Book 1: Water
Chapter 1
The Boy In The Iceberg And The Gold Eyed Woman
"A 1,000 years ago, a land far away from the four lands of the elements, was in peril by monsters and a person freed the land from them. But the truth was never revealed and the people forgot what really happened in the past and the the four lands outside never heard of what happened.
900 years later. The four lands, the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation and the Air Nomads lived in harmony until the Fire Nation attacked the other lands in hope for power. The Avatar, the master of all four elements, could stop them but when the world needed him the most, he disappeared.
For hundred years, the people waited for the Avatar to be reborn in the Air Nomads, but started to lose hope that the Avatar would never be reborn and the belief started to turn into lost hope of the war would go to the Fire Nation. Just a few still has hope and believed that the Avatar somehow escaped and will come back to save the world."
In the icy waters surrounded by icebergs, a canoe was following the water stream. Two people was sitting in the canoe, one boy and one girl. Both had brown hair and blue eyes, wearing blue hooded fur jackets. The boy was holding a spear in his hands, that's raised in the air.
"It's not getting away from me this time. Watch and learn, Katara." The boy said to the girl, Katara, who is sitting behind him in the back of the canoe. "This is how you catch a fish."
She leans over the edge to see a fish swimming next to the edge. Hesitantly, Katara removes her left glove. She takes a deep breath and with a look of concentration begins to do a motion with her exposed hand. Suddenly, a globe of water containing the fish bursts out of the water.
"Sokka, look!" Katara exclaimed.
"Shh. Katara, you're gonna scare it away." The boy, Sokka whispered back. He licked his mouth in delight. "Mmmm? I can already smell it cookin'!"
"But Sokka!" Katara said, trying to retrain control of the water globe with the fish. "I caught one!"
She struggles with the blob of water and moves it closer to Sokka, who raises his spear higher to strike a fish in the water. When he raised it high enough for the end of the spear burst the bubble, the fish falls back to the water and Sokka got drenched in it.
"Hey!" Katara exclaimed.
"Ugh! Why is it that every time you play with magic water, I get soaked?" Sokka asked irritated.
"It's not magic. It's waterbending, and it's-" Katara was cut off.
"Yeah, yeah, an ancient art unique to our culture, blah blah blah. Look, I'm just saying that if I had weird powers, I'd keep my weirdness to myself."
"You're calling me weird? I'm not the one who makes muscles at myself every time I see my reflection in the water." Sokka made the exact thing in the reflection. Katara noticed something on one of the iceberg nearby. "Sokka, can you stop for a second? I need to check on something."
"To check on what?" When Sokka turned back, Katara was already jumping from an iceberg to another. He sighed and peddled after her, arriving at something strange.
A big double door was engraved in the ice, only one of the doors was visible with a half of a strange symbol engraved. Katara looking back and forth from a small text next to the visible door, running her gloved hand over the text. Sokka had his mouth opened as he got up from the canoe, after secures there only way for them to go back, gawking over the sight.
"Katara, what is all this?" Sokka asked her, looking at the door.
"I found this a few months ago, I think it have some connection to the Avatar. Just a few weeks ago, this half appeared in a light and this riddle became clearer." Katara explained. "I've been trying to solve it for days. 'When two lights of two chosens comes and free the lands, the doors of great power will open and a new friend will come to aid. Show her the path to trust and companionship, taking the dark heart away and lead her to the light of day'. I don't know what it means, but I bet is about the Avatar."
"Do you know what the 'second light' is? The one that made the door show a bit." Katara shook her head.
"Let's go, I just wanted to see if something else appeared. But promise that you will not tell anyone in the village about this." The two got back into the canoe to continue there fishing.
But as they follows the stream, but suddenly the boat is bumped into something, they look up to see they have entered an ice packed area. They begin to work frantically to maneuver the canoe between the icebergs.
"Ahh!" Both said as Sokka tries to avoid the icebergs.
"Watch out! Go left! Go left!" Katara exclaimed.
Icebergs are colliding all around them. Each time they manage to avoid getting crushed between the colliding icebergs, but their safety margins decreases rapidly each time. Finally the canoe is crushed when three icebergs collide at once. Sokka and Katara jump out in time onto one of the icebergs. They are now at the mercy of the currents.
"You call that left?" Katara said a little irritated.
"You don't like my steering." Sokka said back. "Well, maybe you should have waterbended us out of the ice." Behind them was a huge towering iceberg rears up into the sky.
"So it's my fault?" Katara said becoming more angry by the minute.
"I knew I should have left you home. Leave it to a girl to screw things up" Katara's anger begins boiling over. She points at her brother.
"You are the most sexist, immature, nut brained!" As she gets more angry, the iceberg which they are sitting begins to heave and the huge iceberg behind her begins to crack. "Ugh, I'm embarrassed to be related to you! Ever since Mom died I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier!" Sokka notices the cracking iceberg.
"Uh? Katara?"
"I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you, NOT PLEASANT!" Waves came as she waved her arms.
"Katara! Settle down!"
"No, that's it. I'm done helping you. From now on, you're on your own!" By the end she is screaming. As she finishes, the iceberg behind her splits open entirely. It disintegrates and the major pieces fall into the water, pushing their iceberg away. They hold on desperately until the iceberg settles.
"Okay, you've gone from weird to freakish, Katara." Sokka said.
"You mean I did that?" Katara asked confused.
"Yup. Congratulations." Sokka said sarcastic.
They both are leaning over the edge of the iceberg raft. Suddenly, the water just in front of them begins to glow an incandescent blue. They move backwards on their raft as another, lighter colored iceberg breaks the surface. It is unclear whether this is part of the one Katara broke up or not. As the new iceberg settles, Katara walks to edge of their iceberg raft to get a better look. Deep in the ice, the figure of a boy in a meditation pose is seen. He has white arrows on his fists and on his bald head. Suddenly, his eyes glow and his arrow markings glow white.
"He's alive! We have to help." Katara exclaimed and grabs Sokka's hockey stick type spear from his back, pulls down her hood and turns to go to the boy.
"Katara! Get back here! We don't know what that thing is!" Sokka shouted.
Katara ignores him and skips across a few little icebergs to arrive at the one in which the boy is trapped. Sokka follows. She begins to use the hockey stick to whack the ice. After a few big whacks, she cracks open the ice. It looks like air is released, as if the iceberg had a hollow chamber within it, but it is not entirely clear. The iceberg then cracks from top to bottom and explodes open. A huge shaft of white blue light shoots straight into the heavens. From somewhere nearby where the shaft of light and the aurora australis is clearly seen in the background. Unknown to them, the ice door begins to light up and revealed the other half of the symbol.
The foreground is occupied by a herd of tiger seals, who rears themselves up and roar at the to a view of an iron hulled battleship with a spiked prow cutting through the sea also nearby. It is apparently steam powered as it has a single smokestack. The foredeck is much longer than the afterdeck. The bridge appears to be several decks above the main deck. A young man on the foredeck dressed in red, also shaven-headed except for a pony-tail, staring intently at the shaft of light in front of the ship. His face, still illuminated by the shaft of light. The left side of his face is badly scarred around his left eye. This is Prince Zuko. The light from the light shaft dissipates.
"Finally." He said and turned around to talk to someone. "Uncle, do you realize what this means?" An old man was seating cross legged at a low table, drinking tea and playing a game involving domino like objects.
"I won't get to finish my game?" The old man said.
"It means my search - it's about to come to an end." Zuko said, turning back to the ocean. Iroh groans. "That light came from an incredibly powerful source. It has to be him!"
"Or it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko." Iroh explained. "I don't want you to get too excited over nothing. Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?"
"I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar. Helmsman, head a course for the light!" Zuko said, exploding in anger.
The exploded iceberg, which Sokka still shielding his sister from the blast that just dissipated. They look up to see residual blue light still swirling around the top of what is left of the iceberg. Suddenly, the boy appears, his eyes and arrow markings still aglow.
"Stop!" Sokka said and raised his spear at the boy.
The boy stands up as the glow and residual energy fades. He seems to pass out and slides down the side of the ruined iceberg to Sokka and Katara, who lunges forward and catches him as he falls. Sokka pokes the boy in the head with the blunt end of his weapon.
"Stop it!" Katara said.
She gives Sokka the heisman and turns to the boy. She gently turns him over so that he is lying on his back. He begins to wake up. He slowly opens his eyes. A breeze gently blows her braids and he takes a breath.
"I need to ask you something." He whispered in a weak voice.
"What?" Katara asked.
"Please, come closer."
"What is it?"
"Will you go penguin sledding with me?" The boy asked excited.
"Uh... sure. I guess." Katara said unsure. The boy airbends himself to his feet as he starts to rub the back of his head.
"Ahh!" Sokka exclaimed.
"What's going on here?" The boy asked.
"You tell us! How'd you get in the ice?" Sokka said, poking the boy with his spear. "And why aren't you frozen?"
"I'm not sure." The boy said and batting the spear away, absently.
The boy gasps as a low, animal like noise is heard from behind him and begins to frantically climb back up the ruined iceberg. He jumps over the lip of what is in fact now a crater and lands on a huge furry animal.
"Appa! Are you all right?" The boy said. "Wake up, buddy."
He hugs Appa. Appa occupies most of the crater left by the explosion. He is a huge flying bison with six legs and horns like a steer. He gets up and shakes himself off a bit.
"What is that thing?" Sokka asked.
"This is Appa, my flying bison." The boy introduced the giant animal.
"Right. And this is Katara, my flying sister." Sokka said not convinced.
Aang is about to reply, but doesn't as Appa begins to sneeze. Aang ducks in time as Appa proceeds to sneeze all over Sokka.
"Ewww! Aahh!" Sokka exclaimed, trying to get it of in the snow.
"Don't worry. It'll wash out." The boy explained. Sokka still had some in his face and touched it, taking away his hand in disgust. "So, do you guys live around here?"
"Don't answer that! Did you see that crazy bolt of light? He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy." Sokka said suspicious.
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure he's a spy for the Fire Navy." Katara said sarcastic. "You can tell by that evil look in his eye." The boy made an innocent face. "The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka. You never told us your name."
"I'm A... aaaahhhh... ahhhhhh... aaah aaah aaah AAAAAAACHOOOO!" As the boy sneezes he zooms of the ground far into the air. He responds to her question after he lands to the whistling sound of a bomb dropping. "I'm Aang." He sniffles and rubs his nose.
"You just sneezed... and flew ten feet in the air." Sokka said incredulous.
"Really? It felt higher that that." Aang said and Katara gasped.
"You're an airbender!" Katara said.
"Sure am." Aang answered.
"Giant light beams... Flying bison... Airbenders... I think I've got Midnight Sun Madness. I'm going home to where stuff makes sense." Sokka said like he was crazy, he turned around before he remembered that there canoe was destroyed.
"Well, if you guys are stuck, Appa and I can give you a lift." Aang suggested and airbends himself onto Appa's head, then to the top of his back where rests an enormous saddle. Reigns are attached to both of Appa's great horns.
"We'd love a ride! Thanks!" Katara thanked and gets on Appa.
"Oh, no... I am not getting on that fluffy snot monster." Sokka said.
"Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home?" Katara half joked. "You know... before you freeze to death?" Sokka starts to say something and gives up before he does. He sighs. Katara and Sokka sat in the back part of the saddle. Katara looks excited. Sokka looks grumpy, arms folded across his chest.
"Okay. First time flyers, hold on tight! Appa, yip yip!" Aang said and shakes the reigns and Appa makes a low rumble. He flaps his huge beaver tail and then launches into the air. He spreads his legs wide, but then comes right back down into the water with a huge splash. He begins to swim them forward. "Come on, Appa. Yip yip." Aang shakes the reign again.
"Wow. That was truly amazing." Sokka said unconvinced.
"Appa's just tired. A little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky. You'll see." Aang said and made a 'soaring through the sky' motion with his hand, his eyes finally resting on Katara. He leaves them there, a smile on his face as he looks at her.
"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Katara asked confused.
"Oh... I was smiling?" Aang said confused as Sokka looked at them in disgust. But then he noticed something .
"Hey, Katara. Didn't that ice door you showed me only had one door?" Sokka asked.
"Yeah, why?" Katara answered.
"Because now there's two doors instead of one." Sokka said and pointed at the door or doors you should say.
"What?" Katara said confused. She looked where her brother pointed and gasped.
"Go there, Appa." Aang said and turned Appa to the doors.
As they arrive, Aang, Katara and Sokka stands in front of it, unsure of going inside.
"Should we go in?" Sokka asked, a little nervous.
"Yeah, maybe something exciting is inside." Aang said excited.
"The riddle did say that a friend was on the other side as well great power." Katara said unsure as Aang puts his hands on the doors, ready to open them.
"What are we waiting for, let's go!" Aang said and pushed the doors opened. The siblings nodded and followed Aang in.
Inside was a long corridor made out of ice that lights up the whole chamber. Four big statues was in the walls, two on each side. Two of them were girls and the other two were boys. One of the boys had a sword on his back and the other was wearing a long trenchcoat. The girls, however, was very different. One of them was wearing an elegant but easy to fight short dress and the other was dressed like a witch. There faces was hard to see as well was the text on the pedestals underneath.
"Look at these statues!" Katara exclaimed looking at the guy in the trenchcoat. "They're amazing!" Sokka walked to her side. Aang, however, was being dragged to go further inside. He didn't go far until Sokka noticed he was not with them.
"Where's Aang?" Sokka asked and they turned to see the airbender walking to the room deeper in the corridor.
"Aang, wait up!" Katara called out and they both ran to catch up, but an ice wall suddenly appeared and blocked the way to the chamber. "Aang!" When she called out to Aang, he got out of his trance and turned around to see the ice wall.
"Guys, are you okay?!" Aang asked.
"We're okay! You?!" Sokka called out.
"Fine! I'm going to try to find a way to get out." Aang said and walk further in with awe.
The chamber looked like a beautiful shrine of some sort, as a pair of small stairs lead up to a big cluster of crystals, there was a bigger crystal in the middle of it. Six pillars surrounded it in the middle of the room.
"Just what is this place?" Aang thought out loud.
"This is a shrine for one of my master's old friends..." A voice said, which made Aang jump in surprise. He turned around to see a man with blue spiky hair in a ponytail. His dark blue eyes was focused on the crystals.
"Who are you?" Aang asked, making the man shocked and turned to look at him.
"You can see?" The man asked and Aang nodded confused. "That means that you have some special connection with spirits or something. What's your name?"
"I'm Aang." The airbender answered as the blue haired man walked up to him. "You?"
"My name is Jolou." The man introduced himself.
"So, how come you're here, Jolou?"
"This shrine is my vessel." Aang gave him a confused look. "You see, I'm what's called a seraphim. You could say we're spririts unable to be seen by humans, we live together and long time ago they could see us. Like benders, we can control one of the elements while some control something else. Aang, you're just one of the very few who can see us. But there also dark energy created by humans called malevolence that can turn both seraphim and humans into monsters called Hellions, which there monster form can only be seen by those who can see us."
"So you're the one making the ice wall, because you're an water seraph!"
"Yes, also why I did it was because I didn't know how you got in here." Jolou took a glance on the crystals, noticing a small crack in the big crystal. "But I understand now, the two lights have shown themselves to the world and now the time is up. The seal is now broken and now she'll return after so many years." They both turned to the ice wall.
"Who is she?" Jolou said nothing, he reached out his hand and the wall started to disappear.
"You will meet her soon, so take care of her..." Jolou said a word that Aang heard but didn't pay attention. Jolou disappeared as Katara and Sokka comes in, running to Aang's side.
"Glad that you're okay, but how did you make the wall disappear?" Katara asked as Sokka walks up to the crystals. Aang shrugged.
"I don't know." He said simply. Sokka was in front of the crystal and saw a person inside, a woman.
She had extremely long and black hair which drops to floor-level, towards the bottom her hair is plaited into big braids that are tied off by a bandage-like band. Her hair-strands curve towards the left-side of her face and she has mid-length hair which is plaited and tied by a smaller bandage-band resting on her left shoulder.
Her outfit consists of a revealing ruby-red corset which reveals her midriff. It is possible her clothes have been torn before getting inside the crystal. The red corset has an insignia visible below the belt which it hinders below, it was the same insignia that was on the doors. The same belt rests of her hip and above her torn, black jean trousers, which now look like shorts. The jean trouser has a chain, multiple belts wrapped around her right leg and a few which spiral towards the lower half of her left. Over her corset, is a black jacket in the form of a robe with red-velvet lacing, the jacket is ripped towards the bottom and is tightened towards her chest by the belt.
She also wears protective armor on her footwear as well as one extra armor plate on her right shin. She wears the same armor in the form of an arm protective gauntlet which rests above the same material as her coat, the material arches its way up to and wraps around her middle finger, highlighted by a rhombus-shaped piecing. Her left arm is wrapped and bandaged up by some unknown reason. Her eyes were closed like if she was asleep(info taken from talespedia, taking too long).
"Uh, you guys." Sokka says a little nervous. "There's a person inside these crystals." Sokka knocked the crystal with his finger, accidently making more cracks.
"Sokka!" Katara exclaimed as Sokka took a few stepps back in surprise.
"I'm sorry!" He said. When bigger cracks appeared and Sokka jumps scared down the stairs, in front of the others. "That wasn't me."
The crystal breaks, so they had to shield there eyes from the shards but hears footsteps. They all look up to see the woman walking slowly down the steps, her bangs covering her eyes with a shadow. Sokka stands up, ready to fight her but when she was in front of them, she falls to the side on the floor. Katara runs to her side together with Aang, Katara sits her up a little.
"She fainted by exhaustion." Katara said, taking a good look of her appearance. "I've never seen clothes like these before or even the armor."
"She must be from the Fire Nation." Sokka said suspicious.
"Sokka, why would a Fire Nation spy trap or even seal themselves inside those crystals here in the South Pole." Katara said, which Sokka trys to come up with something else but couldn't come up with anything. Aang was about to touch her when he sensed something from her, some kind of energy and move away his hand with a puzzled get familiar feeling. Katara noticed this. "What is it, Aang?"
"I don't know why, but…it's like there's something about her that's, familiar… but also something magical and powerful." Aang tried to explain. "It's hard to explain."
"Magical. Sure, magical." Sokka said sarcastic. "And I think this girl can glow in the dark too."
"Sokka, stop that." Katara said, giving him a glare before looking back at the woman before her with worry. "We need to take her back to the village."
"Are you insane?!" Sokka exclaimed.
"No, but if we don't get her there she could freeze to death or something worse." Katara said. "She might even panic because of the unfamiliar surroundings."'
Sokka trying to think of a good response, but he can't think of one, and looks at the unconscious woman, then back at Katara. Katara was looking at Sokka with a serious look on her face. Sokka sighed in defeat.
"Alright fine. But I'm gonna keep an eye on her, until we get there." He said in defeat.
"So you don't mind help carrying her?" Katara said and takes one of the woman's arms over her shoulders. Sokka took the other one and they begin to walk out of the shrine. Aang turned around to see Jolou standing near the crystals with a smile, Aang put a small smile himself before catching up with his new friends.
Outside, Aang helped the siblings to get the woman on Appa. Once all four of them was up, Katara puts on a blanket on the woman to keep her warm just in case. Appa once again swimming through to the direction to the village. On Prince Zuko's Fire Navy ship. Zuko, on the spotting deck off the bridge looking forward, is approached by Iroh. It is now night.
"I'm going to bed now." He said and yawned. "Yep. A man needs his rest. Prince Zuko, you need some sleep. Even if you're right and the Avatar is alive, you won't find him. Your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all tried and failed."
"Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture. Mine does." Zuko said. "This coward's hundred years in hiding are over."
Back to the group, Appa was still swimming as the others were relaxing. Aang was laying his back on top of Appa's head. Katara, who was in the saddle on Appa's back with her brother, crawls forward and looks down from the saddle at Aang.
"Hey." She said.
"Hey." Aang said. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"
"I guess I was wondering, you being an airbender and all, if you had any idea what happened to the Avatar." Katara asked. Aang looked disconcerted.
"Uhh... no. I didn't know him... I mean, I knew people that knew him, but I didn't. Sorry."
"Okay. Just curious."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah."
"Do you know about seraphim?"
"Yeah, my grandmother told me stories about them, there almost like spirit benders that we can't see. Why do you ask?"
"Because I meet one back at the shrine."
"What..."
"He was the one who made the ice wall because he didn't know how we got in. But he said that this woman was a friend to his master and asked me to take care of her."
"'When two lights of two chosens comes and free the lands, the doors of great power will open and a new friend will come to aid. Show her the path to trust and companionship, taking the dark heart away and lead her to the light of day'." Aang looked at her confused. "It was a riddle that was engraved next to the doors, I've been trying to solve it but now I get the last part. That woman..." Katara looks at her. "...she maybe have been through something rough and something made her change her heart. He probably want us to show her that the past is the past."
Sokka looked the woman, thinking what she might have been through. The only thing he got was what happened to him and Katara, losing a family member.
"We better get some rest guys." Katara says and gets back into the saddle.
"I'll keep an eye on her, just in case she does something Fire Nation like." Sokka said and pointed at the woman.
"Enough with the Fire Nation stuff, Sokka." Katara said.
"Hey, you will never know what a sleeping woman would do." Sokka said and his sister sighed annoyed.
"Good night." She said.
"Sleep tight." Aang said. Katara was looking at the woman still unconscious, she then begins look at her knowing that there's something about her that's…different. Appa continued to swim as the group sleept.
In the woman's dream, the sky was in the colors grays, cris and pale brown. Aang wakes up on Appa's saddle, then Aang begin struggling against Appa's reigns with heavy rain coming down. Then Aang screamed as he and Appa suddenly penetrate the surface and enter the watery depths. They come up briefly for air, Appa groans, but they are once again driven under the storm tossed waves. As they drift downward, Aang drops Appa's reigns and begins to lose consciousness. Suddenly, Aang's eyes and markings glow white. He puts his hands together and he freezes himself and Appa in a huge ball of ice.
Back in reality, the woman woke up. Her eyes slowly opens, revealing the gold color of her eyes, showing a small sign of exhaustion. It took a few seconds until the blurriness disappeared making her see clearly. She saw Katara sit next to her, who gasped.
"You're awake!" Katara exclaimed as the woman slowly sits up. The woman grabs her head in pain as an terrible headache came.
"What happened?" She said in a low but emotionless voice. "Who are you and where am I?"
"You're in my village, the Southern Water Tribe." Katara explained. "And my name is Katara."
"The Southern Water Tribe, huh?" The woman said.
"Can you tell me your name?" Katara asked.
"Velvet Crowe..."
"Nice to meet you! Are you alright? It looked like you were having a nightmare."
"Sort of, I think." Katara looked at Velvet with concern but remembered something.
"Do you remember what happened to you? Before you were sealed away." Velvet looked down in shock, her eyes on the bandaged arm.
"I was sealed away?" She said. Katara begins to be concern over that.
"So you don't remember?" Velvet shakes her head, careful to not make the headache worse. She noticed she was missing some of her clothes and glanced at Katara.
"What did you do with my clothes?"
"We had to take them off to make sure you didn't get ill or something. But I had to be careful so that my brother didn't come in here."
"Then it was for a good reason."
"Aren't you cold? We are after all in South Pole." Velvet shocked her head again.
"I had this weather and cold back home." Katara nodded in understanding.
"Come on, get ready. Everyone's waiting to meet you."
Velvet gets up and puts on her gauntlet, shoes, and jacket. Katara looks at Velvet's left bandaged arm the whole time. Once Velvet was done, Katara grabs her by the hand and drags her outside. As Katara pulls her out, Aang noticed that Velvet was up and quickly goes up to her with a smile on his face.
"Hey you're awake, good to know you're alright." Aang said. "I'm Aang."
"Velvet, and thanks." Velvet introduced herself.
"About what?" Aang questioned.
"For helping me." She said and looked away.
"She don't remember how she got inside those crystals, that's why." Katara explained to Aang. "Come on, you two got to meet the rest of the Tribe."
A small crowd has gathered to greet them. It is composed of women of various ages and children.
"Guys, this is the entire village. Entire village, meet Aang and Velvet." Katara introduced them. Aang bows to them in a friendly manner and Velvet didn't greet them as she was in thought, but the people pull back from her anyway.
"Uh... why are they all looking at me like that? Did Appa sneeze on me?" Aang questioned. An old woman goes forward as Aang inspects his clothes for bison snot.
"Well, no one has seen an airbender in a hundred years." The old woman said. "We thought they were extinct until my granddaughter and grandson found you."
"Extinct?" Aang resaid.
"Guys, this is my grandmother." Katara said, breaking Velvet's thoughts.
"Call me Gran Gran." Katara's grandmother said, she eyed Velvet's outfit. "I must say, you wear such odd clothing."
"I'm wearing this for a reason." Velvet explained and grabbed her left arm. Aang noticed red and black smoke coming out from under the bandages. Sokka took the chance to take Aang's staff.
"What is this, a weapon?" Sokka asked. "You can't stab anything with this."
"It's not for stabbing." Aang said and creates a jet of air that sucks the staff back into his hand. "It's for airbending." Aang opens the staff into a glider with red wings.
"Impressive." Velvet said.
"Magic trick! Do it again!" A little girl said.
"Not magic, airbending." Aang explains. "It lets me control the air currents around my glider and fly."
"You know, last time I checked, humans can't fly." Sokka proclaimed.
"I have to disagree, I've seen someone fly, kinda." Velvet said.
"Well, check again!" Aang said and launches himself into the air with his glider. He soars through the air, doing loops as the villagers on the ground point to him in wonder.
"Whoa..." The villagers said.
"He's flying..."
"It's amazing!"
Aang looks down at Katara who smiles at him. He is so enthralled with her attention that slams right into Sokka's guard tower. He pulls his head out of the tower and falls to the ground with his glider. Sokka gasped.
"My watchtower!" He exclaimed.
"That was amazing." Katara said. Aang looked up to see Velvet holding out her hand, he took it and Velvet helped him up on his feet. Aang twirls his glider shut as Sokka examines the damaged tower behind him. After Aang closes the glider a huge bank of snow buries Sokka.
"Great. You're an airbender, Katara's a waterbender, together you can just waste time all day long." Sokka said irritated.
"You're a waterbender!" Aang exclaimed.
"Well... sort of. Not yet." Katara said.
"I might be new here, but what's a waterbender?" Velvet asked confused.
"You don't know what a waterbender is?" Katara said and Velvet shakes her head in response, but as Katara was about to ask, Gran Gran came.
"Okay, Katara. No more playing. It's time for chores." Gran Gran said as she takes Katara away.
"I told you, Gran Gran. He's the real thing. I finally found a bender to teach me." Katara said.
"Katara, don't put your hopes in that boy." Gran Gran said.
"But he's special. I can tell. I sense he's full of much wisdom." Katara said as she sees Aang playing with the children with his tongue frozen on his staff.
"Sthee? Now my tongue ith thuck to my sthaff." Aang said and a child yanks him but his tongue is still stuck.
"What about the girl?" Gran Gran asked and they turn to see Velvet talking with Sokka while helping him rebuild the tower, which some of his comments annoyed her, giving him a smack in the head.
"I don't know why, but I think she's a powerful warrior and could possibly take down 100 enemies by herself." Katara explained, not taking her eyes of Velvet. "She's also very beautiful."
"Hey, Velvet!" Velvet turned around to see Aang behind her, who had gotten his tongue off his staff.
"What is it?" She asked.
"There's something I want to show you." Aang explained.
Aang led Velvet to the shrine as he found a way to get there on foot rather with Appa, as the bison needed some rest after swimming them to the village. As they arrived, Aang opened the door but saw Velvet stare on it, as if it was familiar to her.
"Velvet, what's wrong?" The airbender asked and the gold eyed girl shakes her head.
"It's nothing." Velvet said and walked in. She saw the statues fairly quickly and recognized them. "Rokurou, Eizen..." She turned to the other wall with the girls. "Magilou, Eleanor..."
"Were they your friends?" Aang asked but Velvet just walked away deeper into the shrine. Velvet placed a hand on one of the pillars, feeling some kind of energy from the shrine.
'What is this energy? You can feel it in this whole place.' Velvet thought and closed her eyes, but she reopened them when she felt the energy getting stronger and saw Jolou walking to her.
"I'm greatful to finally meet you, Velvet Crowe..." Jolou said and bowed. "My name is Jolou, I've been watching over you when you were asleep and sealed away." He turned to Aang. "Thank you for bringing her here."
"You're welcome!" Aang said. "Velvet, I'll be at the village. So, see yah!" Aang run in high speed out of the shrine, leaving Velvet alone with Jolou.
"Just who are you?" Velvet asked serious.
"I'm not allowed to tell you who or what sealed you away, but all I can say is that it wasn't because of your ability. It was because my master wanted you to live on." Jolou explained and shocked Velvet. "You have a long journey ahead of you." He handed Velvet a bag, which she didn't notice he had. "I should tell you the events that have passed under the years, be ready for what's coming."
Meanwhile in Zuko's ship Zuko is facing against two Fire Navy men and Iroh sits down and watches this.
"Again." Iroh said.
Zuko blasts fire from his hands at the guards but they dodge and then the guards bend fire at Zuko but he dodges and he back flips to the guards and lands behind them and then strikes.
"No! Power of Firebending comes from the breath, not the muscle. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire." Iroh said as he demonstrates what he was saying. "Get it right this time." Iroh said.
"Enough! I've been drilling the sequence all day. Teach me the next set. I'm more than ready." Zuko said.
"No. You are impatient. You have yet to master your basics. Drill it again!" Iroh said and Zuko blasts at one of the guards sending him backwards.
"The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last Airbender. He must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master the four elements. I'll need more than basic Firebending to defeat him. You WILL teach me the advance set!" Zuko said.
"Very well. First, I must finish my roast duck." Iroh said as he starts eating.
Meanwhile in the Southern Water Tribe village Sokka paces back and forth.
"Now, men, it's important to 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?" Sokka said talking to six children.
"I gotta pee!" One of the children said.
"Look, until your fathers return from the war, they're counting on you to be the men of this tribe and that means no potty breaks." Sokka said.
"But I gotta go!" The kid said and Sokka sighs.
"Okay...who else has to go?" Sokka asked and the other children raise their hands and Sokka face palms and the little boys walk away.
Katara then approached Sokka.
"Have you seen Aang and Velvet? Gran Gran said they disappeared over an hour ago." Katara said.
Aang then emerges from a small igloo bathroom stall as the kids go to the bathroom.
"Wow! Everything freezes in there!" Aang said and the children laughs.
"UGH! Katara! Get him out of here! This lesson is for warriors only!" Sokka said and they then hear a kid shout 'whee!' and they see Aang on Appa's back and Appa's tail is propped up into a sawhorse and a kid is using Appa's back and tail as a slide and lands in a pile of snow and the children, Katara start laughing. "Stop! Stop it right now!" Sokka yelled as he runs to Aang. "What is wrong with you? There's no time for fun and games with the war going on!"
"War?" Aang asked as he gets off of Appa.
"What war?" Velvet asked as she walks to them with the bag on her shoulder.
"Oh, hi Velvet, how was the talk?" Aang greeted her.
"It was good but how I got there is still a mystery." Velvet said. "Is it okay I place my bag in Appa's saddle?" Aang nodded and Velvet throws her bag in the saddle.
"You're both kidding right?" Sokka asked.
"PENGUIN!" Aang yelled excited and they turn to see a penguin who waddles away and Aang uses his Airbending to run at full speed to chase after it.
"He's kidding, right?" Sokka said.
Later Katara and Velvet searched for Aang, they enter an area full of penguins that are waddling and making noise and they start searching for Aang.
"Aang?" Katara called.
"Aang? Where are you?" Velvet asked and they see Aang trying to catch a penguin but it waddles away.
"Hey, come on. Wanna go sledding?" Aang asked as he lunges at the penguin but he falls flat on his face and laughs.
"You're very hyper, are you?" Velvet asked helping Aang up.
"I'm great with animals." Aang said as he starts imitating the penguins making Katara giggle.
"Aang, I'll help you catch a penguin if you agree to teach me Waterbending." Katara said.
"You got a deal. Just one problem. I'm an Airbender, not a Waterbender. Don't you have somebody in your tribe who can teach you?" Aang asked.
"No. You're looking at the only Waterbender in the whole South Pole." Katara said.
"The only one?" Velvet asked and Katara sadly nodded.
"This isn't right. A Waterbender needs to master water. What about the North Pole? There's another tribe up there right? Maybe they have a Waterbender who can teach you." Aang said.
"Maybe, but we haven't had contact with our sister tribe in a long time. It's not exactly 'turn right at the second glacier'. It's on the other side of the world." Katra said.
"But you forgot I have a flying bison. Appa and I can personally fly you to the North Pole. Katara, we're gonna find you a master!" Aang declared.
"That's...I don't know. I've never left home before." Katara said.
"Well, you think about it, but in the meantime, can you teach me how catch these penguins?" Aang asked.
"Okay. Listen closely, young pupil. Catching penguins is a very ancient and sacred art. Observe." Katara said as she takes out a small fish and she throws it at Aang and the penguins start surrounding him.
Later on Aang, Velvet, and Katara rocket off an ice bank and they are each sitting on a penguin and they land on a bank below and continue down at high speed on the penguins belly, Aang and his penguin make a jump off a small ramp and lands in front of Katara and Velvet, and Velvet makes a jump and lands near Aang and they laugh together.
"I haven't had this much fun since I was a kid!" Katara said.
"You still are a kid!" Velvet said.
They continue to slide across the frozen landscape and they enter the tunnels and they have periodic gaps where sunlight pours through and then they emerge from the tunnels and they get off their penguins and they stand up dizzy and they waddle off and the three walk forward and they look at something.
"What's that?" Velvet asked.
"A Fire Navy ship and a very bad memory for my people." Katara answered and Aang and Velvet walk over to the ship. "Guys, we're not allowed to go in there. It could be booby trapped."
"If you want to be a bender, you have to let go of fear." Aang replied.
"I'll have to agree with Aang. You can't let your fears stop you and you have to head on." Velvet said and they enter the ship and Katara follows them.
After climbing up and entering the ship through a hole they walk around the dark corridors and they stop at a darkened area with weapons around.
"This ship has haunted my tribe since Gran Gran was a little girl. It was part of the Fire Nation's first attacks." Katara explained.
"Okay, back up. I have friends all over the world even in the Fire Nation and I've never seen any war." Aang said.
"I've been in that shrine for a long time, so I've never heard of a war." Velvet said.
"Aang, how long were you trapped in that iceberg?" Katara asked.
"You were trapped in an iceberg, Aang?" Velvet asked.
"Yeah and I dunno how long. A few days maybe?" Aang guessed.
"I think it was more like a hundred years!" Katara said shocking both Aang and Velvet.
"What?!" Aang exclaimed.
"That's crazy. Impossible even. Do I look like a hundred-twelve year old man to you?" Aang asked.
"Think about it. The war is a century old. You don't know about it because somehow, you were in there the whole time. It's the only explanation." Katara said and Aang is shocked to the core and he walks backwards and sits down.
"A hundred years! I can't believe it." Aang said.
"I'm sorry, Aang. Maybe there's a bright side to all this." Katara said.
"I did get to meet you and Velvet." Aang said.
"So it should a bright side." Velvet said.
"But what about you, Velvet?" Katara asked and Velvet sighed.
"Where I came from is called Wasteland." Velvet said.
"Wasteland?" Katara said.
"I've never heard of a place called Wasteland." Aang said.
"Are you two familiar with Glenwood?" Velvet asked and they nodded. "What if I say that Wasteland was today's Glenwood 1,000 years ago?" The two benders gets shocked.
"So, you're over a thousand years old?" The two exclaimed and Velvet looked down sadly.
"To be exact, I'm a thousand-nineteen years old. My body has also turned into a human-seraph, which means I will stay like this forever but still can be seen by humans if I want to." Velvet explained, her hands turned into fists. "If I only knew the truth behind why I was sealed, I should have known what happened to my allies as well as...him!" Her anger begin to overwhelm her as she was shacking. Aang got up from the floor and placed a hand on Velvet's shoulder, which stopped her shacking. Velvet looked up to Aang and Katara.
"Take it easy, when we're going to the North Pole, we can search for something that can lead to why you were sealed." Aang said with a smile.
"Come on. We should get out of here." Katara said.
The three continue to walk around the Fire Navy ship and they enter another dark room.
"Aang, we should get out of here. This place is creepy." Katara said and then Aang's foot drags a trip wire on the floor and behind them the door is blocked by a grate and they are now trapped.
"What's you said about booby traps?" Aang asked and around them machinery in the room starts to operate, steams begin to pour out of some equipment, and then a bright red flare is shot out of the Fire Navy and into the sky leaving a trail of smoke and Aang, Velvet, and Katara see this happening. Velvet gasped.
The flare then explodes with a shower of small sparks and then Aang spots a hole on the ceiling.
"Hold on tight!" Aang said as he grabs Katara and Velvet and he Airbends them through the hole leaving the Fire Navy ship and they see the flare falling and then Aang starts to hop down from the Fire Navy ship with the help of the ice encasing it and Katara and Velvet are still in his arms until he lands on the ground.
"The last Airbender. Quite agile for his old age." Zuko said as he saw the whole thing with his telescope and he turns to a soldier. "Wake my uncle! Tell him I found the Avatar..." Zuko then sees Aang, Velvet, and Katara walking from the icy area where the Fire Navy still is and then he looks over the Southern Water Tribe village. "...As well as his hiding place." Zuko said as he makes a determined face.
Preview skit.
Katara: You should have listened to me in the first place.
Aang: But if we did we would never know what happened and get a piece of Velvet's past.
Velvet: I should tell you that I won't talk about my past as you like, I hate talk about it whenever you ask. I'll tell you when I'm ready.
Aang & Katara: R-right!
Velvet: Next time: The Avatar returns and Velvet's secret.
All of them: See you next time!