"I think I see a cave below." Aang voiced.
"Shh! Keep quiet!" Sokka hissed.
Appa landed and Aang blew away the cloud illusion.
A few nearby birds squawked.
Sokka leapt off of Appa, diving behind a rock and looking around. Only when he was sure it was safe did he speak. "Great job with the cloud camo, but next time let's disguise ourselves as the kind of cloud who knows how to keep its mouth shut."
"Yeah, wouldn't want a bird to hear us chatting up there and turn us in." Toph sassed, climbing off of Appa.
"Hey! We're in enemy territory." Sokka defended in a hushed tone. He pointed above him at four birds that sat on a rock. "Those are enemy birds."
One of the said birds hopped off, landing on Sokka's head and making a small noise.
You all chuckled.
"Come on. Let's go check out the cave." You prompted with a wave of your hand, walking away.
The others followed, though Sokka jumped over you, scanning the cave.
Once he was satisfied, he turned to the group. "Well, this is it. This is how we'll be living until the invasion begins. Hiding in cave, after cave, after cave..."
"Sokka, we don't need to become cave-people." Katara assured. "What we need is some new clothes."
You looked down at your torn garments underneath your firenation cape.
"Yeah." Aang agreed, placing his fists on his hips. "Blending in is better than hiding out."
"More dangerous, though." You muttered.
"I agree with Y/n." Sokka said. "No one's gonna look in here."
"If we get firenation disguises, we'll be just as safe as we would be hiding in a cave." Aang reasoned.
"Plus, they have real food out there." Toph added from her reclined spot on the floor. "Does anyone want to sit in the dirt and eat cave-hoppers?" She hit her elbow against the wall behind her, scaring several small creatures. They began hopping around, panicked.
Momo charged forward, eating one.
Sokka turned to you. "Looks like we got outvoted."
You shrugged, having nothing to say.
Sokka looked to everyone else, a small smile on his face. "Let's get some new clothes."
"I don't know about this." Aang muttered. "These clothes belong to somebody."
"I call the silk robe!" Katara shouted, leaping out of her hiding spot and rushing toward the several lines of clothes.
"But, if it's essential to our survival… I call the suit!" Aang yelled, jumping forward as well.
You shook your head, stepping over the rock you were hiding behind and grabbing some clothes. You grabbed some that you thought would fit Toph as well and brought them back to her.
You changed while Sokka was picking his clothes out. You emerged just in time to hear Aang start to speak.
"Ta da! Normal kid." He said, arms extended.
Toph groaned. "I should probably wear shoes, but then I won't be able to see as well." She sat down on a rock, pushing her feet through the bottom of the footwear. "Sorry shoes!" She called unapologetically. "Finally. A stylish shoe for a blind earthbender."
"How do I look?"
You all turned, seeing Katara.
Aang's face flushed and he rubbed the back of his neck. The blush died down. "Uh, your mom's necklace."
"Oh. Oh, yeah. I guess it's pretty obviously watertribe, isn't it?" She asked sadly, taking it off.
"We'll get you another necklace." You assured. "I think I saw a market earlier." You informed, walking away.
You all entered the market, Katara buying a necklace, Toph a headpiece, Sokka a firenation tie for his hair, and you a bracelet.
You didn't think the firenation were as supportive of ying-and-yang as the watertribe was.
At least not if Zhao was any indication.
"I used to visit my friend Kuzon here a hundred years ago." Aang informed after he stuffed Momo in his shirt. "So everyone just follow my lead and stay cool. Or, as they say in the firenation, 'stay flamin'."
You pinched the bridge of your nose.
This wasn't going to end well.
Aang marched out confidently and the rest of you were forced to follow. He walked by a man on the street. "Greetings, my good hotman."
You cringed.
"Hi. I guess?" The man replied as you all passed.
Sokka shrugged at the man.
Once everyone was out of sight, Sokka grabbed Aang's shoulder, stopping him. "I think I should take the lead from now on."
"Oh. Okay. Where do you want to explore?" Aang asked cheerfully.
"Oh, we're going to a meat place?" Aang grumbled.
"Come on, Aang. Everyone here eats meat." Sokka countered. "Even the meat." He pointed.
You turned, seeing a hippo-cow eating a pile of… actually, you weren't sure. But you were sure that you didn't want to know.
Aang winced. "You guys go ahead." He jerked a thumb behind him. "I'll just get some lettuce out of the garbage."
You all nodded, heading inside.
"Where have you been?" Katara asked. "We've been worried sick."
You turned, seeing Aang in the entrance to the cave.
"I got invited to play with some kids after school." Aang explained happily, taking off his headband.
"You're a mess." You told him, looking at the marks on his face and clothes.
Aang looked down. "Oh, yeah. We played 'hide-and-explode'."
Your eyes widened, but no words came to mind.
"Wait, what did you say?" Sokka asked, standing.
"We played-"
"No, before that."
"I got invited to play with some kids after school?" Aang repeated.
"You're in school!?"
"I enrolled in a firenation school." Aang confirmed, nodding. "And I'm going back tomorrow."
"Enrolled in what!?" Sokka fell over.
You sighed. "Can someone wake him up?"
"Aang, I'm trying to be mature, and not immediately shoot down your idea." Sokka confessed. "But it sounds… really terrible."
"Yeah! We got our outfits, what do you need to go to school for?" Toph asked.
Your gaze fell to the fire that you all sat around. Flashes of your defeat in Ba Sing Se ran through your mind.
The fire was red and yellow, unlike Azula's blue.
Zuko.
Surely the fortuneteller didn't mean that you'd fall in love with a traitor? The one who betrayed you?
He was so close.
So close to joining your side.
So close to putting his hard past behind him.
So close to-
"Y/n, are you alright?" Sokka asked.
You ripped your gaze away from the fire, looking at the watertribe warrior. "Fine." You insisted.
Sokka looked at you, his eyebrows furrowing. "Can we talk?" He asked.
Your eyes widened. "I guess."
He took your wrist, pulling you outside the cave. "Are you sure you're alright? You keep getting lost in your thoughts. You have ever since we left Ba Sing Se. What's on your mind?"
You sighed, walking a few steps away. "Sokka, it's… hard to explain."
"Well, try." He urged, placing a hand on your shoulder and the other on his chest. "I'll do what I can."
You looked over at him, letting out a humorless laugh. "I don't know where to begin." You admitted.
"Well, start from the beginning, then."
You looked away, face flushing slightly in embarrassment. You thought about telling him about the fortuneteller, but you then reasoned that he didn't need to know that. "It's Zuko." You confessed.
Sokka's face contorted in confusion. "Zuko? Why would he be on your mind?"
You looked towards the water. "When Katara and I were captured, Zuko was, too."
"Right." Sokka prompted cautiously.
"He seemed so soft-spoken. He wasn't yelling, or attacking us. He just seemed… lost."
Sokka raised an eyebrow, but didn't interrupt.
"The things he was saying made me think that he would finally make the right choice. Finally do the right thing. He sounded like he was going to." You looked down at the ground, refusing to meet Sokka's gaze. "But Azula showed up. I guess his honor was more important to him." You sighed. "I feel like I'm not making sense."
Sokka paused. "I guess it makes sense. If you were betrayed by someone you thought would change, then it's reasonable that you'd be thinking about it a lot."
"Does it?" You asked, finally turning to face him. "I feel like it's not normal."
Sokka shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I haven't gone through what you are." He stood from his seat on the rock, approaching you.
You watched him hesitantly.
"Of course, he might have never planned to join our side. I don't think he's capable of it."
"That's not true." You instantly denied. "There is good in him." You insisted.
Sokka eyed the ocean. It began to pick up, creating small waves.
You steamrolled on. "You just have to find it… and somehow get through that thick skull of his."
Sokka shrugged. "Whatever you say. Although, I'm not really surprised that Zuko chose the path he did." He admitted.
"Yeah." You looked at the ground again. "I'm not, either." You mumbled.
"You want them to do what?" You asked.
"I need them to stand in as my parents." Aang repeated. "But since I don't have any, they're the best I've got."
"Aang, this is nuts-"
"Alright!" Sokka exclaimed, turning around and revealing a fake beard and moustache. "What do you think?"
You raised an eyebrow. "Looks great." You deadpanned.
"I'm ready, too!" Katara called.
You turned to her, seeing that she had something stuffed in a shirt to make her look pregnant.
"Guys-"
"Alright, let's go!" Aang exclaimed, rushing out.
Sokka and Katara followed.
You and Toph sat in silence.
Appa let out a small roar.
"My thoughts exactly." You muttered.
"That settles it. No more school for you, young man!" Sokka scolded, stroking his fake beard.
"I'm not ready to leave." Aang said, standing and approaching Appa. "I'm having fun for once. Just being a normal kid. You don't know what it's like, Sokka. You get to be normal all the time."
"Ha ha!" Toph laughed condescendingly.
Sokka's face fell, but he didn't look that upset.
"Listen, guys. Those kids at school are the future of the firenation." Aang defended, turning to face the group. "If we want to change this place for the better, we need to show them a little taste of freedom."
"What could you possibly do for a country of depraved little fire monsters?" Sokka asked.
"I'm going to throw them… a secret dance party." Aang informed, dancing a little and striking a pose.
"Go to your room!" Sokka shouted in his 'Wang Fire' voice, pointing to the side.
"I can't believe we're having a dance party." Sokka voiced.
"We know, Sokka." You assured.
"That's only the third time you've mentioned it in the past five minutes." Toph remarked, creating a stage.
"It just seems so… silly." He defended.
"Don't think of it as a dance party, but as a cultural event celebrating the art of fancy footwork." Aang offered, dancing a little.
Katara was creating a fountain off to the side. "I hope this goes well." She said.
You looked around at all of the candles. "We're in disguise, hiding the Avatar and his giant bison in a cave, where we invited a bunch of firenation kids to a dance party… I'm sure nothing could possibly go wrong." You deadpanned.
"They're coming!" Toph informed. "Everyone, stop bending!"
Aang rushed towards Appa. "Sorry, buddy. You should probably wait out back." He said, pushing the bison, to no avail.
Appa let out a groan, but he went further into the cave anyway, causing Aang to stumble at the sudden movement.
"I know. You've got fancier feet than anybody." Aang assured. "And six of them!" He turned back to the front of the cave, a wide grin on his face. He rushed outside, welcoming the kids as they walked in.
You and Sokka shared a nervous glance.
A few of the kids stood on the stage, playing various instruments.
Aang leapt in front of them. "Ladies and gentlemen! The flameos!" He said something to himself before turning to all of the students.
"Now what do we do?" One of them asked softly.
"This is when you start dancing." Aang informed, stretching his arms out.
"I don't think my parents want me dancing in a cave." One of the kids muttered.
"Yeah!" Another one agreed. "What if someone finds out?" He asked, glancing nervously around.
"Oh, boy." Aang mumbled. "Listen, guys. Dancing isn't something you think about. It's a form of self-expression that no one can ever take away from you."
"Maybe it's different in the colonies, Kuzon." The first kid spoke, stepping forward slightly. "But we don't do that here."
"Sure you do." Aang corrected. "You have for generations. And it just so happens that I know several classic firenation dances." He crouched down, holding his arms behind him and began moving around. "A hundred years ago, this was known as the 'phoenix flight'."
The students gasped, making various 'wow's'.
Aang stood. "And, this was the 'comelephant strut'." He leapt from side to side, holding his arms at chest-height before jumping into a roll. He quickly stood back up, right in front of two girls who giggled. He back flipped, landing on one foot and bowed.
Every student had their jaw dropped.
"He's not bad." You whispered to Sokka, who was sitting next to you at one of the tables that Toph had made.
"I didn't know he could dance." Sokka whispered back.
"Well, ya do now." You turned, seeing Toph and Katara at another table across the room. You guessed they were also talking about Aang's dancing abilities. You grabbed Sokka's wrist, heading over to the girls.
One girl pushed her blushing friend towards Aang.
Aang took her hand, leading her to the 'dance floor'. "This is how we do it in the ballrooms at Ba Sing Se!" He took steps to the side, moving his arms in almost a slicing motion.
The girl studied him for a moment before copying his actions.
"Wow! They look pretty good together." Sokka noted.
"Eh. If that's what you like." Katara said nonchalantly.
You could tell she was faking it, though. You turned to Sokka. "Why are you still wearing your beard and moustache?" You asked.
"Because I like it." Sokka replied, stroking it. "It gives me practice for when I eventually get facial hair."
Your face contorted into one of displeasure. "Please don't."
"Yeah! That's it! That's the sound of happy feet!" Aang voiced as more people joined in. "Alright, go with that. Everybody freestyle!"
Everyone began moving however they saw fit.
You chuckled, shaking your head. "I'm going to go get a drink."
"I will, too." Sokka agreed.
Toph wordlessly followed.
You poured three glasses, handing one to Toph and one to Sokka, before drinking a little bit, yourself. You turned, seeing Aang pulling Katara to a stand.
He led her to the middle, where he whispered in her ear, before they started circling each other, holding their wrists against the others.
They did a few spins, Katara ducking a fake kick from Aang, as they acted out a fight.
They both leaned forward, faces only inches apart, before they pulled away. They spun around each other, doing cartwheels and various other hand motions.
Aang took Katara's hand, spinning her towards him and dipping her.
Everyone cheered as the music stopped.
Your mouth dropped open as you stared in awe. What just happened? "Now, they look good together." You told Sokka once you got over your shock.
"I agree." Toph voiced.
"He's the one we want! The boy with the headband!"
You turned to find the person behind the unfamiliar voice. You saw an older man and several firenation guards in the entrance to the cave.
"Uh oh!" Aang exclaimed, turning and weaving through the students.
The guards rushed in, trying to find him. As they looked, several students took off their belts, tying them around their heads.
You, Sokka, Toph and Katara all rushed to the back, knowing that Aang would be with you shortly. You all hopped on Appa, and as you suspected, Aang leapt out, jumping on the bison, too.
Toph created a hole in the back of the cave large enough for Appa to fit through.
Appa flew out, sailing through the night sky.
"We're safe, Sokka. You can take off the moustache, now." Katara told her brother.
"Oh, no I can't. It's permanently glued to my skin." Sokka insisted, stroking his beard.
You rolled your eyes, reaching over and yanking it off.
"OW!" Sokka turned to you, glaring. "Woman!"
"Way to go, dancy pants." Toph told Aang. "I think you really did help those kids. You taught them to be free."
Aang rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know. It was just a dance party. That's all." He defended.
"Well, it was some dance party, Aang." Katara said, leaning forward and planting a kiss on the Avatar's cheek.
Aang blushed.
Sokka clapped slowly. "Flameo, sir. Flameo."