A/N: Okay, this first chapter isn't very juicy, and I've still got to write the second chapter, but I hope you'll like this enough to keep watching for more. And as a warning, the subject matter will get increasingly heavy. For reals. Yo. Mmkay, here goes nothing!
"Y'know, this would be so much easier if just one of us was a firebender!" cried Sokka, waving two sticks in the air. They all smiled, but the little bald one hung his head. It was his fault they couldn't build a fire. It was his fault that they had to remain unknown to the Fire nation. A century ago, the ten year old Avatar had run away from the world, secured himself inside an ice sphere in the ocean. The Fire Nation took advantage of the missing Avatar, the only person who could hold the nations together in peace; they declared war on each of the other nations: Water, Air, and Earth. The Air Nation had been wiped out completely. That is, except for Aang. It had only been this year that he'd awoken; he'd been trapped in the ice for a hundred years. If it hadn't been for Katara and Sokka, the whole world would be controlled by the Fire Nation.
It was his fault, too, that they had to keep running, fixing up villages as they went. He couldn't be discovered; if the Fire Nation knew he was alive-- part of it did already-- they would find him and kill him, leaving the fate of the world in the hands of those sadistic Firebenders.
"He didn't mean anything by that," Katara said softly, touching his arm. Her twinkling blue eyes reassured him that there was no pressure. Aang had, after all, mastered air, water, and now earth. It was only a matter of time before he could find someone to teach him firebending, if they weren't out to kill him. He blinked and looked up. It seemed everything was so serious now, hardly like the first few weeks with only Sokka and Katara. Toph was an important addition to their team, however, and she had spunk. He found that most earthbenders were tough, but he'd never seen one this kick-ass, not to mention so skilled while blind. She was definitely his favorite person to fight alongside with: she meant business.
Sokka was something else. If there were ever words to describe him, they'd be something along the lines of uncoordinated, stubborn, slow-minded, and charismatic. But caring, nonetheless. Aang had seen how Sokka protected his sister, sometimes overly, but lovingly. He was noble, in his clumsiness, and Aang respected him. Sometimes.
Katara, however, he could not place a feeling towards. He often bounced between feelings, loving her sometimes, fearing her other times. No matter what, though, he cared for her. She was powerful, but if she really didn't want to be around him, she could have left at any time.
The fire was all but dead; tired embers glowed softly in the blackness. Aang bent near, and with a wave of his hand, a gust of air swept over the sorry looking pile of sticks and the fire leapt up into the air suddenly.
"There, problem solved," Aang said bitterly and rolled onto the ground, tugging a blanket around him. It was getting late; leading this team around was hard work enough, he'd collapse if he didn't get any sleep tonight. The others gazed at him with concern, but his back was turned to them and he'd already dozed off before any of them could say anything more.
The morning came on feathery wings, gentle and slow. The sun peeked over the horizon just as Aang climbed atop Appa. The fuzzy flying bison had been awake for a few hours, quietly munching on the leafy vegetation that rose from the hard earth, waiting for the others to arise. Momo was asleep on the expanse of his head, tiny white body rising and falling with each breath.
"Unhh.. Aang?" Katara grunted, rolling over in her sleeping bag to face him. He tensed for a second, but turned around with a weak smile. Katara's blurry eyes cleared and she saw the fully dressed Avatar, packing things into the giant saddle Appa wore. He was already awake and ready to go, it seemed.
"You're up awfully early," she said, voice just above a whisper. She didn't want to wake the others. "Did you sleep alright?"
Aang scratched his head. He couldn't tell her how he'd slept. She'd worry. The truth was, he'd had nightmares all night long, awful dreams lashing out with horrible, imaginary tentacles. He tried to pull his expression together; mustn't show your breakdown. Although he wasn't sure if he'd had a meltdown or something lesser, like a dilemma. Nothing seemed to be easy these days, though, so he couldn't just dismiss it.
"Uhh, I couldn't sleep last night, had a little too much beans." He faked blushing, anything to get her away from that subject. His problems didn't need to become the whole group's problems.