Chapter XI

Six Months Later

"I hate you."

"Come on, that's not fair. I just wanted you to come along."

"I can't believe you talked me into this."

"Just try to have some fun. It's been six months since we've been together."

"I hate you."

"Yes, as you have previously stated, I realize that. Now can you please come out and join the rest of us for breakfast?"

"Why? I don't want to see him. Tell me when he's gone."

"Toph! Get out here now!" There was a sigh behind the stone wall, a moment later the earth crumbling into the ground. Toph stood before him, brushing dirt off herself as she rose, dressed in her normal attire, including golden necklace. She walked past him, grumbling something or another.

"Thank you." He said, exasperated. Zuko walked behind her, shaking his head. That girl was so stubborn. Dealing with Azula seemed like a treat compared to her. Not only did he have to beg her to come along on this vacation but he also had to convince her to stay, twice. They had only been here for three days! He was really beginning to wonder whether or not it was all worth it.

Coming back around to the little campfire, he settled down, sitting on a log, his feet resting in the cool sand. He looked out over the shimmering lake, a slight mist hanging over its bright blue hue as the morning sun crested over the mountains, glowing a dim yellow. A gentle breeze blew across his face, rustling the pines around them and giving a serene feeling to the whole scene. The people in it, however, destroyed it. Jack, already in a heated argument, continued to escalate things by jabbing the smaller man in the chest.

"You need to clean up your act buddy." Growled Jack.

Sokka brushed the finger away, snorting as he stood up. "I do what I want, when I want, and wherever I want. Nobody's going to stop me, so get the idea out of your head." Said Sokka as he walked off, everyone watching him in stone silence as he left. Jack shook with rage, stocking off in the opposite direction, leaving the others to sit around the campfire and eat their breakfast in silence. Eventually Zuko spoke, hoping to ease the tensions.

"So, what do you guys want to do today?" He asked. Toph huffed.

"Go home." She said. Zuko frowned, staring at her as she began to munch on her bowl of noodles. Mai came over next to him, sitting down with her own bowl of noodles resting between her bare fingers. She was not wearing her gloves.

"I say we go and explore the mountain. I think there might be some crystal caverns." She said. Ty-Lee perked up, a smile spreading across her face.

"Ohh! I'd love to see some crystal caverns!" Azula smirked.

"I'm sure you would. Maybe you could find some lovers crystals and enchant him back to you." Ty-Lee frowned, her eyes lowering as shame overcame her face.

Zuko looked over at her sister, watching as she brushed a strand of raven black hair behind her ear. She was wearing it straight down today. "You know Azula, you could try being forgiving of her, like we are towards you. Just a thought." He said. Azula shrugged.

"Forgiveness is a fool's utensil. Why forgive someone only to let them betray you once more?" She said, looking at her nails. Ty-Lee stood up, marching off with a tear inching down her face. Zuko glared at his sister.

"Happy now?" Azula lowered her gaze.

"I'm never happy Zuzu." She replied, picking up a stick and drawing something in the sand. Zuko shook his head, sighing.

"This was a bad idea." He muttered to himself. Mai laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder, leaning in and giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"Don't worry, you'll figure it out." She said, demonstrating some of her recent found affection. Zuko nodded his head solemnly, looking over to Katara as she handed Aang his bowl, the two silent.

The excursion thus far had been a complete disaster. He had intended to bring everybody together for a relaxing week before the big summer political push came around. They were going to camp in one of the more secluded places in the Earth-Kingdom, allowing them to be distant from all their duties and troubles and ails, if only for a time. However, it seemed that it might have been better to have never embarked on this expedition.

No sooner had they all gathered here than Toph and Sokka had gotten into a fight, yelling profanities at each other and storming off. That had followed with a scuffle between Katara and Jack as they started sorting out their differences, then Sokka came back and made Ty-Lee cry by telling everyone around the campfire that he and she had done it together before he had left for Ba Sing Sey. Of course Azula could not well enough leave it alone and had since pestered Ty-Lee, harping her for her lapse in judgment.

The trip was meant to unite them, but instead it was separating them even worse, and if what Joshua had told him was true they were halfway until he returned. They were running out of time. He had wanted to speak to them about their problem, but they were so divided at the moment that talking as a group was impossible, let alone discussing a sensitive topic on their approach to stopping Joshua.

Sighing, he turned his attention back to the group, watching them as they ate silently, no doubt all wishing that the trip was over. "I think that a trip to the mountain would be great." He said, trying to smile. "Who all wants to come?" No body moved, Katara shuffling back to the pot.

He turned to Toph, who sat on the ground with her arms crossed. "Come on Toph, don't you want to go feel the sights in the mountain?" She snorted in reply, sinking deeper into her pout.

"Sokka won't be there." He continued, making her sit up.

"All right, I'm in." Katara came over and handed Toph another bowl, taking the empty one away. She turned to Zuko.

"I think I'll stay here. I want to talk to my brother." She said, her voice weary.

"I'll stay with Katara." Added Aang, looking into his bowl. Zuko nodded his head.

"Well, as fun as it would be to go with you Zuzu, I think I'll stay in camp, they might need me." Zuko frowned at his sister.

"You don't have a choice. You're coming with." He stated. Azula stuck her tongue out at him, crossing her arms and leaning back. Zuko shook his head. In the past six months she had tried to escape twenty-three times and instilled six different coups. They had all failed, of course, mainly because of the total lack of support from anybody; apparently nobody wanted her back in charge. He had had her thrown back in prison for a couple of stints, and had even gone so far as to have her lashed with a cane after the last coup, but she always managed to find her way back to the palace, where either Mai, Ty-Lee, or Jack was by her side, keeping watch and trying to rehabilitate her. It seemed to be working, at least a little.

The group finished their meal, handing their bowls back to Katara with a nod of thanks. While the others prepared their packs Zuko went off to find Jack to see if he wanted to come along, but he could not find him anywhere. Coming back to camp he grabbed his own pack and turned to Katara and Aang one last time.

"Sure you guys don't want to come along? It's going to be a good time." He said, trying to sound as positive as possible. Katara shook her head, Aang hesitating for a moment only to follow suit. Zuko sighed.

"Alright. Have a good time." He said, turning and starting off, making his path along the lake towards the mountain.

Azula looked at them for a moment, opening her mouth as if to speak, but then she shut it, thinking better of it. She turned and followed the others, Toph bringing up the rear.

They hiked through the sand at first, keeping next to the lake, the cool mist settling in amongst them and chilling them slightly. The water lapped soothingly at the beach, flowing and ebbing with each little wave.

Along the way they came across Ty-Lee, sitting on a rock next to the lake, her bare feet dipped into the water. Her eyes were red as she looked away, averting her gaze. Zuko came up and asked if she was okay, to which she merely replied with a quick nod. Sighing, Zuko looked back at his sister, motioning with his head towards Ty-Lee. Azula, however, merely crossed her arms and turned away, refusing to apologize.

Shaking his head, he gave Ty-Lee one last reassuring pat on the shoulder then turned around, continuing on in his hike.

The group made their way away from the lake and through the pines, the needles rustling gently in the breeze, their fresh scent wafting up to them. Their footsteps were followed by a slight crunch as they stepped on the greens underfoot.

By the time they reached the base of the mountains the sun was already creeping over it, casting its warm rays out into the forest. It sparkled off of the lake, blinding Zuko as he looked back over at the camp. He could see the little wisps of smoke that indicated their campfire, small dots moving along the shoreline. It looked as if someone was going to go for a swim.

Turning back around, he began the hike up the mountain, Mai coming along beside him. They walked together, the going easy at first but growing increasingly difficult as they got higher. Eventually they were full out climbing, using hands and feet to scale up the rocky wall.

Azula called out from below them. "This is your idea of fun, Zuzu!?" Some loose rocks clattered down below him as his hand slipped. A few of them fell on Azula, making her scowl.

"Actually yes, this is my idea of fun." He replied, a slight smile on his face. His time with his Uncle pursuing the avatar as well as fleeing from Azula had created a greater appreciation for the natural wonders of the world. Though he would not admit it, he sometimes longed for the simpler days of just surviving with his Uncle, at least then he had to only watch out for one psychopath.

They continued up, the wind growing in strength the higher they went. When he looked back down once more he saw the entire of their little valley, the trees spreading further back to the edge of the mountains, which made the bowl that they camped in. The lake dazzled below, shimmering and shifting slightly. It was rather serene, peaceful, like a…

"Zuzu, I'm tired of climbing, why don't we take a break." Zuko frowned, drawn out from his thoughts of serenity.

He looked down at Azula, Toph right behind her. "How about it Toph? Think you could manage something?" He asked. Toph snorted.

She rammed her fist against the wall, a large platform coming out beneath her. "Think I can manage something." She mimicked as she stepped down. Azula climbed down, brushing dirt and grim off of her traveling outfit. Mai jumped, making Zuko's heart leap for a moment before he saw her land safely on the platform next to Toph. As for himself he merely climbed down, taking a seat against the mountainside.

Azula craned her head up, looking towards the top of the mountain. "When are we going to reach the top Zuzu?" She asked. Zuko shrugged his shoulders in response.

"We'll get there when we get there." He said. Azula trained her golden eyes on him, the pupils dilating for a moment. She seem to phase out for a second, her hand twitching, but she regained herself, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"You know mother used to say that." She said. Zuko grunted.

"Don't I know it. You never stopped asking." He said. Azula waved him off, walking over to Toph.

"Earthbender, why don't you take us to the top?" She said.

Toph crossed her arms, a smirk on her face. "Where's your sense of adventure princess? I thought you were miss do it yourself." Zuko could not help but crack a grin, chuckling slightly.

"She's not a princess anymore Toph, she was stripped of her standing." Said Mai, looking out over the valley. Azula scowled at Mai, crossing her arms and walking over to the edge of the platform, her head titled down towards the lake.

"Why is she even here Zuko?" Asked Toph, jabbing a thumb behind her at Azula.

Zuko continued to watch his sister, seeing if she would move. "This is a trip of family and friends. Why wouldn't she be here?" Azula remained motionless, continuing to look down below her. Toph grunted.

"Well, I can guess which one she is." Said the earthbender, reaching a hand down and itching her rump. Zuko tried to not laugh at the sight, glad to see Toph finally starting to settle down a little.

After a few more minutes of idle chatter the group decided to go on, turning back to the mountain and resuming their climb. The going was arduous, and twice Zuko slipped. Luckily, Toph was ready, using her Earthbending to secure him to the mountainside.

"Geesh Zuko, I thought you were good at this stuff." Said Toph after the second slip. Zuko grunted, securing his footing once more.

"I was just testing to make sure you were paying attention." He said, hauling himself up. Toph actually laughed, a reassuring sound.

Eventually Zuko reached the top, hauling himself up to a flatter area, a little mound rising up further away. He turned around and offered his hand to Mai, who looked at for a moment then took it. He helped her up, receiving a quick kiss on the cheek for his chivalry. He turned back down to help Azula up, but she smacked his hand away in disgust, making her own way up. Toph was the last one, accepting his hand just for the thought of the action.

Once they were all at the top they turned and looked out, marveling at the gorgeous sight of the rich valley beneath them. The entire land was undisturbed, void of any human activity aside from the splashing by camp. It was truly beautiful.

Mai's hand dropped down and took his, her eyes wide as she looked out over the scene. "How did Aang find this place?" She asked. Zuko shook his head.

"He said that he was flying past one time and noticed the lake." Mai continued to look out over the lake.

"Well, I'm glad he found it." She said, turning and brushing her lips against his. Zuko turned to her in an embrace, letting his lips meet hers. He pressed against her tight, the warmth of her lips merging with his own. They were disrupted by a shaking beneath their feet as thunder clapped in their ears. Zuko whirled to see Azula, her fingers jabbed up at the sky, smoke rising up as the last of her lightning dissipated.

He frowned.

"Ohh, sorry Zuzu, were you having a moment?" Said his sister, feigning remorse. "I just wanted to let the others know we had made it up here safe and sound." She continued, smirking. A moment later she sank into the ground with a cry, her waist being caught by the stone. She struggled to move, pushing against the ground.

"Whoops." Said Toph, standing behind them. "Were you having a moment? Sorry, I should have let you gloat a bit more." She said, coming up alongside Mai and Zuko. They all shared a short laugh, Azula giving them the best scowl she could muster.

"Alright, you've had your fun. No get me out of here!" She said, slamming her palm against the ground for emphasis. Toph turned to Zuko.

"I don't know Fire-Lord, she is your prisoner. Shall I remove her?"

Zuko began to stroke his chin, pretending to ponder the idea. "I don't rightly know. She does seem to be a lot calmer down there." He said, watching as flames began to play at his sister's fingertips. He turned to Mai.

"What do you think?" Mai shrugged her shoulders.

"I think that it's a safe place to keep her."

Azula growled at them. "Zuko, get me out of here, now!" Zuko pretended to be shocked.

"Me, help you? But that wouldn't do. Azula doesn't need help from anyone, let alone her big brother." He said.

"Fine, you know what, you're right. You, earthbender, get me out of here." Toph ignored her, picking her nose instead.

"Earthbender!" Barked Azula. Zuko chuckled.

"You know Azula, she has a name." Azula groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Toph, would you please aid me in getting out of here?" She asked, false sincerity playing at the lilt of her voice. Toph stirred, turning to Azula.

"What? Ohh, you want help?" She said, walking over to Azula. She grabbed the princess by the hair, stomping on the ground and pulling her out.

"There you go kid." Said Toph, walking back over to Zuko. Azula stood up, brushing herself off with an incredulous look.

"Really funny, Zuzu, really funny." Azula crossed her arms, looking out over the valley.

"You know, earthbender, you really are missing out on some marvelous sights. I almost feel bad for you." She said, trying to irk the girl. Toph laughed in response.

"You feel bad for me? You guys are the one missing out on the beautiful sights." She said. Zuko turned to her.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Toph tapped the ground with her feet.

"This mountain is full of winding tunnels, crossing and flowing through each other. It's almost like a river. There's even crystals down there, they're vibrating. I've never felt anything like it" Azula turned back around, looking at Toph.

"Vibrating crystals, hmm? Do you mind leading us down there?"


Sokka swam in the lake, his limber form cutting through the water with the natural athleticism that was granted him. His sleek muscles shimmered in the water, cycling below and above the water. A few times he dove down beneath, swimming as far below as he could in the deep lake, coming back up to shake his head free of the water. He ran a hand over his nose, sniffling softly, happy that the water masked his tears.

What the heck had he been doing? His whole world was upside down, set to burn to the ground and he was just about to light it. He had ruined almost everything in his personal life over the past six months; his friendships, his credibility, and even his own self-esteem. No longer did he suffer bouts of depression. Not saying that he didn't have depression, but rather that a bout would constitute an end to the feeling for a time. Now he merely felt a constant hollowness plaguing him, making hatred come forth from him in every action. He hated the world, he hated all the people in it, and above all he hated himself.

His diplomatic career at Ba Sing Sey thus far was the stuff of legend. In a whirlwind he had managed to establish good repute with the Earth-King and Zuko, allowing the nations to discuss their plans to settle the flaring tempers. He had also managed to negotiate trading agreements between the Northern and Southern Watertribes as well as the Earth-King. At the moment he was waiting for Zuko to muster the necessary approval in his court to push the agreement through the Fire-Nation, but it was slow going with all the old hostilities.

And as for the Harmony Restoration Movement, well, it was a giant success. He personally had established the system and means by which the Fire-Nation colonist were transported back as well as a reimbursement system that paid them for any values or holdings they were losing with the move. He was extremely popular, extremely influential, and the talk of any town he entered. However, he was always careful not to stay too long, lest they discover his less amiable qualities.

Going for another dive, Sokka went deep, gazing around at the dark blue water around him. He reached for the bottom, his lungs burning as he pushed himself lower and lower. Eventually he brushed the ground, the cold silt resting on the mud slimy against his bare fingers. He lingered for a moment, his body writhing at the lack of oxygen, but his mind peaceful. Pain was one of the few things that cleared his thoughts; it allowed him to think once more like he used to, cutting through all the garbage that lay about in his head. It was nice, calming. He wished that he could stay down at the bottom of the lake forever, just resting in the waters bosom, safe from his mistakes and faults, but the pain in his lungs eventually forced him up. He pushed off, shooting up through the water and back to the surface, gasping for air as he broke through.

He looked back over to shore, noticing that the camp was deserted for the moment. Hi stomach growled at him, demanding food.

"Alright, alright. I'll sneak in and grab something real quick, then I'm back out here." He said, swimming off to shore. He got out of the water, his legs a bit shaky as he stepped back on solid land. He walked over to some of the supplies, rooting through them and grabbing some nuts and seal-jerky. Munching on them, he went over to a log by the lake, sitting down with a sigh. He looked out over the calm waters, wishing that his mind reflected the same state.

"Sokka?" He turned around to see Aang and Katara coming back from the woods, their arms loaded with branches and twigs. A flash of red crossed his vision.

He turned back around, gnawing on his food. "What the hell do you want?" He said around a mouthful of nuts. He heard some hushed tones, then his sister came over to him, Aang departing somewhere else. She set her bundle of wood down by the dead fire, sitting by Sokka.

"Can we talk?" She asked, concern filling her voice. Sokka grunted.

"Isn't that what we're doing?" He said, taking another bite from his seal-jerky. Katara shifted, rubbing her hands on her knees.

"Look, I know that it hasn't been easy since Suki's passed on, but I'm really getting worried about you." She started. Sokka stood up, rolling his eyes.

"Again, sis, with the whole nurturing thing! Did you ever think about the fact that I'm the older brother? That I'm supposed to be looking out for you, not the other way around!"

"Sokka, I know you're upset, but sometimes the little sibling is supposed to help out the older one." She said, looking up at him with her big blue eyes.

He looked at her, her soft features breaking through to him for a moment, but the red returned, stronger than before. "No, you've always tried to look after me. You won't let me do anything for you because I'm not bender." He said, crossing his arms.

"That's not true Sokka." Replied his sister. "You saved me from the Earth-Kingdom prison, remember?" Sokka shook his head.

"I remember that you almost killed me before it all happened. And that when I finally did get you there wasn't so much as a thank you for it." Katara stood up, her cheeks flushing with anger.

"That's not fair Sokka! I was appreciative!"

Sokka grunted. "Ohh ya? Then why didn't you ever say as much?" Katara looked at him, trying to find the right response.

"I was busy healing you, and Jack." She said. "I guess I was just too consumed with saving your life to say thanks." Sokka rolled his eyes.

"Ohh, look, let's turn this back to you! Never mind that I saved you from torture and death from Azula, how about we talk about how you healed me after crushing my ribs!"

"I said I was sorry!"

"And ohh, how sorry you were! You sure did a great job expressing it!" Katara threw up her hands, turning and marching away with a suppressed scream. She turned back around, taking in a deep breath.

"Sokka, I don't want to fight you." She started.

Sokka went ahead and stopped her right there, not in the mood to listen to one of her lectures. "Look sis, I'm just going to let you go here because you're my kin and all. But I'm sick and tired of you trying to run my life. Do it again and you'll regret it." He said, shoving a finger in her face. Katara shook with rage, watching him as he stared her down.

"Understand?" He demanded. Tears started dripping down his sister's face as she fought with her struggling emotions. She slowly nodded her head, keeping her mouth shut.

Sokka lowered his hand. "Good. Now go be a good woman and prepare something to eat." He said, turning and throwing his food on the ground. He walked back out into the water, diving in and swimming off away from shore.

Once he was back in the middle of the lake he turned around, looking at Katara as she stared out after him, her arms crossed. He could not tell from this distance, but he was fairly certain that she was crying. He shook his head as he calmed down once more.

Great, just add her to the list of people that he disappointed or hurt. It was just getting larger and larger, wasn't it? First Toph, then Ty-Lee, then thirty or so different girls in the Earth-Kingdom, Aang, Jack, Zuko, and now his sister. Sure sounded like a great list, maybe he could expand it a bit more and include his father, his mother, and his two dead girlfriends. Maybe he could meet their spirits and shame them somehow, that would be just great.

Sokka shook his head, turning over to his back and letting the water carry him. He floated for a while, trying to forget all of his troubles. After a time, however, something began to nag at him. In the pit of his stomach he felt a pull, somewhere over by the mountains. He turned and looked at them, the strange sensation growing.

He looked at the grey stone, a queer feeling telling him of nearby danger. It felt similar to that feeling of dread he had when climbing out of the tunnel. There was something over there, something he needed to see, something dangerous.

Drawn to it with some unnatural urge, he swam over to the edge of the lake, drying off and grabbing his gear, intending to march straight over to the source and discover what was going on. Right as he was slipping on his boots Katara showed up once more.

She stood at the opening of his tent, her hands clutched together. "Sokka." She said softly. "Can we talk, please?" He froze, his left boot in his hand. A patch of red tried to cross his vision, but the sincerity and pain that he heard in his sister's voice drove it off. He remained himself, for the moment.

"Ya, come on in." He said, slipping his other boot on. He turned to her, the two sitting down cross-legged on his sleeping mat.

"I see you still haven't washed your funky smelling sleeping mat." Said Katara, offering a slight chuckle. Sokka returned it with a soft smile.

"Ya, well, it reminds me of some good times." He said, running his hand along the filthy mat. Katara took in a deep breath, looking down at the ground.

"Sokka, I'm scared for you." She said simply, her voice choking with emotion. Sokka looked at her in surprise.

"Scared?" He said. Katara nodded her head.

"Ever since you came out of that cave you haven't been the same. You different, more bitter, less caring. You don't get along with anyone anymore and you don't make any jokes. I'm worried." Sokka could feel something crawling up his spine. A wave of red overtook his vision, but he forced it back down, suppressing the rising rage.

He looked at his sister, at her pained face. He could tell that he had hurt her deeply not only with what he said but also with what he had done. "Katara, I…" He cut off, not knowing what to say.

"Sokka, you're not you!" Cried his sister, standing up. "Sleeping around? Swearing, drinking, when has that ever been you? When have you ever let yourself fall to such a state?" Sokka could feel something crawl up into his head, trying to force the rage on him, but he battled it off.

"Katara, I… I just don't know." He said, the confusion making him panic.

Katara leaned towards him. "What is it? Why are you doing all these things? Let me help you, just tell me what it is!"

Sokka shook his head, the confusion clouding his mind. "I…I don't know." What was wrong with him? Why was he acting this way?

"Is it me?" Asked Katara.

"No, it's not you." He replied, standing up and pushing his way out of the tent. He needed fresh air. His sister followed him.

"Then what Sokka, tell me!" Sokka began to breathe heavily, his chest rising and falling as emotions swirled in his chest. His hands began to shake by his side.

"Was it Suki?" Asked Katara. Sokka shook his head.

"No!"

"Aang, Jack, Zuko?"

"No, no, no!"

"Then who? Dad? Mom?" Sokka began to shake, his vision turning crimson. He tried to fight it off as best he could, to suppress the inner rage, but it was becoming too much for him.

"No, it wasn't them." He managed, his breath ragged. He looked at Katara, trying to remain calm.

She came up to him, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Was it Toph?" She asked softly, her big blue eyes turning blood red in his sight. He snapped, the name bringing up within him such ambivalence that he struck his sister with the back of his hand, sending her to the ground.

"Don't say that name!" He yelled, pointing a finger at his sister. "Don't you ever say that mutt's name in my presence again! I should have left her to die in that damned tunnel six months ago!" He yelled. Katara picked herself up out of the sand, her face burning bright red.

"Sokka! What in the world is wrong with you? How in the world can you say that about Toph?!" Demanded his sister. Sokka took another swing at her, missing as Katara ducked underneath it and got behind him, pushing him.

"Sokka, cool it!" She yelled, water whipping out into her hands. Sokka whirled on her, spit coming out of his mouth as he breathed.

"Dammit, you going to try and kill me again, huh sis?" He said, reaching his hand down and pulling out his boomerang. Katara shot a whip of water at his hand, but he leapt over it, throwing his boomerang at his sister.

Katara rolled beneath the boomerang as it cut through the air above her head, getting back to her feet and shooting a column of water at her brother. Sokka, weaponless, held out his hands and braced for impact.

As the water crashed into him he whirled his hands around, spinning and thrusting them back out at his sister. The water followed the path of his hands and came crashing into Katara, knocking her back with her wide eyes and sending her flying into the lake where she landed with a great splash.

Sokka stood for a moment, stunned. He looked down at his hands, not a drop of water on them. Katara drug herself from the lake, bending the water off of herself, looking at her brother with a bewildered expression. Sokka looked up, utterly confused.

"What the hell?!" He stared at his hands, then back up at Katara.

She stood there, shocked. "Sokka, what happened?" He shook his head slowly, panic welling up inside his chest. What was happening to him?

Katara took a step towards him, but he turned and ran, sprinting away from her into the forest. She gave chase, calling after him, but his long legs easily outpaced her and soon he was far away from her.

He kept moving, running on and on, crashing through the forest. He stumbled through underbrush, breaking branches and trampling through just about anything that got in his way. He was hyperventilating, and he knew it, his actions becoming more and more panicked. Eventually he stumbled and fell, landing in a pile of needles and pinecones. He tried to move forward further, but all he could manage was rolling over to his back as he gasped for air. He looked up into the blue sky, lifting his hands before them, watching as they shook in his sight. What had happened!?

Sokka regained control of himself, calming his palpitating heart and sitting up. He could feel himself on the verge of tears, the confusion upsetting him so. How had that happened? He wasn't a bender! Never was, never would be. Then how in the world had he shot that water back at his sister? Maybe he was just hallucinating or something. Ya, that was it. Katara had actually smashed him against a tree or something and now he was out cold. She was probably healing him right now, he'd wake up in a bit with a blinding headache and a pain in his chest but he'd be fine.

He looked around, expecting the forest around him to crumble as he realized his folly, but it did not move, save to shift with the breeze. A small furry creature rushed through the underbrush, stopping before him and wrinkling its nose. It bared its fangs at him then dashed off back the way it came. Apparently animals didn't like him either.

Sokka snorted, regaining his composure. Alright, what exactly had happened back there? He and Katara were talking, then they were fighting, and then he was bending. Was that possible?

He shook his head. No, it couldn't be. There was no way for someone without bending to acquire bending, it was that simple. However, his senses were telling him differently. He could feel the water around him, the particles rushing through the trees and resting in the needles. It was in the air, in the ground, all around him.

Reaching out a hand, he thought of taking a ball of water in his grasp, the water accumulating in his palm a moment later. He leapt back with a cry, letting the water fall to the ground where it splashed into the dirt.

He chuckled to himself, wiping his hand on his pant leg. "Okay, okay, Sokka, don't panic. Some water just fell from one of the tress, that's all." He said, looking up at the pines above him. He marched further off, coming to a little spring. Taking in a deep breath, he thought about pulling the water, making it swirl around him in a vortex of sorts. With a fluid movement he made the motion, a column of crystal clear water following. It moved about with his hands, spiraling around his body and arching over his head. He breathed onto it, freezing it into an arch above him.

"What in the world?" He said to himself, running a hand along the frozen liquid. He blew on it again, and it came crashing down to the ground, splashing him. He groaned as it soaked him, annoyed that he hadn't thought about that. Suddenly it struck him to just bend it off. Flicking his wrists forward, he shot the water off, the water particles becoming shards of ice and imbedding themselves into the trees around him.

He whistled. "Wow, that looks dangerous. I need to be more careful with this." He said, looking down at his hands. It was strange, this new power that coursed through him. He felt the strength to do many things, to be someone great. But there was something else about it, something, unnatural. For some reason it reminded him of death. He needed to get rid of this, it wasn't his to keep.

"But why should I get rid of this?" He asked himself. Why indeed? Everyone else could bend. And now that he could bend too, wouldn't that make things more even? No longer would he have to rely on others for help. He wouldn't have to just make plans for others to execute, he could do them himself. And as for his sister, well, she wouldn't dare boss him around now that he could bend. He'd be so good that even Aang wouldn't want to mess with him.

"Sokka, master waterbender. That's got a nice ring." He said. There was something else, something tugging inside of him, pulling him to the mountains in the east. Turning towards them, he clenched his fists. There was something over there, something dangerous, he just knew it. He was going to go after it, and with his newfound power, he was fairly certain he could handle anything that came at him. Forget boomerang guy, he was going to be a bender.


"What are they doing?"

"Gosh! Do you ever shut up!? They're doing nothing. Five minutes ago, when you asked me, they were doing nothing! Five minutes later when they're still doing nothing and you ask, I'll tell you they're doing nothing!" The man, or boy, as he seemed between ages, sighed, shaking his head and placing a spyglass back to his eye.

"Why do you think they're doing nothing?" Asked his companion. The man groaned, turning around to look at the sixteen year old.

"Lee, just shut up, would you? Please?" The boy named Lee frowned, his brown hair blowing back in the wind to reveal a blue arrow on his forehead.

"But Sangee." The man raised his hand, dark blue runes and spirals tattooed over his fingers.

"Lee, what did I tell you about calling me that?" The boy rolled his eyes.

"Come on Sangee, we've been sitting up here for three days! Why can't we just go down and take them out? It's so boring up here." The man shook his head.

"Lee, you've got to be more patient." He started, but the boy cut him off.

"But we can take them now! Let's just sneak down there then batta-bing, batta-boom, they're knocked out and everything's all good!" The man called Sangee stood up, brushing the dirt off of his grey cloak.

"Lee, you know why we can't go down there right now. We need to wait a bit longer." The younger man groaned.

"Sangee, come on! Why do we have to listen to Joshua? He just wants them out of the way. If we capture them all right now, wouldn't that take them out of the way?" Sangee shook his head, tucking the spyglass into one of his sleeves.

He raised his hand at Lee, holding up a single finger. "First off, we were ordered to wait until the fourth night, which is tonight, and then slip this in their meal." He said, holding up a vial of clear liquid.

"Second." Continue Sangee, holding up a second finger. "If we were to go down there now there's no saying that we would be able to take them out. They're all powerful benders and it's only the two of us." Lee wobbled his head.

"Come on bro, you're like the biggest, baddest, bender ever." Said the younger man, punching Sangee on the arm.

Sangee grinned. "That may be true, but that still does not negate the fact that we were ordered to wait and not engage until after we slip this into their meal. And even after that we only grab the girl, no one else." Lee looked past his brother and out into the valley.

"Which girl was that again?" Asked the younger boy. Sangee turned around, taking the spyglass out once more and looking through it.

"The one with raven black hair and golden eyes."

"Ohh ya! Joshua said that we'd recognize her by the condescending attitude that rolls off of her." Sangee nodded his head.

"Yup, that would be it." The two settled in once more, staring out over the valley. Sangee stared at the commotion in the camp, watching as a fight broke out between two people. One of them was tossed out and into the lake, the other standing and staring at his hands. A man, clothed in blue and white. He could feel his heart leap. Was that the non-bender? What was he doing here?!

Sangee stood up, leaning further to try and make out the figure, pressing the spyglass firmly against his eye. After a few more moments he lowered it.

"San-Lee, come here." He called. The younger boy groaned, rolling over and walking over to him.

"What's up bro?" Asked San-Lee. Sangee handed his brother the eyeglass.

He pointed out over to the camp. "That one there, isn't that the man from the cave?" San-Lee put the glass to his eye, sitting still. After a while of him not saying anything Sangee started getting impatient.

"Well?" He demanded, waiting for his little brother's response.

San-Lee nodded his head. "Ohh ya, definitely. That guy totally looks like the one we threw in that tunnel. Uhuh, no doubt about it."

"You don't see him do you?"

San-Lee smiled, chuckling slightly. "I really don't know how to use one of these." Said the little brother. "I honestly don't know what I'm looking at right now." Sangee smacked himself.

"You're kidding me! It's just point and look! How can you mess that up?" His little brother turned to him.

"Well sorry, but I didn't get to practice with it for the past three days."

"It's point and look!" Yelled back Sangee. "Just point it at the camp and look through it!" San-Lee turned back around muttering and putting the spyglass to his eye once more.

"You know San-Jin, you promised mother you wouldn't yell at me so much." Griped the little brother. San-Jin rolled his eyes.

"And you promised mother that you wouldn't be so annoying." He retorted. "It's nice to know that we both broke our deathbed promises." San-Lee did not reply, staring through the spyglass in cold silence. After a while his face lit up.

"Wow." Said the boy, whistling a beautiful note. San-Jin stepped up.

"Do you see him? Is it him?" He asked. The little brother shook his head.

"No, but man is she pretty! I didn't think I liked girls, but I might just change my mind now." San-Jin snatched the spyglass from his brother.

He raised it up to his eye. "What are you talking about?" He snapped, scanning the area. He came across a girl in a pink outfit, standing in camp, her brown hair braided down her back. Looking around, he tried to find the man he had spotted earlier, but he was gone. He lowered the spyglass slowly, turning to his younger brother.

"You've got to be kidding me." San-Lee offered him a coy smile.

"She's cute, right?" San-Jin smacked his brother upside the head.

"You were supposed to see whether or not that guy was the one from the cave! He's not supposed to be here!" San-Lee shrugged.

"Not my fault he walked away before I could find him."

"If you had just looked at the camp in the first place." Replied San-Jin.

"Coulda shoulda woulda, it's all said and done now. Can't do anything about it. Do you think it was the guy from the cave?" San-Jin shook his head.

"I don't know, I didn't get to see his face." He replied. San-Lee sucked at his cheek for a moment.

"Perhaps we should ask Xian whether or not the guy's where he's supposed to be." San-Jin nodded his head. Once in a while his brother pulled through.

"Good idea, send out a messenger hawk and ask." He said, settling himself back down on the mountain, scanning the land for any sign of the mystery man. He heard San-Lee moving about behind him, the screech of a hawk echoing around them a little while later. The boy came back over, sitting down behind him, crossing his legs.

"So." Started San-Lee, a smile in his voice. "What are they doing?"