Aang was running. He had finally given in and was fleeing the source of all of his pain. He was trying to put as much distance between himself and the healing house as he could. His destination was unclear, but the vast openness of the North Pole was not going do it for him. Perhaps he could find a nice cave to hide in.

His skull was still pounding, and it had settles between his eyes. At the edge of the market, he stopped and leaned against a building for support. He let out a long moan and wondered if anyone had ever died of a migraine. He covered his eyes with his hands to block out the bright light of the snow.

He felt a hind on his shoulder. "Hey, are you okay, mister?"

Aang mustered up enough strength to open his eyes again. He had to squint to see the person behind the voice. It was a teenage girl dressed in dark blue. Her blue eyes matched the fabric and gave him a concerned look. Behind her was a teenage boy, but he was gawking at him. A few people passed by and looked curiously at them.

"I'm- I'm fine," Aang's voice cracked, but he pushed himself upright again.

"Holy Spirits! It's you! The Avatar!" The boy said loudly in excitement. That gained them a few more looks from onlookers. Some people had started to gather.

"Do you need help?" The girl asked him.

"You look kinds sick," the boy added.

"I'm fine, really," Aang insisted. "Nothing to see here."

His words didn't matter. People were staring at him and muttering amongst themselves. They were everywhere, and it prevented him from escaping.

Is it really him?

What is he doing here?

I heard he died or something.

Well, obviously not. Here he is!

Did you see the moon a few nights ago? Didn't you hear the story?

Move over, I can't see him!

The crowd wasn't exceptionally large, and they weren't really that close, but that's what it felt like to Aang. Once again, he felt like a canyon crawler on display at the zoo.

His face was blazing, his heartbeat was erratic, his throat was dry, his stomach was in knots, his pulse pounded with his migraine, and the world before him began to blur. He could feel himself shaking, and he thought he was going to be sick in front of everyone. They were smoothing him. He wanted to scream but held it in. He needed to get away now.

He needed space.

He needed to escape somewhere without dozens of eyes watching him.

He felt trapped. Without another word- without even excusing himself, - Aang summoned a quick gust of air that blew everyone back a few feet. In the midst of all the people's startled gasps, Aang sprung up onto the roof of the nearest building. He took off running. The thought that he must've looked completely crazy crossed his mind, but he was too confused and scared to care.

Yeah, run. It's what you do best.

Aang ran. He ran across that building and onto the next. He was running parallel to where the crowd had gathered. He needed to lay low so no one would spot him leaving.

Eventually, he jumped back down at the outskirts of the town. No one was around, so he hid between two buildings in an alley. He slumped against one of the buildings, exhausted and drained from escaping. He had no energy, and she shuttered violently. He tried to focus on his breathing, but he couldn't catch it.

What was wrong with him?

He didn't know. He didn't know anything anymore.

All he knew was that he needed to get further away. If only he had his glider. He supposed that it had been lost wherever Koh had attacked him many years ago. If only he had it now, he could fly farther away from the city, away from Azula, away from Katara and Zuko, and away from all of his fears.

He wished Appa were there too. He could take him even father away, to the other side of the world. There was nothing he wanted more than that right now.

But App was at the healing house… with Katara. So, that option was out.

He needed to be healed though. He wouldn't be able to make it very far with his head causing him so much pain. It hurt to breathe, but he knew he couldn't ask Katara for help. She'd never let him out of her sight again. He'd have to make do without her. He'd had to take care of the pain on his own.

When he was in the market, he should have gotten some herbs or medication. That would've been smart. If he went back there now, an even larger crowd would gather around him. The word was out: the Avatar had returned. No, he couldn't go back there.

Perhaps he could try to meditate… No, he tried that earlier. He hadn't even been able to meditate. It only made his head hurt worse. He didn't want to try that again.

Aang slid down the wall and onto his behind. His limbs were growing stiff and heavy with exhaustion. The alley spun before his blotchy eyes, and he closed them to try to breathe.

He could go into the Avatar State, just for a second. Yeah, that would help him get a better grip on his new life. It would flood his body with the energy he needed. Aang pressed his eyes together tightly.

Avatar State.

Now.

Go.

Now.

Come one.

…

… No…

…Nothing.

Aang finally opened his eyes and stared at his trembling hands. He couldn't do it. He couldn't go into the Avatar State. His heart began to scream with panic. Why was he not able to do it? There was no reason. It didn't make any sense.

He tried again. He had to do it. He had to be in control, but it shouldn't take this much effort.

Then, something gave away.

His body was overcome with a rush of spiritual energy. It came too fast. The sudden flow of power, the focused intensity of all of his past lives crash over him. It was uncontrollable, like a dam bursting. He tried to regain control, but he couldn't. He felt himself being swept away like when he was younger, before he had mastered it.

He struggled to get a grip on himself. When he did, he pulled back and felt the flood of energy leave his body. He fell over onto his hands and watched as the blizzard of snow around him settled.

Without warning, his stomach lurched, and his breakfast made a reappearance. He quickly covered it with snow. He continued to dry heave when there was nothing left. All he could do was cough and gag. Finally, he fell over onto his back and stared up at the bright sky.

What was that?

First, he hadn't been able to enter the Avatar State, then he was taken away so fast that he had nearly lost control. That was not normal.

Aang laid there breathing until he felt a little better. At least he had been able to do it in the end, and he didn't lose control completely. He was fine now. His headache let up a bit, and his vision was clear again. His strange chill still lingered in his bones, but that didn't bother him as much as his other problems. It was tolerable. He was fine now.

He was fine.

Maybe that was exactly what he needed to feel better. A quick trip to the Avatar State to clear his chakras and flush out all the monsters. It had to have been a leftover symptom of his extended stay in the Spirit World and his brush with death.

He was fine. He fixed himself. Katara was not needed after all.

When his headache finally subdued, he began to feel a calmness settle over him. It was like the birds remerging after a horrible storm.

He thought about getting up and going back to the palace at least. Zuko was probably there getting drilled by Chief Arnook for his failures. He needed to explain the situation to everyone. That had to be why Katara had flown away from him… because Zuko had returned alone.

His heart ached with guilt. After the way she acted this morning and overreacted again in the prison, she must have been frantic with Zuko. How could he do that to her? How could he give her another panic attack today? She had just told him to not run off without informing her. And now, that's exactly what he had done. He ran away without telling anywhere where he was going or why.

Then, there was Zuko. Would Zuko tell everyone what happened? He had to. What would he tell them? The only explanation he had given him was "not today."

And on the top of the list of people he had let down, there was Tenzin. Aang promised him that he'd watch him do airbending. Would Tenzin understand? Oh, Aang was going to be a terrible father if he kept this streak up. He abandoned and ignored him all day. He looked up to him as a hero, but he was a coward. He was too weak to protect him.

Maybe Tenzin preferred Zuko as a father anyways. Zuko was always here, and he knew something about being a father. Aang was a new toy. He'd get bored eventually.

His eyes stung at the thought, and he left his hand drift back to his pocket. His betrothal necklace was there, and he left his fingers dancing with it.

He let his mind wonder back to the bizarre conversation he had earlier with Zuko. Aang didn't know how to feel. The idea of Zuko loving Katara and trying to stop was odd to say the least. They could hardly spend a day together without fighting… or that's how it used to be.

With everything on Aang's mind that day, he had tried to block that glaring fact out. He thought he should be angry at Zuko, most people would be, but he was too confused, too distracted, and too dumbfounded to feel any anger at the moment. He didn't want to be angry either. He was too tied. He hated being angry.

Why would he be angry anyways? Because Zuko had fallen in love with Katara while he was gone?

Well, it was an accident. You don't get to choose who you love. Anyways, Zuko was sorry and trying to fix the problem honestly and honorably. He wasn't trying to fight Aang or hide anything from him. He told the truth immediately. Although Aang would have preferred to be blissfully ignorant, he knew Zuko had only meant well.

A little spark of resentment bubbled in his chest at the idea that his friend made a move on his girlfriend as soon ag he was out of the picture. The situation was unfair, and he was determined to not get angry. He wanted to let it go and never think about it again. Anyways, he and Katara had enough to deal with without adding in Zuko.

Aang was a grown up now… well, more than he was before. He was twenty-one, a father, and he had grown a beard. The mature thing to do was let it go. Yes, Zuko should have kept his distance, but at least they had someone to help them through tough times. They thought he was never coming back.

Then, a toxic thought crossed his mind, and it made his insides boil. Five years is a long time… a long time to live in the same city, in the same palace.

Just how close had they been?

The thought made his heart pound. Surely, they wouldn't have… It was Katara and Zuko. Everything about them was wrong, and they would've known that. Still, the idea twisted Aang's heart.

Katara should've know, right? She had to. She wouldn't…

Oh, come on. Five years is a long time. Katara could've yearned for someone while she was waiting for you?

What if she got tired of waiting?

Zuko was already a father to Tenzin. It almost seemed natural that he filled the other roles as well. She could look to Zuko while he was gone. The thought made him nauseous again.

He couldn't think about it anymore. He wouldn't think about it. His heart would devour itself if he continued to think about it- the betrayal, the loss, the humiliation.

He refused to feel overwhelmed or jealous until he got more answered. He was a better person than that. Still, he clung to a small thread of hope that it wasn't true. If it was, it was in the past. It was over.

Aang felt overcome with the urge to chuckle. He felt bitter and amused by the thought of Zuko comforting Katara. They practically hated each other.

But she moved to the Fire Nation for him…

She hated the Fire Nation thought. It was too hot.

She wouldn't even leave the South Pole for you. She wouldn't leave her family or people to go whizzing around the world with you.

But she left for Zuko.

Aang shook his head at the cruel thoughts. Azula was a problem. He knew it, but there was more. Zuko needed Katara… this was different. Maybe she had feelings for him the entire time.

No, that idea was ridiculous.

Still, it made him burn with rage. He squeezed the necklace in his hand. Maybe he was ridiculous.

He had a hard time convincing himself that Katara would fault on her loyalty. If he had been on her place, he would have waited fifty years without thinking about another relationship, especially if there was a child involved.

But Katara wasn't like him. Yes, she was caring and selfless, but she didn't need him like he needed her. And now, she only thought that she wanted to marry him because she was overcome with a feeling that wasn't love. It would never last.

The betrothal necklace bit into his hand as tears sprung to his eyes. He didn't want to cry anymore, but the urge to hurl the necklace as far as he could made him feel like a fool. He could never do that.

He didn't throw it away, but he almost did. He wanted to. Instead, he continued to hold it and think about how much she had hurt him. He was still unable to let it go.

Finally, he pulled the necklace out into the sunlight and studied it. It was so small, but it held so much meaning. He had never expected to see it again, but there it was. It had come back to him just like Sokka's boomerang. He laughed at the irony. Both brought pain.

His heart ached when he noticed that the necklace was no longer sharp or clean. It looked like it had been worn for years and rubbed smooth. He felt like he had just carved it yesterday, so full of hope and excitement… His bitterness burned again. His excitement was squashed.

She wanted to marry him now, or she thought she did. It wasn't right anymore. She'd be happy to receive it now, but he didn't have the strength or courage to ask her a second time.

He was so tired. So, so tired.

He laid there for a while longer. He told himself he should get up. He couldn't hide in that alley forever. He had to face them eventually. He had to see Katara eventually and she'd breakdown in front of him in a fit of anger and relief. She'd never let him go now. The thought made him feel exhausted already, but he couldn't wait any longer. The Chief would send people looking soon.

He didn't get up though. He just stayed there sprawled out on the ground, fingers twirling the necklace.

Then, it occurred to him. It wasn't Katara he was dreading… Okay, she was a large part of it, but that wasn't all. It was the fact that he'd have to act normal for her, for everyone. He had to pretend that he was okay, but he wasn't. At all.

His headache was under control, but he still wasn't okay, no matter how much he wanted to be.

He didn't know who he was or why he failed at the prison. He didn't know what the last five years were like, and he didn't know how he was supposed to fit into everyone's lives now. All he knew was that there was a possibility that he would fail to meet their expectations, and he wouldn't be able to recover when it finally happened.

He was the Avatar and a father now. He was gone for five years, and he wasn't sixteen anymore. He had new responsibilities, he had to be good enough. He had to be okay. He had to.

But he wasn't. He was just exhausted. Exhausted from trying to be okay and from acting like he was petrified by everything.

But- why was he pretending? Why didn't he just tell everyone and Katara that he wasn't okay?

…Because he felt like he had to be. That was why. Everyone expected him to be okay, to go back to normal. He was the Avatar, and he had a duty to the world to be okay. But he wasn't. He couldn't do it anymore. He was going to lose his mind if he kept this up any longer. He couldn't go back to normal.

Katara hadn't even acknowledged their last argument, her initial rejection. She just ignored it, like hse hoped he'd somehow forget or move past it. Or maybe she had forgotten herself? He couldn't tell, but the knife was still buried in his heart. She brushed it off, like it was no big deal.

Everything was wrong now. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He needed to tell her that he wasn't okay. He had to tell her that things may never be normal again. He wasn't what she wanted, and he needed time alone to figure out who he was before he could worry about who she wanted.

"Aang!" Her voice cut through the air. It was so faint that he thought he imagined it, but then it came again. "Aang!"

It was followed by, "Daddy!"

Aang glanced up and saw Appa's shadow pass overhead. He could only see the bison's underside, but he knew who the passengers were. They were looking for him.

Appa was close, but not close enough to see him in the little alley. They kept flying, unaware of how close they had been.

He should get up. They were looking for him. No, he had to get up. Now. He had to leave the alley, so they'd see him.

He heard them circle back around.

He tried to push himself up, but he toppled over. He couldn't move. He was utterly exhausted and still clutching the betrothal necklace. His eyes slowly closed.

Katara and Tenzin passed by again, never guessing that the person they were looking for was right below them.

Katara was steering Appa, and it felt like they were going around and around in circles. She had flown over the entire North Pole and surrounding areas, but they hadn't spotted him. Unless Aang was hiding in a hole somewhere, then she didn't see him.

Tenzin was peering over the edge of Appa's saddle and thought it shouldn't be this hard. His father was wearing orange and yellow. Everyone else was wearing a shade of blue or white, minus the few Fire Nation soldiers in black at the market.

The first time they flew over the market, both of them noted that a small crowd was dispersing around the outskirts. On their last fly over, Katara landed Appa near there. It had to mean something.

She quickly jumped off and watched Tenzin as he airbended himself down. Together, they walked up to a few of the people they recognized as being in the crowd.

A teenage girl caught sight of them and pulled a boy around the same age by the arm towards them. "Are you Katara?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," Katara was surprised. She was well known in the North Pole, but she was always shocked when anyone recognized her without the Avatar by her side. In the last five years, she had grown used to being just another person.

"Are you looking for the Avatar?" The boy asked with a strange excitement. His eyes glistened with hope.

Katara nodded, "Yes, have you seen him?"

"Yes!' The boy cried and clapped his hands together, but he didn't offer anymore information. Katara looked at the girl for help. She was growing impatient.

The girl rolled her blue eyes at him before turning back to Katara. "Excuse him. He's a big fan. A couple of minutes ago, the Avatar was here. He didn't look so good, like he was going to be sick. He said he was fine though."

The boy rushed to finish telling the story for her. "A crowd started to gather, and he airbended himself to the roof tops and took off running."

Katara felt her heart stop. He felt trapped and scared, and she wasn't there for him. "What way did he go?" The boy and girl pointed in they way Aang had went. Katara grabbed Tenzin's hand and rushed off. "Thanks!" she called back to them.

The frigid air made Katara's lungs burn, but she didn't care. She had to find Aang. Tenzin was running a few feet ahead of her, pulling her with him, and she didn't have time to think about anything else. She had to find Aang.

They ran through the maze of alleys quickly and looked down the ones they skipped. They ran until they had searched everywhere except for one alley. It was at the very end, closest to the where the town ended. Tenzin rounded the corner before her and came to a sudden stop.

"Daddy?" he asked in a small voice before growing silent. He turned to look at his mother with tears in his eyes.

Katara quickened her pace and almost tripped over her feet. Her heart was shouting that Aang was there, but her mind was telling her something was wrong. When she rounded the corner, she saw a heap of orange and yellow cloth on the ground, snow was beginning to cover it. For a second, the world stopped.

Not again, her mind shouted. You're not taking him from me again!

She ran to him and slid on the snow beside him. She grabbed his face and noticed that his eyes were closed. Had she pushed him to do this? Did she push him to run away? Was this her fault?

Tears ran down her cheeks in a steady flow as she checked his pulse. It was still there, but it was weak. She gathered some water from the snow around her and began to heal his heart. Her hands glowed briefly, and Aang groaned.

"Daddy?" Tenzin asked in a scared voice. Katara had almost forgotten that he was there. She turned around to look at him. He was standing about five feet away from her with tears running down his face too.

"He's going to be alright, Tenzin. Come here and hold his hand."

The little boy approached him and carefully reached for his hand. It was clutching something tightly. He rolled his hand over and undid it.

Katara had moved her hands to Aang's head and began to focus her energy there. She knew he was having some problems focusing earlier. Then, her eyes drifted to the hand Tenzin was holding. Then, the world stopped. Her eyes went wide, she stopped breathing, and her hands stopped healing. There was her necklace. Well, their necklace. He had given it to her when he asked her to marry him. She had lost it, but she didn't know when.

And there it was. In his hand.

The water she was using to heal his head splashed all over his face, and Aang woke with a start.

"Aang!" She cried; the necklace was forgotten. She was too busy hugging him and thanking the Spirits that he was alive. Tenzin joined in too. She pulled back gently and stared into his stormy grey eyes. "Are you okay?"

Aang was feeling surprisingly better. He had no clue how long he was asleep, but it was long enough to make him feel like a frozen popsicle. His vision was still clear, and the headache was tolerable. Maybe all he needed was some peace and quiet and some sleep.

When he replied to her, his voice was sleepy. "I'm not fine." He was being honest. He felt much better than he did before, but it still wasn't normal. It wasn't fine. His thoughts had finally become words, and Aang was able to tell Katara.

Katara studied him with frantic eyes, but they softened once she heard his words. He was alive and safe, and that was good enough for her. "I know," she said softly. "I've known something was off since breakfast, but I wanted to believe that you were okay. You need a healing session and some sleep… in a bed!" She giggled at the last part.

Aang smiled at her words. She wasn't offended that he lied. She knew exactly what he needed.

She was what he needed.

"I'm glad you're okay, Daddy," Tenzin muttered quietly as he brushed his tears away.

Aang felt his heartbreak. Tenzin was worried about him, and he had caused that by almost running away. He swore to himself that he would never make Tenzin cry again.

"Tenzin," Aang called to the boy. When their eyes met, Aang gently said, "I'm sorry if I scared you. I still want to see your airbending after I've rested."

Those were the magic words. Tenzin lit up like a Christmas tree. Aang immediately recognized his lopsided smile as his own. He felt a smile of his own cross his face.

Aang snuck another glance at Katara. She wasn't smiling like he had expected her to be. She was staring down at his lap… or more importantly, what was in his lap.

It was her necklace.

Aang quickly grabbed it and gave Katara a frightened look. He thought he must've looked crazy. Did she think he stole it back?

He wanted to keep it. He wanted to chuck it, burn it, bury it, etc. He didn't know what to do but when he looked into Katara's sorrow eyes, he knew she needed it more than he did. He gingerly held his palm out to her.

"I think this is yours."

"What- Where… Where did you get this?" Her voice was quiet, and she made no move to take it back. She felt ashamed that this was how he had to find out that she kept it. She felt even more ashamed that she had lost it. She felt like she didn't deserve it anymore. A lone tear fell down her face.

Aang looked at her for a moment. He thought she'd be happy to get her necklace back, but she looked sadder than he had ever seen her. She looked sadder than when she lost her mother's necklace all those years ago. "Zuko gave it to me."

"Zuko?"

That had to be a mistake. Katara had never shown the necklace to anyone. She had only recently told Sokka and Zuko about the proposal. How would Zuko have gotten her betrothal necklace when he didn't even know it existed?

"Yeah," Aang sat up slowly. His muscles screamed in protest as he brushed snow off his clothes. His palm was still open to her. "He said he found it in the Spirit Oasis, and he thought I should be the one to give it back to you."

"It must have fallen out of my pocket…" Katara tried to recall that night, but most of it was a blurry memory. The only thing she was focused on was Aang. She took her coat off as soon as she got there, and she didn't remember picking it up when they left. She specifically remembered how cold the air was when she crawled out of the circular door.

Her hand moved slowly towards Aang's, and she took it back. She placed it deeply into her pocket, so it wouldn't fall out again. She'd have to find somewhere new to store it… until Aang asked her to marry him... if he ever did.

"Momma, can we go back to the room now?" Tenzin asked with a yawn. It was already mid-afternoon, and the craziness was not near being over, but it was Tenzin's usual nap time.

She smiled at him. "Of course." She looked at Aang, suddenly feeling shy. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," he sighed.

Katara and Tenzin each grabbed an arm and helped pull Aang to his feet. It wasn't easy. He was stiff and still feeling unwell. Once he was vertical, they were all huffing and puffing.

"Appa's right over here," Katara told him as she led him out of the ally. She wrapped his arm around her shoulders to support some of his weight. Tenzin skipped happily in front of him.

Aang groaned as they walked, but he perked up a bit once he saw Appa. The bison groaned back at him in a greeting.

Tenzin reached Appa first and sent a gust of wind to carry himself into the air and onto the saddle with ease. Aang's eyes went wide. He had watched Tenzin do it before, but he was amazed at the fluidity of the five-year-old.

"Katara," he whispered into her ear. "How long has Tenzin been able to airbend?"

Katara took a second to think. The first time was in the market in the Fire Nation. He protected her from that stranger. It was hard to believe that that was only a few days ago. "A couple of weeks, I think. Why?"

Aang's mouth dropped. "That's amazing. He's way better at controlling currents than I was at his age. He must be a prodigy." Proudness surged through Aang.

Katara smiled at him and remembered her own journey with waterbending. She didn't really learn anything until she was fourteen. She became a master in a couple of months, but she was no where as impressive as Tenzin was. She blamed the fact that there were no other waterbenders in her village, so she didn't have a master to each her. But, then again, there were no other airbenders in the entire world to teach Tenzin. Aang was the only one that could.

They reached Appa, and Aang tried to bend himself onto Appa's back. He made it about two feet off the ground before he came falling back.

Aang was shocked. His short trip to the Spirit World must have taken all of his energy because he couldn't bend at the moment. He snuck a glance at Katara, worried about what she might be thinking. He must have looked so weak and pathetic to her.

Instead, Katara smirked at him. Then, she created a tornado out of the snow around his feet. He was a bit wobbly, but it carried him up in the arm. Tenzin grabbed his hand and pulled with all his might. Aang clumsily flopped into the leather saddle. That was a first.

Katara did the same for herself, but it was more graceful. She perched herself on Appa's head. With one quick glance back, she grabbed the reigns. "Yip yip!"

Appa landed in the empty yard beside the healing house with a thud. It drew the attention of a few healers, but they quickly returned to their business.

Sokka heard the thud from his room and ran out on his balcony. He almost jumped over the railing when he saw Aang again. "There you are!" He yelled to them. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Sokka disappeared back into the room and took off towards them in a mad dash. Along the way, he gathered Suki, Ursa, and Toph. He had no time to explain what was happening. He just waved his arm at them and took off again.

They reunited in front of the healing house. Sokka nearly tackled Aang. "Don't you dare run off again."

Aang patted his friend on the back and laughed. "I'll try not to."

Sokka pulled away and looked at the three of them. His expression was pained and somber. "Something's happened."

"What's wrong, Sokka?" Katara could feel her pulse quickening.

"The Chief wanted us to leave the North Pole as soon as Aang was found. We have to leave and take Azula with us."

Katara shook her head. "No, we're not going anywhere until Aang has had a healing session and some time to rest."

"Katara," Sokka pleaded with her. "I couldn't agree more with you, but Zuko and the Chief already discussed it. All of our things have been loaded onto a Fire Nation ship in the harbor. We have to go!"

Katara scowled at her brother, but it was Aang's turn to talk. "The Chief is kicking us out?" That was odd. Did they do something to offend him?

"Yes, he is very unhappy with Azula. He also thinks the Fire Nation being here is a threat to his people."

"That's ridiculous," Katara scoffed and crossed her arms.

Sokka looked at Suki for help. His sister was too stubborn to listen to him.

"The ship has been in the harbor for a few days, and the soldiers are getting restless," Suki shrugged as she tried to explain the situation to Katara, but she didn't understand it either. It had been there for a few days without an incident. What was wrong with a few more?

"Azula is too dangerous for us to move her right now. She could kill us all!" Katara cried.

Aang felt his guilt returning. He was the reason they all might die or get injured. He should have taken her bending away. It was all his fault.

His thoughts continued to run wild, and he missed the siblings return to fighting. Sokka and Katara's voices raised as they went on. One of their cries sent a piercing pain through his skull. He gasped in pain and grabbed his head.

All eyes were on him immediately, and Katara placed her hand on his shoulder. "See, this is what I'm talking about. We're going to get a healer."

Katara helped Aang stand again and walked him up the stairs and into an empty room. Then, she yelled out the door for a healer.