Gaang POV:

Aang sat on a ledge overlooking the moonlit ocean, away from the others. He didn't want to deal with their meaningless reassurances and worried glances right now. He just...wanted to be alone. He didn't want to be around the ones that reminded him of his sorrows right now. Everything was so messed up now...ever since he'd trapped himself in that iceberg.

The sound of footsteps coming up from behind interrupted Aang's brooding. He shot an irritated glance at Matthew as the blond wordlessly sat down next to him and looked up at the moon thoughtfully.

After about a minute of this strange, silent companionship, Aang felt himself scowling. What did he want? Who did he think he was that he could-

"I have a pet."

Aang blinked, not having expected such a random statement. "Er...okay?"

"And a brother," Matthew continued solemnly. "Friends, family, a job...all at my home. I do not know how to get back to them. All I have is this journal...and over half of it is...foreign to me."

The airbender didn't really have a response to that. Where was he going with this?

Matthew's uncanny violet eyes seemed to lay Aang's soul bare. "What are your troubles?"

"W-well," Aang said uncomfortably. "I'm the last of my kind, I have to bring balance to the world, and Appa, my oldest friend, is missing."

Matthew nodded to show he understood. "You still have Katara, though. Sokka, and Toph...even Momo. People who know you and understand you. I have no one. Yet I do not act...distant."

The airbender shook his head. "You don't get it, Matthew. I can't allow myself to lose control over my emotions. Everyone is counting on me. I'm the Ava-"

The blond cut him off sharply. "Your friends are counting on you too, and you hurt them by acting this way. That does not fulfill your duty, does it?"

Aang suddenly felt very small at Matthew's words. "I'm not...I don't want to hurt anyone."

Matthew's firm expression softened a bit. "Then do not be distant. Be the Avatar...but also be Aang. And remember that things will always get better."

"You make it sound so easy," Aang accused. "I can't just...hope, like I have before at the drop of a hat."

"I never said it was easy," Matthew returned. "But it is still important. Trust me when I say that hope...can drive nations."

Aang thought about it. He didn't want to hurt anyone-he hadn't known he was doing it. And Matthew...in a strange world, surrounded by strange people and strange customs and a different language...he must feel rather alone right now. A lot like Aang had felt...when he'd found Gyatso's skeleton. Matthew knew how it felt then, to lose something important to him, and to have the entire world as his opponent. "Hope may not help me find Appa, but it will help me. And my friends...and you. I'm sorry."

"You owe me no apology," the blond reassured. He got to his feet, stretching his arms high above his head. "I go to bed now. I am...toyrd? Correct?"

The airbender couldn't help but crack a smile. "'Tired', Matthew. Tiiiired."

"That as well," Matthew yawned.

"And for the record," Aang called, "you aren't alone here, either!"

Matthew smiled, and shuffled off towards the campfire.

Zuko POV:

Zuko tore into his bowl like it was the last good meal he'd have for a long while. Something that was very possible, as far as he was concerned. Iroh was beside him, attempting conversation with Jet and his...posse. Alfred was nowhere to be found, which concerned Zuko more than he was willing to admit.

"Oh, where's the hammer guy?" Jet asked suddenly. "'Alfred', wasn't it? I really wanted to talk to him, too..."

"It'd be a short conversation," Zuko stated quickly. "He's mute...and mostly deaf."

"But why isn't he here?" the girl, Smellerbee, asked. She apparently didn't find either condition terribly odd. "Isn't he hungry?"

Iroh waved towards the front of the ferry. "Alfred is...well, I think I might've upset him a little bit. He wanted to be alone."

Zuko shot Iroh a questioning look. The ex-general shook his head slightly as if to say, 'Not here.'

Jet seemed to deflate slightly. "Oh...I figured he was mute, since he didn't speak. But I didn't realize he was mostly deaf as well. How did it happen?"

"From birth," Zuko answered, figuring that would be the easiest cover story to remember. "The healers in, uh...our village, couldn't do anything to help."

"We've been taking care of him since his parents died in a Fire Nation raid," Iroh added convincingly. Zuko resisted the urge to slap his hand over his uncle's mouth for making the story more elaborate.

"We've all been hurt by the Fire Nation," Jet sighed. "That's why I started the Freedom Fighters...to make them pay."

"But we're going to Ba Sing Se for a second chance," Smellerbee said. "We're done with all that." She set a fierce gaze on her leader. "Aren't we Jet?"

"Of course, Smellerbee," the teen reassured quickly. "No more of...that stuff."

The group became uncomfortably silent. Iroh tried to salvage the conversation. "So...Smellebee...such a strange name for a young man."

"Maybe because I'm a girl!" Smellerbee shot back. She got up and stomped away. Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. "Uncle...did you really think she was a boy all this time?"

"The ill-fitted armor is deceiving," Iroh returned sheepishly.

The silent archer, Longshot, stood up and went after her. Jet watched them bemusedly as Longshot...comforted her?

Zuko couldn't take it anymore. He excused himself on the pretense of being tired. Alfred would probably show up by morning.

Gaang POV:

Sokka looked across the stretch of water, and the continued path on the other side. "The map never mentioned the path going underwater. You'd think that was important, right?"

"Apparently not," Toph shrugged.

"It's no big deal," Katara said. She swept her hands over the water and made a parting motion. The water followed her motions. "Everyone stay close." She walked forward, pushing ocean water out of her way. The water was almost over their heads when Katara said, "Aang, close up the other end please?"

Aang copied her motions, encasing the group in a giant air bubble.

Matthew poked at the wall curiously. He withdrew his finger, and much to his dismay and everyone's amusement, a trail of water followed it like glue. "Uh...the water is stuck to my finger..." He tried to use his other hand to pull it off, accidentally freezing it. He made a frustrated noise and looked around helplessly. "What do I do now?"

"Melt it?" Sokka offered mirthfully.

The blond looked at Sokka evenly. "I do not know how."

Toph laughed. "Sounds like your going to have your hands full with this one, Katara. He seems a bit far from a 'bending prodigy'."

Matthew rolled his eyes and started trying to pry the icicle off of his finger.

Meanwhile, Momo occupied himself by jumping in and out of the bubble, aiming for the assorted fish swimming by them.

A few things happened at once. Matthew let out a victorious whoop, holding up his now liberated finger. Momo jumped back into the bubble with an alarmed screech. The walls exploded in a mess of scales and droplets. In the mess of rushing water, noise, and confusion, Toph stomped the ground and pointed her palms up, raising the ground up above sea level and into relative safety.

Sokka looking around at the seemingly calm water wildly. "What was that thing?!"

Katara looked into the ocean, trying to distinguish the long, dark shape she was seeing...She stumbled back just as the water exploded again. Sokka caught her before she could fall.

A huge serpent with sickly green and white scales leered down at them with huge, pinkish eyes. It let out a short, rasping hiss that echoed over the cliffs as it reared up in preparation to strike.

"The Serpents Pass has sea serpents?!" Sokka cried out with dismay.

Aang leapt off of the small island Toph had made, and jetted towards the monster. He sent a few air blasts towards it's face and eyes to try and drive it off. Katara went to work forming a bridge of ice so that the rest of the group could make their escape. She finished, and they ran across.

Sokka turned around to see Toph wasn't behind him anymore. She was still on the platform. "Toph! Come on, let's go!"

"I-I'd rather stay on this tiny island where I can see," the earthbender called back shakily.

The serpent's giant tail shot out of the water in an effort to bat Aang out of the air. Aang repelled it's tail away, causing it to slam into Toph's platform. Toph lurched forward on reflex, and found herself on the miraculously still intact ice bridge. "Ah-Okay! I'm coming!" She cautiously began inching her way across.

"You're doing great!" Sokka yelled encouragingly. "Just follow the sound of my voice!"

Toph's witty retort was cut off when Aang delivered the finishing blow to the sea serpent. With one more defiant whip of it's head, the creature fell back into the water, destroying the ice bridge on it's way.

The earthbender screamed as she went down. "I can't swim!" She was overtaken by the waves.

Matthew dived without a moment's hesitation. Aang landed a moment later, smiling from his victory. His smile faded however, when he noticed who was missing. "Where are they?"

Sokka and Katara looked at each other. Katara pointed wordlessly at the water. Aang, fearing the worst, looked as if the world had already ended. They waited by the water's edge, unable to do anything but hope.

Zuko POV:

Alfred did in fact, reappear in the morning, just as the ship was coming to dock. His expression was suitably apologetic as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry I wasn't...around. Did I miss anything important?"

Zuko raised an eyebrow, but didn't press the issue. Alfred didn't look very open to sharing at the moment. "You missed out on some very awkward conversation. And breathing exercises. You do know what that means, don't you?"

The blond deflated slightly. "...Yeah..."

"Actually," Iroh interjected. "I'd like to practice something else with him when we get into the train station. Something a little more...challenging."

The scarred teen eyed his uncle. "Aren't Earth Kingdom train stations a little crowded? Couldn't this wait until we're alone?"

"Nonsense," the ex-general laughed, setting a firm and encouraging hand on Alfred's shoulder. "People operate better when the stakes are higher, because they have no choice but to succeed the first time. And I figure we really need to get Alfred's training going." He shot a sly glance at the tall blond. "Surely you can rise to the challenge?"

Alfred thought about it for a moment, and then grinned at the prospect. "Let's go for it."

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, resigning himself to the fact that he was, in fact, related to this crazy old man. He also came to terms with the indisputable certainty that Alfred shared his uncle's strange brand of willful insanity.

Gaang POV:

Matthew burst out of the water, Toph's limp form in his arms. Sokka let out a whoop of relief, taking Toph from Matthew's arms and laying her on the ground while Matthew preoccupied himself with drying off.

Katara made quick work of the water trapped in the earthbender's lungs. Toph lurched into a sitting position, coughing out the remaining droplets of ocean water.

Aang gripped her shoulders, as if cementing the fact that she was alive and well for himself. "Thank the spirits you're alright! I don't think..." he took a deep, shuddering breath, "I don't think I could handle losing anyone else."

Toph chuckled as she wrung out her clothes. "Wow, Twinkletoes. You're in worse shape than me over this-and I was the one drowning!"

The airbender laughed. Katara was immensely relieved. He seemed to be in better shape, now. Not as...melancholy. Things felt almost normal like this.

Sokka clapped Matthew on the back. "Good save, buddy. You're alright for a...whatever you are."

The blond smiled depreciatively. "It is no trouble."

Toph stood up, waving off any assistance. "Please tell me there's no more water on this trail."

"Nope! It's smooth sailing to Ba Sing Se from here, Sokka said joyously. "We're just about out of the Serpent's Pass."

Katara beamed at the thought of getting off of her feet. "We should get moving, then. We can probably reach the city by this afternoon."

The group gave assorted sounds of agreement, and they got moving. If Toph seemed a little...preoccupied, no one commented on it.

Zuko POV:

"Ah, perfect," Iroh said. He waved the tea vendor over, and paid for two cups. He handed one to Alfred. "Now what do you notice about this tea?"

Blue eyes studied the liquid with confusion. "Um...it's cold?"

"Exactly," the elder man agreed. He glared at his own cup balefully. "Such a disgrace...we should fix this."

Zuko's eyes widened in realization. "No Uncle, he doesn't have that much control, yet."

"I'm sure he can do it," Iroh said dismissively. He turned back to Alfred. "Now watch closely." He straightened his posture slightly, and bid his breath to be even. A few seconds later, he sipped his drink. "Ah, hot tea. One of life's greatest pleasures."

Alfred's lips parted in awe. He looked at his own cold beverage, and then at Iroh's steaming hot one. "...How did you do that?"

"Breath makes fire," Iroh answered sagely. "Breath, and passion."

"...Okay?" Alfred gripped his cup in two hands, controlling his breath and posture like he was taught.

"Remember what you felt with the moose-lion," Iroh suggested. "Or the bomb expert...not anger, necessarily. But something else. Something...purer. Call upon that."

Zuko frowned inwardly. This wasn't what he'd been taught about firebending-

Alfred gasped as his tea began to let off steam, light bubbles travelling to the top as the heat intensified. Iroh put a staying hand on Alfred's arm. "Easy there. Too much will break your tea cup. Reel it in a bit and-good, Alfred."

The blond beamed, happy at having gotten it right. Then the teacup blasted apart. Alfred let out what was probably an angry curse as the piping hot liquid spilled on him, causing people to curiously glance their way.

Iroh saved the situation, switching to Common Language as he loudly said, "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were still holding your tea when I grabbed your arm. Does someone have a drying cloth?"

Zuko massaged his temples. Great. Attention. Because Uncle wanted to practice firebending. In public.

Iroh switched to High Court again as he muttered, "Excitement, happiness, emotions in general...these are all passions. You must keep them under control in the future."

Alfred nodded to show he understood, and took a refugee's offered drying cloth with a grateful expression.

Zuko wondered how they were going to pull this off, if they were already gaining unwanted attention. He reminded himself not to allow Uncle to 'experiment' with Alfred's training anymore...especially not in public places.

I feel better about this chapter than I did the last one...and I recently had one of those amAZING fanfiction ideas that will make this story SO much more meaningful and suspenseful...but that'll be much later, so why am I even telling you about it?...

Aaaanywho, thank you all for the wonderful favs, follows, and reviews. Each one is appreciated(though I wish the people who ask me questions would sign in so that I could answer them). Either way, guest or author, I'd like to hear what you think of this chapter. Review, please!

Later dudes. ^J^