Author's Note: Okay, this is my first ever Avatar story, so please be kind... And as in all of my stories, reviews are my life support, so keep 'em coming! Oh, and just a heads up... I started the plot for this before I watched the episode at the North Pole, and my t.v. station is way behind everyone else's, so... things will be a bit different. This is sorta in my own separate little world I guess...

Disclaimer: Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, etc., belong to the geniuses at Nickelodeon. And uh... Almika belongs to me ...go me.

P.S. I also apologize in advance for any spelling mistakes I make with their names...

Chapter One: The Beginning

"I have just heard news from the fire temple... Avatar Roku is very ill." The monk said shakily, wringing his hands. "They believe he will die within the week unless his condition improves soon."

Gyatso didn't respond.

"The reincarnation... the next in the Avatar cycle would be an airbender." The monk continued.

Again, Gyatso did not respond.

"Gyatso, Calira's child... when did you say it would be due?"

Gyatso turned to face his fellow monk.

"Within the week."

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"Aang, it's getting late... shouldn't we land and set up camp?" Katara asked, pulling her fur-lined hood closer around her face to keep out the icy north wind.

"But Katara, we're so close!" Aang replied excitedly, "Don't you want to find a water bending master?"

"The North Pole is still at least two days away. We're not going to lose our chance at finding a water bending master if we stop for the night." Katara laughed. Her blue eyes scanned the great expanse of rippling ocean until she spotted a suitably sized island, it's crisp white snow gleaming in the moonlight. "There's a place where we can stop!" She shouted, pointing a gloved finger in the direction of the island.

"Aw, alright..." Aang answered grudgingly. "Appa, yip yip!" He commanded, flicking the reins. The bison responded promptly, following the gentle tug of the reins to make a fairly smooth landing on the island.

"Finally!" Sokka exclaimed, scrambling down from the animal and onto the snowy ground. "I've got to go find some firewood to defrost these blubber strips!" He said as he pulled said blubber strips out of his pack and looked at them hungrily.

"I'll set up camp." Katara said as she climbed down from Appa. "What about you Aang?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah... me too." He answered distantly as he jumped off the bison's head and into the snow.

Katara looked at him questioningly. "Is something on your mind?"

"Well, sort of... I'm just really excited about meeting the water bending master, that's all." Aang replied slowly.

"Oh come on, Aang. You've been even more excited than Katara ever since we started seeing glaciers again, and she's the water bender." Sokka interceded, piling his stack of twigs in preparation for a campfire.

"Well... I wanted it to be a surprise for when we got there..."

"You wanted what to be a surprise?" Katara asked, her curiosity piqued.

Aang grinned. "I know a water bending master that will teach us."

"How in the world would you know a water bending master?" Sokka asked absently, attempting to light the fire.

"She's not just a water bending master... she's my sister."

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"You have a sister?" Sokka exclaimed.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Katara asked, equally surprised.

"It was supposed to be a surprise. I wanted you to meet her for yourselves." Aang said, grinning.

"But Aang, it's been a hundred years..." Katara said slowly, not wanting to hurt his feelings, "...she might not even be alive."

"No, she's alive, I can feel it." Aang replied excitedly. "That's why I've been so excited, the closer we get to the North Pole, the stronger I feel her spirit."

"Wait, wait, wait, this is crazy! How old was your sister before you were frozen?" Sokka interrupted quickly.

"Sixteen." Aang replied promptly.

"Okay, so we've got a one hundred and sixteen year old sister who you think is alive because you can 'feel' her?" Sokka spluttered. "And what would an air bender be doing at the North Pole anyway?"

Aang looked down uncomfortably.

"Wait, you said she was a water bending master... how is that possible?" Katara asked.

Aang looked up, his eyes shining in recollection of a memory. "There's no real name for it... it's only happened two other times in history. Sometimes, if the Avatar is near death and then is revived, half of the Avatar spirit is reincarnated."

"Right. Hundred and sixteen year old sisters, half reincarnated Avatars... I'm going to sleep." Sokka said, forgetting his fire and instead rolling out his hide sleeping bag.

"We should all get some sleep." Katara agreed, rolling out her own sleeping bag.

Aang nodded and leaped onto Appa's back. He lay down and folded his arms under his head, looking up at the stars.

"Maybe she's looking at the stars too." Aang whispered to Appa, and Momo who had scampered beside him. Aang sighed, then turned on his side to sleep.

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"We're approaching the North Pole Prince Zuko, we're two days away at most... you should be happy." Iroh said, regarding his nephew with one bushy eyebrow lifted questioningly.

"I won't be happy until the Avatar is captured and on my ship." Zuko answered sourly. "He escaped from me once... it won't happen again."

Iroh nodded solemnly and stood up from his stool. He walked to the door, then paused, turning to face Zuko.

"You've aged beyond your years, Zuko."

Zuko's gaze didn't shift. "Thank you uncle."

"No Zuko," Iroh said, walking out the door, "It is not a good thing."

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"Wake up you guys! Come on!" Aang said loudly, shaking his friends awake.

"Aang," Katara groaned groggily, "it's barely light out."

"We want to get an early start! The sooner we leave the sooner we get to the North Pole." Aang answered excitedly, jumping up onto the head of his flying bison.

Katara grudgingly rolled out of her sleeping bag and folded it, savagely shook her brother out of his attempt to fall back asleep, and climbed onto Appa's back.

"Come on, slowpoke!" She yelled down to Sokka.

Sokka wriggled out of his sleeping bag and stuck out his tongue at his sister.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He grumbled, taking his sleeping bag under one arm and trudging over to the great beast that was their transportation. He climbed up onto the animal's back and let himself flop down over the side of the small platform that was strapped to Appa's back.

"Alright, go. I'll just sleep right here." Sokka said, yawning.

Aang needed no further prodding. "Appa, yip yip!" He shouted.

The creature immediately leapt into the air, ascending rapidly until they were flying just below the clouds. Aang relaxed his hold on the reins and turned around to face the platform.

Katara noticed his gaze. "What are you looking at?"

"I think you'll like her." He answered simply.

"Like who?" Katara asked.

"My sister, I think you'll like her." Aang smiled, "I think she'll like you too."

"Aang," Katara said softly, "you don't even know if your sister is still alive. I don't want you to get your hopes up."

"But Katara, I told you." Aang answered, unfazed by her remark. "I can feel her, I just know she's alive."

Katara attempted a smile. "Well, then I'll be looking forward to meeting her."

Sokka groaned. "Are you guys talking about Aang's sister again? The half Avatar or whatever?"

"Half of the Avatar's spirit reincarnated, and yes, we are." Katara answered quickly.

Sokka folded his arms over his chest. "There's no such thing. If she ever moved water it must have been either fluke, or magician's work."

"You said the Avatar wasn't real either." Katara responded, knowing she'd won the argument.

"This is different! We'll never know anyways, it's not like she's going to just pop back to life and show us."

Katara shot her brother a warning look. "Just a second Aang, I need to talk to Sokka." She said, as she went over to sit beside Sokka.

"Why are you humoring him? You know she couldn't still be alive after all these years." Sokka whispered.

"Sokka, this is the last piece of his old life he has left to hold on to. We have to hope..." Katara looked over her shoulder at Aang playing jovially with Momo. "...for Aang's sake."

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...And so ends chapter one. If you like the story or have some advice for me, please leave me a review!