Disclamer: Man Avatar don't belong to me in the slightest. I think it was Nickelodeon that owns this. Or someone.

Aang, the Avatar:

I stared at the two on the ground for a few minutes before trying to help Sokka. How could someone like that, who struggled with wrestling with Sokka, had broken Toph's earth handcuffs? I mean she was the best earthbender in the world!

This was all an afterthought after I realized Sokka was losing. I was about to jump in to help him, but Katara beat me to it, so I stayed back.

Something about this guy wasn't hostile…It was more like…Fear? Pain?

Katara pulled water out of her pouch and very careful splashed Sokka's opponent in the face. That stunned him, but mostly surprised him, long enough for Sokka to hit him on the head with his club.

That knocked him right out.

"Huh. Guess he wasn't so tough after all. Strange how someone who is this weak broke out of Toph's handcuffs."

"Shut up Twinkletoes." I turned around to see her on the ground hugging her knees.

"Uh Toph, are you ok? Because you don't really…do that…" It wasn't often that I had seen Toph this weak. Whatever that guy had done to her handcuffs might have hurt her too. Benders often feel that their element is a part of them and in extreme cases, when their element is attacked so is the bender. I still remember the pain that came when the moon spirit died.

Toph would have been more vulnerable to this type of pain since she used the earth more than a regular bender.

This was not good.

Sokka was searching the stranger for weapons and then turned to look at me.

"Aang he has no weapons and here-" he gave Katara a book "I think we should…" his voice drained out as he followed my gaze to Toph cowering in pain on the street. "Oh god, Toph are you ok?" He ran over to the girl and put his arm around her. His voice became softer but not too soft as he asked her; "What happened? Can you stand?"

"Yeah. I just…" Toph sighed. "I'm just dizzy. He overloaded my senses a bit. Tell you about it later when the world stops shaking." She stood to her feet and leaned on Sokka for support. Look like he motivated her to stand.

"Don't wear yourself out." I said to the girl before turning to Katara. Her dress was a little charred from the fire but just mostly small spots. "What did Sokka give you?"

"A book." She answered me while slipping it into her bag. "What should we do with him? What do we even call him? He hasn't any identification."

"Well…let's take him with us. As for a name? He'll be –"

"Screech" Toph said. I gave her a quizzical look. "You know – because of all those screeching sounds he made before." I chuckled. She always did have a habit for picking out nicknames for people. Even when in pain apparently.

"I like it. Screech it is." Sokka agreed.

"Great! Lets get back to Appa!" I wondered how he was in the forest all alone.

'Screech' The Traveler:

Pain.

That's what I remember right before I slipped out of consciousness. And then the cold followed. I hate the cold. They put me in the cold. They trapped me in the cold. And then the fear of death. Not for leaving the world but for not using my chance.

Was I dead? Had I died?

No. I was just cold. God I hate, hate, HATE the cold. Cold works well with the dark but not always.

So I welcomed the dark.

Toph Bei Fong:

How had he done that? My handcuffs shattered in front of me and then he leapt at the ground in front of me. He pushed his palms down on the ground in front of me and I felt vibrations all around directed and traveling at me. My head swam and pain and overstimulation and – Stop. I'm tough. I can handle if the ground gets a little shaky; I'm the best freaking earthbender in the world!

Even still I was dizzy and I felt nauseous. I'm glad I had Snoozels supporting me. A quick punch to the arm should be a good thank you when I get the chance.

I was vaguely aware of our surroundings and that we were moving towards something; probably base camp. I should ask Sokka.

"Where are we going?" Ten minutes after Screech had attacked and I felt no better. It took all my focus just to say that.

I think Sokka turned to look at me and said something. "Taste lamp."

"Wha?"

He repeated it and I heard a little more clearly but not enough to decipher "Race clamp."

"Wha?" I repeated and this time he answered even more clearly.

"Base camp." He said. So I had been right.

"Ah. Ok." I said. It hurt to speak now. "Wake me up when we get there…"

I fell asleep as he started to support my weight fully. I think he was giving me a piggy back ride. At that point, I didn't care. I just wanted to block out the pain. Sleeping did just that but I wished I hadn't dreamed at all.

It was hot. Ugh heat was so tiring and the light scorched me. It was fuzzy. Sand was everywhere. But the worst part was the thirst. My mouth and throat were dry. And full of sand.

I hated sand. It was tantalizing. It seemed to swirl around me and speak.

Oh you want to see? Come on then, I am earth am I not? What? You prefer solid rock? Why I'm just that but ground up. Still don't like me?

It laughed at her. It laughed at her powerlessness and weakness. "Just stupid sand." I muttered back.

Here she is! Toph the greatest of them all, reduced by a little change in scenery. Your weakness makes you stronger Toph. And I'm not talking about listening to the earth.

"What do you mean?" I asked the ground but it didn't answer. It was swirling around me and I was sinking. The sand rose draining me of water and engulfing me. It was up to my knees, my arms, my neck, filling my lungs.

I screamed and awoke.

'Screech' The Traveler:

She Sprung up and screamed. Nobody was awake at this time but me. Nobody was awaked by her scream.

Not that it was loud, but still a scream nonetheless.

"Bad dream?" I said. She was sitting up at this point and turned to look at me as I asked her. She glared at me but I didn't mind. She was probably mad at me for attacking her earlier.

"Why do you have to know?"

"I don't. I was just a bit concerned is all." She obviously didn't believe me. After attacking Toph, I knew I had hurt my chances of earning their trust. Well at least for now. "Sokka was taking watch but he fell asleep. Any chance of untying me by the way?" the ropes were starting to get a little uncomfortable.

"Not so you can just attack me again." She seemed to get more upset and I wanted them to trust me. I needed them to trust me.

"Hey sorry about earlier. I didn't want anybody to get their hands on my book. Not even the Avatar. Not yet. I did what was necessary."

"What was necessary? How is doing…whatever you did to me necessary?" she was getting angrier now and I was concerned she might wake someone up or earthbend some rocks at me.

I reached over to the ground. At least my hands were tied up in front of me and not behind my back. It had helped me recover my book from that water tribe girl's bag. I picked up the book and answered her.

"I'm holding the most powerful weapon in the world right now. This book holds bending techniques to every nation in the world and how to counter them. It holds the strengths and weaknesses of every nation specifically weakness. Major weakness. So yeah, this is for Avatar eyes only. Later, when he's ready." Her expression was shock for a split second before going to her poker face.

"How did you get that? Why do you have it?" Her face was blank but her voice was totally stunned.

"Hmph. Why should I tell you my whole backstory?"

"Because Sokka said something about it having all of our adventures in it. That concerns me and makes me think you have been spying on us."

"I have." She actually showed more shock now. "The firebenders made me do it. I hate them." At that moment a look of sincere pity and understanding went through her. "Look. I want you to trust me. I want to journey with you guys but for now I need sleep. I'll tell you more in the morning, but for now do you mind taking a watch?"

I didn't even wait for a response before I fell asleep. That was rude of me.

Aang, the Avatar:

I woke up first as I always did. The monks had taught me to wake up at dawn every day and I tried to incorporate their teachings every day. I wish sometimes that I wasn't a vegetarian though.

"Hey." Toph didn't face me as she said this but I knew she had felt me move and thus deduced I was awake.

"How are you feeling?" I responded.

"A little dizzy still but better." She seemed to be watching nothing particular but I knew better. She was observing the ground around her and feeling its vibrations.

"That's good" I said, unsure how to end the conversation. "Should we wake up the others now? I mean we have a lot to do and to prepare for."

"Yes. But I want to interrogate Screech first."

"Of course. I think he owes it to you." I started to wake the others but Toph beat me to it. She stood up and slammed her foot down. Three small pillars of rock shot up simultaneously under the other three members to our group waking up Sokka, Katara and the newcomer.

A quick and wordless breakfast transpired before Toph started the interrogation. Sokka and Katara looked confused so I filled them in.

Toph dragged the guy toward us and put him in front of her. Sokka Katara and I sat in straight line facing the two of them.

"I talked to him a little last night while I was on watch duty. I had to fill in for somebody that fell asleep." She glared at Sokka. "He told me a few things before falling asleep himself. He said that he was forced by the Fire Nation to spy on us."

He interjected. "That's why there are all those stories about you in the book. I wrote them."

"Shut up. You talk when we say to." Toph was being a little mean today but I could understand. She plucked the book out of his hands and held it up. "He says this contains all the weaknesses of the four nations and their bending techniques. He says it's for the Avatar only. But not right now because apparently Aang isn't ready." She tossed me the book. "There you go." She turned to the guy and said: "Your 'mission' is finished. Leave us."

"But—" he started to say something but Toph cut him off.

"At this point I don't care who you are or what you want to do. I don't even care how you did what you did yesterday, but as long as you're away from us you can't do it again." Toph actually looked like she was hurt badly now, as if she had an internal injury. She tried her best to hide it but it still shone through.

This was bad. Toph was mad and hurt but I couldn't just let him leave without getting any answers. I had a little idea as to what he did yesterday and I needed for it to be confirmed.

"I think we should at least get more answers first." I stood up and faced Toph.

"No."

"I need to know something from him."

"No."

"Toph, this is important! I need to see how he made those noises!"

"Look Twinkletoes, if you don't throw him out I'm leaving. I can't be around him any longer!"

"He's staying." I was adamant. He could be one of those benders.

"Fine! I thought you were getting a little of a backbone Aang! You just started to Earthbend a few days ago!" Toph turned to the guy and told him: "You got your wish. You can stay with them but it's your fault—" she pointed at him "and your fault—" she pointed at me "I'm leaving!"

She stormed off and Sokka chased after her. I could hear him saying "Toph, wait!"

I was dumfounded and turned to look at the stranger. What had he done to her to make her hate him so much?

"Can I at least get your name before I go off to chase Toph as well?"

He looked down. "Come on, something? If you won't tell me we'll keep calling you Screech."

"Screech it is then."

Funny. I was copying Sokka.

Toph Bei Fong:

I can't believe them! Aang wants him there more than me?

"Toph, wait!"

Oh, shut up Sokka.

I could feel him run up behind me so I ran faster to get away from him. He kept following me so I took twists and turns throughout the forest to lose him. Still no luck. After a short while of this I stopped in a clearing to turn and face him.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted at him but he didn't respond. He just walked up to me and stopped. I could feel him staring at me.

"What do you want!" I demanded but still no response. I could feel a tear in my eye. He stood there staring at me until he put his hand on my shoulder and threw out a question.

"Why? Why are you so afraid of him? Toph…What did he do to you?"

I took his hand off my shoulder and turned around.

"I'm not afraid of him! I'm –" someone was there but it wasn't a Aang or Katara. Could it be him? No Screech's footsteps are heavier. "Turn around Snoozels."

I heard him say "Ty Lee?" before he fell to the ground.

"So it's you then." I turned to face her and got into a typical earthbender stance.

"Yup! We took aaaall night trying to find you! Mai said Azula is mercurial for doing that, but I don't know what that means." She took a stance too. "Do you?"

I charged her.

'Screech' The Traveler:

"I'm going after them! We can't let them get lost!"

"Aang I don't think that's a good idea…"

"It doesn't matter! She's our friend, we can't—"

"Shut up." I interrupted him but it was necessary.

"I don't think you have any say in the matter so take your own advice!" he was angry at me. Looks like I made another 'friend'.

"No. you can't chase after them. Ohh god. This was the worst time for them to show up…"

"Who? I thought they just ran off...?" Aang turned to Katara for a possible answer.

There was a laugh and then a shot of fire heading right toward Aang. He turned but not in time to stop it. Water intercepted his path and we all turned to see Azula and Mai ready to attack.

"Them" I said. I braced myself for a fight.

"Thank you for splitting up right as we found you!" And with that, Azula let forth another blast of fire.