Both awesome and terrifying, the Avatar's power. With what looked like mild gestures of his arms, the Water Clan ship was damaged almost beyond repair.

Sokka shuddered at the memory of those ethereal, glowing eyes. No kid should ever have an expression like that, he thought...even if said child turned out to be a weapon of mass destruction in human form. Sokka rubbed his own face. Exhaustion threatened to overtake him and so he banished the thought from his mind.

Right now, he needed to focus. His ship needed repairs. He could brood later; that really wasn't his thing anyway. Complaining, sure, but brooding was complaining with extra steps, and he didn't have the energy for it.

Sokka examined the area as he walked down the ramp. They were anchored at a Water Clan pier along a harbor, this site much farther from Fire Nation territory, thankfully, and closer to his own people's jurisdiction. The sun was still up, although it was preparing to make its daily descent, and collections of clouds floated overhead, helping to cast shadows along the surface which seemed to trail after the slowly descending star. This cast the surrounding structures in hues of oranges and yellows, vaguely reminding him of the two fire nation teens he lost track of.

To Sokka's left was his aforementioned ship. It seemed to look even more worse for wear now that it wasn't in motion. The observation deck was destroyed, covered in scorch marks. The metal near that section was blackened and bits of glass was littered all along the deck of the ship. Sokka sighed at seeing such a magnificent vessel being utterly trashed. At least the silverish sheen on the ship's hull seemed to be untouched.

To his right, there were stalls and vendors, all selling wares of some sort. Most of the merchandise was food and supplies, as this particular location was a military installation more than anything else. Most of the passerby consisted of Water Clan soldiers from different regiments, and ships came and went as hours would go by.

"Alright, so we're getting what we need for repairs, plenty of food," Sokka counted off these points on his fingers. "And then we go straight back to chasing him."

Pakku, who was following behind him, raised a brow. "You mean the Avatar?" he replied in obvious disinterest. He was quickly elbowed in the arm by the Prince who shushed him with exaggerated gestures for quiet.

"Ix-nay on the Vatar-ay..!" Sokka whispered harshly. "The last thing we need is this info spreading around."

"What info?"

Sokka nearly felt his soul leave his body and he jumped back in surprise, arms flailing. He sighed in relief, though, once he recognized the voice.

The man who had approached them was a soldier about the age of Sokka's father. He stood out amongst the soldiers by the fact that he wore a lot less armor than the typical Water Clan soldier. A tribal necklace hung from his neck, adorned with Tiger-Seal teeth and claws. While the particular piece of jewelry implied a great warrior, the man also held himself in a way where he seemed the amicable type. He was no more armored than a standard issue Water Clan tunic.

"Bato!" Sokka wrapped the man in an unexpected hug, causing him to laugh.

"Look at you, Sokka! You've grown!" Bato greeted once the younger man stepped back and he clapped a hand on his shoulder, shaking it good naturedly. He nodded reverently to Pakku.

"And General Pakku," Bato greeted, bowing his head slightly in a gesture of respect. "It is an honor."

"Former General," Pakku corrected, not unkind. "I haven't been called that in many moons," the eldest commented wistfully.

And indeed, it was a long time ago. If it was up to him, he'd rather forget the circumstances behind his abandoning of the title.

Bato nodded, understanding. "Well, The Prince and the Tiger-Wolf of the North are always welcome," he replied sincerely. "What brings you to my harbor?"

Sokka glanced briefly back at the ship. Bato was an old friend; he was like an Uncle to him. If there was anyone he could trust outside of Pakku, it was him.

"We're here to get our ship repaired," Sokka ventured. "We...ran into some trouble on the way here."

Bato glanced at Sokka's ship from where he stood. The observation tower was utterly wrecked; the explosion had made it look like a storm singled out that specific portion of the vessel and everything else was collateral damage.

"That's quite a bit of damage," Bato understatedly observed, rubbing his chin in thought. Surely, it couldn't be the work of Fire Nation insurgents? He doubted they had the manpower to spare for raids on Water Clan military vessels. The Fire Nation definitely matched them in naval capability, but they wouldn't have the numbers needed to keep up a large presence both in the Earth Kingdom and uncharted waters at the same time.

"What I'm about to tell you..." Sokka ventured, waving Bato closer. Curiosity peaked, the seasoned warrior complied. "Can't leak out."

"Sokka..." Pakku warned.

Sokka waved off his grandfather's doubts. "It's okay, we can trust him," he assured him, before facing Bato again.

Sokka glanced around briefly. "We found the Avatar."

Bato looked at Sokka, unbelievingly, before backing up a step, back straight. "You are sure?"

"Yeah, he showed an amazing display of firebending..." Sokka paused as he examined his wrecked ship. "Can you do me a favor? Keep this a secret from you know who."

Bato knew very well who he was referring to. He could only guess at the consequences of that one finding out. Unconsciously, Bato swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.

"I didn't hear a thing," Bato assured with a smile. "After all, he's been dead for a 100 years...wouldn't seem out of place for him to not show up until after you've captured him."

Sokka returned the smile, thanking him with a sincere handshake. Bato's smile then dropped almost as immediately as it formed. "So he really has returned, huh?" he asked, folding his arms. He remembered the reasoning behind why Sokka left. Honestly, he thought it to be a fool's errand. But now that the Avatar returning seems possible now...Well, maybe Sokka's mission really could be completed. And he would support him in any way he could, it was the least he could do.

Sokka nodded, confirming his question. "He's Air Nomad," he explained as Bato waved him and Pakku to follow him to his current base of operations. It was a short walk, and Sokka was privately relieved to not have to keep looking at the wrecked ship. "He also wore what looked like Airbender tattoos," he continued. "Orange and yellow monk robes; he's kinda hard to miss."

The three weaved through the thin crowd of soldiers as they went about their business.

"How has the capital been since we've left, anyway?" Pakku decided to ask after having been silent for a while.

Bato sighed as he entered a large tent. It was lined with furs on the exterior, framed with what looked like metal lining that acted as a skeleton for the structure. Nothing but the strongest of hurricane level winds could knock them down.

He bid them to enter.

"The capital's been fine, for the most part," he said as the other two entered. Two guards inside the tent prepared two stools for the guests and Sokka and Pakku sat down. "But, you have been away for about three years. Without you advising most of the fleet's forces in council meetings, many of the missions have become, how should I say this..." Bato rubbed his forehead. He folded his arms. "A lot of policy changes have taken place since you've been gone."

Pakku raised an eyebrow, and Bato took it as cue to continue. Sokka and Pakku gave their undivided attention. The two guards from earlier returned, setting down bowls of Seal Jerky and rice, along with some cups of water. Sokka immediately began to dig in (He was still paying attention to the conversation of course.) Pakku was more reserved as he nursed his water.

"Once you had departed the Capital with Prince Sokka three years ago, there was less opposition to some of the fleet commanders more aggressive expansionist policies." He sighed. "I did what I could to try to oppose it, but I was outvoted."

Sokka stared at his half empty bowl, suddenly having lost his appetite.

"If my father thinks that the rest of the world will just bend knee and give up, he's more lost than I thought."

Pakku would usually be the one to criticize his tactlessness, but Bato spoke this time.

"Well, you're time away from home has made you quite the optimist."

Sokka snorted at the joke but immediately sobered as Bato continued.

"Sokka, since you've left, the Chief hasn't really done anything to balance out these fleet commanders' wish to advance on more land." Bato sighed, and a small part of him thought he'd been doing a little too much of that lately. "I fear that we're moving away from expanding and more into outright destroying enemy land."

"What are you talking about?" Sokka asked, slowly setting his bowl down. His travels had taken him closer to Fire Nation territory in his quest to find the Avatar, so he was a bit uninformed in recent happenings in his homeland, specifically, the last two years.

Bato stared past his own bowl of food, which remained untouched even now. "Some of the Earth Kingdom villages look like ruins. Homes destroyed and abandoned."

"More and more settlements are getting completely drained of their water sources, the closer they are to the Fire Nation."


"This one's another Airbender," Azula pointed to a statue of a bald man with what looked like Airbender Mastery tattoos. He looked like what Azula imagined Aang could possibly look like as a grown man. She placed over to the next statue to the right. This one wore what looked like Water Clan clothing, but more antiquated. Rather than the crisp measurements of Water Clan uniforms, it had a more handspun and rougher look to it.

"A Water Tribesman," she said aloud. Besides the beard and overall quite intimidating presence, he almost had a passing resemblance to the Sokka character they managed to evade recently.

"And Fire," Zuko spoke up, looking at the next and last statue in the lineup.

"That's Roku," Aang said, looking into the eyes of the Fire National's statue as if in a daze. He looked so familiar, as if he'd seen him before, but it seemed to be more than that, he-

"Aang?"

Aang blinked, rubbing his eyes, feeling like he'd been pulled out of some alternate dimension or something.

"You spaced out briefly," Azula said as way of explanation. She turned to face him. "How did you know who that was? There's no name anywhere," she said. She slowly paced around the statue, but there was nothing denoting so much as a letter anywhere.

Aang shrugged. "'Dunno. I just do."

"Guess we'll have to get used to these random insights of yours," Zuko said, without humor, and he folded his arms.

Aang shrugged again, not knowing any more than Zuko.

"So i'm guessing the person you eere to meet was a statue," Zuko added bluntly. "Doesn't even look like anyone lived in here."

Aang hummed, tapping his chin. "Maybe I need to meditate in front of it or something?" He looked questioningly at Zuko. He shrugged.

Azula sighed melodramatically, even placing a hand, palm out. "Well, it's not like we have anything better to do," she stated. "Inform me when you're done meditating," she requested. She began to explore the rest of the room, complaining about the lack of seats anywhere and the dust she seemed to find everywhere.

Aang smiled, amused, and sat down, lotus style, facing the statue. Zuko stepped back, affording him some space, and looked like a sentry standing guard.

Aang remembered his lessons from his mentor, Monk Gyatso. He closed his hands into loose fists, pressing them against each other, and cleared his mind. He breathed in deeply through his nose, and then out through his mouth.

...

It was 3 minutes later and Aang blew a raspberry.

"I got nothing," he stated, shoulders slumping. Zuko regarded the statue before looking back at Aang.

"On to the next stop, then?"

Aang nodded enthusiastically. "Kyoshi Island."

Well, maybe he wasn't ready yet, Aang thought to himself. That was the requirement Gyatso told him. And he still only knew Airbending. Maybe when he visited an Air Temple again in the future, he would be able to meet whatever person was waiting for him. He also wondered if he really did need to go to the Southern Air Temple like Gyatso said.

Well, maybe he'd find a friendly waterbender at Kyoshi Island...It was a bit of a stretch, but what better way to find out than to just go?

Then they heard footsteps. From outside the sanctuary.

Aang and Zuko immediately spotted Azula a short distance from them and she was actually deeper inside of the room. She gave a meaningful look. She heard it too. Immediately, all three of them dropped to a low crouch, finding shelter behind the numerous statues. Aang and Zuko his behind the statue of Roku, while Azula took shelter behind a statue of an impressively tall Earthbender woman with a fearsome visage.

A shadow crept up towards the large stone door opening. The shuffling got slightly louder, but it started to sound less like footsteps.

"Might be a waterbender," Azula whispered. Zuko nodded, while Aang attempted to get a clearer look by squinting.

Once the shadow grew large enough in size to signify that the stranger was near, Azula spun from behind the statue, sliding into a stance. She scoffed before immediately dropping it.

Aang had leaped over Roku's statue at the same time that Zuko and Azula revealed themselves.

"Lemur!" Aang cried, a grin threatening to split his face. The animal in question Chittered something unintelligible in the tone of a question, and tilted its head.

"Careful, Avatar, that thing could be rabid," Azula cautioned.

"No worries, it's a flying lemur," Aang replied, offering an arm to the animal. "They're really friendly."

The lemur slowly approached and once it reached Aang's hand, it sniffed it before running up his arm and circled his neck once and then rested on his shoulder. "See?" Aang shrugged with his free arm after he stood up.

"I hope you don't make a habit of picking up wild animals," Azula's lip curled as she warily observed the lemur on Aang's shoulder. It chose that moment to lick its paw. It paused as if sensing Azula was looking at him and turned its head to regard her. Azula's eyes slanted in mild annoyance.

"I haven't thought of a name for him yet," Aang scratched the fur on the lemur's neck, to its approval. "Guess we better get out of here." He looked at his new pet on his shoulder. "I'm gonna introduce you to Appa!" Aang dashed towards the exit. Azula and Zuko glanced at each other before following him out.

Once out of the sanctuary, the team made their way back towards Appa, and halfway through the trip, their Lemur friend decided to fly off, not that that disappointed Azula any. Aang was sad to see him fly off, but he hoped he would come back before they took off on Appa.

"That reminds me," Aang said, hovering a hand in front of his brow to block some of the sunlight. It had begun to reach it's zenith, so it was especially bright. "Before we go, I want to visit the meditation room, to pay my respects before we leave."

Azula saw how he looked a lot more solemn than he did only minutes ago.

This was important to him.

"Of course," Azula replied and nodded his assent, and Aang smiled gratefully at them.

"Zuko, why don't you keep Appa company, we'll be back shortly." Zuko rolled his eyes but nevertheless complied.

"Its still a chance, possibly, that we're still being followed, so don't take too long," Zuko shot back evenly. Aang assured that he'd be there and back before heading with Azula to the meditation room.

"Hey, I'm glad you wanted to come see the meditation room with me," Aang said, scratching the back of his neck. The both of them were steadily making their way up a winding path of stairs. The stairs were constructed well, made of some sort of polished stone, that even now seemed to repel dust.

"Don't get any funny ideas," Azula warned, eyes flashing. "I'm just curious to know what it looks like."

Aang's face colored. "Uh, I wasn't thinking funny thoughts! I-"

While Azula thought his floundering was cute and hilarious, she decided to cut him some slack.

"It was a joke," she clarified, the grin not leaving her face.

Aang calmed down enough to laugh, even though his face was still a bit red. "It's kind of hard to tell when you're serious or not."

"I guess you could say it's a talent of mine."

Aang chose not to comment on that. They finally reached the top of the steps to find a large chamber, similar in size to the sanctuary they had vacated not too long ago. Here though, the doors were already open, not having required any sort of airbending to enter. Moss, vines, trees, and roots seemed to spread here without supervision from groundkeepers, but something was wrong with the sight of them.

Azula noticed Aang staring at them as well.

"These plants are dead," Azula said, observing the withered flora. The spread of roots, having overtaken parts of the interior of the sanctuary showed that it hadn't been maintained in decades at the very least. But then, these roots were also cracked, dry and without any kind of moisture.

Waterbenders. Azula bowed her head. So they had been here, and this was the proof. She belatedly noticed Aang had stepped further into the chamber, past a wall of shredded curtains. It was covered in a film of cobwebs, having been the home of arachnids throughout the years that may have called it home and then abandoned it over the course of numerous times.

She heard a crash, as if someone bumped into furniture and toppled something over. That didn't sound good, Azula thought, and so she dashed past the curtains.

Oh.

There were skeletons everywhere. All of them were wearing ancient uniforms from a century ago. Many of them were Water Tribe uniforms. The way the bodies were scattered around made it seem as if a hurricane or tornado blew through the room and brought destruction all over.

Everything looked crushed. The walls were half destroyed. Something had enough force to put miniature craters into their surfaces. Some blue-garbed skeletons were slumped on the ground under some of them. It looked like this all along the walls and perimeter of the room...but the center seemed to be where the eye of the storm was.

One skeleton that didn't have the colors of the Water Tribe invaders, but the oranges and cream colors of an Air Nomad. Hair was still attached to this skeleton, flowing from the crown of it's head to splay out in different directions along it's back. The space where the hair was shaved must have been where the tattoo for airbending mastery would have been visible.

This dead Airbender looked like she might have been a female, if the way the long robes looked signified anything. Her arms were spread outward to both sides, while the stone around her was cracked and broken. It had absorbed a lot of water at some point and now looked warped.

She had went down fighting.

"You were right," Aang whispered, and Azula whipped her head in his direction. She hadn't noticed that she stopped to stand next to him. He was on his knees, the remains of some vase scattered to his left, along with an overturned table.

"I didn't wanna believe it," he continued, his arms shaking. He was still looking down at the ground, but from this angle, Azula couldn't see his face.

She really wished she wasn't right, she thought miserably. She kneeled down next to him, thinking that now was not the time to be worrying about dust and getting her pants dirty. Under the current circumstances, she thought her complaints would be wildly inappropriate, so she continued to kneel there. She hesitated, hovering a hand over Aang's shoulder, not sure how to proceed.

She was never good at cheering people up, and she realized she was a little out of her depth here. Maybe she shouldn't have told Zuko to wait with Appa. She was loathe to admit it, but he was a better conversationalist on some things.

"I-" Any words she could think of died longer lips when the wind, which was non existent up to this point, began to pick up. The Air Nomad Skeleton's hair began to whip around from the turbulence and the back of her mind temporarily produced the illogical thought of it controlling the winds.

She regretted not having said anything when Aang's Tattoos began to glow and the wind picked up even more speed. It threatened to fling her right out of the room.


Aang's grief didn't go unnoticed, and not just by Azula. Around the the globe, people were being reminded that the Avatar still lives.

In the Earth Kingdom, a man in earthy green robes fell backwards in shock. He almost forgot how to breathe when the tapestry he'd been meditating in front of suddenly seemed to come alive. The figure painted on this particular surface was Avatar Kyoshi, the Earthbending Avatar. It's eyes glowed an otherworldly bluish-white.

Not too far from that Temple, a statue of this same Avatar Kyoshi, propped in the center of an island, had those same glowing white eyes. Fearful and excited chatter reverberated from the crowds as people pointed to the spectacle.

On Crescent Island, a massive statue of the previous Avatar, Roku, of the Fire Nation was the centerpiece of a massive room inside of the Temple of the Fire Sages. It was cast completely in gold.

His eyes glowed that same ethereal bluish-white.

The sages, caught completely off guard from this, did not immediately know how to react. So they did the best thing under the circumstances.

They kowtowed, pressing their foreheads to the floor.

In the Northern Pole and the South Pole, in the Spirit Oasis and the Southern Water Temple, respectively, the shamans were struck with a feeling of enlightenment, and also fear. The Koi Fish jn the Spirit Oasis circled each other as they usually did, representing the eternal push and pull, but the water...the water was glowing white.

That had only happened once before, and that was 16 years ago.

The Southern Temple was constructed completely of ice and snow, and was the central landmark of the sprawling Metropolis that was the Capital of the Water Clan. On the uppermost floor, closest to the light of the moon, was a statue of Avatar Kuruk. He was on one knee as he held a tribal spear in both hands. The weapon was planted in the ground and his head was bowed. The eyes began to glow.

The Shamans were afraid, for this only meant one thing.

A Hong was sounded, and a platoon of soldiers who were conducting patrol from ground level outside, looked up toward a Temple window. A shaman was there, cupping his mouth to project his voice.

"Send word to the High Chief!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"The Avatar has returned!"