Avan and Rhett arrived at the ridge in only a few minutes, and saw that it still had some parts of Avan's test this morning. The four teens picked a nice flat area for the two to have their show down.

Koda stepped forward and explained the rules of the battle, "Ok we'll have a simple one on one battle, bending and hand to hand only. No cheep punches or hits, and the battle will be over as soon as one of you two is knocked out of the ring." Koda then marked of where that would be. "Do you accept the rules?"

"Yes" Avan said.

"Hope you enjoy a face full of snow Avatar Jr." Rhett said.

"Hope you enjoy flying creep."

"I'd like to see you try doing that to me."

"Just watch."

"Ok let's cut the chit-chat, and start the battle. Go!" Koda yelled.

The two ran at each other full speed, and Avan shot off the first blast. It blew Rhett back about 5 feet, and made him lose his balance. When Rhett regained his balance Avan was only about a foot away, and had another blast heading his way. Rhett in a spit second move his arm up in a blocking move, and with it brought a wave of water that negated the air blast. Now it was Rhett's turn to go on the offensive.

Rhett got himself going by doing a couple of water whips to Avan's face; blood started to run down Avan's cheek. Avan stumbled back a few feet, and lost his concentration long enough for Rhett to unleash his arsenal of advance moves upon him. Avan started to show cuts and bruises on his body. Soon Avan backed up so much that he was right on the edge of the battle area, realizing this Rhett had something special planed for Avan.

Just as Avan was about to take the step that would of made the match end, and Rhett quickly bended a ice wall up blocking Avan. Then Rhett made his move, he grabbed Avan by the head and flung him towards the center of the ring.

Avan just fell out of exhaustion, his body just covered in injuries. Rhett strolled over to Avan; he knew he had one, but now he was going to have some fun. He just stood over Avan smiling, and Koda and Aurora weren't sure what was going to happen.

"Well Baby Avatar, I guess water beats air." With that Rhett brought his fist down on Avan face, and a crack could be heard over where Koda and Auora were standing.

Then Rhett raised his fist again, and before he hit again Aurora screamed, "STOP IT! You won just leave him alone."

"The rules are that the first person to leave the ring is the loser. No one has left yet, the battle is still on." Rhett said and brought his fist down on Avan's face over and over. Blood was being splattered all over, and the snow around them was turning a deep scarlet color.

Rhett let up for a bit and just stared at Avan. Avan coughed up a mouth full of blood in that moment of peace, and just braced for more. Rhett then raised his fist again, but the two could not take it anymore; Koda and Aurora ran forward to help Avan.

Before they could reach him and before Rhett struck again, a voice rang out, "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Then a huge air blast came out of nowhere and blew Rhett away from Avan.

"AVAN!" Katara said running towards her critically injured son with Aang right behind her.

As Katara assessed the severity of Avan injuries, Aang tried to figure out what happened.

"What happened here?" Aang asked Rhett on the verge of attacking him himself.

"Nothing sir, he challenged me." Rhett said with his signature smugness.

"So that's your story huh?" Knowing that he wasn't going to get much out of Rhett, he then turned to Aurora and Koda. "What happened?"

"Avan did challenge Rhett Uncle, but…" Koda looked back at Avan who was now waking and gaining strength from Katara's healing powers.

"But what?" Aang asked growing impatient.

"Rhett egged him on by calling me…a ….a bitch that couldn't do better than him." Aurora said tearing up at the sight of her brother in such pain.

The realization came across Aang, and he turned to face Rhett. Before he did anything rash, he said, "I think it's time for you to leave," and then moved forward so that only Rhett could hear his words, "And if you ever say something like that to my daughter or come after my son again, I will take care of you personally myself. Now go."

"You're never going to lay a hand." Rhett said under his breath.

Aang stepped forward so that he was only inches away from Rhett's face and only just stared and said, "Watch me."

Rhett just stared at Aang for a few minutes, and then turned to head back to the village.

As soon as Rhett was far enough away, Aang turned his attention to his son. Avan was still a little out of it, but seemed to be coming too the more Katara healed him. Aurora then stepped forward and helped her mother speed up the process. Avan started to move slightly, and then his eyes popped opened and then quickly sat up. Avan just looked around at his family, and then down at the snow surrounding him. It was a deep red, and then the memory of what happened came flying back.

"Avan I was so worried about you." Katara said flinging her arms around her son.

"Where did you come from?" Avan said trying to piece together what happened.

"We heard Aurora scream and came running towards where we heard it coming from."

"Avan I'm so sorry you got hurt because of me." Aurora said tearing up.

"It's not your fault." Avan said clutching his head.

"Dude you're lucky your dad intervened when he did." Koda said.

"Wait you mean Rhett didn't stop the match?"

"No, your dad had to get Rhett off of you; it looked like he wasn't going to let up anytime soon." Katara said.

Avan turned to look at Aang, and Aang just smiled thinking his son was going to thank him. Then Avan said, "How could you? What it's not enough that you save the world, now you have to step in on things that don't concern you?"

"What are you talking about?" Aang asked.

"This fight was mine to finish, not for you to step in."

"Avan calm down, you're still recovering." Katara said trying to calm down the situation.

"No, I want you to all leave me alone." Avan then stood up and ran towards where he usually went to think.

"Avan, you'll hurt yourself." Katara yelled at him, but then Aang grabbed her to stop her from running after him.

"Katara, let him be."

"What if he hurts himself, Aang?"

"He's proud not stupid, he just needs sometime to himself."

The family just watched Avan run towards his spot, and then headed back to the village to wait.

Avan's spot was just a place where the ice and the ocean meet, but it was a few miles away from the village so no one could bother him.

When Avan arrived at his spot he just sat on the edge, and began to look over himself. His clothes were covered in his blood and maybe a little of Rhett's, but the majority of it was his own. Then he looked over his skin, and looked at his reflection in the water. Most of his cuts and bruises had been healed when his mom and sister were working on him. There was a cut here and there, but nothing disfiguring. All and all he was very lucky that his parents had shown up when they did, and he knew it.

"Why did I have to yell at him; all he did was save me from a beating. I mean who knows when Rhett would have stopped." Avan said skipping ice pieces across the water.

As Avan was talking to himself, he heard the crunching of snow heading towards him. Knowing that not too many people come this way, it could only be one of a few people.

"Listen I know yelling at Dad was wrong, but I really just want to be left alone." Avan said assuming it was Aurora.

"It's not Aurora, but she told me what happened. So I came to see if you were all right, but if you want to be left alone I'll just talk to you later." A girl said.

Avan turned to see a girl named Nia standing in front of him. Nia was a girl who was the same age as Avan and Aurora. She has always been good friends with the twins and has always had a crush on Avan, but Avan never noticed and didn't feel the same about her. She is always there when he needs her, and always helps him work though his problems.

"Oh hi Nia, no you can stay if you want." Avan said turning back to look at the ocean.

Nia walked over and sat right next to Avan and said, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, Aurora and my Mom healed me for the most part. So Aurora told you what happened?"

"Well yes and no, I heard about the fight though Rhett who came to the fountain and started bragging how he beat the Avatar's kid. When I heard that I went by your house, and got the back story behind the fight from her. Then she told me you were here, so I thought you might need a friend right now."

"Thanks, but I'm just really ashamed that I lost."

"Don't be you stood up for your sister, and that's the bravest thing I've ever heard."

"Thanks, but I acted like a jerk to my family when they tried to help me."

"I am pretty sure they'll understand, and will forgive you."

"I know, but it's just I don't know where I fit in anymore."

"What are you talking about; you belong here with your family and friends."

"I know there are people here that will always be there for me, but I feel like I am supposed to go some place far away and do something."

"Well if you ever do that I have something for you to remember me by." Nia then reach inside her pocket and pulled out a nice, handmade, wool hat that was warm, but still stylish.

"Oh thank you Nia," Avan then put the hat on, "It's so warm. How did you know that I needed a hat?"

"Well I remembered that you told me that if you passed your arrow test that you would need to shave your head. I always knew you would pass, and so I went home and started working on it."

"You made it yourself? Oh thank you so much." Avan leaned over and gave Nia a hug. Nia began to blush.

"Hope I am not interrupting anything." A man's voice said from behind them.

Avan and Nia turned to see Hakoda standing there. Hakoda had since retired as village chief, and now just focus on his two children, and his three grandchildren.

"Ah no Grandpa, I was just thanking Nia for making me this hat."

"Hi Miss Nia, how are you doing?

"I'm doing fine sir." Nia bowed respectfully at the former chief.

"Well I hate to ask you to walk back to the village by yourself, but I really need to talk to Avan alone."

"No problem sir, I can handle myself."

Hakoda laugh, "No doubt that you could."

"Bye Nia." Avan said.

"See you later Avan."

Hakoda and Avan watched Nia walk away, and then Avan looked at Hakoda.

"So who told you?" Avan asked.

"Your mother." Koda said.

"Knew it."

"Now listen, I'm very proud of you for sticking up for your sister, but a true warrior knows when they need help."

"I know, I know it wasn't really that I was mad at him…"

"But you were mad at yourself."

"Exactly, how did you know?"

"Every person meets their match sometime in their life, and what you need to do is to pick yourself up and try harder the next time. I'm not saying go out and challenge Rhett again, but just make yourself stronger on the inside and the outside."

"Not every person meets their match."

"What are you talking about?"

"Dad never met his match. He defeated the Fire Lord and Azula."

"They weren't his biggest trial, he had to first defeat himself. He didn't want to even be the Avatar at one point, but finding something worth fighting for helped him."

"Grandpa, can I tell you something?"

"You can always tell me anything."

"I think I am going to leave the South Pole after tonight."

Hey guys,

Sorry I didn't update sooner, but I haven't really had time between two jobs and packing for college. I will try harder to update sooner, but please keep reading and commenting.