Aang's POV:

I couldn't believe I let this happen. I let all my friends disappear and who knows if this Kimiko girl will ever let me see them again. I got up and grabbed my staff on the way out the door. I passed Appa on my way to the palace gates. I gave his head a quick pet. "I'll be back, buddy." I promised. I opened up the glider built into my staff and threw it in the air in front of me. I jumped and grabbed the sides of it, it was almost dusk so I wouldn't risk walking. When I arrived there was no one in sight. "Monkey feathers!" I said under my breath. I was too late!

"You might want to think up something more mature to say when you're angry."

I looked in the direction of the voice. I saw a woman who looked about 18 step into my view. "Are you Kimiko?" I questioned.

She nodded. "I am. And you're the Avatar...for now."

I shot her a confused glance. "What do you mean for now?"

She motioned with her hand. "Come with me." She stomped her foot on the ground and a hole appeared in between us.

I peeked inside and saw a ladder leading down into darkness. So she's an earthbender. But with a Fire-Nation name? Maybe it was a cover name. But the war was over, why would she need a cover name? Two hands on my shoulders, interrupted my thoughts.

"You first." Kimiko gently nudged me towards the hole.

I hesitated then took a deep breath and began climbing down. It wasn't as deep as I thought and I soon reached the bottom. I looked around and saw all my friends in chains on the other side of the room. I ran to them. "Sokka! Katara! Toph! Zuko!" I kept running but soon slammed into something I didn't see. I put my hand out and I felt something, a wall of some sort. But I could see right through it. It's glass, I concluded. I pounded on it. "Guys! Guys, can you hear me!?"

"They can't see you. Or hear you for that matter." Kimiko's voice filled the room. "But we can see them. Fascinating, isn't it?"

I turned around, angrily. "What do you want?" I demanded.

Kimiko smiled. "Teach me airbending." She said simply.

"Huh?" I was really confused now. "But you're an earthbender, you can't learn-"

"I can learn anything I want." She interrupted. "I already mastered waterbending." She pulled moisture out of the air and swirled it all around in front of me. "And earthbending." She stomped on the ground again and the hole we came down from closed up. "And firebending." The darkness that was now in the room vanished as Kimiko produced a small flame of fire in each of her hands. She shot the flames at torches lining the walls.

She slowly crept towards me. I could feel my heart beat faster.

"And now, you will teach me airbending." She looked at my friends. "Or they all die."

I couldn't believe this was happening. But I had no choice, I couldn't let my best friends die. My eyes met Kimiko's and I nodded slowly.

Kimiko smiled. "Good boy. And don't even think about double-crossing me. I'm the Avatar now."

I had to think of a way out of this. There couldn't be another Avatar, I am the Avatar. And what about my friends? How was I supposed to get them through this? Kimiko came early the next morning. I thought a few times about escaping but I knew that she would just hurt the people I love.

"Morning Avatar, excuse me, former Avatar." Kimiko greeted me with a cold smile.

I took a deep breath. This was going to be a long day. I took my stance. "Let's get started."

Sokka's POV:

"This is ridiculous, shouldn't Aang have rescued us by now?" I asked to no one in particular. Nobody answered me. I guess they were all thinking it and I was just the one who said it. "Look guys, we need to think up an escape plan."

"You and your escape plans." an unfriendly Zuko spoke up. "We already tried, there's no way out of this place."

"Then how can Kimiko come in and out?" Katara asked him. Zuko was silent.

I looked around the room for the hundredth time. "There's got to be some sort of secret door or something! Toph, can you see anything?" I knew the way my question was worded, but Toph knew what I meant.

Toph stamped her foot on the ground then shook her head. "Nope. Nothing."

"How can there be nothing?!" I yelled. "You can't keep us here forever Kimiko! Do you hear me?!"

Aang's POV:

Kimiko picked this up a lot quicker than I expected. I still couldn't figure out how she could bend all of the elements but I knew asking her wouldn't do me any good. "Just shift your weight and move the air current along your body." I instructed as I gave her a demonstration.

Kimiko immediately began to copy me and moved through the form easily. "Is that the best you got?" She taunted. "No wonder airbenders are extinct."

At that, I could feel the anger rising and my blood began to boil. How dare she talk about me people like that! I felt my body begin to go into the Avatar State but I wouldn't let it. I refused to let her get the best of me, like she got the best of everyone else.

Katara's POV:

That stupid Kimiko chick kept blocking out chi so we couldn't fight back. I felt powerless and utterly useless. I hated it. For some reason she had separated me from the rest of my friends. I was alone in a room now. It was pretty dark but I could slightly make out a door in front of me. I tried to stand but found myself shackled to the floor. Great. The door slowly creaked open and my capturer stepped in.

"Good, you're awake." she made her way towards me. "I have a proposition for you."

No way was I making a deal with this chick. "Where are my friends?" I demanded.

Kimiko shrugged. "Oh I'm afraid they don't have the..skill, that you possess."

"What are you talking about?"

She smiled slightly. "Your ignorance is understandable, you've been through a lot lately. So has your little boyfriend."

My eyes widened. Aang is here!? "Where is he?!" I gritted my teeth.

"Safe..now Katara, I bet you'd like to get out of here."

I rolled my eyes. Duh.

"So I have a deal to make with you. I'll let you go..if you do something for me."

"Forget it!" I growled. "I'd rather rot in here!"

Kimiko looked away. "I was afraid you'd say that."

I opened my mouth to retort but as soon as I did, Kimiko raised her hand and everything went black.

Mai's POV:

This place was even more dreary than that room Zuko locked me in at the Boiling Rock. We've been chained up for days and we are only given one meal a day. I suppose I should be grateful for that meal..but I'm not. The food here is disgusting. Beside me, Zuko leaned his head against my shoulder. I assumed he was asleep.

"Are we ever going to get out of here?" an annoyed Toph shouted from across the room.

Zuko stirred. "Shhh!" I whispered. "Dont wake him up. He's been awake for days."

"Well sorry. It's not like I can see that." Toph shot back.

I didn't know how to respond so I sat there quietly. I felt depressed, more than usual. I wondered if we would ever see daylight again.