugged at him. “What mission?”

By the time the conversation broke apart, night had pressed deep into the trees, shadows crawling long across the wooden platforms of Jet’s hideout. Lanterns swayed faintly in the breeze, their soft glow painting the rope bridges and huts in strokes of amber. Below, the forest whispered with the rustle of leaves, the world beyond the treetops hidden in dark silence.

Elua sat apart on the edge of a platform, legs folded beneath her, arms tight across her chest. From the firelit circle came laughter and chatter, Jet’s freedom fighters swapping stories of raids and victories. The sound should have been comforting—children who had found a place to belong—but every peal of laughter carried an edge, every cheer rang hollow against the unease crawling up her spine.

She stared into the forest’s dark canopy, the air around her still and heavy. “I don’t like this place,” she said finally, her voice quiet but firm, as though admitting the thought aloud anchored it.

Katara, perched close by with her knees tucked beneath her chin, turned quickly. “What? Why not?” Her tone brimmed with earnest surprise, her wide eyes reflecting the lantern light. “Elua, this is incredible. We’re safe here, surrounded by people who actually understand what it’s like to fight back against the Fire Nation.”

Aang nodded eagerly, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet where he sat cross-legged. “Yeah! It’s like—like we’re part of a team for once! Not just running and hiding all the time. Don’t you think it’ll be fun? Helping out?” His grin shone wide, childlike in its excitement.

Elua’s brow pinched, her gaze flicking between them. Fun. That was the word he chose, in a place where kids spoke about raids like campfire games. She shifted, hugging her arms tighter.

“Maybe for you,” she said softly, though the words carried a weight that dimmed Aang’s smile. “Something about this doesn’t sit right with me.” Her eyes strayed toward Jet’s silhouette, tall and easy among the others, always the center, always drawing them closer. “It feels… wrong.”

Katara frowned gently, her voice softening as though to soothe. “They’ve built something strong out here, something they believe in. Isn’t that better than being alone?”

Elua didn’t answer. Her eyes lingered on the flicker of Jet’s smirk across the firelight, the way his hand cut the air as he spoke, commanding not with force but with charm. Her stomach knotted tighter.

A hand brushed her shoulder, grounding her. She turned to find Sokka crouched behind her, his expression carrying a seriousness she knew too well. His eyes searched hers, steady and unflinching. “Hey,” he said lowly, meant only for her. “I don’t trust him either.” His jaw tightened as he glanced toward the fire. “But let’s just… see what he’s planning tomorrow. If it’s dangerous, we’ll leave. No hesitation.”

Elua exhaled slowly, the tension in her chest easing a fraction. “Promise?” she asked, her voice hardly more than a breath.

“Promise,” Sokka said firmly, and there was no space for doubt in the word.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

The following morning felt just as uneasy as the night before. Elua hadn’t gone with Sokka and Jet on whatever “mission” they’d slipped away to. A shadow had hung over it, something she couldn’t name but couldn’t shake. So when Sokka came back tight-jawed, angry, and told them how Jet had beaten and robbed an old man, her gut twisted. She’d been right to feel it.

But Katara—ever hopeful, ever trusting—hadn’t taken her brother’s word as law. She’d insisted on hearing Jet’s side. And so here they were, the four of them crowded into Jet’s makeshift treehouse, its walls of rough wood and rope swaying faintly with the breeze.

“Sokka, you told them what happened,” Jet said smoothly, sitting up on his bed of piled blankets. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, the picture of lazy confidence. “But you didn’t mention that the guy was Fire Nation, did you?”

Katara shot her brother with a sharp glare. “No, he conveniently left that part out,” she said, her voice edged with disappointment.

Sokka threw his hands up. “Fine. But even if he was Fire Nation, he was a harmless civilian!” His frustration crackled in the small room.

Elua stepped closer to him, her voice steady, backing his resolve. “Sokka’s right. The Fire Nation people are not their monarchy. They’re not soldiers just for existing.”

Jet’s smirk didn’t falter. Instead, with a movement so sudden it cut the air, he drew a dagger from his side and slammed it point-first into the wooden table. The blade buried deep with a sharp crack, the whole surface shuddering under the force. For a heartbeat, the only sound in the treehouse was the faint creak of wood as the dagger quivered, humming like an unspoken dare.

“He was an assassin,” Jet declared, twisting the hilt casually as though this were no more than a game. “See this?” He unscrewed the base of the handle, revealing a hidden compartment filled with a red liquid that caught the dim light. “Poison. He was sent to eliminate me. And you, Sokka—” his eyes flicked up with mock gratitude “—you helped save my life.”

Elua’s eyes narrowed. Too neat. Too convenient. The story fit together almost too perfectly, like a snare laid with bait. Her stomach knotted, but she held her tongue, watching Katara’s expression soften.

“I knew there was an explanation,” Katara said with a smile, relief flooding her face as she turned to Jet, the trust in her eyes stinging Elua’s chest.

Sokka’s glare hardened. “I didn’t see any knife,” he snapped.

“That’s because he was concealing it,” Jet replied smoothly, never missing a beat.

“See, Sokka?” Katara said, her tone softening, coaxing. “I’m sure you just didn’t notice the knife.”

“There was no knife!” Sokka’s voice broke like a whip, sharp and loud in the cramped space. His face was flushed, his fists clenched. “I’m done.” He turned on his heel, anger propelling him toward the door. “I’m going back to the hut and I’m packing my things.”

Elua rushed after Sokka, her boots thudding softly against the wooden planks as she slipped into the hut behind him. He threw open the curtain with a snap, the fabric whipping against the wall before falling limp again. Without a word, he dropped to his knees and began shoving his belongings into his pack with clipped, angry motions.

“Sokka—” she started, but the words stuck in her throat. His shoulders were squared so tightly it was like he was holding himself together by sheer force of will.

Before she could try again, the curtain rustled, and Katara and Aang stepped inside.

“We can’t leave now,” Katara burst out, urgency burning in her eyes. “The Fire Nation is about to burn down this forest!” Her voice shook with passion, but it rang too much like Jet’s speeches for Elua’s comfort.

“I’m sorry, Katara.” Sokka pushed to his feet, turning to face her. His expression was hard, carved in frustration. “Jet’s very smooth, but we can’t trust him.” He slashed a hand through the air as if cutting down the very idea.

Katara’s glare sharpened. “You know what I think?” she snapped, her chin lifting. “I think you’re jealous that he’s a better warrior and a better leader than you.”

Elua’s shoulders sagged, an ache pressing into her chest. “It’s not about anyone’s feelings, Katara,” she said, her voice calm but edged with exasperation. “It’s about his actions—and they don’t add up. They’re shady.” But Katara only scoffed, folding her arms and turning her head away as though the argument wasn’t even worth hearing.

“Katara, I’m not jealous of Jet,” Sokka bit out, his voice low but burning with conviction. “It’s just that my instincts—”

“My instincts tell me we need to stay here a little longer and help,” Katara cut in sharply, her words like a blade across his. She spun on her heel, hair whipping over her shoulder. “Come on, Aang.”

Aang lingered a moment, torn. His wide eyes flicked from Katara’s determined back to Sokka’s rigid stance, to Elua’s weary frustration. His lips pressed together in uncertainty before he finally sighed. “Sorry, Sokka,” he murmured, guilt flashing in his eyes. Then he turned and trailed after Katara, the curtain swaying in their wake as the hut fell into tense silence…

Chapter Text

IT WAS LATE INTO THE NIGHT WHEN Elua woke to the sound of whispered voices and rushed movements outside of the treehut. At first she lay still, listening, the faint noise seeping in through the wooden walls like threads of unease. Her brow furrowed, and at last she shifted carefully, rising with quiet precision as she made her way around Katara and Aang’s sleeping figures. Their breathing was deep, steady, and undisturbed, a reminder of the fragile calm she was now stepping away from.

Her hand stretched forward, fingers brushing lightly across the fabric at the entrance. She hesitated for a moment, then curled them into the curtain and drew it aside with deliberate care. A sliver of night opened before her, the cool air spilling in as she leaned forward and peaked through the narrow gap.

Her eyes narrowed almost instantly, suspicion sharpening her gaze. Down below, illuminated by the pale silver of the moonlight, she caught sight of Jet and several of his comrades. One after another, they moved swiftly and silently, their bodies dropping from the treetops in practiced arcs until they landed on the ground with fluid ease. The sight made her stomach tighten.

“What are they doing?”

Elua all but screeched in surprise. “Spirits!” she blurted out in a harsh, whispered-yell, the sound breaking the fragile quiet far more than she had intended.

The unexpected voice in her ear sent a shock rippling through her body. She jerked back so violently that her balance slipped, her weight pitching dangerously toward the open gap. For one breathless instant she felt herself falling forward, curtain slipping from her grasp, the darkness below rushing up to meet her.

Then a hand shot out, firm and unyielding, catching her arm before she could tumble further. Sokka’s grip held her steady, anchoring her in place as she fought to catch her breath. His eyes were wide, startled, staring at her as though she had just leapt straight out of her skin.

“You’ve really gotta stop doing that,” Elua hissed in a harsh whisper, her voice tight with the remnants of her startled jump.

Sokka’s mouth curved into a lopsided smile, the kind that looked both sheepish and amused all at once. “Sorry,” he whispered back.

Elua shook her head, the tension draining from her shoulders as the corner of her mouth tugged upward in a faint, reluctant smile. There was still a flicker of amusement in her eyes, even if it was tempered by exasperation.

“Come on,” she murmured, her voice softer now, though still edged with quiet urgency. Tilting her chin toward the doorway, she gave a small nod in the direction of the night beyond the curtain. “We should see what they’re up to.”

Sokka and Elua slipped from the treetops in silence. He caught one of the dangling ropes and swung down with practiced ease, his boots landing softly against the earth. She followed a beat later, drawing on her bending to lower herself in a controlled arc until she touched down beside him. The forest seemed to hush around them, the night air cool against their skin.

They froze where they landed, eyes catching movement ahead. Through the shifting shadows, Jet and his freedom fighters appeared, their figures clustered around the frame of a heavy wagon that rumbled over roots and earth as they tugged it down the narrow path between the trees. The sight made both of them falter.

Sokka and Elua exchanged a glance, confusion clear in their mirrored expressions. What were they doing now? What plan could possibly call for a wagon being dragged through the woods in the dead of night? Neither of them had an answer, and that uncertainty pressed like a weight between them.

Together, wordless, they descended the rest of the treeline. Their steps were careful, every movement measured as they slipped into the cover of the foliage. The leaves brushed their shoulders, branches catching in their hair as they crouched low to the ground, keeping themselves hidden. They trailed after Jet and his lost boys, shadows among shadows, their breathing shallow to avoid giving themselves away.

The forest thinned the further they went until the trees finally opened out onto a ledge. There, the ground dropped sharply away into a cliffside that looked over the valley below. The view spread wide beneath the moonlight, and at its center loomed the vast shape of the dam, the reservoir waters glinting faintly in the distance. The village lay only a few miles beyond, tucked within the valley’s cradle.

Jet came to a stop at the cliff’s edge. His followers gathered close, their faces turned toward him with unshakable attention.

“Now listen,” Jet said, his tone commanding as his eyes swept across the group. “You’re not to blow the dam until I give the signal.” His voice carried with absolute authority, leaving no room for doubt.

From their hiding place, Elua and Sokka shared another look, this one far heavier than the last. Worry sharpened both their features, their thoughts instantly leaping to the village below. They turned back quickly, ears straining to catch every word Jet spoke.

“If the reservoir isn’t full…” Jet paused deliberately, glancing over his shoulder at the group. His eyes hardened, the pause weighted like a blade hanging in the air. “The Fire Nation troops could survive.” The words left his mouth edged with confidence, even pride, as if the destruction of the dam was a victory already carved into stone.

“But what about the people in the town?” The Duke’s small voice broke the silence. The innocence in it was jarring, so soft, so unguarded, belonging wholly to a boy too young to be caught up in such plans. He stared at Jet with wide, troubled eyes. “Won’t they get wiped out, too?”

Jet stepped forward in answer, his hand settling firmly on The Duke’s shoulder. His face carried no warmth, no hesitation. “Look, Duke,” he said flatly, his tone almost monotone. “That’s the price of ridding this area of the Fire Nation.”

From the brush, Elua’s frown deepened, the weight of it pressing into her chest. His words landed like stones. Was that truly all it meant to him? That an entire village—innocent families, children—were nothing more than acceptable losses in his war? The absence of any moral hesitation chilled her. How could civilian life mean nothing? Was he really willing to murder an entire town for this single strike?

“Now don’t blow the dam until I give the signal,” Jet continued, turning away as though the conversation was finished, then fixed his eyes on Longshot. “Got it?”

Longshot’s silent nod was the only answer he received. The archer’s expression remained unreadable, his eyes steady beneath the shadow of his hat as he dipped his chin once in acknowledgment. No words, no hesitation—just a small, curt gesture that spoke volumes of loyalty.

Suddenly, while Elua and Sokka were still caught up in the weight of Jet’s words, the ambush came. A rough hand shot out of the shadows, and before Sokka could react, Pipsqueak had him by the tuft of his hair. Sokka yelped, dragged forward out of the cover of the foliage, his arms flailing as he struggled against the much larger boy’s grip.

At the same time, Smellerbee moved in on Elua with quick precision. Cold steel glinted in the moonlight as the knife pressed close against her neck. Elua froze instantly, her breath catching in her throat as she lifted both hands slowly, fingers spread in a gesture of surrender. The leaves rustled faintly around her as she straightened, the weight of the blade keeping her perfectly still.

“Sokka,” Jet said smoothly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as though this was all part of his design. His eyes shifted, lingering on Elua. “Elua,” he added, his tone softening as a look passed over his face that made her skin crawl more than the blade pressing at her throat. “I’m glad you decided to join us.”

Elua gave a sharp humph, forcing herself to mask the unease curling in her stomach. Smellerbee shoved her forward, and her knees slammed into the dirt, sending a jolt of pain up her legs. Still, she lifted her chin, glaring at Jet through the strands of hair that had fallen into her face.

“We already heard your plan, Jet,” she spat, anger spilling out in every syllable. “We know you’re going to destroy the Earth Kingdom town.”

“Our plan…” Jet repeated, dragging out the words as though savoring them. He paused before finishing, his tone full of self-importance. “—is to rid the valley of the Fire Nation.”

From behind, Sokka let out a furious snort. He wrenched against Pipsqueak’s grip, his voice rising with raw outrage. “There are people living there, Jet!” he yelled, eyes blazing. “Mothers, fathers—children!” The last word caught hard in his throat, the thought of innocent families fueling his anger.

Jet only shifted the stalk of wheat from one side of his mouth to the other, his expression calm, almost bored. “We can’t win without making some sacrifices,” he said evenly, like it was nothing more than a casual observation.

Elua shoved herself back onto her feet, her glare sharp enough to cut. “You manipulated Aang and Katara!” she snapped, fury giving steel to her words.

“They just don’t understand the demands of war,” Jet replied smoothly, his voice dripping with a false, practiced sympathy. His boots crunched against the dirt as he stepped toward her—not quickly, not threateningly, but with a slow confidence that dared her to flinch. “Not like you and I do.”

Sokka stiffened, his chest heaving with barely restrained fury as Jet closed the distance between them. His jaw clenched so tight it hurt, his body straining against Pipsqueak’s grip. “Don’t touch her—!” he barked, his voice sharp enough to cut through the dawn.

Jet ignored him completely. His hand rose with deliberate slowness, the gesture unbearably intimate in its mockery, and with a softness that didn’t belong to him, he brushed a strand of Elua’s hair back from her face. His fingers lingered against her temple before tucking it behind her ear as though he had some right.

Elua’s breath caught, but her glare didn’t falter. Her teeth ground together, rage and disgust burning in her eyes. In one swift motion, she slapped his hand away, the crack echoing through the stillness.

“You think I’m going to side with you on this?” Elua demanded, her voice shaking but unyielding, a whisper of fury and disgust that cut deeper than a shout.

Her eyes narrowed, her words pressing harder, more relentless with every syllable. “That I’d just stand by while you murder innocent people?” she asked again, her accusation driving into him like a blade. “If you do this, you’re no better than the Fire Nation itself,” she spat, venom lacing her tone.

Jet’s smirk faltered, his gaze darkening. The easy charm drained from his features, leaving only the cold hardness beneath. He leaned in slightly, just enough that she could feel his breath, just enough to remind her of the imbalance between them. His chest rose and fell with a measured breath before he finally spoke.

“I was really hoping you’d understand,” he said quietly, disappointment curling like smoke around the words.

He let out a slow sigh, dragging the silence taut between them. “But that’s your choice,” he murmured at last, his calm tone doing nothing to hide the threat behind it. After a pause that lingered like a hand refusing to let go, he added, low and final: “I just can’t let you warn your brother.”

Jet’s smirk widened as he suddenly unsheathed his hook swords in a flash of steel. With a quick, practiced twist, he trapped Elua’s wrists between the curved blades, snapping them together in a rough bind. She yelped, jerking back in shock, but the cold bite of metal against her skin kept her frozen.

“Take them for a walk,” Jet ordered smoothly, his tone far too casual for the violence in his movements. Pipsqueak and Smellerbee each grabbed hold of Sokka and Elua, forcing their arms back and dragging them a step away.

“A long walk,” Jet added, the smirk never leaving his face as his gaze lingered on Elua just a fraction too long.

Sokka thrashed against their hold, his voice raw with fury. “You can’t do this!” he shouted at Jet, straining against Pipsqueak’s grip.

“Cheer up,” Jet said, his smirk sharpening into something cruel. “We’re about to win a great victory against the Fire Nation today.”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“Come on!” Smellerbee barked, shoving Sokka forward with a firm hand against his back. “Move along.”

He stumbled but twisted to glare over his shoulder, anger sharp in his voice. “How can you stand by and do nothing while Jet wipes out a whole town?” he demanded of the two freedom fighters trailing behind him—and of Elua, whose silence gnawed at him more than their excuses.

“Hey, listen, Sokka,” Pipsqueak said, his tone carrying a practiced loyalty. “Jet’s a great leader. We follow what he says, and things always turn out okay.” His words were steady, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of faith that seemed more like habit than conviction.

Elua’s brows drew together, her steps slowing as the weight of his defense pressed against her. “Great leaders aren’t always great people,” she said quietly, though her voice did not waver. Her gaze drifted, as though she were speaking less to them than to the shadows of her own memory. “Sozin was a great leader. He provided for his people, strengthened his nation…” Her voice caught, colored by a grief that felt older than she was. “And look what he did to so many lives.”

Sokka’s face fell as he glanced at Elua from the corner of his eye, her words settling heavier than he expected. There was something in her tone—a subtle fracture beneath the calm—that struck harder than any sharp retort or shouted argument could. Her eyes held an ache that unsettled him, a sorrow both timeless and immediate, as though she carried wounds that had never fully healed. It wasn’t just pain he saw there, but endurance—the kind born of carrying grief far longer than anyone should.

For Elua, the tragedies she spoke of lived as though they had happened only months ago, their edges still raw and bleeding, yet in truth they belonged to an age so distant it had blurred into myth. To Sokka, it was ancient history. He struggled to understand how anyone could bear the weight of centuries and still appear so young, so present.

“Don’t you dare compare Jet to a Fire Nation swine,” Smellerbee snapped with venom in her voice. “He… he cares about us. He makes the hard choices that no one else is willing to. If he seems harsh, it’s because he has to be.” Her words came out quick and biting, but the more she spoke, the less steady they sounded. 

Elua looked away as she felt Sokka’s hand slip into hers, warm and insistent. Her brow furrowed as she glanced sideways at him, uncertain of what he was planning. His eyes weren’t on her, though—they were fixed ahead, flicking from the winding path before them to some point between the trees, calculating, searching. The forest air was thick with damp earth and the distant calls of birds, but Elua barely noticed; her gaze clung to him, watching every flicker of determination in his expression.

Behind them, their captors marched in steady rhythm, the crunch of boots against soil a constant reminder of the danger at their backs. Elua felt the pressure of it, that looming threat, like a hand pressing between her shoulder blades.

“If that’s how Jet leads…” Sokka muttered, his voice sharp with scorn, then trailed off, his jaw tightening as though the words tasted bitter in his mouth.

Elua tilted her head, about to ask what he meant, but before she could, he raised his voice with sudden conviction. “Then he’s got a lot to learn!” Sokka exclaimed. Without hesitation, he tightened his grip on her hand and wrenched her forward, tugging her off the path.

Elua gasped as her feet left the beaten trail, the forest closing in around them. Branches whipped against her arms and her braid snagged against a low limb as Sokka charged ahead, dragging her after him. Shouts rang out behind them—Smellerbee’s sharp, furious voice and Pipsqueak’s booming bellow, both cutting through the quiet woods as they gave chase.

Her heart pounded as she stumbled over roots and half-hidden stones, but she didn’t let go. If anything, she clung to Sokka’s hand even tighter, as though that tether alone could keep her steady.

They ducked low, weaving between thickets, and Sokka leapt easily over two piles of lychee berries, the fruit scattered across the ground like bait. Elua’s eyes widened at the sight, realization dawning in a rush. Her lips parted in surprise, then curved upward into a fleeting, breathless smile.

The forest erupted with sound a moment later—the harsh metallic snap of jaws clamping shut, followed by the screeching groan of rope as two traps sprung upward into the canopy. Leaves rattled and branches shook violently, scattering sunlight in fragments across the ground.

Breathing hard, Elua and Sokka skidded to a halt, spinning around together just in time to see the result.

Smellerbee and Pipsqueak dangled helplessly from the trees, ensnared by the same Fire Nation traps that had caught Momo only days ago. Smellerbee kicked furiously, her small frame thrashing against the ropes, while Pipsqueak’s massive bulk swayed back and forth like an oversized fruit caught in the net. Their shouts echoed through the clearing, a mixture of anger, disbelief, and outrage.

“Good thinking,” Elua said, a smile tugging at her lips as she steadied her breath, one hand settling against her hip.

Sokka straightened a little at the praise, grinning at her from where he stood beside her, his chest heaving. “Thanks,” he replied, his tone carrying both pride and relief. 

For a heartbeat, the two shared a quiet moment in the chaos of the forest—the traps still rattling above, Smellerbee and Pipsqueak’s muffled curses echoing in the trees. Then, without another word, they took off again, their footsteps pounding against the earth as they fled deeper into the woods. 

The forest closed in around them, branches snapping underfoot, the air sharp with the tang of pine and damp soil. Every stride was urgent, every breath drawn in haste. There was no time to lose.

“You go warn the town,” Elua called over her shoulder, her voice firm despite the ragged edge of her breathing. “I’ll go find Aang and Katara,” she added, determination threading through her words.

Sokka skidded to a brief stop at the crossroads where the path forked, Elua halting beside him. He looked at her, the playfulness that usually lit his features gone, replaced by a serious gravity. “Be careful,” he said, his tone low and steady, carrying a weight of worry he didn’t bother to hide.

Elua met his gaze and gave a small, resolute nod. For a moment, the forest seemed to fall away, the world shrinking to just the two of them and the choices they had to make. She offered him one last smile, soft but unwavering, before turning sharply on her heel.

Together, they split apart—Sokka racing down one trail, Elua down the other—the sound of their footsteps fading into opposite directions, each driven by purpose, each carrying the heavy knowledge that what they did next could decide the fate of more than just themselves.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

As soon as Elua spotted Aang struggling to escape Jet’s clutches in the branches above, something inside her snapped. Any trace of patience or empathy she might have carried for Jet dissolved the moment she saw her little brother being attacked. Her heart hardened, all care erased in an instant, replaced by a fierce, protective resolve.

She dropped down onto the branch in front of Aang, landing with a thud that rattled the wood. Her arms shot out, sweeping in sharp arcs, and the air bent to her will—twisting into a furious whirlpool around Jet. The sudden gale caught him off guard, tearing at his footing and whipping his hair into his face. He yelped, struggling to steady himself, but Elua planted her feet firmly, refusing to move. Aang crouched behind her, wide-eyed, staring at the sister who now stood like an unbreakable barrier between him and danger.

Jet lost his balance with a silent gasp and toppled backward off the branch. Elua didn’t wait to watch him fall; she released her stance and whirled around, dropping into a crouch to grip Aang’s shoulders.

“Are you okay?” she asked quickly, her eyes scanning his face with frantic concern.

“I’m okay,” Aang nodded, though his voice carried the tremor of shock. “But, Jet—he’s going to—”

“Blow up the dam. I know,” Elua cut him off with a heavy sigh, urgency tightening her voice. “Come on, let’s get down and stop them.”

Together, the siblings leapt into motion, airbending currents swirling around their feet as they glided from branch to branch toward the ground. But before they reached safety, a shadow lunged from above.

Jet swung down like a predator, launching himself off a branch and hurtling straight at them. Elua caught the movement from the corner of her eye. Her instincts flared, and she shoved Aang aside with a powerful gust of air. The boy spun safely away, but Jet’s hand clamped onto her tunic midair.

The force yanked her off balance. She spun wildly, crashing through a smaller branch that splintered beneath her shoulder before another slammed into her side. Pain shot through her body, sharp and blinding, and then the ground rose up to meet her. She hit with a sickening thud that knocked the air from her lungs.

Groaning, Elua rolled in the dirt, clutching her side as Jet landed behind her with feline grace. She grit her teeth, forcing herself onto an elbow, ready to fight again despite the ache burning through her ribs.

But before she could strike, a surge of water slammed into Jet’s chest. He cried out as the torrent sent him flying backward into a tree. Elua blinked through the haze of pain, her eyes snapping toward the source.

Katara stood at the edge of the stream, arms raised, eyes blazing. Another bubble of water swirled above her palms, then shot forward in a swift arc. Jet scrambled to recover, but the water struck true. With a sharp twist of Katara’s hands, the liquid froze mid-splash, locking him in solid ice against the tree trunk.

“Why, Jet?” Katara’s voice cracked as she advanced, betrayal raw in her tone. “I can’t believe I trusted you.” Her fists trembled, her bending still poised for attack. “You’re sick—and I trusted you!” Her shout rang through the forest like a blade driven into stone.

Jet only smirked, breath fogging in the cold air around his prison. He pursed his lips and blew a sharp whistle—a birdcall signal.

Elua’s heart lurched. She surged forward and clapped her hand over his mouth, desperation in her eyes. But even with his lips silenced, his gaze told her everything—he was grinning beneath her palm. She ripped her hand away, horror dawning.

“You’re too late,” Jet sneered, voice dripping with triumph.

A deep boom split the air. All three of them—Elua, Katara, and Aang—whirled toward the cliffside just as the dam exploded. A massive wall of water burst forth like an unleashed beast, roaring down the hillside in a tsunami that swallowed everything in its path. The wave surged with merciless speed toward the Earth Kingdom village below.

“No…” Katara’s voice cracked, barely a whisper. Her hands fell limp at her sides as her face paled. “All those people…” Tears welled in her eyes, trembling with rage as she spun back toward Jet. “You monster!” she screamed, water trembling around her fists.

“This was a victory,” Jet declared proudly, his voice steady despite his bindings. “The Fire Nation is gone. This valley will be safe.”

Before Katara could answer, another voice rang out behind them, calm but cutting, slicing through the chaos like the edge of a blade. The sound was so steady, so deliberate, that all three of them froze where they stood. Even Jet stilled, his smug grin faltering as his eyes darted toward the source.

“It will be safe—without you.”

All three turned, and relief washed over them in unison, loosening the tension that had held their shoulders rigid and their breaths shallow.

“Sokka!” they cried.

He sat atop Appa, reins in hand, his expression grim but steady, carved with the kind of resolve that left no room for doubt. The boy who so often filled silence with humor now looked every inch the leader, his shoulders squared, his gaze unwavering. The fading sunlight framed him in firelight, outlining his figure against the darkening sky.

“I warned the villagers of your plan,” he called down. “Just in time.”

Jet’s composure cracked, his face twisting with fury. “What!?” he roared.

“At first, they didn’t believe me,” Sokka went on, his tone measured, though his chest swelled with pride. “The Fire Nation soldiers thought I was a spy. But one man vouched for me—the old man you attacked.” His eyes hardened as he met Jet’s glare. “He told them to trust me, and because of him, we got everyone out in time.”

Jet thrashed against his icy bonds, rage vibrating through every word. “Sokka, you fool! We could have freed this valley!”

“Who would have been free, Jet?” Elua spat, her voice sharp as steel. She met his eyes without flinching. “Everyone would have been dead.”

“Traitor!” Jet howled, his voice cracking with venom. “You’re a traitor!”

Elua didn’t flinch as Sokka extended a hand from Appa’s saddle, the leather reins wrapped tightly around his other hand. With one strong, sure tug, he lifted her up from the ground, steadying her as she swung her legs onto Appa’s broad back. The wind tugged at her hair, the forest canopy blurring beneath them, but she felt no fear—only a fierce gratitude and the grounding certainty of Sokka’s strength.

“No, Jet,” Sokka countered coldly, his voice steadier than hers. “You became the traitor when you stopped protecting innocent people.”

Jet’s fury wavered for the first time, replaced by a flicker of desperation. “Katara, please—help me.”

Katara stood frozen, her back to him. Her shoulders trembled, her hands clenched. At last, she spoke, her voice quiet but firm. “Goodbye, Jet.” Without looking back, she climbed onto Appa’s saddle.

Appa rumbled deeply beneath them as he lifted into the air, each powerful beat of his wings sending gusts of wind whipping through their hair and clothes. The forest and river below shrank rapidly, the treetops blurring together into a shifting green carpet. Jet and his freedom fighters dwindled to tiny, impotent figures far beneath them, shouts lost in the roar of the wind.

“We thought you were going to the dam,” Aang said, twisting on the saddle to grin at Sokka, his eyes wide with curiosity and relief. “Why’d you go to the town instead?”

Katara leaned forward, her hair whipping in the wind, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. “Let me guess… instincts?” she teased, her tone light but filled with admiration.

Sokka puffed out his chest, a smug smirk spreading across his face. “Hey—sometimes they’re right,” he said, voice full of mock confidence, though a faint flush rose to his cheeks.

Elua elbowed him playfully, her smirk widening as she watched his reaction. “Don’t get too full of yourself,” she warned, laughter dancing in her eyes.

“Alright, alright…” Sokka chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Then he leaned closer, voice lowered, almost conspiratorial. “It was Elua’s idea.”

Aang and Katara exchanged a quick glance, their expressions perfectly synchronized, and then both burst out laughing in unison. “Of course it was!” they exclaimed, their voices carrying a mixture of joy and disbelief.

Elua’s laughter joined theirs, bright and easy, the weight of the day finally easing from her shoulders. She leaned back slightly against Appa’s broad back, letting the wind whip through her hair, and allowed herself a moment to just breathe. She gazed at the horizon, streaked with the warm crimson and gold of the setting sun, feeling a rare sense of peace.

Chapter Text

ELUA AND AANG WERE STOOD IN FRONT of a Lychee tree, their hands reaching carefully among the branches as the two Air Nomad siblings picked the fruit gently from their stems. Side by side, they moved slowly and with quiet care, gathering what they could from the tree’s low-hanging limbs. Together they worked in steady rhythm, searching for food in the rocky stretch of land that surrounded their camp. While the siblings focused on collecting what they could, Sokka and Katara remained a distance away, the two of them occupied with the tasks of setting up the tent and gathering firewood to feed the campfire later that evening.

 Elua plucked one of the round, reddish fruits from the cluster resting in her hand, turning it once between her fingers before pressing her thumb against its delicate skin. The peel gave way with a faint crackle, curling back in thin strips that clung stubbornly before dropping to the ground. A faintly sweet fragrance rose immediately, filling the air between them, and she lingered on the scent with a slow breath, savoring it.

Her eyes flicked sideways, sly and deliberate, toward Aang. He was still intent on the branches, oblivious to her gaze. The corner of her mouth tugged upward as she popped the lychee into her mouth, teeth sinking into its cool flesh. The fruit burst against her tongue, flooding her mouth with syrupy juice, so sweet it nearly dripped down her chin. A soft hum of satisfaction escaped her, low and indulgent, before she tilted her head back and let the glossy seed slip from her lips into the cradle of her palm.

Elua murmured to herself as she rolled the pit between her fingers as if it were some rare jewel. Her expression turned mock-serious, brow creased, lips pursed in feigned thoughtfulness. Then, slowly, her composure broke into a grin.

Before Aang even thought to glance her way, her wrist snapped forward in a swift flick. The pit spun through the air and landed squarely with a dull thwap against the smooth curve of his shaved head.

“Hey!” Aang spun around so fast the fruit in his hands nearly tumbled to the dirt. His eyes went wide, startled, as though he’d just been ambushed in battle.

Elua slapped the back of her hand to her mouth, trying and failing to smother her laugh, “What?” She asked before her shoulders shook as the laughter slipped through anyway. “Waste not, want not,” she teased, her eyes glinting with open mischief.

Aang narrowed his eyes in a comically stern glare. He brandished his half-peeled lychee in front of him, holding it like a deadly weapon. His voice dropped low and dramatic, every syllable filled with exaggerated weight. “You’ve just declared war.”

Elua let out a sharp gasp, pressing one hand dramatically to her chest. “Oh no,” she exclaimed, staggering back a step in mock horror. “The mighty Avatar is going to smite me… with fruit?”

Aang’s lips curved into a grin that matched her mischief. With a quick flick of his wrist, he hurled the lychee in her direction. It sailed wide, missing her entirely and splattering harmlessly into the dirt at her feet.

Elua arched one brow, unimpressed. “Wow. Truly terrifying.”

She bent low, crouching with deliberate slowness, and scooped up the fallen lychee between her fingers. She cradled it in both hands as though it were priceless treasure. “You drop your weapons, Avatar,” she intoned, tossing it lightly into her palm as though weighing its worth.

Aang straightened to his full height, puffing out his chest with all the seriousness he could muster. “That was just a warning shot,” he declared. He leapt forward, light and quick as a breeze, and plucked another fruit from the branch overhead. 

Before Elua could react, he whipped it toward her. This one hit its mark. The lychee smacked against her shoulder, bursting on impact, leaving a sticky splash across her sleeve.

Elua let out a sharp, scandalized gasp, her eyes darting down to the mess as if he’d wounded her. “You dare?!” she cried. She staggered backward, clutching her side, then collapsed onto her knees with theatrical flair. “Tell my story, Aang… tell them I fought bravely.”

Aang doubled over at the sight, laughter spilling from him uncontrollably. He clutched at his stomach, gasping between wheezes. “You’re ridiculous,” he managed, voice broken with laughter.

“You’re the one throwing food!” Elua shot back, springing up from the ground with sudden energy. She snatched another pit from the dirt and flicked it with expert precision. It zipped through the air and struck Aang squarely in the middle of his forehead.

He yelped, flailing his arms, then dissolved into giggles that shook his whole frame. “Not fair! You’ve got better aim!”

“Experience,” Elua said loftily, already crouching again, sweeping more pits into her palm with quick, practiced motions. She tucked them against her hand like a squirrel hoarding for winter, her eyes narrowing in exaggerated concentration. “Don’t underestimate your elders, little brother.”

Aang rubbed at the spot on his forehead where the pit had landed, wincing slightly between bursts of giggles. “Okay, okay, you win that round,” he admitted at last, holding his hands up in mock surrender, the grin refusing to leave his face.

Elua’s lips curved into a triumphant smile as she brushed at her sleeve, flicking away streaks of dirt and smears of sticky berry juice. “I always do,” she declared with the ease of someone who knew her victory was inevitable. 

Her eyes drifted down to the small pile of lychees cradled in her hand, then back up at Aang, sparkling with playful warmth. “Come on, we should head back before Sokka realizes we’re wasting food,” she added, her voice carrying the light lilt of teasing caution.

Aang nodded, snatching a few more berries from the lower branches as they began to move. Side by side, they stepped over the uneven, rocky ground, their hands occasionally brushing as they balanced the fruits they carried. Quiet laughter spilled between them, soft and easy, carrying the echoes of their earlier skirmish. Sticky juice smeared their fingers and arms, but neither seemed to mind, caught up in the simplicity of their shared mischief.

Sunlight filtered down through the canopy of leaves above, dappling the rocky earth with patches of warmth that shifted with every slight breeze. For a fleeting moment, the world seemed to shrink around them, leaving only the two of them, the fruits in their hands, and the quiet joy of being together.

Elua adjusted the small pouch of lychees in her hand, cradling it carefully so as not to squash the delicate fruits. Beside her, Aang balanced the remainder in his palms, his grin still tugging at his face, eyes bright with lingering amusement. Their steps carried them back toward camp, light and easy, the sound of their laughter mingling with the rustle of leaves and the soft crunch of stones beneath their feet.

“Okay, we’ve got the grub if you guys got the—” Aang began, but his words trailed off as he and Elua crested the small rise near the camp. 

Their eyes fell on Sokka and Katara, who stood a few feet apart, each rigidly planted on the rocky ground, glaring at the other with a mix of stubbornness and exasperation, like statues carved from stone, frozen in a silent battle of irritation that seemed almost too stubborn to break.

“Hey,” Aang said, frowning, glancing between them, “where’s the campfire, and what happened to the tent?” His voice carried a mix of curiosity and confusion, his hands lifting slightly in a questioning gesture. 

Both Water Tribe siblings remained locked in their silent standoff, arms crossed and stiff, as if daring the other to speak first.

Sokka let out a sharp huff of irritation, tossing one shoulder dramatically. “Why don’t you ask Miss Know-It-All, Queen of the Twigs?” he shot back, his words dripping with sarcasm as his eyes flicked toward Katara, daring her to respond.

“Oh, yeah!?” Katara yelled, spinning on her heel to face him fully, her hands gripping her hips as she squared up like a challenger. “Well, you’re Mr. Lazy Bum, King of the—” She paused, glancing down at a small twig lying forgotten on the ground, a sudden spark of inspiration lighting her face.

“—Tents!” she finished, her voice ringing with mock triumph. She scooped up the twig and, with a practiced flick of her wrist, sent it sailing through the air. It smacked Sokka squarely against the back of his head, making him flinch and jerk forward in surprise.

“Okay, okay,” Elua said quickly, setting the bag of fruit down on the rocky ground with a soft thump. She raised her hands slightly, as if to physically hold back the tension between the Water Tribe siblings. “Let’s calm down and find a solution,” she added, her voice steady and even, trying to draw their attention away from the argument and toward something productive.

“Yeah! Harsh words won’t solve problems, action will,” Aang chimed in, nodding earnestly. His small hands gestured toward Sokka and Katara as he suggested, “Why don’t you just switch jobs?” His tone was calm, almost diplomatic, carrying a quiet confidence that made it hard to argue with.

The Water Tribe siblings froze, glancing at one another, eyebrows furrowed as though weighing the suggestion. A tense silence stretched for a moment before both let out simultaneous sighs, a mutual sign of reluctant agreement.

“Sounds good,” Katara said, the stiffness in her shoulders softening slightly.

Sokka only shook his head with a short, “Whatever,” though a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, betraying that he wasn’t entirely displeased.

Aang’s face lit up with a wide grin. “You see that?” he asked rhetorically, glancing over at Elua. “Settling feuds and making peace—all in a day’s work for the Avatar,” he said, puffing out his chest in pride.

Elua stifled a small chuckle, leaning into him with a playful shove to his shoulder. “Alright, Mr. Avatar,” she said, teasingly, her eyes sparkling. “Why don’t you go get the bison to stop bullying the lemurs, yeah?” She nodded toward Appa, Momo, and Ume, who were squabbling furiously over a watermelon, their tiny claws and flailing limbs making the scene almost comical in its chaos.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

The next morning, the group of teens stood at the edge of a towering cliff, their eyes sweeping over a canyon that stretched endlessly into the distance. Jagged layers of redstone rock, worn and weathered by time, carved the landscape into twisting valleys and soaring ridges that seemed to vanish into the horizon, the vast expanse leaving them both breathless and quietly awed.

“There it is, guys,” Aang said, a bright smile lighting his face as his eyes scanned the immense expanse below. “The Great Divide,” he announced proudly, his voice carrying a mixture of excitement and awe.

“Wow,” Katara breathed, her eyes wide as she traced the canyon’s jagged lines with a careful gaze. “I could just stare at it forever,” she added softly, a smile of pure wonder tugging at her lips.

Sokka, however, cast a quick glance at the chasm, his gaze lingering no more than five seconds before he turned away with an air of disinterest. “Okay, I’ve seen enough,” he declared, walking over to Appa and Elua, his face carefully neutral, betraying none of the awe he seemed to be expected to feel.

“How can you not be fascinated, Sokka?” Katara asked, incredulous, her voice tinged with disbelief. She gestured toward the canyon below, the scale of it dwarfing anything they had ever seen. “This is the largest canyon in the entire world,” she informed him, as if stating a fact might impress upon him its grandeur.

Sokka paused, glancing back at his sister briefly before turning his attention to Appa. “Then I’m sure we’ll be able to see it very clearly from the air while we fly away,” he said casually, adjusting the reins on the bison’s horns with a shrug. 

His gaze never lingered on the canyon itself, already fixed on the next practical step rather than the breathtaking view stretching endlessly beneath them. Elua, standing beside him, shook her head with a soft chuckle, amusement sparkling in her eyes at his predictable antics. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, glancing briefly at the chasm below before letting her attention return to Sokka with a bemused smile.

“Hey!” An unfamiliar voice rang out sharply across the cliffside. “If you’re looking for the canyon guide, I was here first!” The man announced with a self-important flare, suddenly shoving past Elua and Sokka with a forceful, rather rude push.

Elua let out a startled yelp as her balance wavered from the unexpected shove. She flailed for a moment, arms outstretched, trying to steady herself, but the uneven ground betrayed her, and she tumbled backward, landing unceremoniously in the dirt. She sat up quickly, brushing dust from her clothes, her brows drawn together in clear annoyance. Her eyes met those of the man standing just a few feet away, dressed in a striking combination of greens and golds, the air of arrogance clinging to him like a cloak.

Sokka threw his hands up in exasperation, letting out a loud, “Do you mind?!” With a scoff, he pivoted back toward Elua, crouching down to offer a hand to help her rise from the ground, his jaw tight with irritation at the man’s audacity.

“Oooh,” Katara said, her eyes lighting up with genuine interest. “A canyon guide? Sounds informative,” she added, her voice filled with quiet excitement as she leaned slightly forward, curiosity shining in her expression.

“Believe me, he’s more than a tour guide—he’s an earthbender,” the man of wealth and influence said matter-of-factly, his chest puffing out with pride. “And the only way in and out of the canyon is with his help.” He straightened, his gaze sweeping over the group. “And he’s taking my tribe across next!” he demanded, voice rising with a sense of urgency.

Sokka shook his head, a small amused smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Calm down,” he said lightly, rolling his shoulders as he walked over to join Aang and Katara. “We know you’re next,” he added, shrugging as though the man’s insistence were more entertaining than threatening.

“You wouldn’t be calm if the Fire Nation destroyed your home and forced you to flee!” the rich man yelled, jabbing a finger pointedly at Sokka as if to punctuate every word. His voice carried over the canyon winds, sharp and intense. “My whole tribe has to walk thousands of miles to the capital city of Ba Sing Se,” he continued, gesturing dramatically toward the massive divide stretching before them, the vast canyon walls making his plight seem all the more real and formidable.

Elua began to tune out the ongoing conversation in front of her, her attention pulled inward by a sudden, sharp pain in her ankle. She bit her lip and frowned to herself, lifting one foot tentatively to test it. The moment she put pressure on it, the pain flared sharply, forcing her to wince. Hastily, she shifted her weight onto Appa, letting the massive bison bear most of her weight as she tried to ease the strain on her injured foot.

A quiet realization settled over her—she must have twisted it when she fell just moments ago. The thought made her sigh softly, but she clenched her jaw, determined not to alarm anyone. She didn’t want her companions to be distracted or worried.

Instead, she shifted casually against Appa’s warm, sturdy side, pressing herself lightly as if she were simply leaning for comfort. She crossed the injured ankle over her other leg, trying to hide the discomfort in her posture, and let her gaze drift toward the canyon and the conversation ahead. Every so often, she flexed her foot subtly, careful to mask the wince that threatened to betray her, forcing herself to appear relaxed and attentive while her mind quietly registered the throbbing in her ankle.

“Is that your tribe?” Katara’s question pulled Elua’s attention back to the unfolding scene.

Just beyond the sparse trees, a group of rugged people emerged, their clothing patched with rough pellets of fur, faces and hands streaked with dirt from travel and labor. Their movements were confident, purposeful, yet roughened by the hardships of the road.

“It most certainly is not!” the rich man exclaimed, his voice sharp and indignant. “That’s the Zhang tribe—a bunch of lowlife thieves! They’ve been enemies of my tribe for a hundred years,” he added, his eyes narrowing into a hard glare at the approaching group.

He let out a sharp whistle, crisp and commanding, as if calling a wild animal to heel. “Hey, Zhangs! I’m saving a spot for my tribe, so don’t even think of stealing it!” he barked, hands planted firmly on his hips in a display of authority.

A rugged, heavily built woman stepped forward, her gaze piercing and unwavering, bringing her face level with the rich man’s. “Where are the rest of the Gan Jin?” she demanded, her tone low and dangerous. “Still tidying up their campsite?” Her glare alone seemed to dare him to respond.

“Yes,” the rich man replied, chin lifted proudly, chest stiff, “but they sent me ahead to hold a spot,” he stated firmly, unwilling to relinquish even an inch of ground.

The Zhang woman’s lips curved into a smirk, a flash of amusement in her eyes. “I didn’t know the canyon guide took reservations,” she remarked, her tone dripping with mockery.

“Of course you didn’t!” he bellowed, indignation flaring. “That’s the ignorance I’d expect from a messy Zhang,” he added, huffing. “So unorganized and ill-prepared for a journey.”

From behind their leader, the Zhang tribe began shouting, voices rising in protest at the Gan Jin man’s words. Before the argument could escalate further, the entrance to the canyon rumbled ominously. Massive boulders shifted as an old man emerged, earthbending the stones effortlessly aside as he strode forward. Dust fell from his shoulders, and he let out a soft, amused laugh, brushing off the debris like it were nothing.

“Sorry about the wait, youngsters,” the old tour guide said with a warm smile, his eyes twinkling as he surveyed the crowd. “Who’s ready to cross this here canyon?” he asked cheerfully, gesturing to the rocky path that began to wind into the depths below.

“Umm,” Katara started hesitantly, glancing between the Gan Jin man and the Zhang tribe. “One of them, I think,” she murmured, indicating the opposing parties.

“I was here first!” the Gan Jin man yelled, rushing forward with desperation. “My party’s on their way!” he declared, gesturing behind him as if to summon reinforcements.

The old tour guide shook his head kindly, his tone patient and gentle. “I can’t guide people who aren’t here,” he reminded him, firm yet not unkind.

The Zhang tribe leader chuckled, stepping forward with her people in tow. “I guess you guys will have to make the trip tomorrow,” she said, her voice full of amusement and lightly mocking.

“Wait!” the Gan Jin man shouted, pointing frantically behind him. “Here they come!” he announced, eyes lighting up as a group of impeccably dressed people strode toward them, moving with the confident, measured gait of those used to privilege and status.

“You’re not seriously going to cave in to these spoiled Gan Jins,” the Zhang leader called sharply toward the old tour guide, her hands planted firmly on her hips as she leaned slightly forward. “I mean, we’re refugees, too—and we’ve got sick people who need shelter,” she added, her voice rising with urgency, eyes scanning the canyon path for any sign of sympathy from the guide.

The old man raised his hands helplessly, palms open as if to ward off the storm of arguments. “I, uh, well…” he trailed off, his words faltering as he shifted his weight nervously, clearly unsure how to respond without upsetting either party.

“We’ve got old people who are weary from traveling!” the Gan Jin man shouted, stepping forward with a flurry of indignation, gesturing to his own group as though to emphasize the fragility and hardship of their elders.

“Sick people get priority over old people!” the Zhang woman barked in reply, pointing a finger sharply toward her own group, her voice carrying over the canyon winds and echoing off the rock walls.

An older man from the Gan Jin side pushed forward, face flushed with exasperation, his hands waving as he joined the fray. “Maybe you Zhangs wouldn’t have so many sick people if you weren’t such slobs,” he shot back, the words cutting with a mix of irritation and accusation.

The Zhang leader’s eyes blazed as she leaned in, the muscles in her jaw tight with anger. “If you Gan Jins weren’t so clean,” she spat back, her voice rising to a yell, “maybe you wouldn’t live to be so old!”

Elua shifted carefully, using her closed glider as a makeshift crutch, inching toward Aang’s side. “Looks like you’ll get to use those peacemaking skills after all,” she said with a small, wry smile, her tone lightly teasing but tinged with concern as she kept her weight off her sore ankle.

“I—I don’t know…” Aang stammered, his eyes darting nervously between the two feuding tribes. “A fight over chores is one thing, but these people have been feuding for a hundred years,” he admitted, his small frame tense with unease as he watched them trade insults and heated gestures.

Katara suddenly stepped forward, her voice sharp and commanding. “Everyone listen up!” she yelled, cutting through the clamor. “This is the Avatar, and if you give him a chance, I’m sure he can come up with a compromise that will make everyone happy,” she announced, standing tall with hands clenched at her sides, her eyes firm and unwavering.

Elua let out a long, quiet sigh, her shoulders slumping as if the weight of the centuries-long feud had landed on her. “We really gotta stop telling everyone that Aang’s the Avatar,” she muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Sokka to catch, who let out a light chuckle, shaking his head at her exasperation.

“Uh…” Aang trailed off, hesitating as he tried to find a solution. “You could… share the earthbender, and travel together?” His words were quiet, hesitant, more a question to himself than to either tribe.

“Absolutely not,” the Gan Jin leader shot back immediately, his tone sharp and unforgiving. “We’d rather be taken by the Fire Nation than travel with those stinking thieves!” He jabbed a finger in the direction of the opposing tribe, his glare filled with pure hatred.

Elua’s mouth fell open slightly, disbelief written across her face. They would rather fall into the hands of ruthless murderers than share a guide with thieves? She couldn’t even begin to understand how that logic worked.

“We wouldn’t travel with you pompous fools anyway!” the Zhang woman yelled back, pointing fiercely at him as her tribe murmured agreement, voices rising in indignation.

The argument reignited instantly. Voices overlapped as the Zhangs shouted accusations at the Gan Jins, who hurled insults in return. Gestures became sharp, pointing fingers and flailing arms punctuating their words. No one seemed capable of stepping back, let alone meeting in the middle. It was a verbal war, loud and chaotic, echoing off the canyon walls as the teens watched helplessly, caught in the middle of a feud that seemed as endless as the canyon itself.

“All right, here’s the deal!” Aang’s voice rang out, bouncing off the canyon walls below in a commanding echo that drew the attention of both tribes. “You’re all going down together, and Appa here will fly your sick and elderly across,” he shouted, gesturing toward the enormous sky bison, whose ears twitched in acknowledgment. “Does that seem fair?” His eyes scanned the crowd, and for once, his young face wore a look of frustration mixed with authority, daring anyone to challenge him.

For a moment, silence fell over the canyon. The two tribes exchanged uncertain glances, scanning their own members for reactions, measuring their willingness to compromise. Slowly, almost grudgingly, heads began to nod. One by one, the members of each tribe gave small murmurs of agreement, until at last it was unanimous.

Problem solved.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Soon, the sick and elderly were carefully guided onto Appa’s broad back, forming two separate groups to prevent any unnecessary quarrels from breaking out among them. Appa shifted slightly under the weight, letting out a soft grunt of acknowledgement. Canyon wind ruffled the elders’ hair and the folds of their worn clothing, carrying with it the faint scent of dust and redstone as the preparations continued in an organized, cautious rhythm.

Elua lingered nearby, gingerly keeping her weight off her injured ankle. Every subtle shift sent a dull, sharp pain radiating through her leg, a constant reminder of the fall, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to ignore it. Determined not to show any weakness, she shifted from foot to foot with careful precision, making sure her movements were measured and controlled. 

She straightened her posture as best she could, shoulders squared and chin lifted, projecting calm to anyone watching. Still, beneath the composed exterior, the burn of the scrape throbbed persistently with each small motion, a quiet but insistent signal that her body had limits she couldn’t quite push past.

Sokka, standing a few steps away, tilted his head, his gaze fixed on Elua with a mixture of curiosity and concern. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he noticed the subtle way she shifted her weight, favoring her right leg and barely putting any pressure on her left. For a few moments, he simply watched, letting the canyon wind tug at the ends of his hair, ruffling it across his forehead. He studied the tension in her shoulders, the careful way she moved, and the small wince that flickered across her face each time she shifted.

“Hey,” Sokka called as he walked toward Elua, his steps measured but purposeful. “How’s it going?” he asked, voice light and teasing as always, though the faint edge of concern beneath his words didn’t go unnoticed.

Elua lifted her chin, forcing a small, tight-lipped smile in Sokka’s direction. “Fine,” she said, her voice steady, though the slight hitch in her tone and the way she subtly shifted her weight onto the toe of her boot betrayed the truth.

Sokka paused a few feet away, squinting at her with an expression that was equal parts amusement and suspicion. “You know,” he said slowly, letting each word hang in the air, “I’ve got this crazy idea…” He took a deliberate step backward, folding his arms over his chest, his smirk growing. “I dare you… to walk all the way over here.”

Elua blinked, the corner of her mouth twitching into a half-laugh despite herself. “Why?” she asked, though the flicker of curiosity in her eyes betrayed her.

A small smirk tugged at Sokka’s lips, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I think I already know,” he said, leaning slightly, arms still crossed, as if letting her guess his reasoning.

She straightened, hands planting firmly on her hips, her gaze meeting his with a bold confidence she wasn’t entirely feeling. “I don’t,” she said firmly, though a slight quiver in her jaw gave away the hesitation. “But… fine.”

With that, she lifted her injured foot and started forward, each step cautious and measured. At first, she seemed steady, moving with deliberate care, but then a sharp twist of pain shot through her ankle. Her posture faltered slightly, and she stumbled, arms flailing just enough to keep herself from falling entirely. Her breath hitched as she gritted her teeth, trying to mask the discomfort while Sokka’s eyes widened with concern.

Elua’s foot gave out beneath her with a sudden, jarring throb, the sharp pain lancing up her leg before she even had a chance to brace herself. Her balance tipped forward in an instant, the motion too quick and too clumsy to fight against. A startled gasp tore from her throat, the sound raw and unsteady, as her arms flung out to either side, fingers clawing helplessly at the empty air that offered no support.

Sokka’s smirk vanished in an instant, wiped clean as though it had never been there at all. His eyes went wide, shock flashing across his face, and without hesitation he lunged forward. His arms shot out, reaching her just in time to catch her before she could fall further. The impact of her stumble hit him hard enough to jolt them both, knocking them back a half-step together, his weight shifting sharply as his boots ground against the dirt beneath them. For a long, suspended heartbeat he fought the momentum, then steadied them, holding firm until her fall had been caught completely.

Sokka’s grip on her didn’t loosen once she was steadied. His arm stayed braced around her back, the other firm under her elbow, guiding her despite the tension stiffening her shoulders. “Easy,” he muttered, the usual teasing edge gone from his voice, replaced by something steadier, more insistent. He didn’t wait for her agreement before steering her toward the hulking white shape of Appa, who lifted his shaggy head at their approach with a low, questioning rumble.

Elua tried to pull herself upright, to shake him off, but the dull throb in her ankle made her flinch with every uneven step. Sokka felt it, of course he did—his arm only tightened around her, making it clear he wasn’t letting go.

By the time they reached Appa, Aang had turned, staff still in hand, his bright eyes narrowing as they landed on Elua. “What happened?” he asked, voice tight, more serious than usual.

“She’s going with the sick and elderly,” Sokka said flatly, shifting his hold on her as though making a case with his stance alone. His gaze flicked to Aang, then snapped back to Elua with a sharp look that dared her to argue. “She can’t walk.”

“I can walk,” Elua shot back, her chin lifting in stubborn defiance even as her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Sokka’s brow furrowed, his expression sliding toward open annoyance. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing at her in that older-brother way that made it impossible to wriggle free of his judgment. For a beat, he didn’t say a word, just let the silence press between them, pointed and heavy. Then, with a curt gesture toward Appa’s massive, waiting bulk, he barked:

“Get on the bison, Elua.”

Chapter Text

ELUA JOLTED AWAKE AT THE SOUND of Aang’s frightened gasp, the sharp noise breaking through the quiet rhythm of the waves and the crackle of the dying campfire. The startled cry sent Momo leaping across Katara and Sokka in a frantic blur of wings and tail, the lemur’s loud chattering filling the night air. Heart already pounding, Elua immediately turned her attention toward her brother, pushing herself upright as he sat up too.

“Huh!?” Sokka blurted, eyes snapping open as he jolted upright with a clumsy, ungraceful lurch as his hand flew automatically to his boomerang, clutching it tightly in his sleep-fogged state. “What’s going on? Did we get captured again?” he sputtered, voice thick and uneven with half-dreamed panic.

“It’s nothing,” Aang said quickly, his voice low as he tried to steady his breathing, lowering himself back down onto the sand. “I just had a bad dream—go back to sleep.” Curling in on himself, he pulled his knees toward his chest, trying to make himself smaller, to settle.

Sokka yawned so wide it cracked his jaw, his grip on the boomerang already loosening. “You don’t have to tell me twice,” he muttered drowsily, flopping back onto his side. Within moments, his breathing evened again, slipping back into sleep as though nothing had happened.

Katara, however, lingered. She pushed herself up on one elbow, her eyes soft with concern as she looked toward her brother. “Are you alright, Aang?” she asked gently, her voice little more than a whisper against the hush of the night. “You’ve been having a lot of nightmares lately.”

“I’m okay,” Aang whispered back, though the stiffness in his voice betrayed him. “You can go back to sleep.”

She hesitated for a long moment, the silence stretching between them, before she finally laid back down, her doubt still visible in the way her brow furrowed.

Elua exhaled a quiet sigh, the weight of her worry pressing heavier against her chest. She shifted closer to Aang, brushing the sand beneath her as she scootched until she was beside him. “Do you wanna talk about it?” she asked softly, her words slow and deliberate, her hand settling against his back in a small, steady gesture of comfort.

Aang shook his head without looking at her. “I think I just need some rest,” he whispered, his voice fragile, thin.

Elua frowned, her eyes studying the way his small frame seemed to fold in on itself. She watched as he drew his legs tighter against his chest, his arms wrapped around them, his brows furrowed, his gaze fixed somewhere distant out over the waves. The shadows of the firelight flickered across his face, softening the sharp lines of tension but never easing them completely.

Another sigh slipped from her, quiet and resigned. She didn’t press him further. Instead, she let her body ease back down onto the cool, yielding sand. Tilting her head toward him, she kept her hand resting lightly on his shoulder, a silent anchor between them. Her eyes drifted shut slowly, the steady hush of the tide lulling her back toward sleep. Even as she faded, she held her touch there, unwilling to let go of him.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“Look at those clear skies, buddy!” Aang said cheerfully the next morning, his voice bright with unshaken optimism. He stretched his arms wide as if he could embrace the whole horizon. “Should be some smooth flying.” Tilting his chin upward, he smiled at the endless blue above them, watching as a flock of birds wheeled gracefully overhead in the rising sun.

Katara gave a little shake to one of the food bags, holding it upside down until a small trail of crumbs tumbled out. Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Well,” she said pointedly, “we’d better smoothly fly ourselves to a market, because we’re out of food.” She slung the empty bag over her arm with a decisive motion, then climbed onto Appa’s saddle where their camp gear was already packed and waiting.

“Guys, wait!” Sokka blurted suddenly, his voice sharp enough to make everyone pause. He straightened from where he was fiddling with his bedroll, his expression uncharacteristically grave. “This was in my dream—we shouldn’t go to the market,” he said with absolute seriousness, as though he were delivering a warning of dire importance.

Elua frowned across the saddle at him, brow knitting as her eyes searched his face. “What happened in your dream?” she asked, matching his tone with one of steady seriousness, though a hint of doubt lingered in her voice.

“Food eats people!” Sokka burst out, his eyes wide with the weight of his revelation. His features twisted into a mask of horror as if even recalling it sent a shiver through him.

The answer was met with silence. Elua, Aang, and Katara all stared back at him, unimpressed and unmoved, their flat expressions speaking louder than words. Without comment, each turned back to their tasks—adjusting straps, securing bundles, making certain Appa’s saddle was ready to hold them all once they were in the air.

“Also,” Sokka continued doggedly, refusing to abandon his vision, “Momo could talk.” His voice dropped into a low, wounded mutter as he crossed his arms firmly over his chest. “You said some very unkind things,” he told the lemur, his frown deepening.

Momo, perched nearby, blinked at him. His ears angled back against his head as though he truly understood, and he let out a string of rapid, high-pitched chatter that almost sounded apologetic.

Ume bounded lightly across the saddle, her movements quick and sure, before climbing up onto Sokka’s shoulder. She nestled there against his neck, tilting her head with wide, soulful eyes that shimmered with a kind of sympathy. Her soft chittering seemed to echo Momo’s, though with more tenderness than apology.

Sokka’s expression softened immediately. “Not you, Ume,” he said in a much gentler voice, one hand rising to pat her small head with grateful affection. “You’re always on my side.”

Soon enough, they had found a small fishing market, one built directly along the water’s edge. The air was thick with the smell of salt and brine, mingling with the sharper tang of fish laid out on wide wooden trays. Nets dangled from posts and ropes creaked softly where boats were tied, while Appa sprawled comfortably on the dock just beyond, his great bulk drawing curious stares as he lounged with his tail hanging over the side.

Katara frowned as she lifted a round melon from one of the nearby stands, giving it a cautious shake beside her ear. A faint liquid sound sloshed from within. “I don’t know if I like the sound of that swishing,” she admitted honestly, her nose wrinkling.

“Swishing means it’s ripe!” the standkeeper declared, appearing quickly from behind her stall. She stepped forward with a broad smile and a nod, her voice brimming with confidence. “It’s the ripe juices swishing around, huh?” she added, giving her words the air of certainty.

“I think it’s true, Katara,” Aang chimed in with his usual cheerful optimism, his smile wide as he nodded eagerly. “Swishing means it’s ripe,” he agreed as though it were fact beyond question.

Elua raised one brow, leaning slightly toward Katara. “I think swishing might mean it’s rotten,” she murmured under her breath, her tone low and skeptical.

Katara’s lips pressed into a line as she nodded in quick agreement, setting the melon carefully back onto its cart.

“I just realized we’re out of money anyway,” Katara admitted after a pause, her voice sheepish as she folded her hands together in apology. “Sorry,” she added quickly.

The vendor’s smile vanished, replaced by a scowl, but the group was already stepping away. They walked on together, leaving the angry mutters of the market keeper behind them as they wove through the bustling stalls, empty-handed and still very much hungry.

“Out of food, and out of money,” Sokka groaned, dragging a hand dramatically down his face, his shoulders slumped as he stared out at the busy docks. “Now what are we supposed to do?” he asked, his tone heavy with exasperation, as though the entire world had conspired against him.

Katara planted her hands firmly on her hips, her brow furrowing as she turned toward her brother. “You could get a job, smart guy,” she told him, her tone sharp with that familiar older-sister bite.

Sokka’s mouth opened, already shaping a retort, but before he could get a single word out, a voice rose behind them.

“We shouldn’t go out there,” an elderly woman said urgently, her tone quivering with both age and conviction. She shuffled closer, her wrinkled hands wringing together as her eyes darted nervously toward the open horizon. “Please! The fish can wait—there’s going to be a terrible storm.” Her words fell heavy, thick with warning.

“Aw, you’re crazy!” another voice snapped immediately in reply. An old man standing just beside her barked out a laugh, his face scrunching with disdain as he waved a dismissive hand through the air. “It’s a nice day—no clouds, no wind, no nothing.” He gestured broadly at the brilliant blue skies stretching above them, as if the sight alone were proof enough. “So quit your nagging, woman,” he scoffed, turning away with a shake of his head.

Elua hesitated, her brows knitting at the woman’s words. “Maybe it would be better if we found some shelter,” she suggested quietly to the group, her tone cautious as her eyes flicked toward the endless horizon.

“Are you kidding?” Sokka shot back instantly, spinning toward her with disbelief written plain across his face. “Shelter from what?” He threw both hands out before glancing upward, gesturing toward the flawless stretch of blue sky overhead. “It’s perfect out here!”

The old woman shook her head firmly, her voice heavy with the kind of certainty that came only from long years of experience. “My joints say there’s going to be a storm,” she told the old man, her tone sharper this time. “A bad one.” She emphasized the words with a pointed look, her arms trembling slightly as she folded them across her chest.

“Well, it’s your joints against my brain,” the old man fired back, puffing out his chest. His tone carried the stubborn edge of someone who’d had this argument before and had no intention of losing it.

The woman’s lips pressed into a thin line. She crossed her arms tighter, her chin jutting forward. “Then I hope your brain can find someone else to haul that fish, ‘cause I ain’t coming!” she snapped, her voice rising with a sudden flare of defiance.

“Then I’ll find a new fish hauler and pay him double what you get!” the old man shouted, his face red with irritation. He leaned toward her, hands clenched into fists at his sides. “How do you like that?” he demanded angrily.

Before the woman could respond, Sokka bounded forward, his arm shooting into the air. “I’ll go!” he declared enthusiastically, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

The old man gave him a single, measuring glance—no more than two seconds—before jabbing a finger in his direction. “You’re hired!” he barked triumphantly.

Elua’s shoulders sagged with a long, exasperated sigh. “Sokka…” she said softly, the word heavy with resignation as she dragged her hand down her face.

“What?” Sokka asked innocently, turning back toward her with a grin stretching wide across his face. “Katara said get a job, and he’s paying double.” His eyes sparkled with satisfaction, as if he’d just solved all their problems in one stroke.

The old man’s head whipped around so fast his neck cracked. “Double?” he repeated, his voice sharp as he narrowed his eyes. “Who told you that nonsense?”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Within the hour, the harbor had begun to change. What had once been a bright, open morning now dimmed under the creeping weight of dark grey clouds rolling steadily across the sky. They gathered low and heavy, swelling together in thick bands that looked both frightening and eerily familiar to Elua. The air had taken on a damp, restless chill, the kind that carried warnings unspoken.

She stood on the dock beside the old man’s boat, her arms wrapped loosely around herself as she watched Sokka moving briskly about the deck. He was busy hauling ropes and helping secure crates, his face alight with the satisfaction of having found “gainful employment.” The sound of wood groaning against the waves filled the space around them, but it wasn’t enough to quiet the gnawing unease climbing higher in her chest. With every passing minute, her worry deepened, pressing heavier against her ribs.

“Sokka…” Elua’s voice caught slightly before she managed to steady it. She hesitated, her gaze fixed on the roiling horizon. “I really don’t think you should be going out there,” she said at last, her words edged with nervous urgency. “Look at the sky.”

Sokka paused mid-step, glancing over at her with a quick flash of his usual confidence. “Don’t worry, Elua,” he said, his grin wide and easy, the kind of smile that always seemed to brush aside trouble. “A little bad weather never hurt anyone.”

“Right,” Elua echoed softly, though her voice lacked the steadiness of his. Her eyes lingered on him for a moment before tilting back toward the sky, the clouds pressing lower, darker, heavier. “A little bad weather,” she repeated in a quiet murmur meant more for herself than for him.

“The girl with the tattoos has some sense,” the old woman from before said, her voice carrying across the dock with sharp certainty. She stood with her arms folded on the other side, her chin lifted in stubborn pride. “You should listen to her,” she huffed.

“Girl with tattoos?” the old man echoed, his head snapping around. His eyes narrowed as they settled on Elua, tracing the blue markings that curved across her skin. “Airbender tattoos…” His voice slowed, suspicion sharpening into realization. “Well, I’ll be a hogmonkey’s uncle—you’re the Avatar, ain’t ya?” His gaze fixed on her like a net closing over its prey.

Katara’s mouth opened at once, words already forming—words that would have set the record straight—but Elua was faster. Her hand shot out, covering her friend’s mouth before a single syllable could escape.

“Yep,” Elua said quickly, forcing her lips into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “That’s me,” she agreed, the words tasting bitter as they left her tongue.

“Well don’t be so smiley about it!” the old man barked, his voice booming as he stepped closer, pointing a trembling, accusing finger at her face. “The Avatar disappeared for a hundred years!” His voice rose again, sharper, harsher. “You turned your back on the world!”

Katara ripped Elua’s hand from her mouth, her eyes blazing. “Don’t yell at her!” she shouted, fury burning in her voice. “The Avatar would never turn their back on anyone!”

“Oh, they wouldn’t, huh?” the old man sneered, his voice dripping with scorn. He leaned forward, his glare cutting like a blade. “Then I guess I must have imagined the last hundred years of war and suffering.” His laugh was bitter, hollow, before it broke into a scoff.

Elua flinched, her eyes falling to the planks beneath her feet. His words clawed their way under her skin, heavy and undeniable. Guilt swelled from the pit of her stomach, pressing into her chest until her breath felt shallow. She wasn’t the Avatar, but still the weight of failure clung to her. She had let Aang slip away into the storm that night. She had lost him, and the world had paid the price. Even if she hadn’t carried the title, she carried the blame.

“Aang?” Katara’s voice cut through, sharp with concern, pulling Elua’s head up. She turned just in time to see her brother’s face pale, his expression carved with a pain that mirrored her own. “What’s wrong?” Katara asked him, stepping closer.

But Aang shook his head, eyes glistening with something unspoken, and before either of them could press further, he stepped back. His glider snapped open with a swift motion, and in the next heartbeat, he was gone, air rushing past as he launched into the sky.

“Aang!” Elua yelled after her brother. “Wait!” She called after him, her own glider snapping open before she shot into the air, and soared after him… leaving the old man’s words behind.

Elua followed Aang over the jagged mountain ranges for as long as her eyes could track him, the peaks stretching endlessly into the distance. The wind whipped around her, tugging at her hair and clothes as she pressed on, determination burning in her chest. But the sky, once pale and promising, darkened rapidly, clouds swelling heavy with rain.

At first, it was just a drizzle, misting the rocky slopes and slicking the ground beneath her feet. Then, without warning, the heavens opened fully, sending sheets of cold, stinging rain down in torrents. Visibility dropped to almost nothing; the mountains blurred into gray shadows, the winds howling with a fury that tugged at her balance.

Elua squinted through the downpour, struggling to make out Aang’s figure even a few feet ahead. The storm roared around her, drowning out all other sounds, and she realized she could no longer safely continue. With a practiced flick of her glider, she searched for shelter—and spotted the shadowed mouth of a nearby cave nestled in the mountainside.

She angled toward it, her heart pounding, and touched down as gently as she could manage. Rain lashed against her back as she landed, soaking her to the bone, but inside the cave, the storm’s fury was muffled. The shadows embraced her, and for the first time since she’d taken off, she allowed herself a moment to catch her breath and steady her racing thoughts.

But the silence around her was deceptive, almost suffocating, and it gave way only to the weight of guilt—the heavy, insistent echo of the old man’s words swelling in her chest. She couldn’t stop it. Her mind drifted away on its own, slipping past the comforting warmth of the tea and the gentle clinks of the cottage around her. Memories began to bloom at the edges of her consciousness, delicate yet sharp, pushing themselves forward uninvited…

⇢Flashback⇠

Elua sank to the polished floor, knees drawn up, legs twisting beneath her as if curling into herself could make the world any smaller, any safer. Five elderly monks sat before her, poised on low wooden pedestals, their stillness absolute, almost suffocating in its calm. Their eyes were closed or softened in serene focus; their hands rested lightly in their laps. But their peace felt like a cruel mirror to the storm tearing through her.

Her face was drawn tight, the skin stretched over taut muscles, shadows hollowing the hollows beneath her eyes. Fingers clutched at the hem of her sleeve, tugged, released, and tangled together in frantic knots that did nothing to anchor her racing mind. Every motion was tiny, desperate—a feeble plea to keep herself intact as the world inside her unraveled.

“You need not fear, young Elua,” one elder said, his voice warm and steady, weighed with the gravity of years lived in deliberate calm. “Your arrangement was created for this very reason.”

Elua’s lips trembled violently. She shook her head, dark hair falling into her eyes. “I know… I know that was the plan, but…” Her voice broke, ragged and raw, “…that doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t make it stop.”

Another elder, cross-legged, opened his eyes slowly, deliberately, with patient authority. “Plans cannot account for every turn, child. Trust in what has been set in motion.”

Her hands clenched in her lap until nails tore into soft flesh. Pain flared, grounding her just enough to prevent her mind from fracturing entirely. Her chest heaved, each ragged breath a trembling, unsteady drum of panic, shaking the still air around her. She tried to speak, to force words through the panic, but all that emerged was a strangled, hopeless sob. Her head shook violently, frantic and powerless, and then she sprang to her feet, hair flying, heart hammering violently against the cage of her ribs.

“You don’t understand!” she cried, voice cracking, rising into a raw, jagged wail that shattered the monks’ calm like glass. “He’s going to kill all of us!”

Tears coursed down her face, unrelenting, searing, blurring the monks before her into shapes she could not yet grasp. She tried to blink them back, to stop the flood, but the dam had shattered. Her shoulders heaved, each sob a confession of fear too large for words, too heavy for a body so small. The weight of impending doom filled the quiet chamber, pressing against the walls like a physical force.

One monk, younger than the rest but marked by decades of experience, rose slowly. Each step deliberate, measured, infused with gentle authority. He reached her side, pressing a hand to her cheek, brushing away the relentless tears. The warmth of his touch was a fragile tether to the world, a fleeting anchor for a heart that felt as though it might explode from grief.

Elua blinked up at him, tears trapped in her throat. In that moment, her gaze softened, raw and unguarded. She looked at him not as a monk, not as a stranger, but as a child would a father—clinging to the illusion that safety still existed, that the world could still hold her.

“Gyatso… Azulon… He said…” Her lips quivered, words trapped in the tight prison of her throat. “That… Sozin…” Her hand pressed to her chest, as though sheer will could hold her heart together against the tidal wave of terror.

“…is going to wipe the Air Nomads out,” she whispered finally, syllables splintering with grief. “…He’s going to kill… everyone.” Her confession fell into the stillness, hollow and jagged, echoing like the first tremors of a world breaking apart.

Monk Gyatso did not speak. Instead, he pulled the trembling girl into his arms, holding her with a quiet, unwavering gentleness. Her sobs pressed against him, small and helpless, the unbearable weight of loss and fear crashing over her. He held her as though to shield her from a darkness no words could touch, letting her grief find a fragile resting place in the storm. There was no undoing what was coming—no hope to patch a world that threatened to crumble—but in that quiet, shivering embrace, she felt, if only for a heartbeat, that perhaps she might survive the fear, if not the tragedy itself.

⇢End of Flashback⇠

When Elua finally surfaced from the depths of her memories, the storm had mostly spent its fury. A fine drizzle fell, misting the rocks, but the clouds were beginning to part, letting slivers of pale light spill through. She moved silently, reopening her glider, its taut fabric whispering in the damp air as she lifted into the sky once more.

Her gaze swept the rugged terrain below, searching, until at last she spotted Appa, standing patiently outside the mouth of a larger cave. Relief tightened in her chest, a small anchor against the lingering echoes of memory. She shifted her weight, leaning to the left, and let gravity and skill guide her down, boots thudding softly against the slick stone.

She stepped into the cave slowly, her boots echoing softly on the damp stone, and froze for a moment at the sight before her. More people were gathered here than she had expected: the two elderly figures from the market, bundled in worn cloaks, and Sokka, Katara, and Aang. They were soaked from the storm, hair plastered to their faces, clothes clinging in sopping layers—but otherwise, they seemed untouched by the chaos outside.

“Elua!” Aang’s voice rang with relief, bright and urgent. “You’re okay!” He said as he ran forward, eyes wide, and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

Elua let herself melt into his warmth, her arms around him, grounding herself in the small certainty of his presence. “Yeah… I got caught in the storm,” she murmured softly, her voice carrying both explanation and apology. 

Then, with gentle concern, she added, “Are you okay?” Her eyes, tender and searching, met his.

“I’m fine,” Aang said, nodding, a bittersweet smile tugging at his lips. “I told Katara about the night we left,” he admitted, sheepishness creeping in. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Elua laughed, a soft, shaky sound that did little to mask the ache in her chest. “Of course not,” she replied, the corners of her lips lifting despite herself. “I’m glad you had someone to talk to.”

Aang offered her one final, fleeting smile before bounding back toward Katara and the older couple, who were quietly bickering in that familiar, comfortable rhythm of long years together.

Elua’s smile faltered as she watched him go. Perhaps he was finding forgiveness in the past, moving forward in small, quiet steps—but for her, the weight of memory was not so easily shaken. The storm outside had passed, yet the one inside her chest lingered, heavy and unyielding.

Chapter Text

THE GROUP OF TEENAGERS WERE HUDDLED together in the shelter of some long-abandoned ruins, the broken walls leaning inward as if they, too, were weary from standing through the ages. Appa's massive body was pressed close against the crumbling stone, his warmth and size serving as both comfort and protection, the steady sound of his breathing filling the quiet gaps between the storm's memory.

Within that fragile refuge, Sokka coughed and groaned again and again, each sound scraping harshly from his throat. His face was pale and drawn, beads of sweat clinging to his brow as he shifted restlessly, his body still fighting against whatever sickness had taken hold of him after those long, punishing days spent out in the relentless storm.

Katara gently placed a cool, damp rag onto Sokka's forehead. "This should bring your fever down," she said softly to her brother, her voice full of concern.

"You know what I love about Appa the most?" Sokka asked, his voice weak and laced with delirium. "His sense of humor," he said, a tired smile breaking across his face.

"That's nice," Katara replied, nodding gently. "I'll tell him," she added, glancing over at the bison, who let out a low, mournful groan.

Sokka let out a laugh, small and almost manic. "Classic Appa," he giggled, shaking his head in amusement as if the thought alone was enough to lift his spirits for a moment.

Elua watched from the campfire she had finally managed to light as Aang returned from the forests surrounding the ruins. "Did you find any ginger?" she asked him hopefully, her eyes bright with anticipation.

"No," Aang shook his head, a hint of sadness in his expression. "But I did find a map, and there's an herbalist institute at the top of that mountain," he said, pointing toward the peak on the far side of the ruins. "We could probably find a cure for Sokka there."

"Aang," Katara said, her voice edged with worry. "He's in no condition to travel," she told him firmly.

Elua nodded in agreement. "What he needs right now is rest," she said. "I'm sure he'll be better in a day or two," she added with quiet confidence.

Just then, Katara's body tensed as a sudden cough seized her, and she brought her hand up quickly to cover her mouth, turning slightly to the side to keep the sound from reaching the others, her shoulders rising and falling with each shuddering breath until, gradually, the harsh rhythm of her coughing eased and her lungs finally began to calm down.

"Not you, too!" Aang exclaimed, his voice panicked.

"Relax," Katara said with a small, reassuring smile. "It was just a little cough. I'm fine—" She was cut off by another cough that shook her body, leaving her slightly flushed.

Elua cringed. "That's how Sokka was yesterday," she reminded her gently.

"Yeah!" Aang agreed, panic rising in his voice. "Now look at him—he thinks he's an earthbender!" he exclaimed, motioning toward the boy curled up in his sleeping bag.

Sokka weakly punched at the air. "Take that, you rock!" he mumbled before slumping back down, exhausted.

Elua let out a quiet, weary sigh, the sound barely more than a whisper, and carefully reached out to guide Aang to the side, easing him gently away from the two Water Tribe siblings, whose attention was already fully occupied, while Katara remained behind, crouched over Sokka and tending to him for the moment.

"A few more hours, and Katara will be like that too," Elua said quietly to her brother. "We should go find some medicine before it gets worse."

Aang nodded, determination in his eyes. "I'll go find the herbalist," he said. "You stay with them in case things get worse," he added firmly.

"Aang, I don't think—" Elua began to protest.

"I'll be fine," Aang said with a confident smile. "I can handle myself for an hour or two."

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Elua let out a long, tired sigh as she struggled to divide her attention between keeping the fire alive and watching over the two Water Tribe siblings who lay nearby. Sokka's condition had not changed in the slightest, his fever holding steady, but Katara's state had only declined, her breathing more uneven and her face pale with exhaustion.

With careful movements, Elua set a small pot over the glowing coals, waiting as the thin heat coaxed a boil from the little water they had left. Her hands moved restlessly through the bags of foraged supplies, pushing aside roots and leaves with mounting frustration as she tried to piece together the best possible combination to make some form of tea, even if it had to be without the ginger she desperately wished they had.

Sokka let out a low groan of discomfort, the sound rough and strained in his throat. "Elua?" he murmured at last, his voice groggy and uneven as it drifted weakly from behind her.

"Yes?" Elua responded quickly, turning away from the fire and shifting toward him, her steps careful, eyes scanning his face with concern. "You okay?" she asked again, softer this time, as she reached down to adjust the damp rag that rested against his heated forehead, smoothing it gently into place.

"You smell nice," Sokka mumbled with a faint, delirious smile, his words tumbling out unevenly. "Like... like... cherry blossoms," he added, his eyes half-lidded as though he were floating in some dreamlike haze.

Elua couldn't help but smile at his dazed compliment, a soft laugh escaping her lips despite the worry that weighed on her. "Thanks, Sokka," she murmured gently, her voice carrying both affection and amusement.

"Your laugh," Sokka said again, the corners of his mouth lifting in another weary smile. "I like your laugh," he whispered, a small, unsteady giggle shaking loose from him as though the thought itself was enough to amuse him.

Elua shook her head in quiet amusement, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she leaned a little closer. "Thank you," she said gently, her tone warm and patient. "Why don't you get some rest, okay?" she added in a soft voice, reaching down to brush a few stray strands of his messy hair back from his eyes, smoothing them away with a tender touch.

"Hmm," Sokka hummed, the sound low and sluggish, as if sleep was already pulling him under. "Okay," he muttered groggily, his words slurring slightly before his eyelids fluttered shut, and he finally let them close.

Elua let out a slow sigh, the sound heavy in the quiet night, before rising to her feet. She crossed the short distance back to the fire, the faint glow of the coals casting shifting light across her face. Carefully, she reached for the pot resting on the embers, the metal hot against her hands even through the cloth she used to lift it. Tilting it with steady care, she poured the steaming liquid into two waiting cups, the thin stream catching the firelight as it fell. At once, the sharp, refreshing scent of mint rose into the air, curling upward with the tendrils of steam that drifted lazily in the night air.

Elua gently woke Katara with a soft shake, "Hey, you should drink this," she said with a comforting smile as she handed the hot cup off to the girl.

"Thanks, Elua," Katara said with a groggy smile as she sipped on the tea.

Elua smiled softly, a small expression of relief passing across her face as she gave a gentle nod. She turned then, shifting her attention toward Sokka, and reached out to wake him in the same careful manner. Yet the moment his eyes fluttered open, it was clear he was still caught in a haze of delirium. His sudden, startled reaction came so sharply that it jolted her, and she nearly lost her grip on the cup in her hands, the warm liquid threatening to spill over the edge.

Sokka stared up at her with wide, unblinking eyes, his expression filled with alarm. "I can't drink that!" he exclaimed, his voice rough but insistent.

Elua blinked, frowning in confusion as she leaned closer. "What?" she asked, her brows knitting together. "Why?" Her gaze flicked from his face to the cup in her hand as if the answer might be written there.

Sokka shook his head firmly, though the motion was clumsy, weighed down by his fever. "It's lava," he declared with absolute certainty, his tone carrying the conviction of someone who truly believed the danger was real.

Elua let out a quiet breath, her lips parting in surprise before curving into the faintest smile. "It's..." she trailed off, lowering her eyes to the cup she held so carefully. "It's not lava, Sokka," she assured gently, her amusement tugging at her mouth as she regarded him with both fondness and concern.

"It is!" Sokka exclaimed, his voice rising with feverish conviction. His eyes, glassy and unfocused, locked on the cup in her hand. "Look at it," he insisted, speaking in the broken, drifting tone of delirium.

Elua shook her head slowly, her expression soft but firm, as though reasoning with a stubborn child. "I'll take a sip and prove that it's not lava, okay?" she said gently, lifting the hot cup with deliberate care and bringing it closer to her lips.

"No!" Sokka burst out, the word sharp despite the weakness in his body. His hand shot out toward her, trembling as it moved through the air, his arm lacking the strength to reach far."You'll burn yourself," he pleaded, his voice cracking, his lower lip pushed into a worried pout that made him look all the more vulnerable.

Elua only shook her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she chose to ignore his protest. With steady hands, she lifted the cup the rest of the way and took a careful sip, letting the warm liquid pass over her tongue before swallowing. She lowered the cup again and gave him a reassuring smile.

"See? No lava," she said softly, her tone calm and even as she let the words linger in the air. "Now drink it." She reached for his hand, curling her fingers around his and guiding it until the cup was pressed securely into his grasp, her touch lingering as she steadied the trembling of his weak fingers.

Sokka's gaze flickered between her face and the cup, his fever-clouded eyes full of suspicion. He looked at her as though waiting for the impossible to happen—that she might suddenly combust, or that the cup itself might erupt into fire at any second. The hesitation clung to him, holding him tense, but then, at last, his shoulders slumped.

A weary sigh broke from him, the sound of surrender. Slowly, with heavy, groggy eyes, he leaned back into the comfort of his sleeping bag. The cup trembled faintly in his hands as he lifted it, and after one last glance toward her, he finally brought it to his lips and began to take slow, careful sips of the tea.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Elua stood at the entrance of the ruins, her figure framed against the broken stone as her gaze remained fixed on the distant mountain range that Aang had disappeared into earlier. Her eyes traced the jagged peaks, searching the ridges as if they might somehow reveal his whereabouts. He had been gone for hours now, far longer than he ever should have been, and with each passing moment her unease grew heavier, pressing against her chest.

A lingering certainty whispered at the back of her mind, telling her that something was wrong, deeply wrong, and no matter how she tried to quiet it, the feeling refused to leave. She knew, with a sharp pang of regret, that she should have gone with him. She should never have let him go alone.

She let out a sharp yelp of surprise when something small and metal clinked against the top of her head, dropped from above with no warning. Her hand immediately flew upward, fingers brushing over the object as it slid into her palm. Frowning in confusion, she pulled it down to her line of sight, turning it over slowly in the firelight. It was a tiara—old, bent, and rusted through in several places, the once-ornate design dulled with age.

Elua exhaled heavily at the sight, her lips pulling into a thin line as she shook her head. "Momo," she said at last, her tone carrying both patience and exasperation as she turned around to face the flying lemur responsible.

Sure enough, he was perched nearby, busily arranging a growing pile of mismatched trinkets he had scavenged from the ruins. Broken buttons, scraps of metal, and now the tiara, all gathered neatly around the two sick teens as though they were offerings.

"I asked you for water," she reminded him gently, her voice softening as she reached out to pat his small head despite her frustration.

"Ume," she called next, her voice dropping into the same tender tone as her eyes found the second lemur curled up in Sokka's lap.

At the sound of her name, the little creature lifted her tiny head, blinking sleepily up at Elua with a tilted expression of curiosity. "We need water," Elua explained, stretching the word out slowly and clearly, as though speaking to a child.

With one hand, she extended Katara's waterskin toward the smaller lemur, the gesture quiet but firm, an unspoken request carried more in her tired eyes than in her words. Her expression was soft, touched with hope but lined with weariness, as though she were clinging to the small chance that the creature might understand.

Ume gave a short chatter in response, the sound bright and inquisitive, before rising to her feet. She arched her back in a long stretch, the motion fluid and lazy, more reminiscent of a cat than a lemur, her tiny claws curling against the fabric of Sokka's blanket as she extended. Then, in one swift motion, she bounded forward with a sudden burst of energy.

Elua lifted her hand and silently pointed toward the darkness beyond the ruins, her finger steady as she guided the lemur's attention outward. Ume's head swiveled, her wide eyes following the gesture, and she paused for a brief moment as though weighing the instruction.

Then, without hesitation, she darted closer, snatched the waterskin cleanly from Elua's grasp, and launched herself upward. Her wings caught the cool night air, carrying her swiftly toward the horizon, until her small shape disappeared into the shadows, leaving only the faint flutter of wings fading into the night... Momo right behind her.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Before Elua had even realized just how heavy her body had grown, sleep had overtaken her. She drifted off only a few feet away from her sick friends, curled against the cool stone floor with the faint glow of the dying fire still flickering beside her. The night passed in restless silence, broken only by the occasional groan or cough from Sokka and Katara.

When morning came, a sharp groan escaped her lips as she stirred, the early light filtering through the gaps in the ruined walls. The brightness dragged her from slumber, her eyes squeezing shut against the sun's intrusion before she forced them open again. Her thoughts snapped instantly to Aang, the memory of his absence flooding back all at once. Panic surged through her chest as she shot upright, her heart hammering at the thought of how long he had been gone.

But just as she pushed herself to her feet, preparing to search the mountains, the sight of him stopped her cold. There he was, stepping slowly back into the ruins, each movement weighted with exhaustion. His tunic hung in tatters, a jagged rip carved across the fabric, and his eyes blinked heavily as though even staying awake was a battle.

"Aang!" Elua's voice broke with worry as she rushed forward, closing the space between them. "What happened?" she demanded, her tone urgent, though her touch remained gentle as she examined the cut in his clothing.

Aang let out a tired groan, turning his face away from her concern and toward their two sick friends instead. "Here," he murmured, his voice soft but worn thin. He placed something small into Sokka's mouth, then Katara's, his expression tender despite the weariness pulling at his features. "Suck on these," he instructed gently. "They'll make you feel better."

Before Elua could press him further, he pushed himself back to his feet, his small frame dragging with fatigue. Without another word, he wandered toward Appa and let himself collapse against the bison's fluffy tail, sinking into it as though it were the only thing keeping him upright. Within moments, his eyes slid shut, his body surrendering to sleep...

Chapter Text

THE GROUP OF TRAVELING TEENS SAT gathered along the quiet riverbank in the soft light of early afternoon. The water moved lazily in front of them, its surface glinting with flashes of sunlight that danced, and shifted with the current. The grass at the edge bent beneath their weight, damp from the river’s spray, while the air carried the cool, steady murmur of flowing water mixed with the distant calls of birds overhead.

“Look!” Katara suddenly shouted, her voice cutting through the lazy hum of the afternoon as she pushed herself up from the grass, pointing out toward the river with wide eyes, her arm outstretched in excitement.

Elua and Sokka immediately followed the direction of her gaze. Out on the glittering surface of the water, a sleek green-and-blue fish leapt into the air, its scales catching the sunlight before it splashed back beneath the current. Again and again it broke the surface, each jump punctuated by a loud splash that sent ripples racing across the river.

Sokka’s eyes narrowed, his entire body stiffening as though challenged. He shot to his feet in an instant, staring hard at the fish. His jaw set, his glare sharp enough to cut stone. To him, it was no simple fish—it was an enemy, one that was mocking him openly with every leap.

“He’s taunting us,” Sokka muttered, his voice low and serious, though his eyes blazed with determination. “You are so going to be dinner!” he declared at the fish, pointing an accusing finger before spinning around to snatch up his fishing rod. With a dramatic flourish, he prepared to cast his line—except the line wasn’t there anymore.

“Hey!” Sokka exclaimed, blinking down at the rod in disbelief. “Where’s the fishing line?” He spun back toward the others, his face a mixture of confusion and outrage.

Aang looked up from where he sat, a sheepish half-smile tugging at his mouth. “Oh, I didn’t think you would need it, Sokka,” he admitted lightly, lifting his hands into view. The missing line dangled between his fingers, but it wasn’t just a tangled mess—it had been carefully braided together, and in the very center, a delicate pink flower had been woven into the strands.

Sokka groaned loudly, throwing his head back toward the sky. “Ah! It’s all tangled now!” His words dripped with exasperation as he clutched his rod helplessly.

But Elua’s eyes lingered on the piece in her brother’s hands. Her expression softened, and a small smile tugged at her lips. “It’s woven,” she corrected gently, her voice warm, seeing the intention behind it.

Aang brightened at her words, his grin widening as he turned toward Katara. “I made you a necklace,” he said proudly, holding the piece up for her to see. “I thought since you lost your other one…” His words trailed off, but his grin remained, full of hope and eagerness.

Katara’s expression softened instantly. She stepped closer, her eyes shining as she accepted the necklace from him with careful hands. “Thanks, Aang,” she said, her voice low with genuine appreciation. Her smile widened as she studied it, then looked back at him. “I love it,” she added, her tone full of warmth as she slipped it into her hand as though it were something precious.

“Great, Aang,” Sokka said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he waved a hand in the air. “Maybe instead of saving the world, you can go into the jewelry-making business,” he added with an exaggerated roll of his eyes, his grin teasing, but edged with mock frustration.

Elua turned toward him, her expression hardening instantly. Her eyes narrowed, and a sharp glare shot from her gaze like a warning. Without a word, she shoved him just enough to make him stumble back slightly, a physical reminder to hold his tongue.

Sokka let out a frustrated humph, opening his mouth as if to reply, but then froze mid-word. His eyes widened slightly as he met her glare, realizing the full force of her silent warning. It was the kind of look that could stop a mountain in its tracks, and suddenly, Sokka had no choice but to swallow his words, muttering nothing more as he backed down.

“I don’t see why I can’t do both,” Aang said as a confident grin spread across his face.

Sokka jerked around at the sound of another splash, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the fish darting through the water once more. “Huh!” he exclaimed in frustration, letting out a sharp huff as he swung his fishing rod toward the agile creature. The rod sliced through the air, but the fish leapt out of the way with ease, splashing back into the river before Sokka could even come close to hitting it.

“Stop taunting me!” he yelled, his voice ringing with a mix of exasperation and determination. He dropped the rod for a moment, his hand already reaching for his whaletooth dagger. With a burst of energy, he raced forward, splashing through the shallow riverbed. Water sprayed in every direction as he lunged, determined to catch the audacious fish that seemed to be mocking him at every turn.

“Sokka,” Elua called from the riverbank, her voice carrying over the gentle rush of the water. “You’re not gonna catch that fish,” she sighed, shaking her head as she watched him stomp and splash in the shallow river.

“Oh, yes, I will!” Sokka shot back with unwavering determination, his eyes glinting with the stubborn confidence only he could muster. He glanced over his shoulder at her, a cheeky grin tugging at his lips. “Watch and learn, Elua,” he added, planting himself firmly in the water as he studied the movements of the teasing fish, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

“I am not going to watch you kill an innocent animal,” Elua said, her tone firm as she crossed her arms tighter over her chest, her eyebrows knitting together in disapproval.

“Animal?” Sokka countered, spinning to glance at her with exaggerated disbelief. “Fish aren’t animals,” he claimed, his voice rising with conviction, as though the definition itself had been invented solely to challenge him.

Elua frowned, her patience thinning, and shook her head in emphasis. “Fish are animals,” she said, her tone firm, leaving no room for argument this time.

Sokka whirled back toward the river, arms flung wide as though the debate itself were now a weapon. “Fish are fish!” he yelled, his words carrying over the water as he prepared to lunge, fully convinced that classification was irrelevant when it came to catching his elusive target.

“So,” Katara began, a small, nervous smile tugging at her lips. “How do I look?” she asked, twirling slightly so that the sunlight caught the green-and-blue scales of Aang’s freshly made necklace around her neck.

Elua turned to face her, letting her gaze linger for a moment as she took in the full effect. A soft smile spread across her face, warm and approving, as she admired how perfectly the necklace rested against Katara’s collarbone. The delicate braided net and the carefully woven charm complemented her features, catching the light with every subtle movement, and made her eyes sparkle even brighter, as if the necklace had somehow accentuated the very essence of her personality.

Aang, meanwhile, stared at her with a blush creeping up his cheeks, the faintest shyness coloring his normally confident features. “You mean all of you, or just your neck?” he asked, scratching the back of his head nervously. “I mean… because both look great,” he added quickly, his words tumbling out in a rush as he tried to cover the pink that had spread across his face.

Elua glanced at her little brother with a knowing grin, the kind that carried both amusement and a little teasing. She had recognized Aang’s crush the very first moment he laid eyes on the Water Tribe girl. It was hardly a secret—except, perhaps, to Katara herself.

“Smoochie, smoochie,” Sokka called from the river, his voice carrying across the water. He had somehow managed to catch the fish, holding it close in a grip that looked more like a hug than anything else. “Someone’s in love~” he teased Aang, making exaggerated kissing sounds aimed at the fish.

Elua rolled her eyes at him, though the corners of her mouth twitched with amusement. “Stop teasing him,” she said, her tone light but sharp enough to suggest she wasn’t kidding.

Sokka opened his mouth to give a retort, but before he could say anything, the fish wriggled violently in his grasp. With a sudden flap of its fin, it slapped him square in the face, sending him staggering backward in shock. The creature landed back in the water with a triumphant splash, leaving Sokka sputtering and dripping as he tried to regain his composure.

Elua couldn’t hide her amusement. A small smirk turned into a quiet laugh as she watched the scene unfold, shaking her head at his misfortune. Sokka didn’t look like he appreciated her laughter, scowling and shaking water from his hair, but deep down, he truly did love it—her laugh, how it brightened even the most ridiculous of moments.

“Aang’s just a good friend,” Katara said with a bright, gentle smile, her eyes warm as she spoke. “A sweet little guy, like Momo,” she added, reaching out to pat the boy’s head with fond affection before turning her attention toward the lemur perched nearby.

Aang’s face fell instantly, his shoulders slumping as if the words themselves weighed him down. “Thanks,” he muttered in a quiet, dejected tone, the spark of hope in his eyes dimming under the weight of polite dismissal.

Elua winced for her brother, cringing at the unmistakable look of disappointment etched across his face. She opened her mouth, ready to offer some words of comfort or reassurance, but before a single syllable could escape, a loud, soggy splash announced Sokka’s return.

He came trudging back to the group, completely drenched, his clothes clinging to him and water dripping from his hair and arms. Elua shook her head, biting back a laugh as she tried—and failed—to hide her amusement. He had lost a battle against a fish, and the sight was both ridiculous, and endearing all at once.

Suddenly, a loud, guttural roar echoed through the forest, snapping the group’s attention to the source of the sound. Their hearts jumped in alarm, and without a moment’s hesitation, they rushed forward, adrenaline propelling their steps over the uneven ground. Aang, reacting instinctively, bent the air beneath his feet to lift himself onto a nearby boulder, giving him a better vantage point over the chaos below.

“Someone’s being attacked by a platypus bear!” he shouted, his arms pointing in the direction of the commotion as the forest trembled under the animal’s furious growls.

The group raced across the shallow stream that cut through the forest, dodging branches and leaping over exposed roots until they arrived at a clearing. There, standing in stark contrast to the wild scene around him, was an old man dressed in flowing blue robes. A massive platypus bear loomed over him, its sharp claws swiping through the air with terrifying speed, each strike aimed with deadly intent. Yet the man remained astonishingly calm—eerily so—as if the chaos around him were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

“Oh, hello there,” the man said with an almost casual smile as he spotted the group approaching. “Nice day, isn’t it?” he added cheerfully, twisting his body with ease to dodge another powerful swipe from the bear.

His movements were smooth and practiced, each step and gesture precise, flowing with a grace that seemed almost effortless. Even with the massive platypus bear lunging just feet away, claws snapping and teeth bared, he carried an air of absolute control, a quiet command over the chaos that left the teens frozen in a mixture of awe and unease. Every dodge, every shift of his weight, radiated confidence, and for a moment, it was as if time had slowed, highlighting the stark contrast between the man’s calm and the wild fury of the creature before him.

“Make noise!” Aang shouted urgently, his arms flailing slightly as he pointed toward the bear. “It’ll run off!” he added, his voice trembling with a mix of excitement and panic.

“No, play dead!” Sokka barked, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “It’ll lose interest!” he insisted, his eyes wide as he gestured wildly toward the rampaging creature.

“Run down the hill!” Katara yelled, her voice sharp and commanding, “Then climb a tree!” She waved her hands to emphasize the escape route, her focus split between the bear and trying to keep the others calm.

Sokka shook his head vigorously, ignoring her advice. “No, punch it in the bill!” he shouted, stepping forward with mock heroism, ready to face the beast head-on.

Aang, desperate to contribute another solution, nodded enthusiastically. “And then run in zig-zags!” he yelled, jumping in place to illustrate his plan, his hair whipping around his face as he tried to convey the urgency of the moment.

Elua’s shoulders slumped as she watched the group’s frantic suggestions, letting out a tired sigh. The man continued to dodge the bear’s powerful swings with an ease that seemed almost dreamlike, each movement fluid and effortless, as if the creature’s attacks barely grazed his awareness. 

“No need,” the man said with a calm smile, his voice casual as though discussing the weather rather than a giant platypus bear ready to strike. “It’s going to be fine,” he added, his tone serene, completely at odds with the chaos around him.

With a deep breath, Elua flipped herself into the air using her bending, landing gracefully in the space between the man and the rampaging animal. She extended her arms and sent a controlled gust of air at the platypus bear, forcing it to pause mid-lunge. Its massive jaws snapped with frustration as it stared at her, teeth bared in a mix of anger and confusion.

“It’s alright,” Elua said softly, her voice calm and soothing as she addressed the obviously frightened creature. “Easy,” she added, holding her hands steady in a bending stance, radiating control and patience through every movement.

Before the bear could react further, a deep, resonant roar cut through the clearing. Appa had arrived, stepping up behind the creature with an imposing presence that made the ground vibrate beneath him. The roar was thunderous, startling the platypus bear so profoundly that it froze in place—and, to the group’s astonishment, laid an egg right on the spot.

The bear’s eyes widened in shock, and with a final, bewildered glance toward the river, it bolted down the stream, splashing water as it fled, leaving only the egg behind. Relief washed over the teens, and Elua let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, a small smile tugging at her lips as she stepped back from the edge of the chaos.

“Hmm, lunch,” Sokka said with a sly grin as he bent down to pick up the egg that the startled platypus bear had left behind. “Lucky for you, we came along,” he said, emphasizing the point with a pointed glance, half teasing and half warning.

The man smiled calmly, his demeanor completely unruffled by the situation. “Thank you,” he replied politely, his voice light and steady. “But everything was already under control,” he added with a slight shrug, as if the bear and the egg had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience. “Not to worry,” he said, bowing slightly in acknowledgment of their presence.

Sokka blinked at him, utterly unimpressed, his arms crossing over his chest as he studied the stranger. He glanced at Elua, raising an eyebrow as if silently asking, Am I imagining this guy? Elua merely shrugged in response, her expression flat. She had no clue what to make of him either; something about the man’s calmness, his composure, and the ease with which he’d handled the bear was… unusual.

The man took a step forward, his eyes bright with a cheerful glint. “Aunt Wu predicted I’d have a safe journey,” he announced happily, gesturing as though it explained everything.

Aang’s brow furrowed in confusion, his head tilting slightly. “Aunt Who?” he asked, voice uncertain.

“No, Aunt Wu,” the man corrected him gently, a patient smile on his lips. “She’s the fortune teller from my village,” he explained. “Awful, nice, knowing your future,” he added with a soft laugh, his tone light but strangely knowing.

Katara’s eyes sparkled as she smiled, intrigued by the revelation. “Wow, it must be,” she said softly, a hint of admiration in her voice. “That explains why you were so calm,” she added, nodding toward him with a mixture of understanding and amazement.

“But the fortune teller was wrong,” Sokka interjected with exasperation, pointing a finger at the man. “You didn’t have a safe journey—you were almost killed!” His voice carried a mixture of disbelief and irritation as he emphasized the near-danger they had all witnessed.

The man merely smiled, unbothered. “But I wasn’t,” he replied, his tone calm and reassuring, as though the entire incident had been inconsequential. “All right, have a good one,” he said, bowing slightly to the group before beginning to walk around them.

Then, he paused, turning back with a small, almost conspiratorial grin. “Oh, and Aunt Wu said if I met any travelers, to give them this,” he added, reaching into the folds of his robes and handing Aang a neatly wrapped package, its contents unknown but clearly intended for them as he walked off alone.

“Maybe we should go see Aunt Wu and learn our fortunes,” Katara suggested with a bright smile as she watched the man walking away. “It could be fun,” she added happily, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Oh, come on,” Sokka groaned, rolling his eyes so hard it seemed he might sprain them. “Fortune telling is nonsense,” he declared, arms crossed and voice dripping with exaggerated disbelief.

Aang, barely able to contain his own curiosity, quickly tore at the wrapping the man had given him. Within moments, he held an orange umbrella in his hands, turning it over and inspecting it with wide-eyed wonder. “What do you know? An umbrella,” he said with a smile, holding it out as if presenting a treasure to the group.

“Why would we need an umbrella?” Elua asked, stepping forward and eyeing the bright object skeptically. “It’s been dry all week,” she added, tilting her head.

With a shrug, she opened the umbrella to test it—and almost immediately, rain began to pour down out of nowhere, drenching the forest around them. She and Aang, however, remained perfectly sheltered beneath the bright orange canopy.

“Oh.”

Katara’s eyes lit up as she looked up at the grey sky, a few raindrops skittering harmlessly past her as she bent the water away from herself with a quick flick of her fingers. “That proves it!” she said excitedly, laughing as she dashed to join Aang under the umbrella’s protection.

“No, it doesn’t,” Sokka grumbled loudly, throwing his hands in the air. “You can’t really tell the future,” he argued, though the disbelief in his voice wavered slightly as he watched the rain fall around him.

Katara smirked, looking at her older brother with a teasing glint in her eyes. “I guess you’re not really… getting wet, then,” she said, dodging a splash with a grin.

Sokka growled in annoyance, clutching the egg over his head in a feeble attempt to shield himself from the rain. But the slippery object betrayed him; it wobbled, slipped through his fingers, and cracked open on top of his hair. The yolk and whites slid down into his eyes and soaked his tunic, leaving him sputtering and dripping, while the rest of the group burst into laughter at his misfortune.

“Look,” Sokka began, brushing rain from his sleeves in frustration. “Of course she predicted it was gonna rain. The sky’s been grey all day,” he said, gesturing dramatically toward the heavy clouds hanging low over the forest.

Katara rolled her eyes, a small smirk tugging at her lips as she crossed her arms. “Just admit you might be wrong,” she said, her tone teasing yet firm. “Then you can come under the umbrella,” she added, glancing at the bright orange canopy with an expectant look.

“I’m gonna predict the future now,” Sokka announced, rolling his eyes as if this declaration alone would prove the absurdity of fortune telling. He straightened his posture, thrusting out his chin, and adopted a ghostly, dramatic tone. “It’s going to keep drizzling,” he intoned, his voice echoing theatrically through the clearing.

For a brief, tense moment, the rain continued to fall, the drops pelting the ground with a soft, rhythmic patter. Then, as if on cue, the rain let up entirely. Sokka’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he looked up at the sky, his mouth opening and closing as if to protest—but no words came. His shoulders slumped in defeat, the weight of irony sinking heavily upon him.

“Not everyone has the gift, Sokka.”

Chapter Text

THE INSIDE OF AUNT WU’S HOUSE WAS surprisingly elegant, filled with intricate paintings that adorned the walls and told stories of distant lands and past fortunes. Carved furniture lined the rooms, polished to a warm glow that reflected the soft light filtering through papered windows. Plush, fluffy pillows were scattered across low seating areas, inviting guests to relax as incense curled lazily in the air, carrying a faint, calming fragrance that mingled with the subtle scent of tea brewing somewhere in the background.

A little girl, no older than Aang, stepped forward with a light, confident gait. “My name is Meng, and I’m Aunt Wu’s assistant,” she introduced herself warmly, her big brown eyes sparkling with curiosity. Then, as her gaze landed on Aang, her cheeks flushed a soft pink. “Well, hello there,” she said shyly, smiling up at him.

Aang rubbed the back of his neck and smiled politely. “Hello,” he said kindly, a little unsure of how to respond to her sudden blush.

“Can I get you some tea?” Meng asked, motioning for the group to take a seat on the plush cushions scattered across the floor. “Maybe some of Aunt Wu’s special bean curd puffs?” She offered cheerfully as the teens made themselves comfortable, settling cross-legged on the soft pillows.

Sokka immediately raised a hand, enthusiasm written all over his face. “I’ll try a curd puff,” he said happily, eyes glinting with anticipation.

Meng raised her hand gently at him, a smile tugging at her lips. “Just a second,” she said kindly, crouching down in front of Aang so that they were at eye level. “So, what’s your name?” she asked, tilting her head slightly with genuine interest.

Aang gave a casual shrug and a small smile. “Aang,” he replied simply.

“That rhymes with Meng!” the girl gasped, clapping her hands lightly in delight. “And you’ve got some pretty big ears, don’t you?” she asked happily, her voice filled with innocent curiosity rather than malice.

Aang frowned slightly, unsure how to respond to the comment. “Uh… I… guess?” he said, tilting his head in a half-question, half-confirmation.

“Don’t be modest,” Sokka interjected with sarcasm, his arms spreading wide as he emphasized his point. “They’re huge!” he announced dramatically, causing Aang to blush and cover his ears self-consciously.

Elua quickly elbowed Sokka in the ribs, whisper-yelling, “Sokka!” her cheeks pink with a mix of frustration and amusement.

“What?” Sokka asked innocently, shrugging as if he’d done nothing wrong. “I’m being honest,” he said, voice full of mock righteousness.

Elua shook her head, her soft glare making him pause for a brief second. “There’s a difference between being honest and being mean,” she told him quietly, though he merely shrugged and smirked.

“Well, Aang,” Meng said again, her tone returning to cheerful friendliness, “it is very nice to meet you—very nice indeed,” she smiled, slowly backing away from the group so she could attend to the others.

Aang nodded casually, offering a small, polite smile. “Likewise,” he said kindly, watching her retreat before turning his attention back to his friends, still feeling a little flustered but amused by the encounter.

“I can’t believe we’re in the house of nonsense,” Sokka groaned, flopping back onto his cushion with a dramatic sigh. His arms were crossed, and his eyebrows knitted in exaggerated skepticism as he surveyed the ornate room.

“Try to keep an open mind,” Elua suggested, tilting her head with a small smile. “You don’t have to believe in it for it to be fun,” she added, shrugging lightly as she settled more comfortably on her own cushion.

“Yeah!” Katara agreed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Besides, there are things in this world that just can’t be explained,” she said, her voice carrying a mix of wonder and delight. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have some insight into your future?” she asked Sokka hopefully, leaning forward slightly with anticipation.

“It would be nice…” Sokka trailed off, a thoughtful expression crossing his face for a brief moment before his attention returned to more practical matters. “—to have some bean curd puffs,” he added, his enthusiasm for snacks outweighing any interest in prophecy.

Just then, Meng returned, balancing a tray in her small hands. She carefully navigated the cushions, only to bump into a young woman clad in a flowing green and white kimono.

“Oh, Meng!” the young woman sighed dramatically, her hands clasped near her chest. “Aunt Wu says my true love will give me a rare panda lily,” she gushed, her eyes sparkling with dreamy adoration.

“That’s so romantic,” Meng said with a soft sigh, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she glanced back toward Aang. “I wonder if my true love will give me a rare flower,” she murmured, almost to herself, her eyes flicking shyly toward him.

Aang smiled politely, tilting his head slightly. “Good luck with that,” he said genuinely, his warmth causing Meng to smile back, though she quickly looked away.

Elua leaned slightly toward Sokka, a teasing grin tugging at her lips. “Is it just me,” she murmured quietly, “or is she flirting with Aang?”

Sokka squinted at the young girl, raising one eyebrow. “More like swooning,” he joked, earning a quiet chuckle from Elua, who shook her head at her friend’s blunt honesty.

Meng returned to the group once more, the tray of tea and bean curd puffs carefully balanced in her hands. Her steps were hurried, but just as she reached them, she tripped over her own feet, stumbling forward. The tray wobbled dangerously, but Aang reacted instantly, catching it just in time. Their eyes met for a brief, charged second, the small moment lingering before reality intervened.

Meng laughed nervously, a bright flush spreading across her cheeks. “Enjoy your snack!” she said quickly, her voice slightly flustered, before she hurried away to attend to another part of the room.

Then, in the following moments, an older woman with grey hair, silver slowly giving way to white, stepped into the room. Her golden robes trailed gracefully behind her, the fabric catching the glow of the lantern light. Her presence carried an air of authority, yet her eyes were kind. This, unmistakably, was Aunt Wu.

“Welcome, young travelers,” Aunt Wu greeted with a warm tone, her voice both gentle and commanding. “Now, who’s next?” She asked, scanning the group with an inviting look. “Don’t be shy,” she added with an encouraging smile.

Elua, Aang, and Sokka all exchanged glances before their eyes collectively landed on Katara. After all, she was the one most excited about being here.

Katara’s face lit up as she stood. “I guess that’s me,” she said, her smile wide with anticipation. Aunt Wu returned the smile knowingly, then gestured for Katara to follow her. The fortune teller led her behind a screen, out of view, the golden hems of her robes brushing softly against the floor.

Left behind, Sokka immediately reached for the bowl of bean curd puffs and stuffed one into his mouth. “Mmm,” he nodded approvingly, his mouth half full. “Not bad, not bad.” He held the bowl toward Aang. “Want some?”

“I’m good on puffs,” Aang said quickly, raising a hand in refusal. His big grey eyes flicked toward the divider. “So… what do you think they’re talking about back there?” he asked, trying to sound casual, though the curiosity in his voice betrayed him.

“Boring stuff, I’m sure,” Sokka answered, unconcerned, and lifted a teacup to his lips. “Love, who she’s gonna marry, how many babies she’s gonna have…” He gave a dramatic shrug and slurped loudly at his tea.

Elua raised her brows at him. “You don’t care how many nieces and nephews you’re going to have?” she asked, her tone sly but pointed.

Sokka leaned back with an unimpressed look. “I’ll care when it actually happens,” he said flatly. “Until then, it’s dumb.” Another shrug, another puff shoved into his mouth.

“Right… dumb stuff like that…” Aang muttered, his voice trailing with an odd tone. His gaze darted nervously toward the screen again, and then, as though making up his mind, he sprang to his feet. “Well, I’ve gotta… find a bathroom!” he blurted, pointing vaguely toward the back of the house before hurrying off.

Elua frowned, watching her little brother vanish behind the dividers, clearly unconvinced by his excuse. Still, she let it go, turning back just in time to see Sokka shifting his weight. He stretched out along the cushions with exaggerated laziness, then, without warning, dropped his head squarely onto her folded legs.

Elua blinked down at him in surprise, her hands lifting instinctively as if unsure where to put them. She wasn’t uncomfortable… just caught off guard.

“What are you doing?” she asked at last, her voice carrying a mixture of amusement and exasperation, the kind that only came from familiarity.

Sokka, utterly unbothered, glanced up at her from where he’d sprawled, grinning as if he had done absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, nothing strange in the slightest. “Laying down,” he announced cheerfully, the words rolling off his tongue with smug satisfaction as he popped another puff into his mouth, chewing noisily.

“…on… me?” she asked slowly, drawing out each word with careful incredulity, her head tilting just enough to emphasize her point.

His grin only widened in response, smugness radiating from him in waves, playful and unrepentant. “You,” he declared with great drama, reaching out to tap her knee lightly with a finger still dusted in puff crumbs, “are my trusty pillow.”

Elua shook her head in disbelief, her shoulders rising and falling as she tried to compose her laughter. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Unbelievably comfy,” Sokka corrected at once, cutting in smoothly as though he had been waiting for the setup.

It was then that Aang returned, appearing only moments later, his step light, his face bright, his expression radiating good spirits. He looked as though he had just received the most wonderful news of his lifetime, carrying with him an air of fresh excitement.

Sokka sat up at once, springing up from his makeshift pillow to regard the boy. His grin came back with all its teasing sharpness. “Looks like someone had a pretty good bathroom break,” he said, unable to resist.

“Yeah,” Aang admitted, grinning wide, his energy brimming over. “When I was in there—”

“Ah-ha!” Elua interrupted with a sharp exclamation, holding up her hand as if to shield herself. “I really don’t wanna hear your bathroom story,” she cut him off quickly, her face twisting into a cringe as she looked at her brother.

Then, after only a few more moments had passed, Katara returned, this time with Aunt Wu at her side. Katara’s expression was noticeably lighter than before, her features carrying a quiet glow, and there was no mistaking the pleased, almost dreamy look of someone who had clearly enjoyed hearing what had been foretold. It was plain to anyone watching that she was rather happy with her fortune.

Aunt Wu gave them a warm, familiar smile, the kind that invited trust without asking for it. “Who’s next?” she asked brightly, her tone pleasant, her voice carrying an ease that made the question sound almost casual, though everyone knew the weight of it lingered in the air.

“Alright,” Sokka muttered, his voice laced with reluctance. “Let’s get this over with,” he said finally, resigned, his tone caught somewhere between complaint and humor.

But then, just as Sokka began to shift his weight forward, not even managing a full step, Aunt Wu’s voice cut through the air, stopping him in his tracks. Her tone, though still gentle, carried a sudden gravity that silenced the space around them.

“Your future,” she said, her words deliberate and measured, “is full of struggle… and anguish.” She let the pause linger, the weight of her prediction settling heavily before she added, almost as if it were an afterthought, though it landed no less sharp: “Most of it self-inflicted.”

Her gaze lingered on him a heartbeat longer, her expression softening into something almost wistful. “But I also see someone whose presence will make the suffering bearable,” she said quietly. “A love strong enough to anchor you when you inevitably lose your way.”

“Wait,” Sokka blurted out, his brow furrowing in open confusion. “But you didn’t even read my palms or anything,” he added, exasperation dripping from every word as he gestured helplessly.

Aunt Wu’s expression remained steady, her voice turning flat, almost monotone in its simplicity. “I don’t need to,” she replied evenly, not a trace of hesitation in her tone. “It’s written all over your face.” The finality of her statement left no room for argument.

Without waiting for Sokka to recover, she shifted her attention smoothly, turning toward Aang. “You, then. Come with me,” she said, her voice softening, her tone noticeably sweeter this time. With practiced ease, she reached out and guided the boy away from the group.

Sokka let out a sharp, indignant scoff, the sound bursting from him with all the force of his frustration. He threw his hands skyward in a dramatic display, fingers splayed as though the universe itself needed to witness his suffering, before letting them fall back down with equal, exaggerated flair. He pivoted on his heel with a huff, shoulders slumping, and made his way back toward the cushions with the heavy gait of someone doomed by prophecy.

Then, without ceremony, he let himself drop. His body hit the cushions in a loud, graceless flop, limbs sprawling every which way until he was stretched out in defeat, his expression carved in the deepest pout he could muster.

“Come on, Sokka,” Katara said, her voice light, her lips curving into a teasing smile. “It’s not that bad,” she offered, trying to coax him out of his sulk.

“Yeah, says you!” Sokka shot back immediately, his voice rising in protest. He pushed himself up just enough to gesture wildly in the direction Aunt Wu and Aang had gone. “She literally just told me that my life is going to suck!”

Elua’s gaze softened as she watched him rant, her own smile small but genuine. “She also said you’d share it with someone,” she reminded him gently, her tone meant to soothe, to point him toward the silver lining he was determined not to see.

For a brief moment, Sokka turned his head, cutting her a glance from the corner of his eye. He held her gaze just long enough for it to register before he looked away again, sighing through his nose, annoyance bleeding into every line of his face. The words of the fortune teller sat heavier with him more than he cared to admit.

“Yeah,” Katara chimed in, picking up where Elua had left off. Her smirk returned as she leaned slightly toward her brother. “Besides, I thought you didn’t even believe in this stuff?” she asked, her tone playful, needling him with practiced ease.

Sokka only huffed, crossing his arms tight across his chest as he twisted his body away from them both. His pout was immediate, boyish and stubborn, and it only made Katara and Elua exchange quick looks before both of them stifled laughter, their shoulders shaking as they tried not to laugh outright at his expense.

Aang returned only a short while after he had gone, his quick steps carrying him back into the room with ease. The grin on his face was unmistakable, wide and unguarded, the kind of smile that made it immediately clear he was pleased with whatever he had just been told. That expression alone was enough to ease the tight knot of worry that had been sitting in Elua’s chest; seeing him so evidently happy brought her a quiet wave of relief.

“You,” Aunt Wu said at last, her voice gentle yet certain as she lifted her hand and pointed directly toward Elua. “Come.” The word was spoken warmly, softened further by the inviting smile that spread across her face as she gave a small wave to beckon her forward.

Elua drew in a steadying breath, her chest rising as she tried to keep her nerves from showing, and with one last look at the others, she pushed herself to her feet. “Wish me luck,” she said, her voice carrying a playful note even as she smiled at them, the expression betraying just a hint of unease. 

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and followed after Aunt Wu, her steps carrying her behind the privacy screens and down the narrow hallways of the fortune teller’s home. Once inside, Aunt Wu slid the wooden doors closed behind them, the sound of the panels meeting muffled yet final. The outside world fell away, leaving only the quiet hush of the enclosed room. 

With a graceful sweep of her hand, Aunt Wu gestured toward the mat laid neatly in the center of the room. “Sit, dear,” she encouraged, her tone gentle and coaxing, carrying no force or command—only a quiet invitation.

Elua obeyed, lowering herself carefully onto the mat. She tucked her legs neatly beneath her, back straight but not rigid, and tried to still the faint tremor in her hands. They folded together in her lap, fingers twining and untwining, betraying the uncertainty she was working to keep from her face. She lifted her eyes only briefly before dropping them again, her breath caught in the quiet hush of the room.

Aunt Wu moved closer, her expression serene, her presence steady. She extended her hand with the kind of assurance that came from decades of practice. “Give me your palm, dear,” she said, her voice carrying warmth, the cadence both kind and certain.

Elua hesitated for just a moment before placing her hand in Aunt Wu’s. The fortune teller accepted it gently, turning it over with the utmost care, as though handling something delicate and precious. Her fingertips, light yet purposeful, began to travel slowly across the skin. She traced the long lines, the small forks, the faint creases that crisscrossed like a hidden map. Each touch lingered, deliberate, as though every ridge and curve whispered some hidden story only she could hear.

The silence stretched, filled only by the quiet sound of skin against skin, the faint rasp of Aunt Wu’s fingers as they followed the patterns etched into Elua’s palm—patterns waiting, inevitable, to be spoken aloud.

“Your journey,” Aunt Wu intoned, her voice low, deliberate, steady as though each word were etched from stone, “It will walk the knife’s edge between light and shadow.” Her gaze, unblinking and unflinching, seemed to reach beyond the walls of the room, beyond the present moment itself, piercing through time as if she could see every choice Elua would ever make. “There will be moments when your own heart will betray you as the world demands sacrifices that you cannot imagine.”

Her fingers lingered over the lines of Elua’s palm, tracing them with the care of someone reading a fragile manuscript, but her eyes never wavered. “Grief,” she continued, her voice dropping even lower, “It will visit you like a winter storm, relentless and biting, and what you love most… may vanish into a darkness that knows no mercy.”

The room seemed to contract around them. Even the faintest rustle of cloth or shift of weight carried weight in the tense hush that followed. Aunt Wu’s words fell heavier than the quiet could hold. “Violence, sudden and cruel, will cross your path,” she said, letting the syllables linger, “Leaving marks that cannot be healed.”

A breath passed between them, fragile, silent, yet loaded with unspoken understanding. The air itself seemed to thicken in the pause, the weight of what was spoken settling like dust in the stillness. Aunt Wu’s hand remained poised over Elua’s, her touch steady, patient. “Your days will be fewer than your courage,” she intoned finally, her voice almost a whisper now, “And your end… it will come by a hand twisted with blood…”

Elua couldn’t tear her gaze away, shifting her attention back and forth between the fortune teller’s calm, unreadable face and her own outstretched hand resting in Aunt Wu’s. Her thoughts spun in frantic circles, a storm of confusion and unanswerable questions she could not voice. Each line Aunt Wu had traced seemed to pulse beneath her skin, as if carrying some secret she was too young—or too unprepared—to understand. Her mind raced, leaping from one possibility to the next, trying desperately to grasp what the future might hold, while her heart thumped a nervous rhythm against her ribs, echoing the unease that settled deep in her chest.

Aunt Wu then slowly withdrew and allowed a faint, rueful smile to curve her lips. “I am sorry,” she said softly, her tone carrying a tenderness that contrasted with the weight of her earlier words. “The future I see can be cruel… but not all is despair.”

Her eyes brightened, and the lines of her face softened as though sunlight had touched them. “There is a man,” she said quietly, her voice warm, “One whose heart will meet yours across tides. He will make you laugh when the world feels unbearably heavy, and he will walk beside you through every shadow. When you both dare to speak your hearts aloud, the world will seem less fearsome. Let love light the way, and the rest will fall into place at the view of the great wall.”

She traced a gentle line along Elua’s palm again, her fingers dancing over the ridges as if weaving threads of promise into the map of her life. “There will be three children, bright and full of life, who will carry your heart and his laughter forward.”

Aunt Wu leaned back slightly, her gaze sweeping the room as if glimpsing the days ahead. “There will be challenges, life is unkind, but in the end… you are held by love.”

Chapter Text

“WELL, NOW YOU GOT TO SEE for yourselves,” Sokka said at last, his voice sharp and grumpy, dragging out the words as though he had been waiting the entire day to finally let them out. “Fortunetelling is just a big, stupid hoax.” He punctuated the declaration by folding his arms with exaggerated finality, shoulders tight, chin tilted upward in stubborn triumph as if daring anyone to contradict him.

Elua, Katara, and Aang all shook their heads at his dramatics, the gesture slow and almost synchronized, as the group continued onward together, their feet carrying them steadily along the rather empty streets of Aunt Wu’s village.

“You’re just saying that because you’re going to make yourself unhappy your whole life,” Katara said at last, her voice confident, her expression firm, her lips curving into a smile that seemed far too certain for Sokka’s liking.

“She said I would find love!” Sokka suddenly shouted, throwing his arms wide as if the very idea were absurd. “But it doesn’t matter, because that woman is crazy!” He exclaimed even louder, shaking his head furiously. “My life will be calm, and happy, and joyful!”

To underline his words, Sokka kicked at a loose rock on the path with more force than he intended, sending it flying up into the air. The stone clattered hard against a hanging shop sign, ricocheted at a sharp angle, and smacked back into him with comic precision, striking him straight in the head. He toppled back with a loud and pained “ow,” collapsing into a heap of arms and legs.

“That…” Sokka muttered weakly as he struggled back to his feet, rubbing at the sore spot with a scowl. “—doesn’t prove anything!” he yelled in defiance, voice cracking slightly, while the others bit back laughter, stifling their amusement at his expense as best they could.

“Well, I liked my predictions,” Katara said at last, her voice light and pleased, a small smile curving across her face. “Certain things are gonna turn out very well,” she added, speaking with a confidence that left no room for doubt.

Aang grinned immediately, his whole face lighting up with the expression. “They sure are,” he replied, his tone dreamy, almost absentminded, as though his mind was already drifting somewhere else entirely.

“Why?” Katara asked suddenly, leaning forward with curiosity. “What did she tell you?” she pressed, her words spilling out with excitement as her smile brightened.

“Some stuff,” Aang said happily, shrugging his shoulders in a deliberately casual way. “You’ll find out,” he added, shutting his eyes with a grin still stretched across his face, perfectly content to leave her hanging.

Elua looked at her little brother with a suspicious brow, her expression lingering there in silence. She didn’t press him, didn’t push or pry, holding her tongue with deliberate restraint, but she did wonder—quietly, inwardly, all the same.

“What about you, Elua?” Katara suddenly asked, breaking through the pause. “What was your fortune?” she wondered aloud, her curiosity spilling into her voice.

Elua turned her gaze on her, caught a little off guard, her face showing her surprise. “Oh, uh…” she murmured, trailing off as her mind wandered back, recalling the words Aunt Wu had spoken to her, turning them over again and again in her mind.

“Aw, come on!” Aang burst in eagerly, his voice rising with impatience as he leaned toward his sister. “I wanna know!” he exclaimed, his expression alight with anticipation.

Elua planted one hand on her hip and looked right at him, her suspicion returning but now edged with amusement. “What? I have to tell you, but you don’t have to tell us? Hardly seems fair,” she smirked, her tone playful, though her eyes still carried that questioning glint.

“Come on, Elua,” Katara urged as she hooked her arm warmly around the Air Nomad girl’s, pulling her closer with a grin. “At least tell me,” she pressed, her smile bright as the two of them walked a little ahead of the boys, still keeping to the path.

Elua let out a long sigh, shoulders lifting and falling before she gave in. “She said something about a man whose heart will meet mine across tides,” she admitted at last, her voice softer, knowing full well that Katara—ever the hopeless romantic—would only care about this part.

“Awe~” Katara cooed immediately, her voice full of delight. “That’s so sweet,” she said happily, clasping Elua’s arm tighter as though savoring the thought.

Aang, curious as ever, leaned forward from just behind them, peering over Elua’s shoulder. “What else?” he asked quickly, eyes wide with interest.

“You’re still here?” Elua asked playfully, shooting him a teasing look before sighing again. “She mentioned children with my heart and his laughter,” she recalled slowly, the words lingering in her memory.

Katara gasped so loudly it almost echoed. “Little airbender babies!” she all but squealed, her voice rising with pure excitement.

“What’d she say about this guy?” Sokka suddenly cut in, his voice louder than necessary, a little sharper too. “Is he a bender? What nation is he from?” he pressed, eyes narrowing as if the details mattered far more to him than he wanted to admit.

Elua turned her gaze on him, narrowing her eyes with suspicion. “I thought you didn’t care about this stuff?” she teased him slyly, while Katara and Aang both giggled at his expense beside her.

“I don’t!” Sokka shouted back quickly, almost defensively, his ears going a little red as he crossed his arms. He paused, cleared his throat, and tried again in a more measured tone, though the edge in his voice gave him away. “...when are you going to meet this guy?” he asked, unable to keep the hint of tension from slipping in.

Elua rolled her eyes slowly, the motion deliberate, and then released another sigh that held the weight of her exasperation. “I don’t know,” she answered at last, her voice quiet but straightforward, unwilling to embellish. “She said something about letting love light the way.”

Sokka blinked at her, baffled, before throwing his hands into the air in a wide, frustrated gesture. “What does that even mean?” he demanded, his tone sharp with disbelief. “That lady just says things.”

The group soon came to a gradual stop at the edge of the town square, where it quickly became clear that nearly the entire village had gathered together in a single place. Every pair of eyes was tilted upward, the townspeople standing shoulder to shoulder in hushed anticipation, staring at the sky as though it might open its mouth and speak to them.

“What’s with the sky?” Katara finally asked, turning to one of the villagers at her side while still craning her neck to look up.

The same man from before didn’t look away, his gaze fixed firmly above as though the clouds themselves carried weight. “We’re waiting for Aunt Wu to come and read the clouds, to predict the fate of the whole village,” he explained matter-of-factly.

“Hey,” Aang piped up, bright and cheerful as ever. “That cloud kind of looks like a fluffy bunny.” He grinned, pointing toward a particularly puffy shape drifting across the blue.

“You better hope that’s not a bunny,” the man replied with sudden seriousness, his tone low and grave. “The fluffy bunny cloud forecasts doom and destruction,” he said, each word heavy with warning.

Sokka gave a loud, exaggerated roll of his eyes. “Do you even hear yourself?” he muttered, irritation dripping from his voice as he threw a glance at the man.

“The cloud reading will tell us if Mount Makapu will remain dormant for another year,” a nearby woman began, her tone almost sing-song as though she’d rehearsed the explanation, “—or if it will erupt.” She smiled faintly as though the idea didn’t frighten her.

“We used to have a tradition once a year of climbing the mountain ourselves to check the volcano,” the man added again, his tone now lighter, almost nostalgic. “But ever since Aunt Wu moved to the village twenty years ago, we’ve had a new tradition—of not doing that.” His lips tugged into a small, proud smile, as if the convenience itself was something worth celebrating.

Sokka huffed loudly again, his arms crossing in annoyance. “I can’t believe you would trust your lives to that crazy old woman,” he snapped, his disbelief unfiltered.

Elua, standing just behind him, cleared her throat deliberately—loud enough to cut through his words and draw his attention. The Water Tribe boy turned his head sharply toward her, only to see her giving him a firm look as she tilted her chin toward the village path. Following her silent gesture, he saw Aunt Wu herself approaching at last, walking calmly into the square. The crowd erupted into cheers and warm voices, the villagers parting eagerly to clear a path for her as though she were royalty.

Aunt Wu stepped with quiet assurance onto the wooden gazebo at the very center of the square, her flowing robes brushing lightly against the steps as the townspeople fell into an eager silence. Tilting her head back, she gazed at the clouds above with the air of someone who carried complete authority in her craft.

“Bending arrow cloud,” she declared, her voice steady and confident. She lowered her eyes to the book in her hands, flipping a page with practiced ease before announcing her interpretation. “Good crops this year! A nice, big harvest,” she said warmly, her words carrying across the square.

“Darn!” an old farmer shouted with excitement, his weathered face breaking into a wide grin. “Good news!” he cried, throwing his arms around his wife in a celebratory hug. The crowd chuckled and clapped at his joy.

Aunt Wu’s eyes returned to the sky as she studied another drifting shape. “Wavy moon-shaped cloud—let’s see here,” she murmured as she checked her book again. Then, looking up with a smile, she proclaimed, “It’s going to be a great year for twins.”

“Yes!” two young boys yelled at once, leaping into the air as they slapped their palms together in a triumphant high-five, their laughter ringing out brightly. The nearby villagers chuckled fondly at their antics.

Aunt Wu’s gaze lingered once more on the heavens. “And a cumulus cloud with a twisty nub coming off the end of it…” she trailed off deliberately, letting the suspense stretch for a moment. Finally, she straightened and delivered her reading with conviction: “The village will not be destroyed by the volcano this year!”

The square instantly erupted in applause and cheers. Relief and delight washed over the crowd as neighbors embraced, families clapped, and voices rose together. For the people of the village, the future Aunt Wu described was secure, bright, and full of promise.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“I can’t believe these saps,” Sokka grumbled under his breath as he, Elua, and Aang wove their way through the bustling market stalls. His arms swung stiffly at his sides, every step brimming with irritation. “Someone really needs to scream some sense at them,” he muttered, his voice sharp as he made up his mind.

Aang glanced around at the villagers, his eyes taking in their cheerful expressions as they bartered, laughed, and exchanged hopeful chatter about the future Aunt Wu had promised them. “They seem happy, Sokka,” he said with a light shrug, as though he didn’t understand why anyone would want to disturb that.

“Not for long,” Sokka shot back immediately, his jaw tightening. “I’m gonna prove Aunt Wu’s predictions are nonsense.” He puffed up his chest as he marched forward, determination stiffening his posture as if he were heading into battle.

Elua raised a brow at him, unconvinced by his bravado as she crossed her arms loosely and tilted her head his way, her tone even as she asked, “How do you plan to do that?” Her skeptical gaze followed him, making it clear she doubted he had any sort of plan at all.

“Hey, you!” Sokka barked suddenly, his voice cutting through the chatter of the market as he stomped up to a man in long blue robes. Without hesitation, he jabbed a finger downward. “I bet Aunt Wu told you to wear those red shoes, didn’t she?” he accused, his tone dripping with triumph as he pointed at the man’s glaringly bright footwear.

The villager glanced down at his shoes, then back up at Sokka, and nodded cheerfully. “Yeah,” he said with an easy smile, his eyes dreamy. “She told me I’d be wearing red shoes when I met my true love.” His voice softened into a wistful sigh, clearly enchanted by the idea.

Sokka gave a slow, sarcastic nod, his mouth pulling into a smirk. “Uh-huh. And how many times have you worn those shoes since you got that fortune?” he asked, leaning in slightly as though he had the man cornered.

“Every day!” the villager replied at once, his face lighting up with excitement as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

That was enough to push Sokka over the edge. He threw his arms up in exasperation, his voice rising into a shout. “Then of course it’s gonna come true!” he exploded, his frustration echoing over the market stalls.

The man blinked, completely missing the point. “Really? You think so?” he asked earnestly, his grin widening in delight. With a happy little swoon, he clasped his hands to his chest and wandered off, still daydreaming about his destined romance.

Sokka exclaimed angrily as he kicked a loose rock on the ground, his frustration echoing into the air. The stone skittered forward, bounced across the dirt, and finally lifted slightly before tumbling down several feet away, striking a goose squarely on the head. The bird jolted at the impact, let out an indignant squawk, and whipped around with its wings flaring wide. In an instant it charged, flapping furiously as it lifted into the air and shot straight toward him. 

Sokka cried out in alarm as the goose closed in, its beak jabbing at his face with relentless determination. He waved his arms wildly, shouting again as he stumbled backward, but every attempt to drive the creature off only seemed to make it angrier. Peck after peck forced him lower and lower until he crashed onto the ground, where the furious goose continued its assault. Struggling beneath the flurry of wings and stabbing beak, the Water Tribe teen twisted helplessly, flailing in desperation as he tried to escape…

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“I don’t care what Aunt Wu told you!” Sokka yelled, his voice cracking with raw exasperation as another villager stepped forward to block his path, this one even worse off than the last, his skin streaked with grime and the unmistakable smell of days without washing clinging to him like a second layer. “You have to take a bath sometime!” he shouted again, louder this time, the words practically tearing out of him in a ragged burst of frustration.

“Okay,” Elua said at last, dragging the single word out in a long, deliberate exhale as she reached out and latched onto Sokka’s arm. “How about you calm down for a bit?” she asked, her tone pointed but rhetorical, not really expecting an answer as she gave a firm but gentle tug.

She began pulling him away, guiding him step by step, slowly but steadily, out of reach of the villager who continued to stand there smiling, unbothered, content in his filth. Elua kept tugging, her hold steady, and Sokka, despite himself, let her lead him, stumbling reluctantly along in her grip, drawn further and further away from the source of his irritation, away from the mound of frustration that had built up until it spilled over in shouting.

“So, Sokka, you know some stuff about ladies…” Aang began, his words trailing into the air like he wasn’t sure he wanted to finish the sentence. “Right?” he asked at last, almost wincing at how unsure he sounded.

Elua turned her head toward her brother, one brow lifting high. She studied him for a long moment, and her shoulders fell with a soft sigh. She could already see where this was headed. She was already imagining just how badly it was going to turn out.

“Some stuff?” Sokka repeated, straightening up a little, the corners of his mouth curling into a smirk as he reached out and looped his arm across Aang’s shoulders. “You’ve come to the right place,” he said with practiced swagger. “What can I do you for?” he added, grinning broadly.

Oh, boy… Elua groaned inwardly. Here he goes. Her thoughts tumbled in weary resignation as she let out an audible sigh, bracing herself for whatever nonsense was about to come spilling out of her brother’s mouth.

Aang, however, looked encouraged. He smiled, though it was the kind of smile that held more nerves than confidence, and his fingers fidgeted slightly at his sides. “Well, there’s this girl…” he admitted at last, the words trailing nervously off into nothing, his cheeks coloring as he stared down at the ground.

“Uh-huh,” Sokka said quickly, nodding as though he had already pieced together the entire puzzle before Aang even finished speaking. “I think I know who you mean,” he replied, flashing a boyish smile that suggested he thought himself clever.

Aang’s head lifted in surprise. His gray eyes widened, a flicker of hope lighting them up. “You do?” he asked, unable to keep a small, soft smile from tugging at his lips as Sokka nodded with exaggerated confidence.

“Really?” Elua cut in as her arms crossed firmly over her chest. Her tone was flat, her expression skeptical, and her eyes narrowed at the Water Tribe boy. “And you’re okay with it?” she asked, her voice carrying all the disbelief she felt.

“Wait,” Aang interrupted, his brow furrowing as he glanced between the two of them. “You know too?” he asked, his surprise plain on his face.

Elua only shrugged, tilting her head with an amused little smirk of her own. “I’m your sister,” she said with mock seriousness. “I know everything.” The joke slipped out easily, but there was a glint of truth in her gaze that made Aang’s ears turn red.

“Of course I’m okay with it,” Sokka replied, his tone dripping with that familiar ‘duh’ cadence of his, as if the question itself was ridiculous. “And, to tell you the truth,” he went on, lowering his voice like he was letting Aang in on some great secret, “I’ve been picking up the subtle vibe that she likes you too.” He smirked knowingly, clearly pleased with himself.

Aang’s eyes lit up instantly, wide and glowing with hope as the words hit him. “She does!?” he blurted, his voice shooting up an octave, the excitement bubbling out before he could stop it.

“Oh, yeah,” Sokka said with absolute certainty, nodding firmly as though this were an undeniable truth. “She’s crazy about you,” he declared, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

Elua’s frown only deepened at that. Her lips pressed into a tight line, her arms folding even tighter across her chest. There was simply no way her brother was talking about her. Katara was anything but “crazy” about Aang, and anyone with eyes could see it. Friendship, duty, definitely a soft spot—but nothing more than platonic. Not the kind of passion Sokka was so confidently painting.

“Now,” Sokka went on, leaning toward Aang with exaggerated seriousness, as though about to bestow some grand secret of life itself. “All you’ve gotta do is not mess it up,” he said pointedly, his finger almost jabbing the air for emphasis.

Aang blinked, his excitement faltering into confusion. “How do I do that?” he asked softly, his voice small, as though he was bracing for some impossible task.

“The number one mistake nice guys like you make—” Sokka paused dramatically, drawing the words out as though this were a lesson, leaning back with a knowing look, then delivered the verdict: “—being too nice.”

Aang’s brows shot up, his expression collapsing into shock. “You can be too nice?” he asked, the words tumbling out in disbelief. The idea seemed to horrify him, like he’d just been told the sky could fall at any moment.

Elua opened her mouth immediately, ready to object, to snap out something cutting and logical, but the words stalled halfway. She froze with her hand half-raised, staring at her brother, then let out a long sigh as her hand dropped in defeat. There was no use. He wouldn’t listen, and Aang… poor Aang looked like he actually believed him.

“Yup,” Sokka said with another confident nod, driving his point home without hesitation. “If you want to keep her interested, you have to act aloof.” He leaned back, folding his arms and smirking, proud of his so-called wisdom. “Like you really don’t care one way or the other.”

Aang shifted uncomfortably, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. He nodded slowly, trying to convince himself this advice made sense. “Okay,” he said at last, the word quiet, reluctant, but obedient.

“Hey, Aang!” Meng called brightly, her small voice carrying across the market as she skipped toward the boy, her eyes shining with hope as she added, “So, I was wondering—”

But before she could even finish, Aang cut her off with a breezy, “See you later,” the words tossed over his shoulder without a second thought. 

Aang turned on his heel and strolled away down the market square, his hands tucked casually behind his back, not even sparing her a wave or a glance. Meng froze mid-step, the hopeful smile on her face collapsing into disappointment. She lingered there awkwardly, her unfinished words hanging in the air, before slowly looking down at the ground.

“Wow,” Sokka whispered at last, his tone filled with awe, disbelief, and more than a little admiration. He shook his head slowly, watching Aang retreat into the crowd. “That kid is good,” he added with a firm nod, thoroughly impressed.

Elua closed her eyes tightly, the disbelief settling over her features as she slowly shook her head. Her palm lifted to her forehead, fingers pressing into her temple like the sheer absurdity of what she had just witnessed had given her a headache. “Ridiculous,” she mumbled under her breath, the word slipping out before she could stop it.

Sokka turned toward her at once, his expression casual but tinged with confusion, his brows pulling together. “What?” he asked, his tone carrying a frown as if he couldn’t imagine why she wasn’t as impressed as he was.

Elua opened her eyes again, fixing him with a long, incredulous stare. For a heartbeat she simply looked at him, her mouth parting as though she might explain herself, but instead she scoffed a short laugh, sharp and humorless, and shook her head once more. Without another word, she pivoted on her heel and began walking away from the market square, her pace brisk and deliberate.

Sokka stood there frowning, his confusion deepening at her reaction, the crease in his brow refusing to smooth out. He shifted his weight, glancing after her retreating form, and then, realizing she wasn’t about to slow down, he startled into motion. He gave a little jump before breaking into a jog, weaving quickly through the crowd until he had caught up.

Sokka weaved back into step with her, his arms swinging a little too casually at his sides, like he wasn’t desperate for her to stop being annoyed at him. “What? What was that face for? You saw him—Aang nailed it!” he insisted, grinning as though he were proud of his student.

Elua let out a sharp breath, practically a snort. “Nailed what, exactly? Crushing a poor girl’s heart in five seconds flat?” she shot back, her eyes narrowing at him without slowing her stride.

Sokka threw his hands up in exaggerated defense. “No, no, no—you’re missing the point! He looked confident. Aloof! That’s what gets ‘em!” He tapped his temple like he was imparting ancient wisdom. “Girls love a challenge.”

Elua barked a laugh, a dry, incredulous sound that made him wince. “Oh, please,” she smirked. “You don’t actually believe that nonsense works, do you?”

“Of course I do!” Sokka puffed out his chest, walking taller now as though his entire argument depended on posture. “Trust me, I’ve got this stuff down.”

Elua gave him a long, flat stare, then deliberately slowed her pace so he’d have to keep looking at her instead of marching off in his puffed-up glory. “Really. You’ve got it ‘down’?” She asked. “That explains why you’re so single.”

Sokka stumbled in his stride, his mouth falling open like she’d just smacked him with a fish. “Excuse me? I’ll have you know I have plenty of experience!” he sputtered, waving a hand in vague circles, as though the very air could back him up.

Elua arched her brow, her expression sharp with amusement. “Experience?” she repeated, her voice lilting with disbelief before breaking into a laugh that rang with merciless delight. “Sokka, the last time you ‘flirted’ with someone, she nearly broke your arm.”

“That was—” he started quickly, only to falter mid-sentence, flapping his hand in a dismissive wave as he scrambled for ground. “—a misunderstanding!” His words hardly carried the weight of conviction.

Elua pressed her lips together, holding back another laugh, her eyes glittering as she gave a slow, knowing shake of her head. “Mm-hmm,” she hummed, dragging out the sound before delivering the final blow. “Right. A tragic tale of… star-crossed warriors.”

Sokka groaned, long and dramatic, before dragging both hands down his face as though physically wiping away the memory. “You’re impossible, you know that?” he said, his voice muffled behind his palms before he dropped them again, and  gestured helplessly toward her. “Here I am, trying to share my vast knowledge of romance with you—”

“Knowledge?” Elua cut in smoothly, her tone sharp as a knife’s edge. She leaned just enough toward him, her grin wicked, glancing up at him from the corner of her eye. “No. It’s more like… trial,” she paused for effect, her smirk deepening, “—and a whole lot of error.”

Sokka gasped audibly, stumbling back a step as if the words themselves had struck him square in the chest. “And here I thought we were a team!” he exclaimed, wounded in mock betrayal.

“We are,” Elua replied without missing a beat, her eyes twinkling as she stepped ahead of him, putting a little bounce in her stride. “That’s why I’m here: to make sure Aang doesn’t get slapped using your advice.”

Sokka quickened his steps immediately, refusing to let her get too far ahead, jogging a pace until he was back at her side. His grin returned despite his earlier outrage, curling wider the longer he looked at her. “Oh, come on,” he said, his voice laced with boyish charm. “You’ve got to admit—it’s better than him writing love haikus about someone’s smile.”

Elua tilted her head slightly, her smirk sharpening into something sly, her eyes narrowing with playful challenge. “Honestly?” she asked, letting the word hang in the air just long enough to keep him waiting. “I’d take bad poetry over your bad advice any day.”

Elua laughed again, but this time it wasn’t sharp or mocking—it was real, unguarded, a sound that rang bright and clear in the open air. She tossed him a glance over her shoulder, her eyes catching his for the briefest moment. It lingered, just long enough to make something in his chest twist tight, before she shook her head and turned away, continuing down the path. Her steps were light, almost weightless, sure in their rhythm, like she didn’t have to think about where she was going.

Sokka slowed without realizing it, his usual stride faltering as his grin slipped. The cocky edge drained from his expression, leaving something softer in its place. His gaze followed her, drawn to the easy sway of her braid as it brushed against her back with every step, and he couldn’t pull his eyes away. For a heartbeat the world around him seemed to dull at the edges—the chatter of the market fading, the motion of the crowd blurring—until there was only her.

His mouth opened as if to say something, but no words came. His trademark stream of chatter, always ready at a moment’s notice, caught in his throat and dissolved. There was a look in his eyes that wasn’t his usual mischief or bravado, not the bluster he wore like armor. It was something quieter, something warmer, something almost reverent, as though he’d stumbled into a truth he didn’t quite know how to name.

He blinked hard, jolting himself back into motion, and gave his head a little shake as though trying to dislodge the thought. With a sudden burst of energy he jogged forward to close the space between them, his easy rhythm returning as he plastered his trademark grin back across his face. Still, behind the smile, behind the boyish bravado, the flicker remained—tucked carefully out of sight, but very much alive—as he fell back into step at her side once more.

Chapter Text

ELUA WASN'T COMPLETELY SURE HOW Aang had managed to talk both her and Sokka into agreeing to his latest idea—scaling all the way up to the very top of Mount Makapu—but somehow he had done it. One moment, he'd been smiling, and the next, they were roped into following him up the steep mountainside. And now, against her better judgment, Elua found herself clinging to rough stone and loose earth, the breeze tugging at her hair as the three of them actually carried out the plan that Aang had set in motion.

Sokka groaned as he hauled himself higher, every muscle straining. His voice cracked with frustration. "I can't believe you're dragging us all the way up here for a stupid flower," he panted, clinging to the jagged edge of the mountain.

"Not just any flower—a panda lily," Aang corrected, his tone as bright as the sunlight glinting off the rocks. He paused on the ledge above and looked back, eyes alight with excitement. "I've seen it in action, and trust me—it works." His grin spread wide and easy.

"Flowers are fine," Sokka shot back between breaths, shaking his head as his chest heaved. "Once you're married," he added as he leaned onto his knees for a quick rest. "But at this early stage, you have to maintain maximum aloofness." He jabbed the air for emphasis, as though the mountains themselves needed to understand the rule.

Elua moved with none of his clumsy struggle. She inhaled deeply, gathered the wind beneath her, and lifted herself upward in a single graceful arc, landing lightly on the same ledge where Sokka had collapsed. Her footing was steady, her movement seamless.

"I wouldn't complain if someone brought me flowers," she said at last. The words seemed offhand, but a note of quiet sincerity ran beneath them. She turned to Aang with a small smile. "I think it's a thoughtful gesture," her voice lingered, soft and warm, threading through the thin mountain air.

Sokka froze for half a second, his tired breaths catching as Elua's words sank in. I wouldn't complain if someone brought me flowers... His eyes flicked toward her, watching the way she moved so effortlessly, her braid brushing against her back as she climbed. For once, he didn't have a comeback ready. Instead, he found himself quietly filing the remark away, tucking it somewhere he knew he wouldn't forget.

"My heart is telling me to get this flower," Aang declared, speaking with a rare defiance against Sokka's constant stream of complaints. "And Aunt Wu said that if I trusted my heart, I'd be with the one I love."

"What?" Sokka groaned out of annoyance "Don't tell me you believe in that stuff too," he all but whined, his voice pitching upward in disbelief.

But Aang only shrugged, bright-eyed and undeterred, scaling another ledge with ease. "Aunt Wu hasn't been wrong yet," he pointed out, his optimism bubbling over. "Why should she be wrong about love?"

Elua, pausing to steady herself against a rock, glanced down at Sokka with a sly little smile tugging at her lips. "You know," she said, her tone light and almost sing-song, "He's got a point." The look in her eyes made it clear she was enjoying teasing him about this far too much.

Sokka shot her an exasperated look, his face twisting somewhere between disbelief and despair. "You're both crazy!" he huffed, throwing his arms in the air before going back to his climb with an aggravated mutter.

"There!" Aang suddenly shouted from above. "Near the rim!" He said happily as he pointed out the panda lilies peaking out from the entrance of the volcano.

Elua couldn't help but smile as Aang, practically buzzing with excitement, bounded ahead toward the patch of flowers near the summit. His energy carried him upward in a blur, leaving her and Sokka scrambling to keep pace. She paused on the ledge, brushing loose strands of hair from her face as the wind tugged at them, and glanced back to see Sokka struggling to pull himself over the last stretch of cliff.

Without a second thought, she turned and extended her hand toward him. "Come on," she said softly, her voice barely raised over the rush of the breeze.

Sokka looked up at her, surprise flickering across his face at the unexpected gesture. For a moment, he hesitated, his pride clearly wrestling with the exhaustion written in his movements. But then his expression eased, the corners of his mouth tugging into a small, almost vulnerable smile. He reached up, his roughened fingers closing around hers, and let her steady him as he hauled himself the rest of the way up.

"Uhhh..." Aang's voice wavered, thin with unease, cutting through the quiet moment behind them. "Elua?" he called again, this time with a worried edge that made her straighten at once.

Elua's frown deepened as she hurried up the last stretch of rock to where her brother stood. "Spirits..." The word slipped out on her breath as she froze, the color draining from her face.

Below them, the heart of the volcano churned—a roiling sea of molten rock, bright orange and red, bubbling and spitting with a dangerous life of its own. Waves of heat licked at the air, distorting the horizon, the smell of sulfur sharp in her nose. The ground trembled faintly beneath her feet, reminding her with every shiver that the mountain itself was very much awake.

Aang stared at the molten pit below, the color draining from his face. "Aunt Wu was wrong," he whispered, the words trembling in shock as if saying them aloud made the truth heavier.

"Those people all think they're safe," Sokka reminded sharply, his voice cutting through the haze of disbelief. "We've gotta warn them—now."

Elua's stomach twisted at the thought of the village below, blissfully unaware of the danger building beneath their feet. She met Aang's gaze, the unspoken understanding sparking instantly between them. The two Air Nomads snapped open their gliders with practiced ease, the fabric snapping taut in the hot wind.

"Come on," Elua urged, already reaching for Sokka with an outstretched hand. "No time to waste."

Sokka threw up both hands in protest, his face pale. "Oh, no. No, no, no—I'm not flying on that thing again," he stammered, shaking his head so hard it was a wonder his ponytail stayed put.

But Elua didn't give him the luxury of choice. "Sorry, Sokka," she muttered, and before he could retreat, she caught his arm in a swift, decisive grip.

"Wait—!" he started, but the word turned into a strangled cry as she yanked him forward, the ground dropping away beneath them.

The wind howled in his ears, a wild, furious roar that swallowed every other sound as Elua flung them off the mountainside with a sudden, merciless surge of airbending. The ground dropped away beneath them, the world tilting in a stomach-twisting plunge that seemed to tear the breath straight out of Sokka's chest. His scream split the air, sharp and unrestrained, as he latched onto her waist with all the strength he had, fingers digging in until his knuckles blanched, eyes screwed shut against the dizzying rush.

Sokka sighed in relief as his boots finally struck the solid stone ground of the village square. His knees nearly buckled with the shift from motion to stillness, and he stumbled forward, catching himself only when his shoulder thudded against the rough wall of a nearby building. He let himself sag there for just one moment, chest heaving, grateful just to feel unmoving earth beneath him.

Katara was standing stiffly in front of Aunt Wu's house not far from where they stopped. Her arms were crossed tight over her chest, chin tipped upward, and the impatient tap-tap of her foot echoed faintly against the stone beneath her. There was no mistaking it—something had gotten under her skin.

"Oh," Aang said quickly, his expression brightening as his eyes landed on the Water Tribe girl. "Hi, Katara." His smile was faint, tentative, like he wasn't sure how she was going to respond.

"Can you believe she won't let me in?" Katara asked immediately, her tone edged with indignation as she gestured back at the closed door. A scoff slipped out, sharp with disbelief. "After all the business I've given her?"

Elua's brows knit together in a frown. "I don't think she even charges," she reminded her quietly, the words pointed but not unkind.

"I know," Katara said with a shrug, though the frustration hadn't fully left her voice. "But still," she added, as if that explained everything.

"Yeah, well, we have other things to worry about," Sokka cut in before the back-and-forth could stretch further. His tone was firm, edged with urgency. "Aunt Wu was wrong about the volcano."

Katara let out a long sigh, the sound threaded with exasperation. "Sokka..." she said, her patience already thinning. "You tried to convince me she was wrong before." She lifted her chin, fixing him with a look that said she wasn't about to back down. "It's going to take an awful lot to change my—"

Katara was cut off mid-sentence as the earth beneath them gave a sudden, violent shudder. The ground rumbled and quaked under their feet, the tremor rolling through the stones like a living thing, rattling loose pebbles and sending a shiver up their legs. Then came the sound—a low, thunderous roar that seemed to rise from the mountain's heart itself.

From the jagged peak ahead, a bellowing cloud erupted, thick smoke and choking ash billowing upward in a dark, heaving column before spilling outward. It rolled down the slope with terrifying speed, blotting out the sky as it spread, the mountain exhaling its fury straight toward them...

⇢⇢⇠⇠

"Everyone!" Sokka yelled, his voice cracking as it echoed across the crowded village square. Faces turned toward him, startled, curious, but not yet convinced. "That volcano is gonna blow any second," he tried to warn them, urgency sharp in his tone, the words tumbling over one another in his rush. "Aunt Wu was wrong!"

"Yeah, yeah," a young woman scoffed, her voice carrying a note of practiced dismissal as she rolled her eyes with exaggerated disdain, arms crossed tightly over her chest as if to shield herself from his alarm. "We know you don't believe in Aunt Wu, Mr. Science and Reason Lover," she added with a bitter little laugh that rippled through some of the crowd.

"If you won't listen to him, maybe you'll listen to me," Katara said, her steps firm as she moved forward, breaking through the tense wall of silence. Her gaze swept across the villagers, steady, imploring, her words carefully chosen to meet their hesitation. "I want to believe Aunt Wu and her predictions as much as you do," she continued, voice softer now, but no less insistent. "But my brother, Aang, and Elua all saw the lava with their own eyes!"

The man they had saved earlier pushed his way forward, standing tall in front of the others, his expression carved with stubborn certainty. "Well, I heard Aunt Wu's predictions with my own ears," he declared, his tone edged with pride, as though the weight of her words was shield enough against the danger that loomed above them.

Elua stepped in beside Katara, shaking her head firmly, her dark hair swaying with the sharpness of the motion. "Words mean little to fact," she tried to reason, her voice taut with frustration and urgency. But the villagers only muttered, shifting uneasily, their heads moving in unison from side to side, clinging to their denial.

Everyone watched in silence as Aang bent a rush of wind beneath his feet, the air lifting him up in a sweeping arc until he landed on the slanted roof of one of the surrounding buildings at the edge of the square. He stood tall against the sky, framed by the fading smoke of the mountain beyond, looking down at the gathered villagers whose faces turned up toward him, expectant but doubtful.

"Please, listen to us!" Aang cried, his voice carrying clearly from above, the desperation threading through every syllable. "You are all in danger, and we have to get out of here!" he announced, his arms flung wide, pleading with them to hear him. "You can't rely on Aunt Wu's prediction—you have to take fate into your own hands!"

As if in answer, the ground beneath their feet gave a sudden, low rumble. The earth itself seemed to growl. Everyone staggered, gasps escaping their lips as they stumbled, arms flailing for balance. The tremor passed, but the unease it left behind lingered heavy in the air.

"Look!" Sokka's voice cracked as he pointed, his arm stiff and trembling, toward the great smoking mountain in the distance, where a dark plume rose higher, curling angrily against the sky. "Can your fortunetelling explain that?" he demanded, his words sharp, his face tight with frustration.

Another man, unimpressed, stepped forward through the crowd. He lifted his chin, his expression smug, his voice carrying with deliberate weight. "Can your science explain why it rains?" he asked, each word laced with derision.

"Yes!" Sokka exploded, the word tearing out of him with ferocity. "Yes, it can!" he shouted again, louder this time, his fists clenched at his sides before he snapped his arms across his chest in a furious fold.

Slowly, one by one, the villagers began to turn their backs on the small group of teens. Feet shuffled against the packed earth of the square, sandals scuffing as they drifted away in different directions. Faces that had briefly lifted with interest now fell back into masks of indifference, unimpressed, unconvinced, unwilling to accept the truth placed before them. Sounds of their retreating steps grew quiet, engulfing the four in silence as the villagers withdrew, leaving behind the heavy weight of rejection.

"They just won't listen to reason," Katara sighed at last, her shoulders sinking as the crowd dispersed around them.

A rush of air swept downward as Aang descended from the rooftop. He landed lightly, staff in hand, the last wisps of wind curling around him before vanishing. His expression was thoughtful, but steady, a flicker of determination brightening his eyes.

"But they will listen to Aunt Wu," Aang said, the words measured, certain, spoken as though the answer had been right in front of them all along.

"I know," Sokka groaned, his voice edged with irritation, arms crossed tightly against his chest. "That's the problem," he reminded the boy with his tone clipped and frustration pressing into every syllable.

"It's about to become the solution," Aang replied, a small smile tugging at his lips, his confidence sparking against the heaviness of the moment. "We're taking fate into our own hands," he declared, his voice firm now, carrying with it a sudden resolve. "But first, I need to borrow Aunt Wu's cloud-reading book..."

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Sokka and Elua urged Aunt Wu forward, their hands firm at her elbows as they guided her step by step through the press of bodies. The villagers shifted only reluctantly, shuffling aside with uneasy glances, their murmurs rising like the buzz of restless bees. Bit by bit the crowd gave way, and at last the three of them emerged into the open stretch of the town square where every eye could see and every voice could carry.

The sky was alive with motion, churning as though the world had been overturned. Aang and Katara moved in unison, their bodies weaving with fluid grace, bending air and water as if painting with invisible brushes. Vast curling streams unfurled across the heavens, folding, spiraling, layering one stroke over another until the sky became a canvas of restless shapes. Every movement matched the diagrams from Aunt Wu's book precisely, each bend and sweep painstaking in its execution, every detail crafted to form a message that no words could capture.

"Aunt Wu, look!" Sokka cried, his voice cracking as it rose, straining to reach her ears over the tense murmur of the villagers. "Something's happening to the clouds!" His arm shot up, stiff and unyielding, finger stabbing at the heavens as though he could force her gaze to see what his own already did.

"That's very strange," Aunt Wu whispered, her brow furrowing in doubt, the assurance she so often carried faltering in that instant. "It shouldn't—oh, my!" Her words broke off in a gasp, sharp and breathless, as she clutched at her chest. Her head tilted back, eyes widening with alarm as she finally saw what towered above.

The clouds twisted violently, writhing like something alive, their pale edges darkening as they coiled in unnatural shapes across the sky. Slowly, steadily, the billows stretched and bent, contorting into something that grew clearer with every shifting breath of wind. What had once been harmless wisps thickened and pulled together, the lines sharpening, hardening, until there was no denying the truth of what they formed.

A skull emerged in full, enormous and hollow-eyed, its sockets gaping as it stared down at the village below. It loomed vast and terrible against the fragile pale wash of the heavens, unrelenting, undeniable, its grim face a warning written across the sky itself.

"Listen up!" Elua's voice rang out suddenly, slicing cleanly through the startled noise of the villagers, her words commanding and sure. "We still have a chance of saving your home if we all act quickly," she declared, her gaze sweeping across every doubtful face, then lifted her hand slightly, and directed their attention back to the boy at her side. "Sokka's got a plan..."

⇢⇢⇠⇠

The townspeople, shoulder to shoulder with each other, as well as the group of teenagers—and Appa looming like a great, gentle giant at their side—threw themselves into the work with everything they had. The plan was simple but desperate: dig a trench, deep and wide, a channel to catch the lava and steer it toward the river before it could reach their homes.

Shovels bit into the packed earth, the scrape and clatter ringing out again and again. Dirt flew in hurried arcs as villagers strained against the soil, sweat streaking down their faces. Earthbenders pressed their hands to the ground, muscles taut as they pulled whole slabs of earth upward and aside, the trenches forming faster beneath their bending. Those without bending dug furiously with their bare hands or makeshift tools, refusing to be left behind. Children carried buckets, elders passed down instructions, and all the while the trench crept further, circling the town in a fragile promise of protection.

Appa lent his massive strength too, his great tail sweeping through loose earth, his bulk helping to carry away what others could not. The teamwork stretched across every corner of the square, urgency driving them harder with every passing moment.

Then, the sound came—low and guttural at first, swelling into a violent crack that tore through the atmosphere. Another boom rolled out from the mountain, deep enough to rattle in their chests. The ground trembled beneath their feet, shovels jarring in hands, knees buckling as dust shook loose from nearby rooftops. The volcano was not waiting. Its fury was building, louder, closer, a reminder that their time was running thin.

"That will have to do!" Elua shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos as she lifted her hands toward the workers. "Everyone needs to get out of here!" The urgency in her tone left no room for hesitation. Behind her, the first streaks of molten fire spilled from the mountainside, glowing bright against the darkened slope as the lava began its descent.

Aang gave a sharp nod, his expression set with determination. "We'll come for you when it's safe!" he promised, calling after the scattering crowd. His voice carried over the din of fear, steadying where panic threatened to rise.

The townspeople exchanged hurried, uneasy looks, their faces pale with worry, but the command was clear. Nods bobbed through the group before, one by one, they turned and broke into a run, fleeing down the slope toward the riverside. The square emptied quickly, the echo of feet and shouts fading until only Elua, Aang, Sokka, and Katara remained. They stood shoulder to shoulder, breath held, every muscle drawn taut as they stared toward the mountain.

It came swiftly. A roar, low and monstrous, rolled across the air as the lava surged downward, bright rivers of molten stone spilling hungrily through the forest. Trees blackened and collapsed, their trunks vanishing into the advancing wave of fire. The glow lit the world in a searing orange, growing hotter, brighter, with every breath.

Then the flow reached the village gates. The proud wooden archway that once welcomed travelers cracked and hissed in an instant, its beams dissolving as the magma swallowed it whole. Flames leapt, the air shimmered, and with a groan the arch melted down into nothing but smoke and cinders.

Grey ash drifted heavily from the darkened sky, sifting downward in thick, uneven flakes as the molten river of lava surged into the trench directly before the group. The flow was dense, viscous, and relentless, spilling over itself in waves that hissed and steamed where it struck the earth. The trench filled quickly—far too quickly. The pressure of it was immense, and even at a glance, it was clear the barrier wasn't going to hold.

"There's too much!" Katara screamed, panic sharpened her tone, her voice carrying high above the roar of the mountain. "It's gonna overflow!" she cried again, eyes wide, horrified at the sight before her.

A violent tremor rocked the ground, rattling up through their feet and into their bones, making the very air around them shudder. They all stumbled, voices breaking into startled cries as the mountain bellowed once more. Another eruption tore free, and the volcano hurled molten rock into the sky with a deafening roar. The air lit with flying embers, glowing red stones pelting the earth, each one hissing as it struck.

Katara and Sokka bolted, their instincts pushing them back toward cover as the ground shook beneath them. Elua turned on her heel to follow, her breath coming fast, but she froze when she saw Aang remain rooted to the spot. He did not flinch, did not run. His stillness held her back, tethered her to him. And though fear pressed against her ribs, though every instinct urged her to flee, she stopped where she was, refusing to leave him alone.

A massive boulder, torn loose by the violent eruption, came hurtling through the smoke-filled sky. It blazed red-hot as it plummeted, and when it crashed into the trench brimming with lava, the impact was explosive. A furious hiss split the air as molten fire surged upward in a great, splashing wave, droplets of glowing magma flinging high like sparks from a forge. The wave rose dangerously, stretching as if eager to leap from the trench and reach the vulnerable town.

In that instant, Aang sprang into action. He vaulted upward with impossible speed, launching himself high above the ground until he hovered against the ash-darkened sky. Air whipped violently around him, curling and tightening as he bent it to his will, cocooning himself in a swirling current of power. With a sharp motion, he descended and unleashed it all at once, hurling a tremendous gust straight at the rising lava. The fiery wave bent backward under the force, arcing away from the town and collapsing in a shower of molten sparks.

Seizing the moment, Elua surged forward. She planted her stance firmly, her own breath steadying as she summoned the air around her. With swift precision, she exhaled in a controlled burst, sending a focused stream of wind racing toward the cooling mass. The molten surface shivered, solidifying beneath her command. In seconds, the roiling lava hardened into a dark, glassy curve—an immense wall of obsidian arching protectively over the village like a shield.

The two Air Nomad siblings let out long, shaky sighs of relief as the obsidian wall held firm, cutting off the fiery tide and stopping the lava from spilling any closer to the town behind them. Their shoulders sagged, tension draining in the aftermath of the frantic struggle. For a moment, neither spoke. They simply stood side by side, their chests rising and falling with the effort it had taken, the heat of the eruption still washing over them in waves.

Behind them, the two Water Tribe siblings stood frozen in place, their wide eyes fixed on the Air Nomads. Neither Katara nor Sokka spoke at first, too stunned by what they had just witnessed—the impossible made real before their eyes. The obsidian wave gleamed black in the firelight, a monument of hardened stone and willpower standing between the village and certain destruction.

Sokka's jaw worked as if to form words, but all that came out at first was a quiet exhale, almost a laugh of disbelief. "Man," he breathed at last, his voice low with wonder. "Sometimes I forget what powerful benders those two are."

"Wait..." Katara's voice came soft, almost fragile against the distant roar of the volcano as her eyes stayed fixed on the blackened arch of obsidian, her head tilted just slightly toward her brother. "What did you just say?"

Sokka shifted as he gave a shrug that was casual. "Nothing," he muttered, though a faint smile tugged at his mouth. "Just that Aang and Elua are powerful benders," he repeated, his tone simple, almost matter-of-fact, as if the truth of it needed no embellishment.

Katara's lips pressed together before she nodded, eyes lingering on the small figure of Aang standing ahead of her, his shoulders squared against the fiery sky above. "Yeah..." she whispered, almost to herself. "I suppose he is..."

⇢⇢⇠⇠

"By the way..." Aang paused beneath the pale sweep of the morning sky, shifting his weight as he stood before Aunt Wu. He held the book awkwardly in both hands, staring down at it as if it might scold him first. "We, uh... kind of borrowed your book," he admitted, extending it back toward the fortune teller, his voice small.

Aunt Wu arched a scrutinizing brow, her sharp gaze flicking from the boy's face to the worn cover. "So... you tampered with the clouds, did you?" she asked, her tone edged with sternness—before, quite suddenly, her expression softened into a knowing smile. "Very clever," she said with a smirk, clearly more impressed than offended.

Sokka, however, was less amused. He stepped forward, crossing his arms and planting his feet with authority. "No offense," he began, his tone clipped and serious. "But I hope this has taught everyone a lesson about not relying too much on fortune telling." His hands rested firmly on his hips, his stance embodying his frustration.

Before his words could settle, the same villager from before lifted his voice. "But... Aunt Wu predicted that the village wouldn't be destroyed," he said with simple confidence, his grin spreading as he gestured toward the untouched homes around them. "And it wasn't. She was right, after all."

Sokka's face contorted as if the words physically struck him. "I hate you," he hissed, storming toward the man with clenched fists, glaring at his infuriatingly calm smile.

"Okay, okay," Elua cut in gently, her voice steady but soothing. She slipped her hands over Sokka's shoulders, tugging him back with practiced patience. "It's gonna be okay, Sokka," she murmured, warm and calm, coaxing him to turn away. Slowly, she steered him back toward Appa, her touch grounding him even as his indignation simmered.

Sokka growled under his breath, muttering unintelligible complaints as his glare stayed fixed straight ahead. His feet stomped a little harder than necessary, each step sharp with frustration. Behind them, Aang and Katara lingered with Aunt Wu, finishing their quiet conversation as the air in the village finally began to settle.

Soon enough, they were all settled on Appa's broad back, the gentle sway of his massive frame rocking them slightly as he lowered his head and flared his nostrils, ready to lift into the sky. The town below grew smaller with every passing heartbeat, the roofs and streets stretching out like a tiny model beneath them.

"Goodbye!" Katara called, her hand lifting in a bright wave. Her smile was warm and genuine, catching the sunlight as she spoke. "It was nice to meet all of you!" The words carried across the square, filled with sincerity and the soft echo of lingering excitement.

Elua bent slightly, her gaze settling on the little girl who had taken such a shine to Aang. "Take care, Meng," she said gently, her voice full of warmth.

"You too!" Meng yelled back, her face lighting up with a bright, unrestrained smile. "Take care!" She waved frantically, her small arms reaching up as if she could bridge the distance with her enthusiasm.

With a rumble of powerful muscles and a gust of wind, Appa lifted off the ground. The group felt the familiar weightlessness as the wind caught them, and soon the town beneath them was nothing more than a patchwork of colors fading into the distance. Their adventure continued onward, the horizon stretching wide and full of promise before them.

Chapter Text

ELUA AND KATARA WALKED SIDE BY SIDE with their footsteps soft against the dirt path, the ground uneven beneath them as the two girls kept a steady pace. The quiet rhythm of their walking carried them forward, shoulders brushing every so often as they adjusted naturally to the dips, bumps, and scattered rocks that lined the trail. Ahead of them, Aang and Sokka had already sprinted off, running with bursts of excitement that sent little trails of dust spiraling into the air as they quickly disappeared into the distance.

The two girls let out a shared sigh, their voices overlapping in that small sound of exasperation that held just as much amusement as it did annoyance. For a moment, they both lingered in silence before exchanging a glance, a quick meeting of eyes that spoke louder than words, each silently acknowledging the boys’ endless energy and their habit of rushing ahead without giving much thought to anyone following behind. 

Neither Katara nor Elua called after them, and neither made the effort to run and catch up with the boys as they darted away into the distance. Instead, the two girls simply let them go, letting the clouds of dust settle behind their retreating figures. They allowed the boys their bursts of energy and their constant need for adventure, choosing instead to remain where they were, walking side by side in a steady, measured stride. Both were content to stay behind, following at their own pace, unhurried and unbothered, their comfort found in the slower rhythm of their steps and the quieter company of one another.

“You know,” Katara began after a beat, her voice breaking into the stillness that had settled between them, glancing at Elua with a friendly tone coloring her words. “I feel like you don’t talk about yourself very often.”

“Oh, uh…” Elua answered, her voice breaking in surprise at the suddenness of the question, then let out a breath, a slight shrug lifting her shoulders. “I guess I just don’t have anything interesting to talk about.”

Katara tilted her head to the side, clearly unconvinced, though her expression softened with amusement. “I don’t believe that for a second,” she said at last, the words light but carrying a steady warmth. “You just don’t think it’s exciting because it was normal for you.”

Elua let out a small laugh in response, the sound quiet and a little self-conscious as her gaze drifted down to the dirt path beneath their feet. “Maybe,” she admitted with a soft chuckle as she kept her eyes lowered. “But compared to you… I’m a bit boring.”

“Hey,” Katara countered, her tone gentler now as she leaned sideways to nudge Elua with her elbow. The motion was playful, their shoulders brushing together once more in that easy rhythm of shared steps. Her expression shifted as her voice grew more deliberate, her eyes curious. “I want to know about you. Like…” she trailed off for a beat, pausing as if carefully choosing her words, her brow furrowing slightly in thought. “What was it like growing up?”

Elua hesitated, the question catching her off guard and pulling something heavier from her chest than she had expected. “It was… different,” she said finally, her voice softer, tinged with a quiet longing. “Quieter. I miss that sometimes.” She risked a glance at Katara, her smile faint and a little unsure, her shoulders dipping slightly in a show of self-consciousness. “See? Nothing exciting.”

Katara shook her head immediately, her expression brightening but also carrying a trace of seriousness that made her words feel deliberate. “It’s not about exciting,” she said softly. “It’s about who you are.”

Elua let out a small, quiet breath, her eyes drifting upward as if the memory itself lingered somewhere in the clouds above them. “Mornings were always early,” she began, her voice gentler now, touched with a faint warmth that hinted at fond recollection. “The monks woke us before sunrise. We’d start the day with meditation—long stretches of silence, just breathing, feeling the air move around us. I used to hate it,” she admitted with a soft, almost sheepish laugh, “but… now I kind of miss it.”

Katara tilted her head slightly, leaning in just enough to show her full attention, the soft glow of curiosity in her eyes quietly coaxing Elua to continue. The subtle tilt, the patience in her posture, seemed to give permission for words that had long been kept private.

“After that, it was chores,” Elua continued, her voice carrying the rhythm of the routine. “Sweeping courtyards, scrubbing pots, polishing things that probably didn’t even need it.” She gave a small shrug, the gesture casual yet touched with rueful humor. “Then lessons. Hours of practice—forms, balance, flow. The elders said airbending wasn’t just movement, it was harmony. I didn’t always get it.” Her words were soft now, punctuated by long pauses that seemed to echo the quiet of those days she described.

Her gaze dropped, shadowed with a quiet introspection, and her voice sank even lower, almost confessional. “Evenings were quiet too. Meals in silence, more meditation. It could feel… lonely, sometimes.” She paused, allowing the stillness to settle around her, before her lips lifted into a small, mischievous smile, as if sharing a secret she rarely spoke aloud. “But on the nights I couldn’t sleep, Aang and I would sneak out. Just the two of us, riding Appa under the stars.”

Katara’s eyes widened slightly at that image, her lips parting in an awed smile. “That sounds… beautiful.”

“It was.” Elua’s voice softened to a whisper, fragile and reverent, the memory seeming to rest gently in her chest. “Those nights are the ones I think about the most.”

The two girls fell back into silence again, their footsteps crunching softly against the dirt and scattered leaves as they continued down the winding path. The forest around them seemed to press in with every step, branches swaying lightly in the breeze, the occasional bird call echoing through the trees. They walked side by side, the quiet stretching between them until, at last, the outline of the boys came into view ahead. Aang and Sokka were crouched low, peering intently through the bushes and around the trunks of trees, their eyes scanning something that neither Elua nor Katara could yet see.

Katara furrowed her brow in concern, tilting her head as she approached a little closer. “Did someone lose something?” she asked, her voice gentle and laced with curiosity, hoping to understand the reason for their intense focus.

Aang’s face lit up with his usual enthusiasm, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he beamed. “No,” he replied, a spark of excitement in his tone. “We found something!” he announced, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with energy.

Before either Elua or Katara could manage another question, Sokka bent down and picked up an arrow lying on the ground a few steps away from them. He turned it over slowly in his hands, examining it with a focused silence that made the moment feel almost solemn.

“It’s burnt,” Sokka stated finally, his voice calm but edged with concern. 

He placed the arrow carefully back on the earth, as if respecting the story it might tell. Then he straightened and strode toward a nearby tree, eyes scanning the trunk and the ground around it.

“There was a battle,” he began, his voice steady as he gestured toward the marks etched into the tree’s bark—scratches, splintered grooves, and scorched patches that spoke of conflict long past. “Water Tribe warriors ambushed a group of firebenders—they fought back, but the warriors drove them down this hill,” he explained, reading the subtle signs etched into the natural landscape: the broken twigs, the scorched earth, and the grooves in the trees that marked the passage of combat.

The group followed Sokka with quickened steps, racing down the incline of the hill. Their feet pounded against loose stones, and they leapt over scattered roots and jagged rocks, the urgency of the chase pulling them forward. The forest gradually thinned as the hill sloped down, giving way to the wide stretch of sandy beach below, the waves lapping softly against the shore.

Aang slowed, glancing up at Sokka with a mixture of anticipation and curiosity. “Then what happened?” he asked, his voice carrying a hint of impatience as he leaned slightly forward.

Sokka’s shoulders slumped, the excitement draining from his posture. “I don’t know,” he admitted quietly, his gaze scanning the sand and the sparse undergrowth that marked the end of the trail. “The trail ends here,” he sighed, the weight of uncertainty settling over him.

Elua scanned the beach with a frown, her eyes narrowing as something caught her attention among the sand and small driftwood. “Hey, wait,” she called, her voice carrying over the sound of the waves. “Look there.” She lifted her arm and pointed toward a boat that was stranded on the sand, its hull tilted awkwardly, half-buried.

Sokka’s eyes widened instantly, and he let out a shout of excitement. “It’s one of our boats!” he exclaimed, breaking into a run as he dashed across the sand, Katara following close behind, her skirts brushing against her legs with each hurried step.

“Is it Dad’s boat?” Katara asked, her voice trembling slightly with hope, her eyes bright as she glanced at her brother while running.

Sokka shook his head, though his smile remained unwavering. “No,” he said, breathless from the dash, “But it’s from his fleet,” he added, pride and excitement threading through his tone. “Dad was here.”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

They had set up camp on the beach, the soft sand cool beneath their feet, the gentle lapping of waves providing a steady, soothing rhythm. The boat lay stranded on the shore, its hull half-buried in the sand, a silent reminder of the day’s discoveries. Aang and Katara were sound asleep, their faces peaceful in the moonlight, chests rising and falling in quiet unison.

Sokka sat a few feet away in front of the small fire, a stick in his hands as he mindlessly prodded the glowing coals. The fire crackled and popped, sending tiny sparks upward that drifted lazily into the night sky, fading into the darkness. His eyes remained fixed on the flames, distant and thoughtful, though his movements were slow and almost automatic.

Elua, unable to find sleep, stirred from where she had been resting on Appa’s tail. She rose carefully, letting her legs stretch after the long day, and began to walk toward the campfire. The sand shifted softly under her feet, cool and uneven, and the faint scent of salt and smoke filled the air. As she approached, she stopped, observing Sokka sitting alone, lost in the glow of the flames.

Gently, she reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. The contact was soft, tentative, meant to be reassuring. Sokka jumped, a small startled gasp escaping him, and then he turned to look at her over his shoulder.

Elua let out a quiet chuckle, her eyes twinkling in amusement. “Who’s jumpy now?” she teased lightly as she sank down onto the sand next to him, brushing grains from her leggings.

“Ha ha,” Sokka replied, nudging her lightly with his shoulder, a small gesture of camaraderie. “That’s like one to five,” he said as he gestured vaguely at their friendly duel of startles. “I’m still winning,” he added, his grin widening ever so slightly, the tension of the day softening in the warmth of the fire and the quiet company beside him.

“Mm,” Elua hummed softly, a small, understanding smile curling at the corners of her lips. She leaned back slightly on her hands, letting the warmth of the fire brush across her face as she studied Sokka quietly. “What’s on your mind?” she asked gently, her voice low, patient, inviting him to speak.

Sokka let out a heavy sigh, the kind that seemed to carry the weight of years, and ran a hand through his hair. “My dad,” he admitted, his tone quiet, almost reluctant. “After our mom died… he… I don’t know,” he trailed off, searching for the words to explain something that had always been complicated, even to himself. “I guess he felt like that was a sign to finally join the war,” he finished, his voice tinged with regret and a lingering sense of confusion.

Elua said nothing, simply giving a slow, encouraging nod. She didn’t press or interrupt; she let the silence stretch comfortably, letting him take the time he needed to gather his thoughts.

“I wanted to go with him,” Sokka admitted after a pause, his voice quieter now, carrying a note of longing. “I had packed my stuff and everything,” he continued, and then a small, bittersweet laugh escaped him. “I even painted my face,” he added, smiling faintly at the memory, though the smile was touched with sorrow.

Elua still remained silent, leaning just a little closer, her presence steady and comforting. She let him speak without interruption, content to listen as he unfolded pieces of his past, the quiet crackle of the fire punctuating his words.

Sokka sighed again, a low, almost weary sound. “But he told me to stay,” he said, his eyes fixed once more on the dancing flames. “That I had to take care of the village, and Katara,” he added, his voice softening with affection for his sister. “So… I did,” he finished, the words carrying a weight of responsibility that seemed to settle on the sand around them, heavy yet resolute.

There was a gentle silence between the two teenagers, broken only by the soft crackle of the fire in front of them and the steady, soothing rhythm of the waves lapping at the shore beside their campsite. The night air was cool against their skin, carrying the faint scent of salt and smoke. Katara and Aang remained deep in sleep, their faces peaceful, the soft snores from Appa drifting over from where he rested nearby, a comforting background hum to the quiet night.

“Hey,” Elua said softly, bumping Sokka’s shoulder with her own, touch light yet grounding, and offered a small, teasing smile. “Think of it this way: if you had gone with your father, then me and Aang would still be stuck in that iceberg,” she said, her tone warm and lighthearted as she looked at him.

Sokka’s lips curved into a grin, the teasing spark returning to his eyes. “Well… You’re okay,” he said, the words accompanied by a smirk that danced across his face, teasing yet genuine.

Elua gasped dramatically, mock offense coloring her voice as she lightly shoved him with her shoulder. “Just okay?” she exclaimed, a playful glint in her eyes.

“Alright, alright,” Sokka laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “You’re great,” he said more earnestly this time, the corners of his mouth softening into a genuine smile. “And I’m glad that I was there to… protect you from Zuko,” he added, smirking once more, the words carrying both humor and a hint of pride.

“Right,” Elua replied with a soft, knowing smile, her eyes sparkling as she tilted her head slightly. “Because it definitely wasn’t the other way around,” she said, her voice playful as she returned his smirk with one of her own.

They laughed together, soft and light, careful not to wake the others sleeping nearby. The sound of their laughter drifted into the night, weaving through the salty tang of the ocean air and the faint rustle of leaves in the breeze. Slowly, it faded, lingering like a warm echo before dissolving entirely, leaving behind only the crackle of the fire and the rhythmic wash of the waves against the shore. Even that warmth of shared sound slipped away, replaced by a quiet that felt almost intimate, a stillness so gentle it seemed to pull them closer without a word, wrapping them in a cocoon of unspoken understanding.

Their eyes met, and neither could look away. Elua felt a strange warmth pool in her chest, a fluttering she could not name, as if her heart were both tethered and untethered all at once. Sokka’s gaze was steady, searching, curious, and the way he looked at her made her heart skip in a rhythm she hadn’t known it could find. Around them, the world seemed to soften, colors dimming and sounds fading until it was just the two of them, suspended in that fragile, unspoken connection, each heartbeat loud in the quiet night.

Elua shifted slightly closer, a careful, almost unconscious movement, and Sokka mirrored her without thinking, their bodies inching toward each other by measures that felt both infinite and fleeting. Their breaths grew shallow, nearly in sync, and for a heartbeat it seemed as though time itself had slowed, stretched thin by the weight of anticipation. Firelight danced across their faces, tracing the faint flush on her cheeks, the subtle curve of his lips, and the quiet intensity held in his eyes, painting them both in a tender glow that seemed to belong only to this moment.

They leaned toward each other, drawn by an invisible gravity neither wished to resist, their movements tentative yet inevitable. Their faces hovered close, the warmth of each breath brushing against the other’s skin, sending shivers that traveled unbidden through them. For a suspended moment, the world held its breath along with them—caught between a laugh and a confession, a spark and a touch, a fleeting threshold where everything hung, fragile and luminous, waiting to see who would move first.

But then suddenly, the sound of rustling leaves broke the stillness of the night, sharp and unexpected, making them both jump apart and scramble onto their feet in alarm. Elua instinctively slid into a defensive bending stance, body angled and ready, while her eyes darted toward the sound. Beside her, Sokka tightened his grip on his weapon, holding his boomerang out in front of him, his posture tense and braced, prepared for whatever might emerge from the shadows.

“Who’s there?” Sokka’s voice rang out, loud and demanding as it cut across the quiet camp, echoing slightly in the night air.

From beyond the trees, an unfamiliar voice answered, calm yet carrying an edge of recognition. “Sokka?” the man called, his words rising like a question.

A moment later, a figure stepped into view under the glow of the moonlight, his form becoming clearer with each step. He wore Water Tribe robes, his frame wrapped in layers of white bandages that caught the pale light and stood out stark against the dark.

Sokka’s eyes narrowed as he squinted into the dim, trying to make out his face. “Bato?” he blurted, the shock heavy in his tone at the sight of the man standing before him.

Elua hesitated, her gaze shifting awkwardly between Sokka and the older man. Uncertainty pulled at her as she studied them both, but when she caught sight of Sokka’s smile breaking through his guarded expression, the tension in her own body eased. She allowed herself to slowly release her stance, her hands lowering at her sides as she realized this man wasn’t an enemy, not a threat.

The sound of the commotion stirred Aang awake. He blinked groggily, sitting up with a frown as he rubbed at his eyes. “Who the what now?” he mumbled, his voice thick with confusion and sleep.

The movement was enough to rouse Katara next. She pushed herself upright with a soft groan, rubbing at her eyes much like Aang had, her gaze still blurry until she turned toward where Sokka was standing. Her focus sharpened as she followed his line of sight, her eyes landing on the man before him.

For an instant, Katara’s breath seemed to catch, and then her expression lit with surprise and joy. “Bato!” she exclaimed, her voice bright with recognition.

“Sokka! Katara!” the man—Bato—called out warmly, his voice carrying both surprise and deep affection. His face broke into a wide smile, one that softened the lines of weariness and traveled upon it. “It’s so good to see you two,” he said with heartfelt relief as he opened his arms wide in welcome.

The siblings didn’t hesitate. With a burst of energy, Sokka and Katara dashed forward, their footsteps quick against the ground until they collided with him, wrapping their arms around him in a fierce embrace. Bato’s arms closed around them both, holding them tightly as though he had feared this reunion might never come. For a moment, they simply stayed there, holding onto one another, the warmth of family overwhelming words. “You’ve grown so much,” Bato said at last, his voice low and filled with pride as he pulled back just enough to take in their faces.

Aang stepped forward then, his movements respectful, his expression open and kind. “I’m Aang, and this is Elua,” he introduced gently, his voice carrying the careful courtesy of someone who wanted to be welcomed by a friend of his friends.

Bato began to shift his attention toward the boy and the girl standing a little behind, his mouth parting as though to respond. But before he could say anything, Sokka’s eager voice cut in, full of urgency that had been building since the moment recognition struck.

“Where’s Dad?” Sokka asked, his words quick and weighted with hope.

Katara, still close at her brother’s side, nodded quickly, her eyes wide and shining with her own anticipation. “Is he here?” she asked, her tone brimming with the same hope as she looked up at Bato, almost holding her breath for his answer.

“No,” Bato said at last, shaking his head with a solemn expression. His voice carried a quiet heaviness as he continued, “He and the other warriors should be in the Eastern Earth Kingdom by now.” The certainty in his tone left little room for hope, only the firm truth of his knowledge.

Sokka and Katara’s shoulders sagged almost at the same moment, their excitement slipping away as quickly as it had come. The brightness in their eyes dimmed, replaced with disappointment that weighed heavily on their faces. They exchanged a glance, their expressions mirroring the same sadness neither wanted to voice aloud. The silence that followed stretched uncomfortably, broken only when a sudden breeze swept through the clearing. It carried with it a sharp, cold edge that bit at their skin, raising goosebumps and making the night air feel even more unfriendly.

“Brr!” Bato exclaimed with a shiver, his attempt to shake off the cold softened by a touch of good-natured humor. “This is no place for a reunion,” he went on, his tone lifting with warmth again as he offered a smile that tried to ease the disappointment lingering between them. 

With a gentle but firm motion, he wrapped his arms around the two Water Tribe siblings, drawing them in close once more as he began to guide them forward. Behind them, Elua and Aang lingered, sharing a glance that held the same uncertainty. They hesitated, caught between politeness and the question of whether they were truly welcome.

 For a moment, neither moved. But then Bato turned over his shoulder, his expression kind as he gestured with a wave of his hand for them to join. Elua let out a small shrug, her shoulders lifting slightly before falling again, a simple acceptance of the unspoken invitation. Together with Aang, she started forward, their footsteps falling into place a short distance behind the others as they followed along into the night.

Chapter Text

“AFTER I WAS WOUNDED, YOUR FATHER carried me to this abbey,” Bato slowly explained as they moved along the worn path, entering the small, quiet town that lay nestled in the shadows of the night. “The sisters have cared for me ever since,” he finished, his voice touched with gratitude as he motioned to the settlement, figures dressed in simple robes moving with gentle purpose.

“Mother Superior!” Bato called out, his voice carrying across the courtyard as he directed it toward an older woman standing just ahead, whose posture was straight, dignified, her head veiled by a cream cloth that framed a lined but kindly face.

“These are Hakoda’s children,” Bato announced with quiet pride, his tone heavy with meaning. “They’ve been traveling with the Avatar—I found them by my boat.”

The Mother Superior’s eyes softened with recognition at the mention of their father’s name before her gaze turned toward Aang. “Young Avatar,” she said, bowing deeply, her voice both formal and warm. “It is an honor to be in your presence.” A faint smile curved her lips as she added, “Welcome to our abbey.”

Aang stepped forward with careful politeness, bowing in return. “Thank you,” he said with a bright sincerity, his voice carrying his natural warmth. “It’s an honor to be here.” His smile widened slightly as he continued, “If there’s anything—”

“What smells so good, Bato?” Sokka suddenly cut across Aang’s words, his nose lifting as he sniffed the air.

Bato glanced down at him with patient amusement, his lips curving into a smile. “The sisters craft ointments and perfumes,” he explained as he gestured toward several large ceramic jars and bowls nearby.

“Perfume?” Sokka repeated, his tone almost scoffing, though playful. His eyes darted toward Appa in the courtyard, the bison sprawled out and looking content after the long journey. “Maybe we should dump some on Appa—because he smells so bad.” He scrunched his nose dramatically, casting a grin at the others, clearly expecting them to laugh. “Am I right?”

But the joke fell flat. The words hung awkwardly in the air, and the only answer Sokka received was silence. The moment stretched, heavy and uncomfortable, as everyone simply stared at him without so much as a chuckle. His grin lingered stubbornly for a heartbeat longer before slipping, faltering at the edges as the lack of reaction settled in.

Bato only shook his head, though there was no harshness. “You have your father’s wit,” he said, the fondness in his voice clear despite the failed attempt at humor.

Then, with a small lift of his hand, Bato turned and motioned for the group to follow. His pace was steady but deliberate as he began to lead them away from the courtyard and deeper into the abbey grounds. The flickering lamplight cast long shadows against the stone walls as the young travelers fell into step behind him, their footsteps echoing softly as they made their way toward the modest quarters that Bato now called home.

Katara gasped the moment Bato pushed open the door to his chambers. Her eyes widened, shining with recognition as she stepped over the threshold, and a delighted smile broke across her face. “It looks like home!” she exclaimed, her voice bright with excitement as she hurried inside, her feet carrying her quickly across the room as if she couldn’t take it all in fast enough.

“Everything is here,” Sokka said with equal enthusiasm, his smile matching hers as he followed right behind. “Even the pellets,” he added, kneeling as he placed both palms reverently on the small bundle that once belonged to some unnamed animal, as though its simple presence was enough to anchor him back to memories of their tribe.

“Yeah…” Aang mumbled from the doorway, his tone far less impressed as he glanced around. His nose wrinkled slightly, his eyes settling on the stretched hide of an animal hanging against the wall. “Nothing’s cozier than dead animal skins…” he muttered under his breath, his words trailing off with a note of distaste. His arms curled protectively around Momo, who shifted in his grasp as if echoing his unease.

Elua let out a quiet breath through her nose, the sound more pointed than she intended, and leaned just enough to jab Aang with her shoulder. The sharp nudge made him stumble half a step, forcing a small “humph” out of him as he straightened himself again. His brows pulled together, a crease of irritation forming as he turned his head toward her. His expression was puzzled, teetering between confusion and mild annoyance, silently demanding to know what her problem was.

But Elua didn’t bother answering aloud. Instead, she tilted her chin toward the center of the room, her eyes flicking meaningfully in the direction of Katara and Sokka. The two siblings were still caught up in the rush of familiarity, their hands trailing over pelts, trinkets, and scattered belongings as though every item brought them closer to home. Their faces were alight with a warmth that softened them, joy brimming in every smile and touch.

Elua’s gaze narrowed ever so slightly as she cut her eyes back to Aang, the silent message clear in every line of her look: read the room.

Aang’s mouth parted as though he were ready to argue, to defend his earlier words with the kind of stubbornness that often slipped into his tone. But before he could, his gaze landed once more on the siblings, their happiness practically glowing in the dimly lit chamber. Slowly, he pressed his lips together, the words drying in his throat. With a small exhale, he dropped his eyes to the floor, his shoulders easing as he gave a sheepish nod. Quietly, he closed his mouth, letting the moment pass without another word.

“No way!” Katara exclaimed, her voice high with excitement as she leaned over the fire. Her eyes sparkled as she peered into the steaming pot set above the flames, the savory scent curling upward to meet her. “Stewed sea prunes?” she asked, her smile radiant as she looked over at Bato.

Bato chuckled warmly as he lowered himself to the ground beside her and Sokka, the motion careful but easy despite the bandages still binding him. “Help yourself,” he said with a grin, his words carrying both hospitality and the shared comfort of tradition.

Sokka’s face lit up as he watched Katara eagerly ladle the stew into bowls, the steam rising in gentle clouds between them. “Dad could eat a whole barrel of these things,” he said with a nostalgic smile, his tone brimming with pride and longing.

Katara carefully handed Aang a steaming bowl of the stew, her face still glowing with excitement at being able to share something so familiar. Aang accepted it with both hands, smiling awkwardly as the rising steam curled against his face. The smell hit him all at once—sharp, salty, and overwhelmingly strong. His throat tightened before he could stop it, and he nearly gagged on the spot, his smile twitching as he struggled to hold it in.

From her place beside him, Elua leaned slightly to glance over her brother’s shoulder. The moment her eyes landed on the thick, dark mixture in the bowl, she had to fight the cringe that threatened to twist across her features. The smell alone was strong, briny and pungent, and the sight of it only confirmed what she already suspected—this wasn’t anything close to the flavors she and Aang had grown up with. It definitely wasn’t to their taste.

So when Katara turned to her next, holding out another bowl with the same hopeful brightness, Elua quickly smoothed her expression into a polite smile. “I’m still full from dinner,” she said lightly, her voice careful, and warm enough not to give away the truth.

“Bato,” Katara said at last, turning back toward the man with a flicker of excitement sparking across her face. “Is it true—you and Dad actually lassoed an arctic hippo?” Her voice carried a wide smile with it, full of eagerness.

“It was your father’s idea,” Bato replied with an answering smile of his own, his eyes glinting as though the memory itself amused him. “He just dragged me along for the ride.” He gave a short pause, then added with an easy grin, “Well… the hippo did the dragging,” and his light laugh followed.

“Hey! I ride animals, too,” Aang broke in, his voice rising quickly, his face brightening with his own wide grin. “This one time, there was this giant eel—”

Before he could finish, Sokka’s voice cut across his words once again. “Who was it,” he asked with deliberate emphasis, “that came up with the giant blubber fiasco?” His grin widened as he spoke, teasing.

Bato’s laugh rang out again, louder this time, genuine amusement warming his tone. “You knew about that?” he asked, looking at the boy with bright interest.

Katara’s smile only deepened. “Everyone does,” she said, her laugh spilling out lightly, quick and knowing.

“What’s that story?” Aang asked immediately, his curiosity sparking, leaning a little closer as though trying to catch every word.

“It’s a long one, Aang,” Sokka answered quickly, almost too quickly, waving the question aside. “Some other time,” he added, half haphazardly, his voice carrying the clear intent of brushing it off.

Katara’s smile returned, warm and easy, her eyes shining with the kind of affection only old memories could bring. “You and Dad had so many hilarious adventures,” she said, her voice lifting with fond laughter that carried a note of nostalgia.

“Not all of which were hilarious at the time,” Bato replied with a low chuckle, shaking his head as though the weight of those moments still lingered even through the humor. “But everything is funny in hindsight.” His words trailed into another soft laugh before his gaze shifted, moving past Katara and drifting toward the back of the room. 

Bato’s expression sharpened at once. “Aang! Please put that down,” he called firmly, his tone edged with urgency. “It’s ceremonial—and very fragile.”

The young boy froze where he stood, caught in the act with some sort of elaborate headpiece perched precariously on his head, fashioned from an animal’s hide. Elua turned toward him immediately, her eyes narrowing as she fixed him with a look—clear, pointed, the very same look that wordlessly reminded him of what she had told him earlier.

Aang’s shoulders sagged under her gaze. Slowly, carefully, almost sheepishly, he lifted the headpiece off and placed it back against the wall where it belonged, his hands gentle as though afraid it might shatter under his touch. With the mischief gone, he sulked away from the display, drifting toward the wall near the door with the heavy steps of a child who knew he’d been caught. He slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor, back pressed against the wood, his head tipping back as an exasperated sigh slipped out of him.

Elua let out a quieter sigh of her own, softer, sympathetic, before pushing herself up from her crossed-leg position. Rising slowly, she smoothed her hands along her knees, then stalked across the room with quiet determination until she reached his side. Lowering herself down beside him, she settled into place to keep him company, her presence a wordless reassurance, while their companions continued catching up with their father’s old friend across the room.

“Was it you, or was it Dad, that put the octopus on your head and convinced Gran-Gran you were a water spirit?” Sokka asked, his voice carrying a muted chuckle, the memory pulling a crooked smile onto his face.

“Your dad wore the octopus,” Bato answered with a laugh that came quickly, easily. “But I did the spooky voice,” he added, deepening his tone and mimicking the eerie sound, which drew warm smiles from both Katara and Sokka as they looked at him fondly, the memory glowing brighter for being shared aloud.

The laughter faded as Bato’s expression gradually sobered, his tone shifting to something steadier, weightier. “There’s something I should tell you kids,” he said, his voice lowering with the weight of the words. “I’m expecting a message from your father.”

“Really?” Katara asked at once, her excitement breaking through, her eyes widening as she leaned forward.

“When?” Sokka asked quickly, eagerness lining his voice as he followed right after his sister.

“Any day now,” Bato informed them, his voice calm, measured, but touched with the softness of reassurance. “Your father said he’d send a message once they found the rendezvous point.”

Across the room, the words pulled at Aang’s attention. He sat up quickly, his body stiffening as his gaze darted toward the two Water Tribe siblings who had been traveling with him and Elua for months now. The look in his eyes was unmistakable—worry, sharp and sudden, the fear that they might leave, that they’d be pulled away and the weight of the mission would fall onto him and Elua alone.

“If you wait until the message arrives,” Bato continued, his voice gentling as though to soften the news, “you can come with me and see your father again.” His words carried a smile, one that reached his face and settled there, warm and encouraging.

“It’s been over two years since we’ve seen Dad!” Sokka burst out, his voice rising with uncontained excitement. “That would be so incredible!” He laughed, joy bubbling up before he turned sharply to his sister, eyes shining. “Katara!”

Katara’s face softened as she looked at her brother, her smile slow but deep. “I do really miss Dad,” she admitted, her voice quiet but steady, filled with longing. “It would be great to see him again.”

Elua glanced over toward Aang, watching the way he pushed himself slowly to his feet, the movement weighed down by the solemn look fixed across his face. His shoulders slumped, and his head hung just slightly as a sigh slipped past his lips. Without a word, he turned toward the door, his steps dragging faintly as though each one carried the weight of what he’d just heard. He slid the door open with a quiet scrape, stepped outside, and let it fall closed behind him with a muted thud.

For a moment, Elua remained where she was, her gaze shifting from the Water Tribe siblings back toward the door that had just closed. The silence pressed in on her until, with a small breath, she rose to her feet as well. Crossing the room with quiet steps, she slid the door open once more and slipped out after him, letting it shut gently behind her.

She followed his trail all the way down to the beach, the cool air growing sharper as they neared the shore. Aang had already settled himself at the water’s edge, lowering onto the sand before pulling his knees close, wrapping his arms tightly around them as though to guard against the breeze that tugged at his clothes and hair. His small frame looked fragile against the vast stretch of ocean before him.

Elua exhaled softly, the breath leaving her in a quiet sigh that seemed to blend with the sound of the waves nearby. She lowered herself down into the sand beside him, moving slowly, carefully, as if not to disturb the fragile silence that hung between them. Once seated, she let her hands rest loosely in her lap, her gaze drifting out over the restless water. For a long moment, she didn’t speak, choosing instead to let her presence say what words could not. It was a quiet offering of comfort, a silent companionship she hoped Aang would feel simply by her being there.

“I can’t believe they would leave us,” Aang said at last, his voice low and heavy with sadness, the words spilling from him like something too big to keep inside.

“It’s their father, Aang,” Elua answered gently, her tone soft, steady, touched with understanding. “They deserve to see him.”

“I know,” Aang admitted, the sadness still clinging to every word. His chin lowered onto his knees, his eyes fixed on the sand. “I just wish it didn’t mean leaving.” He sighed again, the sound long and weary, carried away in the breeze.

Elua nodded quietly, her own voice barely rising above the whisper of the waves. “Yeah,” she murmured. “Me too.” Her eyes drifted forward, settling on the rolling water, watching as each wave rose and broke, crashing endlessly against the shore in front of them.

There was silence between them again, a silence that seemed to settle over the beach like a soft, heavy blanket, stretching out and thickening until it felt almost tangible, as though the world itself had paused in careful attention to their thoughts. Elua couldn’t help but let her mind wander within it, her thoughts drifting through the quiet like autumn leaves caught in a slow, meandering current, twisting and turning gently with no particular destination, carried only by the rhythm of the still air around them.

She thought of Sokka and Katara, the two siblings who had been traveling with her and Aang for months. They hadn’t seen their father in years—not really—and the distance between them now made her heart ache a little, even as she tried to remind herself of the reality of the situation. And yet, despite knowing the truth, she couldn’t stop a thread of sadness from tugging at her chest, a quiet ache born from the thought that they were preparing to leave her and Aang behind to finish this journey on their own.

A part of her recognized that she should feel happiness for them, a warmth that should have come with the knowledge that they would be reunited with their father. And yet, there was another part of her, softer and reluctant, that felt the sting of farewell, a muted grief at the thought of saying goodbye—even temporarily. The two emotions intertwined inside her, tugging gently against each other, leaving her suspended somewhere between joy and sorrow.

Elua let out a soft sigh, the sound blending with the faint rush of the waves against the shore. “I’m going to head back to the abbey,” she said quietly to Aang, pushing herself up to her feet with careful, deliberate movements. “Are you coming?” she asked gently, her voice carrying both concern, and patience.

“No,” Aang replied, his voice low and heavy, tinged with sadness, coming from where he still sat on the sand. “I’ll stay here for a while,” he added after a moment, hugging his knees a little tighter as if trying to hold himself together against the tide of his own feelings.

“Okay,” Elua said softly, nodding in understanding. She stepped closer, closing the small space between them, and paused. Her hand hovered for a moment before she placed it gently on his shoulder, a comforting touch that spoke more than words could. “Just remember…” she trailed off, letting the words linger in the salty air, her fingers pressing lightly in reassurance. “I’m not going to leave you.”

Chapter Text

THE FOLLOWING MORNING, THE GROUP walked together along the shoreline once again, their footsteps leaving fleeting impressions in the sand, which still held a cool, damp softness beneath their feet. A gentle, salty breeze drifted across the beach, ruffling hair and carrying the faint tang of the ocean to their noses. The waves lapped softly at the shore in front of them, each rise and fall marking the passage of time as they moved steadily forward.

“This ship is sentimental to me,” Bato explained, his hand resting lightly against the smooth side of the vessel. His fingers traced the wood as though feeling the history embedded within it. “It was built by my father,” he added, pride evident in the subtle lift of his chin and the sparkle in his eyes.

Sokka smiled at him, curiosity brightening his expression. “Is this the boat he took you ice-dodging in?” he asked, leaning slightly forward, eager for a story.

“It’s got the scar to prove it,” Bato replied with a chuckle, the memory clearly vivid and fond. He glanced over at Sokka, a sudden twinkle in his eye. “How about you, Sokka?” he asked, turning the question on the boy. “You must have some good stories from your first time ice-dodging.”

Sokka’s smile faltered, replaced by a frown that tugged at the corners of his mouth. Disappointment flickered across his face as he shook his head.

“He never got to go,” Katara said softly, a note of sadness coloring her words. She looked down briefly before adding, “Dad left before he was old enough.” She let out a quiet sigh, her fingers brushing against the sand unconsciously.

Bato’s shoulders slumped slightly, regret softening the lines of his face. “Oh… I forgot. You were too young,” he murmured, his voice heavy with gentle remorse.

Before anyone could respond, Aang tilted his head, curiosity lighting his features. “What’s ice-dodging?” he asked, stepping into the conversation with an eager tilt of his head.

Elua answered before anyone else could, her voice calm but carrying a hint of pride. “It’s a ceremonial rite of passage for young Water Tribe men,” she explained, her eyes briefly flicking toward Sokka and Katara. “When you turn fourteen, your father typically takes you out at sea and… well,” she said with a small, playful smile, “You dodge ice.”

A quiet pause fell over the group after she finished, the words hanging in the air. Everyone exchanged glances, the shock clear in their wide eyes. Even Bato looked taken aback, his mouth opening slightly before closing again.

Elua’s eyebrows lifted as she noticed their reactions. “What?” she said, throwing her hands up with a little theatrical flair. “I’m not uncultured,” Her tone was half incredulous, half sassy, the words punctuated with a grin as her playful personality surfaced.

“Yeah…” Sokka began slowly, his eyes narrowing just slightly as a small, teasing smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “But how’d you even know that?” he asked, curiosity and amusement mingling in his tone as he leaned forward a little, clearly eager for an explanation.

“I will have you know that I visited the Southern and Northern tribes on several occasions,” Elua said matter-of-factly, her tone calm but confident, her posture straightening with pride. “I even went ice-dodging with some friends once,” she added with a bright smile, letting the hint of mischief shine through her words.

Katara’s eyes went wide, her jaw dropping in astonishment. She stepped a little closer, as though the distance might make the revelation more tangible. “You never told us that!” she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of surprise and disbelief, her hands lifting slightly as if to emphasize the point.

Elua shrugged casually, a playful grin spreading across her face. “I did just now,” she said lightly, the teasing in her tone clear as she met Katara’s stunned expression with a small tilt of her head, fully enjoying the moment.

Soon enough, everyone had clambered aboard Bato’s boat, finding their places along the deck as the ship rocked gently beneath them. The sun glinted off the water, casting bright, dancing reflections across the hull, while the crisp morning breeze carried the tang of salt and seaweed. With a few steady pushes against the shore, the boat slid smoothly into the open water, cutting through the gentle waves as the group leaned forward in anticipation, hearts quickening with curiosity. They were about to discover, firsthand, what ice-dodging was all about.

“Ice-dodging is a ceremonial test of wisdom, bravery, and trust,” Bato began, his voice steady as he explained the reality of the rite. He let his gaze sweep over the group, giving weight to his words. “In our village, it was done by weaving a boat through a field of icebergs,” he added, pride and a trace of nostalgia lacing his tone.

Sokka’s brow furrowed as he tried to wrap his head around it. “How are we supposed to ice-dodge without ice?” he asked, confusion and a hint of incredulity coloring his voice.

Bato pointed deliberately toward the horizon, letting his hand trace the open water ahead. “You’ll be dodging…” he trailed off, the words catching slightly as the cluster of obstacles came into view. “Those,” he said finally, nodding toward the jutting rocks, their peaks sharp and bases wide, breaking the calm surface like miniature icebergs.

“Sokka—You steer and call the shots,” Bato said warmly, stepping aside and letting the boy take hold of the wheel. “Lead wisely,” he added with a smile, his confidence in Sokka clear.

“Katara—You secure the mainsail,” Bato instructed, his tone soft but firm. “The winds can be brutal, so be brave,” he told her, warmth in his eyes as he conveyed the importance of her role.

“Aang—You control the jib,” Bato continued, his voice calm and measured as he turned to the young Avatar. “Without your steady hand, we all go down… Your position is about trust.” He gave Aang a brief, encouraging nod, the weight of responsibility clear in his gaze.

Aang blinked at him for a moment, caught off guard, before blurting out in rapid succession, “I know that! Why wouldn’t I know that? I’m the Avatar. I know all about trust!” His words tumbled out faster than anyone could process, his body tensing slightly as if to prove his point.

Elua frowned, utterly perplexed at her brother’s sudden outburst. She had no idea what had prompted it, but it was clear that he was acting paranoid, tense in a way she hadn’t seen since the previous night. She bit her lip in concern, watching him for a moment longer, then shook it off, deciding not to dwell on it—for now, there were bigger things to focus on.

“For this to be done, I cannot help,” Bato said as he lowered himself down at the very front of the boat with deliberate calm, his movements steady, practiced, and final. “You pass or fail on your own,” he said, his voice even, as he crossed his legs and leaned back slightly, signaling his complete withdrawal from the task.

“Wait,” Sokka said quickly, leaning forward with a crease forming between his brows. “What about Elua?” He asked, his tone carrying both confusion and faint protest, obviously noticing that she wasn’t given a job, and neither did she seem to care in the slightest.

“Oh, I’m good, right here,” Elua said casually, her voice light as she sat herself down beside Bato with no hesitation, folding her arms loosely and making herself comfortable as if it were the most natural choice. “You’ve got this,” she told Sokka, her words ringing with confidence. 

A small pause followed, then, under her breath, she mumbled to herself, “I hope.” The words slipped out quieter than she meant, yet Bato caught them, his ears sharp, and he let a low chuckle escape, the sound rough and amused.

Sokka frowned deeper, his lips pulling down as suspicion filled his expression. “Don’t you want to do something?” he asked her curiously, his voice rising with disbelief. He looked at her more closely, waiting for her to reveal that she was joking or at least half-serious about lending a hand.

“No,” Elua said, the word tumbling out far too quickly, far too defensive to be convincing. “It’s just—” she began again, her tone softening as though she was sifting through the words carefully. “Last time I did this…”

⇢Flashback⇠

The South Pole was freezing—bone-deep freezing—the kind that clung to skin even through layers of fur and wool, the kind that made every breath sting in the chest. Especially down by the ocean, the cold was sharper, carrying on gusts of wind that whipped across the water unhindered, slicing through cloth and seeping into joints. That was where Elua found herself now, standing with three other people, her breath puffing in short clouds that were instantly stolen away by the gale.

The wind was biting, relentless, tugging at her hood and stinging her cheeks where the fabric didn’t quite cover. The groan of shifting ice drifted across the expanse, low and hollow, like the earth itself complaining beneath the weight of winter. Added to it was the creak of a half-frozen boat, its timbers stiff with cold but still protesting softly with every sway. The sharp smell of seal oil mixed with the faint tang of pine tar clung to it, an oddly comforting reminder of human hands that had prepared it for this unforgiving sea.

Elua stood on the worn planks, her boots heavy and damp from frost that gathered in the seams. Her gloved hands clutched the side, knuckles pressing hard into the wood as if bracing herself against not only the rocking of the vessel but also the sight in front of her. She eyed the jagged path ahead, a maze of ice and shifting water, the route both menacing and strangely alluring.

Nanuk, tall and broad-shouldered, barely eighteen yet carrying himself with the bold confidence of someone twice his age, stood at the stern with one steady hand on the tiller. The way he gripped it made it seem like the whole boat bent to his will, though the sharp edge of his grin betrayed how much he enjoyed being watched. 

“Relax, Elua,” he said with an easy grin, teeth flashing against the gray light. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you?” Elua asked, her brow furrowed, doubt threading through every syllable. She leaned forward, peering out at the splintered horizon of white and blue. “Because this looks—”

“Dangerous?” Sialuk cut in smoothly before Elua could finish, her voice sharp and sure as she shifted her weight against the mast. She stood tall and lean, older than Elua by a year or two, her arms folded tight across her chest as if to shield herself from the cold and from Nanuk’s confidence. “Nanuk’s full of it,” she smirked, her lips curling as she tilted her head toward him. “He did this once with his father and he failed.”

Nanuk shot her a look, dark and wounded, his pride stung more than he wanted to admit. His mouth opened in protest before snapping shut again, only to burst with a defensive shout. “That was years ago!” His voice cracked against the wind, louder than he meant it to be. “I’ve learned since then.”

At the bow, Kajuk, the youngest of them, sat hunched with knees drawn up close to their chest, a shadow tucked beneath the fur trim of their hood. They hardly stirred as the others argued, their stillness strange in such a restless place. When they spoke, their voice came quiet, low, carrying that unsettling weight it always seemed to bear.

“If we go down,” Kajuk said, eyes locked on the path ahead, “at least we’ll sink together. Better to be claimed by the sea than live pretending we’re braver than we are.”

Elua turned sharply, staring at them, her lips parting in disbelief. “That’s not helpful, Kajuk.” Her voice carried a bite of nerves more than irritation, a sharpness meant to cover fear.

Kajuk only shrugged, the movement small and slow, their gaze never leaving the dark water threading between the shifting floes.

The boat rocked suddenly as a chunk of ice scraped hard along the side, the sound like teeth grinding against the hull. The jolt sent Elua stumbling forward, her grip tightening painfully on the rail. Her stomach flipped as the channel narrowed into a twisting corridor of jagged white walls. Ahead, the path wound into a jagged maze of icebergs, massive and indifferent, hemming them in on every side. She had never felt so small—or so certain that something terrible was about to happen.

Nanuk adjusted his stance, planting his boots wider as though anchoring himself to the deck. Both hands gripped the tiller now, knuckles white, the muscles in his forearms taut beneath his sleeves. His jaw tightened, teeth set against the cold, but his grin—stubborn, cocky—didn’t falter. 

With a steady pull and shift of his shoulders, he guided the boat into the first narrow channel. The floes pressed close on either side, their edges grinding and groaning against one another with the sound of stone splitting. Somehow—almost miraculously—he threaded them through without so much as a scrape.

Elua held her breath, her chest rising painfully as her heart hammered beneath her layers. She gripped the side harder, eyes wide, every twist of the ice mirrored by the twist of her stomach. One sharp turn, then another—the boat rocked and swayed, the icy water lapping dangerously at the edges—but it didn’t tip. Nanuk’s movements were sure, confident, his shoulders rolling with the rhythm of the boat, almost graceful in their way.

Sialuk’s hands tightened around the mast until her knuckles showed pale, her sharp tongue uncharacteristically still as the boat cut its path forward. Even Kajuk stirred, lifting their hooded gaze from the bow, the faintest flicker of surprise passing over their otherwise impassive face.

When at last the vessel slid out into a wider stretch of open water, Elua let out the breath she’d been holding. “...I stand corrected,” she admitted, reluctant admiration threaded through her voice.

Nanuk’s chest swelled instantly, pride written clear across his posture. “Told you I knew what I was doing,” he said, his voice carrying a laugh, the warmth of his triumph defying the icy wind.

But the moment never had a chance to settle. Ahead, the water shifted with a sudden pull, a new tide dragging fresh slabs of ice into the channel. They were larger, sharper, and pressed closer together than the first, their jagged edges gleaming like teeth in the dim light.

Nanuk’s grin faltered. His eyes darted over the closing walls of ice, and in an instant his confidence wavered. He yanked the tiller hard, shoulders jerking with the motion, trying to steer them into the new path. Too hard. The boat swung violently, lurching to the side with a sickening tilt.

“Nanuk!” Sialuk shouted, her voice high and cutting as she clung to the mast with both arms.

“Not that way!” Elua cried, stumbling sideways, her shoulder slamming into the rail as the deck pitched beneath her.

From the bow came Kajuk’s voice, low and unsettlingly calm, almost serene against the chaos. “Here it comes…”

The prow clipped an edge of ice with a teeth-rattling crack. The impact shuddered through the entire vessel, wood splintering and scraping against frozen walls. In the same heartbeat, the boat lurched, rolled, and the world tilted upside down.

A chorus of panicked shouts broke the air as they were thrown headlong into the sea. The freezing waters of the South Pole closed around them, a brutal shock like knives sinking into their skin. Breath was stolen from their lungs in an instant. The dark water churned wildly, swallowing sound and sight as they thrashed. The overturned boat loomed above them, its shadow blotting out what little light remained, timbers groaning as it capsized fully.

The overturned boat bobbed beside them, useless, for a fleeting moment—an empty shell of what had carried them this far. Then with a long, hollow groan, its timbers surrendering under the weight of water, it began to sink. The sight was almost slow, almost mocking in its inevitability, as if the sea wanted to savor its victory. Inch by inch, the vessel slipped beneath the black water, vanishing until only a scatter of ripples and drifting shards of ice remained, fragments dissolving into the restless surface.

Nanuk floated between them, chest heaving, still dragging in ragged breaths. Then, impossibly, he let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-cough, the sound brittle in the frigid air. “Well… that could’ve been worse,” he managed weakly, his pride clinging on even as his body betrayed him.

Then Sialuk’s voice cut through it like a blade, sharp despite the tremor of her shivering. “I hate you.”

⇢End of Flashback⇠

“—It didn’t end well,” Elua finished out her sentence at last, the words leaving her mouth in a breath that seemed heavier than it should have been. “I’ll be fine right here,” she added quickly, too quickly, forcing her lips into the shape of a smile that never quite reached her eyes.

The others glanced at her uncertainly, frowns tugging at their brows, glancing first at her, then at each other, silently questioning, but Elua did not so much as twitch to explain. Not now. Not here.

The silence did not last long. Soon enough, the boat was pushing forward into the rocks ahead, the jagged teeth of stone rising out of the churning water like the open maw of some ancient beast, each peak slick with foam and spray, each gap closing in like a warning. Katara and Aang both went pale at the sight, their eyes wide, their throats tight, their hands instinctively gripping what they could. Fear curled in their stomachs, but even so they stayed at their stations, refusing to abandon their posts, clinging to the work in front of them.

“Aang, ease up on the jib!” Sokka’s voice cut through the rush of wind, sharp as a blade, commanding without hesitation.

“Katara, steady!” he barked again, louder, struggling to force his words above the crash of water and the shriek of wind as it whipped across the deck.

The spray stung his eyes, burned his throat, but still his grip only tightened, knuckling white with the strain. “Aang, less sail!” he ground out, teeth clenched, shoulders locked against the fight.

Katara bent forward, narrowing her focus, trying to give him the room he needed, her fingers curling hard around the side rail as she shifted her weight against the pitch of the boat. Aang groaned, his small arms trembling with the effort as he wrestled with the jib, the great sheet of canvas flapping wildly, snapping like a whip before he managed to seize it under control. With a final pull he hauled it down, his chest rising and falling in sharp bursts as he caught his breath, but he had managed it—barely.

“Aang!” Sokka’s voice came again, jagged with urgency, panic threading through it now. “Helm to Lee! Helm to Lee!”

“What does that even mean!?” Aang shouted back, voice cracking with confusion and fear as he scrambled to obey anyway, hands fumbling over the ropes. 

He yanked hard, clumsy but desperate, and the jib caught just in time. The sails shifted, and with a jolt Sokka swung the rudder, dragging them clear of the jagged stone at the last possible second. The hull scraped the air, the rock only a breath away.

Sokka exhaled, ragged, almost choking on his relief as he let out a laugh that was half hysteria, half victory. “Great job!” he called, the words tumbling out in a breathless shout, part laugh, part praise.

The relief, however, dissolved as quickly as it had come. Ahead of them, the water narrowed into a dead end, the ocean itself sealing them off. Jagged rock spires rose high, closing in, every gap sealed tight, every path blocked, no opening wide enough for even the slimmest chance of escape.

Katara’s heart lurched into her throat. She swung toward Sokka, fear raising her voice. “There’s no way through!” she cried, the words whipped apart by the spray, tugged thin by the shrieking wind.

“We can make it!” Sokka shouted back instantly, as if refusing to admit otherwise, his jaw locked, his eyes lit with determination that burned against the storm.

“Sokka, you’ve already proven yourself,” Bato’s voice rose, calm yet firm, as he pushed to his feet. “Maybe we should—”

But Sokka didn’t let him finish. “Aang, I’m gonna need air in those sails!” he roared, desperation sharpening his voice, urgency breaking into it. “Katara, bend as much water as you can between us and those rocks!” His tone cracked with strain, but still he forced the words through. The looming wall of stone grew closer with every heartbeat, every second stolen from them.

“Now!”

Aang and Katara moved together, without hesitation, bending with everything they had left to give. Aang’s hands swept up, pulling the air into the sails until they swelled and snapped taut with raw power, the canvas straining but holding. At the same time, Katara flung her arms outward, drawing the water itself up from beneath them, bending the sea to her will. The boat lifted on the sudden swell, the wave rising high as if the ocean itself had chosen to carry them.

The vessel surged forward, the water cradling its hull, bearing it up and over the jagged stone. For one suspended moment, they were airborne, poised between dread and miracle. The crash they braced for never came. Instead, they slid, smooth and impossible, down the far side of the swell. The rocks fell away behind them, the sea smoothing into calmer water, the danger left behind.

Once they were safely back on the shore, the group gathered together, damp clothes clinging to them, cheeks still flushed from the cold spray and the wild rush of the ocean. They stood in front of Bato, who now held in his hand a small, shallow bowl of traditional marking ink, the dark liquid catching faint glimmers of light. His expression was solemn yet warm, carrying the kind of reverence that made everyone instinctively straighten their posture. 

With steady hands, he dipped his fingers into the ink, preparing to bestow the symbols. “The spirits of the water bear witness to these marks,” Bato said, his voice carrying a deep pride, his smile soft but unwavering.

“For Sokka,” Bato began, turning first to him. His tone was full of recognition, as though he already knew the words he would speak. “The mark of the wise,” he said as he carefully painted Sokka’s forehead with a curved line and a dot beneath it. “The same mark your father earned,” Bato added with gravity, making the weight of legacy settle heavy on Sokka’s shoulders.

“For Katara,” Bato continued, his eyes gentle as he turned to her. “The mark of the brave,” he intoned. He drew a crescent moon shape across her forehead, the curve elegant, shining dark against her skin. “Your courage inspires us,” he said, and Katara’s lips parted in surprise at the words, her heart swelling with both pride and humility.

“For Elua,” Bato said at last, causing the girl’s head to snap up, her eyes widening in disbelief. She hadn’t been expecting to be included, and hadn't thought herself worthy of such a recognition. “The mark of the mind,” he said, his voice steady and kind. He painted her forehead with a delicate symbol that resembled a single water droplet and the ripple it created as it fell into a larger body of water. The meaning struck her deeply—intelligence, perception, the quiet power of thought—and she blinked hard, caught off guard by the honor.

“And for Aang,” Bato finished, turning last to the boy who had been watching in nervous silence. “The mark of the trusted,” he said with a faint smile as he painted Aang’s forehead with an upside-down curve. “You and your sister are now honorary members of the Water Tribe.”

But instead of smiling, Aang’s face fell. He frowned, his expression twisting as guilt pulled at his features. He stepped back, shaking his head. “I can’t,” he said, his voice small and heavy with shame.

Katara immediately stepped forward, trying to bridge the distance. She smiled at him, hopeful. “Of course you can!” she said warmly, her tone pleading as she tried to reassure him, to undo whatever weight had suddenly pressed him down.

“No,” Aang muttered, shaking his head harder now. He reached up and wiped the mark away with the heel of his hand, smearing the ink. “You can’t trust me.” His voice cracked as he looked down, unable to meet their eyes.

“Aang,” Elua said gently, her brow furrowing. She stepped closer, worry written all over her face. “What’s going on?” she asked, her voice carrying both confusion and concern.

Aang’s shoulders hunched as he drew a balled-up piece of parchment from his robes. His fingers shook as he held it out. “A messenger gave this to me,” he said quietly, guilt weighing down every word, “for Bato.” His voice trembled as he extended the paper toward Katara. “You have to understand,” he stammered as she reached for it and began to uncrumple it, “I was afraid you—”

“This is the map to our father!” Sokka’s voice cut through, sharp as a blade. He snatched the parchment and stared down at it, disbelief and anger flooding his features. His chest heaved as the truth hit him. “You had it this whole time?” His voice cracked, louder now, shaking with betrayal. “How could you?”

Elua froze, staring at Aang in open shock. Her chest tightened painfully as her mind reeled. She had known he was afraid of being left behind, had felt his fear in the way he clung to them—but this? To keep something so important from them? Her heart clenched. She would have never expected this from him.

“You can go to the North Pole on your own!” Sokka shouted furiously, rounding on Aang. His face burned with hurt, his voice loud enough to echo against the rocks. “I’m going to find dad!” he declared, spinning on his heel.

“Now, Sokka,” Bato began carefully, his tone even, trying to steady the storm rising between them. “I think you should—”

“Katara,” Sokka interrupted sharply, cutting him off, his eyes burning with both anger and desperation as he turned to his sister. “Are you with me?” he demanded, his voice hoarse.

Katara’s breath caught. She looked at Aang, her gaze conflicted, torn in two directions. Her lips pressed together as guilt and loyalty warred inside her chest. At last she exhaled shakily, lowering her eyes. “I’m with you, Sokka,” she said softly, her voice sad, breaking as she turned away.

“Sokka,” Elua finally spoke, her voice careful and quiet as she took a tentative step forward. “I understand that you’re upset,” she said softly, her tone gentle, meant to soothe, to bridge the distance. “But—”

“No!” Sokka’s shout tore through the air before she could finish, jagged and electric, like a bolt of lightning splitting the sky. “You don’t understand!” His voice cracked with raw frustration, grief, and anger, each word striking as if it carried the weight of every unanswered question, every lost moment he had ever known.

“You couldn’t possibly understand—you never even had a father!” The accusation hung in the air, sharp and unyielding, leaving a sting in its wake. “You don’t know what it’s like to say goodbye and not know if he’ll ever come home again.” His chest heaved, voice rising and breaking under the weight of memory and pain. “You don’t know what it’s like to wake up every day hoping he’ll come back… only to know that he might never get the chance!”

The world seemed to collapse inward, the sound of his words ringing like a thunderclap. For a heartbeat, there was only silence. Katara gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief. Aang froze in place, his small frame rigid, eyes blinking rapidly as though he needed to process what he had just heard.

Elua’s face went pale, as if the heat of life had been drained from her all at once. Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came, not a word, not even a whisper. Her breath caught in her throat, shallow and uneven. She simply stood there, eyes wide and burning, as the weight of his words sank in, pressing down on her chest like a stone. Every fiber of her being seemed to brace against the sting, but there was no armor against this sudden, unexpected wound.

Sokka’s chest heaved with ragged breaths, the intensity of his own anger immediately colliding with the sharp, bitter taste of regret. The cruelty of his words hit him mid-step, searing through his consciousness, echoing in his mind louder than any scream could. He could feel guilt rising, sharp and unrelenting, filling his throat and choking him with its presence. He had lashed out in anger, and now the echo of his own cruelty seemed unbearable.

But instead of stepping back, instead of reaching out to try to undo the harm he had inflicted, he turned on his heel, every movement heavy with emotion, every step away from her a refusal to look at the damage he had caused.

“Let’s go,” he muttered finally, his voice low, trembling just enough to betray the fracture beneath his anger. It was a command to himself as much as to anyone else, a declaration that he needed distance, needed motion, needed to escape.

Katara and Bato fell in step behind him, their expressions tight, glances cast backward at Elua full of concern and unease. The sound of their footsteps on the sand echoed faintly in the quiet aftermath of his outburst.

Elua remained frozen in place, her chest still tight, her hands trembling slightly at her sides. She watched them go, the distance between them widening with every step, her mind spinning, the hurt lodged deep and unyielding. Silence settled around her like a thick cloak, only broken by the sound of the waves lapping at the shore, indifferent to the pain unfolding on the sand…

Chapter Text

ELUA STOOD IN THE COURTYARD OF THE ABBEY, standing still and silent for a moment as she let the moment sink into her as she carefully, almost methodically, packed up a bag of food piece by piece. Her hands moved with a quiet steadiness while her thoughts turned inward and she readied herself slowly, not only with what she carried, but with the weight she felt within. The journey that stretched on ahead was one that loomed all the more solitary and desolate, now that it would be just her and Aang, the two of them alone together again.

She sighed as she looked up from her task, her hands falling still for a moment as her gaze shifted, spotting Sokka and Bato standing together near the gate of the abbey, their forms outlined against the stone and sky, packs settled firmly on their backs as they prepared for departure. 

She let her eyes drift further, and in doing so she caught Katara’s eye. For an instant, she tried to summon something warm, tried to offer her a reassuring smile, but the expression that reached her lips was touched with sadness by its very nature, and she failed to keep that sorrow from showing, and failed to hide it from the girl’s perceptive gaze.

Katara slowly broke away from where she stood and walked toward Elua, each step carrying a quiet hesitation, her brow furrowed with a frown that deepened the closer she came. “Sokka shouldn’t have said what he did,” she sighed at last, her voice gentle, carrying both regret and frustration, before she lowered her head slightly. “I’m sorry,” she added, offering the apology softly, speaking on her brother’s behalf as though she could undo the sting with her words.

“Don’t be,” Elua answered after a pause, lifting her eyes and offering her a smile that was sad but sincere, the corners of her mouth turning upward even as her expression betrayed the heaviness in her heart. “You weren’t the one who said it,” she reminded her honestly, her tone quiet, but steady. “Besides,” she went on after a breath, “Sokka had a point—Aang and I didn’t know our father… I don’t even know if we had the same one,” she admitted, the words falling from her lips with the weight of truth.

Katara’s face softened with sorrow as she looked at her, the sadness in her eyes clear and unguarded. “It doesn’t matter,” she said firmly, her voice carrying a strength that belied her youth, “He still shouldn’t have said it.”

“Thanks,” Elua said at last, her voice barely above a whisper, so soft it almost carried away with the air. “Be careful, okay?” she added, the words lingering in the quiet as she tried to shape them into a smile.

“Of course,” Katara answered with a small nod, returning the smile with one of her own, gentle and reassuring. “I’ll miss you,” she said softly, the admission carrying all the weight of what she felt but could not fully put into words.

Elua’s expression softened further as she smiled back at her, the honesty shining through even in the sadness. “I’ll miss you, too,” she admitted with equal quiet sincerity, letting the truth hang between them for a moment, before the space grew still again.

Elua spotted Ume chattering away at Sokka, the little lemur perched close as though oblivious to the heaviness of the moment, while Katara quietly returned to Bato’s side at the far edge of the entrance. Elua’s chest rose and fell with a long, quiet sigh, the sound touched with sadness, for she knew well that Ume, for all her energy and playfulness, could not understand what was happening—that she could not know the weight of what was unfolding, or that everyone was about to be separated.

“Ume!” Elua called softly but firmly, and at the sound of her name the lemur turned her head sharply, wide eyes fixing on Elua in alert curiosity. “Come on,” she urged, lifting her hand and motioning gently toward Appa with a small nod of her head.

But Ume only tilted her head, confused, her gaze flicking from Elua to Sokka and back again, her little body shifting as though torn between where to stay and where to go, clearly wondering what all of it meant, clearly sensing something she did not fully understand. For a moment she lingered there, indecisive and uncertain, before finally, with a reluctant flick of her tail and a faint, almost half-hearted leap, the lemur bounded over toward Elua, settling onto her shoulder as though conceding.

Together, they both stood silently as their eyes followed the Water Tribe siblings, watching as Sokka and Katara turned away with Bato, their figures retreating step by step, walking off slowly down the path before them until at last their shapes grew small, swallowed by distance, and disappeared into the shadow of the treeline beyond.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Aang groaned sadly as he let himself fall back onto Appa’s wide saddle, the sound low and heavy with self-pity. “I’m such an idiot, Elua,” he muttered, his voice muffled as he stared upward, sinking further into himself.

“You’re not an idiot,” Elua told him at once, her tone soft but steady as her hands worked with quiet precision, pulling firmly on the reins attached to Appa’s great horns to tighten them securely into place. “You made a mistake—it was just a lapse in your judgment,” she added gently, each word chosen with care, her voice low and even as though trying to smooth the guilt from him.

“But…” Aang trailed off, the word hanging in the air before he pushed himself upright again, sitting forward on the saddle with his shoulders slumped. “I made Sokka say all those terrible things to you,” he confessed at last, the guilt written plain across his young face as he turned and looked toward his sister, his eyes heavy with sadness.

Elua froze in her task and stopped, the reins slipping from her fingers as she turned slowly to face him, her expression calm, but firm. “You didn’t make him say anything, Aang,” she told him truthfully, her voice quiet, but laced with conviction. “He did that all on his own,” she added pointedly, her gaze steady as she held his, unwilling to let him take the blame for something that was not his burden to carry.

“Avatar!” A yell rang out sharply before anything more could be said, the word echoing across the courtyard in a rush of urgency. “You must leave!” The Mother Superior cried out, her voice strained with panic as she raced toward Appa, her robes whipping about her legs as she ran, her face pale and tight with fear.

“Okay, I get it,” Aang muttered, a flicker of annoyance breaking through his expression as he gripped the reins. “Everybody wants me gone,” he sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping as he began to ready Appa to take off, preparing himself for yet another escape.

But the Mother Superior shook her head frantically, waving her hands as she drew them closer. “A group of people came to the abbey looking for you and your sister,” she explained in hurried breaths, the words spilling out quickly, weighted with urgency.

Elua frowned at that, her lips pressing together as suspicion darkened her features. “Who?” she asked, her voice skeptical, sharp, and searching.

“A fierce-looking woman with a horrible monster,” the Superior replied, her voice trembling slightly as she struggled to put the image into words. “And a young man with a scar,” she finished, her tone grim with recognition of the danger.

Aang’s eyes went wide in an instant, the color draining from his face. “Zuko!” he shouted worriedly, his voice cracking under the pressure of fear.

“The beast,” Mother Superior began again, her voice urgent as she tried to explain further, “it was using the scent of a necklace to follow you.”

At those words, both Aang and Elua’s eyes widened at the same instant, shock flashing across their faces as their gazes snapped sharply to one another, the movement quick and instinctive, as though pulled by the same sudden force. Realization struck them like lightning, sharp and blinding, the weight of it crashing down in the space between them, and though neither spoke, the unspoken truth burned hot and undeniable in their expressions. That could mean only one thing.

“Katara!”

⇢⇢⇠⇠

Elua and Aang circled wide around the courtyard of the abbey, their gliders cutting clean arcs through the air, the fabric humming as it caught the wind. From above, their sharp eyes caught sight of a great shirshu prowling across the open space, its massive body carrying several figures on its back—among them, unmistakably, were Sokka, Katara, and, to their dismay, Zuko.

Without hesitation, the siblings tilted their gliders downward, wings slicing through the air as they quickly descended from the skies. The shirshu reacted at once, whipping its great tongue outward in an attempt to strike them from the air, but the two Air Nomads moved in perfect unison, swerving and weaving, their maneuvers precise enough to confuse the beast. Its head snapped too far back as it tried to follow them, balance faltering until it lost control, sending its riders tumbling from the saddle as the creature collapsed heavily to the ground with a resounding thud.

“Aang!” Katara’s relieved voice rang out, her face breaking into a smile as she spotted him.

Sokka mirrored her expression, grinning wide despite the chaos. “Elua!” he called out, joy plain in his voice.

From where she had fallen, a woman with long black hair rose sharply to her feet, her eyes narrowing as she drew out a coiled whip that cracked against the ground with a sharp, threatening snap. At the sound, the shirshu scrambled back onto its feet, shaking off its daze, before the woman vaulted smoothly onto the saddle once more, gripping the reins tightly.

With her guiding hand, the beast let out a guttural snarl and charged straight for Aang. Its roar split the courtyard as it leapt, its enormous bulk bearing down on him—only for a greater shadow to suddenly fall from above. With a thunderous bellow, Appa descended, slamming his massive head into the creature’s chest mid-leap. The impact sent the shirshu crashing backward, flying across the courtyard until it struck hard against one of the abbey buildings and crumpled unconscious to the ground. Appa landed with a heavy thud, planting himself protectively between the Air Nomads and their enemies, growling low, a fierce warning rumbling deep in his throat.

Even as the dust swirled, Elua spun on her heel, her breath sharp in her chest, and found herself face to face with Zuko. His face was twisted in fury, his golden eyes ablaze as he seethed. With a guttural cry, he unleashed a fireball directly at her.

Elua reacted in an instant, moving with fluid precision as she spun her staff, channeling the wind currents with practiced ease until the flames dissolved into harmless wisps of smoke and heat.

Then the battle began in earnest. The two benders circled one another in a tense, unrelenting dance—Zuko pressing forward with blast after blast of fire, each one thrown with the desperation of his rage, while Elua moved lightly on her feet, her motions calm but swift as she dodged and turned, dissipating each burst before it could harm her.

But the prince was relentless. With a sharp kick, Zuko struck Elua’s staff, sending it spinning from her hands and clattering away across the stones. For a heartbeat her breath caught, but she adapted instantly, her movements shifting as she relied only on her airbending, her defensive style holding firm even without her staff as she slipped away from his next strikes.

The battle reached its breaking point when, in a moment of collision, one blast of fire and one strike of air met head-on. The two forces slammed together, the clash sparking and twisting violently until it burst outward in a small explosion. The force of it sent shockwaves through the courtyard, and both combatants cried out as the blast threw them from their footing.

They went flying in opposite directions, carried high by the force until they landed hard, each one crashing down onto opposite rooftops of the abbey, the impact jolting through their bodies as they lay winded beneath the settling haze of smoke.

“Elua!” Aang cried out, his voice sharp with worry as he watched his sister strike the rooftop with a harsh, jarring impact.

Without hesitation, he airbent himself upward in a powerful surge, landing on the same roof where she had fallen, his feet barely touching before he was sprinting across the tiles. He rushed to her side as she groaned in pain from the crash, the sound tightening his chest. Dropping down onto his knees, he reached for her, his hands hovering uncertainly before trying to help her up, desperation plain on his young face.

But before he could do more, a blur of motion cut across the rooftop. Zuko came racing down the middle with fire burning in his hands, his eyes locked onto his targets. His boots struck hard against the tiles as he charged, fury propelling him forward.

Aang gasped, a startled yell tearing from his throat, but instinct took over. He moved quickly, bending the air to dodge the incoming blasts as he twisted away, turning from Elua at once. Without a second thought, he leapt ahead, racing down the roofline with Zuko in pursuit, deliberately drawing the prince away from where his sister still struggled, his focus narrowing entirely onto the fight at hand.

Elua groaned again as she slowly pushed herself up from where she had landed, her palms pressing to the roof as she lifted her head. She leaned heavily on her knees, her vision swimming for a moment, the world blurring in and out of clarity, until it finally steadied. Taking a deep breath, she raised her gaze and looked down into the courtyard below.

There, her eyes caught sight of Aang and Zuko locked in combat, their movements quick and fierce as they danced in dangerous circles along the rim of the well, fire and air clashing in bursts that lit the stone with heat and movement.

Her brows furrowed, determination cutting through the haze of pain. With effort, she forced herself upright, rising to her feet fully. Gathering her strength, she summoned the air beneath her, and in one swift motion, she bent herself off the roof and back down into the courtyard, her body landing firm upon the stone floor once more.

She watched with wide eyes as Aang suddenly dove headfirst into the well, his body vanishing into the dark water below in a swift, desperate plunge. Zuko shouted in fury, his voice cracking with frustration as he scrambled back to his feet, fire bursting to life in his palms. With a guttural roar, he hurled a searing wave of flame directly into the depths of the well.

But then the ground shuddered. A massive burst of water exploded upward, erupting from the well with a force that shattered the air, drenching everything around it. The torrent struck Zuko head-on, sending the scarred prince flailing as it carried him skyward before tossing him mercilessly back down again. Aang shot out of the water in the same instant, rising with the surge before twisting in midair and landing lightly just outside the well, his chest heaving as he steadied his breath. 

All around him, the water fell in sheets, cascading back down like heavy rainfall, droplets sparkling in the air. Zuko hit the stone courtyard with a hard, echoing thud, splattering against the ground. But he was not finished. Groaning, Zuko dragged himself up once more, his fury unquenched, his eyes blazing with determination as he advanced on the two Air Nomad siblings again, fire already sparking at his fists.

This time, Appa’s patience snapped. The bison bellowed, his deep growl rumbling through the courtyard as he lowered his head and charged forward, massive frame barreling toward the prince in a protective rush. But the shirshu was quicker. With a vicious snap, its long tongue lashed out, striking Appa squarely. Again and again it whipped, each strike sharp and brutal until Appa staggered, his limbs locking under the venom coursing through him. With a heavy, helpless groan, the sky bison collapsed onto the stone floor, his great body paralyzed and unmoving.

Aang and Elua both cringed at the sight, their faces tightening in fear as they found themselves forced back, hemmed in on every side—pressed between the looming wall behind them, the advancing shirshu and its rider on one flank, and Zuko’s relentless fire on the other. 

Flames crackled dangerously as the shirshu’s tongue lashed again, and the siblings moved desperately, dodging strike after strike, twisting to avoid the beast’s paralyzing venom even as they bent and ducked to evade Zuko’s fiery blasts.

Elua’s gaze darted upward, searching desperately for any escape—and then she spotted movement. Across the courtyard, Sokka and several of the abbey’s nuns were rolling heavy barrels of perfume, tipping them so their contents spilled in thick streams across the ground. Katara stood among them, her hands raised, bending the water within the potent substance. With a sharp thrust, she sent a wave of it surging forward, a shining, fragrant flood that slammed against the shirshu.

The effect was immediate. The high, overwhelming scent washed over the beast, turning its greatest strength into a crippling weakness. Dependent on smell, it staggered as the odor choked its senses, its head whipping violently from side to side as it shrieked in distress. It lashed its tongue wildly in every direction, panic fueling its strikes. One snap struck its own rider, sending her stiffly to the ground. Another flicked straight into Zuko, freezing his body mid-stride before he toppled forward, paralyzed alongside her.

The shirshu’s cries rose in pitch, thrashing uncontrollably as it tried to shake off the overpowering perfume. Still blinded and disoriented, it bolted, crashing through the courtyard in a frenzy before scrambling up over the abbey rooftops. With a final, panicked shriek, it fled into the woods, its heavy form vanishing into the shadows of the trees until the sound of its retreat faded into silence.

⇢⇢⇠⇠

“So…” Aang trailed off slowly, the single word stretching into the wind as they soared high through the sky, glancing uncertainly between Sokka and Katara, his wide eyes filled with both curiosity and a hint of lingering hesitation. “Where do we go now?” he asked at last, his voice small against the vastness of the evening.

Katara smiled at him warmly, the kind of smile that held comfort and strength all at once, and her voice was calm, certain, steady. “We’re getting you to the North Pole,” she said, as if there was no other choice that could ever be made.

“Yeah,” Sokka added quickly, his tone carrying its usual firmness, though there was weight beneath it. “We’ve lost too much time as it is.”

Aang’s gaze fell, and a frown tugged faintly at his lips, and he hesitated before speaking again, his voice softer now, uncertain and edged with guilt. “But… Don't you want to see your father?” The question lingered in the air, heavier than the wind rushing past.

“Of course we do, Aang,” Sokka answered after a beat, his words quieter than usual, his tone gentler, stripped of its usual sharpness. “But you and Elua—you’re our family too.” His gaze settled briefly on Elua’s figure, her back to the group as she sat silently at the front of Appa. Her hair caught the breeze, strands stirring and dancing like dark ribbons in the wind, but she gave no sign of turning. “And right now, you need us more.”

Katara reached across the space with quiet reassurance, her fingers brushing lightly against Aang’s arm, her smile, soft but unwavering, steadying him. “And we need you,” she added, her sincerity clear in every word.

Aang’s face lit at that, his earlier worry melting into a brightness that seemed to glow from within, but soon, his expression full of eagerness and playfulness. “I only wish I could give you a little piece of home, Katara,” he said, brows pulling together in a dramatic furrow, his features arranged into a mock-sorrowful expression. “Something to remind you—”

“I’ll be okay,” Katara interrupted gently, her smile steady, her eyes shining with quiet faith. The simplicity of her assurance seemed to silence the air between them for a heartbeat.

“Still…” Aang’s grin crept back, spreading wide across his face as he suddenly reached into the folds of his robes. His hands fumbled for only a moment before pulling free something small, something gleaming. “Maybe just a little trinket,” he teased, drawing out the moment. “Like… this?”

He lifted his hand with a flourish, and the object dangled from his fingers, swinging lightly in the fading light of sunset. Katara’s necklace.

Katara gasped, her entire expression breaking open into shock and wonder. Her eyes widened, sparkling as they locked on the familiar piece. “Aang! How did you—?” Her question caught in her throat, cut off by the sudden laughter that bubbled from her joy.

Aang puffed out his chest proudly, lifting his chin, his whole demeanor shining with pride. “Zuko wanted me to be sure it got back to you,” he said with mock solemnity, his voice carrying a playful weight, like he was delivering the most important message of all.

Katara rolled her eyes, her laughter still spilling as she leaned into the joke. “Aww, how sweet of Zuko,” she cooed, her tone dripping with exaggerated affection. “Be sure to give him a big kiss from me when you see him.”

“Sure thing!” Aang burst into laughter, his wide grin lighting up his whole face, joy rolling off him in waves that seemed to brighten even the fading evening sky.

Katara leaned over suddenly, her movement quick but deliberate, and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. The contact was fleeting, soft, and almost shy, but it carried enough warmth to stop Aang in his tracks. He froze completely, his entire body going rigid as a furious blush swept over his face, climbing fast from his neck to the tips of his ears.

His hands fumbled for something to do before settling on one another, thumbs twiddling nervously as if they might distract him from the storm of feeling building inside. His grin stretched wider and wider, so wide it seemed it might split his face in two, bright and uncontrollable.

The group around them fell into silence, the moment slipping into a hush that seemed to press down from every direction. Sokka couldn’t keep his eyes from drifting back, again and again, to Elua. She stood with her back to them all, refusing to turn, her posture fixed and steady as she kept her attention forward. She hadn’t spoken a single word since they left the abbey, not a glance, not even the smallest sound, and the weight of it pressed heavily on Sokka. 

He was certain—absolutely certain—that her silence was because of him. Deep down, he knew it was because of what he had said, the memory of his own words ringing in his ears like a mistake he couldn’t take back.

“Sokka,” Katara said at last, her voice cutting through the quiet in a harsh whisper, sharp and insistent. “Just go talk to her.” She gave a pointed look toward Elua, her chin jerking in the girl’s direction, and then lifted her hand to motion silently at the figure tending to the bison.

But Sokka only shook his head. His shoulders sagged, heavy with defeat, and his voice dropped low. “I’ll just make things worse,” he admitted, the words sighing out of him, full of sadness. 

His chin lowered slowly, almost heavily, until it found its way onto his hand, his elbow propped against his knee in a posture that looked as weary as it felt. He leaned into it, shoulders curving inward, his gaze dropping and fixing with tired resignation on the worn lines of the saddle beneath him. The leather seemed to blur as he stared, his thoughts circling, restless yet stuck.

He wanted nothing more than to speak—to break the silence, to find the words that would undo what he had said, to apologize and make it right. The longing pressed at him, tugging insistently, and yet every time he neared the edge of action, something inside pulled him back. Something he couldn’t name. Something that tightened his chest until it hurt, made his throat close, made the words he needed feel impossibly out of reach. His heart clenched, and the weight of it settled like a stone he couldn’t shift.

So… he said nothing. Instead, he let the sun keep sinking, inch by inch, the light fading and stretching long across the clouds. He sat there with the silence thick between them, heavy as the gathering dusk. And Elua remained at the front, her back to them all, her figure outlined against the last streaks of gold and crimson…