A/N Okay, you know what? This is taking too long.

Originally, I was going to have this be one chapter, but it's clocking in at about 26 pages on Microsoft Word and more than 12k words (at least, according to Google Docs). Since it was getting too long, and I have yet to finish the chapter, I'm splitting it into two parts. The second part hopefully won't take too long to get up, but we'll see how it goes.

Enjoy!

EDIT: When I went back to look at the chapter on the site, I realized that the italics were all erased due to, to put it simply, a glitch. It should be good now. Also, if you guys get bored while waiting for this fic to update, I set up a drabble series called "Too Late"; once I've updated this fic, I'll be posting drabbles on that one to keep you guys occupied ;)

Whatever Aang was expecting of the world that lay beyond the bunker, the actual visage was infinitely more vivid and colorful and full of life than what he expected.

And that was an understatement.

In accordance with the atmosphere that had plagued the bunker, Aang had pictured the outside world to be somewhat bleak and dreary, maybe plagued with eternal rain and muted with a grayish tint. All the inhabitants would be grim-faced and stoic, and even the birds would be silent, as though afraid of breaking the gloomy atmosphere. Maybe even a street or two that led out from the bunker, with rows of houses flanking each side, like something out of those old movies.

Hey, he never said what he pictured would be realistic.

What actually greeted him was a serene, tranquil plain of grassland that flowed almost ethereally across the land under the caress of a light breeze. Soft, yellow light shone down upon the land in a gentle imitation of the sun, but when Aang glanced up to see the telltale golden orb, none could be found.

The bunker itself seemed to sit right in the middle of the vast, otherworldly field. Aang trailed his eyes forward, taking in grass that seemed to extend for several kilometers and copses of trees that were scattered about. In addition to the metal bunker, there was also a smaller stone pavilion to his left that seemed to contain a furnace, and Aang could see smoke rising from the smokestacks. Against the sandy-stone color of the giant wall far ahead of them, he could make out the silhouettes of kids a little ways away—

Wait, a wall?

He lifted his eyes to see the giant wall looming over even the bunker (which was a gigantic building by itself), topped with sturdy, proud battlements. The wall itself was massively impressive and imposing, leading Aang to wonder briefly who built it and how long it took. Even from here, he could see the bottom middle of the wall he was facing had been carved out in an arch and replaced by a woven metal gate.

A quick look around confirmed to Aang that three other walls similar to the first (minus the gate) surrounded the grassy field, boxing them in. Strangely enough, Aang didn't feel caged in; on the contrary, his very soul seemed to float away from his earth-tethered form and soar high up into the air, up into the celestial-blue skies and away from the cold, unyielding ground, where it belonged.

A powerful sense of nostalgia and tranquility washed over him, and he automatically closed his eyes as he breathed in the air, energy coursing through his veins. He almost felt as though he could feel the energy flowing within every living thing in this mysterious place, could feel the trees breathe as their roots pumped in nutrients from the rich soil, could hear the grass sigh as the wind stroked them lovingly.

There was a tug within the very core of his being, as though there was something in Aang that yearned to be released into the fields, to frolic and dance without a care in the world. Everything about this place was so familiar, so warm and comforting and right, that if Aang didn't know any better, he would even say that this was his home.

When he opened his eyes again, he was met with the same icy-cold eyes that had glared at him from when he was in the bunker. Only, this time, those pinpricks of ice had now softened with an almost curious light. Even if Sokka was glaring at him, Aang was too filled with a sense of peace in his soul to even startle at how close the Water Tribe boy was to him.

"You look at home here," the other boy remarked. That was a loaded statement, Aang thought, as he tried to discern the tone with which the boy had spoken. Was it suspicion? Distrust? Maybe just neutral? Whatever the case, Aang felt as though Sokka made that remark just to see how Aang would react, like a test of sorts.

The problem was, though, Aang didn't know which answers were right and which ones were wrong.

"I guess I do feel that way," Aang agreed somewhat warily, carefully checking his words to make sure they were inherently neutral. He turned back towards the sunlit field and inhaled deeply, the fresh air filling his lungs and washing away all the unease he felt around the Water Tribe boy. "Everything here is so filled with life and color and fresh air," Aang continued, the clamor of unrest quieting and settling down within him. "How could I not?"

A quiet scoff to his left prompted Aang to twist his head over to see Sokka stroke some sort of metallic weapon, his face shadowed. The weapon, Aang noticed, was a flat plane that created a sharp curve, like the legs of a triangle. One of those legs was wider than the other; it had a crescent concave at the end, creating sharp points at the end, and two holes, one towards the midpoint of the weapon and the other towards the end of the thicker leg. The other leg tapered down to a gentle point. The entire weapon was painted with a white outline and a muted blue in the middle, and from all the nicks and scratches Aang could see on it, Sokka had not used it sparingly.

A boomerang. Yet another term that had clicked into place in his mind, another gate that had opened and unleashed a flood of emotions that have no memories attached, deja vu but no recollection.

"You'll see how," Sokka muttered, but it was so quiet, Aang wondered if Sokka really did say that. Even so, Aang felt a chill run down his spine at the foreboding words, but before he could ask, Sokka stood and sheathed his boomerang. "C'mon." He gestured towards Aang, his grim mask not wavering even for a second. "I'll show you around."

As Aang trailed behind the older boy, who strove purposefully towards a copse of trees, he couldn't help but wonder why Sokka seemed so… serious. Businesslike. He couldn't be that much older than Katara, so if Aang's estimate for the waterbender was correct, then Sokka should be at least fifteen. From the way the Water Tribe boy acts, though, Aang could've been fooled into thinking Sokka was twice his actual age.

What was it with this place? First Katara, who claimed to be the head of the medical ward, and now this boy, who seemed to be taking his job a little too seriously for a kid his age.

It could be nothing, Aang argued with himself. It could just be a family trait the two of them possess. But Aang had the distinct feeling that inherited traits weren't the reason behind the way these two were acting. But until he met other kids who acted the same way as these two were acting, Aang decided to withhold his judgement until he collected enough information.

"Always keep an open mind and a reserved judgement."

"Alright, kid." Sokka's gruff voice cut through Aang's musings, dispersing his thoughts and sending him back to the present. Aang shook himself of his reverie and focused on the Water Tribe boy, who was eyeing him critically. "Let's make one thing clear: everything I'm about to tell you is extremely important, alright? As in, it-might-save-your-life important." Aang couldn't suppress a shudder at how unironic his words were. "So I will not tolerate any distractions, any interruptions, and, above all, I want you to focus. You got that?"

Aang merely nodded, unnerved at how dark Sokka's face looked in the moment. Sokka, however, was not satisfied. "Did you get that?" he bit out, and Aang got the sudden feeling that Sokka wanted a verbal response.

"Y-yes." Aang silently cursed himself for stuttering.

"I want a 'Yes, sir,' newbie," Sokka barked out, and suddenly, Aang felt like a bug, with how the older boy loomed over him with a menacing expression.

"Yes, sir."

"Louder!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good." Sokka nodded with a stoic satisfaction on his face. "You just learned rule number one, kid: always listen to your squad leader."

Now Aang was confused. "Squad leader?"

"Yeah." Sokka stopped and turned to face Aang. Aang, sensing it as a sign to stop, did as well. "When some of us kids—the early ones—first dropped into this place, we had to figure out a way to organize ourselves. We tried to merge everyone into one complete fighting force, like an army, but as it turns out,"—Sokka shrugged—"some of us didn't get along very well."

"Wait, army?"

Sokka, ignoring Aang, continued on his lengthy explanation. "What some of us did to solve the problem was to split the kids into smaller fighting forces—cluster all the kids who had matching specialized skills and worked well together in the same group. Needless to say, I was the one who came up with the solution,"—here, Sokka's voice took on a hint of pride—"and I have to say, it's been working pretty well so far."

"Fighting forces?"

"No in-fighting, no incidents of someone burning someone else just because they were displeased." Sokka's lip curled in disgust as his eyes flashed with some sort of memory he possessed before his face reverted back to the stoic mask. "The kids who were part of the council, which included myself, were appointed as squad leaders, and ever since, we've been the ones to decide who goes in which squad, the schedule for certain days, all that stuff."

Okay, hold on— Aang's head was still reeling from the fact that 1. these kids were able to arrange themselves in such a systematic manner, and 2. the fact that said kids even had to arrange themselves this way in the first place. Armies? Clustering everyone into squads? Organize themselves to fight?

Fight what?

Sokka answered with the grim, "You'll see," again, and Aang suddenly realized that he'd spoken his thoughts aloud.

Aang sighed, staring down at his hands and absentmindedly noting the intricate tattoos running along his arm. "I just don't get why."

"I just told you—"

"No, not that," Aang cut him off, finding the courage within himself to look at Sokka right in the eye. "I don't get why kids are doing all of this."

Sokka, for the first time, looked distinctly uncomfortable. Aang couldn't help but notice how similar his reaction is to Katara's reaction, when Aang wondered why she, a kid, was apparently the lead healer of the place.

Sokka dropped his eyes in an almost uncharacteristically uneasy manner and muttered quietly, almost too low for Aang to hear, "We haven't been kids for a long time, kid."

Aang furrowed his eyebrows in concern, but before he could ask what Sokka meant, Sokka's face hardened again, and Aang sensed the opportunity to ask questions pass.

Sokka gestured back towards the bunker. "Once we figured out how many squads there were, we began to arrange ourselves so that squads sleep together, eat together, train together. Didn'tcha notice how some bunk beds were clustered together and separated from other bunk beds?"

Aang, in fact, did notice it. "Yeah."

Sokka continued, "Well, each cluster of bunk beds is for different squads, depending on how many members they have. Each bunk bed is marked with a different color as a sort of… territorial marking, so to speak."

Aang began to tug a bit nervously at his collar. At the words "territorial marking," Aang got a sudden, vivid image of a dog marking its territory, before the image switched to the same dog tearing apart another dog that had stepped over the boundary.

The analogy did not help alleviate Aang's anxiety about being around the boy.

"Funny thing is," Sokka began in an ironic tone that suggested the opposite, "once we established the system, the people who dumped us here would put the newbies on certain bunk beds for certain squads."

Aang perked up, intrigued by the implications behind Sokka's words. "Other newbies?"

"Oh, yeah. Didja think they dumped us all here at once?" Sokka snorted. "If we had this many people from the beginning, we'd have never gotten this organized from the start."

"How long have they been dropping people off here?"

"How should I know? I don't keep count of the days. That's something Katara would do." Sokka sent a glare towards Aang that froze his innards. "And anyways, I told you not to interrupt me."

Aang only bowed his head in deference, too cowed by the older boy to trust himself to speak without betraying his nervousness.

Sokka continued, "Anyways, more often than not, the comatose newbies are put onto bunk beds that belong to a certain squad, so when they wake up, the leader for that squad would be the one to talk to the newbie first, which a certain someone had forgotten."

Aang wasn't too sure why Sokka was directing that last statement towards the bunker, considering how far away they were now. Before he could say anything, however, Sokka turned back towards him. "But yeah, the newbie will be shadowing the squad most of the time. Since you were put on a bunk bed that belongs to my squad, you're stuck with me until we decide which squad to put you in."

Great… From the way Sokka gritted out the words, he wasn't too keen on the idea either. Well, Aang mused, maybe it wouldn't be so so bad. After all, he would be able to get to know this enigmatic boy next to him and maybe even bypass Sokka's dislike of him (seriously, though, what did Aang do to make him act so cold around him?) to form a bond of friendship.

And then Aang registered the rest of what Sokka had said. "Wait, so someone decides which squad to put me in?"

"Not just someone." Sokka made an elaborate gesture with his hands whose meaning fell flat for Aang. "The Council of the Squad Leaders."

"Why?"

Sokka heaved an exaggerated sigh, as if starting to lose patience with Aang's questions. Aang suddenly wondered if it would be better to keep his mouth shut, but Sokka was speaking before Aang could pursue that train of thought. "Newbies will rotate between squads," Sokka explained, "and the squad leaders will monitor them to see if they fit properly. Then, we all get together to evaluate you and see which squad you would best fit into."

Aang thought it over. The system made a lot of sense to him, but… "Why do it this way?" Aang scratched his head. "Why not let the new kid pick the squad they wanted to go into?"

Sokka spread his arms out. "If we had the newbie pick, they would probably choose the one with most of their friends, not the one where their set of skills would fit the best." Sokka's voice turned grim. "And we can't afford to have that happen."

"Why not?" Aang gestured helplessly around him. He had a hard time believing that this serene, tranquil landscape that made him feel more alive than ever held any kind of danger, let alone a mortal peril—the image Sokka seemed to construct with his tone. Plus, Aang was a little bit turned off by the system's apparent insistence that complementary skills should be put above any bond of friendship; it was logical, Aang admitted to himself, but from what Aang knew, there was also the issue that even people with complementary skills wouldn't work well together, simply because they had no bond with each other, or worse, an antagonistic bond. Friends worked better together than any stranger, complementary skills or not.

(where did I learn this stuff)

The system that Sokka described suspiciously had too much detail and too much thought put into it to have been constructed by kids. That's not to say Aang doubted the intelligence of the population here; it was that something was strangely off about the system…

And something very familiar…

Before Aang could follow his train of thought, Sokka heaved a noisy sigh, shattering Aang's focus on his inner musings. "Fine. You really want to know?" Sokka turned and pointed towards the wall to their right, the one with the metal gate. "Do you see that gate?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you see beyond it?"

Aang squinted, willing his eyes to focus against the bright glare of everything else surrounding him. Now that Sokka gave him a focal point, Aang could see that beyond the gate was an ethereal blue fog pervading the land. Beyond that, Aang could not make out a single thing, as though it were a blue cloud that had decided to descend from the heavens to rest calmly on the ground.

The way the fog rolled, however, sent unease crawling down Aang's spine. It felt calm, yet the calmness it exuded was not the calmness of serenity nor tranquility; no, it felt more like the calm before the storm, the anticipation before the action. There was a foreboding tenseness in the gentle roiling of the cloud-like mist, like there was something just beyond, lurking around the edges, that would spring out at any moment.

"You feel it too, huh?" Sokka's voice was full of knowing. Aang glanced at the older boy and was surprised to see his eyes a steel-blue, his mouth set in a firm line and his jaw clenched tightly.

Aang could only manage to nod. "What… is that?" Aang turned to observe the fog again, shuddering at the perverse aura that clashed with the tranquility and serenity of the sunlit area. It seemed to crawl through him intrusively, snaking its chilling tentacles through his blood. Yet, Aang couldn't tear his gaze away; there was something inside of him that seemed fixated on the fog beyond.

Aang could hear Sokka walk up to him from behind. "That," the Water Tribe boy began, his voice a mix of solemnity, determination, and bitterness, "is our enemy."

Aang glanced behind him to see the Water Tribe boy gazing at him solemnly. Locking eyes with Sokka, Aang felt something click, something connect between them, and it took him a moment to pinpoint exactly what it was he felt: camaraderie.

And the bonds between them strengthened just a little bit more.

Without a sound, Sokka turned away and began to walk away. Aang stood only for a moment longer, casting a glance back towards the metal gate and the enigmatic fog that rested over the land.

Only one question lurked in the back of his mind: Who exactly is the enemy?

"Aang, I'd like for you to meet Toph."

A short, petite girl, who was leaning against a tree with her left arm propped against the trunk, turned her head to the left and spit something to the side before facing Sokka. "What, Snoozles, they dropped off more fresh meat?" She smirked. "We all know how much you like that."

Sokka heaved a great big sigh. "No, Toph, this is the one that was dropped off a week ago, remember?"

Aang raised his eyebrows, surprised; that was a detail no one mentioned to him. "A week ago?"

The other boy made a vague gesture with his hands. "Yeah, and you've been asleep the entire time. Kinda unusual, since the newbies would normally wake up the next day."

Aang didn't know how to respond to that.

Luckily, he didn't need to. "Ah." Toph uncrossed her arms and straightened. "So he's that kid."

"Indeed," Sokka replied rather dryly. He cleared his throat and turned halfway towards Aang. "Anyways, Toph, this is Aang."

"Nice to meet you." Aang took a moment to study the new girl. Her thick, black hair was tied up in a bun at the back, but there were still several locks of hair that fell over her face as bangs. From what Aang could see, the girl wore a simple green hoodie underneath a tan vest and dark green cargo pants. She was short, shorter than Aang, even, but something in his brain told him that she was not to be underestimated. And from the looks of it, her heritage was from the Earth Kingdom.

But her wardrobe wasn't what caught his eye.

No, it was her eyes.

Her eyes were a dull, glassy pale green that felt almost lifeless; even her pupils had a film over it, as though it hadn't been used, and Aang got the distinct impression that she was blind. But… there was something else, too. Even though those eyes may not allow sight, they revealed a hardness to it that could only come from within the girl. Steely determination glinted from the depths of those useless eyes, a strange juxtaposition that Aang found intriguing. But, most of all, those eyes glinted with rock-hard confidence that was reflected in her posture and mannerisms.

Rock-hard…

Without thinking, three words flew out of his mouth: "You're an earthbender."

Instantly, Aang was hit with a bout of dizziness. As the ground beneath him spun, Aang grasped the closest thing he could find for support, which felt strangely warm through some sort of rough cloth-like material. A loud ringing sounded in his ears, drowning out all other sounds outside of his body. As if some sort of blockade in his head had been removed, a flood of information poured forth unhindered, filling the empty spaces left behind:

"Earthbenders can manipulate rock and earth. They are known mostly for standing their ground against other opponents, bending or otherwise, and they are the most stubborn of all the Benders. Most earthbenders prefer the style of Hung Gar, seeing as how it is a martial arts that utilizes heavily rooted stances and powerful kicks and punches that reflect the element which they control."

As the ringing in his ears faded and his senses gradually returned to him, Aang distantly noted that the girl—Toph, was that her name?—in some sort of stance, directing her blank eyes in a narrowed-eyed glare towards his direction. Once tactile sensation returned to him, Aang suddenly realized that he had a vice-like grip on muscle and skin underneath rough cloth. Cringing internally, Aang slowly looked up to see Sokka looking at him unamused, but suspicion danced across his icy eyes.

"Little unsteady on his feet, isn't he?" Toph remarked, but her voice was tight with tension as she took a couple steps forward. With a sudden jolt, Aang realized that she was somehow able to walk towards him.

Sokka hummed his agreement, still continuing to study Aang with that suspicious gaze. "What happened?" he questioned, albeit harshly. "How did you know she was an earthbender?" What are you not telling me? is what his menacing gaze seemed to say as he narrowed his eyes at Aang.

Fear burst in Aang's chest at Sokka's severe tone and probing gaze, and he ripped away his hold on the older boy, stumbling back until he was sure he was out of range in case the boy tried to strangle him. "I—I don't know." Aang turned his hands up in a pleading, placating manner. Sweat gathered on his brow, and he began to feel incredibly warm in his clothes as Sokka continued to glare at him suspiciously. "Honestly, I don't! The same thing happened when I saw Katara…"

Toph blinked in surprise before shooting an amused grin towards Sokka. "You took him to see Sugar Queen?" She smirked, as though trying to hold back a laugh. "Now that's a first!"

Aang cocked an eyebrow. "'Sugar Queen'?"

Sokka, predictably, ignored him. "No, actually," Sokka retorted, scowling slightly. "Katara decided it would be a grand idea to go see the newbie before the leader did."

This time, Toph did laugh aloud. In contrast to her tough exterior, Aang thought that her laugh seemed almost… delicate, but it was also delightfully child-like, a trait that seemed to be sorely lacking around Sokka and Katara.

And one that felt so familiar, too…

Suddenly, Aang was hit with a wave of deja vu yet again. Something clicked in his brain, the gears shifting, before a torrent of the simple feeling of knowing poured through him. He didn't remember her, no; the spaces in his brain still remained empty, just like with Katara and Sokka. But he knew.

He had known this girl before.

Aang resurfaced from the depths of his mind in time to hear Toph delightedly exclaim, "You mean Sugar Queen actually disobeyed the rules?" She guffawed, slapping a hand on her knee. "Oh man oh man, today's just full of surprises, isn't it?"

Sokka, on the contrary, seemed less than amused. "It would help if you didn't encourage it."

Toph simply waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, I get it, 'follow the rules,' blah blah blah."

Sokka scowled at her, which seemed to have no effect whatsoever. "Couldn't you at least act like you're following the rules instead of outright blowing them off around the new kids?" he growled. "You're setting a bad example!"

"I know, I know." The earthbender dismissed Sokka's admonishments yet again—seriously, how could she do that without being intimidated, Aang had to wonder. "It's not like you remind me every five seconds! Geez, Snoozles, you need to lighten up."

Both of Aang's eyebrows shot up. Needless to say, he was amused. "'Snoozles'?"

Toph snickered. "I know! It fits him so well, too!"

Sokka scowled at them both. While Aang reflexively flinched from the gaze Sokka was throwing at him, Toph didn't even seem fazed. Aang internally gawked at how she could be so… nonchalant in the face of this older, intimidating boy. That rock-hard confidence in her eyes was something Aang envied, and he wondered if he could somehow obtain a sliver of it for himself.

It would certainly help around Sokka.

"Yeah, yeah, make fun of the nickname," Sokka muttered mutinously. "It would help if you were actually serious for once, Toph."

Toph gasped, placing a hand over her heart in mock shock. "What are you talking about? I'm always serious!"

Aang couldn't be too sure, but he thought he saw the older boy's mouth quirk into a half-smile for a split second. Just for a split second, though; the next moment, Sokka's face was back to its blank mask. Even so, those blue eyes did seem softer than before. "Clearly," he deadpanned, straightfaced.

Toph laughed again. "Well, at least your sense of sarcasm is coming back to you!" Her fist slammed into Sokka's bicep with so much force that Aang couldn't help but wince along with Sokka. "Sheesh, you need to ease up around the new guys."

Sokka rubbed his arm and shot a glare towards the girl, his expression warring between stone-cold seriousness and fond exasperation, much to Aang's surprise. After what felt like an eternity, the latter won out, and Sokka heaved a great big sigh as he shot a surprisingly endearing look towards the earthbender. "I have a reputation to uphold," he protested amicably.

Toph snorted dubiously. "With who? Suki?" Her tone took on a teasing lilt.

Color flooded Sokka's cheeks. "This— I— You— This has nothing to do with her!"

"I can tell you're ly-ing," Toph sing-songed.

"Curse your stupid earth magic!"

Aang was beginning to feel awkward. There was a bond these two clearly shared, one that seemed reminiscent of an older brother and a younger sister, and they seemed to be cracking jokes that only they knew. Aang felt like an outsider, a stranger, watching the familial bond between these two.

Well, he was a stranger, wasn't he? He hasn't even been here twenty-four hours. Yet, looking upon the two friends, Aang couldn't shake the yearning that was bubbling up from the depths of his chest, the aching longing that only compounded the emptiness and strange sense of loss he felt within his very bones.

I don't belong here, do I?

Before Aang could make his escape, Sokka reached out and grabbed ahold of Aang, as though reading what he was planning to do. "Speaking of nicknames, since Aang's going to be hanging around us, why don't you come up with one for him?" There was a mischievous lilt in Sokka's voice that seemed so out-of-place with the image Aang had constructed in his mind about the boy that it threw Aang for a loop for a moment; suddenly, Sokka seemed like a kid again.

And then Aang chastised himself, because of course it would seem like that because Sokka is a kid; the older boy's demeanor simply made it hard to remember sometimes.

"Hmmm…" Toph came up to Aang and tilted her head up, giving the impression that she was staring at his face… except that her eyes were a little bit off, and instead, it felt like she was staring at his nose.

Sokka let go of Aang's arm as the girl began to circle around Aang in an almost predatory manner. The way her blind eyes still somehow managed to continue facing Aang's body unnerved him; it was as though she were boring her sightless eyes into his soul and discerning every little thing about him. Reflexively, Aang took a nervous step backwards when she was right in front of him.

Immediately, Toph snapped her fingers. "Twinkletoes!"

Aghast, Aang sputtered, "What?"

Toph gleefully jabbed her index finger at his face, and Aang had to duck his head to the side to avoid getting his eye stabbed out. "That's your new nickname." Pride glowed from her voice as she put her hands on her hips in a triumphant pose. "Twinkletoes."

A poorly concealed snicker from behind Toph made Aang glance sharply at Sokka, who looked like he was trying (and emphasis on trying) to look innocent.

"Uh, sure." Honestly, Aang couldn't care any less about his nickname, but he had to know: "Why 'Twinkletoes,' though?"

Toph shrugged. "Despite your little klutzy spasm earlier, you're actually pretty light on your feet. Well, more so than most people, anyways."

"Really?" Aang was intrigued, to say the least. He himself never really paid attention to his own footsteps; then again, what normal person would? But he had the distinct feeling that Toph wasn't normal. "How do you know?"

Toph smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased, catching Aang off guard for a moment. He opened his mouth reflexively to deliver an automatic reply when Sokka cut in.

"It's something about her magicky earth powers," the Water Tribe boy said flippantly. Aang looked over Toph's shoulder to see Sokka leaning against the same tree Toph had been leaning against earlier, scraping a rock against his boomerang. "I dunno, I wasn't paying too much attention to it."

The boy got his comeuppance a moment later via a pebble to the head.

Aang couldn't help but burst out laughing as Sokka let out a loud, "OW!" and rubbed his head, glaring in Toph's direction (which the girl didn't seem to notice). "What was that for?!"

"For insulting earthbending AND ruining the surprise!" Toph jabbed a finger towards Sokka and stamped her foot. "I am the greatest earthbender in The Plane, and don't you two dunderheads forget it!"

"Okay, okay, sheesh! I apologize for insulting you, oh mighty Toph." Sokka exaggeratedly bowed.

Toph huffed but still spared the Water Tribe boy a smirk. "Much better."

"'Greatest earthbender'?" Aang felt an inexplicable excitement erupt within him, and it was all he could do to reel it in. "I would love to see you earthbend sometime!"

"Yeah, you would." Toph seemed to preen herself underneath Aang's excited proclamation, apparently sated by his eagerness. Her eyes glowed with pride, and she grinned. "Well, since you're so interested, and since Snoozles over there spoiled the general gist of it"—she shot a glare towards Sokka—"I guess I can tell you how I do it."

"Really?" Something deeper than simple excitement and curiosity wormed its way through Aang and intertwined with the other two emotions. It was a strange feeling, one unlike anything he had ever felt before (or from what he could remember). Aang couldn't place an exact word to describe it, but he knew that it was something far more profound that was driving his eagerness to learn from Toph.

Toph nodded. "You see, even though I'm blind, I still have a sort of 'sight' that allows me to sense where objects and people are." She lifted one foot off the ground, and for the first time, Aang saw that she was barefoot, toes encrusted with dirt and grime. "I use earthbending to sense that stuff with my feet, kinda like seeing with my feet.

"Everything on the ground gives off some sort of vibration: you, the trees, even the grass here." She swiped a foot over the grass, as if to emphasize her point. "My type of earthbending just helps me amplify those vibrations so that I can pinpoint where everything is."

"Wow." That was the only word Aang could think of to describe how awed and impressed he was with Toph's ability to see—but it was, in his opinion, a far too underwhelming word to truly convey how he felt. "But how do you know that my footsteps are different from everybody else?"

Toph shrugged. "Everyone has a unique set of vibrations, but in order for me to see them, they have to be connected to the ground. The one thing that seems to be the same for everyone else is that they like to keep their feet on the ground; it makes it easier for me to see them. But for you,"—Toph's tone turned contemplative—"it's almost like you're not touching the ground, and I could sense you wearing sneakers too."

"Really?"

Toph hummed in affirmation. "It's actually pretty hard to see you." She furrowed her brow in concentration. "You're so flighty and light on your feet. Hence"—the girl spread out her arms—"your new nickname. Twinkletoes."

Huh. That… was something new. Something new… and yet wholly familiar, like he's heard it before.

Before Aang could delve further into the constant deja vu he was feeling (seriously, though, he was getting really tired of it), a heavy hand fell onto Aang's shoulder. Aang glanced behind him to see the older Water Tribe boy behind him; apparently, Aang hadn't seemed to notice, having been so caught up in his inner thoughts. "Well, Toph, I'll have to take the kid to tour the other places. What"—Sokka's voice turned comically formal—"does the great Toph think of the new recruit?"

Toph seemed to scrutinize Aang for a moment as she leaned forward until her face was in his. Her eyes were narrowed in a deadly serious glare that, despite how he was taller than her, made him suddenly feel as tiny as a bug. Aang wondered if intimidation factor was a trait every kid here possessed; even Katara, to an extent, had a ferocity that filled Aang with trepidation.

Then Toph straightened and dropped the serious facade, shrugging casually. The sudden change was so off-putting that Aang nearly fell over—literally. "Eh, he's a bit on the flimsy side if you ask me," she dismissed before breaking into a wicked grin. "But that's something I can change real soon." As if to emphasize her point, she slammed her fist into her other hand.

Cold sweat broke out along Aang's forehead as he saw the wicked gleam in her eye.

Luckily for Aang, Sokka came to the rescue. "Duly noted." Sokka nodded at her and turned, forcing Aang to turn alongside Sokka as they began walking away from the blind earthbender. Aang saw Sokka turn to call out behind him, "Don't get into trouble!"

Aang couldn't be too sure, but he thought he heard Toph yell back, "No promises!"

"Well, she seems…" Aang trailed off, struggling to find a word to describe the girl he had just met. Blunt? Well, yeah, but that didn't seem to encompass the entirety of her personality. Brash? Bold? All good words, but they didn't seem to take into account her apparent tendency to disregard rules.

"Earthbender-y, right?" Sokka offered knowingly. Aang glanced over to Sokka, who seemed far more relaxed than he had been before they met the younger girl. Aang was admittedly in awe of how Toph seemed to flip a switch within Sokka and wondered how she could do so with such ease, too.

"Well, yeah, that's one way of putting it."

"Eh, you'll get used to it," Sokka assured him. "All of the earthbenders here are stubborn, but you'll learn pretty quickly that Toph is one of a kind."

"There's more?"

Sokka blinked. "Well, yeah. Otherwise, she wouldn't be calling herself the greatest earthbender in The Plane."

The plane? Aang blinked in surprise at the sudden term. "What's the plane?"

"Not 'the plane'; The Plane," the older boy corrected Aang. "It's just what we call this place."

"But why 'The Plane'?"

"I dunno." Sokka shrugged. "When I woke up here with some of the other folks, that was just the name that popped in our heads when we saw this place. We've just been using it ever since."

All conversation stopped when they reached their destination: the stone pavilion that Aang had seen earlier. Now that Aang was closer, he could see that only half of the building was structured like a pavilion: the short end of it was covered entirely with stone that surrounded a furnace, and on either end, the building didn't have walls until about half-way towards the middle, allowing air to flow through. The other half of the building was completely encased in stone walls, and from the angle they were standing, Aang could see that, amidst the anvils and ash-ridden countertops, there was a stone wall with a metal door that led into the rest of the structure. Even when they were a little ways away from the building, Aang could hear the tell-tale signs of activity: metal clanging, indecipherable shouts and grunts filling the air.

Sokka turned to Aang and gestured towards it. "This is the forge that also doubles as our secondary armory." He pointed to the door that was inside the building. "That's where we keep all our secondary weapons."

Bewilderment bubbled within Aang, and he opened his mouth to ask Sokka why on earth they needed a forge to make weapons— when a head suddenly popped out right in front of them. Aang let out a startled yell and backpedaled, nearly falling on his backside in the process.

Now that Aang had put some distance between him and the newcomer, he could see that the head that popped out had unruly, long brown hair, some of which had been knotted in the back in traditional Earth Kingdom style. Mechanist goggles sat on the newcomer's head, and his cheek was smudged with ash. Even so, Aang could see that the boy was fairly young, maybe not much older than Aang himself, and the Earth Kingdom boy's eyes shone brightly underneath the grime that dirtied his face.

"Oh, hey, Sokka!" The kid walked— no, wheeled himself out of the forge; he was sitting in a wheelchair with his legs bound together by white bandages. A heavy, black apron covered his entire torso, but underneath it, Aang could see he wore a collared zip-up green jacket. A welding torch loosely bounced in the boy's right hand as he raised his left hand in a friendly wave.

Sokka grinned. "Hey, Teo."

Teo wheeled himself up to the older boy, glancing over at Aang curiously. "We got another new kid?"

"Yep." Sokka turned and gestured over to Aang. Taking the cue, Aang walked back up next to Sokka. "Teo, this is Aang. Aang, Teo."

"Pleased to meet you," Aang offered politely, extending his hand out to Teo while studying the boy. There was something about the boy that felt familiar… it wasn't just that feeling that he knew the boy, same as with Sokka, Katara, and Toph, though; no, the aura around the boy just felt oddly… light, like a feather. Aang didn't know how else to describe it, but being around Teo made him feel some twinge of connection deep within himself, deeper than even his connection with Katara.

The Earth Kingdom firmly grasped Aang's hand, shaking him out of his reverie. "Likewise." Teo's eyes skimmed over Aang's face and then widened. "Those tattoos…" He pointed to Aang's forehead. "I… feel like I've seen them before."

"You… you have?" Aang felt both his heart sink and his hopes rise. Truthfully, Aang had almost completely forgotten how… different he was compared to everyone else. The idea of how isolated he was compared to his peers (peers? he supposed that would fit for now) left a pit of ice in his stomach and, not for the first time, wished he could somehow wipe these tattoos away, these markings that screamed you don't belong.

And yet…

Yet…

If what Teo said was true, then maybe… maybe there was someone here who shared the same markings as his. Maybe Katara was wrong; there were people from at least two of the other nations here, right? So why couldn't he find someone else that had—

But that's all on the assumption that the tattoos were a cultural thing—a hasty assumption that Aang made as soon as he saw his markings, for reasons even he didn't know. Maybe it wasn't cultural at all; maybe, sometime in his earlier life, he had simply decided, for some stupid reason, to get tattoos.

But then how would Teo recognize them?

None of this was making any sense, and Aang's head was spinning quite violently, feeling like his thoughts were only running around in circles, so he actively tried to shut it out and listen back in on the conversation at hand.

"—dunno, but I've definitely seen them before," Teo insisted to Sokka.

"How?" Sokka asked dubiously. "There's literally no one else here that has them!"

Oh. Aang tried to steady his breathing under the crushing disappointment. The flaring hope, which had steadily flickered to life with each passing thought and possibility that he wasn't alone, that there was someone like him, was extinguished just as quickly as it had been sparked to life.

He had hoped…

But really—a surprisingly bitter thought rose from the depths of his mind—should I have expected something different? Loneliness was a dreadful existence, but one that Aang was wholly familiar with, it seemed; no matter where he went, who he talked to, who he bonded with, he always ended up alone.

He could go anywhere and everywhere, but in the end, he belonged nowhere.

Because that was just who he was.

(where are these thoughts coming from)

Teo's voice cut through Aang's spiraling thoughts, pulling him back to reality before he could sink further. "Like I said before, I don't know," Teo repeated calmly. "Must be some sort of fractured memory or something."

Sokka seemed to study the Earth Kingdom boy for a moment longer before he shrugged. "That makes sense."

Teo nodded before turning his wheelchair to face Aang, unashamedly staring at the markings that covered Aang's forehead. Again, Aang had the distinct feeling that he was a guinea pig trapped in a cage and subjected to the whimsical urges of children, and the want—no, the need—to scrub it all away returned with a burning vengeance.

"Well,"—Teo's voice broke through the haze, and Aang silently breathed a sigh a relief to see that the boy had torn away his burning gaze from those markings those accursed markings to smile kindly at him—"it's nice to meet you, Aang." He gestured towards the door within the forge, the one that apparently led to the armory. "Would you like to see the inside of the armory?"

At any other point in time, Aang might've declined; just the thought of being around sharp objects made him feel uneasy. But this time, he shook off his lingering thoughts and attempted a smile. "I'd love to."

A/N Had a hard time finding a good stopping place, but I think this is a good one.

Please review, and keep an eye out for part 2!