Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional. Except when noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits, all celebrities voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.

Author's note: UPDATE: Thank you for choosing this fic. This story has gone from my 8th grade year and well into almost five years later, which roughly equals about ten chapters a year (lots of writers block). So to those who will want to read all whichever-some chapters, I say thank you. Or for those who completely forgot what this story was about, or for those who are just a little too lazy to read it all, or even those who may think these 'new people' are Mary Sues (admittedly, they started out that way but years of working on this story has helped me to modify them) then I say to you "Got to chapter 49." I have painstakingly and probably incorrectly provided a summary of every chapter. So if something wasn't clear or you just have ADD (like me...) or you were hoping to at least see how I modified the characters to fix the Sue-ism then there it is for you. And with that said, I bid you adieu.

Also, I rewrote this, mostly because I read about three seconds of it and my eyes burned, so there you go.

Chapter one: What Started it All

'-'

"Okay, I'm hungry, tired, and I really need to use the bathroom right about now. How much longer are we going to be up here?" Sokka complained.

"There's no sight of land yet," Aang replied to him. But Sokka was right. He was tired, and it looked like Katara was too. Her eyes couldn't make up their mind whether to stay open or stay closed. But he couldn't see anything. No land, nothing. "Hey," he finally said after a few minutes, looking below him. "I think I see some kind of island." He was right. It was a rather large island, but either way, it was land. "Appa, yip-yip!" Appa immediately started to descend to the ground. It only took them a few minutes to touched land on the remote beach.

"Okay, we're on land, but where are we?" Sokka questioned. But no one was listening.

"Katara, wake up," Aang whispered. Katara opened her eyes slowly.

"Where are we?" she asked, throat a bit clouded.

"I'd like to know the same thing, but apparently, my questions don't matter," Sokka responded sarcastically.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you," Aang apologized. He took out the map and laid it on the sand. "Okay, we were here yesterday," pointing to an island near a larger continent of the Earth Kingdom, "and traveled south, so we must be on this island." He pointed to an island next to the continent.

"How did we miss that?" Sokka questioned.

"Well, no use just hanging out here," Aang settled. "Let's see who's on the island. Come on Appa." The trio made their way to the small village that resided up ahead, while Momo ran ahead to sniff at a sand crab. They had only gotten so far when a boulder was spontaneously thrown at them.

"Whoa!" they said at the same time. They ducked just in time, but another was thrown. They looked up to see their attackers.

"Who are you?" one man asked. Aang quickly recognized them as earthbenders. "Identify yourselves or we will attack!"

"We don't bring any harm!" Katara called. "We're just travelers!"

"We're just tired!" Sokka added. "Why would we attack you?"

"How are we to trust you?" another more official looking man asked. "We have just finished eradicating all the Fire Nation soldiers from our village and we're not about to let you ruin that in a few short seconds!"

"I'm sorry, let me explain," Aang said. "I'm the Avatar. We were just passing through and we stopped here… please, if you let us stay here just for the day, we promise that we won't do anything!" The guards looked at them suspiciously.

"You will be out by sundown?" the man asked. Aang's face twisted.

"Not so much," Aang frowned. "Would it be okay if we could stay for the night?" The man glared at the group.

"Would you swear on your life that you three are not Fire Nation?" the man frowned. The three exchanged a worried look but nodded vigorously. "And," the man added, "if you are found to be lying, we have the right to kill you on the spot, no questions?" Aang's eyes widened, but he nodded slowly.

"Very well," the man sighed, "hold your fire." The soldiers dropped their weapons. The man approached them, while Aang, Katara, and Sokka stood up, dusting the sand off of themselves.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

"Well, "Aang began. "This is Katara, this is Sokka, and I'm Aang." He looked them over, as if trying to see if they were lying.

"Very well. One day doesn't seem to be any harm. But then you leave first thing in the morning, no negotiations." He turned on his heel without another word.

'-'

"Why are we stopping?" Zuko yelled at the captain. "I don't think you realize how far behind the Avatar we are!"

"Sir, there was a gas leak in the hull of the ship, and we need to pull over," the captain sighed histrionically.

"No, there can't be a gas leak!" Zuko continued to shout, pacing angrily back and forth. Iroh entered the control center, tea in hand and flipping a random Pai Sho tile in his hand.

"Who wants to play a game with me?" Iroh asked cheerfully. "I've got a great feeling in my gut and I want to play."

"Uncle, why are we stopping?" Zuko said through his teeth, keeping himself from lashing out at any more people. "We're six thousand kilometers away from the Avatar and they said we're stopping!"

Iroh became pensive and replied to his nephew, "I think there was a gas leak in the hull of the ship."

"That can't be!" Zuko shouted angrily. "We can fix it at sea; we don't need to pull over!"

"Prince Zuko, do you expect the crew to sleep on a ship that's filling slowly with toxic gas?" Iroh questioned. "You have to think of the well-being of your men."

"I can care less about some stupid gas leak!" Zuko snarled, flames shooting from his fists. "The Avatar's so close, we can lose his trail!"

"If you think he's six thousand kilometers away then it won't matter when we leave," Iroh shrugged. "He's more than half a world away. So if we wait just one day, it should not matter." Zuko's face was marked with pure aggravation. For the whole crew to ignore him was heresy. It was his ship, his rules, but no one seemed to notice. He yelled in anger and stormed out of the room, but he did not turn any heads.

Iroh turned to the men at work and repeated, "So who wants to play?"

'-'

"I'm liking this hat," Sokka said smugly, checking out the straw hat he put on his head in a mirror. "How much is it?"

"Five silver pieces," the old man said to him. "And for an additional silver piece, I'll throw in the hunter's hat as well." Sokka fished through his pocket for any sign of changed but only managed to pull out a piece of lint and string. Sokka frowned.

"I think I have some nuts," Sokka said almost urgently. "How 'bout I trade you those?" The old man shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, taking the hat from Sokka, "five silver pieces or nothing." Sokka threw his arms in the air as a sigh of defeat and dragged his feet back to Aang and Katara who were scanning over the food items available.

"How are you guys able to afford any of this?" Sokka asked them. "Do we even have any money?"

"I have two copper pieces and some nuts," Aang frowned. "Katara?"

"I do have a silver piece I found on the floor," Katara replied, "but other than that, I have nothing."

"Do you folks need any help?" a voice asked from behind. The trio turned around to see a close to middle-age woman standing behind them holding a basket, her long raven hair braided neatly behind her. "If you need any money, I'd be happy to give you some or food if you would like."

"Oh, we can't accept that," Katara grinned sheepishly, but the woman shook her head.

"Nonsense," the woman smiled. "I would have to be a fool not to give help to children in need." Sokka was about to protest the 'children' remark, but Aang elbowed him to keep him quiet. "I have a child of my own I take care of and it pains me to see you guys in need of assistance. And I would have to be a fool not to help the Avatar."

"How'd you know?" Aang asked.

"Those markings haven't been seen in a while," the woman laughed. "You're an airbender, are you not?" The woman readjusted the basket in her arms and continued, "You know, I run a small market, restaurant at my home, perhaps you would like a place to stay?"

"We would appreciate it very much," Aang thanked.

"Oh, I haven't properly introduced myself," the woman said embarrassed. "My name is Touka. I live nearby. You guys can come with me if you would like." The three of them nodded and followed Touka down the street.

"So how old is your child?" Katara asked Touka after a minute or two of walking.

"Well, I wouldn't say it's my child exactly," Touka replied. "She's my niece. Her parents passed away, so I take care of her. She's about your age."

"Really?" Sokka replied, suddenly intrigued with what Touka had to say. "What's she like?"

"She's… unique," Touka responded reluctantly. "You'll see what I mean. She's hanging out with friends right now and I'm not sure when she'll be back." Their conversation lasted for just the right amount of time for they arrived at a small building that had the phrase "Farmer Market and Eatery" scrawled on a wooden sign. The woman withdrew a key and quickly unlocked it to allow them in. The place was small with only a few shelves and a small area with tables and chairs next to a counter.

"You have such a lovely store, Touka," Katara complimented. Touka smiled.

"Thank you, uh," Touka started, but realized she did not know any of their names.

"Oh, it's Katara," Katara smiled, "that's my brother Sokka, and this is Aang and Momo. We left Aang's sky bison just on the outside of town. He's too big to come here, anyways." Touka smiled and set the basket on the counter.

"I think there's a small barn up the hill somewhere. He can stay there if you'd like. Well, you've seen what's down here; why not see what's upstairs?" Touka suggested. "I'll make you guys something to eat. You look hungry." She walked up the stairs to the second floor, the group following closely. She led them upstairs and into a small living space with no more than two rooms. A kitchen quickly greeted them along with a small eating space and a sitting area. "It's not much, but it's the best we can do," Touka said, allowing the group to enter her humble home. "Now why don't I make you guys something to eat?"

'-'

"Why are we here, Uncle?" Zuko mumbled as they entered the small and shabby looking inn they entered.

"Prince Zuko, I thought we explained there was a gas leak?" Iroh responded with confusion. "Did you not understand?"

"I don't mean that!" Zuko yelled. "I mean, what are we doing here, specifically? Can't we get something nicer?"

"Not on Engoku," Iroh muttered. "Everything here, well, they don't have a government, so there's no money. And since there's no money, they have to use whatever they have. This is the best we could do." Zuko grunted and crossed his arms dramatically. "Excuse me, kind sir," Iroh said cheerfully to the clerk at the front counter. "I know it's getting late, but do you have any rooms available?" The man looked at him quizzically.

"I haven't had a customer all day, all week, even," he replied, slowly pulling out papers, "I don't even know why I came in today. Whatever, you guys are going to be the only ones in this godforsaken place."

"Oh, no, it's a gorgeous place!" Iroh lied. "It has such character!"

"I don't know what drugs you're taking," the man said candidly, "but this place is a dump. It always has been and it always will be. Now just sign here." Iroh signed the paper without hesitation but Zuko took the sheet from his uncle before he could hand it back.

"What is this?" Zuko barked at the clerk. The man rolled his eyes.

"It's a contract," he groaned as if it was not the first time. "It basically states that you have money to pay for your stay and if you're mugged, jumped, beaten, or killed during your stay at City Court Inn you cannot hold us responsible and in no way will you get any money back."

"That's ridiculous!" Zuko hollered, throwing the paper back at the man. "What kind of person makes people sign that kind of agreement?"

"Do you even realize where you are?" the man asked Zuko seriously. "Do you know how many times I've had soldiers come in here to stay that see other enemy soldiers so they attack? They attack each other and then what am I left with? A damaged lobby and angry soldiers demanding to know why I let their enemies stay here, and asking for their money back. To be honest, I really don't care anymore. I just want my money."

"That's a horrible thing to say!" Zuko scolded. "People are dying in your lobby and you don't care?"

"It's Engoku," the man said dully. "Most people here don't care anymore." He pulled out several metal keys and handed it to them. "Here are your room keys. You are to return them when you're done with your stay." Zuko snatched them rudely from the man's hand and stormed up the stairs.

"He's just stressed," Zuko faintly heard Iroh say to the clerk. "Do you know of any good restaurants near here by any chance?"

Zuko made it to the first landing where most of the rooms were. He grabbed one of the key at random and shoved it into a door, but of course it did not unlock. "Damn it to hell," Zuko gnarled, kicking the door aggressively. He yanked the key from the door and began trying it in each door, each one just as unsuccessful as the last. "Stupid keys don't even work," he growled only to see the key had a number on it, which only made him even more irritated. He went to the door with the corresponding number on it and attempted to unlock the door. Though the door was a little sticky it opened finally to introduce Zuko to a grey room with a chair but no beds. "I'm going to die in here," Zuko sighed, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. The room was almost pitch black, despite there being a glass door to a balcony. Zuko grabbed the nearest candle he could reach and lit it only to have several sparks fly from the wick. "I hate this place!" Zuko yelled only to hear the sound of tiny scuttling come from the corners. "Damn it!" he sighed when he saw several cockroach flies run from the corners. He could not take it. Not the darkness, not the dirty candle, not the bugs that infested his room, not the stale stench of death and dust. "How do people live in dumps like this?" He walked to the glass doors that were painted over poorly with a black coating to keep the light out and pulled them open only after applying much force. The balcony was small and overlooked the more individual villages that scattered the island, including several stores and homes. The fresh air was nice and his room needed to be aired out badly. Zuko grabbed the chair from his room and placed it on the balcony and just sat in it, too angry to do anything else.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh exclaimed when he opened the door to his nephew's room, not bothering to knock, "the crew is going out to a small restaurant across the street. Come with us, you'll have a great time."

"No thanks," Zuko replied. "I'm not hungry."

"Aren't you just enjoying your room?" Iroh asked with false cheer. "They are very unique and interesting, aren't they?"

"It's a hole," Zuko replied simply. "It doesn't deserve to be called an inn." Iroh sighed.

"If you want to eat, we will be across the street," Iroh said, deciding not to argue or attempt to persuade his nephew. He closed the door behind him, leaving Zuko alone to wallow in his self pity. Zuko propped his feet on the rail and leaned back in the chair, looking over the valley.

This sucks, Zuko thought. I shouldn't be in this place. I'm Fire Nation royalty! These people should be groveling at my feet! Zuko knew that was a lie, but he could not help but think it. There was nothing at all to do. He was so angry he did not want to walk, meditate, bend, or even begin to fall asleep just so that he was a few hours closer to leaving this place. Zuko flexed his hand and continued scanning the horizon. A flock of birds passed over, several rodents jumped from tree to tree, the most interesting thing he did see was a fight on a nearby road between two groups of people. He jumped to his feet, wondering if anyone was going to do anything about it, or if anyone even knew there was a fight, but people knew. In fact in less than a minute several pedestrians stopped to watch the group of people fight. It was only when the fight began to escalade and some started getting killed did people walk away, simply ignoring the small battle that was being unleashed on their own street corner. Zuko sighed and tore his gaze from the fight, deciding if no one was going to do anything, then neither would he. He sat back down in his chair again, watching the orange sky meet with the mountains.

These people are barbarians. Who would act so inhumanely?

'-'