Aang, Sokka, & Katara arrive answering a cry for help from a fellow Water tribe member arrive to discover everything is already taken care of.
Appa touched down on a soft patch of earth on the outskirts of the city. Sokka spat and coughed as he jumped towards the ground.
" What is it with the bugs? Why are things like this always happening to me? Does Aang have any bugs on him? Nooo… Just once could I not be the one getting punished? What did I do?"
" Wow Sokka, all that on one breath? You could turn that into a competitive sport. Katara responded to Sokka's dismay. Momo, always willing to be helpful landed on his shoulder and started eating the bugs with pure delight.
" Will you quit that! Will somebody please clean me off?" As Sokka swatted ineptly towards Momo, Katara untied a string from a small pouch of water that she had taken to carrying with her everywhere. However, before she could water bend Appa obliged Sokka with a large rasping tongue bath.
" Oh well, Isn't that just great! This had better be a big problem." Aang put a hand over his mouth to stop from laughing. When he had recollected himself he pointed towards the scorch marks clearly visible on many of the buildings.
" I'm sure it is."
The village was set onto a small island which would offer an ideal defensive post to any water benders. There was signs of water ruins along the roadside as the headed towards the village square. It looked like it had been occupied by many groups though, mixed among the water relics were earth and fire symbols.
The houses were stone built, with thatched tops, it was unusual to see in this area, but the reeds growing by the river made an excellent source of raw materials. It was obvious that none of the townsfolk were benders, as many were busied with the task of repair work.
Someone approached the trio with less urgency that Aang would have expected after the message. He seemed more puzzled than anxious, and closed on them in an arc so as to have more time to evaluate their presence. He was a strong man, built for combat. Katara loved watching the way Sokka would pull himself up to full height when competing with other tribes. He did not disappoint her, his chest inflated like and overly plump sparrow, it was possible that he could burst. The village showed no such competitiveness, he was merely intrigued.
His hair was a dark brown, and his clothes were trimmed with fur rather than lace. It would be cold on the evening. He was at least six foot tall and almost half that at the shoulders.
" I am Da-Xia, You have come to help with the restoration work?"
" We came because we heard a distress call from the Water Tribe." Aang smiled helpfully.
" So what can we do? Where's the bad guys?" Sokka brandished his boomerang, it gleamed in the sunlight and the rays ran from one tip towards the next.
" There are no more bad guys." Da-Xia clapped his bear like hands in a gesture that said that the matter was concluded. Since the trio didn't move he felt more explanation was needed.
" The Avatar was here, the fire nation left hours ago."
" That's impossible!" Sokka screamed, Da-Xia was clearly unimpressed.
" I'm the Avatar, Avatar Aang." Aang bowed, with all the majesty of a prince.
" Avatar Aang hasn't been seen in a hundred years. The new Avatar is here." Da-Xia laughed heartily enough that the reconstruction work came to a halt.
" Can we see him?" Katara, who had kept quiet till then, felt it better that male egos be suppressed for the rest of the conversation.
" Sadly he left when the problems were resolved, he has other battles to fight."
" Where did he say he was going? Apaa will catch him in no time." Aang not wishing to lose any ground whistled for Appa to arrive. The giant Flying Bison lazily zigzagged up the street.
" West, but no, not as such. A Flying Bison. So there are still Air Benders left? I thought you were all dead." Da-Xia had lost his interest in the group and was stroking Appa's flanks as though they were made out of finest silks.
" Not an Air Bender, I'm the Avatar!" Aang shot up onto Appa's saddle while the other two had to climb. " I've been frozen for one hundred years, but I'm back now. There are no more Air benders."
" He flew. And without the aid of any device or beast like you do. We saw him Earth bend also. Everyone knows that only an Avatar can learn more than one discipline."
Katara appeared to lose what she was going to say and settled instead for, " You saw all that?"
" Me and the rest of the Village. Then he set fire to their ships, it was very impressive… Well, good luck with your travels, Avatar Aang." Da-Xia chuckled as he walked away.
" Yip yip!"
With that Appa launched gracefully into the air, heading westward with a new mystery on their hands.